In vitro stimulation of mouse NK cell activity by phorbol esters: A pathway different from interferon-induced activation

Tumor promoters of the phorbol diester type were tested in vitro for their effect on mouse natural killer (NK) activity. The 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) significantly increased the spontaneous cytotoxicity of spleen cells preincubated with this reagent, with a maximal effect at 10–20 ng/ml. Higher concentrations of the weak tumor promoter phorbol-12, 13-dibenzoate (PDB) were required to display the same NK-enhancing property, while the inactive tumor promoter 4-αphorboldidecanoate was ineffective at any concentration. TPA-responding spleen cells displayed the same characteristics as classical NK cells: they were present in nude mice, did not adhere to nylon wool, bore the Thy-1 antigen, and displayed the same target cell specificity as interferon-activated NK cells. A major difference with the interferon-induced NK activation resides in the fact that the TPA-inducible increase in lytic activity does not require RNA and protein synthesis. Our results suggest two different NK activation pathways for IFN and phorbol esters.     

Arachidonic acid and related methyl ester mediate protein kinase C activation in intact platelets through the arachidonate metabolism pathways

Unlike unsaturated fatty acids, which almost fully activated purified brain protein kinase C in a phosphatidylserine- and Ca2(+)-free reaction, related methyl esters were poorly active in vitro. In contrast, methyl arachidonate was revealed to be as potent as arachidonic acid in activating protein kinase C in intact platelets. Arachidonic acid-mediated activation peaked at 20 s while methyl arachidonate-mediated activation plateaued at 2 min when both lipids were added at 50 microM. At concentrations higher than 0.3 mM, all tested unsaturated fatty acids and related methyl esters were weak activators of the enzyme, with the exception of linolenic acid and methyl linolenate which evoked strong enzyme activation. However, inhibitors of arachidonate metabolism blocked both arachidonic-acid and methyl-arachidonate-induced responses. At 5 microM arachidonic acid and methyl arachidonate, protein kinase C activation was due to a cyclooxygenase product(s) whereas at 50 microM the lipoxygenase pathway was mostly involved in the reaction. Therefore, arachidonic acid and its methyl ester activate protein kinase C in platelets mainly through action of their metabolites and eicosanoid synthesis. It is suggested that such indirect protein kinase C activation may account for the tumor-promoting activity of unsaturated fatty acids and related methyl esters.     

Nuclear protein-kinase activity in perfused rat liver stimulated with dibutyryl-adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate.

Cytoplasmic and nuclear protein kinase activities from perfused rat liver have been studied in response to dibutyryl-adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate added at a concentration that stimulates hepatic gluconeogenesis (100 muM). Total nuclear protein kinase, as assayed using a mixed histone fraction as phosphate acceptor, is increased by 5-fold within 8 min of the addition of cyclic nucleotide to the perfusate. In contrast the total cytoplasmic protein kinase activity is decreased to 50% of the control value. The protein substrate specificity of the protein kinase that is present in the nucleus in response to dibutyryl-adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate stimulation is similar to that of cytoplasmic, adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent, protein kinase but is distinct from that of the enzyme(s) present in control nuclei. The predominant species to protein kinase from stimulated nuclei has a sedimentation constant of 3.9 S. This value is identical to that of the catalytic subunit of cytoplasmic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase. These data suggest that some of the effects of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate on nuclear events may be mediated through its interaction with the inactive protein kinase holoenzyme in the cytoplasm and the subsequent redistribution of the active catalytic subunits generated by this interaction.     

