Cutting edge: bone morphogenetic protein antagonists Drm/Gremlin and Dan interact with Slits and act as negative regulators of monocyte chemotaxis

Drm/Gremlin and Dan, two homologous secreted antagonists of bone morphogenic proteins, have been shown to regulate early development, tumorigenesis, and renal pathophysiology. In this study, we report that Drm and Dan physically and functionally interact with Slit1 and Slit2 proteins. Drm binding to Slits depends on its glycosylation and is not interfered with by bone morphogenic proteins. Importantly, Drm and Dan function as inhibitors for monocyte migration induced by stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha (SDF-1alpha) or fMLP. The inhibition of SDF-1alpha-induced monocyte chemotaxis by Dan is not due to blocking the binding of SDF-1alpha to its receptor. Thus, the results identify that Drm and Dan can interact with Slit proteins and act as inhibitors of monocyte chemotaxis, demonstrating a previously unidentified biological role for these proteins.     

IFN-alpha induced adenosine production on the endothelium: a mechanism mediated by CD73 (ecto-5'-nucleotidase) up-regulation

CD73 (ecto-5'-nucleotidase; EC 3.1.3.5) participates in lymphocyte binding to endothelial cells and converts extracellular AMP into a potent anti-inflammatory substance adenosine. However, the regulation of expression and function of CD73 has remained largely unknown. In this study, we show that IFN-alpha produces a time- and dose-dependent long-term up-regulation of CD73 on endothelial cells, but not on lymphocytes both at protein and RNA levels. Moreover, CD73-mediated production of adenosine is increased after IFN-alpha treatment on endothelial cells, resulting in a decrease in the permeability of these cells. Subsequent to induction with PMA, FMLP, dibutyryl cAMP, thrombin, histamine, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and LPS, no marked changes in the level of CD73 expression on endothelial cells are observed. We also show that CD73 is up-regulated in vivo on the vasculature after intravesical treatment of urinary bladder cancers with IFN-alpha. In conclusion, distinct behavior of lymphocyte and endothelial CD73 subsequent to cytokine treatment further emphasizes the existence of cell type-specific mechanisms in the regulation of CD73 expression and function. Overall, these results suggest that IFN-alpha is a relevant in vivo regulator of CD73 in the endothelial-leukocyte microenvironment in infections/inflammations, and thus has a fundamental role in controlling the extent of inflammation via CD73-dependent adenosine production.     

Measuring photosynthetic parameters at a distance: laser induced fluorescence transient (LIFT) method for remote measurements of photosynthesis in terrestrial vegetation

We have developed a laser induced fluorescence transient (LIFT) technique and instrumentation to remotely measure photosynthetic properties in terrestrial vegetation at a distance of up to 50 m. The LIFT method uses a 665 nm laser to project a collimated, 100 mm diameter excitation beam onto leaves of the targeted plant. Fluorescence emission at 690 nm is collected by a 250 mm reflective telescope and processed in real time to calculate the efficiency of photosynthetic light utilization, quantum efficiency of PS II, and the kinetics of photosynthetic electron transport. Operating with peak excitation power of 125 W m⁻², and duty cycle of 10–50%, the instrument conforms to laser safety regulations. The LIFT instrument is controlled via an Internet connection, allowing it to operate from remote locations or platforms. Here we describe the theoretical basis of the LIFT methodology, and demonstrate its applications in remote measurements of photosynthetic properties in the canopy of cottonwood and oak trees, and in the rosette of Arabidopsis mutants.     

