KCNJ8/ABCC9-containing K-ATP channel modulates brain vascular smooth muscle development and neurovascular coupling

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Stem-like intestinal Th17 cells give rise to pathogenic effector T cells during autoimmunity

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Identification of a GM1-Binding Protein on the Surface of Murine Neuroblastoma Cells

S20Y murine neuroblastoma cells appear to express a protein component(s) able to adhere specifically to the oligosaccharide portion of GM1 (oligo-GM1). To identify proteins with which the oligo-GM1 becomes closely associated, a radiolabeled (125I), photoactivatable derivative of oligo-GM1 was prepared. This was accomplished by reductive amination of the glucosyl moiety of oligo-GM1 to 1-deoxy-1-aminoglucitol, followed by reaction of the amine with sulfosuccinimidyl 2-(p-azidosalicylamido)ethyl-1,3'-dithiopropionate (SASD). Crosslinking studies using the photoactivatable probe indicated that it came in close proximity to a protein with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 71 kDa. In competition experiments, as little as a 10-fold molar excess of oligo-GM1 resulted in a selective reduction in labeling of this protein; preincubation with a 200-fold molar excess of siayllactose was necessary to observe the same change in the labeling pattern, lending additional support to the hypothesis that the approximately 71-kDa protein specifically associates with oligo-GM1. Cell surface location of the oligo-GM1 binding protein was confirmed using subcellular fractionation and morphological analyses.     

Regulatory T Cells Condition Lymphatic Endothelia for Enhanced Transendothelial Migration

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MiR-204 regulates type 1 IP3R to control vascular smooth muscle cell contractility and blood pressure

MiR-204 is expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). However, its role in VSMC contraction is not known. We determined if miR-204 controls VSMC contractility and blood pressure through regulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca²⁺) release. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and vasoreactivity to VSMC contractile agonists (phenylephrine (PE), thromboxane analogue (U46619), endothelin-1 (ET-1), angiotensin-II (Ang II) and norepinephrine (NE) were compared in aortas and mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA) from miR-204^−/− mice and wildtype mice (WT). There was no difference in basal systolic blood pressure (SBP) between the two genotypes; however, hypertensive response to Ang II was significantly greater in miR-204^−/− mice compared to WT mice. Aortas and MRA of miR-204^−/− mice had heightened contractility to all VSMC agonists. In silico algorithms predicted the type 1 Inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptor (IP₃R1) as a target of miR-204. Aortas and MRA of miR-204^−/− mice had higher expression of IP₃R1 compared to WT mice. Difference in agonist-induced vasoconstriction between miR-204^−/− and WT mice was abolished with pharmacologic inhibition of IP₃R1. Furthermore, Ang II-induced aortic IP₃R1 was greater in miR-204^−/− mice compared to WT mice. In addition, difference in aortic vasoconstriction to VSMC agonists between miR-204^−/− and WT mice persisted after Ang II infusion. Inhibition of miR-204 in VSMC in vitro increased IP₃R1, and boosted SR Ca²⁺ release in response to PE, while overexpression of miR-204 downregulated IP₃R1. Finally, a sequence-specific nucleotide blocker that targets the miR-204-IP₃R1 interaction rescued miR-204-induced downregulation of IP₃R1. We conclude that miR-204 controls VSMC contractility and blood pressure through IP₃R1-dependent regulation of SR calcium release.     

Flux analysis of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae YPB-G utilizing starch for optimal ethanol production

Genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain (YPB-G) which secretes a bifunctional fusion protein that contains both Bacillus subtilis -amylase and Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase activities was used for the direct conversion of starch into ethanol. Starch was either supplied initially to different nutrient media or added instantaneously to the reactor at various discrete time instants (pulse feeding). Stoichiometric modeling was used to investigate the effects of initial substrate concentration and growth rate of the recombinant yeast culture on ethanol production. Reaction stoichiometries describing both the anabolism and catabolism of the microorganism were used as an input to flux balance analysis (FBA), the preferred metabolic modeling approach since the constructed stoichiometric network was underdetermined. Experiments for batch and fed-batch systems at different substrate concentrations were analyzed theoretically in terms of flux distributions using ethanol production rate as the maximization criteria. Calculated ethanol rates were in agreement with experimental measurements, suggesting that this recombinant microorganism is sufficiently evolved to optimize its ethanol production. The function of the main pathways of yeast metabolism (PPP, EMP, TCA) are discussed together with the node analyses of glucose-6-P and pyruvate branch points. Theoretical node analysis revealed that if the split ratio in G6P branch point is changed by genetic manipulations, the ethanol yield would be affected considerably.     

Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase and hydrogenase activities of free and immobilized whole cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001

Abstract Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction) and hydrogenase activity (methylene blue dye reduction) were studied in free and alginate immobilized whole cells of a purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001. Four-fold increase in hydrogen production, two-fold increase in nitrogenase activity and 1.2-fold increase in the hydrogenase activity were observed in immobilized cells compared to free cells. Effect of various inhibitors (CO and C₂H₂) and electron donor (H₂) on the above three functions by free and immobilized cells has also been studied.     

Assessment and comparison of neural morphology through metrical feature extraction and analysis in neuron and neuron–glia cultures

The morphology of dissociated single cerebellar Purkinje cells obtained from wild-type P1 CD1 mice was assessed in the absence and in the presence of glia. A dedicated noninvasive technique based on optical microscopy was developed. Image processing algorithms were implemented to extract metrical features characterizing cell structure and dendritic arborization. The morphological features were analyzed in order to identify quantitative differences in Purkinje cell morphology due to interactions with astrocytes.     

ROCKing cytokine secretion balance in human T cells

Balanced regulation of cytokine secretion in T cells is critical for maintenance of immune homeostasis and prevention of autoimmunity. The Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) 2 signaling pathway was previously shown to be involved in controlling of cellular movement and shape. However, recent work from our group and others has demonstrated a new and important role of ROCK2 in regulating cytokine secretion in T cells. We found that ROCK2 promotes pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17 and IL-21, whereas IL-2 and IL-10 secretion are negatively regulated by ROCK2 under Th17-skewing activation. Also, in disease, but not in steady state conditions, ROCK2 contributes to regulation of IFN-γ secretion in T cells from rheumatoid arthritis patients. Thus, ROCK2 signaling is a key pathway in modulation of T-cell mediated immune responses underscoring the therapeutic potential of targeted inhibition of ROCK2 in autoimmunity.