Hyperhomocysteinemia Is a Result,Rather than a Cause,of Depression under Chronic Stress

Background

Although the accumulation of homocysteine (Hcy) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression, whether Hcy is directly involved and acts as the primary cause of depressive symptoms remains unclear. The present study was designed to clarify whether increased Hcy plays an important role in stress-induced depression.

Results

We employed the chronic unpredictable mild stress model (CUMS) of depression for 8 weeks to observe changes in the plasma Hcy level in the development of depression. The results showed that Wistar rats exposed to a series of mild, unpredictable stressors for 4 weeks displayed depression-like symptoms such as anhedonia (decreased sucrose preferences) and a decreased 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HT) concentration in the hippocampus. At the end of 8 weeks, the plasma Hcy level increased in the CUMS rats. The anti-depressant sertraline could decrease the plasma Hcy level and improve the depression-like symptoms in the CUMS rats. RhBHMT, an Hcy metabolic enzyme, could decrease the plasma Hcy level significantly, although it could not improve the depressive symptoms in the CUMS rats.

Conclusions

The results obtained from the experiments did not support the hypothesis that the increased Hcy concentration mediated the provocation of depression in CUMS rats, and the findings suggested that the increased Hcy concentration in the plasma might be the result of stress-induced depression.     

Increased Prevalence of Diabetes in Argentina Is Due to Easier Health Care Access Rather than to an Actual Increase in Prevalence

Introduction

According to the Argentine National Risk Factor Survey (ANRFS), between 2005 and 2009, self-reported Diabetes increased in Argentina from 8.4% to 9.6%, accompanied by a raise in the prevalence of obesity and low physical activity. In the same period, it also increased blood sugar checks from 69.3% to 75.7%. Since surveillance data in Argentina rely on self-reports, the estimated prevalence of diabetes may be affected by an increase in the proportion of subjects with access to preventive services. We evaluated the independent effect of a recent blood sugar check, on the increase in self-reported diagnoses of diabetes between 2005 and 2009.

Materials and Methods

A secondary analysis of data from the 2005 and 2009 ANRFS was performed. Diabetes was defined as having been diagnosed Diabetes or high blood sugar by a health professional, obesity was calculated as BMI≥30 kg/m², based on self-reported height and weight and physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. We used logistic regression models to explore the relationship between prevalence of self-reported diabetes and recent blood sugar check as the main predictor.

Results

The prevalence of diabetes rose from 8.4% to 9.6%; obesity from 14.5% to 18% and low physical activity from 46.2% to 55%, between 2005 and 2009. Among those who recently checked their blood sugar no differences were found in the prevalence of diabetes: 13% in 2005 vs. 13.2% in 2009. Findings of the multivariable analysis showed that obesity and low physical activity were significantly associated with self reported diabetes in the adjusted model (OR = 1.80 for obesity, and OR = 1.12 for low physical activity but the strongest predictor was recent blood sugar check (OR = 4.75).

Discussion

An increased prevalence of self-reported diabetes between 2005 and 2009 might indicate an improvement in the access to preventive services rather than a positive increase in the prevalence of diabetes.     

Conformational Stability of Mammalian Prion Protein Amyloid Fibrils Is Dictated by a Packing Polymorphism within the Core Region

Mammalian prion strains are believed to arise from the propagation of distinct conformations of the misfolded prion protein PrP^Sc. One key operational parameter used to define differences between strains has been conformational stability of PrP^Sc as defined by resistance to thermal and/or chemical denaturation. However, the structural basis of these stability differences is unknown. To bridge this gap, we have generated two strains of recombinant human prion protein amyloid fibrils that show dramatic differences in conformational stability and have characterized them by a number of biophysical methods. Backbone amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange experiments revealed that, in sharp contrast to previously studied strains of infectious amyloid formed from the yeast prion protein Sup35, differences in β-sheet core size do not underlie differences in conformational stability between strains of mammalian prion protein amyloid. Instead, these stability differences appear to be dictated by distinct packing arrangements (i.e. steric zipper interfaces) within the amyloid core, as indicated by distinct x-ray fiber diffraction patterns and large strain-dependent differences in hydrogen/deuterium exchange kinetics for histidine side chains within the core region. Although this study was limited to synthetic prion protein amyloid fibrils, a similar structural basis for strain-dependent conformational stability may apply to brain-derived PrP^Sc, especially because large strain-specific differences in PrP^Sc stability are often observed despite a similar size of the PrP^Sc core region.     

