Membrane localization diversity of TPK channels and their physiological role

Potassium (K) is one of the major nutrients that is essential for plant growth and development. The majority of cellular K⁺ resides in the vacuole and tonoplast K⁺ channels of the TPK (Two Pore K) family are main players in cellular K⁺ homeostasis. All TPK channels were previously reported to be expressed in the tonoplast of the large central lytic vacuole (LV) except for one isoform in Arabidopsis that resides in the plasma membrane. However, plant cells often contain more than one type of vacuole that coexist in the same cell. We recently showed that two TPK isoforms (OsTPKa and OsTPKb) from Oryza sativa localize to different vacuoles with OsTPKa predominantly found in the LV tonoplast and OsTPKb primarily in smaller compartments that resemble small vacuoles (SVs). Our study further revealed that it is the C-terminal domain that determines differential targeting of OsTPKa and OsTPKb. Three C-terminal amino acids were particularly relevant for targeting TPKs to their respective endomembranes. In this addendum we further evaluate how the different localization of TPKa and TPKb impact on their physiological role and how TPKs provide a potential tool to study the physiology of different types of vacuole.Key words: TPK channels, small vacuoles, vacuolar targeting, potassiumThe roles of plant vacuolar K⁺ channels are diverse and include potassium homeostasis, turgor regulation and responses to abiotic stress. Vacuolar K⁺-selective channels belong to two-pore K⁺ (TPK) channel families which have been found in genomes of many plant species such as Arabidopsis, poplar, Physcomitrella, Eucalyptus, barley, potato, rice and tobacco (Fig. 1). TPKs have structural similarity to mammalian “tandem P domain” channels with a secondary structure that contains four transmembrane domains and two pore regions (Fig. 2).^1–5 TPK channels have pore regions with a GYGD signature that endows K⁺ selectivity and a variable number of Ca²⁺ binding EF domains in the C terminus.^3–8 One of the best characterized members of the TPK family is AtTPK1 from Arabidopsis thaliana. AtTPK1 activity is voltage independent but sensitive to cytosolic Ca²⁺, cytosolic pH and N-terminal phosphorylation by 14-3-3 proteins.^5,6,8,9 In Arabidopsis, AtTPK1 expresses in the large lytic vacuole (LV) and plays roles in cellular K⁺ homeostasis, K⁺-release during stomatal closure and seed germination.^4,5 Other members of the Arabidopsis TPK family (AtTPK2, AtTPK3, AtTPK5) have been shown to localize to the LV but also showed some expression in smaller, vesicle-like, compartments.⁴ However, none of these isoforms appears to form functional channels in planta although our experiments with heterologous expression of AtTPK3 and AtTPK5 in the K⁺ uptake deficient E. coli LB2003 demonstrates complementation of bacterial growth phenotype (Isayenkov S, et al. unpublished results). Equally intriguing, is the plasma membrane localization of the Arabidopsis TPK4 isoform, in spite of its sequence being very similar to that of other TPKs.¹⁰Open in a separate windowFigure 1Phylogenetic tree of plant TPKs. The three main clusters of TPKs comprise: Cluster 1 with AtTPK1-like channels; Cluster 2 with AtTPK3/TPK5-like channels; Cluster 3 with barley HvTPKb. Bootstrap analysis was performed using ‘Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis, MEGA4’ software available at www.megasoftware.net/mega4/megaOpen in a separate windowFigure 2Two-pore potassium channel secondary structure. TPK channels comprise four transmembrane domains (1–4) and two pore regions (P) per subunit. Functional channels are formed from two subunits. In most TPKs, both P regions contain a K⁺ selectivity signature, GYGD. However, the tobacco NtTPKa isoform has different motifs in the second P domain. In the N terminal region, TPKs have a 14-3-3 binding domain that impact on channel activity, with the binding of 14-3-3 protein leading to channel activation. C-termini of TPKs show a varying number of putative Ca²⁺ binding “EF hands” which may vary from zero to two.     

