Cannabinoids Regulate Bcl-2 and Cyclin D2 Expression in Pancreatic β Cells

Recent reports have shown that cannabinoid 1 receptors (CB1Rs) are expressed in pancreatic β cells, where they induce cell death and cell cycle arrest by directly inhibiting insulin receptor activation. Here, we report that CB1Rs regulate the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and cell cycle regulator cyclin D2 in pancreatic β cells. Treatment of MIN6 and βTC6 cells with a synthetic CB1R agonist, WIN55,212–2, led to a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 and cyclin D2, in turn inducing cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. Additionally, genetic deletion and pharmacological blockade of CB1Rs after injury in mice led to increased levels of Bcl-2 and cyclin D2 in pancreatic β cells. These findings provide evidence for the involvement of Bcl-2 and cyclin D2 mediated by CB1Rs in the regulation of β-cell survival and growth, and will serve as a basis for developing new therapeutic interventions to enhance β-cell function and growth in diabetes.     

The metabolism of deoxyguanosine and guanosine in human B and T lymphoblasts. A role for deoxyguanosine kinase activity in the selective T-cell defect associated with purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (NP; EC 2.4.2.1) deficiency is associated with defective T-cell and normal B-cell immunity. Biochemical mechanisms were investigated by measuring deoxyguanosine and guanosine metabolism in normal T and B lymphoblasts and NP-deficient B lymphoblasts. Deoxyguanosine kinase activity was specifically measured by using an anti-NP antibody to prevent alternative-product formation. Kinase activity towards deoxyguanosine was significantly higher in T-cells, whereas NP activity was similar in both B- and T-cells. Only in T-cells was dGTP produced from exogenous deoxyguanosine, and this was prevented by the simultaneous addition of deoxycytidine, which resulted in a concomitant increase in GTP synthesis. Inhibition by 8-aminoguanosine of NP activity in T lymphoblasts increased formation of dGTP and decreased that of GTP from deoxyguanosine and decreased the formation of GTP from guanosine. These data suggest a central role for deoxyguanosine kinase activity in the T-cell selectivity of the immune defect.     

Effect of different strains of newcastle disease and fowl-plague viruses on a group of sulphonphthalein dyes

Summary Strains of fowl-plague or Newcastle disease viruses may be easily separated by examining the rate of discharge of certain dyes of the sulphonphthalein group when inoculated with each virus strain into the allantoic fluid of chick embryos.     

Telomeres and seed banks

We have found that a progressive loss of telomeric sequences occurs in high molecular weight DNA with an increasing appearance at a low molecular weight as the period of storage in the dry state was extended in time to provide seed germination loss from 98 to 0%. Telomere distribution would appear to follow the general pattern of DNA random fragmentation, which occurs in the embryos of seeds stored in a dry state; however, there are also indications of an overall telomere loss from DNA as a consequence of storage. There is a need for a convenient quality marker for the seeds that can be monitored over time. Having reviewed the implications of our results very carefully, we believe that there is considerable potential for the use of telomere sequences to mark the embryo ageing of seeds held in seed banks. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

p53 Induction by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Involvement of p53 in Cell Death of Human Oligodendrocytes

Oligodendrocytes (OLs) and their myelin membranes are the primary targets in the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS). The inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been implicated as a mediator of OL cell injury. TNF-alpha is detectable within MS lesions and induces apoptosis of mature human OLs in vitro. One possible mechanism by which TNF-alpha mediates cell death is through the activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). We have previously shown that treatment of human OLs with TNF-alpha leads to activation of JNK. Here we provide evidence that p53, a regulator of the cell cycle and apoptosis, is a mediator of TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis of OLs. Although p53 was undetectable by western blot analysis in adult human OLs, its levels increased within 24 h after TNF-alpha treatment (100 ng/ml). The induced p53 was immunolocalized to the nucleus prior to the appearance of significant numbers of apoptotic cells. Overexpression of p53 by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer into human OLs in vitro resulted in marked apoptosis as revealed by in situ cleavage of DNA (TUNEL positive), decreased mitochondrial function, and release of lactate dehydrogenase into the culture medium. These in vitro studies demonstrate that increased p53 levels are associated with apoptosis of human OLs. The findings further implicate p53 as a target for the JNK pathway activated during TNF-alpha-mediated cell death of human adult OLs.