Breast Milk Iodine Concentration Rather than Maternal Urinary Iodine Is a Reliable Indicator for Monitoring Iodine Status of Breastfed Neonates

Oxidative stress in obesity leads to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Some selenoproteins possess antioxidant properties, suggesting that selenium (Se) may protect against type 2 diabetes; however, evidence from epidemiological studies is contradictory. We hypothesized that Se status before supplementation (baseline) contributes to the supplementation outcome. This study aimed to clarify the influence of baseline Se status on the effect of Se supplementation on the diabetic condition. Six-week-old KKAy mice were fed a diet without supplemental Se or with 0.1 ppm Se in the form of l-selenomethionine (SeM) for 2 weeks to create low-Se and sufficient-Se baseline statuses, respectively. For the next 4 weeks, low-Se mice were given a SeM (0.5 ppm Se)-supplemented diet, and sufficient-Se mice were given either a SeM (0.5 ppm Se)- or sodium selenite (0.5 ppm Se)-supplemented diet; control groups continued on baseline diets. Serum Se concentrations, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, adiponectin levels, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity were analyzed. All mice became diabetic during the 2-week baseline induction period. At the end of the supplementation period, Se-receiving groups demonstrated significantly higher Se concentrations and GPx activities than their respective controls. Sufficient-Se mice receiving SeM had lower blood glucose levels and better insulin sensitivity than control and sodium selenite-receiving mice, whereas low-Se mice receiving SeM showed no such improvements compared with their controls. Our results suggest that Se supplementation in the form of SeM may help prevent type 2 diabetes aggravation in people taking the 55 μg/day Se recommended dietary allowance.     

Intramembrane Proteolysis of Mgm1 by the Mitochondrial Rhomboid Protease Is Highly Promiscuous Regarding the Sequence of the Cleaved Hydrophobic Segment

Rhomboids are a family of intramembrane serine proteases that are conserved in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. They are required for numerous fundamental cellular functions such as quorum sensing, cell signaling, and mitochondrial dynamics. Mitochondrial rhomboids form an evolutionarily distinct class of rhomboids. It is largely unclear how their activity is controlled and which substrate determinants are responsible for recognition and cleavage. We investigated these requirements for the mitochondrial rhomboid protease Pcp1 and its substrate Mgm1. In contrast to several other rhomboid proteases, Pcp1 does not require helix-breaking amino acids in the cleaved hydrophobic region of Mgm1, termed ‘rhomboid cleavage region’ (RCR). Even transmembrane segments of inner membrane proteins that are normally not processed by Pcp1 become cleavable when put in place of the authentic RCR of Mgm1. We further show that mutational alterations of a highly negatively charged region located C-terminally to the RCR led to a strong processing defect. Moreover, we show that the determinants required for Mgm1 processing by mitochondrial rhomboid protease are conserved during evolution, as PARL (the human ortholog of Pcp1) showed similar substrate requirements. These results suggest a surprising promiscuity of the mitochondrial rhomboid protease regarding the sequence requirements of the cleaved hydrophobic segment. We propose a working hypothesis on how the mitochondrial rhomboid protease can, despite this promiscuity, achieve a high specificity in recognizing Mgm1. This hypothesis relates to the exceptional biogenesis pathway of Mgm1.     