Molecular phylogeny of Pholadoidea Lamarck, 1809 supports a single origin for xylotrophy (wood feeding) and xylotrophic bacterial endosymbiosis in Bivalvia

The ability to consume wood as food (xylotrophy) is unusual among animals. In terrestrial environments, termites and other xylotrophic insects are the principle wood consumers while in marine environments wood-boring bivalves fulfill this role. However, the evolutionary origin of wood feeding in bivalves has remained largely unexplored. Here we provide data indicating that xylotrophy has arisen just once in Bivalvia in a single wood-feeding bivalve lineage that subsequently diversified into distinct shallow- and deep-water branches, both of which have been broadly successful in colonizing the world’s oceans. These data also suggest that the appearance of this remarkable life habit was approximately coincident with the acquisition of bacterial endosymbionts. Here we generate a robust phylogeny for xylotrophic bivalves and related species based on sequences of small and large subunit nuclear rRNA genes. We then trace the distribution among the modern taxa of morphological characters and character states associated with xylotrophy and xylotrepesis (wood-boring) and use a parsimony-based method to infer their ancestral states. Based on these ancestral state reconstructions we propose a set of plausible hypotheses describing the evolution of symbiotic xylotrophy in Bivalvia. Within this context, we reinterpret one of the most remarkable progressions in bivalve evolution, the transformation of the “typical” myoid body plan to create a unique lineage of worm-like, tube-forming, wood-feeding clams. The well-supported phylogeny presented here is inconsistent with most taxonomic treatments for xylotrophic bivalves, indicating that the bivalve family Pholadidae and the subfamilies Teredininae and Bankiinae of the family Teredinidae are non-monophyletic, and that the principle traits used for their taxonomic diagnosis are phylogenetically misleading.     

Elevated levels of fibrinogen-derived endogenous citrullinated peptides in synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the joints and the presence of autoantibodies directed against proteins containing the non-standard arginine-derived amino acid citrulline. The protein fibrinogen, which has an essential role in blood clotting, is one of the most prominent citrullinated autoantigens in RA, particularly because it can be found in the inflamed tissue of affected joints. Here, we set out to analyze the presence of citrullinated endogenous peptides in the synovial fluid of RA and arthritic control patients.

Methods

Endogenous peptides were isolated from the synovial fluid of RA patients and controls by filtration and solid phase extraction. The peptides were identified and quantified using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results

Our data reveal that the synovial fluid of RA patients contains soluble endogenous peptides, derived from fibrinogen, containing significant amounts of citrulline residues and, in some cases, also phosphorylated serine. Several citrullinated peptides are found to be more abundantly present in the synovial fluid of RA patients compared to patients suffering from other inflammatory diseases affecting the joints.

Conclusions

The increased presence of citrullinated peptides in RA patients points toward a possible specific role of these peptides in the immune response at the basis of the recognition of citrullinated peptides and proteins by RA patient autoantibodies.     

Na+ and K+ uptake and exchange by the amphibian oocyte during the first meiotic division

The uptake and efflux of ²²Na and ⁴²K were studied in denuded Rana pipiens oocytes following progesterone induction of the resumption of meiotic maturation. Coincident with the breakdown of the large nucleus, or germinal vesicle, there is a virtual disappearance of K⁺ permeability of the oocyte plasma membrane. Only about 1–2% of the total [K⁺]_i is exchanged by completion of nuclear breakdown (8–10 hr) and accounts for the finding that there is no detectable change in total [K⁺]_i during the first meiotic division (20–24 hr). In the case of Na⁺, influx, exchange, and efflux kinetics were unchanged during the first meiotic division, with 20 and 35% of the total oocyte Na⁺ exchanging by the completion of nuclear breakdown and first meiotic division, respectively. Removal of Na⁺ from the incubation medium produced and earlier nuclear breakdown, whereas a K-free medium delayed breakdown. There was no effect of 10 μm/ml tetrodotoxin or 10^?5M strophanthidin on the time course of nuclear breakdown. Thus one action of progesterone appears to be a selective turning off of “K channels” in the oocyte plasma membrane. The disappearance of K selectivity of the oocyte plasma membrane coincides with plasma membrane depolarization, as well as nuclear swelling and breakdown.     

