Accelerated induction of apoptosis in insect cells by baculovirus-expressed SARS-CoV membrane protein

It has been shown that severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) 3a and 7a proteins, but not membrane (M) protein, induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. Upon expression of SARS-CoV M protein using the baculovirus/insect cell expression system, however, we found that the expressed M protein triggered accelerated apoptosis in insect cells, as characterized by rapid cell death, elevated cytotoxicity, cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation. Conversely, the M protein expressed in mammalian cells did not induce apoptosis. This is the first report describing the induction of apoptosis by SARS-CoV M protein in animal cells and possible implications are discussed.     

Redox potentials of the blue copper sites of bilirubin oxidases

The redox potentials of the multicopper redox enzyme bilirubin oxidase (BOD) from two organisms were determined by mediated and direct spectroelectrochemistry. The potential of the T1 site of BOD from the fungus Myrothecium verrucaria was close to 670 mV, whereas that from Trachyderma tsunodae was >650 mV vs. NHE. For the first time, direct electron transfer was observed between gold electrodes and BODs. The redox potentials of the T2 sites of both BODs were near 390 mV vs. NHE, consistent with previous finding for laccase and suggesting that the redox potentials of the T2 copper sites of most blue multicopper oxidases are similar, about 400 mV.     

New approaches to the analysis of enzymatically hydrolyzed methyl cellulose. Part 2. Comparison of various enzyme preparations

In this part of our studies, dealing with new approaches to the analysis of enzymatically hydrolyzed methyl cellulose, five different enzymes or enzyme preparations containing endoglucanases (from Bacillus agaradhaerens Cel 5A, Trichoderma reesei, Trichoderma viride, and two obtained from Trichoderma longibrachiatum) were used to hydrolyze six different methyl celluloses (MCs). The main goal was to investigate whether enzymes could be used for determination of the heterogeneity of the substituent distribution along the cellulose chain. To obtain information about the heterogeneity, it was necessary to gather information on how the enzymes affect hydrolysis. Size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle light scattering and refractive index detection (SEC-MALS/RI) was used to estimate the molar mass distribution of the MCs before and after hydrolysis. A novel internal standard addition method in combination with electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-ITMS) was used to determine the amount of formed oligomers. Two MCs, one with a degree of substitution (DS) of 1.8 and one with DS 1.3, were hydrolyzed with all of the five enzymes. The yield of summarized di- and trisaccharides was approximately 2% of the hydrolysis products for the MC with DS 1.8, whereas the product mixture, obtained from a MC with a DS of 1.3, contained 7-16% di- and trisaccharides. By a novel sample preparation method in combination with ESI-IT tandem MS, outlined in part 1 of this work, it was shown that the enzymes produced oligomers with the reducing end bearing no or only one substituent. Comparison of the methyl pattern at the nonreducing ends of the dimers and trimers indicated that the -2 subsite of the active complex is less tolerant than subsites -3 and +1. All enzymes had similar general selectivity toward the methyl substituents but also showed some differences. From both SEC-MALS/RI and ESI-ITMS, differences with respect to substituent distribution of MCs could be recognized but not for each enzyme used. Basic considerations for enzymatic hydrolysis and analysis of methyl cellulose were listed as a consequence of the results from the work.     

New approaches to the analysis of enzymatically hydrolyzed methyl cellulose. Part 1. Investigation of the influence of structural parameters on the extent of degradation

Six methyl celluloses (MCs), one with a degree of substitution (DS) of 1.32 and five with DS between 1.83 and 1.88, were thoroughly investigated. Monomer composition and methyl distribution in the polymer chain were analyzed after total or partial random hydrolysis and appropriate derivatization with gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS), respectively, and used as reference data. The same MCs were then hydrolyzed with an enzyme preparation of Trichoderma longibrachiatum and further investigated with size-exclusion chromatography with multiangle light scattering and refractive index detection (SEC-MALS/RI) and MS. Electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) in combination with various MS analyzers were compared with respect to quantification of the degradation products directly and after perdeuteriomethylation. The methyl group distribution in the oligomeric fractions and the average DS as a function of chain length were calculated from ESI mass spectra. With help of the reference analysis, patterns could be corrected for the unspecific contribution of end groups. By labeling and ESI tandem MS, our knowledge about the tolerance of the enzymes' sub-sites with respect to the number of methyl groups could be improved.     