Structure of Bovine P2 Basic Protein: Sequence of a Carboxyterminal Segment That Is a Neuritogen in Rabbits

The sequence of the carboxyterminal 18 amino acids released by cyanogen bromide digestion of the bovine P2 protein was determined. It has several interesting structural and immunological properties. It contains the only two half-cystines in the molecule that have the capacity to form an intrachain disulfide bond. Using the rabbit as a test animal, this carboxyterminal peptide was capable of producing experimental allergic neuritis. The sequence of this peptide is Val-Val-Glu-Cys-Lys-Met-Lys-Asp-Val-Val-Cys-Thr-Arg-Ile-Tyr-Glu-Lys-Val.     

A Two-Pronged Structural Analysis of Retroviral Maturation Indicates that Core Formation Proceeds by a Disassembly-Reassembly Pathway Rather than a Displacive Transition

Retrovirus maturation involves sequential cleavages of the Gag polyprotein, initially arrayed in a spherical shell, leading to formation of capsids with polyhedral or conical morphology. Evidence suggests that capsids assemble de novo inside maturing virions from dissociated capsid (CA) protein, but the possibility persists of a displacive pathway in which the CA shell remains assembled but is remodeled. Inhibition of the final cleavage between CA and spacer peptide SP1/SP blocks the production of mature capsids. We investigated whether retention of SP might render CA assembly incompetent by testing the ability of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) CA-SP to assemble in vitro into icosahedral capsids. Capsids were indeed assembled and were indistinguishable from those formed by CA alone, indicating that SP was disordered. We also used cryo-electron tomography to characterize HIV-1 particles produced in the presence of maturation inhibitor PF-46396 or with the cleavage-blocking CA5 mutation. Inhibitor-treated virions have a shell that resembles the CA layer of the immature Gag shell but is less complete. Some CA protein is generated but usually not enough for a mature core to assemble. We propose that inhibitors like PF-46396 bind to the Gag lattice where they deny the protease access to the CA-SP1 cleavage site and prevent the release of CA. CA5 particles, which exhibit no cleavage at the CA-SP1 site, have spheroidal shells with relatively thin walls. It appears that this lattice progresses displacively toward a mature-like state but produces neither conical cores nor infectious virions. These observations support the disassembly-reassembly pathway for core formation.     

Spread of a New Parasitic B Chromosome Variant Is Facilitated by High Gene Flow

The B₂₄ chromosome variant emerged several decades ago in a Spanish population of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans and is currently reaching adjacent populations. Here we report, for the first time, how a parasitic B chromosome (a strictly vertically transmitted parasite) expands its geographical range aided by high gene flow in the host species. For six years we analyzed B frequency in several populations to the east and west of the original population and found extensive spatial variation, but only a slight temporal trend. The highest B₂₄ frequency was found in its original population (Torrox) and it decreased closer to both the eastern and the western populations. The analysis of Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers showed the existence of a low but significant degree of population subdivision, as well as significant isolation by distance (IBD). Pairwise N_em estimates suggested the existence of high gene flow between the four populations located in the Torrox area, with higher values towards the east. No significant barriers to gene flow were found among these four populations, and we conclude that high gene flow is facilitating B₂₄ diffusion both eastward and westward, with minor role for B₂₄ drive due to the arrival of drive suppressor genes which are also frequent in the donor population.     

Sequence Analysis of a 25-kb Segment in the 17{degrees}-19{degrees} Region of the Bacillus subtilis Chromosome Containing ada Locus

As a part of the Bacillus subtilis genome sequencing project,we have determined a 25-kb sequence covering the 17°–19°region. This region contains 26 complete open reading frames(ORFs) including the alkA and adaA/B operon, which encode genesfor adaptive response to DNA alkylation. A homology search forthe newly identified 21 ORFs revealed that 4 of them exhibita significant similarity to known proteins, e.g., methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) protein homolog, proteins involvedin chloramphenicol resistance, glucosamine synthase and an ABCtransporter protein. The remaining 17 ORFs did not show anysignificant sequence similarities to known gene products inthe database.     

