Nucleophosmin mutations alter its nucleolar localization by impairing G-quadruplex binding at ribosomal DNA

Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is an abundant nucleolar protein implicated in ribosome maturation and export, centrosome duplication and response to stress stimuli. NPM1 is the most frequently mutated gene in acute myeloid leukemia. Mutations at the C-terminal domain led to variant proteins that aberrantly and stably translocate to the cytoplasm. We have previously shown that NPM1 C-terminal domain binds with high affinity G-quadruplex DNA. Here, we investigate the structural determinants of NPM1 nucleolar localization. We show that NPM1 interacts with several G-quadruplex regions found in ribosomal DNA, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the most common leukemic NPM1 variant completely loses this activity. This is the consequence of G-quadruplex–binding domain destabilization, as mutations aimed at refolding the leukemic variant also result in rescuing the G-quadruplex–binding activity and nucleolar localization. Finally, we show that treatment of cells with a G-quadruplex selective ligand results in wild-type NPM1 dislocation from nucleoli into nucleoplasm. In conclusion, this work establishes a direct correlation between NPM1 G-quadruplex binding at rDNA and its nucleolar localization, which is impaired in the acute myeloid leukemia-associated protein variants.     

Malate accumulation in different organs of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. following age-dependent or salinity-triggered CAM metabolism

Different organs of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum exhibit differing levels of CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism), identifiable by quantification of nocturnal malate accumulation. Shoots and also basal parts of young leaves were observed to accumulate high concentrations of malate. It was typically found in mature leaves and especially prominent in plants subjected to salt stress. Small amount of nocturnal malate accumulation was found in roots of M. crystallinum plants following age-dependent or salinity-triggered CAM. This is an indication that malate can be also stored in non-photosynthetic tissue. Measurements of catalase activity did not produce evidence of the correlation between activity of this enzyme and the level of malate accumulation in different organs of M. crystallinum although catalase activity also appeared to be dependent on the photoperiod. In all material collected at dusk catalase activity was greater than it was observed in the organs harvested at dawn.     

Soil pCO2, soil respiration,and root activity in CO2-fumigated and nitrogen-fertilized ponderosa pine

The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of CO₂ and N treatments on soil pCO₂, calculated CO₂ efflux, root biomass and soil carbon in open-top chambers planted with Pinus ponderosa seedlings. Based upon the literature, it was hypothesized that both elevated CO₂ and N would cause increased root biomass which would in turn cause increases in both total soil CO₂ efflux and microbial respiration. This hypothesis was only supported in part: both CO₂ and N treatments caused significant increases in root biomass, soil pCO₂, and calculated CO₂ efflux, but there were no differences in soil microbial respiration measured in the laboratory. Both correlative and quantitative comparisons of CO₂ efflux rates indicated that microbial respiration contributes little to total soil CO₂ efflux in the field. Measurements of soil pCO₂ and calculated CO₂ efflux provided inexpensive, non-invasive, and relatively sensitive indices of belowground response to CO₂ and N treatments.     

Compartmentalization of membrane trafficking,glucose transport,glycolysis, actin,tubulin and the proteasome in the cytoplasmic droplet/Hermes body of epididymal sperm

Discovered in 1909 by Retzius and described mainly by morphology, the cytoplasmic droplet of sperm (renamed here the Hermes body) is conserved among all mammalian species but largely undefined at the molecular level. Tandem mass spectrometry of the isolated Hermes body from rat epididymal sperm characterized 1511 proteins, 43 of which were localized to the structure in situ by light microscopy and two by quantitative electron microscopy localization. Glucose transporter 3 (GLUT-3) glycolytic enzymes, selected membrane traffic and cytoskeletal proteins were highly abundant and concentrated in the Hermes body. By electron microscope gold antibody labelling, the Golgi trafficking protein TMED7/p27 localized to unstacked flattened cisternae of the Hermes body, as did GLUT-3, the most abundant protein. Its biogenesis was deduced through the mapping of protein expression for all 43 proteins during male germ cell differentiation in the testis. It is at the terminal step 19 of spermiogenesis that the 43 characteristic proteins accumulated in the nascent Hermes body.     

Estimation of annual nitrous oxide emissions from a transitional grassland-forest region in Saskatchewan, Canada

The increasing atmospheric N₂O concentration and the imbalance in its global budget have triggered the interest in quantifying N₂O fluxes from various ecosystems. This study was conducted to estimate the annual N₂O emissions from a transitional grassland-forest region in Saskatchewan, Canada. The study region was stratified according to soil texture and land use types, and we selected seven landscapes (sites) to cover the range of soil texture and land use characteristics in the region. The study sites were, in turn, stratified into distinguishable spatial sampling units (i.e., footslope and shoulder complexes), which reflected the differences in soils and soil moisture regimes within a landscape. N₂O emission was measured using a sealed chamber method. Our results showed that water-filled pore space (WFPS) was the variable most correlated to N₂O fluxes. With this finding, we estimated the total N₂O emissions by using regression equations that relate WFPS to N₂O emission, and linking these regression equations with a soil moisture model for predicting WFPS. The average annual fluxes from fertilized cropland, pasture/hay land, and forest areas were 2.00, 0.04, and 0.02 kg N₂O-N ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively. The average annual fluxes for the medium- to fine-textured and sandy-textured areas were 1.40 and 0.04 kg N₂O-N ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively. The weighted-average annual flux for the study region is 0.95 kg N₂O-N ha^–1yr^–1. The fertilized cropped areas covered only 47% of the regional area but contributed about 98% of the regional flux. We found that in the clay loam, cropped site, 2% and 3% of the applied fertilizer were emitted as N₂O on the shoulders and footslopes, respectively.Contribution no. R824 of Saskatchewan Center for Soil Research, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada     

Characterization of the Vaginal Microbiota among Sexual Risk Behavior Groups of Women with Bacterial Vaginosis

Background

The pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) remains elusive. BV may be more common among women who have sex with women (WSW). The objective of this study was to use 454 pyrosequencing to investigate the vaginal microbiome of WSW, women who have sex with women and men (WSWM), and women who have sex with men (WSM) with BV to determine if there are differences in organism composition between groups that may inform new hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of BV.

