CrkL is recruited through its SH2 domain to the erythropoietin receptor and plays a role in Lyn-mediated receptor signaling.

The erythropoietin (Epo) receptor transduces its signals by activating physically associated tyrosine kinases, mainly Jak2 and Lyn, and thereby inducing tyrosine phosphorylation of various substrates including the Epo receptor (EpoR) itself. We previously demonstrated that, in Epo-stimulated cells, an adapter protein, CrkL, becomes tyrosine-phosphorylated, physically associates with Shc, SHP-2, and Cbl, and plays a role in activation of the Ras/Erk signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that Epo induces binding of CrkL to the tyrosine-phosphorylated EpoR and SHIP1 in 32D/EpoR-Wt cells overexpressing CrkL. In vitro binding studies showed that the CrkL SH2 domain directly mediates the EpoR binding, which was specifically inhibited by a synthetic phosphopeptide corresponding to the amino acid sequences at Tyr(460) in the cytoplasmic domain of EpoR. The CrkL SH2 domain was also required for tyrosine phosphorylation of CrkL in Epo-stimulated cells. Overexpression of Lyn induced constitutive phosphorylation of CrkL and activation of Erk, whereas that of a Lyn mutant lacking the tyrosine kinase domain attenuated the Epo-induced phosphorylation of CrkL and activation of Erk. Furthermore, Lyn, but not Jak2, phosphorylated CrkL on tyrosine in in vitro kinase assays. Together, the present study suggests that, upon Epo stimulation, CrkL is recruited to the EpoR through interaction between the CrkL SH2 domain and phosphorylated Tyr(460) in the EpoR cytoplasmic domain and undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation by receptor-associated Lyn to activate the downstream signaling pathway leading to the activation of Erk and Elk-1.     

1H, 13C, and 15N resonance assignment of the first PDZ domain of mouse ZO-1

Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) is a scaffolding molecule critical to the formation of intercellular adhesion structures, such as tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs). ZO-1 contains three PDZ domains followed by a GUK domain and a ZU5 domain. The first PDZ of ZO-1 (ZO-1(PDZ1)) serves as a protein–protein interaction module and interacts with the C-termini of almost all claudins to initiate the formation of a belt-like structure on the lateral membranes, thereby promoting TJ formation. It has been recently reported that approximately 15% of all PDZ domains bind phosphoinositides, and ZO-1(PDZ1) is the one of these. Here we report the ¹⁵N, ¹³C, and ¹H chemical shift assignments of the first PDZ domain of mouse ZO-1. The resonance assignments obtained in this work may contribute in clarifying the interplay between the two binary interactions, ZO-1(PDZ1)–claudins and ZO-1(PDZ1)–phospholipids, and suggesting a novel regulation mechanism underlying the formation and maintenance of cell–cell adhesion machinery downstream of the phospholipid signaling pathways.     

Efficacy and safety of paromomycin for treating amebiasis in Japan

The clinical management of amebiasis is a growing concern, particularly among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals who are predisposed to severe illness. Treatment with a luminal amebicide is strongly recommended following acute-stage treatment with a nitroimidazole. In 2004, the Japanese Research Group on Chemotherapy of Tropical Diseases introduced paromomycin, which was not nationally licensed, and offered it to a number of patients. From 2004 to 2011, 143 case records of amebiasis (123 with amebic colitis, 16 with amebic liver abscess, and 4 with both) in which patients were treated with paromomycin, mainly 1500 mg/day for 9 or 10 days following metronidazole treatment, were submitted. Among 123 evaluable cases, 23 (18.7%) experienced possible adverse effects, the most common being diarrhea (17/123, 13.8%) and other gastrointestinal problems that were resolved after the completion or discontinuation of treatment. In addition, single cases of bloody stools associated with Clostridium difficile colitis, skin rash, and the elevation of liver enzymes were also reported, although the causal relationship was not clear. HIV infection did not appear to increase the incidence of adverse drug effects. Each of the 11 asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic amebic colitis cases became negative for stool cysts after paromomycin treatment. Paromomycin was shown to be safe and well tolerated, as well as effective in a special subset of amebic colitis cases.     