The Ability to Induce Microtubule Acetylation Is a General Feature of Formin Proteins

Cytoplasmic microtubules exist as distinct dynamic and stable populations within the cell. Stable microtubules direct and maintain cell polarity and it is thought that their stabilization is dependent on coordinative organization between the microtubule network and the actin cytoskeleton. A growing body of work suggests that some members of the formin family of actin remodeling proteins also regulate microtubule organization and stability. For example, we showed previously that expression of the novel formin INF1 is sufficient to induce microtubule stabilization and tubulin acetylation, but not tubulin detyrosination. An important issue with respect to the relationship between formins and microtubules is the determination of which formin domains mediate microtubule stabilization. INF1 has a distinct microtubule-binding domain at its C-terminus and the endogenous INF1 protein is associated with the microtubule network. Surprisingly, the INF1 microtubule-binding domain is not essential for INF1-induced microtubule acetylation. We show here that expression of the isolated FH1 + FH2 functional unit of INF1 is sufficient to induce microtubule acetylation independent of the INF1 microtubule-binding domain. It is not yet clear whether or not microtubule stabilization is a general property of all mammalian formins; therefore we expressed constitutively active derivatives of thirteen of the fifteen mammalian formin proteins in HeLa and NIH3T3 cells and measured their effects on stress fiber formation, MT organization and MT acetylation. We found that expression of the FH1 + FH2 unit of the majority of mammalian formins is sufficient to induce microtubule acetylation. Our results suggest that the regulation of microtubule acetylation is likely a general formin activity and that the FH2 should be thought of as a dual-function domain capable of regulating both actin and microtubule networks.     

Sequence Analysis of a 685-kb Genomic Region on Chromosome 3p22-p21.3 That Is Homozygously Deleted in a Lung Carcinoma Cell Line

Frequent chromosomal aberrations and/or losses of heterozygosityinvolving the short arm of chromosome 3 in carcinomas of thelung, kidney and other tissues imply that multiple putativetumor suppressor genes may be present on this chromosomal arm.To search for one of these genes, we determined DNA sequencesin the genomic region at 3p22–21.3 where we had previouslydetected a homozygous deletion in a lung cancer cell line. TheDNA sequence results of an about 685-kb region indicated thatthe size of the homozygously deleted segment was 638,489 bp,in which we identified only four genes including the integrinRLC and the trans-Golgi p230 genes, both reported previously.The predicted amino acid sequences of one of the two novel genesshowed high homology to villin, a human cytoskeleton protein;those of the other gene, termed HYA22, revealed significanthomology to YA22, a hypothetical protein predicted from DNAsequences of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The computer programsHEXON or GRAIL were able to predict three-fourths of the exons;the smallest exon predicted by either program was 46 base pairs.Repetitive sequences contained in the genomic region included151 copies of the Alu sequence (1 copy/every 4.5 kb), 19 copiesof the L1 sequence (1 copy/every 36 kb) , and 10 copies of theTHE sequence.     

Actin Recruitment to the Chlamydia Inclusion Is Spatiotemporally Regulated by a Mechanism That Requires Host and Bacterial Factors

