Essential role of macrophages in the initiation of allergic rhinitis in mice sensitized intranasally once with cedar pollen: regulation of class switching of immunoglobulin in B cells by controlling interleukin-4 production in T cells of submandibular lymph nodes

The production of allergen-specific IgE antibodies (Abs) in allergen-sensitized patients or animals has a mutual relationship with the immunologic response leading to allergic rhinitis. We recently reported that, after an intranasal injection of cedar pollen into mice, an interleukin-4 (IL-4)-dependent increase in serum nonspecific IgE Abs was a prerequisite for the production of serum allergen-specific IgE Abs. Here, we explored which lymphoid organs were responsive to the intranasally injected allergen and how IL-4 and IgE Abs were produced in the lymphocytes. Time-dependent changes in the total cell numbers and in in vitro IgE Ab production in various lymphoid organs revealed that the submandibular lymph nodes were the main responsible organ. After treatment with allergen (for IgE production) or allergen and complete Freund's adjuvant (for IgG production), we separated submandibular lymph node cells into macrophage-, lymphocyte-, and granulocyte-rich populations by discontinuous Percoll density-gradient centrifugation. Unexpectedly, bulk cells, but not the lymphocyte- or macrophage-rich populations, produced significant amounts of IL-4, IgE, and IgG; whereas production was restored by addition of Mac-1(+) cells from the macrophage-rich to the lymphocyte-rich fraction. Furthermore, a combination of the lymphocyte-rich population (for IgG [or IgE]) production) and the macrophage-rich population (for IgE [or IgG]) production) produced a large amount of IgE (or IgG). These results indicate that, in the initiation of allergic rhinitis, macrophages in the submandibular lymph nodes are essential not only for IL-4 or immunoglobulin production, but also for class switching of immunoglobulin in lymphocytes.     

Structural studies of intermediates along the cyclization pathway of Aplysia ADP-ribosyl cyclase

Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) is a calcium messenger that can mobilize intracellular Ca²⁺ stores and activate Ca²⁺ influx to regulate a wide range of physiological processes. Aplysia cyclase is the first member of the ADP-ribosyl cyclases identified to catalyze the cyclization of NAD⁺ into cADPR. The catalysis involves a two-step reaction, the elimination of the nicotinamide ring and the cyclization of the intermediate resulting in the covalent attachment of the purine ring to the terminal ribose. Aplysia cyclase exhibits a high degree of leniency towards the purine base of its substrate, and the cyclization reaction takes place at either the N1- or the N7-position of the purine ring. To decipher the mechanism of cyclization in Aplysia cyclase, we used a crystallization setup with multiple Aplysia cyclase molecules present in the asymmetric unit. With the use of natural substrates and analogs, not only were we able to capture multiple snapshots during enzyme catalysis resulting in either N1 or N7 linkage of the purine ring to the terminal ribose, we were also able to observe, for the first time, the cyclized products of both N1 and N7 cyclization bound in the active site of Aplysia cyclase.     

Enterolobium contortisiliquum trypsin inhibitor (EcTI), a plant proteinase inhibitor, decreases in vitro cell adhesion and invasion by inhibition of Src protein-focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathways

Tumor cell invasion is vital for cancer progression and metastasis. Adhesion, migration, and degradation of the extracellular matrix are important events involved in the establishment of cancer cells at a new site, and therefore molecular targets are sought to inhibit such processes. The effect of a plant proteinase inhibitor, Enterolobium contortisiliquum trypsin inhibitor (EcTI), on the adhesion, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells was the focus of this study. EcTI showed no effect on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells or fibroblasts but inhibited the adhesion, migration, and cell invasion of gastric cancer cells; however, EcTI had no effect upon the adhesion of fibroblasts. EcTI was shown to decrease the expression and disrupt the cellular organization of molecules involved in the formation and maturation of invadopodia, such as integrin β1, cortactin, neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein, membrane type 1 metalloprotease, and metalloproteinase-2. Moreover, gastric cancer cells treated with EcTI presented a significant decrease in intracellular phosphorylated Src and focal adhesion kinase, integrin-dependent cell signaling components. Together, these results indicate that EcTI inhibits the invasion of gastric cancer cells through alterations in integrin-dependent cell signaling pathways.     

Construction of a metagenomic library for the marine sponge Halichondria okadai

Symbionts of the marine sponge Halichondria okadai are promising as a source of natural products. Metagenomic technology is a powerful tool for accessing the genetic and biochemical potential of bacteria. Hence, we established a method of recovering bacterial-enriched metagenomic DNA by stepwise centrifugation. The metagenomic DNA was analyzed by ultrafast 454-pyrosequencing technology, and the results suggested that more than three types of bacterial DNA, Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria, had been recovered, and that eukaryotic genes comprised only 0.02% of the metagenomic DNA. These results indicate that stepwise centrifugation and real-time quantitative PCR were effective for separating sponge cells and symbiotic bacteria, and that we constructed a bacteria-enriched metagenomic library from a marine sponge, H. okadai, selectively for the first time.     

Effects of compounds from Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa juice on blood coagulation and on proteolytic enzymes

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa) is popularly known for its sedative and calming properties and is consumed as a fresh fruit or as a juice. The clinical observation of blood incoagulability associated with excessive consumption of passion fruit juice, in a patient treated with warfarin, prompted the current study to investigate in vitro the presence of blood clotting inhibitors in Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa extract. After purification process, two compounds of distinct molecular weight and inhibitory action were better characterized. One is a trypsin inhibitor similar to inhibitors from Bowman-Birk family, named PeTI-I12, and other is a compound active in coagulation that prolongs aPTT and PT, but does not change TT. The aim of this study is to provide evidence that passion fruit extract's components play a role on hemostasis and therefore may be relevant in the handling of patients treated with anticoagulants or suffering hemorrhagic diseases.     

