Cytohesins are cytoplasmic ErbB receptor activators

Signaling by ErbB receptors requires the activation of their cytoplasmic kinase domains, which is initiated by ligand binding to the receptor ectodomains. Cytoplasmic factors contributing to the activation are unknown. Here we identify members of the cytohesin protein family as such factors. Cytohesin inhibition decreased ErbB receptor autophosphorylation and signaling, whereas cytohesin overexpression stimulated receptor activation. Monitoring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) conformation by anisotropy microscopy together with cell-free reconstitution of cytohesin-dependent receptor autophosphorylation indicate that cytohesins facilitate conformational rearrangements in the intracellular domains of dimerized receptors. Consistent with cytohesins playing a prominent role in ErbB receptor signaling, we found that cytohesin overexpression correlated with EGF signaling pathway activation in human lung adenocarcinomas. Chemical inhibition of cytohesins resulted in reduced proliferation of EGFR-dependent lung cancer cells in?vitro and in?vivo. Our results establish cytohesins as cytoplasmic conformational activators of ErbB receptors that are of pathophysiological relevance.     

Mechano-transduction in periodontal ligament cells identifies activated states of MAP-kinases p42/44 and p38-stress kinase as a mechanism for MMP-13 expression

Background  

Mechano-transduction in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells is crucial for physiological and orthodontic tooth movement-associated periodontal remodelling. On the mechanistic level, molecules involved in this mechano-transduction process in PDL cells are not yet completely elucidated.     

High cell density cultivation and recombinant protein production with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> in a rocking-motion-type bioreactor

Background

Single-use rocking-motion-type bag bioreactors provide advantages compared to standard stirred tank bioreactors by decreased contamination risks, reduction of cleaning and sterilization time, lower investment costs, and simple and cheaper validation. Currently, they are widely used for cell cultures although their use for small and medium scale production of recombinant proteins with microbial hosts might be very attractive. However, the utilization of rocking- or wave-induced motion-type bioreactors for fast growing aerobic microbes is limited because of their lower oxygen mass transfer rate. A conventional approach to reduce the oxygen demand of a culture is the fed-batch technology. New developments, such as the BIOSTAT^® CultiBag RM system pave the way for applying advanced fed-batch control strategies also in rocking-motion-type bioreactors. Alternatively, internal substrate delivery systems such as EnBase^® Flo provide an opportunity for adopting simple to use fed-batch-type strategies to shaken cultures. Here, we investigate the possibilities which both strategies offer in view of high cell density cultivation of E. coli and recombinant protein production.

Results

Cultivation of E. coli in the BIOSTAT^® CultiBag RM system in a conventional batch mode without control yielded an optical density (OD₆₀₀) of 3 to 4 which is comparable to shake flasks. The culture runs into oxygen limitation. In a glucose limited fed-batch culture with an exponential feed and oxygen pulsing, the culture grew fully aerobically to an OD₆₀₀ of 60 (20 g L^-1 cell dry weight). By the use of an internal controlled glucose delivery system, EnBase^® Flo, OD₆₀₀ of 30 (10 g L^-1 cell dry weight) is obtained without the demand of computer controlled external nutrient supply. EnBase^® Flo also worked well in the CultiBag RM system with a recombinant E. coli RB791 strain expressing a heterologous alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to very high levels, indicating that the enzyme based feed supply strategy functions well for recombinant protein production also in a rocking-motion-type bioreactor.

Conclusions

Rocking-motion-type bioreactors may provide an interesting alternative to standard cultivation in bioreactors for cultivation of bacteria and recombinant protein production. The BIOSTAT^® Cultibag RM system with the single-use sensors and advanced control system paves the way for the fed-batch technology also to rocking-motion-type bioreactors. It is possible to reach cell densities which are far above shake flasks and typical for stirred tank reactors with the improved oxygen transfer rate. For more simple applications the EnBase^® Flo method offers an easy and robust solution for rocking-motion-systems which do not have such advanced control possibilities.

     

Increasing the sensitivity of reverse phase protein arrays by antibody-mediated signal amplification

Background  

Reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA) emerged as a useful experimental platform to analyze biological samples in a high-throughput format. Different signal detection methods have been described to generate a quantitative readout on RPPA including the use of fluorescently labeled antibodies. Increasing the sensitivity of RPPA approaches is important since many signaling proteins or posttranslational modifications are present at a low level.     

