Novel Method for Detection of Butanolides in Streptomyces coelicolor Culture Broth, Using a His-Tagged Receptor (ScbR) and Mass Spectrometry

γ-Butyrolactone derivative molecules in Streptomyces play a crucial role in cell density control, secondary metabolism, and cell differentiation. As their synthesis level in the cell is very low compared to those of similar N-acyl homoserine lactone molecules from gram-negative bacteria, it is very hard to analyze them even with several hundredfold concentration of the culture broth. We have developed a very quick and easy detection method using an affinity capture technique with His-tagged receptor proteins and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Using Streptomyces coelicolor as a model system, SCB1 was detected from only 100 ml of the culture broth after solvent extraction. This method can be further applied to detection and quantitative analysis of butanolides and inhibitor screening of the receptor molecules.     

Expression of mosquitocidal crystal protein genes in non-insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis

Bacillus thuringiensis NTB-1 isolated from soil samples in Korea produces ovoidal parasporal inclusions with proteins of approximately 24–40 kDa in size. Although serological study indicated that the isolate has a flagella (H) antigen identical with subsp. israelensis , it seemed to be non-insecticidal against Lepidoptera and Coleoptera as well as Diptera. To investigate the activity of non-insecticidal B. thuringiensis transformed with insecticidal crystal protein genes, cryIVD and cytA genes of B. thuringiensis subsp. morrisoni PG-14, highly toxic to mosquito larvae, were introduced into the isolate NTB-1. The expression of mosquitocidal crystal protein genes in NTB-1 was characterized by SDS–PAGE analysis and electron microscopy. The results showed that crystalline inclusions of host, CryIVD and CytA were stably expressed in the transformant. However, the mosquitocidal activity of transformant was similar to that of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Cry⁻ B harbouring cryIVD and cytA genes, demonstrating that a synergistic effect by an interaction of both introduced insecticidal and resident non-insecticidal crystal proteins was not observed.     

Interleukin-1-β and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Increase Peripheral-Type Benzodiazepine Binding Sites in Cultured Polygonal Astrocytes

Peripheral-type benzodiazepine binding sites (PTBBS) are markedly increased in the injured CNS. Astrocytes appear to be the primary cell type which express increased PTBBS. Because certain cytokines within the injured CNS are potent mitogens for astrocytes, we examined the effects of two such cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), on PTBBS in cultured astrocytes using [3H]Ro 5-4864 as the specific ligand. Purified cultures of either polygonal or process-bearing astrocytes were prepared from neonatal rat cerebral hemispheres. At a concentration of 1.8 nM, specific binding of the radioactive ligand to polygonal astrocytes reached equilibrium within 60 min and was half-maximal by 5-10 min. By contrast, specific binding to process-bearing astrocytes barely exceeded background levels. IL-1 and TNF increased PTBBS within polygonal astrocytes in both dose- and time-dependent manners. At 10-50 ng/ml, IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha elevated [3H]Ro 5-4864 binding in polygonal astrocyte cultures 65 and 87%, respectively, above the level in control cultures. However, no changes in PTBBS were seen within polygonal astrocytes after IL-2 treatment. Scatchard analysis of saturation binding experiments suggested that the increase in PTBBS promoted by TNF was due to an increased number of binding sites present in polygonal astrocytes and not due to an increase in receptor affinity. Binding data suggested that PTBBS within cultures of process-bearing astrocytes were virtually absent irrespective of the treatment. These in vitro data suggest that certain cytokines found in the injured brain may be involved in up-regulating PTBBS within a particular subtype of astrocyte.     

Modulation of calmodulin levels, calmodulin methylation, and calmodulin binding proteins during carrot cell growth and embryogenesis.

