Small multicopy, non-integrative shuttle vectors based on the plasmid pRN1 for Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and Sulfolobus solfataricus, model organisms of the (cren-)archaea

The extreme thermoacidophiles of the genus Sulfolobus are among the best-studied archaea but have lacked small, reliable plasmid vectors, which have proven extremely useful for manipulating and analyzing genes in other microorganisms. Here we report the successful construction of a series of Sulfolobus–Escherichia coli shuttle vectors based on the small multicopy plasmid pRN1 from Sulfolobus islandicus. Selection in suitable uracil auxotrophs is provided through inclusion of pyrEF genes in the plasmid. The shuttle vectors do not integrate into the genome and do not rearrange. The plasmids allow functional overexpression of genes, as could be demonstrated for the β-glycosidase (lacS) gene of S. solfataricus. In addition, we demonstrate that this β-glycosidase gene could function as selectable marker in S. solfataricus. The shuttle plasmids differ in their interruption sites within pRN1 and allowed us to delineate functionally important regions of pRN1. The orf56/orf904 operon appears to be essential for pRN1 replication, in contrast interruption of the highly conserved orf80/plrA gene is tolerated. The new vector system promises to facilitate genetic studies of Sulfolobus and to have biotechnological uses, such as the overexpression or optimization of thermophilic enzymes that are not readily performed in mesophilic hosts.     

Medical Radiation to Children with Congenital Heart Disease

A retrospective analysis was made of the source of medical radiation received by 25 children who were investigated by cardiac catheterization techniques and followed in the Cardiac Outpatient Clinic of the Health Centre for Children, Vancouver General Hospital. The source of radiation was analyzed. The r dose per year received from plane films averaged 0.05 r, from cardiac fluoroscopy 6.7 r, and from catheterization and angiocardiography studies 1.58 r per year. In six of the 25 children, radiation doses to the thorax exceeded the LD₅₀ for adult humans. In these six patients 95.8% of the radiation received was during cardiac fluoroscopy. Routine fluoroscopy for the radiological re-evaluation of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease should be replaced by plain chest radiographs.     

Neurite outgrowth from progeny of epidermal growth factor–responsive hippocampal stem cells is significantly less robust than from fetal hippocampal cells following grafting onto organotypic hippocampal slice cultures: Effect of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)–responsive stem cells from both developing and adult central nervous system (CNS) can be expanded and induced to differentiate into neurons and glia in vitro. Because of their self‐renewal and multipotent properties, these cells can potentially provide an unlimited tissue source for neural grafting in neurodegenerative disorders. However, the capability of neurons derived from these stem cells to project axons to distant targets following grafting, thereby enabling the restoration of damaged CNS circuitry, remains unknown. We hypothesize that grafted EGF‐responsive stem cells and their progeny are not competent to project axons into distant target sites unless exposed to specific neurotrophic factors. We compared neurite outgrowth between gestation day 14 primary mouse hippocampal cells and EGF‐generated secondary neurospheres of postnatal mouse hippocampal stem cells, following grafting onto the CA3 region of organotypic hippocampal slice cultures prepared from postnatal rats. Neurite outgrowth from grafted cells was visualized using immunohistochemical staining for the mouse specific antigen M6. Fetal hippocampal cells showed extensive and specific neurite outgrowth into many regions of the slice, including the CA1 region and distant subiculum, by 7 days after grafting. In contrast, neurite outgrowth from neurosphere cells was nonspecific and restricted to the immediate surrounding region after either 7 or even 15 days following grafting. Application of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (5 ng in 0.5 μL) to slices on day 1 after grafting significantly enhanced neurite outgrowth from neurosphere cells, but overall neurite outgrowth from neurosphere cells remained decreased compared to that from fetal hippocampal cells. These results underscore that EGF‐responsive stem cell‐derived neurons possess limited intrinsic capability for long‐distance neurite outgrowth compared to fetal neurons. However, neurite outgrowth from EGF‐responsive stem cell–derived neurons can be enhanced by treating with specific neurotrophic factors such as BDNF. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 38: 391–413, 1999     

Serotonin transporter: gene, genetic disorders, and pharmacogenetics

The highly evolutionarily conserved serotonin transporter (SERT) regulates the entire serotoninergic system and its receptors via modulation of extracellular fluid serotonin concentrations. Differences in SERT expression and function produced by three SERT genes and their variants show associations with multiple human disorders. Screens of DNA from patients with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and Tourette's syndrome have detected signals in the chromosome 17q region where SERT is located. Parallel investigations of SERT knockout mice have uncovered multiple phenotypes that identify SERT as a candidate gene for additional human disorders ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to obesity. Replicated studies have demonstrated that the SERT 5'-flanking region polymorphism SS genotype is associated with poorer therapeutic responses and more frequent serious side effects during treatment with antidepressant SERT antagonists, namely, the serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs).     

Using evolutionary information and ancestral sequences to understand the sequence-function relationship in GLP-1 agonists

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone with therapeutic potential for type 2 diabetes. A variety of GLP-1 sequences are known from amphibian species, and some of these have been tested here and found to be able to bind and activate the human GLP-1 receptor. While little difference was observed for the in vitro potency for the human GLP-1 receptor, larger differences were found in the enzymatic stability of these peptides. Two peptides showed increased enzymatic stability, and they group together phylogenetically, though they originate from Amphibia and Reptilia. We have used ancestral sequence reconstruction to analyze the evolution of these GLP-1 molecules, including the synthesis of new peptides. We find that the increased stability could not be observed in the resurrected peptides from the common ancestor of frogs, even though they maintain the ability to activate the human GLP-1 receptor. Another method, using residue mapping on evolutionary branches yielded peptides that had maintained potency towards the receptor and also showed increased stability. This represents a new approach using evolutionary data in protein engineering.     

Ceramide mediates nanovesicle shedding and cell death in response to phosphatidylinositol ether lipid analogs and perifosine

Anticancer phospholipids that inhibit Akt such as the alkylphospholipid perifosine (Per) and phosphatidylinositol ether lipid analogs (PIAs) promote cellular detachment and apoptosis and have a similar cytotoxicity profile against cancer cell lines in the NCI60 panel. While investigating the mechanism of Akt inhibition, we found that short-term incubation with these compounds induced rapid shedding of cellular nanovesicles containing EGFR, IGFR and p-Akt that occurred in vitro and in vivo, while prolonged incubation led to cell detachment and death that depended on sphingomyelinase-mediated generation of ceramide. Pretreatment with sphingomyelinase inhibitors blocked ceramide generation, decreases in phospho-Akt, nanovesicle release and cell detachment in response to alkylphospholipids and PIAs in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. Similarly, exogenous ceramide also decreased active Akt and induced nanovesicle release. Knockdown of neutral sphingomyelinase decreased, whereas overexpression of neutral or acid sphingomyelinase increased cell detachment and death in response to the compounds. When transferred in vitro, PIA or Per-induced nanovesicles increased ceramide levels and death in recipient cells. These results indicate ceramide generation underlies the Akt inhibition and cytotoxicity of this group of agents, and suggests nanovesicle shedding and uptake might potentially propagate their cytotoxicity in vivo.