The mechanism of fibril formation of a non-inhibitory serpin ovalbumin revealed by the identification of amyloidogenic core regions

Ovalbumin (OVA), a non-inhibitory member of the serpin superfamily, forms fibrillar aggregates upon heat-induced denaturation. Recent studies suggested that OVA fibrils are generated by a mechanism similar to that of amyloid fibril formation, which is distinct from polymerization mechanisms proposed for other serpins. In this study, we provide new insights into the mechanism of OVA fibril formation through identification of amyloidogenic core regions using synthetic peptide fragments, site-directed mutagenesis, and limited proteolysis. OVA possesses a single disulfide bond between Cys(73) and Cys(120) in the N-terminal helical region of the protein. Heat treatment of disulfide-reduced OVA resulted in the formation of long straight fibrils that are distinct from the semiflexible fibrils formed from OVA with an intact disulfide. Computer predictions suggest that helix B (hB) of the N-terminal region, strand 3A, and strands 4-5B are highly β-aggregation-prone regions. These predictions were confirmed by the fact that synthetic peptides corresponding to these regions formed amyloid fibrils. Site-directed mutagenesis of OVA indicated that V41A substitution in hB interfered with the formation of fibrils. Co-incubation of a soluble peptide fragment of hB with the disulfide-intact full-length OVA consistently promoted formation of long straight fibrils. In addition, the N-terminal helical region of the heat-induced fibril of OVA was protected from limited proteolysis. These results indicate that the heat-induced fibril formation of OVA occurs by a mechanism involving transformation of the N-terminal helical region of the protein to β-strands, thereby forming sequential intermolecular linkages.     

ent-Eudesmane sesquiterpenoids, galloyl esters of the oak lactone precursor, and a 3-O-methylellagic acid glycoside from the wood of Platycarya strobilacea

ent-Eudesmane sesquiterpenoids, 8,11-dihydroxy-2,4-cycloeudesmane, 11-hydroxy-2,4-cycloeudesman-8-one and 2,4-cyclo-7(11)-eudesmen-8-one, were isolated from the wood of Platycarya strobilacea, which has been used as an aromatic tree since at least the 18th century. On charring the wood, 2,4-cyclo-7(11)-eudesmen-8-one was detected in the smoke. In the charred wood, the concentrations of ellagitannins, such as galloyl pedunculagin, dramatically decreased, whereas concentrations of pentagalloyl glucose, and other gallotannins were relatively stable. In addition, two other compounds, the 6′-O-m- and p-digalloyl oak lactone precursor and the 3-O-methylellagic acid 4′-O-(4″-O-galloyl)-xylopyranoside, were isolated from the charred wood along with m- and p-digallic acid.     

Isolation of a Leptothrix Strain,OUMS1, from Ocherous Deposits in Groundwater

Leptothrix species in aquatic environments produce uniquely shaped hollow microtubules composed of aquatic inorganic and bacterium-derived organic hybrids. Our group termed this biologically derived iron oxide as “biogenous iron oxide (BIOX)”. The artificial synthesis of most industrial iron oxides requires massive energy and is costly while BIOX from natural environments is energy and cost effective. The BIOX microtubules could potentially be used as novel industrial functional resources for catalysts, adsorbents and pigments, among others if effective and efficient applications are developed. For these purposes, a reproducible system to regulate bacteria and their BIOX productivity must be established to supply a sufficient amount of BIOX upon industrial demand. However, the bacterial species and the mechanism of BIOX microtubule formation are currently poorly understood. In this study, a novel Leptothrix sp. strain designated OUMS1 was successfully isolated from ocherous deposits in groundwater by testing various culture media and conditions. Morphological and physiological characters and elemental composition were compared with those of the known strain L. cholodnii SP-6 and the differences between these two strains were shown. The successful isolation of OUMS1 led us to establish a basic system to accumulate biological knowledge of Leptothrix and to promote the understanding of the mechanism of microtubule formation. Additional geochemical studies of the OUMS1-related microstructures are expected provide an attractive approach to study the broad industrial application of bacteria-derived iron oxides.     

Frozen human cells can record radiation damage accumulated during space flight: mutation induction and radioadaptation

To estimate the space-radiation effects separately from other space-environmental effects such as microgravity, frozen human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells were sent to the "Kibo" module of the International Space Station (ISS), preserved under frozen condition during the mission and finally recovered to Earth (after a total of 134 days flight, 72 mSv). Biological assays were performed on the cells recovered to Earth. We observed a tendency of increase (2.3-fold) in thymidine kinase deficient (TK(-)) mutations over the ground control. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis on the mutants also demonstrated a tendency of increase in proportion of the large deletion (beyond the TK locus) events, 6/41 in the in-flight samples and 1/17 in the ground control. Furthermore, in-flight samples exhibited 48% of the ground-control level in TK(-) mutation frequency upon exposure to a subsequent 2 Gy dose of X-rays, suggesting a tendency of radioadaptation when compared with the ground-control samples. The tendency of radioadaptation was also supported by the post-flight assays on DNA double-strand break repair: a 1.8- and 1.7-fold higher efficiency of in-flight samples compared to ground control via non-homologous end-joining and homologous recombination, respectively. These observations suggest that this system can be used as a biodosimeter, because DNA damage generated by space radiation is considered to be accumulated in the cells preserved frozen during the mission, Furthermore, this system is also suggested to be applicable for evaluating various cellular responses to low-dose space radiation, providing a better understanding of biological space-radiation effects as well as estimation of health influences of future space explores.     

