Adhesion behavior of peritoneal cells on the surface of self-assembled triblock copolymer hydrogels

Adhesion behavior of cells to the surface of physical hydrogel membranes prepared by water-induced self-organization of precisely synthesized ABA-triblock copolymers comprised of poly(beta-benzyl L-aspartate) (PBLA) as A segment and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO, molecular weight = 20 000) as the B segment were investigated. The cast film from the methylenechloride solution of these copolymers swelled in water very rapidly forming hydrogels (100-400% water content of total weight). The content of PBLA affected the strength, the hydrophobicity, and the amount of water involved in the hydrogel surface. During the early stage of cultivation with murine peritoneal cells, cell adhesion on the hydrogels of PEO and PBLA with 18 (20K18) and 25 (20K25) monomeric units was not observed, while adhesion on the hydrogels of PEO and PBLA with 32 (20K32) and 55 (20K55) monomeric units was successful, suggesting more than 12 mol % in PBLA content is necessary for adhesion of these cells. Although cell spreading on the hydrogels of 20K18, 20K25, and 20K32 was not sufficient, the hydrogel of 20K55 allowed cell adhesion and spreading to be bipolar with leading edge whose raffling is active with pseudopodium and lamellipodium as well as PBLA homopolymer, suggesting active motility of these cells. Remarkably, prolonged incubation restored adhesiveness onto the films at 20K18 in contrast to adhesion with 20K25 despite low hydrophobicity. It is conceivable that adaptation of proteins and chemical changes to the surface during the culture period may participate in these phenomena. Mechanical properties and interaction between cell and these copolymer hydrogels could be controlled by composition of block segments, and optimization for implants could also be attainable.     

Protein region important for regulation of lipid metabolism in angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3): ANGPTL3 is cleaved and activated in vivo

Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) is a secreted protein that is mainly expressed in the liver and regulates lipid metabolism by inhibiting the lipolysis of triglyceriderich lipoproteins. Using deletion mutants of human ANGPTL3, we demonstrated that the N-terminal coiled-coil domain-containing fragment-(17-207) and not the C-terminal fibrinogen-like domain-containing fragment-(207-460) increased the plasma triglyceride levels in mice. We also found that the N-terminal region 17-165 was required to increase plasma triglyceride levels in mice and that a substitution of basic amino acid residues in the region 61-66 of the fragment showed no increase in the plasma triglyceride levels and no inhibition of lipolysis by lipoprotein lipase. In addition, when we analyzed ANGPTL3 in human plasma, we detected cleaved fragments of ANGPTL3. By analyzing recombinant ANGPTL3 in mouse plasma, we found that it was cleaved at two sites, Arg221 downward arrow Ala222 and Arg224 downward arrow Thr225, which are located in the linker region between the coiled-coil domain and the fibrinogen-like domain. Furthermore, a cleavage-resistant mutant of ANGPTL3 was determined to be less active than wild-type ANGPTL3 in increasing mouse plasma triglyceride levels but not in inhibiting lipoprotein lipase activity. These findings suggest that the cleavage of ANGPTL3 is important for the activation of ANGPTL3 in vivo.     

Crystal structure of rice alpha-galactosidase complexed with D-galactose

alpha-Galactosidases catalyze the hydrolysis of alpha-1,6-linked galactosyl residues from galacto-oligosaccharides and polymeric galacto-(gluco)mannans. The crystal structure of rice alpha-galactosidase has been determined at 1.5A resolution using the multiple isomorphous replacement method. The structure consisted of a catalytic domain and a C-terminal domain and was essentially the same as that of alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, which is the same member of glycosyl hydrolase family 27. The catalytic domain had a (beta/alpha)8-barrel structure, and the C-terminal domain was made up of eight beta-strands containing a Greek key motif. The structure was solved as a complex with d-galactose, providing a mode of substrate binding in detail. The d-galactose molecule was found bound in the active site pocket on the C-terminal side of the central beta-barrel of the catalytic domain. The d-galactose molecule consisted of a mixture of two anomers present in a ratio equal to their natural abundance. Structural comparisons of rice alpha-galactosidase with chicken alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase provided further understanding of the substrate recognition mechanism in these enzymes.     

Angiopoietin-like protein 4 is a potent hyperlipidemia-inducing factor in mice and inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase

Studies with KK/San, obese and diabetic model mice having a unique hypotriglyceridemia phenotype, revealed that angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) regulates lipid metabolism in mice. To determine the lipid-modulating role of other ANGPTLs, we focused on ANGPTL4, which overall shows a significant similarity to ANGPTL3. Surprisingly, an intravenous injection of the ANGPTL4 protein in KK/San mice rapidly increased the circulating plasma lipid levels at a higher rate than ANGPTL3 protein. Furthermore, the ANGPTL4 protein inhibited the lipoprotein lipase activity in vitro.     

