Sequences coding for proteins expressed in liver and for globin in poly(A)+ and poly(A)− RNA fractions from nuclei and cytoplasm of chicken immature red blood cells

By hybridization with [³H]labeled globin cDNA the contents of globin coding sequences in total nuclear RNA, poly(A)⁺nuclear RNA, poly(A)^--nuclear RNA and polysomal RNA of chicken immature red blood cells was determined to be 0.86%, 20%, 0.42% and 1% respectively. As the poly(A)⁺-fraction comprises only about 2% of total nuclear RNA, globin coding sequences are distributed with 49% in the poly(A)⁺-fraction and with 51% in the poly(A)^--fraction.Part of the mRNA sequences which are found in liver are also transcribed in immature red blood cells. These sequences are enriched in poly(A)⁺-nuclear RNA as the globin coding sequences but their total amount in the poly(A)⁺-fraction is much smaller than in the poly(A)^--fraction.When nuclear RNA from immature red blood cells was translated in an ascites tumor cell-free system, 20% of the newly synthesized proteins were globin chains. The percentage of globin chains in the newly synthesized proteins increased to over 70% when poly(A)⁺-nuclear RNA was translated. Only about 7.5% of globin chains were found in proteins coded by poly(A)^--nuclear RNA.     

A one and a two … expanding roles for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases in metabolism

In two related papers in this issue, Bai et al. (2011a, 2011b) observe that PARP-1- or PARP-2-deficient mice show increased energy expenditure and protection against diet-induced obesity. This metabolic phenotype is achieved, in part, through SIRT1 activation, either by increasing NAD(+) levels or by promoting SIRT1 expression.     

The effects of dexamethasone on α-fetoprotein and albumin synthesis in cultured hepatoma 7777 cells

Dexamethasone inhibits -fetoprotein (AFP) synthesis, and stimulates albumin synthesis, in cultured hepatoma 7777 cells. These changes are due to a decrease in AFT-mRNA, and an increase in albumin-mRNA, in cells.     

Intracellular localization and metabolism of DNA polymerase α in human cells visualized with monoclonal antibody

Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with monoclonal antibody against DNA polymerase α revealed the intranuclear localization of DNA polymerase α in G1, S, and G2 phases of transformed human cells, and dispersed cytoplasmic distribution during mitosis. In the quiescent, G0 phase of normal human skin fibroblasts or lymphocytes, the α-enzyme was barely detectable by either immunofluorescence or enzyme activity. By exposing cells to proliferation stimuli, however, DNA polymerase a appeared in the nuclei just prior to onset of DNA synthesis, increased rapidly during S phase, reached the maximum level at late S and G2 phases, and was then redistributed to the daughter cells through mitosis. It was also found that the increase in the amount of DNA polymerase a by proliferation stimuli was not affected by inhibition of DNA synthesis with aphidicolin or hydroxyurea.     

Regulation of glutamate metabolism by hydrocortisone and branched chain keto acids in cultured rat retinal Müller cells (TR-MUL)

Glutamate released from retinal neurons during neurotransmission is taken up by retinal Müller cells, where much of the amino acid is subsequently amidated to glutamine or transaminated to α-ketoglutarate for oxidation. Müller cell glutamate levels may have to be carefully maintained at fairly low concentrations to avoid excesses of glutamate in extracellular spaces of the retina that would otherwise cause excitotoxicity. We employed a cultured rat retinal Müller cell line in order to study the metabolism and the role of Müller cell specific enzymes on the glutamate disposal pathways. We found that the TR-MUL cells express the glial specific enzymes, glutamine synthetase, the mitochondrial isoform of branched chain aminotransferase (BCATm) and pyruvate carboxylase, all of which are involved in glutamate metabolism and homeostasis in the retina. Hydrocortisone treatment of TR-MUL cells increased glutamine synthetase expression and the rate of glutamate amidation to glutamine. Addition of branched chain keto acids (BCKAs) increased lactate and aspartate formation from glutamate and also oxidation of glutamate to CO₂ and H₂O. The two glutamate disposal pathways (amidation and oxidation) did not influence each other. When glutamate levels were independently depleted within TR-MUL cells, the uptake of glutamate from the extracellular fluid increased compared to uptake from control (undepleted) cells suggesting that the level of intracellular glutamate may influence clearing of extracellular glutamate.     

