Orai1 pore residues control CRAC channel inactivation independently of calmodulin

Ca²⁺ entry through CRAC channels causes fast Ca²⁺-dependent inactivation (CDI). Previous mutagenesis studies have implicated Orai1 residues W76 and Y80 in CDI through their role in binding calmodulin (CaM), in agreement with the crystal structure of Ca²⁺–CaM bound to an Orai1 N-terminal peptide. However, a subsequent Drosophila melanogaster Orai crystal structure raises concerns about this model, as the side chains of W76 and Y80 are predicted to face the pore lumen and create a steric clash between bound CaM and other Orai1 pore helices. We further tested the functional role of CaM using several dominant-negative CaM mutants, none of which affected CDI. Given this evidence against a role for pretethered CaM, we altered side-chain volume and charge at the Y80 and W76 positions to better understand their roles in CDI. Small side chain volume had different effects at the two positions: it accelerated CDI at position Y80 but reduced the extent of CDI at position W76. Positive charges at Y80 and W76 permitted partial CDI with accelerated kinetics, whereas introducing negative charge at any of five consecutive pore-lining residues (W76, Y80, R83, K87, or R91) completely eliminated CDI. Noise analysis of Orai1 Y80E and Y80K currents indicated that reductions in CDI for these mutations could not be accounted for by changes in unitary current or open probability. The sensitivity of CDI to negative charge introduced into the pore suggested a possible role for anion binding in the pore. However, although Cl⁻ modulated the kinetics and extent of CDI, we found no evidence that CDI requires any single diffusible cytosolic anion. Together, our results argue against a CDI mechanism involving CaM binding to W76 and Y80, and instead support a model in which Orai1 residues Y80 and W76 enable conformational changes within the pore, leading to CRAC channel inactivation.     

Excision of sugar-phosphate products at apurinic/apyrimidinic sites by DNA deoxyribophosphodiesterase of Escherichia coli.

It has been shown previously that the DNA deoxyribophosphodiesterase (dRpase) activity of Escherichia coli excises 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate moieties at apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in DNA following cleavage of the DNA at the AP site by an AP endonuclease such as endonuclease IV of E coli. A second class of enzymes that cleave DNA at AP sites by a beta-elimination mechanism, AP lyases, leave a different sugar-phosphate product remaining at the AP site, which has been identified as the compound trans-4-hydroxy-2-pentenal 5-phosphate. It is shown that dRpase removes this unsaturated sugar-phosphate group following cleavage of a poly(dA-dT) substrate containing AP sites by the action of the AP lyase endonuclease III of E. coli. The Km for the removal of trans-4-hydroxy-2-pentenal 5-phosphate is 0.06 microM; the Km for the removal of 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate is 0.17 microM. It was verified that the sugar-phosphate product removed by dRpase from the endonuclease III-cleaved substrate was trans-4-hydroxy-2-pentenal 5-phosphate by conversion of the product to the compound cyclopentane-1,2-dione. The dRpase activity is unique in its ability to remove sugar-phosphate products after cleavage by both AP endonucleases and AP lyases.     

Glia Disease and Repair—Remyelination

The inability of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) to undergo spontaneous regeneration has long been regarded as a central tenet of neurobiology. However, although this is largely true of the neuronal elements of the adult mammalian CNS, save for discrete populations of granular neurons, the same is not true of its glial elements. In particular, the loss of oligodendrocytes, which results in demyelination, triggers a spontaneous and often highly efficient regenerative response, remyelination, in which new oligodendrocytes are generated and myelin sheaths are restored to denuded axons. Yet, remyelination in humans is not without limitation, and a variety of demyelinating conditions are associated with sustained and disabling myelin loss. In this review, we will review the biology of remyelination, including the cells and signals involved; describe when remyelination occurs and when and why it fails and the consequences of its failure; and discuss approaches for therapeutically enhancing remyelination in demyelinating diseases of both children and adults, both by stimulating endogenous oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and by transplanting these cells into demyelinated brain.     

