Cytochrome P450 2C Epoxygenases Mediate Photochemical Stress-induced Death of Photoreceptors

Degenerative loss of photoreceptors occurs in inherited and age-related retinal degenerative diseases. A chemical screen facilitates development of new testing routes for neuroprotection and mechanistic investigation. Herein, we conducted a mouse-derived photoreceptor (661W cell)-based high throughput screen of the Food and Drug Administration-approved Prestwick drug library to identify putative cytoprotective compounds against light-induced, synthetic visual chromophore-precipitated cell death. Different classes of hit compounds were identified, some of which target known genes or pathways pathologically associated with retinitis pigmentosa. Sulfaphenazole (SFZ), a selective inhibitor of human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 isozyme, was identified as a novel and leading cytoprotective compound. Expression of CYP2C proteins was induced by light. Gene-targeted knockdown of CYP2C55, the homologous gene of CYP2C9, demonstrated viability rescue to light-induced cell death, whereas stable expression of functional CYP2C9-GFP fusion protein further exacerbated light-induced cell death. Mechanistically, SFZ inhibited light-induced necrosis and mitochondrial stress-initiated apoptosis. Light elicited calcium influx, which was mitigated by SFZ. Light provoked the release of arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids and production of non-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid metabolites. Administration of SFZ further stimulated the production of non-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid metabolites, suggesting a metabolic shift of arachidonic acid under inhibition of the CYP2C pathway. Together, our findings indicate that CYP2C genes play a direct causative role in photochemical stress-induced death of photoreceptors and suggest that the CYP monooxygenase system is a risk factor for retinal photodamage, especially in individuals with Stargardt disease and age-related macular degeneration that deposit condensation products of retinoids.     

Multiple sphingolipid abnormalities following cerebral microendothelial hypoxia

Hypoxia has been previously shown to inhibit the dihydroceramide (DHC) desaturase, leading to the accumulation of DHC. In this study, we used metabolic labeling with [3H]‐palmitate, HPLC/MS/MS analysis, and specific inhibitors to show numerous sphingolipid changes after oxygen deprivation in cerebral microendothelial cells. The increased DHC, particularly long‐chain forms, was observed in both whole cells and detergent‐resistant membranes. This was reversed by reoxygenation and blocked by the de novo sphingolipid synthesis inhibitor myriocin, but not by the neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitor GW‐4869. Furthermore, oxygen deprivation of microendothelial cells increased levels of dihydro‐sphingosine (DH‐Sph), DH‐sphingosine1‐phosphate (DH‐S1P), DH‐sphingomyelin (DH‐SM), DH‐glucosylceramide (DH‐GlcCer), and S1P levels. In vitro assays revealed no changes in the activity of sphingomyelinases or sphingomyelin synthase, but resulted in reduced S1P lyase activity and 40% increase in glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) activity, which was reversed by reoxygenation. Inhibition of the de novo sphingolipid pathway (myriocin) or GCS (EtPoD4) induced endothelial barrier dysfunction and increased caspase 3‐mediated cell death in response to hypoxia. Our findings suggest that hypoxia induces synthesis of S1P and multiple dihydro‐sphingolipids, including DHC, DH‐SM, DH‐GlcCer, DH‐Sph and DH‐S1P, which may be involved in ameliorating the effects of stroke .

     

Mixed chloride-phosphine complexes of the dirhenium core. Part 11. Reactions of [Re2Cl8] with secondary phosphines, PCy2H and PPh2H

The reaction between the dirhenium(III,III) anion, [Re₂Cl₈]²⁻, and the secondary phosphine, PCy₂H, yields a mixture of products as a result of disproportionation, namely, a dirhenium(II,III) chloride-phosphine complex 1,3,6-Re₂Cl₅(PCy₂H)₃ (1) and a dirhenium(IV) face-sharing bioctahedral compound with bridging phosphido groups, [Buⁿ ₄N][Re₂(μ-PCy₂)₃Cl₆] (2). The diphenylphosphine analogue of 2, [Buⁿ ₄N][Re₂(μ-PPh₂)₃Cl₆] (3) has been similarly prepared from the reaction of [Re₂Cl₈]²⁻ with PPh₂H. An interesting dirhenium(III,III) complex, [Buⁿ ₄N]₂[Re₂(μ-PPh₂)₂(PPh₂H)₂Cl₆] (4) having both neutral terminal phosphines and anionic phosphido bridges, has also been isolated as an intermediate in the latter system. Crystal structures of 1-4 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The compounds were also characterized by cyclic voltammetry, IR and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy.     

