Automated Electron Microscope Tomography of Frozen–Hydrated Chromatin: The Irregular Three-Dimensional Zigzag Architecture Persists in Compact, Isolated Fibers

The potential of electron microscope tomography as a tool for obtaining three-dimensional (3D) information about large macromolecular assemblies is greatly extended by automation of data collection. With the implementation of automated control of tilting, focusing, and digital image recording described here, tilt series of frozen–hydrated specimens can be collected with the requisite low dose. Long chromatin fibers were prepared in 90 mM monovalent ions to maintain a fully compact conformation, and after vitrification were completely contained within the ice layer. Tilt series of this material were recorded at 5° tilt increments between +60° and −60°, with a cumulative dose of ≈35 e⁻/Ųfor the series. This extremely low dose data was successfully aligned, then reconstructed by weighted backprojection. The underlying architecture of the fibers is an irregular 3D zigzag of interconnected nucleosomes, with the linker DNA between successive nucleosomes in a largely extended conformation. The visualization of this structural motif within long, frozen–hydrated chromatin fibers at relatively high salt extends our previous studies on small fragments at low ionic strength and is in agreement with the observation of this architecture in chromatin fibersin situin sectioned nuclei.     

Increased arginase activity and endothelial dysfunction in human inflammatory bowel disease

Nitric oxide (.NO) generation from conversion of l-arginine to citrulline by nitric oxide synthase isoforms plays a critical role in vascular homeostasis. Loss of .NO is linked to vascular pathophysiology and is decreased in chronically inflamed gut blood vessels in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). Mechanisms underlying decreased .NO production in IBD gut microvessels are not fully characterized. Loss of .NO generation may result from increased arginase (AR) activity, which enzymatically competes with nitric oxide synthase for the common substrate l-arginine. We characterized AR expression in IBD microvessels and endothelial cells and its contribution to decreased .NO production. AR expression was assessed in resected gut tissues and human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (HIMEC). AR expression significantly increased in both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease microvessels and submucosal tissues compared with normal. TNF-alpha/lipopolysaccharide increased AR activity, mRNA and protein expression in HIMEC in a time-dependent fashion. RhoA/ROCK pathway, a negative regulator of .NO generation in endothelial cells, was examined. The RhoA inhibitor C3 exoenzyme and the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 both attenuated TNF-alpha/lipopolysaccharide-induced MAPK activation and blocked AR expression in HIMEC. A significantly higher AR activity and increased RhoA activity were observed in IBD submucosal tissues surrounding microvessels compared with normal control gut tissue. Functionally, inhibition of AR activity decreased leukocyte binding to HIMEC in an adhesion assay. Loss of .NO production in IBD microvessels is linked to enhanced levels of AR in intestinal endothelial cells exposed to chronic inflammation in vivo.     

Prevalence of nine mutations among Jewish and non-Jewish Gaucher disease patients.

The frequency of nine different mutated alleles known to occur in the glucocerebrosidase gene was determined in 247 Gaucher patients, of whom 176 were of Jewish extraction, 2 were Jewish with one converted parent, and 69 were of non-Jewish origin. DNA was prepared from peripheral blood, active glucocerebrosidase sequences were amplified by using the PCR technique, and the mutations were identified by using the allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization method. The N37OS mutation appeared in 69.77% of the mutated alleles in Jewish patients and in 22.86% of the mutated alleles in non-Jews. The 84GG mutation, which has not been found so far among non-Jewish patients, existed in 10.17% of the disease alleles among Jewish patients. The IVS + 1 mutation constituted 2.26% of the disease alleles among Jewish patients and 1.43% among the non-Jewish patients. RecTL, a complex allele containing four single-base-pair changes, occurred in 2.26% of the alleles in Jewish patients and was found in two (1.43%) of the patients of non-Jewish extraction. Another complex allele, designated "RecNciI" and containing three single-point mutations, appeared in 7.8% of alleles of non-Jewish patients and in only two (0.56%) of the Jewish families. The prevalence of the L444P mutation among non-Jewish Gaucher patients was 31.43%, while its prevalence among Jewish patients was only 4.24%. The prevalence of two other point mutations--D409H and R463C--was 5.00% and 3.57%, respectively, among non-Jewish patients and was not found among the Jewish Gaucher patient population. The prevalence of the R496H mutation, found so far only among Jewish patients, was 1.13%. The results presented demonstrate that seven mutations identify 90.40% of the mutations among Jewish patients and that these seven mutations allow diagnosis of only 73.52% of the non-Jewish patients. Identification of additional mutant alleles will enhance the accuracy of carrier detection.     

