The incorporation of glycerol into mitochondrial lipids during neonatal renal compensatory growth

[¹⁴C]glycerol incorporation into isolated inner and outer mitochondrial membrane is enhanced in the remaining kidney after unilateral nephrectomy. Serum from neonatal rabbits taken 24 hours after unilateral nephrectomy and added to tissue slice incubations appears to stimulate incorporation of [¹⁴C]glycerol into mitochondrial lipids of normal kidney cortex. Post-nephrectomy serum, however, depresses incorporation of [¹⁴C] glycerol and [³H]leucine into mitochondria when added to kidney cortex from animals in which uninephrectomy was performed 24 or 48 hours previously.     

Subchronic microcystin-LR exposure increased hepatic apoptosis and induced compensatory mechanisms in mice

Acute lethal cytotoxicity of microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a toxin produced by fresh-water cyanobacteria, has been attributed to protein phosphatases type 1 and type 2A (PP1/PP2A) inhibition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. However, the effects and molecular mechanisms of prolonged, sublethal MC-LR exposure are less known. We studied mice intraperitonealy injected with saline or 25 μg MC-LR/kg for 28 days (every 2 days). MC-LR induced apoptosis in liver and not in kidneys or heart of treated animals. Liver also showed decreased α-tubulin levels (45.56% ± 7.65% of controls) and activation of p38-MAPK and CaMKII pathways (137.93% ± 11.64% and 419.35% ± 67.83% of the control group, respectively). PP1/PP2A activity decreased from 1.82 ± 0.23 (controls) to 0.91 ± 0.98 mU/mg (MC-LR-treated mice); however, no difference in total Ser/Thr phosphatase activity was found between both the groups. The results demonstrated that apoptosis and cytoskeleton disruption contributed to the hepatic cytotoxic effects of subchronic MC-LR administration. These effects occurred in association with sustained activation of signaling cascades and development of compensatory mechanisms to maintain total Ser/Thr phosphatase activity.     

Bax inserts into the mitochondrial outer membrane by different mechanisms

Bax insertion into the mitochondrial outer membrane is essential for the implementation of apoptosis. However, little is known about the first stage of Bax integration into the mitochondrial outer membrane. We have recently shown that TOM22, a mitochondrial outer membrane receptor, is important for insertion, although other reports have suggested that only mitochondrial lipids are involved in this process. Here, we show that monomers, but not dimers, of Bax require the presence of TOM22 and TOM40 to integrate into mitochondria. In addition we show that once inserted into the membrane, Bax can act as a receptor for cytosolic Bax.     

Lessons from loricrin-deficient mice: compensatory mechanisms maintaining skin barrier function in the absence of a major cornified envelope protein

The epidermal cornified cell envelope (CE) is a complex protein-lipid composite that replaces the plasma membrane of terminally differentiated keratinocytes. This lamellar structure is essential for the barrier function of the skin and has the ability to prevent the loss of water and ions and to protect from environmental hazards. The major protein of the epidermal CE is loricrin, contributing approximately 70% by mass. We have generated mice that are deficient for this protein. These mice showed a delay in the formation of the skin barrier in embryonic development. At birth, homozygous mutant mice weighed less than control littermates and showed skin abnormalities, such as congenital erythroderma with a shiny, translucent skin. Tape stripping experiments suggested that the stratum corneum stability was reduced in newborn Lor(-/-) mice compared with wild-type controls. Isolated mutant CEs were more easily fragmented by sonication in vitro, indicating a greater susceptibility to mechanical stress. Nevertheless, we did not detect impaired epidermal barrier function in these mice. Surprisingly, the skin phenotype disappeared 4-5 d after birth. At least one of the compensatory mechanisms preventing a more severe skin phenotype in newborn Lor(-/-) mice is an increase in the expression of other CE components, such as SPRRP2D and SPRRP2H, members of the family of "small proline rich proteins", and repetin, a member of the "fused gene" subgroup of the S100 gene family.     

Signals and mechanisms of compensatory lung growth.

