Complementation by a cloned human ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 of the S-phase-arrested mouse FM3A cell mutant with thermolabile E1.

A temperature-sensitive growth mutant tsFS20 isolated from mouse FM3A cells was identified as a mutant with thermolabile ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 by transfection with a full-length cDNA encoding the human E1 enzyme and cell-cell hybridization with an authentic E1 mutant ts85 previously isolated from FM3A cells. The resulting transformants produced thermoresistant E1 activity. Upon shift-up of temperature, asynchronously growing tsFS20 cells showed multiple points of cell-cycle arrest. At the nonpermissive temperature, tsFS20 cells that had been synchronized at the G1-S-phase progressed and accumulated in the mid-S-phase, as evidenced by the absence of G2-specific cdc2 kinase activity, while ts85 mutant cells, the widely used E1 mutant, reached the G2-phase and were arrested. Thus, the E1 mutation seemed to be involved in progression in the S-phase as well as in the G2-phase in the cell cycle. Degradation of short-lived abnormal proteins in tsFS20 cells was decreased to about 50% at the nonpermissive temperature, while the block was fully restored to the wild-type level in the transformant cells. Relevance of the unusually high incidence of the temperature-sensitive E1 mutation was discussed in terms of the E1 as a determinant of heat tolerance of cells.     

Purification and properties of 4-hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylate dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium cyclohexanicum

4-Hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylate dehydrogenase, which requires NAD as a cofactor, was detected in crude soluble extracts of Corynebacterium cyclohexanicum grown on cyclohexanecarboxylic acid as the sole carbon source. The dehydrogenase was purified from extracts to an electrophoretically homogenous state by ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography on DEAE-650s, agarose-NAD and hydroxyapatite. The enzyme consisted of two identical subunits and had a native relative molecular mass of 53,600. There were two residues each of cysteine and tryptophan in the enzyme molecule. Oxo acid rather than hydroxy acid was routinely used as substrate for assay of the enzyme. The enzyme is highly specific for 4-oxocyclohexanecarboxylic acid: the carboxyl group is essential and the position of carbonyl group is important; neither the 2-oxo nor the 3-oxo homologue was used as substrate. A methyl substitution on the ring of 4-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate resulted in an almost complete loss of its activity. The reduction product was identified as trans-4-hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid by gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. It was used as a substrate for the reverse reaction in the presence of NAD but not its cis-isomer. The enzyme was specific for the B-side (pro-S) hydrogen of NADH in the hydrogen transfer from NADH to 4-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate. The Km values for 4-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate and NADH in the reduction reaction at pH 6.8 were 0.50 mM and 0.28 mM, respectively, whereas those for trans-4-hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylate and NAD in the oxidation reaction at pH 8.8 were 0.51 mM and 0.23 mM, respectively. The equilibrium constant of the reaction was 1.79 x 10(-10) M. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by N-bromosuccinimide.     

Postoperative irradiation after reconstructive surgery: comparative study of radiosensitivity between free-skin grafts and skin flaps

Radiation effects after reconstructive surgery (free-skin grafts and skin flaps) were studied in the rat, and the optimum time for irradiation was determined. The radiosensitivity of both free-skin grafts and skin flaps showed the same trend depending on time of irradiation after operation. The grafts or flaps irradiated in the hypervascular stage showed severe reactions to irradiation, whereas those irradiated in the hypovascular stage showed milder reactions in gross and microangiographic observation. Vascular damage should be given primary consideration when deciding the proper time for irradiation after reconstructive surgery. In general, free-skin grafts showed more severe reactions than skin flaps, especially in the grafts irradiated in the early stage after operation. The experimental results of this study cannot be readily transferred to a clinical setting, but they suggest that postoperative irradiation could be begun 3 to 4 weeks after operation with respect to graft or flap survival, and the results of the clinical cases almost coincide with these experimental results.     

Entry of diphtheria toxin into cells: possible existence of cellular factor(s) for entry of diphtheria toxin into cells was studied in somatic cell hybrids and hybrid toxins

Ehrlich ascites tumor cells were found to be very insensitive to diphtheria toxin. We formed 37 hybrids from Ehrlich tumor cells and diphtheria toxin-sensitive human fibroblasts. The effects of diphtheria toxin on protein synthesis in those hybrids were examined. The hybrids were divided into three groups on the basis of toxin sensitivity. Group A hybrids were as sensitive to diphtheria toxin as human fibroblasts, Group C were as resistant as Ehrlich tumor cells, and Group B had intermediate sensitivity. Group A hybrids had diphtheria toxin-binding sites but Group B and C had no detectable binding sites. Elongation factor-2 of all the hybrids was susceptible to ADP-ribosylation by fragment A of diphtheria toxin. Cells of Group A and B became more sensitive to CRM 45 (cross-reacting material 45 of diphtheria toxin) after they were exposed to low pH (pH = 4.5). The resistance of Group C to CRM 45 was not affected by the same treatment. Group A and B hybrids and human fibroblasts had similar sensitivities to a hybrid toxin composed of wheat germ agglutinin and fragment A of diphtheria toxin, but Group C and Ehrlich tumor cells were resistant to this hybrid toxin. All the hybrids and Ehrlich tumor cells were more sensitive to a hybrid toxin composed of wheat germ agglutinin and subunit A of ricin than were human fibroblasts. On subcloning of Group B hybrids, one Group C hybrid was obtained, but no Group A hybrid. These facts suggest that Ehrlich ascites tumor cells differ from human fibroblasts in the expression of a factor(s) that is involved in entry of fragment A of diphtheria toxin into the cytoplasm after the toxin binds to its surface receptors.     

