Surfactant protein A activation of atypical protein kinase C zeta in IkappaB-alpha-dependent anti-inflammatory immune regulation

The pulmonary collectin surfactant protein (SP)-A has a pivotal role in anti-inflammatory modulation of lung immunity. The mechanisms underlying SP-A-mediated inhibition of LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation in vivo and in vitro are only partially understood. We previously demonstrated that SP-A stabilizes IkappaB-alpha, the primary regulator of NF-kappaB, in alveolar macrophages (AM) both constitutively and in the presence of LPS. In this study, we show that in AM and PBMC from IkappaB-alpha knockout/IkappaB-beta knockin mice, SP-A fails to inhibit LPS-induced TNF-alpha production and p65 nuclear translocation, confirming a critical role for IkappaB-alpha in SP-A-mediated LPS inhibition. We identify atypical (a) protein kinase C (PKC) zeta as a pivotal upstream regulator of SP-A-mediated IkappaB-alpha/NF-kappaB pathway modulation deduced from blocking experiments and confirmed by using AM from PKCzeta-/- mice. SP-A transiently triggers aPKCThr(410/403) phosphorylation, aPKC kinase activity, and translocation in primary rat AM. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments reveal that SP-A induces aPKC/p65 binding under constitutive conditions. Together the data indicate that anti-inflammatory macrophage activation via IkappaB-alpha by SP-A critically depends on PKCzeta activity, and thus attribute a novel, stimulus-specific signaling function to PKCzeta in SP-A-modulated pulmonary immune response.     

The role of plastids in plant speciation

Understanding the molecular basis of how new species arise is a central question and prime challenge in evolutionary biology and includes understanding how genomes diversify. Eukaryotic cells possess an integrated compartmentalized genetic system of endosymbiotic ancestry. The cellular subgenomes in nucleus, mitochondria and plastids communicate in a complex way and co-evolve. The application of hybrid and cybrid technologies, most notably those involving interspecific exchanges of plastid and nuclear genomes, has uncovered a multitude of species-specific nucleo-organelle interactions. Such interactions can result in plastome-genome incompatibilities, which can phenotypically often be recognized as hybrid bleaching, hybrid variegation or disturbance of the sexual phase. The plastid genome, because of its relatively low number of genes, can serve as a valuable tool to investigate the origin of these incompatibilities. In this article, we review progress on understanding how plastome-genome co-evolution contributes to speciation. We genetically classify incompatible phenotypes into four categories. We also summarize genetic, physiological and environmental influence and other possible selection forces acting on plastid-nuclear co-evolution and compare taxa providing molecular access to the underlying loci. It appears that plastome-genome incompatibility can establish hybridization barriers, comparable to the Dobzhansky-Muller model of speciation processes. Evidence suggests that the plastid-mediated hybridization barriers associated with hybrid bleaching primarily arise through modification of components in regulatory networks, rather than of complex, multisubunit structures themselves that are frequent targets.     

Snapshots of the RNA editing machine in trypanosomes captured at different assembly stages in vivo

Mitochondrial pre‐messenger RNAs in kinetoplastid protozoa are substrates of uridylate‐specific RNA editing. RNA editing converts non‐functional pre‐mRNAs into translatable molecules and can generate protein diversity by alternative editing. Although several editing complexes have been described, their structure and relationship is unknown. Here, we report the isolation of functionally active RNA editing complexes by a multistep purification procedure. We show that the endogenous isolates contain two subpopulations of ～20S and ～35–40S and present the three‐dimensional structures of both complexes by electron microscopy. The ～35–40S complexes consist of a platform density packed against a semispherical element. The ～20S complexes are composed of two subdomains connected by an interface. The two particles are structurally related, and we show that RNA binding is a main determinant for the interconversion of the two complexes. The ～20S editosomes contain an RNA‐binding site, which binds gRNA, pre‐mRNA and gRNA/pre‐mRNA hybrid molecules with nanomolar affinity. Variability analysis indicates that subsets of complexes lack or possess additional domains, suggesting binding sites for components. Together, a picture of the RNA editing machinery is provided.     

Metabolic control analysis of the Warburg-effect in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells

Summary The accumulation and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) within the vessel wall is an important pathogenic feature in the development of atherosclerosis. Glucose metabolism has been implicated to play an important role in this cellular mechanism. To further elucidate the role of glucose metabolism in atherogenesis, glycolysis and its regulation have been investigated in proliferating VSMC. Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF BB)-induced proliferation of VSMCs significantly stimulated glucose flux through glycolysis. Further evaluating the enzymatic regulation of this pathway, the analysis of flux:metabolite co-responses revealed that anaerobic glycolytic flux is controlled at different sites of gycolysis in proliferating VSMCs, being consistent with the concept of multisite modulation. These findings indicate that regulation of glycolytic flux in proliferating VSMCs differs from traditional concepts of metabolic control of the Embden–Meyerhof pathway.     