Central command does not decrease cardiac parasympathetic efferent nerve activity during spontaneous fictive motor activity in decerebrate cats

To examine whether withdrawal of cardiac vagal efferent nerve activity (CVNA) predominantly controls the tachycardia at the start of exercise, the responses of CVNA and cardiac sympathetic efferent nerve activity (CSNA) were directly assessed during fictive motor activity that occurred spontaneously in unanesthetized, decerebrate cats. CSNA abruptly increased by 71 ± 12% at the onset of the motor activity, preceding the tachycardia response. The increase in CSNA lasted for 4-5 s and returned to the baseline, even though the motor activity was not ended. The increase of 6 ± 1 beats/min in heart rate appeared with the same time course of the increase in CSNA. In contrast, CVNA never decreased but increased throughout the motor activity, in parallel with a rise in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). The peak increase in CVNA was 37 ± 9% at 5 s after the motor onset. The rise in MAP gradually developed to 21 ± 2 mmHg and was sustained throughout the spontaneous motor activity. Partial sinoaortic denervation (SAD) blunted the baroreflex sensitivity of the MAP-CSNA and MAP-CVNA relationship to 22-33% of the control. Although partial SAD blunted the initial increase in CSNA to 53% of the control, the increase in CSNA was sustained throughout the motor activity. In contrast, partial SAD almost abolished the increase in CVNA during the motor activity, despite the augmented elevation of 31 ± 1 mmHg in MAP. Because afferent inputs from both muscle receptors and arterial baroreceptors were absent or greatly attenuated in the partial SAD condition, only central command was operating during spontaneous fictive motor activity in decerebrate cats. Therefore, it is likely that central command causes activation of cardiac sympathetic outflow but does not produce withdrawal of cardiac parasympathetic outflow during spontaneous motor activity.     

Effects of fruit load,shading, and 9,10-ketol-octadecadienoic acid (KODA) application on <Emphasis Type="Italic">MdTFL1</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">MdFT1</Emphasis> genes in apple buds

The effects of fruit load, shading, and 9, 10-ketol-octadecadienoic acid (KODA) application on the expression of MdTFL1 and MdFT1 genes were investigated in apples (Malus domestica Borkh.). The expression of MdTFL1 in apical buds from 21 to 63 days after full bloom (DAFB) in plants subjected to heavy crop treatment (HCT) was higher than that in plants subjected to flower thinning treatment (FTT). In contrast, the expression of MdFT1 did not show a clear difference between HCT and FTT. The shading treatment increased the expression of MdTFL1 at 35, 49, and 80 DAFB. However, MdFT1 did not show a clear difference between shading and non-shading treatments. KODA application decreased the expression of MdTFL1 at 49 DAFB, but it did not have a clear effect on the expression of MdFT1 from 21 to 91 DAFB. KODA application did not influence endogenous gibberellic acid (GA) concentrations in apical buds. These results show that KODA may be related to flower bud formation through its influence on MdTFL1. The relationship between KODA and GA with regard to the flower bud formation of apples was also discussed.     

Processing and maturation of carboxypeptidase Y and alkaline phosphatase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schizosaccharomyces pombe</Emphasis>

Schizosaccharomyces pombe carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) is synthesized as a zymogen and transported into the vacuole where maturation and activation occurs. The 110-kDa S. pombe CPY precursor is processed twice and finally converted to a mature form consisting of polypeptides of approximately 19 and 32 kDa linked by a single disulfide bond. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, maturation of CPY occurs mostly through the activity of vacuolar aspartyl protease Pep4p, whereas a Pep4p homolog has not been found in the S. pombe genome database. Based on analysis of protease-deficient mutants, we found that S. pombe CPY was not able to be processed or activated in isp6Δpsp3Δ double disruptants. Both Isp6p and Psp3p are subtilase-type serine proteases with related sequences. Moreover, alkaline phosphatase of S. pombe was found to be localized at the vacuolar membrane and was also unprocessed in isp6Δpsp3Δ double disruptants. Vacuolar localization of GFP-fused Isp6p and Psp3p was determined by fluorescence microscopy. These results suggest that the two serine proteases Isp6p and Psp3p are functional in the vacuole and are involved in proteolytic processing of vacuolar proteins.