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry protein profiling identifies ubiquitin and ferritin light chain as prognostic biomarkers in node-negative breast cancer tumors

Novel prognostic biomarkers are imperatively needed to help direct treatment decisions by typing subgroups of node-negative breast cancer patients. The current study has used a proteomic approach of SELDI-TOF-MS screening to identify differentially cytosolic expressed proteins with a prognostic impact in 30 node-negative breast cancer patients with no relapse versus 30 patients with metastatic relapse. The data analysis took into account 73 peaks, among which 2 proved, by means of univariate Cox regression, to have a good cumulative prognostic-informative power. Repeated random sampling (n = 500) was performed to ensure the reliability of the peaks. Optimized thresholds were then computed to use both peaks as risk factors and, adding them to the St. Gallen ones, improve the prognostic classification of node-negative breast cancer patients. Identification of ubiquitin and ferritin light chain (FLC), corresponding to the two peaks of interest, was obtained using ProteinChip LDI-Qq-TOF-MS. Differential expression of the two proteins was further confirmed by Western blotting analyses and immunohistochemistry. SELDI-TOF-MS protein profiling clearly showed that a high level of cytosolic ubiquitin and/or a low level of FLC were associated with a good prognosis in breast cancer.     

Caspase-9 holoenzyme is a specific and optimal procaspase-3 processing machine

Caspase-9 activation is critical for intrinsic cell death. The activity of caspase-9 is increased dramatically upon association with the apoptosome, and the apoptosome bound caspase-9 is the caspase-9 holoenzyme (C9Holo). In this study, we use quantitative enzymatic assays to fully characterize C9Holo and a leucine-zipper-linked dimeric caspase-9 (LZ-C9). We surprisingly show that LZ-C9 is more active than C9Holo for the optimal caspase-9 peptide substrate LEHD-AFC but is much less active than C9Holo for the physiological substrate procaspase-3. The measured Km values of C9Holo and LZ-C9 for LEHD-AFC are similar, demonstrating that dimerization is sufficient for catalytic activation of caspase-9. The lower activity of C9Holo against LEHD-AFC may be attributed to incomplete C9Holo assembly. However, the measured Km of C9Holo for procaspase-3 is much lower than that of LZ-C9. Therefore, in addition to dimerization, the apoptosome activates caspase-9 by enhancing its affinity for procaspase-3, which is important for procaspase-3 activation at the physiological concentration.     

Tissue-engineered intervertebral disc and chondrogenesis using human nucleus pulposus regulated through TGF-beta1 in platelet-rich plasma

Human intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration often initiated from the human nucleus pulposus (hNP) with aging leading to IVD destruction and extracellular matrix (ECM) depletion. Previously, we have successfully employed transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) to promote chondrogenesis of mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) and immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, we examine the role of TGF-beta1 in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on disc regeneration, including proliferation, redifferentiation, and the reconstitution of tissue-engineered NP. hNP cells were isolated from volunteers with different ages and cultured in the presence of PRP. We found that the most effective concentration for hNP proliferation was 1 ng/ml TGF-beta1 in PRP, which was further applied in the following experiments. hNP cell proliferation in all age groups were increased time-dependently by PRP and cell morphologies showed aggregation. The mRNA of Sox9, type II collagen, and aggrecan were all significantly upregulated by PRP through RT-PCR. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) accumulation reached the highest value at day 7 and continued to day 9 culture. PRP promoted NP regeneration via the Smad pathway was also determined and highly activated p-Smad2/3 at 30 min and continuously sustained to 120 min. Immunostaining of type II collagen indicates that PRP participates in chondrogenesis of tissue-engineered NP with collagen scaffolds. We concluded that growth factors in PRP can effectively react as a growth factor cocktail to induce hNP proliferation and differentiation, and also promote tissue-engineered NP formation. These findings are the first to demonstrate that PRP might be a therapeutic candidate for prevention of disc degeneration.     

Effect of aging on corticosterone secretion in diestrous rats

The roles of age and prolactin (PRL) in regulating glucocorticoid secretion in diestrous rats were investigated. Adrenal zona fasciculata-reticularis (ZFR) cells from young, adult, middle (mid)-aged, and old female rats were isolated. Estrous cycle stage was determined by light microscopy after vaginal smears. Blood samples were collected from right jugular vein at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after challenge with adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). During the diestrous phase, plasma levels of estradiol and progesterone were lower in mid-aged and old rats than in either young or adult rats. Age-dependent increases of the basal levels of plasma PRL and corticosterone were observed. No difference of ACTH-increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone was observed among young, adult, mid-aged, and old rats. Aging increased the basal, ACTH-, PRL-, forskolin (an adenylate cyclase activator)-, and 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX, a non-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor)-stimulated release of corticosterone and production of adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in ZFR cells. However, the 8-Br-cAMP (a membrane-permeable cAMP)-stimulated release of corticosterone was not affected by age. Taken together, these data indicated that aging increased corticosterone secretion in female rats during diestrous phase, which is in part due to an increase in cAMP accumulation. In conclusion, aging and PRL play a stimulatory role in the co-regulation of corticosterone secretion.