Fatal outcome of human influenza A (H5N1) is associated with high viral load and hypercytokinemia

Avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses cause severe disease in humans, but the basis for their virulence remains unclear. In vitro and animal studies indicate that high and disseminated viral replication is important for disease pathogenesis. Laboratory experiments suggest that virus-induced cytokine dysregulation may contribute to disease severity. To assess the relevance of these findings for human disease, we performed virological and immunological studies in 18 individuals with H5N1 and 8 individuals infected with human influenza virus subtypes. Influenza H5N1 infection in humans is characterized by high pharyngeal virus loads and frequent detection of viral RNA in rectum and blood. Viral RNA in blood was present only in fatal H5N1 cases and was associated with higher pharyngeal viral loads. We observed low peripheral blood T-lymphocyte counts and high chemokine and cytokine levels in H5N1-infected individuals, particularly in those who died, and these correlated with pharyngeal viral loads. Genetic characterization of H5N1 viruses revealed mutations in the viral polymerase complex associated with mammalian adaptation and virulence. Our observations indicate that high viral load, and the resulting intense inflammatory responses, are central to influenza H5N1 pathogenesis. The focus of clinical management should be on preventing this intense cytokine response, by early diagnosis and effective antiviral treatment.     

A synthetic de-greening gene circuit provides a reporting system that is remotely detectable and has a re-set capacity

Plants have evolved elegant mechanisms to continuously sense and respond to their environment, suggesting that these properties can be adapted to make inexpensive and widely used biological monitors, or sentinels, for human threats. For a plant to be a sentinel, a reporting system is needed for large areas and widespread monitoring. The reporter or readout mechanism must be easily detectable, allow remote monitoring and provide a re-set capacity; all current gene reporting technologies fall short of these requirements. Chlorophyll is one of the best-recognized plant pigments with an already well-developed remote imaging technology. However, chlorophyll is very abundant, with levels regulated by both genetic and environmental factors. We designed a synthetic de-greening circuit that produced rapid chlorophyll loss on perception of a specific input. With induction of the de-greening circuit, changes were remotely detected within 2 h. Analyses of multiple de-greening circuits suggested that the de-greening circuit functioned, in part, via light-dependent damage to photosystem cores and the production of reactive oxygen species. Within 24–48 h of induction, an easily recognized white phenotype resulted. Microarray analysis showed that the synthetic de-greening initiated a process largely distinct from normal chlorophyll loss in senescence. Remarkably, synthetically de-greened white plants re-greened after removal of the inducer, providing the first easily re-settable reporter system for plants and the capacity to make re-settable biosensors. Our results showed that the de-greening circuit allowed chlorophyll to be employed as a simple but powerful reporter system useful for widespread areas.     

Distinctive influence of two hexafluoro solvents on the structural stabilization of Bombyx mori silk fibroin protein and its derived peptides: 13C NMR and CD studies

Employing high-resolution (13)C solution NMR and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic techniques, the distinctive influence of two intimately related hexafluoro solvents, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and hexafluoroacetone trihydrate (HFA), on the structural characteristics of Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk fibroin, the chymotrypsin precipitate (C(p)) fraction, and two synthetic peptides, (AGSGAG)(5) and (AG)(15), is described. The observed (13)C solution NMR and CD spectra of these polypeptides in HFIP and HFA revealed a distinctive influence on their conformational characteristics. The (13)C NMR spectra, as analyzed from the unique chemical shifts of C(alpha) and C(beta) resonances of constituent residues revealed that fibroin largely assumes helical conformation(s) in both solvents. However, the peak shifts were greater for the samples in HFIP, indicating that the types of helical structure(s) may be different from the one populated in HFA. Similar structural tendencies of these polypeptides were reflected in CD spectra. The observed CD patterns, i.e., a strong positive band at approximately 190 nm and negative bands at approximately 206 and 222 nm, have been attributed to the preponderance of helical structures. Of the two prevalent helical structures, alpha-helix and 3(10)-helix, the evidence emerged for the fibroin protein in favor of 3(10)-helical structure stabilization in HFIP and its significant disruption in HFA, as deduced from the characteristic R1 (=[theta](190)/[theta](202)) and R2 (=[theta](222)/[theta](206)) ratios, determined from the CD data. Conversely, the native polypeptides and synthetic peptide fragments derived from highly crystalline regions of the silk fibroin protein sustained predominantly an unordered structure in HFA solvent.     