Ubiquitin-like protein MNSFβ regulates TLR-2-mediated signal transduction

Post-translational modification by monoclonal nonspecific suppressor factor β (MNSFβ) has been involved in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes. Previous studies have demonstrated that MNSFβ covalently binds to the intracellular pro-apoptotic protein Bcl-G and regulates TLR-4-mediated signal transduction. Recently, we found that MNSFβ also covalently conjugates to endophilin II, a member of the endophilin A family, and inhibits the signal pathway upstream of IKK activation, but not downstream of TLR-2 signaling. In this study, we further examined the mechanism of action of MNSFβ in TLR-2-mediated signal transduction in macrophage-like cell line Raw264.7 cells. Although MNSFβ siRNA enhanced Pam(3)CDK(4) (TLR-2-specific ligand)-stimulated TNFα production, Bcl-G siRNA did not affect. MNSFβ cDNA inhibited the Pam(3)CDK(4)-stimulated TNFα production. High-molecular weight (130 kDa) MNSFβ-adduct was induced in Pam(3)CDK(4)-stimulated Raw264.7 cells. This MNSFβ-adduct was not induced by LPS, indicative of the specificity of TLR-2-mediated signal transduction. Similar observations were seen in BALB/c peritoneal macrophages. Interestingly, 40-kDa MNSFβ-adduct was tyrosine phosphorylated by Pam(3)CDK(4) stimulation. Collectively, novel MNSFβ-adducts may regulate TLR-2 signaling pathway in macrophages.     

Phenotypic modulation of cultured endothelial cells in collagen matrices induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha

Summary The effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha on vascular endothelial cells was analyzed using a collagen-embedded, three-dimensional culture system, focusing on angiogenesis and expression of cell adhesion molecules. When the endothelial cells were cultured between two layers of type-I collagen gel, they reorganized into a network of branching and anastomosing tubular structures. Once the structure was formed, the cells did not undergo further division. Addition of tumor necrosis factor alpha at 10 to 500 U/ml to the overlaid culture medium inhibited this tube-forming process and enhanced their survival, whereas it suppressed cell growth in monolayer. To test its effect on the expression of cell adhesion molecules, the collagen was digested, and the dispersed cells were stained with anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 monoclonal antibodies. Tumor necrosis factor alpha upregulated the expressions of both molecules for an extended period of time. Even in the absence of tumor necrosis factor alpha, the cells embedded in collagen matrices expressed small amounts of these adhesion molecules. These results indicate that endothelial cells display phenotypic changes in collagen matrices and modulatory response to tumor necrosis factor alpha.     

Observation of fatigue unrelated to gross energy reserve of skeletal muscle during tetanic contraction--an application of 31P-MRS

The mechanism of muscle fatigue was studied by 31P-MRS. During tetanic contraction for 2 minutes(min), the tension measured with a strain gauge and Phosphocreatine(PCr)/Inorganic phosphate(Pi)+ Phosphomonoester(PME) ratio decreased to 31.5 +/- 4.4% of the control value and 0.6 +/- 0.1, respectively. The intracellular pH(pH) also decreased to 6.62 +/- 0.04. Toward the end of the stimulation, the tension decreased to 25.3 +/- 1.9% of the control value. However, during 20min stimulation, the PCr/(Pi+PME) ratio increased to 2.5 +/- 0.5 and the pH to 6.91 +/- 0.04. These results show that muscular fatigue is ascribable not to a decreased level of high energy metabolites required for actomyosin ATPase, but to an increase in the threshold intensity of excitation in excitation-contraction coupling.     

Clinical aspects of transplantability of human gastric and colorectal carcinomas in nude mice

Transplantability of human tumors into nude mice might represent higher grade of malignancy. In our institution, surgically resected tumors have been subjected to transplantation into nude mice since 1975. We retrospectively investigated clinical outcomes of donor patients with gastric and colorectal cancer who underwent operation and analyzed the relationship between the transplantability and clinical characteristics of the patients. Thirty five out of 119 gastric tumors were successfully transplanted into nude mice with a 29.4% take rate. Results of transplantation among 92 patients’ tumor in stage 2, 3 and 4 revealed 35 takes and 57 non-takes. There were only 3 ten-year survivors in the ‘take’ group while there were 17 ten-year survivors in the ‘non-take’ group. Patients with tumors which are transplantable into nude mice appeared to have poor prognosis (p<0.05). The take rate with fifty colorectal tumors was 50%. Among 46 patient’s tumors in stage 2, 3 and 4, there were 25 takes and 21 non-takes. Ten-year survivors included 11 ‘take’ donors and 7 ‘non-take’ donors. As opposed to gastric cancers, no statistically significant difference in survival was observed between the two groups.     

