Role of melanin in the pathogenesis of cutaneous sporotrichosis

In this study, we evaluate the clinical, histopathological and ultra structural aspects of the infection by field strain (MEL⁺) and mutated strain (MEL^?) of Sporothrix schenckii. The development of sporotrichosis at the inoculation sites was similar for both groups of animals after the second week of the experimental period. Statistical differences appeared only at weeks 3 and 5. The pigmented isolate had greater tissue invasive capacity, promoting the formation of multifocal granulomas, whereas the albino isolate induced an enhanced inflammatory response, restraining the agent to the core of the granulomas.     

Effects of the New Arginase Inhibitor N-Hydroxy-nor- -Arginine on NO Synthase Activity in Murine Macrophages

In stimulated murine macrophage, arginase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) compete for their common substrate, -arginine. The objectives of this study were (i) to test the new α-amino acid N^ω-hydroxy-nor- -arginine (nor-NOHA) as a new selective arginase inhibitor and (ii) to elucidate the effects of arginase inhibition on -arginine utilization by an inducible NOS. Nor-NOHA is about 40-fold more potent than N^ω-hydroxy- -arginine (NOHA), an intermediate in the -arginine/NO pathway, to inhibit the hydrolysis of -arginine to -ornithine catalyzed by unstimulated murine macrophages (IC₅₀ values 12 ± 5 and 400 ± 50 μM, respectively). Stimulation of murine macrophages with interferon-γ and lipopolysaccharide (IFN-γ + LPS) results in clear expression of an inducible NOS (iNOS) and to an increase in arginase activity. Nor-NOHA is also a potent inhibitor of arginase in IFN-γ + LPS-stimulated macrophage (IC₅₀ value 10 ± 3 μM). In contrast to NOHA, nor-NOHA is neither a substrate nor an inhibitor for iNOS and it appears as a useful tool to study the interplays between arginase and NOS. Inhibition of arginase by nor-NOHA increases nitrite and -citrulline accumulation for incubation times higher than 12 h, under our conditions. Our results allow the determination of the kinetic parameters of the two competitive pathways and the proposal of a simple model which readily explains the differences observed between experiments. This model readily accounts for the observed effects and should be useful to predict the consequences of arginase inhibition in the presence of an active NOS on -arginine availability.     

Identification and characterization of a novel siglec, siglec-7, expressed by human natural killer cells and monocytes

We describe the characterization of sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin-7 (siglec-7), a novel member of the siglec subgroup of the immunoglobulin superfamily. A full-length cDNA encoding siglec-7 was isolated from a human primary dendritic cell cDNA library. Siglec-7 is predicted to contain three extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains that comprise an N-terminal V-set domain and two C2-set domains, a transmembrane region and a cytoplasmic tail containing two tyrosine residues embodied in immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif-like motifs. Overall, siglec-7 exhibited a high degree of sequence similarity to genes encoding CD33 (siglec-3), siglec-5, OBBP1/siglec-6, and OBBP-like protein and mapped to the same region on chromosome 19q13.3. When siglec-7 was expressed on COS or Chinese hamster ovary cells, it was able to mediate high levels of sialic acid-dependent binding to human erythrocytes and soluble sialoglycoconjugates, suggesting that it may be involved in cell-cell interactions. Among human peripheral blood leukocytes, siglec-7 was found to be present at low levels on granulocytes, intermediate levels on monocytes, and relatively high levels on a major subset of natural killer cells and a minor subset of CD8(+) T cells. Immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that siglec-7 is expressed as a monomer of approximately 65 kDa.     

Reactive oxygen species generation and antioxidant systems in plant mitochondria

In living cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in signaling but these compounds can also damage macromolecules. As in other compartments, the mitochondrial ROS concentrations need to be tightly controlled. Plant mitochondria contain several antioxidant systems that are not only able to scavenge ROS and limit their production but also to repair damages to macromolecules and possibly to serve as redox sensors. They comprise ascorbate- and glutathione-dependent pathways as well as systems based on thioredoxin (TRX)- and glutaredoxin (GRX)-like molecules. This review describes the various mitochondrial redox pathways for ROS control in plants with special emphasis on the poorly studied GRX and TRX systems and provides perspectives for future research in this area.     