Growth of the lung involves unique structure-function interactions not seen in solid organs. Mechanical feedback between the lung and thorax constitutes a major signal that sustains developmental as well as compensatory lung growth. After the loss of lung units as by pneumonectomy (PNX), increased mechanical stress and strain on the remaining units induce adaptive responses to augment oxygen transport, including 1) recruitment of alveolar-capillary reserves, 2) remodeling of existing tissue, and 3) regenerative growth of acinar tissue when strain exceeds a critical threshold. Alveolar hypoxia, hormones, and growth factors may feed into the mechanical feedback system to modify an existing growth response but are unlikely to initiate compensatory growth in the absence of sufficient mechanical signals. Whereas endogenous post-PNX alveolar growth preserves normal structure-function relationships, experimental manipulation of selected metabolic pathways can distort these relationships. Finally, PNX widens the disparity between the rapidly adapting acini and slowly adapting conducting airways and blood vessels, leading to disproportionate airflow and hemodynamic dysfunction and secondary hypertrophy of the right ventricle and respiratory muscles that limits overall organ function despite regeneration of gas exchange tissue. These are key concepts to consider when formulating approaches to stimulate or augment compensatory growth in chronic lung disease.     

Improved systematic tRNA gene annotation allows new insights into the evolution of mitochondrial tRNA structures and into the mechanisms of mitochondrial genome rearrangements

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are present in all types of cells as well as in organelles. tRNAs of animal mitochondria show a low level of primary sequence conservation and exhibit 'bizarre' secondary structures, lacking complete domains of the common cloverleaf. Such sequences are hard to detect and hence frequently missed in computational analyses and mitochondrial genome annotation. Here, we introduce an automatic annotation procedure for mitochondrial tRNA genes in Metazoa based on sequence and structural information in manually curated covariance models. The method, applied to re-annotate 1876 available metazoan mitochondrial RefSeq genomes, allows to distinguish between remaining functional genes and degrading 'pseudogenes', even at early stages of divergence. The subsequent analysis of a comprehensive set of mitochondrial tRNA genes gives new insights into the evolution of structures of mitochondrial tRNA sequences as well as into the mechanisms of genome rearrangements. We find frequent losses of tRNA genes concentrated in basal Metazoa, frequent independent losses of individual parts of tRNA genes, particularly in Arthropoda, and wide-spread conserved overlaps of tRNAs in opposite reading direction. Direct evidence for several recent Tandem Duplication-Random Loss events is gained, demonstrating that this mechanism has an impact on the appearance of new mitochondrial gene orders.     

Retroposon compensatory mechanism hypothesis not supported: Zfa knockout mice are fertile

It is hypothesized that autosomal retroposons compensate for the loss of their inactivated essential X-chromosome progenitors during spermatogenesis. Here we test this Retroposon Compensatory Mechanism (RCM) hypothesis using the Zfy gene family. The mouse autosomal retroposon Zfa is expressed in testes at the same developmental time points at which Zfx levels decline, which correspond to the time of male sex chromosome inactivation, suggesting that Zfa may compensate for the loss of Zfx during spermatogenesis. We examined the effect of Zfa-targeted mutagenesis on spermatogenesis in three genetically distinct mouse strains. Surprisingly, Zfa knockout mice showed no detectable fertility, sperm count, or testes morphology defects. We therefore conclude that Zfa is not an essential gene for spermatogenesis and fertility. This surprising finding now challenges the RCM hypothesis at least for the Zfy gene family. It also forces us to reevaluate the original data underpinning the RCM hypothesis for this family and to propose alternative hypotheses.     

Cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA (rho0) yield insight into physiological mechanisms.

A resurgence of interest in mitochondrial physiology has recently developed as a result of new experimental data demonstrating that mitochondria function as important participants in a diverse collection of novel intracellular signaling pathways. Cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA, or rho0 cells, lack critical respiratory chain catalytic subunits that are encoded in the mitochondrial genome. Although rho0 cells contain petit mitochondria, they cannot support normal oxidative phosphorylation and must survive and replicate using ATP derived solely from glycolysis. Without a functional electron transport chain, rho0 cells cannot normally regulate redox potential and their mitochondria appear to be incapable of generating reactive oxygen species. Emerging evidence suggests that these signals are important components in a number of mitochondria-initiated signaling pathways. The present article focuses on how rho0 cells have contributed to an understanding of the role that mitochondria play in distinct physiological pathways involved with apoptosis, glucose-induced insulin secretion, and oxygen sensing.     

