Looking for trouble: a search for developmental defects of the hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a critical integrator of several homeostatic processes that are required for the survival of vertebrates. Disruption of the development of the hypothalamus thus has the potential of perturbing important physiological processes with lifelong consequences. We review current knowledge about how cell types are specified and circuits are formed within the developing hypothalamus. We emphasize the potential clinical impact of the perturbations of these pathways using the regulation of energy balance as a model. We predict that disruption of hypothalamic development is a common, previously unsuspected cause of disorders of homeostatic processes such as obesity and high blood pressure.     

An Abscisic Acid-Independent Oxylipin Pathway Controls Stomatal Closure and Immune Defense in Arabidopsis

Plant stomata function in innate immunity against bacterial invasion and abscisic acid (ABA) has been suggested to regulate this process. Using genetic, biochemical, and pharmacological approaches, we demonstrate that (i) the Arabidopsis thaliana nine-specific-lipoxygenase encoding gene, LOX1, which is expressed in guard cells, is required to trigger stomatal closure in response to both bacteria and the pathogen-associated molecular pattern flagellin peptide flg22; (ii) LOX1 participates in stomatal defense; (iii) polyunsaturated fatty acids, the LOX substrates, trigger stomatal closure; (iv) the LOX products, fatty acid hydroperoxides, or reactive electrophile oxylipins induce stomatal closure; and (v) the flg22-mediated stomatal closure is conveyed by both LOX1 and the mitogen-activated protein kinases MPK3 and MPK6 and involves salicylic acid whereas the ABA-induced process depends on the protein kinases OST1, MPK9, or MPK12. Finally, we show that the oxylipin and the ABA pathways converge at the level of the anion channel SLAC1 to regulate stomatal closure. Collectively, our results demonstrate that early biotic signaling in guard cells is an ABA-independent process revealing a novel function of LOX1-dependent stomatal pathway in plant immunity.     

Prevalence and seasonal variations of six bee viruses in Apis mellifera L. and Varroa destructor mite populations in France

A survey of six bee viruses on a large geographic scale was undertaken by using seemingly healthy bee colonies and the PCR technique. Samples of adult bees and pupae were collected from 36 apiaries in the spring, summer, and autumn during 2002. Varroa destructor samples were collected at the end of summer following acaricide treatment. In adult bees, during the year deformed wing virus (DWV) was found at least once in 97% of the apiaries, sacbrood virus (SBV) was found in 86% of the apiaries, chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) was found in 28% of the apiaries, acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) was found in 58% of the apiaries, black queen cell virus (BQCV) was found in 86% of the apiaries, and Kashmir bee virus (KBV) was found in 17% of the apiaries. For pupae, the following frequencies were obtained: DWV, 94% of the apiaries; SBV, 80% of the apiaries; CBPV, none of the apiaries; ABPV, 23% of the apiaries; BQCV, 23% of the apiaries; and KBV, 6% of the apiaries. In Varroa samples, the following four viruses were identified: DWV (100% of the apiaries), SBV (45% of the apiaries), ABPV (36% of the apiaries), and KBV (5% of the apiaries). The latter findings support the putative role of mites in transmitting these viruses. Taken together, these data indicate that bee virus infections occur persistently in bee populations despite the lack of clinical signs, suggesting that colony disease outbreaks might result from environmental factors that lead to activation of viral replication in bees.     

Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Trio Regulates Netrin-1/DCC-Mediated Cortical Axon Outgrowth

The chemotropic guidance cue netrin-1 mediates attraction of migrating axons during central nervous system development through the receptor Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC). Downstream of netrin-1, activated Rho GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42 induce cytoskeletal rearrangements within the growth cone. The Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Trio is essential for Rac1 activation downstream of netrin-1/DCC, but the molecular mechanisms governing Trio activity remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Trio is phosphorylated by Src family kinases in the embryonic rat cortex in response to netrin-1. In vitro, Trio was predominantly phosphorylated at Tyr²⁶²² by the Src kinase Fyn. Though the phospho-null mutant Trio^Y2622F retained GEF activity toward Rac1, its expression impaired netrin-1-induced Rac1 activation and DCC-mediated neurite outgrowth in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. Trio^Y2622F impaired netrin-1-induced axonal extension in cultured cortical neurons and was unable to colocalize with DCC in growth cones, in contrast to wild-type Trio. Furthermore, depletion of Trio in cortical neurons reduced the level of cell surface DCC in growth cones, which could be restored by expression of wild-type Trio but not Trio^Y2622F. Together, these findings demonstrate that Trio^Y2622 phosphorylation is essential for the regulation of the DCC/Trio signaling complex in cortical neurons during netrin-1-mediated axon outgrowth.     