Changes of intracranial pressure during head-down tilt in anesthetized and conscious rabbits

Effects of head-down tilt on intracranial pressure were studied in anesthetized and conscious rabbits. Adult Japanese white rabbits of both sexes, weighing 2.5-3.5 kg, were used in the experiments. Experiment 1. Animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital, and ICP was monitored through a catheter inserted into the subarachnoid space. ICP elevated immediately after the onset of 45 degrees HDT and gradually reduced toward the baseline level in the next 8 hours. Experiment 2. Each rabbit was exposed to 45 degrees HDT for 24 hours and the ICP was measured through a catheter which had been implanted 7 days before. In the conscious rabbits, ICP increased about 4 mmHg after the onset of 45 degrees HDT, further increased gradually to the peak at 11 hours of HDT, and then started to return to the baseline. These results suggest that the time course of the change in ICP during HDT is considerably different between anesthetized and conscious rabbits.     

Gene Transfer and Cloning of Flanking Chromosomal Regions Using the Medaka Fish Tol2 Transposable Element

For the ultimate purpose of developing genetic tools using the medaka fish Tol2 transposable element, we examined whether it can transfer a marker gene into the fish genome and also be applied for cloning of chromosomal regions adjacent to insertion points. An internal region of Tol2 was removed and replaced with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene and a bacterial plasmid replication origin. This modified Tol2 clone was microinjected into fertilized eggs together with messenger RNA for the Tol2 transposase. The GFP gene was found to be integrated into chromosomes and transmitted to subsequent generations. Restriction enzyme digestion of genomic DNA of a transformant fish, followed by ligation and introduction into bacteria, produced a plasmid containing the entire element and flanking chromosomal regions. Sequencing analysis of this clone demonstrated transposition of the element in the germline of the first generation. Thus, the basic requirements for a gene transfer vector and gene tagging system were fulfilled. Received July 30, 2001; accepted October 4, 2001     

Molecular marker dissection of rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) plant architecture under temperate and tropical climates

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants develop vertically with shoot elongation and horizontally with tillering. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize genomic regions influencing the rice plant architecture by quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for the component traits: culm length (CL), panicle length (PnL), panicle number (PnN) and tiller number (TN). For this QTL analysis, 191 recombinant inbred lines (F₇) derived from a cross of Milyang 23 (M23) and Akihikari (AK) were grown in 1995, 1996 and 1997 (May–Oct) in Joetsu, Japan (temperate climate), and in the 2000 dry season (Jan–Apr), the 2000 wet season (Jun–Oct) and the 2001 dry season in Los Baños, The Philippines (tropical climate). Results showed that rice plant architecture was influenced by 19 genomic regions categorized into five groups. In Group I, two regions (on chrs. 6 and 11) affected shoot elongation (CL and PnL) and tillering (PnN and TN) in opposite directions more significantly in Los Baños than in Joetsu. In Group II, two regions (chrs. 3 and 12) affected shoot elongation, whereas in Group III, five regions [chrs. 1 (two), 2, 3 and 9] affected only culm length (CL). Expressions of four regions of Group III were influenced by either tropical or temperate environments. In Group IV, seven regions (chrs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9) controlled panicle development (PnN or PnL), and in Group V, three regions (chrs. 1, 2 and 3) regulated tillering (PnN or TN). Characterizing these 19 genomic regions provided a detailed analysis of rice plant architecture with emphasis on the multiple effect and environmental responsive regions.Communicated by D. Mackill     

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha from bone marrow-derived cells is not essential for the expression of adhesion molecules in lipopolysaccharide-induced nasal inflammation

Both the role and source of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nasal inflammation were investigated using TNF-alpha gene deficient (TNF-alpha -/-) mice and chimeric mice that are TNF-alpha gene deficient only in bone marrow-derived cells. In the present study, intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) mRNA expression levels in the nasal mucosa were significantly decreased following intranasal instillation of LPS in TNF-alpha gene deficient mice compared to those in wild type mice. In contrast, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA expressions were not significantly decreased although TNF-alpha mRNA expression was dramatically decreased in TNF-alpha gene deficient bone marrow-transplanted-chimeric (TNF-alpha -/--->+/+) mice compared to those in wild type bone marrow-transplanted-control (TNF-alpha +/+-->+/+) mice. These results indicate that the elevation of TNF-alpha mRNA in the nasal mucosa is mainly originated from bone marrow-derived cells. However, even low expression of TNF-alpha at local inflammation sites is sufficient to induce the expression of adhesion molecules in acute LPS-induced experimental rhinitis.