Adenine nucleotides and adenosine metabolism in pig kidney proximal tubule membranes

Exogenous adenosine triphosphate (ATP) added to brush-border membrane vesicles was rapidly degraded mainly to inosine according to the high ecto-nucleotidase activities in these vesicles. In the absence of phosphate, inosine was slowly transformed into hypoxanthine, and xanthine oxidase and dehydrogenase activities were not detected. The presence of ecto-adenosine deaminase and ecto-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) nucleotidase was shown. The ecto-adenosine deaminase was inhibited by deoxycoformycin and was also detected in rat renal brush-border membrane vesicles. Using orthovanadate, levamisole, and α, β-methylene adenosine diphosphate as possible inhibitors, alkaline phosphatase was shown to be the main agent responsible for ecto-AMP nucleotidase activity. In pig renal basolateral membrane vesicles and in whole cell extracts from pig renal cortex, ecto-AMP nucleotidase was the limiting factor in ATP degradation. Comparing the ATP catabolism in the whole cell cortical extract with the catabolism in the same sample precleared of membranes, it was shown that ectonucleotidase activity is mainly bound to the membranous components. It is also shown that the whole cell extract of pig renal cortex has hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase activity, and it seems probable that the rapid and specific formation of luminal inosine and its transport into the cell in competition with adenosine may start the purine salvage pathway through the synthesis of IMP from hypoxanthine. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Adenosine Receptors in Myelin Fractions and Subtractions: The Effect of the Agonist (R)-Phenylisopropyladenosine on Myelin Membrane Microviscosity

In this article the existence of A1 adenosine receptors and the absence of A2 adenosine receptors in myelin membranes purified from pig brain white matter are demonstrated. The characterization of (R)-[3H]phenylisopropyladenosine ([3H]R-PIA) binding to purified myelin fractions was performed. The distribution of high- and low-affinity species of the A1 adenosine receptor was different in heavy, medium, and light myelin. The fluidity of myelin subfractions and of pig brain cortical membranes was estimated; the microviscosity of heavy myelin (5.4 poises) and of cortical membranes (5.1 poises) was similar and less than that of medium (7.8 poises) and light (8.2 poises) myelin. It was also demonstrated that the agonist R-PIA modifies the microviscosity of myelin membranes and that the degree of modification depends on the fluidity of the membrane assayed. These results suggest that adenosine receptors may have an important role in the functionality of myelin membranes.     

The molybdoenzymes xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase contain fast- and slow-DTNB reacting sulphydryl groups

The reactivities with an excess of 5-5-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic) acid (DTNB) of sulphydryl residues present in xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase were studied and compared. The results show that two classes of sulphydryl groups with quite different reactivities exist in both enzymes either native or denatured. Some of the available sulphydryl residues thus react instantaneously with the DTNB, whereas the others react very slowly following pseudo-first-order kinetics. The number of sulphydryl residues of each class and the rate constant of slowly reacting groups are, respectively, 1.7 and 0.8 in native xanthine oxidase and 1.6 and 1.7 in native aldehyde oxidase. In denatured enzymes, the number of fast- and slow-reacting sulphydryl residues obtained are, respectively, 13.9 and 7.9 in xanthine oxidase and 5.7 and 5.4 in aldehyde oxidase. Analogously, the rate constant for the slowly reacting groups is similar for the two native enzymes, but in denatured aldehyde oxidase it is double that of denatured xanthine oxidase.     

Sialoadenectomy alters liver cell turn-over and function in mice

In rodents, submandibular salivary glands accumulate a number of biologically active peptides, and release some of them to both saliva and the bloodstream. Surgical removal of these glands (sialoadenectomy) alters the ability of the liver to regenerate after partial hepatectomy. We show here that 5 weeks after surgery, the liver of sialoadenectomized mice contained 40% fewer hepatocytes than the liver of sham-operated mice. We did not obtain evidence of necrotic cell death after surgery. In contrast, sialoadenectomy transiently increased apoptotic hepatocyte death, as revealed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase(TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. DNA synthesis was determined in vivo by the incorporation of bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) into hepatocyte nuclei. BrdU-labeling progressively increased after sialoadenectomy. We conclude that sialoadenectomy induced a transient wave of apoptotic cell death followed by a rise in DNA synthesis but not by cell division. This reduced cell number but increased mean cell volume. In spite of these alterations in cellularity, the liver responded adequately to several stressful conditions, as judged by the lack of any differential effect of sialoadenectomy on liver glycogen and plasma glucose concentration after immobilization, aggressive encounter, or fasting. However, the liver of sialoadenectomized mice was more sensitive to the effect of a non-lethal dose of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with d-galactosamine, as shown by the enhanced rise in plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and liver myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities. All these results indicate that a submandibular salivary glands-liver axis is involved in the maintenance of liver structure in mice. A disturbance of this axis induces an adaptive response that preserves the metabolic function of the liver but renders it more sensitive to bacterial endotoxins.     

Capsid region involved in hepatitis A virus binding to glycophorin A of the erythrocyte membrane

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) has previously been reported to agglutinate human red blood cells at acidic pHs. Treatment of erythrocytes with different enzymes and chemical reagents indicated that HAV attachment is mediated through an interaction with sialylglycoproteins. HAV hemagglutination could be blocked by incubating the virus with glycophorin A, indicating that this sialylglycoprotein is the erythrocyte receptor. The number of receptors used was estimated to be around 500 per cell. At the same time, HAV-induced hemagglutination could also be blocked by either monoclonal antibody H7C27 or an anti-VP3(102-121) ascitic fluid, indicating that lysine 221 of VP1 and the surrounding VP3 residues lining the capsid pit are involved in HAV binding to erythrocytes.     