Injection of wild-type cytoplasm and poly(A)+ RNA provokes phenotype rescue in spätzle mutant Drosophila embryos

Summary spätzle (spz), a maternal effect gene of Drosophila, is involved in the establishment of the dorso-ventral axis during embryogenesis. Eggs from females lacking the spz gene product develop into completely dorsalized embryos, i.e. the ventral and lateral pattern elements fail to develop. Upon injection of either cytoplasm or poly(A)⁺ RNA from early wild-type embryos, spz embryos develop lateral pattern elements represented by Filzkörper and in the case of injected cytoplasm additional ventral pattern elements represented by ventral setae. Wild-type cytoplasm retains the rescuing activity longer than the poly(A)⁺ RNA fraction does, and cytoplasm is always more effective in provoking the rescue than poly(A)⁺ RNA. Mosaic females containing spz germ cells surrounded by spz ⁺ tissues were generated by pole cell transplantations; a mutant genotype in the germ cells is sufficient to produce all aspects of the spz mutant phenotype, suggesting that the maternal source of spz gene product is the germ line.     

The effect of ligand affinity on integrins’ lateral diffusion in cultured cells

The role of ligand affinity in altering αPS2CβPS integrins’ lateral mobility was studied using single particle tracking (SPT) with ligand-functionalized quantum dots (QDs) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) with fluorescent protein tagged integrins. Integrins are ubiquitous transmembrane proteins that are vital for numerous cellular functions, including bidirectional signaling and cell anchorage. Wild-type and high ligand affinity mutant (αPS2CβPS-V409D) integrins were studied in S2 cells. As measured by SPT, the integrin mobile fraction decreased by 22 % and had a 4× slower diffusion coefficient for αPS2CβPS-V409D compared to wild-type integrins. These differences are partially the result of αPS2CβPS-V409D integrins’ increased clustering. For the wild-type integrins, the average of all diffusion coefficients measured by SPT was statistically similar to the ensemble FRAP results. A 75 % slower average diffusion coefficient was measured by SPT compared to FRAP for αPS2CβPS-V409D integrins, and this may be the result of SPT measuring only ligand-bound integrins, in contrast all ligand-bound and ligand-unbound integrins are averaged in FRAP measurements. Specific binding of the ligand-functionalized QDs was 99 % for integrin expressing cells. The results prove that the ligand binding affinity affects the lateral dynamics of a subset of integrins based on the complementary SPT and FRAP data.     

Synergic action between tumor necrosis factor and endotoxins or poly(A·U) on cultured bovine endothelial cells

Summary In order to investigate whether direct effects on tumor vasculature may contribute to induction of necrosis of solid tumors in vivo, agents and combinations with an established different capacity to induce tumor necrosis were studied for their effects on endothelial cells in vitro. Tumor necrosis serum caused a marked inhibition of [³H]thymidine incorporation by bovine umbilical cord endothelial cells after 4h coincubation. Endotoxin was less inhibitory, whereas detoxified endotoxin and recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rTNF) were hardly active in concentrations that can be achieved in vivo. Combinations of rTNF and (detoxified) endotoxin caused synergic inhibition. By 24h effects of the separate agents and synergic effects of the combinations were much stronger. The nontoxic dsRNA, poly(A·U), also had inhibitory activity, and acted synergistically with rTNF. Morphologically, a combination of endotoxin and rTNF but not the separate constituents induced marked cell detachment by 24 h, an indication of cell death. Whereas both endotoxin and rTNF inhibited DNA synthesis of human endothelial cells, the agents did not act synergistically on these cells. The ability of the agents and the combinations to affect endothelial cells in culture appeared to be well in line with their capacity to induce tumor necrosis. Data suggest that direct (synergic) effects on endothelium may contribute to the induction of vascular damage in tumors by (combinations of) the agents. The fact that endothelial cell death is only induced by the combinations and not by the separate agents in vivo, may be a cause of the greater therapeutic activity of the combinations in vivo. The synergy between rTNF and the other agents indicates that the agents act by different mechanisms.Supported by a grant of the Stichting Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds, Netherlands Cancer Foundation     