A mitochondrial mutator system in maize

Terfestatin A (TrfA), terphenyl-beta-glucoside, was isolated from Streptomyces sp. F40 in a forward screen for compounds that inhibit the expression of auxin-inducible genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). TrfA specifically and competitively inhibited the expression of primary auxin-inducible genes in Arabidopsis roots, but did not affect the expression of genes regulated by other plant hormones such as abscisic acid and cytokinin. TrfA also blocked the auxin-enhanced degradation of auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) repressor proteins without affecting the auxin-stimulated interaction between Aux/IAAs and the F-box protein TIR1. TrfA treatment antagonized auxin responses in roots, including primary root inhibition, lateral root initiation, root hair promotion, and root gravitropism, but had only limited effects on shoot auxin responses. Taken together, these results indicate that TrfA acts as a modulator of Aux/IAA stability and thus provides a new tool for dissecting auxin signaling.     

Circadian rhythms in zebrafish (Danio rerio) behaviour and the sources of their variability

Over recent decades, changes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) behaviour have become popular quantitative indicators in biomedical studies. The circadian rhythms of behavioural processes in zebrafish are known to enable effective utilization of energy and resources, therefore attracting interest in zebrafish as a research model. This review covers a variety of circadian behaviours in this species, including diurnal rhythms of spawning, feeding, locomotor activity, shoaling, light/dark preference, and vertical position preference. Changes in circadian activity during zebrafish ontogeny are reviewed, including ageing-related alterations and chemically induced variations in rhythmicity patterns. Both exogenous and endogenous sources of inter-individual variability in zebrafish circadian behaviour are detailed. Additionally, we focus on different environmental factors with the potential to entrain circadian processes in zebrafish. This review describes two principal ways whereby diurnal behavioural rhythms can be entrained: (i) modulation of organismal physiological state, which can have masking or enhancing effects on behavioural endpoints related to endogenous circadian rhythms, and (ii) modulation of period and amplitude of the endogenous circadian rhythm due to competitive relationships between the primary and secondary zeitgebers. In addition, different peripheral oscillators in zebrafish can be entrained by diverse zeitgebers. This complicated orchestra of divergent influences may cause variability in zebrafish circadian behaviours, which should be given attention when planning behavioural studies.     

Predictive value of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 in triple-negative breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

The identification of informative biomarkers that could predict the treatment response is particularly important in the triple-negative (TN) breast cancer, which is characterized by biological diversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR2) expression and its gene polymorphisms on pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in Russian patients with TN breast cancer. We performed a retrospective analysis of 70 women with operable TN breast cancer, who underwent NCT with 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) or cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and capecitabine (CAX) between 2007 and 2013. VEGFR2 expression was evaluated before NCT by immunohistochemistry. TaqMan SNP assays were used for genotyping KDR ??604T>C (rs2071559) and KDR 1192G>A (rs2305948) polymorphisms. The pCR was used as an end-point in the treatment efficacy analysis. In the univariate analysis, the pCR rate was strongly associated with young age (P?=?0.004), high Ki67 expression (P?=?0.012), lymph node negativity (P?=?0.023) as well as with positive VEGFR2 expression (P?=?0.019) and the CAX regimen (P?=?0.005). In the multivariate analysis, only patient’s age (P?=?0.005) and pre-NCT VEGFR2 expression (P?=?0.048) remained significant predictors of pCR. The pCR rate was higher in the CAX-treated patients than that in the FAC-treated patients (P?=?0.005). Our results revealed that ??604TT genotype of rs2071559 and age <?50 years were correlated with a pCR in the CAX-treated patients. VEGFR2 expression in pre-NCT tumors and KDR gene polymorphism can be considered as additional predictive molecular markers of pCR in Russian TN breast cancer patients treated with NCT.

     

Structure of DNA obtained during the ab initio synthesis by Bst DNA polymerase in the presence of the nicking endonuclease from Bacillus stearothermophilus (Nt.BstNBI)

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

Whole-exome re-sequencing in a family quartet identifies POP1 mutations as the cause of a novel skeletal dysplasia

Recent advances in DNA sequencing have enabled mapping of genes for monogenic traits in families with small pedigrees and even in unrelated cases. We report the identification of disease-causing mutations in a rare, severe, skeletal dysplasia, studying a family of two healthy unrelated parents and two affected children using whole-exome sequencing. The two affected daughters have clinical and radiographic features suggestive of anauxetic dysplasia (OMIM 607095), a rare form of dwarfism caused by mutations of RMRP. However, mutations of RMRP were excluded in this family by direct sequencing. Our studies identified two novel compound heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in POP1, which encodes a core component of the RNase mitochondrial RNA processing (RNase MRP) complex that directly interacts with the RMRP RNA domains that are affected in anauxetic dysplasia. We demonstrate that these mutations impair the integrity and activity of this complex and that they impair cell proliferation, providing likely molecular and cellular mechanisms by which POP1 mutations cause this severe skeletal dysplasia.