The Pre-nervous Serotonergic System of Developing Sea Urchin Embryos and Larvae: Pharmacologic and Immunocytochemical Evidence

Forty serotonin-related neurochemicals were tested on embryos and larvae of Lytechinus variegatus and other sea urchin species. Some of these substances (agonists of 5-HT₁ receptors, antagonists of 5-HT₂, 5-HT₃ or 5-HT₄ receptors, and inhibitors of the serotonin transporter, SERT) perturbed post-blastulation development, eliciting changes in embryonic/larval phenotypes typical for each class of receptor ligand. These developmental malformations were prevented completely or partially by serotonin (5-HT) or 5-HT analogs (5-HTQ, AA-5-HT), providing evidence for the putative localization of cellular targets. Immunoreactive 5-HT, 5-HT receptors and SERT were found in pre-nervous embryos and larvae of both L. variegatus and Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. During gastrulation, these components of the serotonergic system were localized to the archenteron (primary gut), mesenchyme-like cells, and often the apical ectoderm. These results provide evidence that pre-nervous 5-HT may regulate early events of sea urchin embryogenesis, mediated by 5-HT receptors or the 5-HT transporter.     

Coexistence of Tonic Spiking Oscillations in a Leech Neuron Model

The leech neuron model studied here has a remarkable dynamical plasticity. It exhibits a wide range of activities including various types of tonic spiking and bursting. In this study we apply methods of the qualitative theory of dynamical systems and the bifurcation theory to analyze the dynamics of the leech neuron model with emphasis on tonic spiking regimes. We show that the model can demonstrate bi-stability, such that two modes of tonic spiking coexist. Under a certain parameter regime, both tonic spiking modes are represented by the periodic attractors. As a bifurcation parameter is varied, one of the attractors becomes chaotic through a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations, while the other remains periodic. Thus, the system can demonstrate co-existence of a periodic tonic spiking with either periodic or chaotic tonic spiking. Pontryagins averaging technique is used to locate the periodic orbits in the phase space.     

Three-state protein folding: experimental determination of free-energy profile

When considering protein folding with a transient intermediate, a difficulty arises as to determination of the rates of separate transitions. Here we overcome this problem, using the kinetic studies of the unfolding/refolding reactions of the three-state protein apomyoglobin as a model. Amplitudes of the protein refolding kinetic burst phase corresponding to the transition from the unfolded (U) to intermediate (I) state, that occurs prior to the native state (N) formation, allow us to estimate relative populations of the rapidly converting states at various final urea concentrations. On the basis of these proportions, a complicated experimental chevron plot has been deconvolved into the urea-dependent rates of the I<-->N and U<-->N transitions to give the dependence of free energies of the main transition state and of all three (N, I, and U) stable states on urea concentration.     

Mechanism of spontaneous DNA-DNA interaction of homologous linear duplexes

Previously, we demonstrated the interaction of homologous linear duplexes with formation of four-way DNA structures on the model of five PCR products. We propose that homologous duplex interaction is initiated by the nucleation of several dissociated base pairs of the complementary ends of two fragments with Holliday junction formation, in which cross point migration occurs via spooling of DNA strands from one duplex to the other one, finally resulting in complete resolution into new or previously existing duplexes. To confirm that DNA-DNA interaction involves formation of four-way DNA structures with strand exchange at the cross point, we have demonstrated the strand exchange process between identical duplexes using homologous fragments, harboring either biotin label or (32)P-label. Incubation of the mixture resulted in the addition of (32)P-label to biotin-labeled fragments, and the intensity of (32)P-labeling of biotinylated fragments was dependent upon the incubation duration. DNA-DNA interaction is not based on surface-dependent denaturing, as Triton X-100 does not decrease the formation of complexes between DNA duplexes. The equilibrium concentration of Holliday junctions depends on the sequences of the fragment ends and the incubation temperature. The free energy of Holliday junction formation by the fragments with GC and AT ends differed by 0.6 kcal/mol. Electron microscopic analysis demonstrated that the majority of Holliday junctions harbor the cross point within a 300 base pair region of the fragment ends. This insight into the mechanism of homologous duplex interaction extends our understanding of different DNA rearrangements. Understanding of DNA-DNA interaction is of practical use for better interpretation and optimization of PCR-based analyses.     

