Distinct modes of vertebrate hypaxial muscle formation contribute to the teleost body wall musculature

The formation of the body wall musculature in vertebrates is assumed to be initiated by direct ventral extension of the somites/myotomes. This contrasts to the formation of limb muscles and muscles involved in feeding or respiration/ventilation, which are founded by migratory muscle precursors (MMPs) distant to the somites. Here, we present evidence from morphology and expression of molecular markers proposing that the formation of the two muscle layers of the teleost body wall involves both of the above mechanisms: (1) MMPs from somites 5 and 6 found an independent muscle primordium–the so-called posterior hypaxial muscle (PHM)–which subsequently gives rise to the most anterior two segments of the medial obliquus inferioris (OI) muscle. (2) Direct epithelial extension of the hypaxial myotomes generates the OI segments from somite 7 caudalward and the entire lateral obliquus superioris (OS) muscle. The findings are discussed in relation to the evolution of hypaxial myogenic patterning including functional considerations. We hypothesise that the potential of the most anterior somites to generate migratory muscle precursors is a general vertebrate feature that has been differently utilised in the evolution in vertebrate groups.     

A new tyrosyl radical on Phe208 as ligand to the diiron center in Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase, mutant R2-Y122H. Combined x-ray diffraction and EPR/ENDOR studies

The R2 protein subunit of class I ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) belongs to a structurally related family of oxygen bridged diiron proteins. In wild-type R2 of Escherichia coli, reductive cleavage of molecular oxygen by the diferrous iron center generates a radical on a nearby tyrosine residue (Tyr122), which is essential for the enzymatic activity of RNR, converting ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides. In this work, we characterize the mutant E. coli protein R2-Y122H, where the radical site is substituted with a histidine residue. The x-ray structure verifies the mutation. R2-Y122H contains a novel stable paramagnetic center which we name H, and which we have previously proposed to be a diferric iron center with a strongly coupled radical, Fe(III)Fe(III)R.. Here we report a detailed characterization of center H, using 1H/2H -14N/15N- and 57Fe-ENDOR in comparison with the Fe(III)Fe(IV) intermediate X observed in the iron reconstitution reaction of R2. Specific deuterium labeling of phenylalanine residues reveals that the radical results from a phenylalanine. As Phe208 is the only phenylalanine in the ligand sphere of the iron site, and generation of a phenyl radical requires a very high oxidation potential, we propose that in Y122H residue Phe208 is hydroxylated, as observed earlier in another mutant (R2-Y122F/E238A), and further oxidized to a phenoxyl radical, which is coordinated to Fe1. This work demonstrates that small structural changes can redirect the reactivity of the diiron site, leading to oxygenation of a hydrocarbon, as observed in the structurally similar methane monoxygenase, and beyond, to formation of a stable iron-coordinated radical.     

Haptic Search for Hard and Soft Spheres

In this study the saliency of hardness and softness were investigated in an active haptic search task. Two experiments were performed to explore these properties in different contexts. In Experiment 1, blindfolded participants had to grasp a bundle of spheres and determine the presence of a hard target among soft distractors or vice versa. If the difference in compliance between target and distractors was small, reaction times increased with the number of items for both features; a serial strategy was found to be used. When the difference in compliance was large, the reaction times were independent of the number of items, indicating a parallel strategy. In Experiment 2, blindfolded participants pressed their hand on a display filled with hard and soft items. In the search for a soft target, increasing reaction times with the number of items were found, but the location of target and distractors appeared to have a large influence on the search difficulty. In the search for a hard target, reaction times did not depend on the number of items. In sum, this showed that both hardness and softness are salient features.     

Hypochlorite-modified high density lipoprotein,a high affinity ligand to scavenger receptor class B,type I,impairs high density lipoprotein-dependent selective lipid uptake and reverse cholesterol transport

Hypochlorous acid/hypochlorite (HOCl/OCl(-)), a potent oxidant generated in vivo by the myeloperoxidase-H(2)O(2)-chloride system of activated phagocytes, alters the physiological properties of high density lipoprotein (HDL) by generating a proatherogenic lipoprotein particle. On endothelial cells lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX-1) and scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI), act in concert by mediating the holoparticle of and selective cholesteryl ester uptake from HOCl-HDL. We therefore investigated the ligand specificity of HOCl-HDL to SR-BI-overexpressing Chinese hamster ovary cells. Binding of HOCl-HDL was saturable, and the degree of HOCl modification was the determining factor for increased binding affinity to SR-BI. Competition experiments further confirmed that HOCl-HDL binds with increased affinity to the same or overlapping domain(s) of SR-BI as does native HDL. Furthermore, SR-BI-mediated selective HDL-cholesteryl ester association as well as time- and concentration-dependent cholesterol efflux from SR-BI overexpressing Chinese hamster ovary cells were, depending on the degree of HOCl modification of HDL, markedly impaired. The most significant findings of this study were that the presence of very low concentrations of HOCl-HDL severely impaired SR-BI-mediated bidirectional cholesterol flux mediated by native HDL. The colocalization of immunoreactive HOCl-modified epitopes with apolipoprotein A-I along with deposits of lipids in serial sections of human atheroma shown here indicates that the myeloperoxidase-H(2)O(2)-halide system contributes to oxidative damage of HDL in vivo.     

