Synchronization of the Cell Cycle of Tetrahymena by Starvation and Refeeding*

SYNOPSIS The present report describes a simple and useful method for synchronizing mass cultures of the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis. The method employs a nutritional approach which involves starvation of the cells in a non-nutrient phosphate buffer followed by refeeding with an enriched nutritional growth medium. It takes 240 minutes after refeeding before the first cells start to divide. Radioautographic and DNA determinations taken together show that starved cells are stalled in the GI nuclear DNA condition and that essentially all of the cells replicate their DNA prior to their first cell division.     

Effects of Starvation and Refeeding on Glucose Metabolism and Immune Responses in Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Marine Biotechnology - Starvation is a common challenge for aquatic animals in both natural and cultured environments. To investigate the effects of starvation and refeeding on glucose metabolism...     

The Proteomic Response of Bacillus pumilus Cells to Glucose Starvation

Since starvation for carbon sources is a common condition for bacteria in nature and it can also occur in industrial fermentation processes due to mixing zones, knowledge about the response of cells to carbon starvation is beneficial. The preferred carbon source for bacilli is glucose. The response of Bacillus pumilus cells to glucose starvation using metabolic labeling and quantitative proteomics was analyzed. Glucose starvation led to an extensive reprogramming of the protein expression pattern in B. pumilus. The amounts of proteins of the central carbon metabolic pathways (glycolysis and TCC) remained stable in starving cells. Proteins for gluconeogenesis were found in higher amounts during starvation. Furthermore, many proteins involved in acquisition and usage of alternative carbon sources were present in elevated amounts in starving cells. Enzymes for fatty acid degradation and proteases and peptidases were also found in higher abundance when cells entered stationary phase. Among the proteins found in lower amounts were many enzymes involved in amino acid and nucleotide synthesis and several NRPS and PKS proteins.     

Acute Liver Injury Is Independent of B Cells or Immunoglobulin M

Background & Aims

Acute liver injury is a clinically important pathology and results in the release of Danger Associated Molecular Patterns, which initiate an immune response. Withdrawal of the injurious agent and curtailing any pathogenic secondary immune response may allow spontaneous resolution of injury. The role B cells and Immunoglobulin M (IgM) play in acute liver injury is largely unknown and it was proposed that B cells and/or IgM would play a significant role in its pathogenesis.

Methods

Tissue from 3 models of experimental liver injury (ischemia-reperfusion injury, concanavalin A hepatitis and paracetamol-induced liver injury) and patients transplanted following paracetamol overdose were stained for evidence of IgM deposition. Mice deficient in B cells (and IgM) were used to dissect out the role B cells and/or IgM played in the development or resolution of injury. Serum transfer into mice lacking IgM was used to establish the role IgM plays in injury.

Results

Significant deposition of IgM was seen in the explanted livers of patients transplanted following paracetamol overdose as well as in 3 experimental models of acute liver injury (ischemia-reperfusion injury, concanavalin A hepatitis and paracetamol-induced liver injury). Serum transfer into IgM-deficient mice failed to reconstitute injury (p = 0.66), despite successful engraftment of IgM. Mice deficient in both T and B cells (RAG1-/-) mice (p<0.001), but not B cell deficient (μMT) mice (p = 0.93), were significantly protected from injury. Further interrogation with T cell deficient (CD3εKO) mice confirmed that the T cell component is a key mediator of sterile liver injury. Mice deficient in B cells and IgM mice did not have a significant delay in resolution following acute liver injury.

Discussion

IgM deposition appears to be common feature of both human and murine sterile liver injury. However, neither IgM nor B cells, play a significant role in the development of or resolution from acute liver injury. T cells appear to be key mediators of injury. In conclusion, the therapeutic targeting of IgM or B cells (e.g. with Rituximab) would have limited benefit in protecting patients from acute liver injury.     

Long-Term Phosphate Starvation and Respiratory Metabolism in Suspension-Cultured Catharanthus roseus Cells

