Free and Conjugated Indoleacetic Acid (IAA) Contents in Transgenic Tobacco Plants Expressing the iaaM and iaaH IAA Biosynthesis Genes from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA gene iaaM was introduced by leaf-disc transformation into transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants expressing the iaaH gene. Regenerated calli were screened for the presence of indole-3-acetamide (IAM), by gas chromatography-multiple ion monitoring-mass spectrometry, and IAM-containing calli were further analyzed for free and conjugated indoleacetic acid (IAA). It was found that transgenic calli on average contained twice as much free IAA and three times more conjugated IAA than calli from wild-type plants. About 40% of the transformed calli could be regenerated to plants. The distribution of free and conjugated IAA was measured in transformed plants with a normal phenotype and compared with equivalent wild-type plants. The IAA content of transgenic plants was only slightly increased, whereas IAA-conjugate levels were enhanced significantly. These data suggest that conjugation of IAA may serve as a regulatory mechanism, contributing to maintenance of steady-state IAA pool sizes during tobacco growth and development.     

Pancreatic hormones and plasma glucose: regulation mechanisms in the goose under physiological conditions. I. Pancreatectomy and replacement therapy

Measurements of plasma GLI and IRI in normal fasting geese, before and during constant I.V. infusion of saline, gave GLI/I ratios of 1.32 +/- .07 and 1.34 +/- .03 (w/w). As total pancreatectomy markedly reduces the pancreatic hormone level, leading to a mortal hypoglycaemia, we attempted to maintain plasma glucose within the normal range by constant I.V. infusion of glucagon and insulin into operated animals. The results as follows: 1. Blood glucose levels can be maintained within the normal range during experiments lasting 6 or more hours with a constant G/I ratio. 2. The G/I ratio obtained in operated animals (.96 +/- .12) is near to, but significantly lower (p less than .005) than, the GLI/I ratio measured in normal animals. This difference may be explained by the presence of a small amount of circulating gut GLI in the 2nd group.     

Adaptor Protein GRB2 Promotes Src Tyrosine Kinase Activation and Podosomal Organization by Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase ? in Osteoclasts

The non-receptor isoform of protein-tyrosine phosphatase ϵ (cyt-PTPe) supports adhesion of bone-resorbing osteoclasts by activating Src downstream of integrins. Loss of cyt-PTPe reduces Src activity in osteoclasts, reduces resorption of mineralized matrix both in vivo and in cell culture, and induces mild osteopetrosis in young female PTPe KO mice. Activation of Src by cyt-PTPe is dependent upon this phosphatase undergoing phosphorylation at its C-terminal Tyr-638 by partially active Src. To understand how cyt-PTPe activates Src, we screened 73 Src homology 2 (SH2) domains for binding to Tyr(P)-638 of cyt-PTPe. The SH2 domain of GRB2 bound Tyr(P)-638 of cyt-PTPe most prominently, whereas the Src SH2 domain did not bind at all, suggesting that GRB2 may link PTPe with downstream molecules. Further studies indicated that GRB2 is required for activation of Src by cyt-PTPe in osteoclast-like cells (OCLs) in culture. Overexpression of GRB2 in OCLs increased activating phosphorylation of Src at Tyr-416 and of cyt-PTPe at Tyr-638; opposite results were obtained when GRB2 expression was reduced by shRNA or by gene inactivation. Phosphorylation of cyt-PTPe at Tyr-683 and its association with GRB2 are integrin-driven processes in OCLs, and cyt-PTPe undergoes autodephosphorylation at Tyr-683, thus limiting Src activation by integrins. Reduced GRB2 expression also reduced the ability of bone marrow precursors to differentiate into OCLs and reduced the fraction of OCLs in which podosomal adhesion structures assume organization typical of active, resorbing cells. We conclude that GRB2 physically links cyt-PTPe with Src and enables cyt-PTPe to activate Src downstream of activated integrins in OCLs.     

