Proton receptor GPR68 expression in dendritic-cell-like S100β-positive cells of rat anterior pituitary gland: GPR68 induces interleukin-6 gene expression in extracellular acidification

S100β-positive cells, which do not express the classical pituitary hormones, appear to possess multifunctional properties and are assumed to be heterogeneous in the anterior pituitary gland. The presence of several protein markers has shown that S100β-positive cells are composed of populations such as stem/progenitor cells, epithelial cells, astrocytes and dendritic cells. Recently, we succeeded in separating S100β-positive cells into round-cell (dendritic-cell-like) and process-cell types. We also found the characteristic expression of anti-inflammatory factors (interleukin-6, Il-6) and membrane receptors (integrin β-6) in the round type. Here, we further investigate the function of the subpopulation of S100β-positive cells. Since IL-6 is also a paracrine factor that regulates hormone producing-cells, we examine whether a correlation exists among extracellular acid stress, IL-6 and hormone production by using primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells. Dendritic-cell-like S100β-positive cells notably expressed Gpr68 (proton receptor) and Il-6. Furthermore, the expression of Il-6 and proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) was up-regulated by extracellular acidification. The functional role of IL-6 and GPR68 in the gene expression of Pomc during extracellular acidification was also examined. Small interfering RNA for Il-6 up-regulated Pomc expression and that for Gpr68 reversed the down-regulation of Il-6 and up-regulated Pomc expression by extracellular acidification. Thus, S100β-positive dendritic-like cells can sense an increase in extracellular protons via GPR68 and respond by the production of IL-6 in order to suppress the up-regulation of Pomc expression.     

Alpha-Synuclein Oligomerization in Manganese-Induced Nerve Cell Injury in Brain Slices: A Role of NO-Mediated S-Nitrosylation of Protein Disulfide Isomerase

Over-exposure to manganese (Mn) has been known to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress involving protein misfolding. The proper maturation and folding of native proteins rely on the activity of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). However, the exact mechanism of Mn-induced alpha-synuclein oligomerization is unclear. To explore whether alpha-synuclein oligomerization was associated with S-nitrosylation of PDI, we made the rat brain slice model of manganism and pretreated slices with l-Canavanine, a selective iNOS inhibitor. After slices were treated with Mn (0, 25, 100, and 400 μM) for 24 h, there were dose-dependent increases in apoptotic percentage of cells, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) releases, production of NO, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, the mRNA and protein expressions of iNOS, and PDI. Moreover, S-nitrosylated PDI and alpha-synuclein oligomerization also increased. However, there was a significant increase in the PDI activity of 25-μM Mn-treated slices. Then, PDI activity and the affinity between PDI and alpha-synuclein decreased significantly in response to Mn (100 and 400 μM), which was associated with S-nitrosylation of PDI. The results indicated that S-nitrosylated PDI could affect its activity. We use the l-Canavanine pretreatment brain slices to inhibit S-nitrosylation of PDI. The results showed that l-Canavanine pretreatment could reduce Mn-induced nerve cell injury and alpha-synuclein oligomerization. Additionally, there was a significant recovery in PDI activity in l-Canavanine-pretreated slices. The findings revealed that Mn induced nitrosative stress via the activation of iNOS and subsequent S-nitrosylation of PDI in cultured slices. Moreover, S-nitrosylation of PDI is an important signaling event in the Mn-induced alpha-synuclein oligomerization in brain slices.     

Relationship between gene expression of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and agar yield in Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta)

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) is an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of UDP-D-galactose, a subunit of agar in red seaweeds. The relationship between agar content and expression levels of the UGPase encoding gene (glugp) was studied in thalli under different treatment conditions using a quantitative real-time PCR-based method (qPCR). Moreover, this qPCR method for the measurement of glugp expression was also applied to commercial varieties of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, a red macroalga, in order to examine its reliability on material obtained from field cultivation. Both the agar content and glugp gene expression in G. lemaneiformis grown under low salinity (17?‰) conditions for 1 week showed a slight increase in comparison with the control group (33?‰ salinity, natural salinity of seawater), but the difference was not statistically significant (P?>?0.05). However, when the culture time was extended to 2 weeks, the increase in both the agar yield and glugp expression became significant (P?glugp expression (P?>?0.05). Our results suggest that glugp gene expression and agar content are highly positively correlated and that the measurement of glugp expression, using only a small amount of thalli material, may be an efficient approach to evaluate agar content. In addition, both the agar content and glugp expression in cultivars 981, 07-2, and ZC differed significantly from those of MT-18. The findings of this study suggest that UGPase may be involved in agar biosynthesis and indicate that glugp gene expression could be a fairly reliable molecular marker to reflect the agar content of strains during breeding and selection of G. lemaneiformis.     

Identification of the self-incompatibility locus F-box protein-containing complex in Petunia inflata

The polymorphic S-locus regulating self-incompatibility (SI) in Petunia contains the S-RNase gene and a number of S-locus F-box (SLF) genes. While penetrating the style through the stigma, a pollen tube takes up all S-RNases, but only self S-RNase inhibits pollen tube growth. Recent evidence suggests that SLFs produced by pollen collectively interact with and detoxify non-self S-RNases, but none can interact with self S-RNase. An SLF may be the F-box protein component of an SCF complex (containing Cullin1, Skp1 and Rbx1), which mediates ubiquitination of protein substrates for degradation by the 26S proteasome. However, the precise nature of the complex is unknown. We used pollen extracts of a transgenic plant over-expressing GFP-fused S₂-SLF1 (SLF1 of S ₂-haplotype) for co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) followed by mass spectrometry (MS). We identified PiCUL1-P (a pollen-specific Cullin1), PiSSK1 (a pollen-specific Skp1-like protein) and PiRBX1 (an Rbx1). To validate the results, we raised transgenic plants over-expressing PiSSK1:FLAG:GFP and used pollen extracts for Co-IP–MS. The results confirmed the presence of PiCUL1-P and PiRBX1 in the complex and identified two different SLFs as the F-box protein component. Thus, all but Rbx1 of the complex may have evolved in SI, and all SLFs may be the F-box component of similar complexes.     

Characterization of one novel cry8 gene from Bacillus thuringiensis strain Q52-7

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is the most widely used insecticidal microbe due to its specific toxicity and safe use with respect to animals and the environment. In this study, we isolated Bt strain Q52-7 from a soil sample collected in the Qian Shan District, Liao Ning Province, China. We observed that the Q52-7 strain produced spherical crystals. The Bt Q52-7 strain had high toxicity against Asian Cockchafer (Holotrichia parallela), exhibiting an LC₅₀ of 3.80 × 10⁹ cfu/g, but is not toxic for Anomala corpulenta Motschulsky and Holotrichia oblita. Using general cry8 primers, we amplified a 1.3 kb fragment with the polymerase chain reaction. Specific primers were designed for the amplified fragment to clone the full-length coding region. A novel gene, cry8Na1, had 69 % sequence similarity with cry8Ca1. cry8Na1 gene was successfully expressed in the HD-73^– acrystalliferous mutant of Bt subsp. Kurstaki HD-73. Bioassays demonstrated that the Cry8Na1 protein is highly toxic for the H. parallela, with a 50 % lethal concentration of 8.18 × 10¹⁰ colony forming units per gram.