Improving the yeast two-hybrid system with permutated fusions proteins: the Varicella Zoster Virus interactome

Background  

Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screens have been among the most powerful methods to detect and analyze protein-protein interactions. However, they suffer from a significant degree of false negatives, i.e. true interactions that are not detected, and to a certain degree from false positives, i.e. interactions that appear to take place only in the context of the Y2H assay. While the fraction of false positives remains difficult to estimate, the fraction of false negatives in typical Y2H screens is on the order of 70-90%. Here we present novel Y2H vectors that significantly decrease the number of false negatives and help to mitigate the false positive problem.     

The stoichiometry of host PrPC glycoforms modulates the efficiency of PrPSc formation in vitro

A central event in the formation of infectious prions is the conformational change of a host-encoded glycoprotein, PrPC, into a pathogenic isoform, PrPSc. However, the molecular requirements for efficient PrP conversion remain unknown. In this study, we employed the recently developed protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and scrapie cell assay (SCA) techniques to study the role of N-linked glycosylation on prion formation in vitro. The results show that unglycosylated PrPC molecules are required to propagate mouse RML prions, whereas diglycosylated PrPC molecules are required to propagate hamster Sc237 prions. Furthermore, the formation of Sc237 prions is inhibited by substoichiometric levels of hamster unglycosylated PrPC molecules. Thus, interactions between different PrPC glycoforms appear to control the efficiency of prion formation in a species-specific manner.     

Ecological implications of molluscan ontogenetic strategies - examples from aquatic ecosystems of the Cenozoic Iberian Peninsula

Molluscs from marginal marine and intra-continental basins of the Iberian Peninsula are described with special emphasis on the early ontogenetic shell formation, which reflects the embryogenesis and larval ecology. The fossils, covering a time span from the Early Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene, are compared to contemporaneous fossil faunas of the Mediterranean and Paratethys, and to extant Mediterranean faunas. Larval shells occur in bivalves and gastropods of Upper Tortonian coastal lagoons near Crevillente (Alicante), indicating marine larval stages and a connection of the adult habitat with the open sea. The euryhaline marginal marine gastropods display planktotrophic larval shells, which enable a marine distribution, but prevented generally euryhaline genera, such as Granulolabium and Terebralia (Cerithioidea, Potamididae), from colonizing continental saline ecosystems. The establishment of athalassic saline populations implies the preadaptational loss of planktotrophy. For the first time lecithotrophic larval development in an athalassic saline system is documented for Potamides gaudryi (Cerithioidea, Potamididae) from the late Middle to early Upper Miocene of the Duero Basin. With regard to the early ontogenetic development, P. gaudryi is distinguished from its possible descendant, the extant Potamides conicus (Blainville, 1829), which represents a direct developer that lacks any larval stage. In comparison to direct development, lecithotrophic larval development was advantageous in the colonization of temporary habitats, such as flood areas. Two different modes of direct development with hatching of crawling young are documented: Feeding on embryonic yolk until the hatching stage and adelphophagy. Adelphophagous embryonic development appears to be advantageous in neritids, thiarids and pulmonates that live in habitats with strong predation of juvenile fishes based on the advanced developmental stage and larger shell size of the hatchlings.     

Biocatalytic production of enantiopure cyclohexane-trans-1,2-diol using extracellular lipases from Bacillus subtilis

Two extracellular lipases from Bacillus subtilis, B. subtilis lipase A and lipase B, have been expressed in the heterologous host Escherichia coli, biochemically characterized and used for the kinetic resolution of (rac)-trans-1,2-diacetoxycyclohexane. Both enzymes were selectively acting on the (R,R)-enantiomer of the racemic substrate, highly specifically hydrolyzing only one of the two ester groups present, thus allowing the preparation of enantiopure (R,R)- and (S,S)-cyclohexane-trans-1,2-diol. The reaction conditions for the use of purified enzyme and crude cell lyophilizate were optimized and reactions in batch and repetitive batch modes were carried out on a preparative scale to yield enantiopure product (>99% enantiomeric excess).