Dentilisin Activity Affects the Organization of the Outer Sheath of Treponema denticola

Prolyl-phenylalanine-specific serine protease (dentilisin) is a major extracellular protease produced by Treponema denticola. The gene, prtP, coding for the protease was recently cloned and sequenced (K. Ishihara, T. Miura, H. K. Kuramitsu, and K. Okuda, Infect. Immun. 64:5178–5186, 1996). In order to determine the role of this protease in the physiology and virulence of T. denticola, a dentilisin-deficient mutant, K1, was constructed following electroporation with a prtP-inactivated DNA fragment. No chymotrypsin-like protease activity was detected in the dentilisin-deficient mutant. In addition, the high-molecular-mass oligomeric protein characteristic of the outer sheath of the organism decreased in the mutant. Furthermore, the hydrophobicity of the mutant was decreased, and coaggregation of the mutant with Fusobacterium nucleatum was enhanced compared to that of the wild-type organism. The results obtained with a mouse abscess model system indicated that the virulence of the mutant was attenuated relative to that of the wild-type organism. These results suggest that dentilisin activity plays a major role in the structural organization of the outer sheath of T. denticola. The loss of dentilsin activity and the structural change in the outer sheath affect the pathogenicity of T. denticola.     

Effect of synthetic 1-34 fragment of human parathyroid hormone on plasma adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations and the diagnostic criteria based on the plasma cAMP response in Ellsworth-Howard test

The effect of synthetic 1-34 fragment of human parathyroid hormone (hPTH(1-34] on plasma adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) in human subjects and the diagnostic criteria for the plasma cAMP response in an Ellsworth-Howard test were studied. 20 or 30 micrograms hPTH(1-34) and 200 USP Parathormone (Eli Lilly & Co.), infused intravenously over 5 min, produced very similar patterns of response in plasma cAMP, peak values being observed within 5 or 10 min after the end of the infusion. The maximum levels of plasma cAMP were over 111.5 pmol/ml in all of the normal subjects (n = 5) and patients with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (n = 22), including those of children, but the plasma cAMP did not rise above 65.0 pmol/ml in pseudohypoparathyroidism (n = 7). There existed a significant correlation between the maximum plasma cAMP concentrations and increases in urinary cAMP excretion after infusions of both hPTH(1-34) and Parathormone. These results suggest that hPTH(1-34) has effects essentially identical to those of native PTH on plasma cAMP. We would like to propose a new diagnostic criterion in the Ellsworth-Howard test: a peak value of plasma cAMP over 100 pmol/ml after 30 micrograms hPTH(1-34) infusion is regarded as a normal response.     

Nucleotide Sequence and Gene Organization of the Starfish Asterina Pectinifera Mitochondrial Genome

The 16,260-bp mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the starfish Asterina pectinifera has been sequenced. The genes for 13 proteins, two rRNAs and 22 tRNAs are organized in an extremely economical fashion, similar to those of other animal mtDNAs, with some of the genes overlapping each other. The gene organization is the same as that for another echinoderm, sea urchin, except for the inversion of a 4.6-kb segment that contains genes for two proteins, 13 tRNAs and the 16S rRNA. Judging from the organization of the protein coding genes, mammalian mtDNAs resemble the sea urchin mtDNA more than that of the starfish. The region around the 3' end of the 12S rRNA gene of the starfish shows a high similarity with those for vertebrates. This region encodes a possible stem and loop structure; similar potential structures occur in this region of vertebrate mtDNAs and also in nonmitochondrial small subunit rRNA. A similar stem and loop structure is also found at the 3' end of the 16S rRNA genes in A. pectinifera, in another starfish Pisaster ochraceus, in vertebrates and in Drosophila, but not in sea urchins. The full sequence data confirm the presumption that AGA/AGG, AUA and AAA codons, respectively, code for serine, isoleucine, and asparagine in the starfish mitochondria, and that AGA/AGG codons are read by tRNA(GCU)(Ser), which possesses a truncated dihydrouridine arm, that was previously suggested from a partial mtDNA sequence. The structural characteristics of tRNAs and possible mechanisms for the change in the mitochondrial genetic code are also discussed.