Replacing the pyrophosphate group of HMB-PP by a diphosphonate function abrogates Its potential to activate human gammadelta T cells but does not lead to competitive antagonism

The immunological characterization of (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMB-PP), and its methylenediphosphonate analogue, HMB-PCP, is described. With an EC(50) of 0.1-0.2 nM, HMB-PP is significantly more potent in stimulating human Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells than any other compound described so far. However, replacing the pyrophosphate by a P-CH(2)-P function abrogates the bioactivity drastically, with HMB-PCP having a EC(50) of only 5.3 microM.     

Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin: low pH-induced pore formation is required for translocation of the enzyme component C2I into the cytosol of host cells

The binary Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin consists of two individual proteins, the transport component C2II (80 kDa) and the enzyme component C2I, which ADP-ribosylates G-actin in the cytosol of cells. Trypsin-activated C2II (C2IIa) forms heptamers that bind to the cell receptor and mediate translocation of C2I from acidic endosomes into the cytosol of target cells. Here, we report that translocation of C2I across cell membranes is accompanied by pore formation of C2IIa. We used a radioactive rubidium release assay to detect C2IIa pores in the membranes of Chinese hamster ovary cells. Pore formation by C2IIa was dependent on the cellular C2 toxin receptor and an acidic pulse. Pores were formed when C2IIa was bound to cells at neutral pH and when cells were subsequently shifted to acidic medium (pH < 5.5), but no pores were detected when C2IIa was added to cells directly in acidic medium. Most likely, acidification induces a change from "pre-pore" to "pore" conformation of C2IIa, and formation of the pore conformation before membrane binding precludes insertion into membranes. When C2I was present during binding of C2IIa to cells prior to the acidification step, C2IIa-mediated rubidium release was decreased, suggesting that C2I interacted with the lumen of the C2IIa pore. A decrease of rubidium efflux was also detected when C2I was added to C2IIa-treated cells after the acidification step, suggesting that C2I interacted with C2IIa in its pore conformation. Moreover, C2I also interacted with C2IIa channels in artificial lipid membranes and blocked them partially. C2I was only translocated across the cell membrane when C2IIa plus C2I were bound to cells at neutral pH and subsequently shifted to acidic pH. When cell-bound C2IIa was exposed to acidic pH prior to C2I addition, only residual intoxication of cells was observed at high toxin concentrations, and binding of C2I to C2IIa was slightly decreased. Overall, C2IIa pores were essential but not sufficient for translocation of C2I. Intoxication of target cells with C2 toxin requires a strictly coordinated pH-dependent sequence of binding, pore formation by C2IIa, and translocation of C2I.     

The host cell chaperone Hsp90 is essential for translocation of the binary Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin into the cytosol

Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin is the prototype of the binary actin-ADP-ribosylating toxins and consists of the binding component C2II and the enzyme component C2I. The activated binding component C2IIa forms heptamers, which bind to carbohydrates on the cell surface and interact with the enzyme component C2I. This toxin complex is taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis. In acidic endosomes, heptameric C2IIa forms pores and mediates the translocation of C2I into the cytosol. We report that the heat shock protein (Hsp) 90-specific inhibitors, geldanamycin or radicicol, block intoxication of Vero cells, rat astrocytes, and HeLa cells by C2 toxin. ADP-ribosylation of actin in the cytosol of toxin-treated cells revealed that less active C2I was translocated into the cytosol after treatment with Hsp90 inhibitors. Under control conditions, C2I was localized in the cytosol of toxin-treated rat astrocytes, whereas geldanamycin blocked the cytosolic distribution of C2I. At low extracellular pH (pH 4.5), which allows the direct translocation of C2I via C2IIa heptamers across the cell membrane into the cytosol, Hsp90 inhibitors retarded intoxication by C2I. Geldanamycin did not affect toxin binding, endocytosis, and pore formation by C2IIa. The ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of C2I was not affected by Hsp90 inhibitors in vitro. The cytotoxic actions of the actin-ADP-ribosylating Clostridium perfringens iota toxin and the Rho-ADP-ribosylating C2-C3 fusion toxin was similarly blocked by Hsp90 inhibitors. In contrast, radicicol and geldanamycin had no effect on anthrax lethal toxin-induced cytotoxicity of J774-A1 macrophage-like cells or on cytotoxic effects of the glucosylating Clostridium difficile toxin B in Vero cells. The data indicate that Hsp90 is essential for the membrane translocation of ADP-ribosylating toxins delivered by C2II.     