Proteomic characterization of messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes bound to nontranslated or translated poly(A) mRNAs in the rat cerebral cortex

Receptor-triggered control of local postsynaptic protein synthesis plays a crucial role for enabling long lasting changes in synaptic functions, but signaling pathways that link receptor stimulation with translational control remain poorly known. Among the putative regulatory factors are mRNA-binding proteins (messenger ribonucleoprotein, mRNP), which control the fate of cytosolic localized mRNAs. Based on the assumption that a subset of mRNA is maintained in an inactive state, mRNP-mRNA complexes were separated into polysome-bound (translated) and polysome-free (nontranslated) fractions by sucrose density centrifugation. Poly(A) mRNA-mRNP complexes were purified from a postmitochondrial extract of rat cerebral cortex by oligo(dT)-cellulose affinity chromatography. The mRNA processing proteins were characterized, from solution, by a nanoflow reverse phase-high pressure liquid chromatography-mu-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The majority of detected mRNA-binding proteins was found in both fractions. However, a small number of proteins appeared to be fraction-specific. This subset of proteins is by far the most interesting because the proteins are potentially involved in controlling an activity-dependent onset of translation. They include transducer proteins, kinases, and anchor proteins. This study of the mRNP proteome is the first step in allowing future experimentation to characterize individual proteins responsible for mRNA processing and translation in dendrites.     

Developmental Changes in Ganglioside Composition and Synthesis in Embryonic Rat Brain

Developmental changes in ganglioside composition and biosynthesis was studied in rat brain between embryonic day (E) 14 and birth. In E14 brains, GM3 and GD3 were predominant. At E16, "b" series gangliosides, such as GD1b, GT1b, and GQ1b, increased in content. After E18, "a" series gangliosides such as GM1, GD1a, and GT1a increased in content, and the content of GM3 and GD3 markedly decreased. Because of these changes in composition, we determined the activities, in homogenates of embryonic brains, of two key enzymes of ganglioside synthesis: sialyltransferase for the synthesis of GD3 from GM3 and N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase for GM2 synthesis from GM3. The sialyltransferase activity (GM3----GD3) was constant between E14 and E18 but decreased rapidly from E18 to birth. In contrast, the N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase activity (GM3----GM2) increased between E14 and E18 but was constant from E18 to birth. These changes in ganglioside composition and enzymatic activities indicate that during development there is a shift from synthesis of the simplest gangliosides of the "a" and "b" pathways to synthesis of the more complex gangliosides.     

Microbial metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: isolation and characterization of a pyrene-degrading bacterium.

Microbiological analyses of sediments located near a point source for petrogenic chemicals resulted in the isolation of a pyrene-mineralizing bacterium. This isolate was identified as a Mycobacterium sp. on the basis of its cellular and colony morphology, gram-positive and strong acid-fast reactions, diagnostic biochemical tests, 66.6% G + C content of the DNA, and high-molecular-weight mycolic acids (C58 to C64). The mycobacterium mineralized pyrene when grown in a mineral salts medium supplemented with nutrients but was unable to utilize pyrene as a sole source of carbon and energy. The mycobacterium grew well at 24 and 30 degrees C and minimally at 35 degrees C. No growth was observed at 5 or 42 degrees C. The mycobacterium grew well at salt concentrations up to 4%. Pyrene-induced Mycobacterium cultures mineralized 5% of the pyrene after 6 h and reached a maximum of 48% mineralization within 72 h. Treatment of induced and noninduced cultures with chloramphenicol showed that pyrene-degrading enzymes were inducible in this Mycobacterium sp. This bacterium could also mineralize other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkyl- and nitro-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, 3-methylcholanthrene, 1-nitropyrene, and 6-nitrochrysene. This is the first report of a bacterium able to extensively mineralize pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons containing four aromatic rings.     

The inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis by mycophenolic acid

1. Mycophenolic acid, an antibiotic of some antiquity that more recently has been found to have marked activity against a range of tumours in mice and rats, strongly inhibits DNA synthesis in the L strain of fibroblasts in vitro. 2. The extent of the inhibition of DNA synthesis is markedly increased by preincubation of the cells with mycophenolic acid before the addition of [(14)C]thymidine. 3. The inhibition of DNA synthesis by mycophenolic acid in L cells in vitro is reversed by guanine in a non-competitive manner, but not by hypoxanthine, xanthine or adenine. 4. The reversal of inhibition by guanine can be suppressed by hypoxanthine, 6-mercaptopurine and adenine. 5. Mycophenolic acid does not inhibit the incorporation of [(14)C]thymidine into DNA in suspensions of Landschütz and Yoshida ascites cells in vitro. 6. Mycophenolic acid inhibits the conversion of [(14)C]hypoxanthine into cold-acid-soluble and -insoluble guanine nucleotides in Landschütz and Yoshida ascites cells and also in L cells in vitro. There is some increase in the radioactivity of the adenine fraction in the presence of the antibiotic. 7. Mycophenolic acid inhibits the conversion of [(14)C]hypoxanthine into xanthine and guanine fractions in a cell-free system from Landschütz cells capable of converting hypoxanthine into IMP, XMP and GMP. 8. Preparations of IMP dehydrogenase from Landschütz ascites cells, calf thymus and LS cells are strongly inhibited by mycophenolic acid. The inhibition showed mixed type kinetics with K(i) values of between 3.03x10(-8) and 4.5x10(-8)m. 9. Evidence was also obtained for a partial, possibly indirect, inhibition by mycophenolic acid of an early stage of biosynthesis of purine nucleotides as indicated by a decrease in the accumulation of formylglycine amide ribonucleotide induced by the antibiotic azaserine in suspensions of Landschütz and Yoshida ascites cells and L cells in vitro.     

Integration of molecular genetics and proteomics with cell metabolism: how to proceed; how not to proceed!

There now exists a resurgence of interest in the role of intermediary metabolism in medicine; especially in relation to medical disorders. Coupled with this is the contemporary focus on molecular biology, genetics and proteomics and their integration into studies of regulation and alterations in cellular metabolism in health and disease. This is a marriage that has vast potential for elucidation of the factors and conditions that are involved in cellular metabolic and functional changes, which heretofore could not be addressed by the earlier generations of biochemists who established the major pathways of intermediary metabolism. The achievement of this present potential requires the appropriate application and interpretation of genetic and proteomic studies relating to cell metabolism and cell function. This requires knowledge and understanding of the principles, relationships, and methodology, such as biochemistry and enzymology, which are involved in the elucidation of cellular regulatory enzymes and metabolic pathways. Unfortunately, many and possibly most contemporary molecular biologists are not adequately trained and knowledgeable in these areas of cell metabolism. This has resulted in much too common inappropriate application and misinformation from genetic/proteomic studies of cell metabolism and function. This presentation describes important relationships of cellular intermediary metabolism, and provides examples of the appropriate and inappropriate application of genetics and proteomics. It calls for the inclusion of biochemistry, enzymology, cell metabolism and cell physiology in the graduate and postgraduate training of molecular biology and other biomedical researchers.     

Symbiotic specificity,association patterns,and function determine community responses to global changes: defining critical research areas for coral‐Symbiodinium symbioses

Climate change‐driven stressors threaten the persistence of coral reefs worldwide. Symbiotic relationships between scleractinian corals and photosynthetic endosymbionts (genus Symbiodinium) are the foundation of reef ecosystems, and these associations are differentially impacted by stress. Here, we couple empirical data from the coral reefs of Moorea, French Polynesia, and a network theoretic modeling approach to evaluate how patterns in coral‐Symbiodinium associations influence community stability under climate change. To introduce the effect of climate perturbations, we simulate local ‘extinctions’ that represent either the loss of coral species or the ability to engage in symbiotic interactions. Community stability is measured by determining the duration and number of species that persist through the simulated extinctions. Our results suggest that four factors greatly increase coral‐Symbiodinium community stability in response to global changes: (i) the survival of generalist hosts and symbionts maximizes potential symbiotic unions; (ii) elevated symbiont diversity provides redundant or complementary symbiotic functions; (iii) compatible symbiotic assemblages create the potential for local recolonization; and (iv) the persistence of certain traits associate with symbiotic diversity and redundancy. Symbiodinium may facilitate coral persistence through novel environmental regimes, but this capacity is mediated by symbiotic specificity, association patterns, and the functional performance of the symbionts. Our model‐based approach identifies general trends and testable hypotheses in coral‐Symbiodinium community responses. Future studies should consider similar methods when community size and/or environmental complexity preclude experimental approaches.