Heme Orientation of Cavity Mutant Hemoglobins (His F8 → Gly) in Either α or β Subunits: Circular Dichroism, 1H NMR,and Resonance Raman Studies

Native human adult hemoglobin (Hb A) has mostly normal orientation of heme, whereas recombinant Hb A (rHb A) expressed in E. coli contains both normal and reversed orientations of heme. Hb A with the normal heme exhibits positive circular dichroism (CD) bands at both the Soret and 260‐nm regions, while rHb A with the reversed heme shows a negative Soret and decreased 260‐nm CD bands. In order to examine involvement of the proximal histidine (His F8) of either α or β subunits in determining the heme orientation, we prepared two cavity mutant Hbs, rHb(αH87G) and rHb(βH92G), with substitution of glycine for His F8 in the presence of imidazole. CD spectra of both cavity mutant Hbs did not show a negative Soret band, but instead exhibited positive bands with strong intensity at the both Soret and 260‐nm regions, suggesting that the reversed heme scarcely exists in the cavity mutant Hbs. We confirmed by ¹H NMR and resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopies that the cavity mutant Hbs have mainly the normal heme orientation in both the mutated and native subunits. These results indicate that the heme Fe‐His F8 linkage in both α and β subunits influences the heme orientation, and that the heme orientation of one type of subunit is related to the heme orientation of the complementary subunits to be the same. The present study showed that CD and RR spectroscopies also provided powerful tools for the examination of the heme rotational disorder of Hb A, in addition to the usual ¹H NMR technique. Chirality 28:585–592, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Structure-based design,synthesis, and evaluation of imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives as novel dual c-Met and VEGFR2 kinase inhibitors

To identify compounds with potent antitumor efficacy for various human cancers, we aimed to synthesize compounds that could inhibit c-mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (c-Met) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) kinases. We designed para-substituted inhibitors by using co-crystal structural information from c-Met and VEGFR2 in complex with known inhibitors. This led to the identification of compounds 3a and 3b, which were capable of suppressing both c-Met and VEGFR2 kinase activities. Further optimization resulted in pyrazolone and pyridone derivatives, which could form intramolecular hydrogen bonds to enforce a rigid conformation, thereby producing potent inhibition. One compound of particular note was the imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivative (26) bearing a 6-methylpyridone ring, which strongly inhibited both c-Met and VEGFR2 enzyme activities (IC₅₀ = 1.9, 2.2 nM), as well as proliferation of c-Met-addicted MKN45 cells and VEGF-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (IC₅₀ = 5.0, 1.8 nM). Compound 26 exhibited dose-dependent antitumor efficacy in vivo in MKN45 (treated/control ratio [T/C] = 4%, po, 5 mg/kg, once-daily) and COLO205 (T/C = 13%, po, 15 mg/kg, once-daily) mouse xenograft models.     

Sclerostin is a novel secreted osteoclast-derived bone morphogenetic protein antagonist with unique ligand specificity

Sclerosteosis is a progressive sclerosing bone dysplasia. Sclerostin (the SOST gene) was originally identified as the sclerosteosis-causing gene. However, the physiological role of sclerostin remains to be elucidated. Sclerostin was intensely expressed in developing bones of mouse embryos. Punctuated expression of sclerostin was localized on the surfaces of both intramembranously forming skull bones and endochondrally forming long bones. Sclerostin-positive cells were identified as osteoclasts. Recombinant sclerostin protein produced in cultured cells was efficiently secreted as a monomer. We examined effects of sclerostin on the activity of BMP2, BMP4, BMP6, and BMP7 for mouse preosteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Sclerostin inhibited the BMP6 and BMP7 activity but not the BMP2 and BMP4 activity. Sclerostin bound to BMP6 and BMP7 with high affinity but bound to BMP2 and BMP4 with lower affinity. In conclusion, sclerostin is a novel secreted osteoclast-derived BMP antagonist with unique ligand specificity. We suggest that sclerostin negatively regulates the formation of bone by repressing the differentiation and/or function of osteoblasts induced by BMPs. Since sclerostin expression is confined to the bone-resorbing osteoclast, it provides a mechanism whereby bone apposition is inhibited in the vicinity of resorption. Our findings indicate that sclerostin plays an important role in bone remodeling and links bone resorption and bone apposition.     

Cell-autonomous involvement of Mab21l1 is essential for lens placode development

The mab-21 gene was first identified because of its requirement for ray identity specification in Caenorhabditis elegans. It is now known to constitute a family of genes that are highly conserved from vertebrates to invertebrates, and two homologs, Mab21l1 and Mab21l2, have been identified in many species. We describe the generation of Mab21l1-deficient mice with defects in eye and preputial gland formation. The mutant mouse eye has a rudimentary lens resulting from insufficient invagination of the lens placode caused by deficient proliferation. Chimera analyses suggest that the lens placode is affected in a cell-autonomous manner, although Mab21l1 is expressed in both the lens placode and the optic vesicle. The defects in lens placode development correlate with delayed and insufficient expression of Foxe3, which is also required for lens development, while Maf, Sox2, Six3 and PAX6 levels are not significantly affected. Significant reduction of Mab21l1 expression in the optic vesicle and overlying surface ectoderm in Sey homozygotes indicates that Mab21l1 expression in the developing eye is dependent upon the functions of Pax6 gene products. We conclude that Mab21l1 expression dependent on PAX6 is essential for lens placode growth and for formation of the lens vesicle; lack of Mab21l1 expression causes reduced expression of Foxe3 in a cell-autonomous manner.     