The enzymology of sulfur metabolism in phototrophic bacteria — A review

Summary The two functions of sulfur metabolism in phototrophic bacteria are to supply electrons for photosynthesis and to supply sulfur for biosynthetic purposes. The pathways for both functions may be partly identical. For the electron-supplying pathway the following enzymes are needed: a sulfide-oxidizing enzyme, a sulfur-oxidizing enzyme system, APS reductase, ADP sulfurylase and — in the case of thiosulfate utilization — thiosulfate reductase. Assimilatory reactions are catalyzed by ATP sulfurylase, APS kinase, sulfotransferases, PAPS reductase, sulfite reductase and o-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. Paper read at the Symposium on the Sulphur Cycle, Wageningen, May 1974.     

Stress-induced formation of echinatin and a metabolite, 5′-prenyl-licodione,in cultured Glycyrrhiza echinata cells

The production of a retrochalcone, echinatin, by isoflavone-rich Glycyrrhiza echinata (M-2) cultured cells was stimulated by the addition of yeast extract or calcium alginate beads to the culture medium. Combined addition of yeast extract and cycloheximide suppressed the formation of retrochalcone, suggesting de novo synthesis. A new metabolite was isolated from the induced cells and its structure was determined to be 1-[2,4-dihydroxy-5-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)phenyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-propanedione (5′-prenyl-licodione).     

Dynamic trafficking of wheat γ-gliadin and of its structural domains in tobacco cells, studied with fluorescent protein fusions

Prolamins, the main storage proteins of wheat seeds, are synthesized and retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of the endosperm cells, where they accumulate in protein bodies (PBs) and are then exported to the storage vacuole. The mechanisms leading to these events are unresolved. To investigate this unconventional trafficking pathway, wheat γ-gliadin and its isolated repeated N-terminal and cysteine-rich C-terminal domains were fused to fluorescent proteins and expressed in tobacco leaf epidermal cells. The results indicated that γ-gliadin and both isolated domains were able to be retained and accumulated as protein body-like structures (PBLS) in the ER, suggesting that tandem repeats are not the only sequence involved in γ-gliadin ER retention and PBLS formation. The high actin-dependent mobility of γ-gliadin PBLS is also reported, and it is demonstrated that most of them do not co-localize with Golgi body or pre-vacuolar compartment markers. Both γ-gliadin domains are found in the same PBLS when co-expressed, which is most probably due to their ability to interact with each other, as indicated by the yeast two-hybrid and FRET-FLIM experiments. Moreover, when stably expressed in BY-2 cells, green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions to γ-gliadin and its isolated domains were retained in the ER for several days before being exported to the vacuole in a Golgi-dependent manner, and degraded, leading to the release of the GFP 'core'. Taken together, the results show that tobacco cells are a convenient model to study the atypical wheat prolamin trafficking with fluorescent protein fusions.     