Carrot cell cultures were used to study the dynamics of calmodulin protein levels, calmodulin methylation, and calmodulin-binding proteins during plant growth and development. Comparisons of proliferating and nonproliferating wild carrot cells show that, while calmodulin protein levels does not vary significantly, substantial variation in post-translational methylation of calmodulin on lysine-115 is observed. Calmodulin methylation is low during the lag and early exponential stages, but increases substantially as exponential growth proceeds and becomes maximal in the postexponential phase. Unmethylated calmodulin quickly reappears within 12 h of reinoculation of cells into fresh media, suggesting that the process is regulated according to the cell growth state. Calmodulin and calmodulin-binding proteins were also analyzed during the formation and germination of domestic carrot embryos in culture. Neither calmodulin methylation nor calmodulin protein levels varied significantly during somatic embryogenesis. However, upon germination of embryos, the level of calmodulin protein doubled. By calmodulin overlay analysis, we have detected a major 54,000 M(r) calmodulin-binding protein that also increased during embryo germination. This protein was purified from carrot embryo extracts by calmodulin-Sepharose chromatography. Overall, the data suggest that calmodulin methylation is regulated depending upon the state of cell growth and that calmodulin and its target proteins are modulated during early plant development.     

Neurotrophic control of cyclic nucleotide levels during muscle differentiation in cell culture

The effects of chick brain–spinal cord extract on morphological development and cyclic nucleotide levels of cultured chick embryo skeletal muscle cells were determined. It had previously been shown that the extract stimulated morphological differentation, protein synthesis, and cholinesterase activity of muscle cells. Myoblasts fused earlier and an increase in number as well as diameter of myotubes were seen in the extract treated cultures. Cyclic nucleotides levels were higher (almost twice the controls for both adenosine 3′, 5′ -cyclic monophosphate and guanosine 3′, 5′ -cyclic monophosphate) and preceded their occurence in the control cultures. It was suggested that factor(s) in the extract interact with membrane receptor(s) to alter nucleotide levels which, in turn, allow the effects to be expressed.     

An allied reprogramming,selection, expansion and differentiation platform for creating hiPSC on microcarriers

ObjectivesInduced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated by monolayer cultures is plagued by low efficiencies, high levels of manipulation and operator unpredictability. We have developed a platform, reprogramming, expansion, and differentiation on Microcarriers, to solve these challenges.Materials and MethodsFive sources of human somatic cells were reprogrammed, selected, expanded and differentiated in microcarriers suspension cultures.ResultsImprovement of transduction efficiencies up to 2 times was observed. Accelerated reprogramming in microcarrier cultures was 7 days faster than monolayer, providing between 30 and 50‐fold more clones to choose from fibroblasts, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, T cells and CD34+ stem cells. This was observed to be due to an earlier induction of genes (β‐catenin, E‐cadherin and EpCAM) on day 4 versus monolayer cultures which occurred on days 14 or later. Following that, faster induction and earlier stabilization of pluripotency genes occurred during the maturation phase of reprogramming. Integrated expansion without trypsinization and efficient differentiation, without embryoid bodies formation, to the three germ‐layers, cardiomyocytes and haematopoietic stem cells were further demonstrated.ConclusionsOur method can solve the inherent problems of conventional monolayer cultures. It is highly efficient, cell dissociation free, can be operated with lower labor, and allows testing of differentiation efficiency without trypsinization and generation of embryoid bodies. It is also amenable to automation for processing more samples in a small footprint, alleviating many challenges of manual monolayer selection.

We have developed an allied protocol for reprogramming, selecting, expanding and differentiating human pluripotent stem cells on Microcarriers (designated as RepMC). This method allows faster reprogramming, selecting 30‐50‐fold more candidates for characterization and also allows us to find high quality candidates that differentiate to cardiomyocytes and blood lineages. Mechanistically, this method appears to accelerate the induction, maturation and stabilization phases of reprogramming. Our findings help simplify the process of deriving and expanding iPSCs for therapeutic applications, offering a robust and scalable suspension platform for large‐scale generation of clinical grade iPSCs.