PLD2 is enriched on exosomes and its activity is correlated to the release of exosomes

Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by different immune cells and which display anti-tumoral properties. Stimulation of RBL-2H3 cells with ionomycin triggered phospholipase D2 (PLD2) translocation from plasma membrane to intracellular compartments and the release of exosomes. Although exosomes carry the two isoforms of PLD, PLD2 was enriched and specifically sorted on exosomes when overexpressed in cells. PLD activity present on exosomes was clearly increased following PLD2 overexpression. PLD2 activity in cells was correlated to the amount of exosome released, as measured by FACS. Therefore, the present work indicates that exosomes can vehicle signaling enzymes.     

Fcgamma receptor-like activity of hepatitis C virus core protein

We have previously demonstrated that viral particles with the properties of nonenveloped hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleocapsids occur in the serum of HCV-infected individuals (1). We show here that nucleocapsids purified directly from serum or isolated from HCV virions have FcgammaR-like activity and bind "nonimmune" IgG via its Fcgamma domain. HCV core proteins produced in Escherichia coli and in the baculovirus expression system also bound "nonimmune" IgG and their Fcgamma fragments. Folded conformation was required for IgG binding because the FcgammaR-like site of the core protein was inactive in denaturing conditions. Studies with synthetic core peptides showed that the region spanning amino acids 3-75 was essential for formation of the IgG-binding site. The interaction between the HCV core and human IgG is more efficient in acidic (pH 6.0) than in neutral conditions. The core protein-binding site on the IgG molecule differs from those for C1q, FcgammaRII (CD32), and FcgammaRIII (CD16) but overlaps with that for soluble protein A from Staphylococcus aureus (SpA), which is located in the CH2-CH3 interface of IgG. These characteristics of the core-IgG interaction are very similar to those of the neonatal FcRn. Surface plasmon resonance studies suggested that the binding of an anti-core antibody to HCV core protein might be "bipolar" through its paratope to the corresponding epitope and by its Fcgamma region to the FcgammaR-like motif on this protein. These features of HCV nucleocapsids and HCV core protein may confer an advantage for HCV in terms of survival by interfering with host defense mechanisms mediated by the Fcgamma part of IgG.     

Crucial role of neuron-enriched endosomal protein of 21 kDa in sorting between degradation and recycling of internalized G-protein-coupled receptors

Recycling of endocytosed G-protein-coupled receptors involves a series of molecular events through early and recycling endosomes. The purpose of this work was to study the role of neuron-enriched endosomal protein of 21 kDa (NEEP21) in the recycling process of neurotensin receptors-1 and -2. Here we showed that suppression of NEEP21 expression does not modify the internalization rate of both receptors but strongly inhibited the recycling of the neurotensin receptor-2. In contrast, overexpression of NEEP21 changes the behavior of the neurotensin receptor-1 from a non-recycling to a recycling state. Recycling of the neurotensin receptor-2 involves both the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the recycling endosome pathways, whereas recycling of the neurotensin receptor-1 induced by overexpression of NEEP21 only occurs by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent pathway. Taken together, these results confirm the essential role of NEEP21 in the recycling mechanism and show that this protein acts at the level of early endosomes to promote sorting of receptors toward a recycling pathway.     

Adaptation of ghrelin levels to limit body weight gain in the obese Zucker rat

In this study, we measured the ghrelin, leptin, and insulin variations in lean and obese Zucker fa/fa rats during the acute phase of body weight gain. At 2 months of age, plasma insulin and leptin concentrations in fa/fa rats were, respectively, 470% and 3700% higher than in lean rats (p <0.0001). Plasma ghrelin was significantly lower (-24.6%; p <0.02) than in lean rats. At 6 months of age, ghrelin increased in both genotypes but the difference was no more significant. The inverse correlations existing between ghrelin and either body weight (BW), insulin or leptin at 2 months of age were no more observable in 6-month-old rats. At 6 months of age, the lean rats had the same body weight as the 2-month-old obese rats. In these body weight-matched rats, ghrelin was not correlated with BW but it remained negatively correlated with insulin and leptin. At the same body weight, obese rats had a much lower plasma ghrelin than lean rats (717+/-42 vs. 1754+/-83 pg/ml; p <0.0001). These data indicate that body composition rather than body weight is the primary factor for the down-regulation of the ghrelin system. This down-regulation constitutes a mechanism of defense of the organism against the development of obesity at least during the first part of life.