Isoelectric beads for proteome pre-fractionation. II: experimental evaluation in a multicompartment electrolyzer

Proteome pre-fractionation in multicompartment electrolyzers is proposed here, with substantial modifications as compared to the standard technique. First of all, the classical isoelectric, buffering membranes, delimiting each compartment and acting, in pairs, as isoelectric traps, have been replaced by isoelectric buffering beads, operating on the same principle, but allowing unhindered migration of proteins (lack of sieving properties, contrary to typical continuous membrane barriers). Secondly, the isoelectric beads are not made in the conventional manner, with ionic acrylamide derivative monomers throughout their central core, but are composed of a hard, ceramic core, coated with an amphoteric buffering polymer. This minimizes mass transfer resistance of proteins that are transiently adsorbed onto the beads. As a result, significantly reduced separation times, of the order of ca. 3 h, are required for developing steady-state patterns, as compared to the lengthy times (overnight and much longer) in conventional multicompartment electrolyzers operating with isoelectric membranes. Examples of separation of standard marker proteins, as well as entire Escherichia coli lysates and human serum proteins, are given. The obtained fractions are analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.     

CO2 assimilation, xanthophyll cycle pigments and PSII efficiency in pumpkin plants as affected by ozone fumigation

CO₂ assimilation, xanthophyll cycle pigments and PSII efficiency were analyzed in two different ages of pumpkin leaves (Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Ambassador) exposed to 150 nmol mol^-1 of ozone (5 days, 5 h day^-1). Gas-exchange measurements revealed a reduction in CO₂ assimilation and stomatal conductance, accompanied by an increase in the intercellular CO₂ concentration both in young and in mature leaves as compared to their respective controls. In both leaves, F₀ remained unchanged, while F_m and the F_v/F_m ratio decreased after O₃ fumigation, indicating that ozone may induce an alteration in the capability of photosystem II (PSII) to reduce the primary acceptor Q_A. In the mature leaves the photochemical quenching (q_p) was significantly lowered by the pollutant, but this was not the case in the young leaves where q_p did not change. In both mature and young ozonated pumpkin leaves, the development of non-photochemical quenching caused a decrease in the PSII photochemical rate, as shown by the correlation between F_v/F_m and the de-epoxidation state of dark-adapted leaves. Decreases in the F_v/F_m ratio are generally attributed to damage to the PSII reaction centre, apart from the down-regulation of the capacity of PSII electron transport. While in young ozonated leaves the decrease in the F_v/F_m ratio was not associated with damage to the D1 protein, in mature ozonated pumpkin leaves, the decrease in the F_v/F_m was accompanied by a significant decline in the D1 content. In conclusion, ozone exposure induces alterations in the light reactions of photosynthesis in both young and mature leaves. However, in young leaves the engagement of the xanthophyll cycle appears to counteract ozone effects against the photosynthetic apparatus as demonstrated by the absence of damage to the D1 protein. On the other hand, the loss of D1 protein in mature fumigated leaves suggests that the activation of the xanthophyll cycle is not sufficient to prevent photoinhibition, probably because a physiological state of senescence adds to the oxidative stress.     

Immunogenic endotoxin associated protein from a rough strain of Salmonella

Abstract A multimolecular complex of polypeptides found associated with the lipopolysaccharide endotoxin in Salmonella , reffered to as endotoxin-associated protein (EP), has been extracted from a rough strain of Salmonella typhimurium which does not synthesize 0 antigens. Since standard methods of extraction applicable to smooth strains of Salmonella were not successful for this rough strain, two modified procedures were developed. The resulting products were similar to smooth EP in terms of their biochemical, physical and mitogenic properties. When the immunogenicity of the rough EP was characterized by a protection assay in mice challenged with virulent Salmonella , it was found that the rough EP preparations were protective; however, they were not as active as the EP from a smooth strain of S. typhimurium .     

Immunogenic endotoxin associated protein from a rough strain of Salmonella

A multimolecular complex of polypeptides found associated with the lipopolysaccharide endotoxin in Salmonella, referred to as endotoxin-associated protein (EP), has been extracted from a rough strain of Salmonella typhimurium which does not synthesize 0 antigens. Since standard methods of extraction applicable to smooth strains of Salmonella were not successful for this rough strain, two modified procedures were developed. The resulting products were similar to smooth EP in terms of their biochemical, physical and mitogenic properties. When the immunogenicity of the rough EP was characterized by a protection assay in mice challenged with virulent Salmonella, it was found that the rough EP preparations were protective; however, they were not as active as the EP from a smooth strain of S. typhimurium.