Depolarization activates ERK and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) independently in different cellular compartments in hippocampal slices

In the hippocampus, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the non-receptor protein proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) are activated by depolarization and involved in synaptic plasticity. Both are also activated under pathological conditions following ischemia, convulsions, or electroconvulsive shock. Although in non-neuronal cells PYK2 activates ERK through the recruitment of Src-family kinases (SFKs), the link between these pathways in the hippocampus is not known. We addressed this question using K(+)-depolarized rat hippocampal slices. Depolarization increased the phosphorylation of PYK2, SFKs, and ERK. These effects resulted from Ca(2+) influx through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels and were diminished by GF109203X, a protein kinase C inhibitor. Inhibition of SFKs with PP2 decreased PYK2 tyrosine phosphorylation dramatically, but not its autophosphorylation on Tyr-402. Moreover, PYK2 autophosphorylation and total tyrosine phosphorylation were profoundly altered in fyn-/- mice, revealing an important functional relationship between Fyn and PYK2 in the hippocampus. In contrast, ERK activation was unaltered by PP2, Fyn knock-out, or LY294002, a phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase inhibitor. ERK activation was prevented by MEK inhibitors that had no effect on PYK2. Immunofluorescence of hippocampal slices showed that PYK2 and ERK were activated in distinct cellular compartments in somatodendritic regions and nerve terminals, respectively, with virtually no overlap. Activation of ERK was critical for the rephosphorylation of a synaptic vesicle protein, synapsin I, following depolarization, underlining its functional importance in nerve terminals. Thus, in hippocampal slices, in contrast to cell lines, depolarization-induced activation of non-receptor tyrosine kinases and ERK occurs independently in distinct cellular compartments in which they appear to have different functional roles.     

Frataxin and mitochondrial carrier proteins, Mrs3p and Mrs4p, cooperate in providing iron for heme synthesis

Frataxin is a conserved mitochondrial protein implicated in cellular iron metabolism. Deletion of the yeast frataxin homolog (YFH1) was combined with deletions of MRS3 and MRS4, mitochondrial carrier proteins implicated in iron homeostasis. As previously reported, the Deltayfh1 mutant accumulated iron in mitochondria, whereas the triple mutant (DeltaDeltaDelta) did not. When wild-type, Deltamrs3/4, Deltayfh1, and DeltaDeltaDelta strains were incubated anaerobically, all strains were devoid of heme and protected from iron and oxygen toxicity. The cultures were then shifted to air for a short time (4-5 h) or a longer time (15 h), and the evolving mutant phenotypes were analyzed (heme-dependent growth, total heme, cytochromes, heme proteins, and iron levels). A picture emerges from these data of defective heme formation in the mutants, with a markedly more severe defect in the DeltaDeltaDelta than in the individual Deltamrs3/4 or Deltayfh1 mutants (a "synthetic" defect in the genetic sense). The defect(s) in heme formation could be traced to lack of iron. Using a real time assay of heme biosynthesis, porphyrin precursor and iron were presented to permeabilized cells, and the appearance and disappearance of fluorescent porphyrins were followed. The Mrs3/4p carriers were required for rapid iron transport into mitochondria for heme synthesis, whereas there was also evidence for an alternative slower system. A different role for Yfh1p was observed under conditions of low mitochondrial iron and aerobic growth (revealed in the DeltaDeltaDelta), acting to protect bioavailable iron within mitochondria and to facilitate its use for heme synthesis.     

Peptidoglycan N-acetylglucosamine deacetylases from Bacillus cereus, highly conserved proteins in Bacillus anthracis

The genomes of Bacillus cereus and its closest relative Bacillus anthracis contain 10 polysaccharide deacetylase homologues. Six of these homologues have been proposed to be peptidoglycan N-acetylglucosamine deacetylases. Two of these genes, namely bc1960 and bc3618, have been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzymes have been purified to homogeneity and further characterized. Both enzymes were effective in deacetylating cell wall peptidoglycan from the Gram(+) Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis and the Gram(-) Helicobacter pylori as well as soluble chitin substrates and N-acetylchitooligomers. However, the enzymes were not active on acetylated xylan. These results provide insight into the substrate specificity of carbohydrate esterase family 4 enzymes. It was revealed that both enzymes deacetylated only the GlcNAc residue of the synthetic muropeptide N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-(beta-1,4)-N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine-D-isoglutamine. Analysis of the constituent muropeptides of peptidoglycan from B. subtilis and H. pylori resulting from incubation of the enzymes BC1960 and BC3618 with these polymers and subsequent hydrolysis by Cellosyl and mutanolysin, respectively, similarly revealed that both enzymes deacetylate GlcNAc residues of peptidoglycan. Kinetic analysis toward GlcNAc(2-6) revealed that GlcNAc4 was the favorable substrate for both enzymes. Identification of the sequence of N-acetychitooligosaccharides (GlcNAc(2-4)) following enzymatic deacetylation by using 1H NMR revealed that both enzymes deacetylate all GlcNAc residues of the oligomers except the reducing end ones. Enzymatic deacetylation of chemically acetylated vegetative peptidoglycan from B. cereus by BC1960 and BC3618 resulted in increased resistance to lysozyme digestion. This is the first biochemical study of bacterial peptidoglycan N-acetylglucosamine deacetylases.     

