siRNA against presenilin 1 (PS1) down regulates amyloid β42 production in IMR-32 cells

Background  

One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the deposition of the ~4 kDa amyloid β protein (Aβ) within lesions known as senile plaques. Aβ is also deposited in the walls of cerebral blood vessels in many cases of AD. A substantial proportion of the Aβ that accumulates in the AD brain is deposited as Amyloid, which is highly insoluble, proteinaceous material with a β-pleated-sheet conformation and deposited extracellularly in the form of 5-10 nm wide straight fibrils. As γ-secretase catalyzes the final cleavage that releases the Aβ42 or 40 from amyloid β -protein precursor (APP), therefore, it is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of AD. γ-Secretase cleavage is performed by a high molecular weight protein complex containing presenilins (PSs), nicastrin, Aph-1 and Pen-2. Previous studies have demonstrated that the presenilins (PS1 and PS2) are critical components of a large enzyme complex that performs γ-secretase cleavage.     

Two distinct conformational states define the interaction of human RAD51‐ATP with single‐stranded DNA

An essential mechanism for repairing DNA double‐strand breaks is homologous recombination (HR). One of its core catalysts is human RAD51 (hRAD51), which assembles as a helical nucleoprotein filament on single‐stranded DNA, promoting DNA‐strand exchange. Here, we study the interaction of hRAD51 with single‐stranded DNA using a single‐molecule approach. We show that ATP‐bound hRAD51 filaments can exist in two different states with different contour lengths and with a free‐energy difference of ~4 k_BT per hRAD51 monomer. Upon ATP hydrolysis, the filaments convert into a disassembly‐competent ADP‐bound configuration. In agreement with the single‐molecule analysis, we demonstrate the presence of two distinct protomer interfaces in the crystal structure of a hRAD51‐ATP filament, providing a structural basis for the two conformational states of the filament. Together, our findings provide evidence that hRAD51‐ATP filaments can exist in two interconvertible conformational states, which might be functionally relevant for DNA homology recognition and strand exchange.     

Cell-to-cell transfer of glial proteins to the squid giant axon: The glia- neuron protein transfer hypothesis

The hypothesis that glial cells synthesize proteins which are transferred to adjacent neurons was evaluated in the giant fiber of the squid (Loligo pealei). When giant fibers are separated from their neuron cell bodies and incubated in the presence of radioactive amino acids, labeled proteins appear in the glial cells and axoplasm. Labeled axonal proteins were detected by three methods: extrusion of the axoplasm from the giant fiber, autoradiography, and perfusion of the giant fiber. This protein synthesis is completely inhibited by puromycin but is not affected by chloramphenicol. The following evidence indicates that the labeled axonal proteins are not synthesized within the axon itself. (a) The axon does not contain a significant amount of ribosomes or ribosomal RNA. (b) Isolated axoplasm did not incorporate [(3)H]leucine into proteins. (c) Injection of Rnase into the giant axon did not reduce the appearance of newly synthesized proteins in the axoplasm of the giant fiber. These findings, coupled with other evidence, have led us to conclude that the adaxonal glial cells synthesize a class of proteins which are transferred to the giant axon. Analysis of the kinetics of this phenomenon indicates that some proteins are transferred to the axon within minutes of their synthesis in the glial cells. One or more of the steps in the transfer process appear to involve Ca++, since replacement of extracellular Ca++ by either Mg++ or Co++ significantly reduces the appearance of labeled proteins in the axon. A substantial fraction of newly synthesized glial proteins, possibly as much as 40 percent, are transferred to the giant axon. These proteins are heterogeneous and range in size from 12,000 to greater than 200,000 daltons. Comparisons of the amount of amino acid incorporation in glia cells and neuron cell bodies raise the possibility that the adaxonal glial cells may provide an important source of axonal proteins which is supplemental to that provided by axonal transport from the cell body. These findings are discussed with reference to a possible trophic effect of glia on neurons and metabolic cooperation between adaxonal glia and the axon.     