In order to clarify the metabolic adaptation of respiratorypathways in plants to limited levels of P_i, the effects of long-termstarvation of P_i on the activities of various enzymes relatedto respiratory metabolism were examined in suspension-culturedCatharanthus roseus cells. When the activities were expressedas units per g fresh weight, only those of phosphoenolpyruvate-hydrolyzing(PEP-hydrolyzing) enzyme (which may possibly be equivalent tothe acid phosphatase activity derived from vacuoles) and PEPcarboxylase were higher in the Pⁱ-starved cells than in controlcells. Activities of other enzymes in the Pⁱ-starved cells werelower than or similar to those of the control cells. Time-coursestudies indicated that PEP-hydrolyzing activity was inducibleby starvation of Pⁱ. However, in contrast to the results reportedby Duff et al. [(1989a) Plant Physiol. 90: 1275.], fluctuationsin the activity of PP¹:fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferaseduring starvation of Pⁱ were similar to those in levels of phosphofructokinaseand 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. These data suggest thatthe concept of the phosphate starvation-inducible ‘bypasses’,which are engineered via the coarse control (i.e., induction)of specified enzymes and were proposed initially by Duff etal. in Brassica nigra cells, is not directly applicable to Catharanthusroseus cells in suspension. Tracer experiments using [U-¹⁴C]glutamineindicated that a significant proportion of respiratory substratescould be supplied from the enlarged pool of amino acids duringstarvation of Pⁱ. These assumptions are supported by the observedfluctuations in levels of free amino acids and of protein inP¹-fed and P¹-deficient Catharanthus roseus cells. ¹Part 41 in the series ‘Metabolic Regulation in PlantCell Cultrue’ ²Present Address: Morinaga Mild Industry, 5-1-83, Higashihara,Zamma-shi, Kanagawa, 228 Japan     

Autophagy in Tobacco Suspension-Cultured Cells in Response to Sucrose Starvation

The response of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) suspension-cultured cells (BY-2) to nutrient starvation was investigated. When the cells that were grown in Murashige-Skoog medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose were transferred to the same medium without sucrose, 30 to 45% of the intracellular proteins were degraded in 2 d. An analysis with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that proteins were degraded nonselectively. With the same treatment, protease activity in the cell, which was measured at pH 5.0 using fluorescein thiocarbamoyl-casein as a substrate, increased 3- to 7-fold after 1 d. When the cysteine protease inhibitor (2S,3S)-trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-3-methyl-butane (10 [mu]M) was present in the starvation medium, both the protein degradation and the increase in the protease activity were effectively inhibited. Light microscopy analysis showed that many small spherical bodies accumulated in the perinuclear region of the cytosol 8 h after the start of the inhibitor treatment. These bodies were shown to be membrane-bound vesicles of 1 to 6 [mu]m in diameter that contained several particles. Quinacrine stained these vesicles and the central vacuole; thus, both organelles are acidic compartments. Cytochemical enzyme analysis using 1-naphthylphosphate and [beta]-glycerophosphate as substrates showed that these vesicles contained an acid phosphatase(s). We suggest that these vesicles contribute to cellular protein degradation stimulated under sucrose starvation conditions.     

The Ratio of Circulating Regulatory T Cells (Tregs)/Th17 Cells Is Associated with Acute Allograft Rejection in Liver Transplantation

CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Th17 cells are known to be involved in the alloreactive responses in organ transplantation, but little is known about the relationship between Tregs and Th17 cells in the context of liver alloresponse. Here, we investigated whether the circulating Tregs/Th17 ratio is associated with acute allograft rejection in liver transplantation. In present study, thirty-eight patients who received liver transplant were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: acute allograft rejection group (Gr-AR) (n = 16) and stable allograft liver function group (Gr-SF) (n = 22). The frequencies of circulating Tregs and circulating Th17 cells, as well as Tregs/Th17 ratio were determined using flow cytometry. The association between Tregs/Th17 ratio and acute allograft rejection was then analyzed. Our results showed that the frequency of circulating Tregs was significantly decreased, whereas the frequency of circulating Th17 cells was significantly increased in liver allograft recipients who developed acute rejection. Tregs/Th17 ratio had a negative correlation with liver damage indices and the score of rejection activity index (RAI) after liver transplantation. In addition, the percentages of CTLA-4⁺, HLA-DR⁺, Ki67⁺, and IL-10⁺ Tregs were higher in Gr-SF group than in Gr-AR group. Our results suggested that the ratio of circulating Tregs/Th17 cells is associated with acute allograft rejection, thus the ratio may serve as an alternative marker for the diagnosis of acute rejection.     

Induction of Autophagy by Amino Acid Starvation in Fish Cells

Autophagy is well established as a starvation-induced process in yeast and mammalian cells and tissues. To elucidate the cellular mechanisms induced by starvation in fish, we characterized the induction of autophagy in cultured zebrafish cells under starvation conditions. As an autophagic marker protein, the microtubule-associated protein 1-light chain 3B protein (MAP1-LC3B) was cloned from the fish cells, and its expression and localization were characterized. In zebrafish embryonic (ZE) cells, posttranslational modifications produced two distinct forms of MAP1-LC3B, i.e., a cytosolic form and a membrane-bound form (types I and II, respectively). Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed fluorescently labeled autophagosomes in cells stably transfected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP)–MAP1-LC3B fusion protein and showed that this protein accumulated in punctate dots in a time-dependent manner in response to amino acid starvation. Starvation also induced the degradation of long-lived proteins. Treatment with 3-methyladenine and wortmannin, two class-III inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), repressed autophagy under starvation conditions, indicating that the PI3K class-III pathway regulates starvation-induced autophagy in fish.     

