Spatiotemporal expression pattern of an encephalopsin orthologue of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus during early development,and its potential role in larval vertical migration

We have cloned and studied Hp‐ECPN, an encephalopsin orthologue of the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. Hp‐ecpn cDNA was produced and found to contain a 1461‐bp open reading frame that encodes 486 amino acids. Accumulation of Hp‐ecpn mRNA and protein expression occurred at the 14 h postfertilization (hpf) swimming blastula stage and thereafter. The Hp‐ECPN protein was N‐glycosylated, and the amino acid sequence was similar to that of vertebrate encephalopsins. Whole‐mount immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of Hp‐ECPN in cells (ECPN cells) that appeared initially around the tip of the archenteron in 20 hpf early gastrulae. By the 54 hpf pluteus stage, ECPN cells had spread through the aboral ectoderm, and, by the eight‐arm pluteus stage, were restricted to the tips of the larval arms and the posterior end of the body. The number of ECPN cells increased under conditions of continuous light, but decreased under continuous dark. Knockdown of Hp‐ecpn mRNA using morpholino antisense oligonucleotides decreased the number of ECPN cells considerably, and inhibited the vertical swimming of the larvae. This suggested that Hp‐ECPN plays a role in photosensitive larval swimming vertical migration. In adult tissues, the ECPN cells were detected exclusively in tube feet.     

Glutamate-354 of the CP43 polypeptide interacts with the oxygen-evolving Mn4Ca cluster of photosystem II: a preliminary characterization of the Glu354Gln mutant

In the recent X-ray crystallographic structural models of photosystem II, Glu354 of the CP43 polypeptide is assigned as a ligand of the O2-evolving Mn4Ca cluster. In this communication, a preliminary characterization of the CP43-Glu354Gln mutant of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is presented. The steady-state rate of O2 evolution in the mutant cells is only approximately 20% compared with the wild-type, but the kinetics of O2 release are essentially unchanged and the O2-flash yields show normal period-four oscillations, albeit with lower overall intensity. Purified PSII particles exhibit an essentially normal S2 state multiline electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal, but exhibit a substantially altered S2-minus-S1 Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectrum. The intensities of the mutant EPR and FTIR difference spectra (above 75% compared with wild-type) are much greater than the O2 signals and suggest that CP43-Glu354Gln PSII reaction centres are heterogeneous, with a minority fraction able to evolve O2 with normal O2 release kinetics and a majority fraction unable to advance beyond the S2 or S3 states. The S2-minus-S1 FTIR difference spectrum of CP43-Glu354Gln PSII particles is altered in both the symmetric and asymmetric carboxylate stretching regions, implying either that CP43-Glu354 is exquisitely sensitive to the increased charge that develops on the Mn4Ca cluster during the S1-->S2 transition or that the CP43-Glu354Gln mutation changes the distribution of Mn(III) and Mn(IV) oxidation states within the Mn4Ca cluster in the S1 and/or S2 states.     

Roles of cAMP in regulating microtubule sliding and flagellar bending in demembranated hamster spermatozoa

To understand the mechanism regulating spermatozoa motility, it is important to investigate the mechanism regulating the conversion of microtubule sliding into flagellar bending. Therefore, we analyzed microtubule sliding and its conversion into flagellar bending using a demembranated spermatozoa model in which microtubule sliding and flagellar bending could be analyzed separately by treating the demembranated spermatozoa with and without dithiothreitol, respectively. Using this model, we examined the roles of cAMP and its target molecules in regulating flagellar bending and microtubule sliding. Although flagellar bending did not occur in the absence of cAMP, microtubule extrusion occurred without it, suggesting that cAMP is necessary for the conversion of microtubule sliding into flagellar bending, but not for microtubule sliding itself. The target of cAMP for regulating flagellar bending was not cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), since flagellar bending was still observed in the spermatozoa treated with a PKA-specific inhibitor. Alternatively, the Epac/Rap pathway may be the target. Epac2 and Rap2 were detected in hamster spermatozoa using immunoblotting. Since Rap2 is a GTPase, we investigated the flagellar bending of demembranated spermatozoa treated with GTPgammaS. The treatment markedly increased the beat frequency and bending rate. These results suggest that cAMP activates the Epac/Rap pathway to regulate the conversion of microtubule sliding into flagellar bending.     

Emission payback periods for increased residential insulation using marginal electricity modeling: a life cycle approach

Purpose

Increases in residential insulation can reduce energy consumption and corresponding life cycle emissions, but with increased manufacturing and transportation of insulation and the associated impacts. In this study, we conducted life cycle analyses of residential insulation and estimated payback periods for carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions, using modeling techniques that account for regional variability in climate, fuel utilization, and marginal power plant emissions.

Methods

We simulated the increased production of insulation and energy savings if all single-family homes in the USA increased insulation levels to the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code, using an energy simulation model (EnergyPlus) applied to a representative set of home templates. We estimated hourly marginal changes in electricity production and emissions using the Avoided Emissions and Generation Tool (AVERT), and we estimated emissions related to direct residential combustion. We determined changes in upstream emissions for both insulation and energy using openLCA and ecoinvent. Payback periods were estimated by pollutant and region. In sensitivity analyses, we considered the importance of marginal versus average power plant emissions, transportation emissions, emission factors for fiberglass insulation, and sensitivity of emission factors to the magnitude of electricity reduction.

Results and discussion

Combining the life cycle emissions associated with both increased insulation manufacturing and decreased energy consumption, the payback period for increased residential insulation is 1.9 years for CO₂ (regional range 1.4–2.9), 2.5 years for NOx (regional range 1.8–3.9), and 2.7 years for SO₂ (regional range 1.9–4.8). For insulation, transportation emissions are limited in comparison with manufacturing emissions. Emission benefits displayed strong regional patterns consistent with relative demands for heating versus cooling and the dominant fuels used. Payback periods were generally longer using average instead of marginal emissions and were insensitive to the magnitude of electricity savings, which reflects the structure of the intermediate complexity electricity dispatch model.

Conclusions

The life cycle benefits of increased residential insulation greatly exceed the adverse impacts related to increased production across all regions, given insulation lifetimes of multiple decades. The strong regionality in benefits and the influence of a marginal modeling approach reinforce the importance of site-specific attributes and time-dynamic modeling within LCA.

     

1H-nmr studies on the dinucleoside monophosphates containing 2′-halogeno-2′-deoxypurinenucleosides: Effects of 2′-substitutes on conformation

Seven dinucleoside monophosphates containing 2′-halogeno-2′-deoxypurine nucleoside residue, dAfl-U, dAcl-U, dAbr-U, dAio-U, dGfl-U, and dIfl-C, were chemically synthesized and investigated by ¹H-nmr spectroscopy at 300 MHz. The sugar and backbone conformations of these compounds were analyzed by the spectral pattern of furanose proton resonances; and the extents of base-base interaction were estimated from chemical shifts and their temperature-dependent changes of base-proton resonances. It is found that the population of C_3′-endo conformer and the extent of base-base interaction decrease as the electronegativity of 2′-substituent decreases in dAx-U (x = fl, cl, br, and io) series. The C_3′-endo (³E) population and the base-base interaction in Nfl-U (N = A,G)-type dimers as well as dIfl-C are relatively higher than the corresponding natural ribo-dimers but can be recognized as grossly similar to the conformation of regular RNA dimers.     

Pyrazolecarboxylic acid derivative induces systemic acquired resistance in tobacco

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a potent innate immunity system in plants that is induced through asalicylic acid (SA)-mediated pathway. Here, we characterized 3-chloro-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxylic acid (CMPA) as an effective SAR inducer in tobacco. Soil drench application of CMPA induced PR gene expression and a broad range of disease resistance without antibacterial activity in tobacco. Both analysis of CMPA's effects on NahG transgenic tobacco plants and SA measurement in wild-type plants indicated that CMPA-induced resistance enhancement does not require SA. Therefore, it is suggested that CMPA induces SAR by triggering the signaling at the same level as or downstream of SA accumulation as do both benzo(1,2,3)thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester and N-cyanomethyl-2-chloroisonicotinamide.     

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha is a central regulator of bile acid conjugation

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) has an important role in regulating the expression of liver-specific genes. Because bile acids are produced from cholesterol in liver and many enzymes involved in their biosynthesis are preferentially expressed in liver, the role of HNF4alpha in the regulation of bile acid production was examined. In mice, unconjugated bile acids are conjugated with taurine by the liver-specific enzymes, bile acid-CoA ligase and bile acid-CoA:amino acid N-acyltransferase (BAT). Mice lacking hepatic HNF4alpha expression exhibited markedly decreased expression of the very long chain acyl-CoA synthase-related gene (VLACSR), a mouse candidate for bile acid-CoA ligase, and BAT. This was associated with markedly elevated levels of unconjugated and glycine-conjugated bile acids in gallbladder. HNF4alpha was found to bind directly to the mouse VLACSR and BAT gene promoters, and the promoter activities were dependent on HNF4alpha-binding sites and HNF4alpha expression. In conclusion, HNF4alpha plays a central role in bile acid conjugation by direct regulation of VLACSR and BAT in vivo.     

Estimating immunoregulatory gene networks in human herpesvirus type 6-infected T cells

The immune response to viral infection involves complex network of dynamic gene and protein interactions. We present here the dynamic gene network of the host immune response during human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) infection in an adult T-cell leukemia cell line. Using a pathway-focused oligonucleotide DNA microarray, we found a possible association between chemokine genes regulating Th1/Th2 balance and genes regulating T-cell proliferation during HHV-6B infection. Gene network analysis using an integrated comprehensive workbench, VoyaGene, revealed that a gene encoding a TEC-family kinase, ITK, might be a putative modulator in the host immune response against HHV-6B infection. We conclude that Th2-dominated inflammatory reaction in host cells may play an important role in HHV-6B-infected T cells, thereby suggesting the possibility that ITK might be a therapeutic target in diseases related to dysregulation of Th1/Th2 balance. This study describes a novel approach to find genes related with the complex host-virus interaction using microarray data employing the Bayesian statistical framework.     

Phos-tag-based approach to study protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane

Protein phosphorylation is a fundamental post-translational modification in all organisms. In photoautotrophic organisms, protein phosphorylation is essential for the fine-tuning of photosynthesis. The reversible phosphorylation of the photosystem II (PSII) core and the light-harvesting complex of PSII (LHCII) contribute to the regulation of photosynthetic activities. Besides the phosphorylation of these major proteins, recent phosphoproteomic analyses have revealed that several proteins are phosphorylated in the thylakoid membrane. In this study, we utilized the Phos-tag technology for a comprehensive assessment of protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane of Arabidopsis. Phos-tag SDS-PAGE enables the mobility shift of phosphorylated proteins compared with their non-phosphorylated isoform, thus differentiating phosphorylated proteins from their non-phosphorylated isoforms. We extrapolated this technique to two-dimensional (2D) SDS-PAGE for detecting protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane. Thylakoid proteins were separated in the first dimension by conventional SDS-PAGE and in the second dimension by Phos-tag SDS-PAGE. In addition to the isolation of major phosphorylated photosynthesis-related proteins, 2D Phos-tag SDS-PAGE enabled the detection of several minor phosphorylated proteins in the thylakoid membrane. The analysis of the thylakoid kinase mutants demonstrated that light-dependent protein phosphorylation was mainly restricted to the phosphorylation of the PSII core and LHCII proteins. Furthermore, we assessed the phosphorylation states of the structural domains of the thylakoid membrane, grana core, grana margin, and stroma lamella. Overall, these results demonstrated that Phos-tag SDS-PAGE is a useful biochemical tool for studying in vivo protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane protein.