Role of proinflammatory cytokines on lipopolysaccharide-induced phase shifts in locomotor activity circadian rhythm

We previously reported that early night peripheral bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection produces phase delays in the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in mice. We now assess the effects of proinflammatory cytokines on circadian physiology, including their role in LPS-induced phase shifts. First, we investigated whether differential systemic induction of classic proinflammatory cytokines could explain the time-specific behavioral effects of peripheral LPS. Induction levels for plasma interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α did not differ between animals receiving a LPS challenge in the early day or early night. We next tested the in vivo effects of central proinflammatory cytokines on circadian physiology. We found that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) delivery of TNF-α or interleukin IL-1β induced phase delays on wheel-running activity rhythms. Furthermore, we analyzed if these cytokines mediate the LPS-induced phase shifts and found that i.c.v. administration of soluble TNF-α receptor (but not an IL-1β antagonistic) prior to LPS stimulation inhibited the phase delays. Our work suggests that the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) responds to central proinflammatory cytokines in vivo, producing phase shifts in locomotor activity rhythms. Moreover, we show that the LPS-induced phase delays are mediated through the action of TNF-α at the central level, and that systemic induction of proinflammatory cytokines might be necessary, but not sufficient, for this behavioral outcome.     

McCune-Albright syndrome in a boy may present with a monolateral macroorchidism as an early and isolated clinical manifestation

BACKGROUND: Testis enlargement in McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is generally bilateral and associated with clinical and biochemical manifestations of sexual precocity. CASE REPORT: We describe for the first time an unreported clinical expression of MAS in a 4.6-year-old boy presenting with monolateral testis enlargement and no signs of sexual precocity or other clinical manifestations of MAS at the time of presenting with macroorchidism. Both testosterone and LHRH-stimulated gonadotropin levels were in the prepubertal range. Serum inhibin B was increased to a pubertal level indicating Sertoli cell activation. The histological and immunocytochemical evaluation of the enlarged testis revealed Sertoli cell hyperplasia with no mature Leydig cells. Mutation R201C of GNAS1 gene, classically responsible for MAS, was identified in DNA samples from the right testis biopsy and leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: (a) MAS should be taken into consideration in the clinicopathological approach to a boy with monolateral macroorchidism; (b) testicular enlargement may be only the presenting clinical manifestation of MAS and is not necessarily linked to manifestations of peripheral precocious puberty; (c) testicular autonomous hyperfunction in MAS may be restricted to Sertoli cells, as also demonstrated previously by others.     

Biochemical characterization of the class B acid phosphatase (AphA) of Escherichia coli MG1655

The AphA enzyme of Escherichia coli, a molecular class B periplasmic phosphatase that belongs to the DDDD superfamily of phosphohydrolases, was purified and subjected to biochemical characterization. Kinetic analysis with several substrates revealed that the enzyme essentially behaves as a broad-spectrum nucleotidase highly active on 3'- and 5'-mononucleotides and monodeoxynucleotides, but not active on cyclic nucleotides, or nucleotides di- and triphosphate. Mononucleotides are degraded to nucleosides, and AphA apparently does not exhibit any nucleotide phosphomutase activity. However, it can transphosphorylate nucleosides in the presence of phosphate donors. Kinetic properties of AphA are consistent with structural data, and suggest a role for the hydrophobic pocket present in the active site crevice, made by residues Phe 56, Leu71, Trp77 and Tyr193, in conferring preferential substrate specificity by accommodating compounds with aromatic rings. AphA was inhibited by several chelating agents, including EDTA, EGTA, 1,10-phenanthroline and dipicolinic acid, with EDTA being apparently the most powerful inhibitor.     