Parent-of-Origin Effects of the APOB Gene on Adiposity in Young Adults

Loci identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of cardio-metabolic traits account for a small proportion of the traits'' heritability. To date, most association studies have not considered parent-of-origin effects (POEs). Here we report investigation of POEs on adiposity and glycemic traits in young adults. The Jerusalem Perinatal Family Follow-Up Study (JPS), comprising 1250 young adults and their mothers was used for discovery. Focusing on 18 genes identified by previous GWAS as associated with cardio-metabolic traits, we used linear regression to examine the associations of maternally- and paternally-derived offspring minor alleles with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fasting glucose and insulin. We replicated and meta-analyzed JPS findings in individuals of European ancestry aged ≤50 belonging to pedigrees from the Framingham Heart Study, Family Heart Study and Erasmus Rucphen Family study (total N≅4800). We considered p<2.7x10^-4 statistically significant to account for multiple testing. We identified a common coding variant in the 4^th exon of APOB (rs1367117) with a significant maternally-derived effect on BMI (β = 0.8; 95%CI:0.4,1.1; p = 3.1x10^-5) and WC (β = 2.7; 95%CI:1.7,3.7; p = 2.1x10^-7). The corresponding paternally-derived effects were non-significant (p>0.6). Suggestive maternally-derived associations of rs1367117 were observed with fasting glucose (β = 0.9; 95%CI:0.3,1.5; p = 4.0x10^-3) and insulin (ln-transformed, β = 0.06; 95%CI:0.03,0.1; p = 7.4x10^-4). Bioinformatic annotation for rs1367117 revealed a variety of regulatory functions in this region in liver and adipose tissues and a 50% methylation pattern in liver only, consistent with allelic-specific methylation, which may indicate tissue-specific POE. Our findings demonstrate a maternal-specific association between a common APOB variant and adiposity, an association that was not previously detected in GWAS. These results provide evidence for the role of regulatory mechanisms, POEs specifically, in adiposity. In addition this study highlights the benefit of utilizing family studies for deciphering the genetic architecture of complex traits.     

The cytokine midkine and its receptor RPTPζ regulate B cell survival in a pathway induced by CD74

Lasting B cell persistence depends on survival signals that are transduced by cell surface receptors. In this study, we describe a novel biological mechanism essential for survival and homeostasis of normal peripheral mature B cells and chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells, regulated by the heparin-binding cytokine, midkine (MK), and its proteoglycan receptor, the receptor-type tyrosine phosphatase ζ (RPTPζ). We demonstrate that MK initiates a signaling cascade leading to B cell survival by binding to RPTPζ. In mice lacking PTPRZ, the proportion and number of the mature B cell population are reduced. Our results emphasize a unique and critical function for MK signaling in the previously described MIF/CD74-induced survival pathway. Stimulation of CD74 with MIF leads to c-Met activation, resulting in elevation of MK expression in both normal mouse splenic B and chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Our results indicate that MK and RPTPζ are important regulators of the B cell repertoire. These findings could pave the way toward understanding the mechanisms shaping B cell survival and suggest novel therapeutic strategies based on the blockade of the MK/RPTPζ-dependent survival pathway.     

Identification of plant cytoskeleton-interacting proteins by screening for actin stress fiber association in mammalian fibroblasts

Taking advantage of the high conservation of the cytoskeleton building blocks actin and tubulin between plant and animal kingdoms, we developed a functional genomic screen for the isolation of new plant cytoskeleton-binding proteins that uses a mammalian cell expression system. A yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-fusion cDNA library from Arabidopsis was inserted into rat fibroblasts and screened for fluorescent chimeras localizing to cytoskeletal structures. The high-throughput screen was performed by an automated microscope. An initial set of candidate genes identified in the screen was isolated, sequenced, the full-length cDNAs were synthesized by RT-PCR and tested by biochemical approaches to verify the ability of the genes to bind actin directly. Alternatively, indirect binding via interaction with other actin-binding proteins was studied. The full-length cDNAs were transferred back to plants as YFP chimeras behind the CAMV-35S promoter. We give here two examples of new plant cytoskeletal proteins identified in the pilot screen. ERD10, a member of the dehydrin family of proteins, was localized to actin stress fibers in rat fibroblasts. Its direct binding to actin filaments was confirmed by several biochemical approaches. Touch-induced calmodulin-like protein, TCH2, was also localized to actin stress fibers in fibroblasts, but was unable to bind actin filaments directly in vitro. Nevertheless, it did bind to the IQ domains of Arabidopsis myosin VIII in a calcium-dependent manner. Further evidence for a cytoskeletal function of ERD10 was obtained in planta; GFP-ERD10 was able to protect the actin cytoskeleton from latrunculin-mediated disruption in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves.     

A Comparative Study of the Involvement of 17 Arabidopsis Myosin Family Members on the Motility of Golgi and Other Organelles

