De novo DNA methylation at the CpG island of the zebrafish no tail gene

The zebrafish no tail gene (ntl) is indispensable for the formation of the notochord and the tail structure. Here we showed that de novo DNA methylation occurred at the CpG island of ntl. The methylation started at the segmentation stage and continued after the larval stage. However, it occurred predominantly between 14 and 48 h postfertilization, which overlaps the period in which ntl expression disappears in the notochord and the tailbud. This inverse correlation, together with the methylation-associated formation of an inaccessible chromatin structure at the ntl CpG island region, suggested the involvement of the de novo methylation in ntl repression. Since no changes in methylation patterns were observed at the CpG islands of four other zebrafish genes, there must be a mechanism in zebrafish for specific methylation of the ntl CpG island.     

Identification of volicitin-related compounds from the regurgitant of lepidopteran caterpillars

Volicitin-related compounds were found in the oral secretion of the three noctuid species, Helicoverpa armigera, Mythimna separata and Spodoptera litura, and one sphingid species, Agrius convolvuli. Volicitin [N-(17-hydroxylinolenoyl)-L-glutamine], N-(17-hydroxylinoleoyl)-glutamine, N-linolenoylglutamine and N-linoleoylglutamine were identified in the secretion from the noctuid larvae. In secretions from the sphingid larvae, N-linolenoylglutamine and N-linoleoylglutamine were the main components. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the amounts of the N-acylamino acid conjugates in the secretions from the three noctuid species. These results suggest that the proportion of volicitin-related compounds in the regurgitant was species-specific.     

Unfolding of poly-L-glutamic acid by microbubbling of supercritical carbon dioxide

The conformational changes in alpha-helical poly-L-glutamic acid caused by microbubbling supercritical CO2 were investigated with circular dichroism spectra. After microbubbling using a micropore filter at 35 and 30 MPa for 30 min, alpha-helix content decreased to 37%, while without the filter it was 68%. The alpha-helix structure was significantly decomposed by a high density of CO2. No important changes were observed in heating, autoclaving, or pH-lowering.     

Ganglioside GT1b in rat brain binds to p58, a brain-specific sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter: expression cloning with a specific monoclonal antibody to ganglioside GT1b-binding protein

To evidence the notion that gangliosides involve neuronal cell interactions in the brain, we surveyed the presence of ganglioside-binding proteins in membrane lysates of adult rat cerebellum. Three proteins (p58, p90, and p160) were identified as GT1b-binding proteins by incubation of the blot of the membrane lysate with GT1b micelles. We generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific to the polypeptide portion of the GT1b-binding proteins (YAK-2). The YAK-2 mAb specifically reacted with all three proteins on blots of proteins pretreated under nonreducing conditions for SDS-PAGE, but reacted mainly with p58 under reducing conditions, showing that p90 and p160 are oligomeric forms of p58. The binding activity of the YAK-2 mAb was completely inhibited by the presence of GT1b micelles, indicating the specificity of YAK-2 mAb for p58 and its oligomers. Immunohistochemical investigations revealed that both p58 and GT1b colocalize within the granular layer of adult rat cerebellum. Expression cloning of p58 cDNA was performed using YAK-2 mAb, and five putative clones were obtained. Among them, the nucleotide sequence of one cDNA completely matched that of rat brain-specific sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter (rBNPI), a 61 kDa membrane protein. COS7 cells were transfected with a Flag-chimeric construct containing the rBNPI/p58 cDNA, and the membrane lysate was subjected to immunoprecipitation with anti-Flag antibody. One protein (64 kDa) was detected only with YAK-2 mAb, and the membrane lysate specifically bound to GT1b micelles. Taking together, we propose that rBNPI/p58 functions as a GT1b-binding protein in neuronal cells.     