Acquisition of Polyfunctionality by Epstein-Barr Virus-Specific CD8+ T Cells Correlates with Increased Resistance to Galectin-1-Mediated Suppression

Latent membrane antigen 1 and -2 (LMP-1/2)-specific CD8⁺ T cells from newly diagnosed and relapsed Hodgkin''s lymphoma (HL) patients display a selective functional impairment. In contrast, CD8⁺ T cells specific for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear proteins and lytic antigens retain normal T-cell function. Reversion to a dysfunctional phenotype of LMP-1/2-specific T cells is coincident with the regression of HL. To delineate the potential basis for this differential susceptibility for the loss of function, we have carried out a comprehensive functional analysis of EBV-specific T cells using ex vivo multiparametric flow cytometry in combination with assessment of antigen-driven proliferative potential. This analysis revealed that LMP-1/2-specific T cells from healthy virus carriers display a deficient polyfunctional profile compared to that of T cells specific for epitopes derived from EBV nuclear proteins and lytic antigens. Furthermore, LMP-specific T-cells are highly susceptible to galectin-1-mediated immunosuppression and are less likely to degranulate following exposure to cognate peptide epitopes and poorly recognized endogenously processed epitopes from virus-infected B cells. More importantly, ex vivo stimulation of these T cells with an adenoviral vector encoding multiple minimal CD8⁺ T-cell epitopes as a polyepitope, in combination with a γC cytokine, interleukin-2, restored polyfunctionality and shielded these cells from the inhibitory effects of galectin-1.Following primary lytic infection, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induces a lifelong latent infection. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play a critical role in limiting infection during the lytic stages of infection and in controlling latently infected cells (9, 21). Although latent EBV infection is asymptomatic in most individuals, it is associated with a number of malignancies that arise in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals (11). Malignancies occurring in immunocompromised individuals, such as the posttransplant lymphomas, typically display a latency type 3 pattern of gene expression, characterized by the expression of the immunodominant EBV nuclear antigens 3 to 6 (EBNA3-6) and of the less-immunogenic antigens EBNA1 and latent membrane proteins 1 and 2 (LMP-1/2). Immune escape likely occurs in this setting due to the direct suppression of lymphocyte function by immunosuppressive drugs (5, 25, 26). Conversely, malignancies occurring in immunocompetent individuals display either a latency type 1 profile, expressing only EBNA1, or a latency type 2 profile, expressing LMP-1/2, in addition to EBNA1. While latency type 1 malignancies, including Burkitt''s lymphoma, display a reduction in major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) surface expression and present antigen poorly to CD8⁺ T cells (23, 24), providing a mechanism for immune escape from CTL, latency type 2 malignancies, including Hodgkin''s lymphoma (HL), retain the capacity to process and present antigen to CD8⁺ T cells (10, 15), suggesting that other mechanisms of escape from CTL recognition are occurring. We have recently demonstrated that during the acute stages of HL, LMP-specific T cells display a loss of T-cell function (3). Recovery of T-cell function is associated with remission. Recent studies in our laboratory have suggested a role for galectin-1 (Gal-1) in mediating immunosuppression of T cells during the acute stages of HL (4). Gal-1 expression in Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg cells was associated with a reduced CD8⁺ T-cell infiltrate. Furthermore, Gal-1 was shown to inhibit the proliferation of EBV-specific T cells in response to lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). In this study, we have now assessed the impact Gal-1 has upon the function of EBV-specific T cells with different specificities and the functional differences that exist between these T-cell populations. These studies demonstrate that LMP-1/2 and EBNA1-specific T cells are more susceptible to the immunosuppressive effects of Gal-1, which is associated with a qualitative inferiority in these T cells. However, T-cell functionality can be improved following in vitro expansion, which coincides with enhanced resistance to the suppressive effects of Gal-1.     

