脱氢紫堇碱对正常和低氧豚鼠心肌细胞内钙的影响

目的 :探讨脱氢紫堇碱 (dehydeocorydaline,DHC)及维拉帕米 (verapamil,Ver)对豚鼠心肌细胞内游离钙浓度([Ca2 + ] i)变化的影响。方法 :采用离体豚鼠心脏Langendorff法灌注 ,用荧光指示剂方法 (Fure 2 /AM)标记心肌([Ca2 + ] i)变化。观察低氧后心肌 [Ca2 + ] i 的变化。结果 :①正常氧状态心肌 [Ca2 + ] i 均值为 (1 2 0 .5± 8.3)nmol/L(n =2 0 ) ;②正常氧条件下 ,DHC、Ver均使心肌 [Ca2 + ] i 明显下降。 (3)低氧状态下 ,心肌 [Ca2 + ] i 增加与缺氧时间(程度 )直线相关 (r=0 .98)。④DHC对低氧后心肌 [Ca2 + ] i 增加明显减缓。结论 :DHC在正常氧、低氧条件下阻止心肌细胞内钙超载 ,我们认为DHC可能提高心肌细胞的自我保护作用     

β3受体激动剂对培养的大鼠心肌细胞搏动频率和细胞内环-磷酸腺苷水平的影响

目的：观察β3受体激动剂(BRL-37344)对培养的大鼠心肌细胞搏动频率和细胞内环-磷酸腺苷(cAMP)水平的影响,以探讨β3受体在心肌细胞中的作用。方法：分离培养乳鼠心肌细胞,随机分为八组：对照组、ISO组、Nadolol ISO组、BRL组、PTX BRL组、L-NAME BRL、Nadolol BRL组和Buprandol BRL组,观察心肌细胞搏动频率,并应用酶联免疫方法测定cAMP含量,逆转录多聚酶链反应(RT-PCR)方法测β3受体mRNA表达。结果：ISO(非选择性β受体激动剂)可显著增加心肌细胞搏动频率和升高cAMP水平,这种作用可被Nadolol(为β1,β2受体抑制剂)阻断。BRL-37344可显著降低心肌细胞搏动频率和cAMP含量,这种作用可被PTX(Gi蛋白抑制剂)和Bupranolol(非选择性β受体阻滞荆)完全阻断,同时可被L-NAME(一氧化氮合酶抑制剂)部分阻断,不受Badolol影响。RT-PCR方法测出心肌细胞中有β3受体mRNA表达。结论：心肌细胞中存在β3受体,它在心肌表现为负性变力作用,β3受体的效应不受β1,β2受体抑制剂影响。心脏β3受体信号途径中可能有Gi蛋白的参与,并且经过一氧化氮合酶途径发挥其作用。     

The in vitro and in vivo effects of anti-galactose antibodies on endothelial cell activation and xenograft rejection

We have previously produced a series of antigalactose (anti-Gal) hybridomas and characterized their heavy chain gene usage. Here we have quantified the affinity of these Abs for the alpha-Gal epitope and characterized their in vitro effects on endothelial cell activation and apoptosis. We report that anti-Gal mAbs derived from Gal(-/-) mice show a range of affinity for the alpha-Gal epitope, and that affinity was generally increased as the V(H) gene usage transitioned from germline sequences to sequences exhibiting somatic maturation. Despite an 85-fold range in affinity, all the anti-Gal mAbs examined induced alpha-Gal-specific endothelial cell activation, and after prolonged exposure induced endothelial cell apoptosis in a complement-independent manner. Only murine anti-Gal mAbs of the IgM or IgG3 subclass, but not IgG1, were effective at initiating complement-dependent cell lysis. Using a novel rat to mouse xenograft model, we examined the in vivo ability of these mAbs to induce xenograft rejection and characterized the rejection using histology and immunohistochemistry. Infusion of complement-fixing IgG3 mAbs resulted in either hyperacute rejection or acute vascular rejection of the xenograft. Surprisingly, infusion of an equal amount of a high affinity anti-Gal IgG1 mAb, that fixed complement poorly also induced a rapid xenograft rejection, which we have labeled very acute rejection. These studies emphasize the importance of in vivo assays, in addition to in vitro assays, in understanding the role of anti-Gal IgG-mediated tissue injury and xenograft rejection.     

