New insights into creatine function and synthesis

The text-book view of the role of the creatine/creatine phosphate system as an energy buffer has been expanded to include functions such as energy shuttling, proton buffering and regulating cytosolic ADP levels. There is continuous need for creatine replacement due to creatinine formation. Replacement involves a combination of diet and de novo synthesis. Creatine synthesis makes very significant demands on amino acid metabolism, in particular that of glycine, arginine and methionine. It uses about 40% of all methyl groups transferred from S-adenosylmethionine. Although the traditional view of the function of the creatine/creatine phosphate system is largely concerned with its role in skeletal and cardiac muscle, recent work obliges us to take a broader view. In particular, its role in the brain is brought into sharp focus by the neurological symptoms displayed by children suffering from inborn errors of creatine synthesis and transport, as well as by suggestions that brain creatine status may play a role in cognitive performance in adults.     

Systemic sclerosis sera affect fibrillin-1 deposition by dermal blood microvascular endothelial cells: therapeutic implications of cyclophosphamide

Introduction

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by endothelial cell injury, autoimmunity and fibrosis. The following three fibrillin-1 alterations have been reported in SSc. (1) Fibrillin-1 microfibrils are disorganized in SSc dermis. (2) Fibrillin-1 microfibrils produced by SSc fibroblasts are unstable. (3) Mutations in the FBN1 gene and anti-fibrillin-1 autoantibodies have been reported in SSc. Fibrillin-1 microfibrils, which are abundantly produced by blood and lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells (B-MVECs and Ly-MVECs, respectively), sequester in the extracellular matrix the latent form of the potent profibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). In the present study, we evaluated the effects of SSc sera on the deposition of fibrillin-1 and microfibril-associated glycoprotein 1 (MAGP-1) and the expression of focal adhesion molecules by dermal B-MVECs and Ly-MVECs.

Methods

Dermal B-MVECs and Ly-MVECs were challenged with sera from SSc patients who were treatment-naïve or under cyclophosphamide (CYC) treatment and with sera from healthy controls. Fibrillin-1/MAGP-1 synthesis and deposition and the expression of α_vβ₃ integrin/phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase and vinculin/actin were evaluated by immunofluorescence and quantified by morphometric analysis.

Results

Fibrillin-1 and MAGP-1 colocalized in all experimental conditions, forming a honeycomb pattern in B-MVECs and a dense mesh of short segments in Ly-MVECs. In B-MVECs, fibrillin-1/MAGP-1 production and α_vβ₃ integrin expression significantly decreased upon challenge with sera from naïve SSc patients compared with healthy controls. Upon challenge of B-MVECs with sera from CYC-treated SSc patients, fibrillin-1/MAGP-1 and α_vβ₃ integrin levels were comparable to those of cells treated with healthy sera. Ly-MVECs challenged with SSc sera did not differ from those treated with healthy control sera in the expression of any of the molecules assayed.

Conclusions

Because of the critical role of fibrillin-1 in sequestering the latent form of TGF-β in the extracellular matrix, its decreased deposition by B-MVECs challenged with SSc sera might contribute to dermal fibrosis. In SSc, CYC treatment might limit fibrosis through the maintenance of physiologic fibrillin-1 synthesis and deposition by B-MVECs.     

Sequence and diversity of DRB genes of Aotus nancymaae, a primate model for human malaria parasites

 The New World primate Aotus nancymaae is susceptible to infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax and has therefore been recommended by the World Health Organization as a model for evaluation of malaria vaccine candidates. We present here a first step in the molecular characterization of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II DRB genes of Aotus nancymaae (owl monkey or night monkey) by nucleotide sequence analysis of the polymorphic exon 2 segments. In a group of 15 nonrelated animals captivated in the wild, 34 MHC DRB alleles could be identified. Six allelic lineages were detected, two of them having human counterparts, while two other lineages have not been described in any other New World monkey species studied. As in the common marmoset, the diversity of DRB alleles appears to have arisen largely by point mutations in the β-pleated sheets and by frequent exchange of fixed sequence motifs in the α-helical portion. Pairs of alleles differing only at amino acid position b86 by an exchange of valine to glycine are present in Aotus, as in humans. Essential amino acid residues contributing to MHC DR peptide binding pockets number 1 and 4 are conserved or semiconserved between HLA-DR and Aona-DRB molecules, indicating a capacity to bind similar peptide repertoires. These results support fully our using Aotus monkeys as an animal model for evaluation of future subunit vaccine candidates. Received: 10 August 1999 / Revised: 11 October 1999     

Generation of hybrid elloramycin analogs by combinatorial biosynthesis using genes from anthracycline-type and macrolide biosynthetic pathways

Elloramycin and oleandomycin are two polyketide compounds produced by Streptomyces olivaceus Tü2353 and Streptomyces antibioticus ATCC11891, respectively. Elloramycin is an anthracycline-like antitumor drug and oleandomycin a macrolide antibiotic. Expression in S. albus of a cosmid (cos16F4) containing part of the elloramycin biosynthetic gene cluster produced the elloramycin non-glycosylated intermediate 8-demethyl-tetracenomycin C. Several plasmid constructs harboring different gene combinations of L-oleandrose (neutral 2,6-dideoxyhexose attached to the macrolide antibiotic oleandomycin) biosynthetic genes of S. antibioticus that direct the biosynthesis of L-olivose, L-oleandrose and L-rhamnose were coexpressed with cos16F4 in S. albus. Three new hybrid elloramycin analogs were produced by these recombinant strains through combinatorial biosynthesis, containing elloramycinone or 12a-demethyl-elloramycinone (= 8-demethyl-tetracenomycin C) as aglycone moiety encoded by S. olivaceus genes and different sugar moieties, coded by the S. antibioticus genes. Among them is L-olivose, which is here described for the first time as a sugar moiety of a natural product.     

