Structural biology: Paper alert

A selection of interesting papers that were published in the two months before our press date in major journals most likely to report significant results in structural biology.     

Analysis of PEG 400 and 4000 in urine for gut permeability assessment using solid phase extraction and gel permeation chromatography with refractometric detection

We developed a treatment of urine samples allowing the analysis of two intestinal permeability markers: polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 (highly diffusible; basal permeability indicator) and PEG 4000 (poorly diffusible; indicator of an abnormal increase of permeability) by a unique gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with refractometric detection. Urinary PEG were extracted using a mixed-bed resin composed of C2 and C18 layers. Permeability mean values determined in 11 human healthy subjects were 24.20 +/- 9.30% and 0.12 +/- 0.08% for, respectively, PEG 400 and 4000. The percentage of the PEG 4000 permeability value to the one of PEG 400 corresponded to an intestinal permeability index (IPI) of 0.52 +/- 0.35 expressing a low diffusion of this poorly permeability marker.     

Intracellular regulation of cell signaling cascades: how location makes a difference

Organelles such as endosomes and the Golgi apparatus play a critical role in regulating signal transmission to the nucleus. Recent experiments have shown that appropriate positioning of these organelles within the intracellular space is critical for effective signal regulation. To understand the mechanism behind this observation, we consider a reaction-diffusion model of an intracellular signaling cascade and investigate the effect on the signaling of intracellular regulation in the form of a small release of phosphorylated signaling protein, kinase, and/or phosphatase. Variational analysis is applied to characterize the most effective regions for the localization of this intracellular regulation. The results demonstrate that signals reaching the nucleus are most effectively regulated by localizing the release of phosphorylated substrate protein and kinase near the nucleus. Phosphatase release, on the other hand, is nearly equally effective throughout the intracellular space. The effectiveness of the intracellular regulation is affected strongly by the characteristics of signal propagation through the cascade. For signals that are amplified as they propagate through the cascade, reactions in the upstream levels of the cascade exhibit much larger sensitivities to regulation by release of phosphorylated substrate protein and kinase than downstream reactions. On the other hand, for signals that decay through the cascade, downstream reactions exhibit larger sensitivity than upstream reactions. For regulation by phosphatase release, all reactions within the cascade show large sensitivity for amplified signals but lose this sensitivity for decaying signals. We use the analysis to develop a simple model of endosome-mediated regulation of cell signaling. The results demonstrate that signal regulation by the modeled endosome is most effective when the endosome is positioned in the vicinity of the nucleus. The present findings may explain at least in part why endosomes in many cell types localize near the nucleus.     

Production of endothelial progenitor cells obtained from human Wharton's jelly using different culture conditions

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) participate in revascularization and angiogenesis. EPC can be cultured in vitro from mononuclear cells of peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood or bone marrow; they also can be transdifferentiated from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). We isolated EPCs from Wharton's jelly (WJ) using two methods. The first method was by obtaining MSC from WJ and characterizing them by flow cytometry and their adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation, then applying endothelial growth differentiating media. The second method was by direct culture of cells derived from WJ into endothelial differentiating media. EPCs were characterized by morphology, Dil-LDL uptake/UEA-1 immunostaining and testing the expression of endothelial markers by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. We found that MSC derived from WJ differentiated into endothelial-like cells using simple culture conditions with endothelium induction agents in the medium.     

Analysis of CLDN14 gene in deaf Moroccan patients with non-syndromic hearing loss

Mutations in the CLDN14 gene, encoding the tight junction claudin 14 protein has been reported to date in an autosomal recessive form of isolated hearing loss DFNB29. In order to identify the contribution of CLDN14 to inherited deafness in Moroccan population, we performed a genetic analysis of this gene in 80 Moroccan familial cases. Our results show the presence of 7 mutations: 6 being conservative and one leading to a missense mutation (C11T) which was found at heterozygous and homozygous states, with a general frequency of 6.87%. The pathogenicity of the resulting T4M substitution is under discussion.     

