Abnormal magnesium metabolism in etiology of salt-sensitive hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus

A previously unknown genetic defect in magnesium metabolism (i.e., the magnesium-binding defect [MgBD]) was found to be associated with the cause of “salt-sensitive” essential hypertension in humans and rats. It inhibits the entrance of Mg²⁺ into the cell so that the intracellular concentrations of Mg²⁺ and MgATP²⁻ are decreased. Consequently, the 300 enzyme reactions in the cell, especially the 100 that either use or produce MgATP²⁻, are inhibited. Thus, because the extrusion of intracellular Na⁺ requires MgATP²⁻, hypertension results when the involved MgATP²⁻ requiring enzyme is inhibited. The MgBD is corrected by the tachykinin substance P, which occurs in normal blood plasma, and by the pentapeptide and its contained tetrapeptide, which are released from the C-terminal region of substance P by plasma aminopeptidases. In vivo, the intravenous administration of the tetrapeptide corrects the hypertension and the MgBD as well. The MgBD also occurs in type 2 diabetes mellitus and, thus, the decreased intracellular concentrations of Mg²⁺ and MgATP²⁻ ions appear to be involved also in the cause of this disease, which is reputed to be the fifth most deadly disease in the world.     

Effects of Sexual Selection Upon Sperm Morphology and Sexual Skin Morphology in Primates

We review possible effects of sexual selection upon sperm morphology, and sexual skin morphology, in primates. Comparative morphometric studies, involving 31 species representing 21 primate genera, revealed a positive relationship between volume of the sperm midpiece, occurrences of multiple partner matings by females, and large relative testes sizes, which indicate sperm competition. The midpiece houses the mitochondria required to power sperm motility. Hence, sperm competition may have influenced the evolution of increased mitochondrial loading in species where females mate with multiple partners during the fertile period. Females of some Old World monkey species and female chimpanzees exhibit large estrogen-dependent sexual skin swellings during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Studies of mandrills support the conclusion that swellings act primarily as sexually attractive, graded signals and that swelling size may indicate current reproductive quality. Measurements of the genitalia in chimpanzees indicate a secondary function for female swellings. The swelling increases the operating depth of the female's vagina by 50% during the fertile phase of her cycle. Males have evolved long, filiform penes capable of placing sperm close to the os cervix during competitive multipartner matings. This may exemplify how morphologic specializations in females can influence the coevolution of advantageous genitalic specializations in males: the phenomenon that Eberhard (1985) dubbed cryptic female choice.     

The filtered Fourier difference spectrum predicts psychophysical letter discrimination in the peripheral retina

We wished to devise a measure of dissimilarity (D) which could predict psychophysical discrimination performance for Snellen letter pairs in peripheral vision. Threshold size for discriminating 33 pairs of Snellen letters was measured at 30 degrees eccentricity in the nasal retina for two subjects. D was computed for each pair by performing an overlap subtraction in the spatial domain, followed by a Fast Fourier Transform on this difference image, and dividing the total power in the resultant 'difference spectrum' by the sum of the powers of the individual letter spectra. A plot of D vs. psychophysical threshold letter size gave a mean correlation of R = -0.81. When D was calculated for letters that were low-pass filtered at different cut-off frequencies, the correlation with psychophysical performance was greatest when cut-off was between 1.25-1.9 cycles/letter (R = -0.85). Conversely, when the difference spectrum was high-pass filtered at different cut-off frequencies, the correlation decreased continuously as the cut-off increased. These results imply that the band of frequencies between zero and 1.25 cycles/letter are most important for letter discrimination in peripheral vision.     