Generation of a vector system facilitating cloning of DMBT1 variants and recombinant expression of functional full-length DMBT1

Deleted in malignant brain tumours 1 (DMBT1) codes for a approximately 340kDa glycoprotein with highly repetitive scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domains. DMBT1 was implicated in cancer, defence against viral and bacterial infections, and differentiation of epithelial cells. Recombinant expression and purification of DMBT1 is an essential step for systematic standardized functional research and towards the evaluation of its therapeutical potential. So far, DMBT1 is obtained from natural sources such as bronchioalveolar lavage or saliva, resulting in time consuming sample collection, low yields, and protein preparations which may substantially vary due to differential processing and genetic polymorphism, all of which impedes functional research on DMBT1. Cloning of DMBT1 cDNAs is hampered because of the size and the 13 highly homologous SRCR exons. In this study, we report on the setup of a vector system that facilitates cloning of DMBT1 variants. We demonstrate applicability of the vector system by expression of the largest DMBT1 variant in a tetracycline-inducible mammalian expression system using the Chinese hamster ovary cell line. Yields up to 30 mg rDMBT1 per litre of cell culture supernatant could be achieved with an optimized production procedure. By harnessing the specific bacteria-binding property of DMBT1 we established an affinity purification procedure which allows the isolation of more than 3 mg rDMBT1 with a purity of about 95%. Although the glycosylation moieties of rDMBT1 are different from DMBT1(SAG) isolated from saliva, we demonstrate that rDMBT1 is functionally active in aggregating Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and binding to C1q and lactoferrin, which represent two known endogenous DMBT1 ligands.     

A misexpression screen reveals effects of bag-of-marbles and TGF beta class signaling on the Drosophila male germ-line stem cell lineage

Male gametes are produced throughout reproductive life by a classic stem cell mechanism. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms for lineage production that maintain male germ-line stem cell (GSC) populations, regulate mitotic amplification divisions, and ensure germ cell differentiation. Here we utilize the Drosophila system to identify genes that cause defects in the male GSC lineage when forcibly expressed. We conducted a gain-of-function screen using a collection of 2050 EP lines and found 55 EP lines that caused defects at early stages of spermatogenesis upon forced expression either in germ cells or in surrounding somatic support cells. Most strikingly, our analysis of forced expression indicated that repression of bag-of-marbles (bam) expression in male GSC is important for male GSC survival, while activity of the TGF beta signal transduction pathway may play a permissive role in maintenance of GSCs in Drosophila testes. In addition, forced activation of the TGF beta signal transduction pathway in germ cells inhibits the transition from the spermatogonial mitotic amplification program to spermatocyte differentiation.     

Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain (PHD) 2 Affects Cell Migration and F-actin Formation via RhoA/Rho-associated Kinase-dependent Cofilin Phosphorylation

Cells are responding to hypoxia via prolyl-4-hydroxylase domain (PHD) enzymes, which are responsible for oxygen-dependent hydroxylation of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α subunit. To gain further insight into PHD function, we generated knockdown cell models for the PHD2 isoform, which is the main isoform regulating HIF-1α hydroxylation and thus stability in normoxia. Induction of a PHD2 knockdown in tetracycline-inducible HeLa PHD2 knockdown cells resulted in increased F-actin formation as detected by phalloidin staining. A similar effect could be observed in the stably transfected PHD2 knockdown cell clones 1B6 and 3B7. F-actin is at least in part responsible for shaping cell morphology as well as regulating cell migration. Cell migration was impaired significantly as a consequence of PHD2 knockdown in a scratch assay. Mechanistically, PHD2 knockdown resulted in activation of the RhoA (Ras homolog gene family member A)/Rho-associated kinase pathway with subsequent phosphorylation of cofilin. Because cofilin phosphorylation impairs its actin-severing function, this may explain the F-actin phenotype, thereby providing a functional link between PHD2-dependent signaling and cell motility.     

Construction, database integration, and application of an Oenothera EST library

Coevolution of cellular genetic compartments is a fundamental aspect in eukaryotic genome evolution that becomes apparent in serious developmental disturbances after interspecific organelle exchanges. The genus Oenothera represents a unique, at present the only available, resource to study the role of the compartmentalized plant genome in diversification of populations and speciation processes. An integrated approach involving cDNA cloning, EST sequencing, and bioinformatic data mining was chosen using Oenothera elata with the genetic constitution nuclear genome AA with plastome type I. The Gene Ontology system grouped 1621 unique gene products into 17 different functional categories. Application of arrays generated from a selected fraction of ESTs revealed significantly differing expression profiles among closely related Oenothera species possessing the potential to generate fertile and incompatible plastid/nuclear hybrids (hybrid bleaching). Furthermore, the EST library provides a valuable source of PCR-based polymorphic molecular markers that are instrumental for genotyping and molecular mapping approaches.     

Cell activation of human macrophages by lipoteichoic acid is strongly attenuated by lipopolysaccharide-binding protein

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) represents immunostimulatory molecules expressed by Gram-positive bacteria. They activate the innate immune system via Toll-like receptors. We have investigated the role of serum proteins in activation of human macrophages by LTA from Staphylococcus aureus and found it to be strongly attenuated by serum. In contrast, the same cells showed a sensitive response to LTA and a significantly enhanced production of tumor necrosis factor alpha under serum-free conditions. We show that LTA interacts with the serum protein lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and inhibits the integration of LBP into phospholipid membranes, indicating the formation of complexes of LTA and soluble LBP. The addition of recombinant human LBP to serum-free medium inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukins 6 and 8 after stimulation of human macrophages with LTA in a dose-dependent manner. Using anti-LBP antibodies, this inhibitory effect could be attributed to soluble LBP, whereas LBP in its recently described transmembrane configuration did not modulate cell activation. Also, using primary alveolar macrophages from rats, we show a sensitive cytokine response to LTA under serum-free culture conditions that was strongly attenuated in the presence of serum. In summary, our data suggest that innate immune recognition of LTA is organ-specific with negative regulation by LBP in serum-containing compartments and sensitive recognition in serum-free compartments like the lung.