Reliability of computerized image analysis for the evaluation of serial synovial biopsies in randomized controlled trials in rheumatoid arthritis

Analysis of biomarkers in synovial tissue is increasingly used in the evaluation of new targeted therapies for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study determined the intrarater and inter-rater reliability of digital image analysis (DIA) of synovial biopsies from RA patients participating in clinical trials. Arthroscopic synovial biopsies were obtained before and after treatment from 19 RA patients participating in a randomized controlled trial with prednisolone. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect CD3⁺ T cells, CD38⁺ plasma cells and CD68⁺ macrophages. The mean change in positive cells per square millimetre for each marker was determined by different operators and at different times using DIA. Nonparametric tests were used to determine differences between observers and assessments, and to determine changes after treatment. The intraclass correlations (ICCs) were calculated to determine the intrarater and inter-rater reliability. Intrarater ICCs showed good reliability for measuring changes in T lymphocytes (R = 0.87), plasma cells (R = 0.62) and macrophages (R = 0.73). Analysis by Bland–Altman plots showed no systemic differences between measurements. The smallest detectable changes were calculated and their discriminatory power revealed good response in the prednisolone group compared with the placebo group. Similarly, inter-rater ICCs also revealed good reliability for measuring T lymphocytes (R = 0.68), plasma cells (R = 0.69) and macrophages (R = 0.72). All measurements identified the same cell types as changing significantly in the treated patients compared with the placebo group. The measurement of change in total positive cell numbers in synovial tissue can be determined reproducibly for various cell types by DIA in RA clinical trials.     

Architectural design influences the diversity and structure of the built environment microbiome

Buildings are complex ecosystems that house trillions of microorganisms interacting with each other, with humans and with their environment. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that determine the diversity and composition of the built environment microbiome—the community of microorganisms that live indoors—is important for understanding the relationship between building design, biodiversity and human health. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to quantify relationships between building attributes and airborne bacterial communities at a health-care facility. We quantified airborne bacterial community structure and environmental conditions in patient rooms exposed to mechanical or window ventilation and in outdoor air. The phylogenetic diversity of airborne bacterial communities was lower indoors than outdoors, and mechanically ventilated rooms contained less diverse microbial communities than did window-ventilated rooms. Bacterial communities in indoor environments contained many taxa that are absent or rare outdoors, including taxa closely related to potential human pathogens. Building attributes, specifically the source of ventilation air, airflow rates, relative humidity and temperature, were correlated with the diversity and composition of indoor bacterial communities. The relative abundance of bacteria closely related to human pathogens was higher indoors than outdoors, and higher in rooms with lower airflow rates and lower relative humidity. The observed relationship between building design and airborne bacterial diversity suggests that we can manage indoor environments, altering through building design and operation the community of microbial species that potentially colonize the human microbiome during our time indoors.     

Treatment with recombinant interferon-β reduces inflammation and slows cartilage destruction in the collagen-induced arthritis model of rheumatoid arthritis

We investigated the therapeutic potential and mechanism of action of IFN-β protein for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Collagen-induced arthritis was induced in DBA/1 mice. At the first clinical sign of disease, mice were given daily injections of recombinant mouse IFN-β or saline for 7 days. Disease progression was monitored by visual clinical scoring and measurement of paw swelling. Inflammation and joint destruction were assessed histologically 8 days after the onset of arthritis. Proteoglycan depletion was determined by safranin O staining. Expression of cytokines, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand, and c-Fos was evaluated immunohistochemically. The IL-1-induced expression of IL-6, IL-8, and granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was studied by ELISA in supernatant of RA and osteoarthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes incubated with IFN-β. We also examined the effect of IFN-β on NF-κB activity. IFN-β, at 0.25 μg/injection and higher, significantly reduced disease severity in two experiments, each using 8–10 mice per treatment group. IFN-β-treated animals displayed significantly less cartilage and bone destruction than controls, paralleled by a decreased number of positive cells of two gene products required for osteoclastogenesis, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand and c-Fos. Tumor necrosis factor α and IL-6 expression were significantly reduced, while IL-10 production was increased after IFN-β treatment. IFN-β reduced expression of IL-6, IL-8, and GM-CSF in RA and osteoarthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes, correlating with reduced NF-κB activity. The data support the view that IFN-β is a potential therapy for RA that might help to diminish both joint inflammation and destruction by cytokine modulation.