Understanding the molecular consequences of inherited muscular dystrophies: advancements through proteomic experimentation

Introduction: Proteomic techniques offer insights into the molecular perturbations occurring in muscular-dystrophies (MD). Revisiting published datasets can highlight conserved downstream molecular alterations, which may be worth re-assessing to determine whether their experimental manipulation is capable of modulating disease severity.

Areas covered: Here, we review the MD literature, highlighting conserved molecular insights warranting mechanistic investigation for therapeutic potential. We also describe a workflow currently proving effective for efficient identification of biomarkers & therapeutic targets in other neurodegenerative conditions, upon which future MD proteomic investigations could be modelled.

Expert commentary: Studying disease models can be useful for identifying biomarkers and model specific degenerative cascades, but rarely offer translatable mechanistic insights into disease pathology. Conversely, direct analysis of human samples undergoing degeneration presents challenges derived from complex chronic degenerative molecular processes. This requires a carefully planed & reproducible experimental paradigm accounting for patient selection through to grouping by disease severity and ending with proteomic data filtering and processing.     

The ttgGHI solvent efflux pump operon of Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E is located on a large self-transmissible plasmid

Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E is a solvent-tolerant strain able to grow in the presence of > 1% (v/v) toluene in the culture medium. A set of multidrug efflux pumps have been found to play a major role in the tolerance of this bacterium to organic solvents (Rojas et al., J Bacteriol 183: 3967-3973). In the course of studies of the mechanisms underlying solvent tolerance in DOT-T1E, we isolated a spontaneous solvent-sensitive mutant derivative which had lost the genes encoding the TtgGHI efflux pump, the most important extrusion element in quantitative terms. Genomic comparisons between the mutant and its parental strain by microarray analysis revealed that in addition to the ttgVW-ttgGHI gene cluster, another group of genes, highly similar to those found in the Tn4653A and ISPpu12 transposable elements of the TOL plasmid pWW0 from P. putida mt-2, were also absent from this strain. Further analysis demonstrated that strain DOT-T1E harboured a large plasmid (named pGRT1) that was lost from the solvent-sensitive mutant. Mapping analysis revealed that the ttgVW-ttgGHI genes and the Tn4653A-like transposon are borne by the pGRT1 plasmid. Plasmid pGRT1 is highly stable and its frequency of loss is below 10(-8) per cell per generation under a variety of growth conditions, including nutritional and physical stresses. The pGRT1 plasmid is self-transmissible, and its acquisition by the toluene-sensitive P. putida KT2440 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 increased the recipient's tolerance to toluene up to levels similar to those exhibited by P. putida DOT-T1E. We discuss the importance and potential benefits of this plasmid for the development of bacteria with enhanced solvent tolerance, and its potential impact for bioremediation and whole-cell biotransformations.     

Genetic variation and population structure in native Americans

We examined genetic diversity and population structure in the American landmass using 678 autosomal microsatellite markers genotyped in 422 individuals representing 24 Native American populations sampled from North, Central, and South America. These data were analyzed jointly with similar data available in 54 other indigenous populations worldwide, including an additional five Native American groups. The Native American populations have lower genetic diversity and greater differentiation than populations from other continental regions. We observe gradients both of decreasing genetic diversity as a function of geographic distance from the Bering Strait and of decreasing genetic similarity to Siberians--signals of the southward dispersal of human populations from the northwestern tip of the Americas. We also observe evidence of: (1) a higher level of diversity and lower level of population structure in western South America compared to eastern South America, (2) a relative lack of differentiation between Mesoamerican and Andean populations, (3) a scenario in which coastal routes were easier for migrating peoples to traverse in comparison with inland routes, and (4) a partial agreement on a local scale between genetic similarity and the linguistic classification of populations. These findings offer new insights into the process of population dispersal and differentiation during the peopling of the Americas.     

Neural induction in the absence of organizer in salamanders is mediated by MAPK

Research on the mechanisms of embryonic induction had a great setback in the 1940s when Barth discovered and Holtfreter confirmed that ectoderm of Ambystoma maculatum salamander embryos could form brain tissue when cultured in a simple saline solution. We have revisited this classical experiment and found that when cultured animal cap ectoderm attaches to a glass substratum, it can self-organize to form complex organs such as brain vesicles, eyes, lens and olfactory placodes. Only anterior neural organs were generated. Under these culture conditions ERK became diphosphorylated, indicating a sustained activation of the Ras/MAPK pathway. Using sand particles as an example of a heterologous neural inducer similar results were obtained. Addition of U0126, a specific antagonist of MEK, the enzyme that phosphorylates ERK/MAPK, inhibited neural differentiation. The closely related control compound U0124 had no effect. We conclude that neural induction in the absence of organizer in A. maculatum requires Ras/MAPK-activation. These findings provide a molecular explanation for the activity of heterologous neural inducers that dominated thinking in amphibian experimental embryology for many decades.     