L-type Ca(2+) channels, resting [Ca(2+)](i), and ET-1-induced responses in chronically hypoxic pulmonary myocytes

In the lung, chronic hypoxia (CH) causes pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) depolarization, elevated endothelin-1 (ET-1), and vasoconstriction. We determined whether, during CH, depolarization-driven activation of L-type Ca(2+) channels contributes to 1) maintenance of resting intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), 2) increased [Ca(2+)](i) in response to ET-1 (10(-8) M), and 3) ET-1-induced contraction. Using indo 1 microfluorescence, we determined that resting [Ca(2+)](i) in PASMCs from intrapulmonary arteries of rats exposed to 10% O(2) for 21 days was 293.9 +/- 25.2 nM (vs. 153.6 +/- 28.7 nM in normoxia). Resting [Ca(2+)](i) was decreased after extracellular Ca(2+) removal but not with nifedipine (10(-6) M), an L-type Ca(2+) channel antagonist. After CH, the ET-1-induced increase in [Ca(2+)](i) was reduced and was abolished after extracellular Ca(2+) removal or nifedipine. Removal of extracellular Ca(2+) reduced ET-1-induced tension; however, nifedipine had only a slight effect. These data indicate that maintenance of resting [Ca(2+)](i) in PASMCs from chronically hypoxic rats does not require activation of L-type Ca(2+) channels and suggest that ET-1-induced contraction occurs by a mechanism primarily independent of changes in [Ca(2+)](i).     

Involvement of jasmonate- and salicylate-related signaling pathways for the production of specific herbivore-induced volatiles in plants

We compared volatiles from lima bean leaves (Phaseolus lunatus) infested by either beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), common armyworm [Mythimna (Pseudaletia) separata], or two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). We also analyzed volatiles from the leaves treated with jasmonic acid (JA) and/or methyl salicylate (MeSA). The volatiles induced by aqueous JA treatment were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those induced by S. exigua or M. separata damage. Furthermore, both S. exigua and aqueous JA treatment induced the expression of the same basic PR genes. In contrast, gaseous MeSA treatment, and aqueous JA treatment followed by gaseous MeSA treatment, induced volatiles that was qualitatively and quantitatively more similar to the T. urticae-induced volatiles than those induced by aqueous JA treatment. In addition, T. urticae damage resulted in the expression of the acidic and basic PR genes that were induced by gaseous MeSA treatment and by aqueous JA treatment, respectively. Based on these data, we suggest that in lima bean leaves, the JA-related signaling pathway is involved in the production of caterpillar-induced volatiles, while both the SA-related signaling pathway and the JA-related signaling pathway are involved in the production of T. urticae-induced volatiles.     

Induced Response of Tomato Plants to Injury by Green and Red Strains of Tetranychus Urticae

We studied the induced response of tomato plants to the green strain and the red strain of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae. We focused on the olfactory response of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis to volatiles from T. urticae-infested tomato leaves in a Y-tube olfactometer. Tomato leaves attracted the predatory mites when slightly infested with the red strain, or moderately or heavily infested with the green strain. In contrast, neither leaves that were slightly infested with green-strain mites, nor leaves that were moderately or heavily infested with the red strain attracted the predators. We discuss the specific defensive responses of tomato plants to each of the two strains.     

Schizosaccharomyces pombe Calmodulin, Cam1, Plays a Crucial Role in Sporulation by Recruiting and Stabilizing the Spindle Pole Body Components Responsible for Assembly of the Forespore Membrane

