Lipid Compositions of Photomixotrophic Green Calluses and Chlorophyll Deficient Leaves of Tobacco

Among photomixotrophic green calluses tested (N. rustica. N. tobacum L. cv. BY-4 and Samsun), the callus of Samsun had the highest contents of chlorophyll and chloroplast lipids, such as monogalactosyldiglyceride (MGDG), digalactosyldiglyceride (DGDG), sulfoquinovosyldigly-ceride (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). However, the chlorophyll and chloroplast lipids in the green callus of Samsun were still 1/6 and 1/3 of that in the parent leaves, respectively. The relative content of a-linolenate in MGDG, DGDG and SQDG of the green calluses were higher than that of the white calluses. The ratios of hexadecatrienoate in MGDG and hexadeceno-ate (Δ³-trans) in PG in the green calluses were trace or less compared with that of the parent leaves. The crude lipids and total fatty acid contents of the chlorophyll deficient leaves (N. taba-cum L. cv. Consolation 402 and Dominant Aurea Su/su) were almost the same as those of the normal leaves (cv. BY-4 and Samsun), although the chlorophyll contents of the chlorophyll deficient leaves were 1/3 ~ 1/4 of that of the normal leaves. The ratios of chloroplast lipids in the total polar lipids in the chlorophyll deficient leaves were a little lower than that in the normal green leaves, but the former had a slightly higher ratio of phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine than the latter. There were few differences in the fatty acid compositions of each individual lipid betweeen both types of leaves.     

Structure and immunocytochemical localization of photosynthetic enzymes in the lamina joint and sheath pulvinus of the C4 grass Arundinella hirta

The C₄ grass Arundinella hirta exhibits a unique C₄ anatomy, with isolated Kranz cells (distinctive cells) and C₄-type expression of photosynthetic enzymes in the leaf sheath and stem as well as in the leaf blade. The border zones between these organs are pale green. Those between the leaf blade and sheath and between the sheath and stem are called the lamina joint and sheath pulvinus, respectively, and are involved in gravity sensing. We investigated the structure and localization of C₃ and C₄ photosynthetic enzymes in these tissues. In both zones the epidermis lacked stomata. The inner tissue was composed of parenchyma cells and vascular bundles. The parenchyma cells were densely packed with small intercellular spaces and contained granal chloroplasts with large starch grains. No C₄-type cellular differentiation was recognized. Western blot analysis showed that the lamina joint and pulvinus accumulated substantial amounts of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), pyruvate,Pi dikinase (PPDK), and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco). Immunogold electron microscopy revealed PEPC in the cytosol and both PPDK and rubisco in the chloroplasts of parenchyma cells, suggesting the occurrence of C₃ and C₄ enzymes within a single type of chlorenchyma cell. These data indicate that the lamina joint and pulvinus have unique expression patterns of C₃ and C₄ enzymes, unlike those in C₄-type anatomy.     

Ketogenic essential amino acids replacement diet ameliorated hepatosteatosis with altering autophagy-associated molecules

Ketogenic amino acid (KAA) replacement diet has been shown to cure hepatic steatosis, a serious liver disease associated with diverse metabolic defects. In this study, we investigated the effects of KAA replacement diet on nutrition sensing signaling pathway and analyzed whether induction of hepatic autophagy was involved. Mice are fed with high fat diet (HFD) or KAA replacement in high-fat diet (30% fat in food; HFD)-fed (HFD^KAAR) and sacrificed at 8, 12, 16 weeks after initiation of experimental food. Hepatic autophagy was analyzed in protein expression of several autophagy-associated molecules and in light chain-3 green fluorescent protein (LC-3 GFP) transgenic mice. HFD^KAAR showed increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and enhanced liver kinase B1 (LKB1) expression compared to control HFD-fed mice. The KAA-HFD-induced activation of AMPK was associated with an increased protein expression of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), decreased forkhead box protein O3a (Foxo3a) level, and suppression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation compared with the HFD-fed mice. The intervention study revealed that a KAA-replacement diet also ameliorated all the established metabolic and autophagy defects in the HFD-fed mice, suggesting that a KAA-replacement diet can be used therapeutically in established diseases. These results indicate that KAA replacement in food could be a novel strategy to combat hepatic steatosis and metabolic abnormalities likely involvement of an induction of autophagy.     