Identification of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells in the reactive stroma of a prostate cancer xenograft by side population analysis

Cancer stem cells are a distinct cellular population that is believed to be responsible for tumor initiation and maintenance. Recent data suggest that solid tumors also contain another type of stem cells, the mesenchymal stem cells or multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which contribute to the formation of tumor-associated stroma.The Hoechst 33342 efflux assay has proved useful to identify a rare cellular fraction, named Side Population (SP), enriched in cells with stem-like properties. Using this assay, we identified SP cells in a prostate cancer xenograft containing human prostate cancer cells and mouse stromal cells. The SP isolation, subculture and sequential sorting allowed the generation of single-cell-derived clones of murine origin that were recognized as MSC by their morphology, plastic adherence, proliferative potential, adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation ability and immunophenotype (CD45⁻, CD81⁺ and Sca-1⁺). We also demonstrated that SP clonal cells secrete transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and that their inhibition reduces proliferation and accelerates differentiation.These results reveal the existence of SP cells in the stroma of a cancer xenograft, and provide evidence supporting their MSC nature and the role of TGF-β1 in maintaining their proliferation and undifferentiated status. Our data also reveal the usefulness of the SP assay to identify and isolate MSC cells from carcinomas.     

Early dry season subsistence ecology of Cuiva (Hiwi) foragers of Venezuela

The subsistence ecology of Venezuelan Cuiva foragers during the early dry season is described. Data on diet, time allocation, demography, and physical measurements are presented. Analyses show that the Cuiva depend primarily on game and wild roots during the early dry season for their subsistence. Sex differentials in productive efficiency, total contribution to the diet, and time allocation to food acquisition and other activities are also examined. As in most other foraging societies, men specialize in hunting while women specialize in gathering. During the early dry season, men provide more calories than women and are the more efficient food producers. However, men spend slightly less time than women in food acquisition. Demographic data show that child mortality rates, female infertility rates, female infanticide rates,and the sex ratio among juveniles are high in the Cuiva population. Comparisons between the patterns found among the Cuiva and other foraging populations are made.     

Chronotropic response to hyperosmotic solutions of isolated rat atria

The changes in spontaneous rate of isolated rat atria in response to increased extracellular osmotic pressure were examined using sucrose, urea and several polyhydroxyalcohols (mannitol, glycerol and ethylene glycol) as test solutes. Sucrose, mannitol and urea induced a fall in atrial rate, which was transient with the last compound. On the other hand, media made hyperosomotic by addition of glycerol or ethylene glycol increased the beating frequency. Sucrose effect was not affected by low extracellular calcium, nifedipine or atropine. Glycerol-induced increase in atrial rate was a calcium-dependent mechanism sensitive to nifedipine. Thus, positive chronotropic effect occurs in the rat atria only with certain diffusible solutes which probably promote calcium entry. The response to pure osmotic change, resulting from changes in concentration of ions within the cell as water moves out, is a negative chronotropic effect.     

Membrane lipids and ethanol tolerance in the mouse. The influence of dietary fatty acid composition

Mice of the TO Swiss strain received diets containing different amounts of saturated or unsaturated fat throughout life. These diets produced characteristic changes in cardiac phospholipid fatty acid composition, but produced no significant differences in fatty acid composition of phospholipids from a crude membrane fraction of brain. When littermates of these animals were exposed to ethanol vapour in an inhalation chamber it was observed that mice which had received a diet high in saturated fat lost the righting reflex at an estimated concentration of ethanol in blood higher than that required for mice receiving a control diet, or a diet rich in polyunsaturated fat. Analysis of the brain membrane fraction from those animals which had received ethanol revealed that mice receiving the highly saturated fat diet now had a significantly greater proportion of saturated fatty acids in brain membrane phospholipids. These results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that brain membrane lipid composition may influence the behavioural response to ethanol.