OsSET1, a novel SET-domain-containing gene from rice

A novel SET-domain-containing gene OsSET1 was isolated from rice (Oryza sativa L.). Its deduced protein consists of 895 amino acids. OsSET1 has a high degree of structure similarity to other SET-domain-containing genes such as CLF in higher plants and E(z) in animals. RT-PCR showed that the gene expresses throughout the entire plant. A transient expression assay in onion epidermis revealed that the OsSET1 protein is localized in nuclei. Over-expression of the SET domain of OsSET1 in Arabidopsis resulted in altered shoot development at seedling stages.     

Mutations within the ADP (E3-11.6K) protein alter processing and localization of ADP and the kinetics of cell lysis of adenovirus-infected cells

ADP (also known as E3-11.6K protein) is synthesized abundantly in late adenovirus infection and is required for efficient lysis of infected cells and release of viral progeny at the end of the viral replication cycle. ADP is a type III bitopic N(endo)C(exo) nuclear membrane and Golgi glycoprotein that is produced at high levels in late adenovirus infection (>24 h postinfection). We show pulse-chase and other studies indicating that ADP undergoes a complex process of N- and O-linked glycosylation and proteolytic cleavage. In order to further characterize ADP, a series of 23 deletion and point mutations has been constructed in the adenovirus serotype 2 adp gene and then built into a wild-type adenovirus background. These mutants were analyzed for processing and intracellular localization of ADP. Mutation of the single predicted N glycosylation site eliminated N glycosylation. Deletion of a region in ADP rich in serine and threonine residues reduced O glycosylation. In general, mutations within the lumenal domain of ADP resulted in lower protein stability; immunofluorescence assays indicated that these ADPs were primarily present in the Golgi apparatus. Viruses with mutations within the cytoplasmic-nucleoplasmic domain of ADP showed normal glycosylation patterns and protein abundance for ADP, but the protein was often found throughout cellular membranes rather than being localized specifically to the nuclear membrane and Golgi apparatus. The ADP virus mutants were analyzed by cell viability assays to determine the kinetics of cell lysis following infection of human A549 cells. In general, viruses with mutations within the lumenal domain of ADP display greatly reduced efficiencies of cell lysis. Viruses with large deletions in the cytoplasmic-nucleoplasmic domain of ADP retain much of their ability to lyse infected cells.     

Targeted deletion of fatty acid transport protein-4 results in early embryonic lethality

Fatty acid transport protein-4 (FATP4) is the major FATP in the small intestine. We previously demonstrated, using in vitro antisense experiments, that FATP4 is required for fatty acid uptake into intestinal epithelial cells. To further examine the physiological role of FATP4, mice carrying a targeted deletion of FATP4 were generated. Deletion of one allele of FATP4 resulted in 48% reduction of FATP4 protein levels and a 40% reduction of fatty acid uptake by isolated enterocytes. However, loss of one FATP4 allele did not cause any detectable effects on fat absorption on either a normal or a high fat diet. Deletion of both FATP4 alleles resulted in embryonic lethality as crosses between heterozygous FATP4 parents resulted in no homozygous offspring; furthermore, no homozygous embryos were detected as early as day 9.5 of gestation. Early embryonic lethality has been observed with deletion of other genes involved in lipid absorption in the small intestine, namely microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and apolipoprotein B, and has been attributed to a requirement for fat absorption early in embryonic development across the visceral endoderm. In mice, the extraembryonic endoderm supplies nutrients to the embryo prior to development of a chorioallantoic placenta. In wild-type mice we found that FATP4 protein is highly expressed by the epithelial cells of the visceral endoderm and localized to the brush-border membrane of extraembryonic endodermal cells. This localization is consistent with a role for FATP4 in fat absorption in early embryogenesis and suggests a novel requirement for FATP4 function during development.     