Antibacterial activity in Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Echinoidea), Cucumaria frondosa (Holothuroidea), and Asterias rubens (Asteroidea)

A search for antibacterial activity in different body parts of the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, the common starfish Asterias rubens, and the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa was conducted. Antibacterial activity was detected in extracts from several tissues in all species tested, but mainly in the coelomocyte and body wall extracts. Relatively high antibacterial activity could also be detected in gastrointestinal organs and eggs from A. rubens and in eggs from C. frondosa. Differences between active extracts regarding hydrophobicity and sensitivity to heat and proteinase K treatment indicated that several different compounds were responsible for the antibacterial activities detected. Lysozyme-like activity could be detected in several tissues from A. rubens. Haemolytic activity could be detected in all species tested, especially in the body wall extracts. Results from the current study suggest that marine echinoderms are a potential source for the discovery of novel antibiotics.     

Stimulation of ATPase activity in barley (Hordeum vulgare) root plasma membranes after treatment with triacontanol and calmodulin

Triacontanol (TRIA) treatment of plasma membrane-enriched vesicles from barley ( Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Conquest) roots resulted in stimulation of membrane-associated, divalent cation-dependent ATPase activity (EC 3.6.1.3). The stimulation at physiologically active concentrations of TRIA (10⁻¹¹–10⁻⁹ M ) occurred only when the vesicles were treated with TRIA in the presence of calmodulin. Octacosanol, the C₂₈-analogue of TRIA, had no effect on divalent cation-dependent ATPase activity. Consistent with in vivo studies, simultaneous treatment of vesicles with weight equivalents of TRIA and octacosanol reduced the stimulation of ATPase activity. The effect of calmodulin on the stimulation of ATPase activity was diminished by calmidazolium, a specific inhibitor of calmodulin. Circular dichroism studies did not show a change in the α-helix content of calmodulin in the presence of TRIA. TRIA also had no apparent effect on soluble calcium-calmodulin 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity. Removal of excess TRIA from the medium after treatment still resulted in stimulation of divalent cation-dependent ATPase activity in the presence of calmodulin was comparable to treated vesicles from which excess TRIA had not been removed. These data further support the contention that TRIA affects membrane structure and function.     

Xerocomus badius – Picea abies, an ectomycorrhiza of high activity and element storage capacity in acidic soil

 Mycorrhizas were collected from three Norway spruce (Picea abies) stands in southwest Germany, sorted on the morphotype level and analysed by fluorescein diacetate vital fluorescence staining and the accumulation of elements using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Xerocomus badius – Picea abies mycorrhizas showed a higher frequency of active hyphal sheaths and a higher potential to store nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc than other mycorrhizal types. Phosphorus and nitrogen were localized by EELS in vacuolar bodies which occurred consistently in the sheath of X. badius mycorrhizas. The results indicate that X. badius is well adapted to acidic stands and that its mycorrhizas are very efficient in uptake and storage of macronutrients. Accepted: 1 December 1997     

Aluminium impacts elements of the phosphoinositide signalling pathway in neuroblastoma cells

Inositol phosphate formation was examined in aluminium-treated murine neuroblastoma cells labelled with [³H]-myoinositol. Employing fluoride-stimulated intact cells, aluminium (0.2M to 1 mM) reduced inositol phosphate formation in a dose-dependent manner. In digitonin-permeabilized cells, stimulated with nonhydrolyzable GTP[S], inositol phosphate formation was also inhibited by increasing aluminium doses; the IC₅₀ value was about 20M aluminium, while the inositol phosphate level was reduced 2.5 to 3 fold by 50M aluminium. The inhibitory effect of aluminium (50M) could not be reversed by increasing GTP[S] concentrations up to 500M. Prechelation of aluminium to citrate or EGTA completely abolished the aluminium-triggered inhibition of fluoride-stimulated inositol phosphate formation in intact cells, but had little effect on the inhibition of permeabilized cells stimulated with GTP[S]. In neuroblastoma cells phosphoinositide hydrolysis could be evoked either through a pathway involving the Mg²⁺/guanine nucleotide binding (G_p) protein, or via a pathway operative in the presence of high intracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations. In the Mg²⁺/G_p protein-mediated pathway, formation of inositol triphosphate, IP₃, inositol diphosphate, IP₂, and inositol monophosphate, IP, was apparently inhibited by aluminium in an interdependent manner. As to the Ca²⁺-mediated pathway, aluminium application mainly diminished the release of IP₃. Following interiorization, aluminium thus acts upon elements critical for phosphoinositide-associated signal transduction. An aluminium target apparently resides on the G_p protein. Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-diphosphate-specific phospholipase C probably harbours a second aluminium target.     