Aluminum Tolerance Acquired during Phosphate Starvation in Cultured Tobacco Cells

Al toxicity in cultured tobacco cells (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Samsun; nonchlorophyllic cell line SL) has been investigated in nutrient medium. In this system, Al and Fe(II) (ferrous ion) in the medium synergistically result in the accumulation of both Al and Fe, the peroxidation of lipids, and eventually death in cells at the logarithmic phase of growth (+P cells). A lipophilic antioxidant, N,N[prime]-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine, protected +P cells from the peroxidation of lipids and from cell death, suggesting that a relationship exists between the two. Compared with +P cells, cells that had been starved of Pi (-P cells) were more tolerant to Al, accumulated 30 to 40% less Al and 70 to 90% less Fe, and did not show any evidence of the peroxidation of lipids during Al treatment. These results suggest that -P cells exhibit Al tolerance because their plasma membranes are protected from the peroxidation of lipids caused by the combination of Al and Fe(II). It seems likely that the exclusion of Fe from -P cells might suppress directly Fe-mediated peroxidation of lipids. Furthermore, since -P cells accumulated [beta]-carotene, it is proposed that this carotenoid pigment might function as a radical-trapping antioxidant in the plasma membrane of cells starved of Pi.     

肝移植急性排斥反应时外周血Th17细胞的特征及意义

目的:观测肝移植患者术前及术后急性排斥时外周血中Th17细胞频率变化特征,探讨其与肝移植术后急性排斥发生的关系。方法:对18例于我院进行肝移植手术的患者进行随访研究,应用流式细胞仪检测各随访点外周血中Th17细胞频率。随访期间发生急性排斥反应的患者为急排组(n=7,男女比为5/2),未发生急性排斥反应者为非急排组(n=11,男女比为8/3),比较两组患者肝移植前后外周血中Th17细胞频率的变化规律。结果:急排组与非急排组患者肝移植术前外周血中Th17细胞频率无统计学差异(P=0.672),而急排组患者发生急性排斥反应时与非急排组患者相比Th17细胞频率明显升高(P=0.002)。在随访研究中,急排组患者在发生急性排斥反应时外周血中Th17细胞频率较未发生急性排斥反应时增高,且Th17细胞频率与ALT变化趋势一致,呈明显正性相关。而非急排组患者术后随访期间外周血中Th17细胞频率无统计学差异。结论:肝移植患者术后发生急性排斥反应时外周血中Th17细胞频率明显升高,变化趋势与ALT水平一致,呈正性相关,可能成为诊断急性排斥反应的潜在指标。     

Long-Term Starvation Survival of Rod and Spherical Cells of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes

Spherical and rod-shaped cells of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes, harvested during exponential growth, were subjected to total starvation for periods of time as long as 80 days. Viability measurements were made by plate count and slide culture procedures. Both cell forms remained 100% viable for 30 days. Thereafter, viability of rods and spheres decreased equally at a slow rate. After 60 days of starvation, more than 65% of both cell forms were viable. No significant cell lysis occurred as evidenced by microscopic examination, the small amount of 260-nm absorbing material found in the starvation buffer, and stability of radioactively labeled deoxyribonucleic acid in the cells. Endogenous respiration decreased 80-fold during the first 2 days of starvation, accompanied by a 30% decrease in dry weight of the cells. Thereafter, cellular carbon was oxidized to CO(2) at the constant level of 0.03%/hr over the remaining 78-day starvation period.     

The Replicative Potential of Hepatocytes and Liver Stem Cells

The cellular basis of liver growth is reviewed from overall recent and previous data. According to the present-day ideas, the adult mammalian liver contains at least two cellular populations with many properties similar to the stem cells of renewing tissues that provide for the liver postnatal growth and parenchyma regeneration under various conditions. According to the present nomenclature, the differentiated parenchyma cells—hepatocytes—are a unipotent committed population of stem cells. In addition, there is a system of nonparenchymal multipotent stem cells or oval cells in the liver. Certain key models of liver growth, regeneration, and repopulation that contributed to development of these notions are considered. The recent data are discussed in the context of yet unclear cellular mechanisms providing for the tremendous replicative potential of hepatocytes, the role of polyploidy in the growth effects, and the sources of malignant transformation in the liver.     