Dose-dependent effects of cholecystokinin-8 on antropyloroduodenal motility, gastrointestinal hormones, appetite, and energy intake in healthy men

CCK mediates the effects of nutrients on gastrointestinal motility and appetite. Intravenously administered CCK stimulates pyloric pressures, increases plasma PYY, and suppresses ghrelin, all of which may be important in the regulation of appetite and energy intake. The dose-related effects of exogenous CCK on gastrointestinal motility and gut hormone release, and the relationships between these effects and those on energy intake, are uncertain. We hypothesized that 1) intravenous CCK-8 would have dose-dependent effects on antropyloroduodenal (APD) pressures, plasma PYY and ghrelin concentrations, appetite, and energy intake and 2) the suppression of energy intake by CCK-8 would be related to the stimulation of pyloric motility. Ten healthy men (age 26 +/- 2 yr) were studied on four separate occasions in double-blind, randomized fashion. APD pressures, plasma PYY and ghrelin, and appetite were measured during 120-min intravenous infusions of 1) saline (control) or 2) CCK-8 at 0.33 (CCK0.33), 3) 0.66 (CCK0.66), or 4) 2.0 (CCK2.0) ng.kg(-1).min(-1). After 90 min, energy intake at a buffet meal was quantified. CCK-8 dose-dependently stimulated phasic and tonic pyloric pressures and plasma PYY concentrations (r > 0.70, P < 0.05) and reduced desire to eat and energy intake (r > -0.60, P < 0.05) without inducing nausea. There were relationships between basal pyloric pressure and isolated pyloric pressure waves (IPPW) with plasma CCK (r > 0.50, P < 0.01) and between energy intake with IPPW (r = -0.70, P < 0.05). Therefore, our study demonstrates that exogenous CCK-8 has dose-related effects on APD motility, plasma PYY, desire to eat, and energy intake and suggests that the suppression of energy intake is related to the stimulation of IPPW.     

Correlations between fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift and the secondary and tertiary structure of 5-fluorouracil-substituted tRNA.

To complete assignment of the 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of 5-fluorouracil-substituted Escherichia coli tRNA(Val), resonances from 5-fluorouracil residues involved in tertiary interactions have been identified. Because these assignments could not be made directly by the base-replacement method used to assign 5-fluorouracil residues in loop and stem regions of the tRNA, alternative assignment strategies were employed. FU54 and FU55 were identified by 19F homonuclear Overhauser experiments and were then assigned by comparison of their 19F NMR spectra with those of 5-fluorouracil-labeled yeast tRNA(Phe) mutants having FU54 replaced by adenine and FU55 replaced by cytosine. FU8 and FU12, were assigned from the 19F NMR spectrum of the tRNA(Val) mutant in which the base triple G9-C23-G12 substituted for the wild-type A9-A23-FU12. Although replacement of the conserved U8 (FU8) with A or C disrupts the tertiary structure of tRNA(Val), it has only a small effect on the catalytic turnover number of valyl-tRNA synthetase, while reducing the affinity of the tRNA for enzyme. Analysis of the 19F chemical shift assignments of all 14 resonances in the spectrum of 5-fluorouracil-substituted tRNAVal indicated a strong correlation to tRNA secondary and tertiary structure. 5-Fluorouracil residues in loop regions gave rise to peaks in the central region of the spectrum, 4.4 to 4.9 parts per million (p.p.m.) downfield from free 5-fluorouracil. However, the signal from FU59, in the T-loop of tRNA(Val), was shifted more than 1 p.p.m. downfield, to 5.9 p.p.m., presumably because of the involvement of this fluorouracil in the tertiary interactions between the T and D-loops. The 19F chemical shift moved upfield, to the 2.0 to 2.8 p.p.m. range, when fluorouracil was base-paired with adenine in helical stems. This upfield shift was less pronounced for the fluorine of the FU7.A66 base-pair, located at the base of the acceptor stem, an indication that FU7 is only partially stacked on the adjacent G49 in the continuous acceptor stem/T-stem helix. An unanticipated finding was that the 19F resonances of 5-fluorouracil residues wobble base-paired with guanine were shifted 4 to 5 p.p.m. downfield of those from fluorouracil residues paired with A. In the 19F NMR spectra of all fluorinated tRNAs studied, the farthest downfield peak corresponded to FU55, which replaced the conserved pseudouridine normally found at this position.     

Enzymatic esterification of vitamin a in the pigment epithelium of bovine retina

The kinetic properties and subcellular distribution of an esterifying enzyme in the pigment epithelium of bovine retina have been studied using both [1-³H]retinol and [³H]retinol bound to cellular retinol-binding protein as substrates. The most active esterifying fraction in pigment epithelial cell preparations was the microsomes, but the lysosome plus mitochondria fraction also showed some activity, probably due to endoplasmic reticulum present as an impurity. The microsomal enzyme showed optimum activity at pH 7.5, and the reaction was linear up to 30 μg protein and for the first 10–15 min. The apparent K_m values were 16.6 · 10^?6 and 5.5 · 10^?6 M for [³H]retinol and bound [³H]retinol, respectively. This is the first time that retinol bound to cellular retinol-binding protein has been shown to undergo metabolic stransformation. The microsomal esterifying activity was destroyed by boiling for 1 min, or after freezing for 2 months. No clear requirement for ATP, CoA or fatty acid could be demonstrated.Of all the other tissues examined under the same experimental conditions as those used for the pigment epithelium, onlt intestine showed measurable activity. With larger amounts of tissue protein and longer incubation periods, activity was also detectable in microsomes of liver, testis and retina