Calmodulin in Schizosaccharomyces pombe is encoded by the cam1⁺ gene, which is indispensable for both vegetative growth and sporulation. Here, we report how Cam1 functions in spore formation. We found that Cam1 preferentially localized to the spindle pole body (SPB) during meiosis and sporulation. Formation of the forespore membrane, a precursor of the plasma membrane in spores, was blocked in a missense cam1 mutant, which was viable but unable to sporulate. Three SPB proteins necessary for the onset of forespore membrane formation, Spo2, Spo13, and Spo15, were unable to localize to the SPB in the cam1 mutant although five core SPB components that were tested were present. Recruitment of Spo2 and Spo13 is known to require the presence of Spo15 in the SPB. Notably, Spo15 was unstable in the cam1 mutant, and as a result, SPB localization of Spo2 and Spo13 was lost. Overexpression of Spo15 partially alleviated the sporulation defect in the cam1 mutant. These results indicate that calmodulin plays an essential role in forespore membrane formation by stably maintaining Spo15, and thus Spo2 and Spo13, at the SPB in meiotic cells.Calmodulin is a calcium-binding protein that is ubiquitously distributed and highly conserved among eukaryotes. It contains four EF-hand Ca²⁺-binding sites, which are required for function. Calmodulin controls a variety of cellular processes mostly related to calcium signaling. When bound to calcium, calmodulin undergoes a characteristic conformational change to an active configuration. Activated calmodulin then binds effector proteins and transmits the signal to downstream regulators.Yeast is a genetically tractable model organism suitable for studying the biological function of calmodulin, using conditional-lethal calmodulin mutants (4). In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, calmodulin is encoded by the CMD1 gene (5). Cmd1p is implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes, including initiation of budding and mitotic spindle formation (24). The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has a typical calmodulin encoded by the cam1⁺ gene, which plays an indispensable role in cell proliferation, dependent on its Ca²⁺-binding activity (18, 19, 30). A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Cam1 fusion protein localizes to sites of polarized cell growth and to the spindle pole body (SPB) in vegetative cells (19). Thus, an essential role of Cam1 might be its regulatory function in chromosome segregation (19). The role of calmodulin in the sexual cycle has been documented to a lesser extent in previous studies. A missense mutant, cam1-117, in which the Arg117 codon is changed to a Phe codon, exhibits reduced sporulation efficacy (29), suggesting that calmodulin plays a role in sporulation in fission yeast.Spore formation in fission yeast initiates with assembly of the forespore membrane (FSM), composed of double-unit membranes within the cytoplasm of a diploid zygote cell (10, 27, 28, 34). The FSM expands to encapsulate each haploid nucleus generated by meiosis and then forms a nucleated prespore. The inner bilayer of the FSM subsequently becomes the plasma membrane of the newborn spores. During meiosis II, the SPB undergoes morphological alteration from a compact single plaque to a multilayered expanded structure (10). Such modification of the SPB is a prerequisite for FSM assembly, which occurs close to the outermost layer of the modified SPB (9, 10, 20, 21).Three SPB component proteins, Spo2, Spo13, and Spo15, have been identified as essential for SPB modification and formation of the FSM (11, 23). Spo15, a large coiled-coil protein, is associated with the SPB throughout the life cycle and is indispensable for recruitment of Spo2 and Spo13 to the cytoplasmic surface of the meiotic SPB. The latter two proteins are produced only during meiosis (23). These observations imply that the SPB serves as a platform for assembly of the FSM. Cam1 has been reported to localize to the SPB during vegetative growth (19), raising the intriguing possibility that fission yeast calmodulin is involved in sporulation through proper construction of a modified meiotic SPB. To test this possibility, we report herein a detailed analysis of Cam1 localization during meiosis and the consequence of a missense mutation of cam1 on SPB modification and FSM formation.     

Biotransformation of raspberry ketone and zingerone by cultured cells of Phytolacca americana

The biotransformation of raspberry ketone and zingerone were individually investigated using cultured cells of Phytolacca americana. In addition to (2S)-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (2%), (2S)-4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (5%), 4-[4-(beta-d-glucopyranosyloxy)phenyl]-2-butanone (19%), 4-[(3S)-3-hydroxybutyl]phenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (23%), and (2S)-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)but-2-yl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (20%), two biotransformation products, i.e., 2-hydroxy-4-[(3S)-3-hydroxybutyl]phenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (12%) and 2-hydroxy-5-[(3S)-3-hydroxybutyl]phenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (11%), were isolated from suspension cells after incubation with raspberry ketone for three days. On the other hand, two compounds, i.e., (2S)-4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)but-2-yl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (17%) and (2S)-2-(beta-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-4-[4-(beta-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl]butane (16%), together with (2S)-4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-butanol (15%), 4-[4-(beta-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl]-2-butanone (21%), and 4-[(3S)-3-hydroxybutyl]-2-methoxyphenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (24%) were obtained upon addition of zingerone. Cultured cells of P. americana can reduce, and regioselectively hydroxylate and glucosylate, these food ingredients to their beta-glycosides.