Chemical modification of chitosan. Part 15: synthesis of novel chitosan derivatives by substitution of hydrophilic amine using N-carboxyethylchitosan ethyl ester as an intermediate

The Michael type reaction of chitosan with ethyl acrylate has been investigated. Although this reaction was quite slow in the case of chitosan, the reiteration of the reaction was an effective means for increasing the degree of substitution (DS) of ethyl ester. The N-carboxyethylchitosan ethyl ester as an intermediate was successfully substituted with various hydrophilic amines, although the simultaneous hydrolysis of the ester to carboxylic acid also occurred. Water-soluble chitosan derivatives were obtained by substitution with hydroxyalkylamines and diamines.     

Estrogen enhances depolarization-induced glutamate release through activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase in cultured hippocampal neurons

Changes in synaptic efficacy are considered necessary for learning and memory. Recently, it has been suggested that estrogen controls synaptic function in the central nervous system. However, it is unclear how estrogen regulates synaptic function in central nervous system neurons. We found that estrogen potentiated presynaptic function in cultured hippocampal neurons. Chronic treatment with estradiol (1 or 10 nm) for 24 h significantly increased a high potassium-induced glutamate release. The estrogen-potentiated glutamate release required the activation of both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and MAPK.The high potassium-evoked release with or without estradiol pretreatment was blocked by tetanus neurotoxin, which is an inhibitor of exocytosis. In addition, the reduction in intensity of FM1-43 fluorescence, which labeled presynaptic vesicles, was enhanced by estradiol, suggesting that estradiol potentiated the exocytotic mechanism. Furthermore, protein levels of synaptophysin, syntaxin, and synaptotagmin (synaptic proteins, respectively) were up-regulated by estradiol. We confirmed that the up-regulation of synaptophysin was blocked by the MAPK pathway inhibitor, U0126. These results suggested that estrogen enhanced presynaptic function through the up-regulated exocytotic system. In this study, we propose that estrogen reinforced excitatory synaptic transmission via potentiated-glutamate release from presynaptic sites.     

Phylogenetic analyses of Japanese golden chanterelles and a new species description,Cantharellus anzutake sp. nov.

The Japanese golden chanterelle commonly identified as Cantharellus cibarius was sampled in a broad range of forest vegetation. A total of 90 fresh and 11 herbarium specimens were examined microscopically, subjected to sequencing analysis of their nuclear ribosomal RNA (rDNA) and tef-1 genes, and their characteristics were compared with those of European C. cibarius. Based on morphological and ecological characteristics, basidioma samples from Japan were divided into four species. While specimens of Cantharellus sp. 4 from Hokkaido Island were included in the European C. cibarius clade phylogenetically, the other three species formed three unique clades. Among these, Cantharellus anzutake sp. nov. is sister to the clade of C. cibarius and was widely sampled from the northern limit of Honshu Island to the southern limit of Kumejima Island in Ryukyu Islands. Although C. anzutake was morphologically similar to C. cibarius, the two species were phylogenetically distinct. Other morphologically similar but genetically distinct chanterelle species from India exhibited macroscopic and microscopic differences compared with C. anzutake.     

Glutamate dehydrogenase from the aerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1: enzymatic characterization, identification of the encoding gene, and phylogenetic implications

NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (l-glutamate: NADP oxidoreductase, deaminating, EC 1.4.1.4) from the aerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 (JCM 9820) was purified to homogeneity for characterization. The enzyme retained its full activity on heating at 95°C for 30 min, and the maximum activity in l-glutamate deamination was obtained around 100°C. The enzyme showed a strict specificity for l-glutamate and NADP on oxidative deamination and for 2-oxoglutarate and NADPH on reductive amination. The K _m values for NADP, l-glutamate, NADPH, 2-oxoglutarate, and ammonia were 0.039, 3.3, 0.022, 1.7, and 83 mM, respectively. On the basis of the N-terminal amino acid sequence, the encoding gene was identified in the A. pernix K1 genome, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence revealed an open reading frame of 1257 bp starting with a minor TTG codon and encoding a protein of 418 amino acids with a molecular weight of 46 170. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the glutamate dehydrogenase from A. pernix K1 clustered with those from aerobic Sulfolobus solfataricus, Sulfolobus shibatae, and anaerobic Pyrobaculum islandicum in Crenarchaeota, and it separated from another cluster of the enzyme from Thermococcales in Euryarchaeota. The branching pattern of the enzymes from A. pernix K1, S. solfataricus, S. shibatae, and Pb. islandicum in the phylogenetic tree coincided with that of 16S rDNAs obtained from the same organisms. Received: April 24, 2000 / Accepted: August 10, 2000