A synthetic glycosaminoglycan mimetic binds vascular endothelial growth factor and modulates angiogenesis

In a previous study, we showed that in situ injection of glycosaminoglycan mimetics called RGTAs (ReGeneraTing Agents) enhanced neovascularization after skeletal muscular ischemia (Desgranges, P., Barbaud, C., Caruelle, J. P., Barritault, D., and Gautron, J. (1999) FASEB J. 13, 761-766). In the present study, we showed that the RGTA OTR4120 modulated angiogenesis in the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay, in a dose-dependent manner. We therefore investigated the effect of OTR4120 on one of the most specific angiogenesis-regulating heparin-binding growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165). OTR4120 showed high affinity binding to VEGF165 (Kd = 2.2 nm), as compared with heparin (Kd = 15 nm), and potentiated the affinity of VEGF165 for VEGF receptor-1 and -2 and for neuropilin-1. In vitro, OTR4120 potentiated VEGF165-induced proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In the in vivo Matrigel plug angiogenesis assay, OTR4120 in a concentration as low as 3 ng/ml caused a 6-fold increase in VEGF165-induced angiogenesis. Immunohistochemical staining showed a larger number of well differentiated VEGFR-2-expressing-cells in Matrigel sections of OTR4120-treated plug than in control sections. These findings indicate that OTR4120 enhances the VEGF165-induced angiogenesis and therefore may hold promise for treating disorders characterized by deficient angiogenesis.     

Calcium enhances the transfection potency of stabilized plasmid-lipid particles

Previous work from this laboratory has shown that plasmid DNA can be encapsulated in small (70-nm-diameter) stabilized plasmid-lipid particles (SPLP) that consist of a single plasmid encapsulated within a bilayer lipid vesicle. SPLP preferentially transfect tumor tissue following intravenous administration. Although the levels of transgene expression in vivo are greater for SPLP than can be achieved with naked DNA or complexes, they are lower than may be required for therapeutic benefit. In the present work we examine whether Ca2+ can enhance the transfection potency of SPLP. It is shown that Ca2+ can enhance SPLP transfection potency in bovine hamster kidney cells by 60- to 100-fold when treated in serum containing medium and an additional 60-fold when serum is absent for the initial 10 min of the transfection period. When cells are treated with SPLP in the presence of Ca2+, there is a fivefold increase in intact plasmid in the cell. It is also shown that this Ca2+ effect involves the formation of calcium phosphate precipitates; however, these precipitates are not directly associated with the SPLP plasmid DNA. The ability of calcium phosphate to facilitate delivery of other macromolecules without direct association is also demonstrated by the release of large-molecular-weight dextrans from endosomal/lysosomal compartments in the presence of calcium phosphate. Finally, it is shown that, unlike naked DNA, SPLP transfection potency in the presence of calcium phosphate is not affected by nuclease activity.     

Antagonist and agonist binding models of the human gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute one of the most important classes of drug targets. Since the first high-resolution structure of a GPCR was determined by Palczewski and co-workers [K. Palczewski, T. Kumasaka, T. Hori, C.A. Behnke, H. Motoshima, B.A. Fox, I. Le Trong, D.C. Teller, T. Okada, R.E. Stenkamp, M. Yamamoto, M. Miyano, Crystal structure of rhodopsin: a G-protein-coupled receptor, Science 289 (2000) 739-745], development of in silico models of rhodopsin-like GPCRs could be rationally founded. In this work, we present a model of the human gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor based on the rhodopsin structure. The transmembrane helices are modeled by homology, while the extra- and intra-cellular loops are modeled in such a way that experimentally determined interactions and microdomains (e.g., hydrophobic cores) are retained. We conclude that specifically tailored models, compared to more automatic approaches, have the benefit that known interactions are easily introduced early in the homology modeling. Furthermore, tailored models, although more tedious to construct, are better suited for drug lead finding and for compound optimization. To test the stability of the receptor, we performed a 1 ns molecular dynamics simulation. Moreover, we docked two agonists (native GnRH and Triptorelin, [dTrp(6)]-GnRH) and two antagonists (Cetrorelix, dNal(1)-dCpa(2)-dPal(3)-Ser(4)-Tyr(5)-dCit(6)-Leu(7)-Arg(8)-Pro(9)-dAla(10)), and the covalently constrained dicyclic decapeptide dicyclo(1,1'-5/4-10)[Ac-Glu(1)(Gly(1)')-dCpa(2)-dTrp(3)-Asp(4)-dbu(5)-dNal(6)-Leu(7)-Arg(8)-Pro(9)-dpr(10)-NH(2)] into the putative receptor binding site. The docked ligand conformations result in ligand-receptor interactions that are generally in good agreement with site-directed mutagenesis and ligand-binding studies presented in the literature. Our results indicate that the binding conformation of the antagonists differs from that of the agonists. This difference can be linked to the activation or inhibition of the receptor.     