Network Analysis of a Comprehensive Knowledge Repository Reveals a Dual Role for Ceramide in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of senile dementia. Many inflammatory factors such as amyloid-β and pro-inflammatory cytokines are known to contribute to the inflammatory response in the AD brain. Sphingolipids are widely known to have roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, where the precise roles for sphingolipids in inflammation-associated pathogenesis of AD are not well understood. Here we performed a network analysis to clarify the importance of sphingolipids and to model relationships among inflammatory factors and sphingolipids in AD. In this study, we have updated sphingolipid signaling and metabolic cascades in a map of AD signaling networks that we named “AlzPathway,” a comprehensive knowledge repository of signaling pathways in AD. Our network analysis of the updated AlzPathway indicates that the pathways related to ceramide are one of the primary pathways and that ceramide is one of the important players in the pathogenesis of AD. The results of our analysis suggest the following two prospects about inflammation in AD: (1) ceramide could play important roles in both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways of AD, and (2) several factors such as Sphingomyelinase and Siglec-11 may be associated with ceramide related inflammation and anti-inflammation pathways in AD. In this study, network analysis of comprehensive knowledge repository reveals a dual role for ceramide in AD. This result provides a clue to clarify sphingolipids related inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways in AD.     

Clinical Utility of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detecting Anti-Melanoma Differentiation-Associated Gene 5 Autoantibodies

ObjectiveAutoantibodies to melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) are specifically expressed in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and are associated with a subset of DM patients with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD). Here, we examined the clinical utility of a newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system for detecting these antibodies.MethodsHere we developed an improved ELISA for detecting anti-MDA5 antibodies. We then performed a multicenter clinical study involving 8 medical centers and enrolled 242 adult patients with polymyositis (PM)/DM, 190 with non-PM/DM connective tissue disease (CTD), 154 with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), and 123 healthy controls. Anti-MDA5 antibodies in the patients’ serum samples were quantified using our newly developed ELISA, and the results were compared to those obtained using the gold-standard immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. In addition, correlations between the ELISA-quantified anti-MDA5 antibodies and clinical characteristics were evaluated.ResultsIn patients with PM/DM, the anti-MDA5 antibody measurements obtained from the ELISA and IP assay were highly concordant; the ELISA exhibited an analytical sensitivity of 98.2%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, and negative predictive value of 99.5% (compared to the IP assay). Anti-MDA5 antibodies were detected in 22.7% of the DM patients, but not in any of the patients with PM, non-PM/DM CTD, or IIP. Clinically amyopathic DM, RP-ILD, arthritis, and fever were more prevalent in DM patients who were anti-MDA5 antibody-positive than in those who were antibody-negative (P ≤ 0.0002 for all comparisons). In addition, anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients with RP-ILD exhibited higher antibody levels than those without RP-ILD (P = 0.006).ConclusionOur newly developed ELISA can detect anti-MDA5 antibodies as efficiently as the gold standard IP assay and has the potential to facilitate the routine clinical measurement of anti-MDA5 antibodies in patients who suspected to have DM.     

Hypermethylation of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">CaSR</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">VDR</Emphasis> genes in the parathyroid glands in chronic kidney disease rats with high-phosphate diet

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) disrupts mineral homeostasis and its representative pathosis is defined as secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). SHPT occurs during the early course of progressive renal insufficiency, and is associated with mortality and cardiovascular events. SHPT results in reduction of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the parathyroid glands during CKD. However, the precise mechanism of CaSR and VDR reduction is largely unknown. CKD was induced through two-step 5/6 nephrectomy, and then CKD rats and sham-operated rats were maintained for 8 weeks on diets containing 0.7 % phosphorus (normal phosphate) or 1.2 % phosphorus (high phosphate). In gene expression analysis, TaqMan probes were used for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Finally, CaSR and VDR protein expressions were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. DNA methylation analysis was performed using a restriction digestion and quantitative PCR. CaSR and VDR mRNA were reduced only in CKD rats fed the high-phosphorus diets (CKD HP), then CaSR and VDR immunohistochemical expressions were compatible with gene expression assay. SHPT was then confirmed only in CKD HP rats. Furthermore, sole CKD HP rats showed the hypermethylation in CaSR and VDR genes; however, the percentage methylation of both genes was low. Although CaSR and VDR hypermethylation was demonstrated in PTGs of CKD HP rats, the extent of hypermethylation was insufficient to support the relevance between hypermethylation and down-regulation of gene expression because of the low percentage of methylation. Consequently, our data suggest that mechanisms, other than DNA hypermethylation, were responsible for the reduction in mRNA and protein levels of CaSR and VDR in PTGs of CKD HP rats.     

Analysis of intranuclear binding process of glucocorticoid receptor using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

The diffusion properties of EGFP-hGRalpha and mutants C421G, A458T and I566 in living cells were analyzed. The wild type and mutants C421G and A458T translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus after addition of Dex; however, the Brownian motions of the proteins were different. The diffusion constant of wild-type GRalpha after addition of Dex slowed to 15.6% of that in the absence of Dex, whereas those of A458T and C421G slowed to 34.8% and 61.7%, respectively. This is the first report that dimer formation is less important than the binding activity of GRalpha to GRE in the living cell.