Methods

Vaginal swab specimens from eligible women with BV at the Mississippi State Department of Health STD Clinic were used. After DNA extraction, 454 pyrosequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences was performed. Sequence data was classified using the Ribosomal Database Program classifer. Complete linkage clustering analysis was performed to compare bacterial community composition among samples. Differences in operational taxonomic units with an abundance of ≥2% between risk behavior groups were determined. Alpha and beta diversity were measured using Shannon’s Index implemented in QIIME and Unifrac analysis, respectively.

Results

33 WSW, 35 WSWM, and 44 WSM were included. The vaginal bacterial communities of all women clustered into four taxonomic groups with the dominant taxonomic group in each being Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae, Prevotella, and Sneathia. Regarding differences in organism composition between risk behavior groups, the abundance of Atopobium (relative ratio (RR)=0.24; 95%CI 0.11-0.54) and Parvimonas (RR=0.33; 95%CI 0.11-0.93) were significantly lower in WSW than WSM, the abundance of Prevotella was significantly higher in WSW than WSWM (RR=1.77; 95%CI 1.10-2.86), and the abundance of Atopobium (RR=0.41; 95%CI 0.18-0.88) was significantly lower in WSWM than WSM. Overall, WSM had the highest diversity of bacterial taxa.

Conclusion

The microbiology of BV among women in different risk behavior groups is heterogeneous. WSM in this study had the highest diversity of bacterial taxa. Additional studies are needed to better understand these differences.     

The Mouse GalR2 Galanin Receptor: Genomic Organization, cDNA Cloning, and Functional Characterization

Abstract: The diverse physiological actions of galanin are thought to be mediated through activation of galanin receptors (GalRs). We report the genomic and cDNA cloning of a mouse GalR that possesses a genomic structure distinct from that of GalR1 and encodes a functional galanin receptor. The mouse GalR gene consists of two exons separated by a single intron within the protein-coding region. The splicing site for the intron is located at the junction between the third transmembrane domain and the second intracellular loop. The cDNA encodes a 370-amino acid putative G protein-coupled receptor that is markedly different from human GalR1 and rat GalR3 (38 and 57%) but shares high homology with rat GalR2 (94%). In binding studies utilizing membranes from COS-7 cells transfected with mouse GalR2 cDNA, the receptor displayed high affinity ( K _D = 0.47 n M ) and saturable binding with ¹²⁵I-galanin ( B _max = 670 fmol/mg). The radioligand binding can be displaced by galanin and its analogues in a rank order: galanin ⋍ M40 ⋍ M15 ⋍ M35 ⋍ C7 ⋍ galanin (2–29) ⋍ galanin (1–16) ≫ galanin (10–29) ⋍ galanin (3–29), which resembles the pharmacological profile of the rat GalR2. Receptor activation by galanin in COS-7 cells stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism, which was not reversed by pertussis toxin. Thus, the galanin receptor encoded in the cloned mouse GalR gene is the type 2 galanin receptor and is active in both ligand binding and signaling assays.     

Adenosine deaminase normalizes cyclic AMP responses of hypothyroid rat fat cells to forskolin, but not beta-adrenergic agonists

Lipolysis and cyclic AMP accumulation in response to beta-adrenergic agonists or forskolin are severely impaired in fat cells from the hypothyroid rat. Incubating hypothyroid rat fat cells with adenosine deaminase normalizes the cyclic AMP response to forskolin, but not to beta-adrenergic agonists. Increased sensitivity to adenosine action in the hypothyroid state appears to be the basis for the impaired cyclic AMP response to forskolin, but does not appear to be the underlying defect responsible for the impaired response to beta-adrenergic agonists.     

Optical tweezers studies on Notch: single-molecule interaction strength is independent of ligand endocytosis

Notch signaling controls diverse cellular processes critical to development and disease. Cell surface ligands bind Notch on neighboring cells but require endocytosis to activate signaling. The role ligand endocytosis plays in Notch activation has not been established. Here we integrate optical tweezers with cell biological and biochemical methods to test the prevailing model that ligand endocytosis facilitates recycling to enhance ligand interactions with Notch necessary to trigger signaling. Specifically, single-molecule measurements indicate that interference of ligand endocytosis and/or recycling does not alter the force required to rupture bonds formed between cells expressing the Notch ligand Delta-like1 (Dll1) and laser-trapped Notch1 beads. Together, our analyses eliminate roles for ligand endocytosis and recycling in Dll1-Notch1 interactions and indicate that recycling indirectly affects signaling by regulating the accumulation of cell surface ligand. Importantly, our study demonstrates the utility of optical tweezers to test a role for ligand endocytosis in generating cell-mediated mechanical force.