Interet diagnostique d’une injection intracaverneuse de 20 μg de Prostaglandine E1 dans l’impuissance

Intracavernous injection of 20 μg of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) was carried out in 130 impotent patients. The erectile response was compared to the results of arteriological investigations including nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity monitoring (NPTR) in 59 patients. The response of 60 patients positively categorized as exclusively psychogenic or vasculogenic was also compared to the pattern of the response to 80 mg of papaverine observed in a previous study by the same authors. The PGE1 test may not discriminate psychogenic from wholly organic patients since its results are not correlated to those of NPTR. It helps for the screening of vasculogenic impotence. Lack of response or a partly rigid response is consistent with this actiology but is not specific for it. A fully response makes it unlikely. Compared to papaverine, PGE1 induces less non rigid responses in psychogenic patients (15% versus 35% with papaverine) and more fully rigid responses in vasculogenic patients (respectively 12% and 5 %). Consequently the specificity of the PGE1 test is higher but its sensitivity lower than that of papaverine so that there is no clear difference in the effectiveness of the tests. Nevertheless the PGE1 test should be preferred, because it is safer. Prolonged erections occured in only 5 patients, and all ceased spontaneously. However 4 presented severely painful erections.     

A modular treatment of molecular traffic through the active site of cholinesterase

We present a model for the molecular traffic of ligands, substrates, and products through the active site of cholinesterases (ChEs). First, we describe a common treatment of the diffusion to a buried active site of cationic and neutral species. We then explain the specificity of ChEs for cationic ligands and substrates by introducing two additional components to this common treatment. The first module is a surface trap for cationic species at the entrance to the active-site gorge that operates through local, short-range electrostatic interactions and is independent of ionic strength. The second module is an ionic-strength-dependent steering mechanism generated by long-range electrostatic interactions arising from the overall distribution of charges in ChEs. Our calculations show that diffusion of charged ligands relative to neutral isosteric analogs is enhanced approximately 10-fold by the surface trap, while electrostatic steering contributes only a 1.5- to 2-fold rate enhancement at physiological salt concentration. We model clearance of cationic products from the active-site gorge as analogous to the escape of a particle from a one-dimensional well in the presence of a linear electrostatic potential. We evaluate the potential inside the gorge and provide evidence that while contributing to the steering of cationic species toward the active site, it does not appreciably retard their clearance. This optimal fine-tuning of global and local electrostatic interactions endows ChEs with maximum catalytic efficiency and specificity for a positively charged substrate, while at the same time not hindering clearance of the positively charged products.     

Regenerative potential of human muscle stem cells in chronic inflammation

Introduction

Chronic inflammation is a profound systemic modification of the cellular microenvironment which could affect survival, repair and maintenance of muscle stem cells. The aim of this study was to define the role of chronic inflammation on the regenerative potential of satellite cells in human muscle.

Methods

As a model for chronic inflammation, 11 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were included together with 16 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) as controls. The mean age of both groups was 64 years, with more females in the RA group compared to the OA group. During elective knee replacement surgery, a muscle biopsy was taken from the distal musculus vastus medialis. Cell populations from four RA and eight OA patients were used for extensive phenotyping because these cell populations showed no spontaneous differentiation and myogenic purity greater than 75% after explantation.

Results

After mononuclear cell explantation, myogenic purity, viability, proliferation index, number of colonies, myogenic colonies, growth speed, maximum number of population doublings and fusion index were not different between RA and OA patients. Furthermore, the expression of proteins involved in replicative and stress-induced premature senescence and apoptosis, including p16, p21, p53, hTERT and cleaved caspase-3, was not different between RA and OA patients. Mean telomere length was shorter in the RA group compared to the OA group.

Conclusions

In the present study we found evidence that chronic inflammation in RA does not affect the in vitro regenerative potential of human satellite cells. Identification of mechanisms influencing muscle regeneration by modulation of its microenvironment may, therefore, be more appropriate.