Mutual regulation between metabotropic glutamate type 1alpha receptor and caveolin proteins: from traffick to constitutive activity

In this paper, a molecular and functional interaction between metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1alpha (mGlu1alpha receptor) and caveolin-1 or caveolin-2beta is described. An overlapping pattern of staining for mGlu1alpha receptor with caveolin-1 and caveolin-2 by confocal laser microscopy in transiently transfected HEK-293 cells is observed. The presence of mGlu1alpha receptor in caveolin-enriched membrane fractions was demonstrated by flotation gradient analysis in the absence of detergents and the interaction between mGlu1alpha receptor with caveolin-1 and with caveolin-2beta was demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. In HEK-293 cells, caveolin-2beta accumulates surrounding lipid droplets when single expressed but coexpression with mGlu1alpha receptor changed dramatically the subcellular localization of caveolin-2beta, directing it from lipid droplets to the cell surface. At the membrane level, the interaction between caveolin-1 and mGlu1alpha receptor could abrogate the constitutive activity exhibited by mGlu1alpha receptor. Overall, these results show that mGlu1alpha receptor interacts with caveolins and that this interaction is physiologically relevant for receptor function. Interestingly, we provide evidence that caveolin-1 is not just acting as a scaffolding protein for the mGlu1alpha receptor but that also regulates mGlu1alpha receptor constitutive activity.     

Possible mechanisms for early and intermediate stages of sperm chromatin condensation patterning involving phase separation dynamics

During spermiogenesis in some internally fertilizing molluscs and insects, the post-meiotic spermatid nucleus develops via a sequence of complex patterns of the nuclear contents (chromatin and nucleoplasm) on the way to final chromatin condensation. We have examined the TEM data on these sequences for three species: Philaenus spumarius(a homopteran insect), Murex brandaris (a gastropod mollusc), and Eledone cirrhosa(a cephalopod mollusc). For each of these, spatially quantitative study reveals a constant spacing between pattern repeats through changes from granular to fibrillar to lamellar pattern, followed finally by a shrinkage of the spacing. Therefore we distinguish a "patterning" stage followed by a "condensation" stage. The former appears to demand a dynamic explanation, because there is no sign of structural connections to establish the part of the spacing that crosses the nucleoplasm. We consider types of dynamic mechanism, and show that for "nanostructural" dimensions (tens of nanometers as pattern spacing) reaction-diffusion dynamics are quite inappropriate, but that separation of two fluid phases by a mechanism similar to what is known as "spinodal decomposition" is a very attractive possibility.     

High‐resolution mapping of the recombination landscape of the phytopathogen Fusarium graminearum suggests two‐speed genome evolution

Recombination is a major evolutionary force, increasing genetic diversity and permitting efficient coevolution of fungal pathogen(s) with their host(s). The ascomycete Fusarium graminearum is a devastating pathogen of cereal crops, and can contaminate food and feed with harmful mycotoxins. Previous studies have suggested a high adaptive potential of this pathogen, illustrated by an increase in pathogenicity and resistance to fungicides. In this study, we provide the first detailed picture of the crossover events occurring during meiosis and discuss the role of recombination in pathogen evolution. An experimental recombinant population (n = 88) was created and genotyped using 1306 polymorphic markers obtained from restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) and aligned to the reference genome. The construction of a high‐density linkage map, anchoring 99% of the total length of the reference genome, allowed the identification of 1451 putative crossovers, positioned at a median resolution of 24 kb. The majority of crossovers (87.2%) occurred in a relatively small portion of the genome (30%). All chromosomes demonstrated recombination‐active sections, which had a near 15‐fold higher crossover rate than non‐active recombinant sections. The recombination rate showed a strong positive correlation with nucleotide diversity, and recombination‐active regions were enriched for genes with a putative role in host–pathogen interaction, as well as putative diversifying genes. Our results confirm the preliminary analysis observed in other F. graminearum strains and suggest a conserved ‘two‐speed’ recombination landscape. The consequences with regard to the evolutionary potential of this major fungal pathogen are also discussed.     

Growth Performance,Hemato-Immunological Responses,and Digestive Enzyme Activities in Silvery-Black Porgy (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sparidentex hasta</Emphasis>) Fed Dietary Bovine Lactoferrin

An 8-week study was conducted to evaluate three different diets supplemented with bovine lactoferrin (LF) at 0 (control), 800, and 1200 mg LF kg^?1 diet on somatic growth, hemato-immunological parameters, antioxidant status, and digestive enzyme activities in silvery-black porgy (Sparidentex hasta) juveniles. Fish fed the 800 mg LF kg^?1 diet had higher growth performance and feed utilization parameters than the other groups. Hematological and liver antioxidant parameters were not affected by dietary LF supplementation. Fish fed the 800 mg LF kg^?1 diet had higher plasma lysozyme activity values than the other groups. Total protease activity was higher in fish fed LF-supplemented diets than the control group. Results indicated that diet supplemented with 800 mg kg^?1 for 8 weeks enhanced somatic growth performance, lysozyme activity, and proteolytic digestive enzyme activities in S. hasta, as well as improving feed efficiency parameters like the protein efficiency and feed conversion ratios.