Novel role of phospholipase C-delta1: regulation of liver mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake

Mitochondrial Ca2+ (mCa2+) handling is an important regulator of liver cell function that controls events ranging from cellular respiration and signal transduction to apoptosis. Cytosolic Ca2+ enters mitochondria through the ruthenium red-sensitive mCa2+ uniporter, but the mechanisms governing uniporter activity are unknown. Activation of many Ca2+ channels in the cell membrane requires PLC. This activation commonly occurs through phosphitidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis and the production of the second messengers inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [I(1,4,5)P3] and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG). PIP2 was recently identified in mitochondria. We hypothesized that PLC exists in liver mitochondria and regulates mCa2+ uptake through the uniporter. Western blot analysis with anti-PLC antibodies demonstrated the presence of PLC-delta1 in pure preparations of mitochondrial membranes isolated from rat liver. In addition, the selective PLC inhibitor U-73122 dose-dependently blocked mCa2+ uptake when whole mitochondria were incubated at 37 degrees C with 45Ca2+. Increasing extra mCa2+ concentration significantly stimulated mCa2+ uptake, and U-73122 inhibited this effect. Spermine, a uniporter agonist, significantly increased mCa2+ uptake, whereas U-73122 dose-dependently blocked this effect. The inactive analog of U-73122, U-73343, did not affect mCa2+ uptake in any experimental condition. Membrane-permeable I(1,4,5)P3 receptor antagonists 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate and xestospongin C also inhibited mCa2+ uptake. Although extra mitochondrial I(1,4,5)P3 had no effect on mCa2+ uptake, membrane-permeable DAG analogs 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol and DAG-lactone, which inhibit PLC activity, dose-dependently inhibited mCa2+ uptake. These data indicate that PLC-delta1 exists in liver mitochondria and is involved in regulating mCa2+ uptake through the uniporter.     

Aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines as a new structural class of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. Part 1: Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation

We have identified a novel structural class of protein serine/threonine kinase inhibitors comprised of an aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine nucleus. Compounds from this family are shown to potently inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases by competing with ATP for binding to a catalytic subunit of the protein. Structure-based design approach was used to direct this chemical scaffold toward generating potent and selective CDK2 inhibitors. The discovery of this new class of ATP-site directed protein kinase inhibitors, aminoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines, provides the basis of new medicinal chemistry tool in search for an effective treatment of cancer and other diseases that involve protein kinase signaling pathways.     

Racemic and chiral lactams as potent, selective and functionally active CCR4 antagonists

A series of racemic and chiral, nonracemic lactams that display high binding affinities, functional chemotaxis antagonism, and selectivity toward CCR4 are described. Compound 41, which provides reasonably high blood levels in mice when dosed intraperitoneally, was identified as a useful pharmacological tool to explore the role of CCR4 antagonism in animal models of allergic disease.     

Nanoliter-scale synthesis of arrayed biomaterials and application to human embryonic stem cells

Identification of biomaterials that support appropriate cellular attachment, proliferation and gene expression patterns is critical for tissue engineering and cell therapy. Here we describe an approach for rapid, nanoliter-scale synthesis of biomaterials and characterization of their interactions with cells. We simultaneously characterize over 1,700 human embryonic stem cell-material interactions and identify a host of unexpected materials effects that offer new levels of control over human embryonic stem cell behavior.     

Exchange of DNA base pairs that coincides with recognition of homology promoted by E. coli RecA protein

The unresolved mechanism by which a single strand of DNA recognizes homology in duplex DNA is central to understanding genetic recombination and repair of double-strand breaks. Using stopped-flow fluorescence we monitored strand exchange catalyzed by E. coli RecA protein, measuring simultaneously the rate of exchange of A:T base pairs and the rates of formation and dissociation of the three-stranded intermediates called synaptic complexes. The rate of exchange of A:T base pairs was indistinguishable from the rate of formation of synaptic complexes, whereas the rate of displacement of a single strand from complexes was five to ten times slower. This physical evidence shows that a subset of bases exchanges at a rate that is fast enough to account for recognition of homology. Together, several studies suggest that a mechanism governed by the dynamic structure of DNA and catalyzed by diverse enzymes underlies both recognition of homology and initiation of strand exchange.