Gut microflora is a key player in host energy homeostasis

Gut microflora is now considered as a key organ involved in host energy homeostasis. Recent data suggest that the alterations of the gut bacteria ecosystem could contribute to the development of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. First, gut microflora may increase energy efficiency of non digested food via the fermentation, thus providing more energy to the host. Secondly, fatty acids flux and storage in the adipose tissue is under the control of the fasting-induced adipocyte factor FIAF, which expression depends on gut microflora. Third, high-fat diet feeding changes gut bacteria profile, leading to a drop in bifidobacteria content, which correlates with a higher LPS plasma levels, thereby participating to the onset of inflammation, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes associated with obesity. Changing gut microflora composition could be a useful tool to prevent or to treat high-fat/low fibres diet-induced metabolic syndrome. double dagger.     

Trans‐species synthetic gene design allows resistance pyramiding and broad‐spectrum engineering of virus resistance in plants

To infect plants, viruses rely heavily on their host's machinery. Plant genetic resistances based on host factor modifications can be found among existing natural variability and are widely used for some but not all crops. While biotechnology can supply for the lack of natural resistance alleles, new strategies need to be developed to increase resistance spectra and durability without impairing plant development. Here, we assess how the targeted allele modification of the Arabidopsis thaliana translation initiation factor eIF4E1 can lead to broad and efficient resistance to the major group of potyviruses. A synthetic Arabidopsis thaliana eIF4E1 allele was designed by introducing multiple amino acid changes associated with resistance to potyvirus in naturally occurring Pisum sativum alleles. This new allele encodes a functional protein while maintaining plant resistance to a potyvirus isolate that usually hijacks eIF4E1. Due to its biological functionality, this synthetic allele allows, at no developmental cost, the pyramiding of resistances to potyviruses that selectively use the two major translation initiation factors, eIF4E1 or its isoform eIFiso4E. Moreover, this combination extends the resistance spectrum to potyvirus isolates for which no efficient resistance has so far been found, including resistance‐breaking isolates and an unrelated virus belonging to the Luteoviridae family. This study is a proof‐of‐concept for the efficiency of gene engineering combined with knowledge of natural variation to generate trans‐species virus resistance at no developmental cost to the plant. This has implications for breeding of crops with broad‐spectrum and high durability resistance using recent genome editing techniques.     

Analysis of essential histidine residues of maize branching enzymes by chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis

Incubation of maize branching enzyme, mBEI and mBEII, with 100 μM diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) rapidly inactivated the enzymes. Treatment of the DEPC-inactivated enzymes with 100–500 mM hydroxylamine restored the enzyme activities. Spectroscopic data indicated that the inactivation of BE with DEPC was the result of histidine modification. The addition of the substrate amylose or amylopectin retarded the enzyme inactivation by DEPC, suggesting that the histidine residues are important for substrate binding. In maize BEII, conserved histidine residues are in catalytic regions 1 (His320) and 4 (His508). His320 and His508 were individually replaced by Ala via site-directed mutagenesis to probe their role in catalysis. Expression of these mutants inE. coli showed a significant decrease of the activity and the mutant enzymes hadK _m values 10 times higher than the wild type. Therefore, residues His320 and His508 do play an important role in substrate binding.     

Rapid determination of methadone and its major metabolite in biological fluids by gas–liquid chromatography with thermionic detection for maintenance treatment of opiate addicts

A rapid gas–liquid chromatographic assay is developed for the quantification of methadone (Mtd) and its major metabolite, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), in biological fluids of opiate addicts. After alkaline extraction from samples with lidocaine hydrochloride as internal standard, Mtd and EDDP are separated on SP-2250 column at 220°C and detected with a thermionic detector. The chromatographic time is about 6 min. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of Mtd and EDDP standards are between 1.5 and 5.5%. Most drugs of abuse (morphine, codeine, narcotine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, dextropropoxyphene etc) are shown not to interfere with this technique. The method has been applied to study the levels of Mtd and EDDP metabolite in serum, saliva and urine of patients under maintenance treatment for opiate dependence. EDDP levels were found higher than those of Mtd in urine samples from four treated patients, but lower in serum and undetectable in saliva. However, Mtd concentrations were higher in saliva than in serum.     

Effects of deletion of the prolactin receptor on ovarian gene expression

Prolactin (PRL) exerts pleiotropic physiological effects in various cells and tissues, and is mainly considered as a regulator of reproduction and cell growth. Null mutation of the PRL receptor (R) gene leads to female sterility due to a complete failure of embryo implantation. Pre-implantatory egg development, implantation and decidualization in the mouse appear to be dependent on ovarian rather than uterine PRLR expression, since progesterone replacement permits the rescue of normal implantation and early pregnancy. To better understand PRL receptor deficiency, we analyzed in detail ovarian and corpora lutea development of PRLR-/- females. The present study demonstrates that the ovulation rate is not different between PRLR+/+ and PRLR-/- mice. The corpus luteum is formed but an elevated level of apoptosis and extensive inhibition of angiogenesis occur during the luteal transition in the absence of prolactin signaling. These modifications lead to the decrease of LH receptor expression and consequently to a loss of the enzymatic cascades necessary to produce adequate levels of progesterone which are required for the maintenance of pregnancy.