Water and vapor transport in algal-fungal lichen: Modeling constrained by laboratory experiments,an application for Flavoparmelia caperata

Algal-fungal symbionts share water, nutrients, and gases via an architecture unique to lichens. Because lichen activity is controlled by moisture dynamics, understanding water transport is prerequisite to understand their fundamental biology. We propose a model of water distributions within foliose lichens governed by laws of fluid motion. Our model differentiates between water stored in symbionts, on extracellular surfaces, and in distinct morphological layers. We parameterize our model with hydraulic properties inverted from laboratory measurements of Flavoparmelia caperata and validate for wetting and drying. We ask: (1) Where is the bottleneck to water transport? (2) How do hydration and dehydration dynamics differ? and (3) What causes these differences? Resistance to vapor flow is concentrated at thallus surfaces and acts as the bottleneck for equilibrium, while internal resistances are small. The model captures hysteresis in hydration and desiccation, which are shown to be controlled by nonlinearities in hydraulic capacitance. Muting existing nonlinearities slowed drying and accelerated wetting, while exaggerating nonlinearities accelerated drying and slowed wetting. The hydraulic nonlinearity of F. caperata is considerable, which may reflect its preference for humid and stable environments. The model establishes the physical foundation for future investigations of transport of water, gas, and sugar between symbionts.     

The carcinogen benzo(e)pyrene is metabolized by DM15 cells without an uncoupling effect on their gap junctions

Benzo(e)pyrene (B(e)P) promotes carcinogenesis in the skin. Unlike some other promoters however, B(e)P does notproduce an uncoupling effect on gap junction permeability in DM15 transformedfibroblasts. This study demonstrates thatDM15 cells exhibit a relatively high level of B(e)P metabolism. Moreover, although pretreatment of DM15 cells with benz(a)anthracene results in an 8-fold increase of arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase activity and a 2-fold increase in the rate ofB(e)P metabolism, it did not enable B(e)P to affectLucifer Yellow transfer between DM15 cells. We conclude that neitherB(e)P nor its metabolites are capable of uncoupling gap junction permeability in DM15 cells.Abbreviations AHH aryl hydrocarbon hyroxylase - BA benz(a)anthracene - B(a)P benzo(a)pyrene - B(e)P benzo(e)pyrene - LY Lucifer Yellow - MFO mixed-function oxidases - PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons     

Metabolic and photosynthetic consequences of blocking starch biosynthesis in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii sta6 mutant

Upon nutrient deprivation, microalgae partition photosynthate into starch and lipids at the expense of protein synthesis and growth. We investigated the role of starch biosynthesis with respect to photosynthetic growth and carbon partitioning in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii starchless mutant, sta6, which lacks ADP‐glucose pyrophosphorylase. This mutant is unable to convert glucose‐1–phosphate to ADP‐glucose, the precursor of starch biosynthesis. During nutrient‐replete culturing, sta6 does not re‐direct metabolism to make more proteins or lipids, and accumulates 20% less biomass. The underlying molecular basis for the decreased biomass phenotype was identified using LC–MS metabolomics studies and flux methods. Above a threshold light intensity, photosynthetic electron transport rates (water → CO₂) decrease in sta6 due to attenuated rates of NADPH re‐oxidation, without affecting photosystems I or II (no change in isolated photosynthetic electron transport). We observed large accumulations of carbon metabolites that are precursors for the biosynthesis of lipids, amino acids and sugars/starch, indicating system‐wide consequences of slower NADPH re‐oxidation. Attenuated carbon fixation resulted in imbalances in both redox and adenylate energy. The pool sizes of both pyridine and adenylate nucleotides in sta6 increased substantially to compensate for the slower rate of turnover. Mitochondrial respiration partially relieved the reductant stress; however, prolonged high‐light exposure caused accelerated photoinhibition. Thus, starch biosynthesis in Chlamydomonas plays a critical role as a principal carbon sink influencing cellular energy balance however, disrupting starch biosynthesis does not redirect resources to other bioproducts (lipids or proteins) during nutrient‐replete culturing, resulting in cells that are susceptible to photochemical damage caused by redox stress.