Physical properties of defined lipopolysaccharide salts

The electron spin resonance probes 5-doxylstearate and 4-(dodecyldimethylammonio)-1-oxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine bromide were used to characterize the fluidity of the acyl chain and head-group regions, respectively, of defined salts of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli K12. The removal of the weakly bound divalent cations from native LPS by electrodialysis and their replacement by sodium had little effect on the midpoint of the lipid-phase transition or on head-group mobility. In contrast, lipopolysaccharide acyl chain mobility increased following electrodialysis. The replacement of most of the remaining cations with sodium resulted in a further dramatic increase in mobility in both the polar and nonpolar regions of lipopolysaccharide. Head-group mobility of the sodium salt of LPS was shown to be reduced with the addition of divalent cations. Furthermore, evidence is presented which suggests that low magnesium concentrations may induce phase separations in the sodium salt. The magnesium salt of lipopolysaccharide closely resembled the native form in both head-group and acyl chain mobility although the cation charge to phosphorus ratio in the magnesium salt was greater than that detected in the native isolate. Analyses of other lipopolysaccharide salts support our hypothesis that many of the observed differences in the physical and pathological properties of lipopolysaccharide salts may simply be explained by the degree of charge neutralization.     

Variations in prolactin and growth hormone production during cellular growth in clonal strains of rat pituitary cells.

A permanent, clonal strain of rat pituitary tumor cells (GH3-cells) spontaneously synthesizes and secretes prolactin (rPRL) and growth hormone (rGH) into the culture medium. The rates of hormone production (microng extracellular hormone/mg cell protein/24 hours) and synthesis (vida infra) as well as the rate of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA (DNA synthesis) have been studied. During logarithmic growth rPRL and rGH production increased to 160 and 250% of the value at day 2 after plating, while during the plateau phase of cell growth hormone production decreased to initial values. The fluctuations in rPRL production could be fully explained by variations in the rate of rPRL synthesis: [3H]eucine incorporated into rPRL as measured with immunoprecipitation and polyacryl-amide gel electrophoresis. Also the rates of synthesis and production of rGH showed parallel changes during exponential and plateau phase of growth, but this hormone was probably degraded intracellularly. The relative reduction in the rate of synthesis of rPRL and rGH during the plateau of growth corresponded closely to the fall in the rate of DNA synthesis. The reduction in rPRL synthesis could not be explained through an inhibition by extra-cellular rPRL accumulation or by cell to cell interaction occurring in dense cultures. The intracellular concentrations of both hormones were unaltered during logarithmic growth, but rose to 500% for rPRL and 200% for rGH during the plateau phase. In spite of the marked variations in basal rPRL and rGH production the GH3 cultures of different ages were equally able to increase rPRL and decrease rGH production in response to thyrotropin releasing hormone (3 X 10(-7) M) and 17beta-estradiol (10(-8)M).     

The effect of A13+ on the physical properties of membrane lipids in Thermoplasma acidophilum.

Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Al³⁺ was shown to produce a dramatic decrease of membrane lipid fluidity on the microorganism $\text{Thermoplasma}\text{acidophilum}$ at a pH > 2. The ability of Al³⁺ to alter lipid fluidity was enhanced with increasing pH (from 3 to 5). At pH 4, 10^?2 M Al³⁺ increased the lower lipid phase transition by 39°C, and a detectable change was observed with AlCl₃ concentrations as low as 10^?5 M. The ability of Al³⁺ to increase the lower lipid phase transition temperature of $\text{T.}\text{acidophilum}$ is the largest of any cation/lipid interaction yet reported.