The homeodomain transcription factor Prep1 (pKnox1) is required for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell activity

Most of the hypomorphic Prep1^i/i embryos (expressing 3-10% of the Prep1 protein), die between E17.5 and P0, with profound anemia, eye malformations and angiogenic anomalies [Ferretti, E., Villaescusa, J.C., Di Rosa, P., Fernandez-Diaz, L.-C., Longobardi, E., Mazzieri, R., Miccio, A., Micali, N., Selleri, L., Ferrari G., Blasi, F. (2006). Hypomorphic mutation of the TALE gene Prep1 (pKnox1) causes a major reduction of Pbx and Meis proteins and a pleiotropic embryonic phenotype. Mol. Cell. Biol. 26, 5650-5662]. We now report on the hematopoietic phenotype of these embryos. Prep1^i/i fetal livers (FL) are hypoplastic, produce less common myeloid progenitors colonies (CFU-GEMM) in cytokine-supplemented methylcellulose and have an increased number of B-cells precursors that differentiate poorly. Prep1^i/i FL is able to protect lethally irradiated mice only at high cell doses but the few protected mice show major anomalies in all hematopoietic lineages in both bone marrow (BM) and peripheral organs. Prep1^i/i FL cells compete inefficiently with wild type bone marrow in competitive repopulation experiments, suggesting that the major defect lies in long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LTR-HSC). Indeed, wt embryonic expression of Prep1 in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region, fetal liver (FL), cKit⁺Sca1⁺Lin⁻AA4.1⁺ (KSLA) cells and B-lymphocytes precursors agrees with the observed phenotype. We therefore conclude that Prep1 is required for a correct and complete hematopoiesis.     

Long-term feeding a high-fat diet causes histological and parasitological effects on murine schistosomiasis mansoni outcome

This study investigated whether long-term feeding a high-fat diet (HFC) has an effect on schistosomiasis mansoni outcome compared to standard chow diet (SC). Swiss Webster female mice (3 wk old) fed each diet over 5 months, and then were infected with 50 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. Their nutritional status was assessed by monitoring growth rates twice a week and measuring serum levels of lipoproteins. Mice were euthanised 63 days after infection. Parasitological and liver histological analyses were performed. The levels of TC, HDL-C and LDL-C, fecal and tissue schistosome eggs were statistically different (p<0.05) between groups. Livers from HFC mice showed exudative, exudative/exudative-productive, exudative-productive and productive granulomas, some degree of hepatic steatosis and focal necrosis. Mice fed normal-chow did not present productive granulomas and hepatic steatosis. The morphometric evaluation of hepatic granulomas did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05) between diets assayed. The high-fat diet for long-term produces effects on schistosomiasis mansoni outcome.     

Cdc15 is required for spore morphogenesis independently of Cdc14 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae exit from mitosis requires the Cdc14 phosphatase to reverse CDK-mediated phosphorylation. Cdc14 is released from the nucleolus by the Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) and mitotic exit network (MEN) pathways. In meiosis, the FEAR pathway is essential for exit from anaphase I. The MEN component Cdc15 is required for the formation of mature spores. To analyze the role of Cdc15 during sporulation, a conditional mutant in which CDC15 expression was controlled by the CLB2 promoter was used. Cdc15-depleted cells proceeded normally through the meiotic divisions but were unable to properly disassemble meiosis II spindles. The morphology of the prospore membrane was aberrant and failed to capture the nuclear lobes. Cdc15 was not required for Cdc14 release from the nucleoli, but it was essential to maintain Cdc14 released and for its nucleo-cytoplasmic transport. However, cells carrying a CDC14 allele with defects in nuclear export (Cdc14-DeltaNES) were able to disassemble the spindle and to complete spore formation, suggesting that the Cdc14 nuclear export defect was not the cause of the phenotypes observed in cdc15 mutants.     

Disruption of the GDNF binding site in NCAM dissociates ligand binding and homophilic cell adhesion

Most plasma membrane proteins are capable of sensing multiple cell-cell and cell-ligand interactions, but the extent to which this functional versatility is founded on their modular design is less clear. We have identified the third immunoglobulin domain of the Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) as the necessary and sufficient determinant for its interaction with Glial Cell Line-derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF). Four charged contacts were identified by molecular modeling as the main contributors to binding energy. Their mutation abolished GDNF binding to NCAM but left intact the ability of NCAM to mediate cell adhesion, indicating that the two functions are genetically separable. The GDNF-NCAM interface allows complex formation with the GDNF family receptor alpha1, shedding light on the molecular architecture of a multicomponent GDNF receptor.     