Gene families with multiple members are predicted to have individuals with overlapping functions. We examined all of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) myosin family members for their involvement in Golgi and other organelle motility. Truncated fragments of all 17 annotated Arabidopsis myosins containing either the IQ tail or tail domains only were fused to fluorescent markers and coexpressed with a Golgi marker in two different plants. We tracked and calculated Golgi body displacement rate in the presence of all myosin truncations and found that tail fragments of myosins MYA1, MYA2, XI-C, XI-E, XI-I, and XI-K were the best inhibitors of Golgi body movement in the two plants. Tail fragments of myosins XI-B, XI-F, XI-H, and ATM1 had an inhibitory effect on Golgi bodies only in Nicotiana tabacum, while tail fragments of myosins XI-G and ATM2 had a slight effect on Golgi body motility only in Nicotiana benthamiana. The best myosin inhibitors of Golgi body motility were able to arrest mitochondrial movement too. No exclusive colocalization was found between these myosins and Golgi bodies in our system, although the excess of cytosolic signal observed could mask myosin molecules bound to the surface of the organelle. From the preserved actin filaments found in the presence of enhanced green fluorescent protein fusions of truncated myosins and the motility of myosin punctae, we conclude that global arrest of actomyosin-derived cytoplasmic streaming had not occurred. Taken together, our data suggest that the above myosins are involved, directly or indirectly, in the movement of Golgi and mitochondria in plant cells.The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) myosin gene family contains 17 members: myosin group XI, which includes 13 members (myosins XI-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, -F, -G, -H, -I, -J, and -K, MYA1, and MYA2), and myosin group VIII, which includes four members (ATM1, ATM2, myosin VIIIA, and myosin VIIIB). Both groups are related to unconventional myosin V (Berg et al., 2001; Foth et al., 2006). The Arabidopsis myosins contain a conserved motor domain with ATPase and actin-binding activities, a number of IQ domains that bind myosin light chains, a coiled-coil domain for dimerization, and a specific tail that binds different cargo (Kinkema and Schiefelbein, 1994; Tominaga et al., 2003). Using these functional domains, myosins convert chemical energy from ATP hydrolysis into physical movement along actin fibers, carrying with their tails membrane-bound organelles or RNA/protein complexes (Li and Nebenführ, 2008b).Plant myosins have been implicated in various cellular activities, such as cytoplasmic streaming (Shimmen and Yokota, 2004; Esseling-Ozdoba et al., 2008), plasmodesmata function (Baluska et al., 2001; Volkmann et al., 2003), organelle movement (Nebenführ et al., 1999; Jedd and Chua, 2002), cytokinesis (Molchan et al., 2002; Collings et al., 2003; Volkmann et al., 2003), endocytosis (Volkmann et al., 2003; Baluska et al., 2004; Samaj et al., 2005), and targeted RNA transport (Hamada et al., 2003). Actomyosin mediated cytoplasmic streaming found in various algae cells reach velocities of up to 100 μm s⁻¹, which is the fastest known myosin-mediated movement (Shimmen and Yokota, 1994).The information that exists regarding specific roles of each plant myosin is rather limited. Immunolocalization studies indicated that myosin XIs are associated with various particles in lily (Lilium longiflorum) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) pollen tubes (Yokota et al., 1995), with mitochondria, plastids, and low-density membranes in maize (Zea mays) root cells (Liu et al., 2001; Wang and Pesacreta, 2004), and with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in tobacco BY2 cells (Yokota et al., 2008). Specific antibodies against MYA2 showed that it is associated with peroxisomes in epidermal and guard cells of Arabidopsis leaves (Hashimoto et al., 2005). More recent studies using recombinant DNA fusions to fluorescent proteins showed localization of the tails of MYA2, MYA1, XI-K, and XI-I to peroxisomes (Li and Nebenführ, 2007; Reisen and Hanson, 2007) and MYA1 partially localized to Golgi (Li and Nebenführ, 2007). Furthermore, it was shown that peroxisomes, Golgi, and mitochondrial motility were arrested by dominant negative mutants of myosin XI-K and myosin XI-E (Avisar et al., 2008b; Sparkes et al., 2008). Arrest of organelle motility was also found in Arabidopsis knockout plants xi-k and mya2 (Peremyslov et al., 2008) and double mutants xi-k/mya1, xi-k/mya2, and mya2/xi-b (Prokhnevsky et al., 2008). In contrast, the association of the single globular tail domain of MYA1 or MYA2 with peroxisomes did not arrest their motility (Li and Nebenführ, 2007). Knockout plants for myosin xi-k and mya2 had root hair phenotypes (Ojangu et al., 2007; Peremyslov et al., 2008); however, all other 11 myosin XI single knockouts looked normal under regular growth conditions (Peremyslov et al., 2008). Reciprocal stimulation between dimerization via the coiled-coil domains of MYA1 and organelle binding was suggested (Li and Nebenführ, 2008a). As for myosin VIII, immunostaining studies showed that it localized to the cell periphery at plant-specific structures such as plasmodesmata and cytokinetic cell plates (Reichelt et al., 1999; Baluska et al., 2001). Recent data from our laboratory and from others confirmed the presence of myosin VIII in plasmodesmata (Golomb et al., 2008) and the cell plate (Van Damme et al., 2004) and further provided evidence for its involvement with endocytosis (Golomb et al., 2008; Sattarzadeh et al., 2008) and its colocalization with the ER (Golomb et al., 2008). In addition, it was shown that myosin VIII is involved in the plasmodesmata targeting of the beet yellows virus protein Hsp70h (Avisar et al., 2008a).We have determined the role of all 17 genes through transient overexpression of dominant negative forms in leaf epidermal cells. Fluorescent dominant negative fusions not only provide data on the subcellular location but also provide a relatively easy way of determining expression. Additionally, overexpression of dominant negative forms can expose a role of an individual member, which might be masked by redundant activity, if it was silenced. In order to undertake such a large-scale study, we needed to choose an efficient, fast, and reproducible expression system. Therefore, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression in Nicotiana leaves was suitable.