Regulation of brain endothelial cells migration and angiogenesis by P-glycoprotein/caveolin-1 interaction

We have investigated the involvement of P-glycoprotein (P-gp)/caveolin-1 interaction in the regulation of brain endothelial cells (EC) migration and tubulogenesis. P-gp overexpression in MDCK-MDR cells was correlated with enhanced cell migration whereas treatment with P-gp inhibitors CsA or PSC833 reduced it. Transfection of RBE4 rat brain endothelial cells with mutated versions of MDR1, in the caveolin-1 interaction motif, decreased the interaction between P-gp and caveolin-1, enhanced P-gp transport activity and cell migration. Moreover, down-regulation of caveolin-1 in RBE4 cells by siRNA against caveolin-1 stimulated cell migration. Interestingly, the inhibition of P-gp/caveolin-1 interaction increased also EC tubulogenesis. Furthermore, decrease of P-gp expression by siRNA inhibited EC tubulogenesis. These data indicate that the level of P-gp/caveolin-1 interaction can modulate brain endothelial angiogenesis and P-gp dependent cell migration.     

Model of cellular mechanotransduction via actin stress fibers

Mechanical stresses due to blood flow regulate vascular endothelial cell structure and function and play a key role in arterial physiology and pathology. In particular, the development of atherosclerosis has been shown to correlate with regions of disturbed blood flow where endothelial cells are round and have a randomly organized cytoskeleton. Thus, deciphering the relation between the mechanical environment, cell structure, and cell function is a key step toward understanding the early development of atherosclerosis. Recent experiments have demonstrated very rapid (\(\sim \)100 ms) and long-distance (\(\sim \)10 \(\upmu \)m) cellular mechanotransduction in which prestressed actin stress fibers play a critical role. Here, we develop a model of mechanical signal transmission within a cell by describing strains in a network of prestressed viscoelastic stress fibers following the application of a force to the cell surface. We find force transmission dynamics that are consistent with experimental results. We also show that the extent of stress fiber alignment and the direction of the applied force relative to this alignment are key determinants of the efficiency of mechanical signal transmission. These results are consistent with the link observed experimentally between cytoskeletal organization, mechanical stress, and cellular responsiveness to stress. Based on these results, we suggest that mechanical strain of actin stress fibers under force constitutes a key link in the mechanotransduction chain.     

Controlled-Release Carbamazepine Granules and Tablets Comprising Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Matrix Components

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of lipophilic (Compritol 888 ATO) and hydrophilic components (combination of HPMC and Avicel) on the release of carbamazepine from granules and corresponding tablet. Wet granulation followed by compression was employed for preparation of granules and tablets. The matrix swelling behavior was investigated. The dissolution profiles of each formulation were compared to those of Tegretol CR tablets and the mean dissolution time (MDT), dissolution efficiency (DE %) and similarity factor (f(2) factor) were calculated. It was found that increase in the concentration of HPMC results in reduction in the release rate from granules and achievement of zero-order is difficult from the granules. The amount of HPMC plays a dominant role for the drug release. The release mechanism of CBZ from matrix tablet formulations follows non-Fickian diffusion shifting to case II by the increase of HPMC content, indicating significant contribution of erosion. Increasing in drug loading resulted in acceleration of the drug release and in anomalous controlled-release mechanism due to delayed hydration of the tablets. These results suggest that wet granulation followed by compression could be a suitable method to formulate sustained release CBZ tablets.     

The analysis of three markers flanking GJB2 gene suggests a single origin of the most common 35delG mutation in the Moroccan population

In Caucasian populations a single mutation, 35delG, accounts for the majority of GJB2 gene mediated hearing loss, with carrier frequencies estimated between 2-4%, possibly resulting from a founder effect rather than from a mutational hot spot. In Moroccan population, the 35delG mutation accounts for 90.8% of all GJB2 mutated alleles in deaf patients with a carrier frequency of 2.65%. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the 35delG mutation has derived from a single origin in the Moroccan population. We enrolled 30 unrelated deaf patients homozygous for the 35delG mutation and 165 unrelated control individuals negative for this mutation, and genotyped three microsatellite markers flanking the GJB2 region: D13S141, D13S175 and D13S143. Data analysis revealed that the 35delG mutation is associated with particular alleles of these markers, with significant linkage disequilibrium for the 125 and 105 nucleotide long alleles of D13S141 and D13S175, and that a single specific haplotype accounts for 68% of the chromosomes carrying the 35delG mutation. The estimate age of 35delG mutation is 135 generations or approximately 2700 years old. Like in other Mediterranean populations, our results suggest that in the Moroccan population the 35delG mutation has derived from a single origin in a common founder process.