The Himalayas: Barrier and conduit for gene flow

The Himalayan mountain range is strategically located at the crossroads of the major cultural centers in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Although previous Y‐chromosome studies indicate that the Himalayas served as a natural barrier for gene flow from the south to the Tibetan plateau, this region is believed to have played an important role as a corridor for human migrations between East and West Eurasia along the ancient Silk Road. To evaluate the effects of the Himalayan mountain range in shaping the maternal lineages of populations residing on either side of the cordillera, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA variation in 344 samples from three Nepalese collections (Newar, Kathmandu and Tamang) and a general population of Tibet. Our results revealed a predominantly East Asian‐specific component in Tibet and Tamang, whereas Newar and Kathmandu are both characterized by a combination of East and South Central Asian lineages. Interestingly, Newar and Kathmandu harbor several deep‐rooted Indian lineages, including M2, R5, and U2, whose coalescent times from this study (U2, >40 kya) and previous reports (M2 and R5, >50 kya) suggest that Nepal was inhabited during the initial peopling of South Central Asia. Comparisons with our previous Y‐chromosome data indicate sex‐biased migrations in Tamang and a founder effect and/or genetic drift in Tamang and Newar. Altogether, our results confirm that while the Himalayas acted as a geographic barrier for human movement from the Indian subcontinent to the Tibetan highland, it also served as a conduit for gene flow between Central and East Asia. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:169–182, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Migrant shorebird use of Akimiski Island, Nunavut: a sub-arctic staging site

Determining the importance of stopover and staging areas to migrating shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes) is essential if such habitats are to be successfully protected. Migration chronology, species composition, length of stay, body condition, and estimated total abundance of shorebirds during spring and fall migratory periods of 2008 and 2009 were documented on Akimiski Island, Nunavut, Canada. Fourteen shorebird species were observed during spring point counts and 18 during fall. Semipalmated (Calidris pusilla) and White-rumped (C. fuscicollis) Sandpipers comprised about 80?% of all individuals observed. A greater number of species and individuals were observed during fall than spring in both years. Radio-transmitters attached to juvenile Semipalmated and Least (C. minutilla) Sandpipers indicated highly variable lengths of stay ranging up to 26?days in both species (Semipalmated Sandpiper averaged 6.5?±?2.67?days, n?=?12; Least Sandpipers averaged 7.25?±?3.79?days, n?=?8). In 2009, Semipalmated Sandpipers captured and weighed later in the season were significantly heavier than those captured earlier suggesting that this species is refueling while on Akimiski Island. A fall migration seasonal density of 5,267 (2,193–8,341) shorebirds/km² was estimated given a residence probability (i.e., the probability of an individual being present in consecutive counts) of 0.906?±?0.181. Assuming similar habitat value and shorebird density, an extrapolation of the seasonal plot density of 5,267 birds/km² to the total 192?km² mudflat habitat on Akimiski Island yields an estimate of 1,011,264 (421,098–1,601,429) shorebirds during fall migration, making Akimiski Island of Hemispheric importance as a staging site for migrant arctic-breeding shorebirds.     

Phospholipase Dδ assists to cortical microtubule recovery after salt stress

The dynamic microtubule cytoskeleton plays fundamental roles in the growth and development of plants including regulation of their responses to environmental stress. Plants exposed to hyper-osmotic stress commonly acclimate, acquiring tolerance to variable stress levels. The underlying cellular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we show, for the first time, by in vivo imaging approach that linear patterns of phospholipase Dδ match the localization of microtubules in various biological systems, validating previously predicted connection between phospholipase Dδ and microtubules. Both the microtubule and linear phospholipase Dδ structures were disintegrated in a few minutes after treatment with oryzalin or salt. Moreover, by using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy of the cells in the root elongation zone of Arabidopsis, we have shown that the cortical microtubules rapidly depolymerized within 30 min of treatment with 150 or 200 mM NaCl. Within 5 h of treatment, the density of microtubule arrays was partially restored. A T-DNA insertional mutant lacking phospholipase Dδ showed poor recovery of microtubule arrays following salt exposition. The restoration of microtubules was significantly retarded as well as the rate of root growth, but roots of overexpressor GFP-PLDδ prepared in our lab, have grown slightly better compared to wild-type plants. Our results indicate that phospholipase Dδ is involved in salt stress tolerance, possibly by direct anchoring and stabilization of de novo emerging microtubules to the plasma membrane, providing novel insight into common molecular mechanism during various stress events.     

Structural and biochemical insights into 7β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase stereoselectivity

Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases are of great interest as biocatalysts for transformations involving steroid substrates. They feature a high degree of stereo‐ and regio‐selectivity, acting on a defined atom with a specific configuration of the steroid nucleus. The crystal structure of 7β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Collinsella aerofaciens reveals a loop gating active‐site accessibility, the bases of the specificity for NADP⁺, and the general architecture of the steroid binding site. Comparison with 7α‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase provides a rationale for the opposite stereoselectivity. The presence of a C‐terminal extension reshapes the substrate site of the β‐selective enzyme, possibly leading to an inverted orientation of the bound substrate. Proteins 2016; 84:859–865. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.