Endothelial Ca2+ wavelets and the induction of myoendothelial feedback

When arteries constrict to agonists, the endothelium inversely responds, attenuating the initial vasomotor response. The basis of this feedback mechanism remains uncertain, although past studies suggest a key role for myoendothelial communication in the signaling process. The present study examined whether second messenger flux through myoendothelial gap junctions initiates a negative-feedback response in hamster retractor muscle feed arteries. We specifically hypothesized that when agonists elicit depolarization and a rise in second messenger concentration, inositol trisphosphate (IP(3)) flux activates a discrete pool of IP(3) receptors (IP(3)Rs), elicits localized endothelial Ca(2+) transients, and activates downstream effectors to moderate constriction. With use of integrated experimental techniques, this study provided three sets of supporting observations. Beginning at the functional level, we showed that blocking intermediate-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels (IK) and Ca(2+) mobilization from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) enhanced the contractile/electrical responsiveness of feed arteries to phenylephrine. Next, structural analysis confirmed that endothelial projections make contact with the overlying smooth muscle. These projections retained membranous ER networks, and IP(3)Rs and IK channels localized in or near this structure. Finally, Ca(2+) imaging revealed that phenylephrine induced discrete endothelial Ca(2+) events through IP(3)R activation. These events were termed recruitable Ca(2+) wavelets on the basis of their spatiotemporal characteristics. From these findings, we conclude that IP(3) flux across myoendothelial gap junctions is sufficient to induce focal Ca(2+) release from IP(3)Rs and activate a discrete pool of IK channels within or near endothelial projections. The resulting hyperpolarization feeds back on smooth muscle to moderate agonist-induced depolarization and constriction.     

Modeling sickle hemoglobin fibers as one chain of coarse-grained particles

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by a single point mutation in the beta-chain hemoglobin gene, resulting in the presence of abnormal hemoglobin S (HbS) in the patients' red blood cells (RBCs). In the deoxygenated state, the defective hemoglobin tetramers polymerize forming stiff fibers which distort the cell and contribute to changes in its biomechanical properties. Because the HbS fibers are essential in the formation of the sickle RBC, their material properties draw significant research interests. Here, a solvent-free coarse-grain molecular dynamics (CGMD) model is introduced to simulate single HbS fibers as a chain of particles. First, we show that the proposed model is able to efficiently simulate the mechanical behavior of single HbS fibers. Then, the zippering process between two HbS fibers is studied and the effect of depletion forces is investigated. Simulation results illustrate that depletion forces play a role comparable to direct fiber-fiber interaction via Van der Waals forces. This proposed model can greatly facilitate studies on HbS polymerization, fiber bundle and gel formation as well as interaction between HbS fiber bundles and the RBC membrane.     

The N-terminal domain of Rpn4 serves as a portable ubiquitin-independent degron and is recognized by specific 19S RP subunits

The number of proteasomal substrates that are degraded without prior ubiquitylation continues to grow. However, it remains poorly understood how the proteasome recognizes substrates lacking a ubiquitin (Ub) signal. Here we demonstrated that the Ub-independent degradation of Rpn4 requires the 19S regulatory particle (RP). The Ub-independent degron of Rpn4 was mapped to an N-terminal region including the first 80 residues. Inspection of its amino acid sequence revealed that the Ub-independent degron of Rpn4 consists of an intrinsically disordered domain followed by a folded segment. Using a photo-crosslinking-label transfer method, we captured three 19S RP subunits (Rpt1, Rpn2 and Rpn5) that bind the Ub-independent degron of Rpn4. This is the first time that specific 19S RP subunits have been identified interacting with a Ub-independent degron. This study provides insight into the mechanism by which Ub-independent substrates are recruited to the 26S proteasome.     

Solution structure of kurtoxin: a gating modifier selective for Cav3 voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels

Kurtoxin is a 63-amino acid polypeptide isolated from the venom of the South African scorpion Parabuthus transvaalicus. It is the first and only peptide ligand known to interact with Cav3 (T-type) voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels with high affinity and to modify the voltage-dependent gating of these channels. Here we describe the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) solution structure of kurtoxin determined using two- and three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy with dynamical simulated annealing calculations. The molecular structure of the toxin was highly similar to those of scorpion α-toxins and contained an α-helix, three β-strands, and several turns stabilized by four disulfide bonds. This so-called "cysteine-stabilized α-helix and β-sheet (CSαβ)" motif is found in a number of functionally varied small proteins. A detailed comparison of the backbone structure of kurtoxin with those of the scorpion α-toxins revealed that three regions [first long loop (Asp(8)-Ile(15)), β-hairpin loop (Gly(39)-Leu(42)), and C-terminal segment (Arg(57)-Ala(63))] in kurtoxin significantly differ from the corresponding regions in scorpion α-toxins, suggesting that these regions may be important for interacting with Cav3 (T-type) Ca(2+) channels. In addition, the surface profile of kurtoxin shows a larger and more focused electropositive patch along with a larger hydrophobic surface compared to those seen on scorpion α-toxins. These distinct surface properties of kurtoxin could explain its binding to Cav3 (T-type) voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels.