Cultivation and characterization of planarian neuronal cells isolated by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS)

Studies using molecular markers have revealed that planarians possess a highly organized brain. Here we separated brain neurons from dissociated planarian head cells by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), and characterized them by single cell PCR analysis and cell culture. Dissociated cells were labeled with three different fluorescent dyes, Hoechst 33258, Merocyanine 540, and Propidium Iodide (PI), and fractioned by FACS. Interestingly, we have succeeded in identifying a cell fraction specific to the head, which we have named the head-abundant cell fraction (HAC). Most of the HAC expressed neuron-specific genes and proteins. When they were cultured in vitro, they showed an ability to extend neurites on several types of extracellular matrices (ECMs), and, depending on the ECM type used, presented a high level of plasticity in morphology and gene expression.     

Structural studies on IgG oligosaccharides of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease, and some patients have been found to have SS complicated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in which IgG is known to carry abnormal N-linked oligosaccharides. In order to investigate the relationship between SS and RA, the structures of N-linked oligosaccharides of IgG from 12 primary SS patients without RA, 9 RA patients, and 8 healthy individuals were analyzed using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, in combination with sequential exoglycosidase treatment and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. All of the IgG samples obtained from primary SS patients, RA patients, and healthy individuals contained the same series of biantennary complex-type oligosaccharides, but the ratio of each oligosaccharide differed among these 3 groups. The incidence of galactose-lacking N-linked oligosaccharides obtained from the IgG of RA patients was significantly higher than that from healthy individuals, but that from the serum IgG of primary SS patients varied among individuals. The patients with primary SS were classified into two groups based on the galactosylation levels of IgG oligosaccharides; one group exhibits galactosylation levels as low as those of RA patients and another exhibits levels similar to those of healthy individuals. Measurement of levels of rheumatoid factor (RF) revealed that primary SS patients with a high incidence of RF belonged to the low galactosylation group, as did RA patients. These results suggest that appearance of IgG carrying abnormal N-linked oligosaccharides in primary SS may be related to future complication with RA.     

Inhibition of phosphorylation of BAD and Raf-1 by Akt sensitizes human ovarian cancer cells to paclitaxel

We studied the roles of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K)-Akt-BAD cascade, ERK-BAD cascade, and Akt-Raf-1 cascade in the paclitaxel-resistant SW626 human ovarian cancer cell line, which lacks functional p53. Treatment of SW626 cells with paclitaxel activates Akt and ERK with different time frames. Interference with the Akt cascade either by treatment with PI-3K inhibitor (wortmannin or LY294002) or by exogenous expression of a dominant negative Akt in SW626 cells caused decreased cell viability following treatment with paclitaxel. Interference with the ERK cascade by treatment with an MEK inhibitor, PD98059, in SW626 cells also caused decreased cell viability following treatment with paclitaxel. Treatment of cells with paclitaxel also stimulated the phosphorylation of BAD at both the Ser-112 and Ser-136 sites. The phosphorylation of BAD at Ser-136 was blocked by treatment with wortmannin or cotransfection with the dominant negative Akt. On the other hand, the phosphorylation of BAD at Ser-112 was blocked by PD98059. We further examined the role of BAD in the viability following paclitaxel treatment using BAD mutants. Exogenous expression of doubly substituted BAD2SA in SW626 cells caused decreased viability following treatment with paclitaxel. Moreover, because paclitaxel-induced apoptosis is mediated by activated Raf-1 and the region surrounding Ser-259 in Raf-1 conforms to a consensus sequence for phosphorylation by Akt, the regulation of Raf-1 by Akt was examined. We demonstrated an association between Akt and Raf-1 and showed that the phosphorylation of Raf-1 on Ser-259 induced by paclitaxel was blocked by treatment with wortmannin or LY294002. Furthermore, interference with the Akt cascade induced by paclitaxel up-regulated Raf-1 activity, and expression of constitutively active Akt inhibited Raf-1 activity, suggesting that Akt negatively regulates Raf-1. Our findings suggest that paclitaxel induces the phosphorylation of BAD Ser-112 via the ERK cascade, and the phosphorylation of both BAD Ser-136 and Raf-1 Ser-259 via the PI-3K-Akt cascade, and that inhibition of either of these cascades sensitizes ovarian cancer cells to paclitaxel.     

Type XXVI collagen,a new member of the collagen family,is specifically expressed in the testis and ovary

HSP47 is a collagen-specific molecular chaperone that specifically recognizes and binds to the triple helical domain of various types of collagens. Here we report the cloning of the entire coding region of a novel collagen-like protein by yeast two-hybrid screening of a 17.5-day whole mouse embryo cDNA library using HSP47 as a bait. The cDNA of this protein and its deduced amino acid sequence are 2,690 bp and 438 amino acids long, respectively. The protein contains two clusters of Gly-X-Y collagenous repeats and three noncollagenous domains. Northern blot analysis showed that its mRNA is specifically expressed in the testis and ovary in adult tissues and that expression in these tissues is highest in the neonate. Biochemical characterization of this protein revealed that its proline residues are hydroxylated, it undergoes N-linked glycosylation, it forms trimers, and it is secreted in vitro. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the myoid cells and the pre-theca cells synthesized it in the testis and ovary, respectively, resulting in the accumulation of this protein in the extracellular spaces of these organs. These observations suggest that this protein is a new member of the collagen protein family. We thus designated this protein as type XXVI collagen.     

U0126 and PD98059, specific inhibitors of MEK,accelerate differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclast-like cells

Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells that differentiate from hematopoietic cells and possess characteristics responsible for bone resorption. To study the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in osteoclastogenesis of the murine monocytic cell line RAW264.7, which can differentiate into osteoclast-like cells in the presence of the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL), we treated the cells with specific inhibitors of p38 MAPK, PD169316 and SB203580, and specific inhibitors of MAPK extracellular signaling-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK), U0126 and PD98059. Each inhibitor blocked differentiation into osteoclast-like cells when the cells were plated at the standard cell density (2000-4000 cells per well (96-well)). However, the effect of MEK inhibitors on osteoclastogenesis varied according to the initial cell density during culture, because cell growth was clearly inhibited by them. When the cells were plated at more than 8000 cells per well, marked enhancement and acceleration of the differentiation were observed. In addition, immunoblot analysis revealed that phosphorylation of ERK was increased by treatment with the p38 inhibitors, whereas the MEK inhibitors increased phosphorylation of p38, which implies a seesaw-like balance between ERK and p38 phosphorylation. We suggest that osteoclastogenesis is regulated under a balance between ERK and p38 pathways and that the MEK/ERK pathway negatively regulates osteoclastogenesis while the p38 pathway does so positively. This is the first report that an inhibitor of signal transduction enhanced osteoclastogenesis.     

Cloning of a novel rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) CC chemokine with a fractalkine-like stalk and a TNF decoy receptor using cDNA fragments containing AU-rich elements

An activation-specific cDNA library was made from phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-activated haematopoietic cells of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using the technique of suppression subtractive hybridization. Several immune system genes were identified, including an interleukin (IL)1 receptor related protein and two invariant chain-like proteins. Many clones showed no similarity by BLAST search, but had AU-rich elements. These fragments were labelled and used for hybridization with a PHA-activated head kidney cDNA library. Several immune system genes were isolated by this technique, including a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) decoy receptor and a novel chemokine, designated trout chemokine 2. The TNF receptor is 285 amino acids in length and is 32-36% identical to a brook trout and human homologue. The CC chemokine is 44% identical at the amino acid level to a carp CC chemokine and approximately 20% identical to several mammalian CC chemokines. However, it has a 91 amino acid stalk-like structure at its COOH end, which is similar to the glycosylated stalk of fractalkine, a mammalian CX(3)C chemokine. In summary, AU-rich fragments obtained from an activation-specific library proved useful as hybridization probes for isolating trout immune system genes.     

Retinoic acid differently affects the formation of palps and surrounding neurons in the ascidian tadpole

The anterior-most surface of the ascidian tadpole larvae is composed of specialized complex structures, including adhesive organs (palps) and the surrounding sensory neurons (RTENs) connected to neurons inside the palps. These are derived from a-line blastomeres by inductive effects from A-line blastomeres. The induction is reported to coordinate the expression of homeobox genes in the anterior epidermis, which can be affected by all- trans retinoic acid (RA). RA treatment also results in failure of the morphological formation of palps. Here we first isolated a gene intensely expressed in the cells of the anterior structure from the time of their lineage restriction, and then found that the RA treatment did not affect the specific gene expression in the presumptive palp cells but did affect that in the RTENs. These results suggest that the palp formation involves at least two different processes, a RA-insensitive cell-type specification process and a RA-sensitive morphogenetic process. RA treatment also affects the morphogenetic process of the palp formation and also disturbs the precise patterning of the surrounding epidermis, which may contribute to the regulation of RTEN development.