Myelin Lipid Abnormalities in the Aspartoacylase-Deficient Tremor Rat

The high concentration of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in neurons of the central nervous system and its growing clinical use as an indicator of neuronal viability has intensified interest in the biological function of this amino acid derivative. The biomedical relevance of such inquiries is highlighted by the myelin-associated pathology of Canavan disease, an inherited childhood disorder resulting from mutation of aspartoacylase (ASPA), the NAA-hydrolyzing enzyme. This enzyme is known to be localized in oligodendrocytes with bimodal distribution in cytosol and the myelin sheath, and to produce acetyl groups utilized in myelin lipid synthesis. Loss of this acetyl source in Canavan disease and rodent models such as the tremor rat are thought to account for the observed myelin deficit. This study was undertaken to further define and quantify the specific lipid abnormalities that occur as a result of ASPA deficit in the tremor rat. Employing mass spectrometry together with high performance thin-layer chromatography, we found that myelin from 28-day-old animals showed major reduction in cerebrosides (CB) and sulfatides (Sulf) with unsubstituted fatty acids, and equal if not greater changes in myelin from 7-month-old tremors. Cerebrosides with 2-hydroxyfatty acids showed little if any change at either age; Sulf with 2-hydroxyfatty acids showed no significant change at 28 days, but surprisingly a major increase at 7 months. Two species of phosphatidylcholine, 32:0 and 34:1, also showed significant increase, but only at 28 days. One form of phosphatidylethanolamine, PE36:1, was reduced a modest amount at both ages, whereas the plasmalogen form did not change. The dysmyelination that results from inactivation of ASPA is thus characterized by selective decreases as well as some increases in specific lipids. Special issue article in honor of Dr. George DeVries. Fatty acid designations (e.g. 18:1) indicate carbon number and number of double bonds.     

Binding of HIV-1 TAR mRNA to a peptide nucleic acid oligomer and its conjugates with metal-ion-binding multidentate ligands

A peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomer and a series of PNA conjugates featuring covalently attached pendant 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) or bis((pyridin-2-yl)methyl)amine (DPA) moieties have been synthesized that are complementary to regions of the HIV-1 TAR messenger RNA stem-loop. Thermal denaturation studies, in conjunction win with native gel shift assays, suggest that the PNAs “invade” TAR to produce a mixture of two 1:1 PNA–TAR adducts, tentatively assigned as an “open-duplex” structure, in which the TAR stem-loop dissociates and the PNA hybridizes with its RNA complement via Watson–Crick base-pairing, and a triplex-type structure, in which the initially displaced RNA segment is bound to the PNA:RNA duplex through Hoogsteen base-pairing. Thermal denaturation experiments with the TAR sequence and single-stranded RNA and DNA oligonucleotides, both in the presence and in the absence of Zn²⁺ ions, show that the introduction of cyclen or DPA ligand arms into the PNA oligomer leads to a small but reproducible increase in the T _m values. This is attributed to hydrogen-bonding and/or electrostatic interactions between protonated forms of cyclen/DPA and the cognate RNA or DNA oligonucleotide targets. Contrary to expectations, the addition of Zn²⁺ ions did not further enhance duplex formation through binding of Zn(II)–cyclen or Zn(II)–DPA moieties to the complementary RNA or DNA. Native gel shift assays further confirmed the stability increase of the metal-free cyclen- and DPA-modified PNA hybrids as compared with a control PNA sequence. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Influence of metal ions on thermal aggregation of bovine serum albumin: Aggregation kinetics and structural changes

Metal ions are implicated in protein aggregation processes of several neurodegenerative pathologies. In this work the effects of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions on heat-induced structural modifications of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied, with the aim of delineating the role of these ions in the early stages of proteins aggregation kinetics. A joint application of different techniques was used. The aggregate growth was followed by dynamic light scattering measurements, whereas the conformational changes occurring in the protein structure were monitored by Raman and IR spectroscopy. Both in absence and in presence of metal ions, heating treatment gave rise to β-structures to the detriment of α-helix conformation of BSA. The temperature of protein unfolding was not sensitively affected by the presence of Zn(II) or Cu(II) ions; on the contrary, only Zn(II) ions slightly promoted the heat-induced aggregation of the protein, since bigger aggregates were formed in their presence. The different efficacy of the Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions in promoting the BSA aggregation were highlighted by Raman measurements, assessing the role of His residues in metal binding. A distinct polypeptide folding of the two metal-BSA systems takes place, since the predominant mode of metal binding depends on metal. In particular, in Zn-BSA the metal coordination involves the imidazole N_τ atom of His which can promote inter-molecular cross-linking.