The ability to exit host cells at the end of their developmental growth is a critical step for the intracellular bacterium Chlamydia. One exit strategy, extrusion, is mediated by host signaling pathways involved with actin polymerization. Here, we show that actin is recruited to the chlamydial inclusion as a late event, occurring after 20 hours post-infection (hpi) and only within a subpopulation of cells. This event increases significantly in prevalence and extent from 20 to 68 hpi, and actin coats strongly correlated with extrusions. In contrast to what has been reported for other intracellular pathogens, actin nucleation on Chlamydia inclusions did not ‘flash’, but rather exhibited moderate depolymerization dynamics. By using small molecule agents to selectively disrupt host signaling pathways involved with actin nucleation, modulate actin polymerization dynamics and also to disable the synthesis and secretion of chlamydial proteins, we further show that host and bacterial proteins are required for actin coat formation. Transient disruption of either host or bacterial signaling pathways resulted in rapid loss of coats in all infected cells and a reduction in extrusion formation. Inhibition of Chlamydia type III secretion also resulted in rapid loss of actin association on inclusions, thus implicating chlamydial effector proteins(s) as being central factors for engaging with host actin nucleating factors, such as formins. In conclusion, our data illuminate the host and bacterial driven process by which a dense actin matrix is dynamically nucleated and maintained on the Chlamydia inclusion. This late stage event is not ubiquitous for all infected cells in a population, and escalates in prevalence and extent throughout the developmental cycle of Chlamydia, culminating with their exit from the host cell by extrusion. The initiation of actin recruitment by Chlamydia appears to be novel, and may serve as an upstream determinant of the extrusion mechanism.     

Familial Chordoma, a Tumor of Notochordal Remnants, Is Linked to Chromosome 7q33

Chordoma is a rare tumor originating from notochordal remnants that is usually diagnosed during midlife. We performed a genomewide analysis for linkage in a family with 10 individuals affected by chordoma. The maximum two-point LOD score based on only the affected individuals was 2.21, at recombination fraction 0, at marker D7S2195 on chromosome 7q. Combined analysis of additional members of this family (11 affected individuals) and of two unrelated families (one with 2 affected individuals and the other with 3 affected individuals), with 20 markers on 7q, showed a maximum two-point LOD score of 4.05 at marker D7S500. Multipoint analysis based on only the affected individuals gave a maximum LOD score of 4.78, with an approximate 2-LOD support interval from marker D7S512 to marker D7S684. Haplotype analysis of the three families showed a minimal disease-gene region from D7S512 to D7S684, a distance of 11.1 cM and approximately 7.1 Mb. No loss of heterozygosity was found at markers D7S1804, D7S1824, and D7S2195 in four tumor samples from affected family members. These results map a locus for familial chordoma to 7q33. Further analysis of this region, to identify this gene, is ongoing.     

Matefin/SUN-1 Phosphorylation Is Part of a Surveillance Mechanism to Coordinate Chromosome Synapsis and Recombination with Meiotic Progression and Chromosome Movement

Faithful chromosome segregation during meiosis I depends on the establishment of a crossover between homologous chromosomes. This requires induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), alignment of homologs, homolog association by synapsis, and repair of DSBs via homologous recombination. The success of these events requires coordination between chromosomal events and meiotic progression. The conserved SUN/KASH nuclear envelope bridge establishes transient linkages between chromosome ends and cytoskeletal forces during meiosis. In Caenorhabditis elegans, this bridge is essential for bringing homologs together and preventing nonhomologous synapsis. Chromosome movement takes place during synapsis and recombination. Concomitant with the onset of chromosome movement, SUN-1 clusters at chromosome ends associated with the nuclear envelope, and it is phosphorylated in a chk-2- and plk-2-dependent manner. Identification of all SUN-1 phosphomodifications at its nuclear N terminus allowed us to address their role in prophase I. Failures in recombination and synapsis led to persistent phosphorylations, which are required to elicit a delay in progression. Unfinished meiotic tasks elicited sustained recruitment of PLK-2 to chromosome ends in a SUN-1 phosphorylation–dependent manner that is required for continued chromosome movement and characteristic of a zygotene arrest. Furthermore, SUN-1 phosphorylation supported efficient synapsis. We propose that signals emanating from a failure to successfully finish meiotic tasks are integrated at the nuclear periphery to regulate chromosome end–led movement and meiotic progression. The single unsynapsed X chromosome in male meiosis is precluded from inducing a progression delay, and we found it was devoid of a population of phosphorylated SUN-1. This suggests that SUN-1 phosphorylation is critical to delaying meiosis in response to perturbed synapsis. SUN-1 may be an integral part of a checkpoint system to monitor establishment of the obligate crossover, inducible only in leptotene/zygotene. Unrepaired DSBs and unsynapsed chromosomes maintain this checkpoint, but a crossover intermediate is necessary to shut it down.     