The human phosphatidylinositol phosphatase SAC1 interacts with the coatomer I complex

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SAC1 gene encodes an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus. Yeast SAC1 mutants display a wide array of phenotypes including inositol auxotrophy, cold sensitivity, secretory defects, disturbed ATP transport into the ER, or suppression of actin gene mutations. At present, it is not clear how these phenotypes relate to the finding that SAC1 displays polyphosphoinositide phosphatase activity. Moreover, it is still an open question whether SAC1 functions similarly in mammalian cells, since some phenotypes are yeast-specific. Potential protein interaction partners and, connected to that, possible regulatory circuits have not been described. Therefore, we have cloned human SAC1 (hSAC1), show that it behaves similar to ySac1p in terms of substrate specificity, demonstrate that the endogenous protein localizes to the ER and Golgi, and identify for the first time members of the coatomer I (COPI) complex as interaction partners of hSAC1. Mutation of a putative COPI interaction motif (KXKXX) at its C terminus abolishes interaction with COPI and causes accumulation of hSAC1 in the Golgi. In addition, we generated a catalytically inactive mutant, demonstrate that its lipid binding capacity is unaltered, and show that it accumulates in the Golgi, incapable of interacting with the COPI complex despite the presence of the KXKXX motif. These results open the possibility that the enzymatic function of hSAC1 provides a switch for accessibility of the COPI interaction motif.     

DACH1 inhibits transforming growth factor-beta signaling through binding Smad4

The vertebrate homologues of Drosophila dachsund, DACH1 and DACH2, have been implicated as important regulatory genes in development. DACH1 plays a role in retinal and pituitary precursor cell proliferation and DACH2 plays a specific role in myogenesis. DACH proteins contain a domain (DS domain) that is conserved with the proto-oncogenes Ski and Sno. Since the Ski/Sno proto-oncogenes repress AP-1 and SMAD signaling, we hypothesized that DACH1 might play a similar cellular function. Herein, DACH1 was found to be expressed in breast cancer cell lines and to inhibit transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-induced apoptosis. DACH1 repressed TGF-beta induction of AP-1 and Smad signaling in gene reporter assays and repressed endogenous TGF-beta-responsive genes by microarray analyses. DACH1 bound to endogenous NCoR and Smad4 in cultured cells and DACH1 co-localized with NCoR in nuclear dotlike structures. NCoR enhanced DACH1 repression, and the repression of TGF-beta-induced AP-1 or Smad signaling by DACH1 required the DACH1 DS domain. The DS domain of DACH was sufficient for NCoR binding at a Smad4-binding site. Smad4 was required for DACH1 repression of Smad signaling. In Smad4 null HTB-134 cells, DACH1 inhibited the activation of SBE-4 reporter activity induced by Smad2 or Smad3 only in the presence of Smad4. DACH1 participates in the negative regulation of TGF-beta signaling by interacting with NCoR and Smad4.     

Smac3, a novel Smac/DIABLO splicing variant, attenuates the stability and apoptosis-inhibiting activity of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), the most potent member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, plays a crucial role in the regulation of apoptosis. XIAP is structurally characterized by three baculovirus IAP repeat (BIR) domains that mediate binding to and inhibition of caspases and a RING domain that confers ubiquitin ligase activity. The caspase inhibitory activity of XIAP can be eliminated by the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac)/direct IAP-binding protein with low pI (DIABLO) during apoptosis. Here we report the identification and characterization of a novel isoform of Smac/DIABLO named Smac3, which is generated by alternative splicing of exon 4. Smac3 contains an NH2-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence required for mitochondrial targeting of Smac3 and an IAP-binding motif essential for Smac3 binding to XIAP. Smac3 is released from mitochondria into the cytosol in response to apoptotic stimuli, where it interacts with the second and third BIR domains of XIAP. Smac3 disrupts processed caspase-9 binding to XIAP, promotes caspase-3 activation, and potentiates apoptosis. Strikingly, Smac3, but not Smac/DIABLO, accelerates XIAP auto-ubiquitination and destruction. Smac3-stimulated XIAP ubiquitination is contingent upon the physical association of XIAP with Smac3 and an intact RING domain of XIAP. Smac3-accelerated XIAP destabilization is, at least in part, attributed to its ability to enhance XIAP ubiquitination. Our study demonstrates that Smac3 is functionally additive to, but independent of, Smac/DIABLO.