The nature of different influence of Cd<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ions on the conformational equilibrium of triple-stranded polyribonucleotides poly(U)•poly(A)•poly(U) and poly(I)•poly(A)•poly(I) in aqueous solutions

The influence of Cd²⁺ ions on the conformational equilibrium of single-stranded (poly(U), poly(A), poly(I)) and triple-stranded polyribonucleotides (A2I, A2U) in aqueous solutions (0.1 M Na⁺ pH 7) has been investigated using difference UV spectroscopy and thermal denaturation. Analysis of the shape and intensity of the DUV spectra of poly(A), poly(I), and A2I has revealed the presence of two types of complex formed as a result of (i) interaction between Cd²⁺ and the N7 atoms of purines, producing macrochelates; and (ii) binding of Cd²⁺ to the N1 atoms of poly(A) and poly(I). Since Cd²⁺ ions are not bound to heteroatoms of the bases in A2U, the conformation of the structure remains stable up to 0.02 M Cd²⁺. There is a critical Cd²⁺ concentration (～1.5?10^?4 M) above which A2I assumes a new helical conformation with lower thermal stability. It is supposed that, upon the formation of the “metallized” A2I triplex, the Cd²⁺ ions are located inside the triple helix and form bridges between the hypoxanthine and adenine of the homopolynucleotide strands.     

Effect of a small molecule inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB nuclear translocation in a murine model of arthritis and cultured human synovial cells

A small cell-permeable compound, dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), does not inhibit phosphorylation and degradation of IκB (inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB [NF-κB]) but selectively inhibits nuclear translocation of activated NF-κB. This study aimed to demonstrate the antiarthritic effect of this novel inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway in vivo in a murine arthritis model and in vitro in human synovial cells. Collagen-induced arthritis was induced in mice, and after onset of arthritis the mice were treated with DHMEQ (5 mg/kg body weight per day). Using fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) cell lines established from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), NF-κB activity was examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The expression of molecules involved in RA pathogenesis was determined by RT-PCR, ELISA, and flow cytometry. The proliferative activity of the cells was estimated with tritiated thymidine incorporation. After 14 days of treatment with DHMEQ, mice with collagen-induced arthritis exhibited decreased severity of arthritis, based on the degree of paw swelling, the number of swollen joints, and radiographic and histopathologic scores, compared with the control mice treated with vehicle alone. In RA FLS stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-α, activities of NF-κB components p65 and p50 were inhibited by DHMEQ, leading to suppressed expression of the key inflammatory cytokine IL-6, CC chemokine ligand-2 and -5, matrix metalloproteinase-3, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. The proliferative activity of the cells was also suppressed. This is the first demonstration of an inhibitor of NF-κB nuclear translocation exhibiting a therapeutic effect on established murine arthritis, and suppression of inflammatory mediators in FLS was thought to be among the mechanisms underlying such an effect.     

1′-Acetoxychavicol acetate-induced cytotoxicity is accompanied by a rapid and drastic modulation of glutathione metabolism

The effect of 1′-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), an anticarcinogenic compound naturally obtained from rhizomes and seeds of South East Asia plants, on the intracellular concentration of glutathione and the activities of enzymes related to glutathione metabolism was studied in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. We showed in a previous study that ACA induced apoptosis in tumor cells and the cell death was reversed by the addition of N-acetlycysteine or glutathione ethylester. Here we found that ACA caused a rapid decrease in glutathione level in less than 10 min after ACA exposure. At the time, glutathione reductase activity was significantly inhibited and gamma-glutamyl cysteine increased by ACA exposure. These results show that ACA caused the decrease in the intracellular GSH levels in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, suggesting that ACA-induced decrease of the cellular GSH levels can lead to growth arrest of cancer and enhancement of the efficacy other anticancer drugs.     

A rapid and simple method of evaluating the dimeric tendency of fluorescent proteins in living cells using a truncated protein of importin α as fusion tag

Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and its yellow variant (Venus) are weakly dimeric under physiological conditions. We designed a simple method to evaluate the dimeric tendency of fluorescent proteins in living mammalian cells. A novel single mutation, A206L, interfering with the hydrophobic interactions of the dimer interface in Venus, contributed to its monomerization, and was as effective as the A206K mutation in this assay.