Delimiting the Origin of a B Chromosome by FISH Mapping,Chromosome Painting and DNA Sequence Analysis in Astyanax paranae (Teleostei,Characiformes)

Supernumerary (B) chromosomes have been shown to contain a wide variety of repetitive sequences. For this reason, fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) is a useful tool for ascertaining the origin of these genomic elements, especially when combined with painting from microdissected B chromosomes. In order to investigate the origin of B chromosomes in the fish species Astyanax paranae, these two approaches were used along with PCR amplification of specific DNA sequences obtained from the B chromosomes and its comparison with those residing in the A chromosomes. Remarkably, chromosome painting with the one-arm metacentric B chromosome probe showed hybridization signals on entire B chromosome, while FISH mapping revealed the presence of H1 histone and 18S rDNA genes symmetrically placed in both arms of the B chromosome. These results support the hypothesis that the B chromosome of A. paranae is an isochromosome. Additionally, the chromosome pairs Nos. 2 or 23 are considered the possible B chromosome ancestors since both contain syntenic H1 and 18S rRNA sequences. The analysis of DNA sequence fragments of the histone and rRNA genes obtained from the microdissected B chromosomes showed high similarity with those obtained from 0B individuals, which supports the intraspecific origin of B chromosomes in A. paranae. Finally, the population hereby analysed showed a female-biased B chromosome presence suggesting that B chromosomes in this species could influence sex determinism.     

Repair of a Mismatch Is Influenced by the Base Composition of the Surrounding Nucleotide Sequence

Heteroduplexes with single base pair mismatches of known sequence were prepared by annealing separated strands of bacteriophage lambda DNA and used to transfect Escherichia coli. A series of transition (G:T and A:C) and transversion (G:A and C:T) mismatches located throughout most of the bacteriophage lambda cI gene has been examined. The results suggest that the transition mismatches are generally better repaired than the transversion mismatches and that, at least for the transversion mismatches studied, repair efficiency increases with increasing G:C content in the neighboring nucleotide sequence. This specificity of the E. coli mismatch repair system can account, in part, for the similar frequencies of base substitution mutations throughout the E. coli genome.     

Binding of a 50-kD Protein to a U-Rich Sequence in an mRNA Encoding a Proline-Rich Protein That Is Destabilized by Fungal Elicitor

The mRNA encoding the bean proline-rich protein PvPRP1 has been shown previously to be destabilized in elicitor-treated cells. In this study, we identified a 50-kD protein in cellular extracts that binds specifically to the PvPRP1 mRNA by UV cross-linking assays. Using 32P-labeled RNAs transcribed in vitro from a series of 5[prime] deleted PvPRP1 cDNA clones, we demonstrated that the PvPRP1 mRNA binding protein (PRP-BP) binds to a 27-nucleotide U-rich (~60%) domain in the 3[prime] untranslated region. Poly(U) and, to a lesser extent, poly(A-U) competed for the PRP-BP binding activity. PRP-BP activity is redox regulated in vitro, as shown by the effects of sulfhydryl-modifying reagents on the RNA binding activity. Treatment of cellular extracts with the reducing agents DTT and [beta]-mercaptoethanol increased binding activity, whereas treatment with the oxidizing agent diamide and the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide inhibited binding. In extracts from elicitor-treated cells, PRP-BP activity increased approximately fivefold prior to rapid PvPRP1 mRNA degradation. The increase in PRP-BP activity was apparently due to post-translational regulation because control and elicitor-treated cell extracts supplemented with DTT showed high comparable levels of RNA binding activity. The kinetics of PRP-BP activation after elicitor treatment and its capacity for redox regulation in vitro suggested that PRP-BP may function in the elicitor-induced destabilization of PvPRP1 mRNA.