Induced carbon reallocation and compensatory growth as root herbivore tolerance mechanisms

Upon attack by leaf herbivores, many plants reallocate photoassimilates below ground. However, little is known about how plants respond when the roots themselves come under attack. We investigated induced resource allocation in maize plants that are infested by the larvae Western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera. Using radioactive ¹¹CO₂, we demonstrate that root‐attacked maize plants allocate more new ¹¹C carbon from source leaves to stems, but not to roots. Reduced meristematic activity and reduced invertase activity in attacked maize root systems are identified as possible drivers of this shoot reallocation response. The increased allocation of photoassimilates to stems is shown to be associated with a marked thickening of these tissues and increased growth of stem‐borne crown roots. A strong quantitative correlation between stem thickness and root regrowth across different watering levels suggests that retaining photoassimilates in the shoots may help root‐attacked plants to compensate for the loss of belowground tissues. Taken together, our results indicate that induced tolerance may be an important strategy of plants to withstand belowground attack. Furthermore, root herbivore‐induced carbon reallocation needs to be taken into account when studying plant‐mediated interactions between herbivores.     

Adaptation of proximal tubular structure and function: insights into compensatory renal hypertrophy

Hypertrophy of the renal tubular cells, especially those of the proximal tubule (PT), accounts for the majority of the increase in kidney size that follows partial removal of renal mass. The propensity of PTs to enlarge appears to be closely linked to an elevation in glomerular filtration rate and may be related to altered tubular fluid flow rate. Hypertrophied PTs reabsorb fluid at an increased rate in vitro, which indicates an intrinsic adaptation of their transport capacity. The hypertrophied cells demonstrate a predominant increase in basolateral membrane area with little change in luminal surface area. This asymmetric structural hypertrophy does not, however, appear to be accompanied by functional asymmetry, for basolateral Na+-K+ pump activity increases roughly in proportion to the increase in cell protein. The activity of the Na+-H+ antiporter, on the other hand, is increased in the brush-border membrane of proximal tubules derived from animals with reduced renal mass. In view of the reported association of Na+-H+ antiport stimulation and mitogenesis in a variety of cell types, the increased activity of this transporter, possibly induced by an increase in tubular fluid flow rate, could be the local stimulus that initiates hypertrophy and determines the organ specificity of the response.     

Deletions of muscle mitochondrial DNA in mitochondrial myopathies: sequence analysis and possible mechanisms.

Forty per cent of patients with mitochondrial myopathies, a diverse group of multisystem diseases predominantly affecting skeletal muscle and the brain, have large deletions of a proportion of muscle mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA). These appeared to be identical in 13 of 28 cases, contained within the region 8286-13595 bp. Analysis of the deletion junction in two cases showed a 13 nucleotide sequence which occurred in the normal genome as a direct repeat flanking the region deleted in the mutant mt DNAs. Mt DNA deletions may arise from recombination or slippage between short sequence repeats during replication.     

Exosomes: New insights into cancer mechanisms

Exosomes are mobile extracellular vesicles with a diameter 40 to 150 nm. They play a critical role in several processes such as the development of cancers, intercellular signaling, drug resistance mechanisms, and cell-to-cell communication by fusion onto the cell membrane of recipient cells. These vesicles contain endogenous proteins and both noncoding and coding RNAs (microRNA and messenger RNAs) that can be delivered to various types of cells. Furthermore, exosomes exist in body fluids such as plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine. Therefore, they could be used as a novel carrier to deliver therapeutic nucleic-acid drugs for cancer therapy. It was recently documented that, hypoxia promotes exosomes secretion in different tumor types leading to the activation of vascular cells and angiogenesis. Cancer cell-derived exosomes (CCEs) have been used as prognostic and diagnostic markers in many types of cancers because exosomes are stable at 4°C and −70°C. CCEs have many functional roles in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and invasion. Consequently, this review presents the data about the therapeutic application of exosomes and the role of CCEs in cancer invasion, drug resistance, and metastasis.     

Effect of verapamil treatment on compensatory renal growth in mice

Calcium has been shown to control the proliferation of various cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study we have attempted to modify compensatory renal growth by pharmacological interventions in mice who have undergone uninephrectomy. The effect of a calcium channel blocker verapamil was investigated. Unilateral nephrectomy of intact male mice produced the expected increase in weight of the remaining kidney by 67.5+/-8.1%. This rise was accompanied by a proportional increase in RNA. In mice, cell hypertrophy was found to be a major factor in compensatory renal growth. Verapamil given in a i.p. dose of 1.0 or 2.0 mg/day/mouse attenuated the growth of the remaining kidney so that its weight rose by only 48.2+/-6% and 28.2+/-4.4 %, respectively. In vivo administration of verapamil decreased the degree of compensatory renal growth and this growth inhibiting effect was directly proportional to the dose.