几个能量代谢相关蛋白在HeLa细胞自噬过程中表达下调

自噬是真核细胞中的一种保守的代谢信号通路。人们已经知道自噬与肿瘤发生等疾病密切相关,但对于自噬的分子机制仍然不是很清楚。鉴定更多的自噬相关蛋白对于进一步阐明自噬的分子机制具有重要意义。该研究使用饥饿法处理HeLa细胞,通过电镜观察以及检测自噬标记蛋白LC3-I的转换,证实HeLa细胞发生了明显的自噬。之后,使用双向电泳结合串联质谱分析鉴定细胞自噬时发生变化的蛋白质。结果发现果糖二磷酸醛缩酶A、GAPDH和ATP合成酶O亚基的量在HeLa细胞发生自噬后明显降低。实时定量PCR结果证明饥饿诱导后,这三种蛋白的mRNA水平都发生了明显的下降。使用自噬抑制剂3-Methyladenine预处理HeLa细胞后再行饥饿,三种蛋白mRNA的表达水平与正常细胞相当而明显高于饥饿诱导的细胞。结果表明这三种蛋白在饥饿诱导的自噬中表达下调,其分子机制还有待进一步研究。     

An Iron Requirement For the Synchronous Progression of Colonic Cells Following Fasting and Refeeding

Evidence is presented to show dietary iron to be a major co-factor in the colonic hyperplasia observed following fasting and refeeding. the iron component serves to remove a fasting induced colonic G₁ cycle block and produce the resultant synchronous progression of cells through the cycle. Deleting iion from the refed diet results in no colonic hyperplasia and/or synchronous progression of cells. the results are discussed from the viewpoint of colonic steady state cell renewal and as a possible tool for the study of in vivo steady state cell renewal.     

Elongation Factor 2 in the Liver and Skeletal Muscle of Mice is Decreased by Starvation

We examined whether starvation affected the amount of EF-2 protein as well as the level of its mRNA in the liver and skeletal muscle of mice, to understand the molecular mechanism for nutritional adaptation of protein-turnover. Although the amount of EF-2 was diminished by starvation in each of the tissues examined, the amount of EF-2 mRNA did not decrease in parallel with the protein.     

Induction of an Extracellular Ribonuclease in Cultured Tomato Cells upon Phosphate Starvation

Suspension-cultured cells of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) start to secrete an RNA-degrading enzyme activity during transition from logarithmic to stationary growth phase. Using affinity chromatography on agarose-5-(4-aminophenyl-phosphoryl) uridine 3′(2′) monophosphate as a powerful and final enrichment step, the enzyme was purified to homogeneity and characterized as ribonuclease I (RNase I) according to the following data: (a) it has an M_r of 22,000 (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), a pH-optimum of pH 5.5, a pl of 3.9, and its activity was found to be insensitive to EDTA; (b) the enzyme splits single-stranded RNA endonucleolytically by a phosphotransferase reaction yielding 2′,3′-cNMPs as primary monomeric products; (c) as studied with diribonucleoside monophosphates as substrates, the enzyme exhibits a pronounced preference for 5′ purine residues adjacent to the cleavage site. Most interestingly, in vivo synthesis and secretion was found to be induced when tomato cells were specifically starved for phosphate as mineral nutrient. (a) Extracellular enzyme activity increased about tenfold after transfer of phosphate-grown cells into medium lacking only phosphate. Accordingly, this increase in activity was not detectable when cells were constantly supplied with phosphate. (b) Biosynthetically labeling of the extracellular protein with radioactive amino acids was detectable by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/fluorography directly within the bulk of extracellular proteins. Therefore, we propose that the secreted tomato RNase I synthesized upon phosphate starvation is a component of a higher plant inducible rescue system for scavenging exogenous phosphate.     

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Derived Hepatocyte-Like Cells Exhibit Similar Therapeutic Effects on an Acute Liver Failure Mouse Model

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have exhibited therapeutic effects in multiple animal models so that are promising liver substitute for transplantation treatment of end-stage liver diseases. However, it has been shown that over-manipulation of these cells increased their tumorigenic potential, and that reducing the in vitro culture time could minimize the risk. In this study, we used a D-galactosamine plus lipopolysaccharide (Gal/LPS)-induced acute liver failure mouse model, which caused death of about 50% of the mice with necrosis of more than 50% hepatocytes, to compare the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord MSCs (hUCMSCs) before and after induction of differentiation into hepatocyte (i-Heps). Induction of hUCMSCs to become i-Heps was achieved by treatment of the cells with a group of growth factors within 4 weeks. The resulted i-Heps exhibited a panel of human hepatocyte biomarkers including cytokeratin (hCK-18), α-fetoprotein (hAFP), albumin (hALB), and hepatocyte-specific functions glycogen storage and urea metabolism. We demonstrated that transplantation of both cell types through tail vein injection rescued almost all of the Gal/LPS-intoxicated mice. Although both cell types exhibited similar ability in homing at the mouse livers, the populations of the hUCMSCs-derived cells, as judged by expressing hAFP, hCK-18 and human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF), were small. These observations let us to conclude that the hUCMSCs was as effective as the i-Heps in treatment of the mouse acute liver failure, and that the therapeutic effects of hUCMSCs were mediated largely via stimulation of host hepatocyte regeneration, and that delivery of the cells through intravenous injection was effective.