Characterization of recombinant CDR1, an Arabidopsis aspartic proteinase involved in disease resistance

The Arabidopsis thaliana constitutive disease resistance 1 (CDR1) gene product is an aspartic proteinase that has been implicated in disease resistance signaling (Xia, Y., Suzuki, H., Borevitz, J., Blount, J., Guo, Z., Patel, K., Dixon, R. A., and Lamb, C. (2004) EMBO J. 23, 980-988). This apoplastic enzyme is a member of the group of "atypical" plant aspartic proteinases. As for other enzymes of this subtype, CDR1 has remained elusive until recently as a result of its unusual properties and localization. Here we report on the heterologous expression and characterization of recombinant CDR1, which displays unique enzymatic properties among plant aspartic proteinases. The highly restricted specificity requirements, insensitivity toward the typical aspartic proteinase inhibitor pepstatin A, an unusually high optimal pH of 6.0-6.5, proteinase activity without irreversible prosegment removal, and dependence of catalytic activity on formation of a homo-dimer are some of the unusual properties observed for recombinant CDR1. These findings unveil a pattern of unprecedented functional complexity for Arabidopsis CDR1 and are consistent with a highly specific and regulated biological function.     

Integrin alpha9beta1 directly binds to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and contributes to VEGF-A-induced angiogenesis

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a potent inducer of angiogenesis. We now show that VEGF-A-induced adhesion and migration of human endothelial cells are dependent on the integrin alpha9beta1 and that VEGF-A is a direct ligand for this integrin. Adhesion and migration of these cells on the 165 and 121 isoforms of VEGF-A depend on cooperative input from alpha9beta1 and the cognate receptor for VEGF-A, VEGF receptor 2 (VEGF-R2). Unlike alpha3beta1or alphavbeta3 integrins, alpha9beta1 was also found to bind the 121 isoform of VEGF-A. This interaction appears to be biologically significant, because alpha9beta1-blocking antibody dramatically and specifically inhibited angiogenesis induced by VEGF-A165 or -121. Together with our previous findings that alpha9beta1 directly binds to VEGF-C and -D and contributes to lymphangiogenesis, these results identify the integrin alpha9beta1 as a potential pharmacotherapeutic target for inhibition of pathogenic angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.     

SdrF, a Staphylococcus epidermidis surface protein, binds type I collagen

Staphylococcus epidermidis is the leading cause of device-related infections. These infections require an initial colonization step in which S. epidermidis adheres to the implanted material. This process is usually mediated by specific bacterial surface proteins and host factors coating the foreign device. Some of these surface proteins belong to the serine-aspartate repeat (Sdr) family, which includes adhesins from Staphyloccus aureus and S. epidermidis. Using a heterologous expression system in Lactococcus lactis to overcome possible staphylococcal adherence redundancy we observed that one of these Sdr proteins, SdrF, mediates binding to type I collagen when present on the lactococcal cell surface. We used lactococcal recombinant strains, a protein-protein interaction assay and Western ligand blot analysis to demonstrate that this process occurs via the B domain of SdrF and both the alpha1 and alpha2 chains of type I collagen. It was also found that a single B domain repeat of S. epidermidis 9491 retains the capacity to bind to type I collagen. We demonstrated that the putative ligand binding N-terminal A domain does not bind to collagen which suggests that SdrF might be a multiligand adhesin. Antibodies directed against the B domain significantly reduce in vitro adherence of S. epidermidis to immobilized collagen.     

Tissue-specific autophagy alterations and increased tumorigenesis in mice deficient in Atg4C/autophagin-3

Atg4C/autophagin-3 is a member of a family of cysteine proteinases proposed to be involved in the processing and delipidation of the mammalian orthologues of yeast Atg8, an essential component of an ubiquitin-like modification system required for execution of autophagy. To date, the in vivo role of the different members of this family of proteinases remains unclear. To gain further insights into the functional relevance of Atg4 orthologues, we have generated mutant mice deficient in Atg4C/autophagin-3. These mice are viable and fertile and do not display any obvious abnormalities, indicating that they are able to develop the autophagic response required during the early neonatal period. However, Atg4C-/--starved mice show a decreased autophagic activity in the diaphragm as assessed by immunoblotting studies and by fluorescence microscopic analysis of samples from Atg4C-/- GFP-LC3 transgenic mice. In addition, animals deficient in Atg4C show an increased susceptibility to develop fibrosarcomas induced by chemical carcinogens. Based on these results, we propose that Atg4C is not essential for autophagy development under normal conditions but is required for a proper autophagic response under stressful conditions such as prolonged starvation. We also propose that this enzyme could play an in vivo role in events associated with tumor progression.