Transient impairment of the adaptive response to fasting in FXR-deficient mice

The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has been suggested to play a role in gluconeogenesis. To determine whether FXR modulates the response to fasting in vivo, FXR-deficient (FXR^−/−) and wild-type mice were submitted to fasting for 48 h. Our results demonstrate that FXR modulates the kinetics of alterations of glucose homeostasis during fasting, with FXR^−/− mice displaying an early, accelerated hypoglycaemia response. Basal hepatic glucose production rate was lower in FXR^−/− mice, together with a decrease in hepatic glycogen content. Moreover, hepatic PEPCK gene expression was transiently lower in FXR^−/−mice after 6 h of fasting and was decreased in FXR^−/−hepatocytes. FXR therefore plays an unexpected role in the control of fuel availability upon fasting.     

2.45 GHz radiofrequency fields alter gene expression in cultured human cells

The biological effect of radiofrequency (RF) fields remains controversial. We address this issue by examining whether RF fields can cause changes in gene expression. We used the pulsed RF fields at a frequency of 2.45 GHz that is commonly used in telecommunication to expose cultured human HL-60 cells. We used the serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) method to measure the RF effect on gene expression at the genome level. We observed that 221 genes altered their expression after a 2-h exposure. The number of affected genes increased to 759 after a 6-h exposure. Functional classification of the affected genes reveals that apoptosis-related genes were among the upregulated ones and the cell cycle genes among the downregulated ones. We observed no significant increase in the expression of heat shock genes. These results indicate that the RF fields at 2.45 GHz can alter gene expression in cultured human cells through non-thermal mechanism.     

Conformation-dependent swinging of the matrix loop m2 of the mitochondrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae ADP/ATP carrier

Structure-function relationships of the membrane-embedded Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier were investigated through two independent approaches, namely, limited proteolysis and cysteine labeling. Experiments were carried out in the presence of either carboxyatractyloside (CATR) or bongkrekic acid (BA), two specific inhibitors of the ADP/ATP transport that bind to two distinct conformers involved in the translocation process. The proteolysis approach allowed us to demonstrate (i) that N- and C-terminal extremities of ADP/ATP carrier are facing the intermembrane space and (ii) that the central region of the carrier corresponding to the matrix loop m2 is accessible to externally added trypsin in a conformation-sensitive manner, being cleaved at the Lys163-Gly164 and Lys178-Thr179 bonds in the carrier-CATR and the carrier-BA complexes, respectively. The cysteine labeling approach was carried out on the S161C mutant of the ADP/ATP carrier. This variant of the carrier is fully active, displaying nucleotide transport kinetic parameters and inhibitor binding properties similar to that of wild-type carrier. Alkylation experiments, carried out on mitochondria with the nonpermeable reagents eosin-5-maleimide and iodoacetamidyl-3,6-dioxaoctanediamine-biotin, showed that Cys 161 is accessible from the outside in the carrier-CATR complex, whereas it is masked in the carrier-BA complex. Taken together, our results indicate that the matrix loop m2 connecting the transmembrane helices H3 to H4 intrudes to some extent into the inner mitochondrial membrane. Its participation in the translocation of ADP/ATP is strongly suggested, based on the finding that its accessibility to reagents added outside mitochondria is modified according to the conformational state of the carrier.     

V gamma 9V delta 2 T cell response to colon carcinoma cells

During analysis of CD8 T cells derived from ascites of a colon cancer patient, we isolated a Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell clone showing strong reactivity against autologous tumor cell lines. This clone killed a large fraction of allogeneic colon carcinoma and melanoma cell lines, but did not affect a normal colon cell line, colon fibroblasts, or melanocytes. Tumor cell recognition was TCR and NKG2D dependent and induced TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma secretion by the clone; accordingly, tumor targets expressed several NKG2D ligands, such as MHC class I chain-related gene A and UL16-binding protein molecules. Colon tumor recognition by Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells was highly dependent on isopentenyl pyrophosphate production and ICAM-1 expression by target cells. Finally, similar reactivity patterns against colon carcinoma cell lines were observed using polyclonal Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells of various origins, and Vgamma9Vdelta2 lymphocytes were present in the majority of colon tumor samples studied. Together, these results suggest that Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells contribute to the natural immune surveillance against colon cancers. Therefore, this study provides a strong rationale for the use of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell agonists in immunotherapies targeting colon tumors.