Fluorescence in situ hybridization test for detection of endometrial carcinoma cells by non-invasive vaginal swab

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynaecological malignancy with increasing incidence in developed countries. As gold standard, hysteroscopy confirms only 30% of suspected ECs. The detection of EC cells in the vagina by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) after a smear test could reduce invasive procedures in the future. Using array-based comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) on 65 endometrial carcinomas, most frequently imbalanced regions of the tumour genome were identified. Bacterial artificial chromosomes were used to generate FISH-probes homologue to these human regions. The FISH test was hybridized on swabs specimens collected from the vaginal cavity. Samples from six patients without EC were selected as a negative control and on 13 patients with known EC as a positive control. To distinguish between benign and EC cases, the cut-off value has been defined. A first validation of this EC-FISH Test was performed with swabs from 41 patients with suspected EC. The most common genomic imbalances in EC are around the CTNNB1, FBXW7 and APC genes. The cut-off is defined at 32% of analysed cells without diploid signal pattern. This differs significantly between the positive and negative controls (p < 0.001). In a first validation cohort of 41 patients with suspected EC, the EC-FISH Test distinguishes patients with and without EC with a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 83%. The negative predictive value is 96%. This is the first report of a non-invasive EC-FISH Test to predict EC in women with suspected EC.     

FcgammaR expression on macrophages is related to severity and chronicity of synovial inflammation and cartilage destruction during experimental immune-complex-mediated arthritis (ICA)

We investigated the role of Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) on synovial macrophages in immune-complex-mediated arthritis (ICA). ICA elicited in knee joints of C57BL/6 mice caused a short-lasting, florid inflammation and reversible loss of proteoglycans (PGs), moderate chondrocyte death, and minor erosion of the cartilage. In contrast, when ICA was induced in knee joints of Fc receptor (FcR) γ-chain^-/- C57BL/6 mice, which lack functional FcγRI and RIII, inflammation and cartilage destruction were prevented. When ICA was elicited in DBA/1 mice, a very severe, chronic inflammation was observed, and significantly more chondrocyte death and cartilage erosion than in arthritic C57BL/6 mice. The synovial lining and peritoneal macrophages of na?ve DBA/1 mice expressed a significantly higher level of FcγRs than was seen in C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, elevated and prolonged expression of IL-1 was found after stimulation of these cells with immune complexes. Zymosan or streptococcal cell walls caused comparable inflammation and only mild cartilage destruction in all strains. We conclude that FcγR expression on synovial macrophages may be related to the severity of synovial inflammation and cartilage destruction during ICA.     

Construction of an Unstable Ring-X Chromosome Bearing the Autosomal Dopa Decarboxylase Gene in Drosophila melanogaster and Analysis of Ddc Mosaics

An unstable Ring-X chromosome, Ddc⁺- Ring-X carrying a cloned Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) encoding segment was constructed. The construction involved a double recombination event between the unstable Ring-X, R(1)w^vC and a Rod-X chromosome which contained a P-element mediated Ddc ⁺ insert. The resulting Ddc⁺-Ring-X chromosome behaves similarly to the parent chromosome with respect to somatic instability. The Ddc⁺-Ring-X chromosome was used to generate Ddc mosaics. Analyses of Ddc mosaics revealed that while there was no absolute requirement for the Ddc ⁺ expression in either the epidermis or the nervous system, very large mutant clones did affect the viability of the mosaic.     

Loss of STOP Protein Impairs Peripheral Olfactory Neurogenesis

Background

STOP (Stable Tubulin-Only Polypeptide) null mice show behavioral deficits, impaired synaptic plasticity, decrease in synaptic vesicular pools and disturbances in dopaminergic transmission, and are considered a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. Olfactory neurons highly express STOP protein and are continually generated throughout life. Experimentally-induced loss of olfactory neurons leads to epithelial regeneration within two months, providing a useful model to evaluate the role played by STOP protein in adult olfactory neurogenesis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy were used to study the structure of the glomerulus in the main olfactory bulb and neurogenesis in the neurosensorial epithelia. In STOP null mice, olfactory neurons showed presynaptic swellings with tubulovesicular profiles and autophagic-like structures. In olfactory and vomeronasal epithelia, there was an increase in neurons turnover, as shown by the increase in number of proliferating, apoptotic and immature cells with no changes in the number of mature neurons. Similar alterations in peripheral olfactory neurogenesis have been previously described in schizophrenia patients. In STOP null mice, regeneration of the olfactory epithelium did not modify these anomalies; moreover, regeneration resulted in abnormal organisation of olfactory terminals within the olfactory glomeruli in STOP null mice.

Conclusions/Significance

In conclusion, STOP protein seems to be involved in the establishment of synapses in the olfactory glomerulus. Our results indicate that the olfactory system of STOP null mice is a well-suited experimental model (1) for the study of the mechanism of action of STOP protein in synaptic function/plasticity and (2) for pathophysiological studies of the mechanisms of altered neuronal connections in schizophrenia.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of potential threonine synthase inhibitors: Rhizocticin A and Plumbemycin A

Rhizocticins and Plumbemycins are natural phosphonate antibiotics produced by the bacterial strains Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and Streptomyces plumbeus, respectively. Up to now, these potential threonine synthase inhibitors have only been synthesized under enzymatic catalysis. Here we report the chemical stereoselective synthesis of the non-proteinogenic (S,Z)-2-amino-5-phosphonopent-3-enoic acid [(S,Z)-APPA] and its use for the synthesis of Rhizocticin A and Plumbemycin A. In this work, (S,Z)-APPA was synthesized via the Still–Gennari olefination starting from Garner’s aldehyde. The Michaelis–Arbuzov reaction was used to form the phosphorus–carbon bond. Oligopeptides were prepared using liquid phase peptide synthesis (LPPS) and were tested against selected bacteria and fungi.