Cinnamtannin B-1 Promotes Migration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Accelerates Wound Healing in Mice

Substances that enhance the migration of mesenchymal stem cells to damaged sites have the potential to improve the effectiveness of tissue repair. We previously found that ethanol extracts of Mallotus philippinensis bark promoted migration of mesenchymal stem cells and improved wound healing in a mouse model. We also demonstrated that bark extracts contain cinnamtannin B-1, a flavonoid with in vitro migratory activity against mesenchymal stem cells. However, the in vivo effects of cinnamtannin B-1 on the migration of mesenchymal stem cells and underlying mechanism of this action remain unknown. Therefore, we examined the effects of cinnamtannin B-1 on in vivo migration of mesenchymal stem cells and wound healing in mice. In addition, we characterized cinnamtannin B-1-induced migration of mesenchymal stem cells pharmacologically and structurally. The mobilization of endogenous mesenchymal stem cells into the blood circulation was enhanced in cinnamtannin B-1-treated mice as shown by flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood cells. Whole animal imaging analysis using luciferase-expressing mesenchymal stem cells as a tracer revealed that cinnamtannin B-1 increased the homing of mesenchymal stem cells to wounds and accelerated healing in a diabetic mouse model. Additionally, the cinnamtannin B-1-induced migration of mesenchymal stem cells was pharmacologically susceptible to inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, phospholipase C, lipoxygenase, and purines. Furthermore, biflavonoids with similar structural features to cinnamtannin B-1 also augmented the migration of mesenchymal stem cells by similar pharmacological mechanisms. These results demonstrate that cinnamtannin B-1 promoted mesenchymal stem cell migration in vivo and improved wound healing in mice. Furthermore, the results reveal that cinnamtannin B-1-induced migration of mesenchymal stem cells may be mediated by specific signaling pathways, and the flavonoid skeleton may be relevant to its effects on mesenchymal stem cell migration.     

Crizotinib-Induced Abnormal Signal Processing in the Retina

Molecular target therapy for cancer is characterized by unique adverse effects that are not usually observed with cytotoxic chemotherapy. For example, the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor crizotinib causes characteristic visual disturbances, whereas such effects are rare when another ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, alectinib, is used. To elucidate the mechanism responsible for these visual disturbances, the responses to light exhibited by retinal ganglion cells treated with these agents were evaluated using a C57BL6 mouse ex vivo model. Both crizotinib and alectinib changed the firing rate of ON and OFF type retinal ganglion cells. However, the ratio of alectinib-affected cells (15.7%) was significantly lower than that of crizotinib-affected cells (38.6%). Furthermore, these drugs changed the response properties to light stimuli of retinal ganglion cells in some of the affected cells, i.e., OFF cells responded to both ON and OFF stimuli, etc. Finally, the expressions of ALK (a target receptor of both crizotinib and alectinib) and of MET and ROS1 (additional target receptors of crizotinib) were observed at the mRNA level in the retina. Our findings suggest that these drugs might target retinal ganglion cells and that the potency of the drug actions on the light responses of retinal ganglion cells might be responsible for the difference in the frequencies of visual disturbances observed between patients treated with crizotinib and those treated with alectinib. The present experimental system might be useful for screening new molecular target agents prior to their use in clinical trials.     

ABO Blood Type and Personality Traits in Healthy Japanese Subjects

There is no scientific consensus that a relationship exists between the ABO blood group and personality traits. However, a recent study hypothesized that the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene is in linkage with the ABO gene. The sample population consisted of 1,427 healthy Japanese subjects who completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Each subject’s ABO blood type was determined by genotyping the rs8176719 and rs8176746 ABO gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using a TaqMan genotyping assay. The relationships between the six ABO genotypes or four ABO phenotypes and personality traits were examined using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), controlling for age and sex. The MANCOVA data showed a significant difference in TCI scores among the ABO genotype groups (F [7, 1393] = 3.354, p = 0.001). A subsequent univariate analysis showed a significant difference in the mean scores for Persistence among the genotype groups (F = 2.680, partial η² = 0.010, p = 0.020). Similarly, dividing the ABO blood type into four phenotypes revealed a significant difference among the phenotype groups (F [7, 1397] = 2.529, p = 0.014). A subsequent univariate analysis showed a significant difference among the phenotype groups in the mean scores for Persistence (F = 2.952, partial η²= 0.006, p = 0.032). We observed a significant association between ABO blood group genotypes and personality traits in a large number of healthy Japanese subjects. However, these results should be regarded as preliminary and should be interpreted with caution because it is possible that the association between ABO blood group genotype and the Persistence trait is relatively weak.     

Criterion and construct validity of the CogState Schizophrenia Battery in Japanese patients with schizophrenia

Background

The CogState Schizophrenia Battery (CSB), a computerized cognitive battery, covers all the same cognitive domains as the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery but is briefer to conduct. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the criterion and construct validity of the Japanese language version of the CSB (CSB-J) in Japanese patients with schizophrenia.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Forty Japanese patients with schizophrenia and 40 Japanese healthy controls with matching age, gender, and premorbid intelligence quotient were enrolled. The CSB-J and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, Japanese-language version (BACS-J) were performed once. The structure of the CSB-J was also evaluated by a factor analysis. Similar to the BACS-J, the CSB-J was sensitive to cognitive impairment in Japanese patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between the CSB-J composite score and the BACS-J composite score. A factor analysis showed a three-factor model consisting of memory, speed, and social cognition factors.

Conclusions/Significance

This study suggests that the CSB-J is a useful and rapid automatically administered computerized battery for assessing broad cognitive domains in Japanese patients with schizophrenia.