Tiliroside, a glycosidic flavonoid, ameliorates obesity-induced metabolic disorders via activation of adiponectin signaling followed by enhancement of fatty acid oxidation in liver and skeletal muscle in obese-diabetic mice

Tiliroside contained in several dietary plants, such as rose hips, strawberry and raspberry, is a glycosidic flavonoid and possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and hepatoprotective activities. Recently, it has been reported that the administration of tiliroside significantly inhibited body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation in normal mice. In this study, we evaluated the effects of tiliroside on obesity-induced metabolic disorders in obese-diabetic KK-A(y) mice. In KK-A(y) mice, the administration of tiliroside (100 mg/kg body weight/day) for 21 days failed to suppress body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation. Although tiliroside did not affect oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio was significantly decreased in mice treated with tiliroside. In the analysis of metabolic characteristics, it was shown that plasma insulin, free fatty acid and triglyceride levels were decreased, and plasma adiponectin levels were increased in mice administered tiliroside. The messenger RNA expression levels of hepatic adiponectin receptor (AdipoR)-1 and AdipoR2 and skeletal muscular AdipoR1 were up-regulated by tiliroside treatment. Furthermore, it was indicated that tiliroside treatment activated AMP-activated protein kinase in both the liver and skeletal muscle and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α in the liver. Finally, tiliroside inhibited obesity-induced hepatic and muscular triglyceride accumulation. These findings suggest that tiliroside enhances fatty acid oxidation via the enhancement adiponectin signaling associated with the activation of both AMP-activated protein kinase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and ameliorates obesity-induced metabolic disorders, such as hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia, although it does not suppress body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation in obese-diabetic model mice.     

Atg16L1, an essential factor for canonical autophagy, participates in hormone secretion from PC12 cells independently of autophagic activity

Autophagy is a bulk degradation system in all eukaryotic cells and regulates a variety of biological activities in higher eukaryotes. Recently involvement of autophagy in the regulation of the secretory pathway has also been reported, but the molecular mechanism linking autophagy with the secretory pathway remains largely unknown. Here we show that Atg16L1, an essential protein for canonical autophagy, is localized on hormone-containing dense-core vesicles in neuroendocrine PC12 cells and that knockdown of Atg16L1 causes a dramatic reduction in the level of hormone secretion independently of autophagic activity. We also find that Atg16L1 interacts with the small GTPase Rab33A and that this interaction is required for the dense-core vesicle localization of Atg16L1 in PC12 cells. Our findings indicate that Atg16L1 regulates not only autophagy in all cell types, but also secretion from dense-core vesicles, presumably by acting as a Rab33A effector, in particular cell types.     

cis-Golgi proteins accumulate near the ER exit sites and act as the scaffold for Golgi regeneration after brefeldin A treatment in tobacco BY-2 cells

The Golgi apparatus forms stacks of cisternae in many eukaryotic cells. However, little is known about how such a stacked structure is formed and maintained. To address this question, plant cells provide a system suitable for live-imaging approaches because individual Golgi stacks are well separated in the cytoplasm. We established tobacco BY-2 cell lines expressing multiple Golgi markers tagged by different fluorescent proteins and observed their responses to brefeldin A (BFA) treatment and BFA removal. BFA treatment disrupted cis, medial, and trans cisternae but caused distinct relocalization patterns depending on the proteins examined. Medial- and trans-Golgi proteins, as well as one cis-Golgi protein, were absorbed into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but two other cis-Golgi proteins formed small punctate structures. After BFA removal, these puncta coalesced first, and then the Golgi stacks regenerated from them in the cis-to-trans order. We suggest that these structures have a property similar to the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and function as the scaffold of Golgi regeneration.     

Executive Function Deficits and Social-Behavioral Abnormality in Mice Exposed to a Low Dose of Dioxin In Utero and via Lactation

An increasing prevalence of mental health problems has been partly ascribed to abnormal brain development that is induced upon exposure to environmental chemicals. However, it has been extremely difficult to detect and assess such causality particularly at low exposure levels. To address this question, we here investigated higher brain function in mice exposed to dioxin in utero and via lactation by using our recently developed automated behavioral flexibility test and immunohistochemistry of neuronal activation markers Arc, at the 14 brain areas. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were given orally a low dose of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) at a dose of either 0, 0.6 or 3.0 µg/kg on gestation day 12.5. When the pups reached adulthood, they were group-housed in IntelliCage to assess their behavior. As a result, the offspring born to dams exposed to 0.6 µg TCDD/kg were shown to have behavioral inflexibility, compulsive repetitive behavior, and dramatically lowered competitive dominance. In these mice, immunohistochemistry of Arc exhibited the signs of hypoactivation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hyperactivation of the amygdala. Intriguingly, mice exposed to 3.0 µg/kg were hardly affected in both the behavioral and neuronal activation indices, indicating that the robust, non-monotonic dose-response relationship. In conclusion, this study showed for the first time that perinatal exposure to a low dose of TCDD in mice develops executive function deficits and social behavioral abnormality accompanied with the signs of imbalanced mPFC-amygdala activation.