Changes in the levels of prostaglandins and thromboxane and their roles in the accumulation of exudate in rat carrageenin-induced pleurisy — a profile analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry —

Injection of γ-carrageenin into t he pleural cavity of rats caused the accumulation of the pleural exudate. When levels of prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxane (TX) B₂ were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as their methyl ester (ME)-dimethyllisopropylsilyl (DMiPS) ether or ME-methoxine-DMiPS ether derivatives, 6-keto-PGF_1α reached the maximum at 1 hr after carrageenin, then PGE₂ and TXB₂ showed peaks at 3 hr and waned off before 9 hr. he PGF_2α level was kept low, but PGD₂, PGE₁ and PGF_1α were not detected. Aspirin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly decreased the PG and TXB₂ levels and suppressed the rate of plasma exudation until 5 hr, but did not at 7 hr, when it was measured by the amount of exuded pontamine sky blue injected intravenously. OKY-025 (300 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective TXA synthetase inhibitor, and tranylcypromine (20 mg/kg, i.p.), a PGI synthetase inhibitor, could not extensively inhibit the accumulation of the exudate. These results suggest that the cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid, particularly PGE₂, definitely play an important role in the exudation during the first 5 hr.     

Toll-like Receptors as a Target of Food-derived Anti-inflammatory Compounds

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in linking pathogen recognition with the induction of innate immunity. They have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, representing potential targets for prevention/treatment. Vegetable-rich diets are associated with the reduced risk of several inflammatory disorders. In the present study, based on an extensive screening of vegetable extracts for TLR-inhibiting activity in HEK293 cells co-expressing TLR with the NF-κB reporter gene, we found cabbage and onion extracts to be the richest sources of a TLR signaling inhibitor. To identify the active substances, we performed activity-guiding separation of the principal inhibitors and identified 3-methylsulfinylpropyl isothiocyanate (iberin) from the cabbage and quercetin and quercetin 4′-O-β-glucoside from the onion, among which iberin showed the most potent inhibitory effect. It was revealed that iberin specifically acted on the dimerization step of TLRs in the TLR signaling pathway. To gain insight into the inhibitory mechanism of TLR dimerization, we developed a novel probe combining an isothiocyanate-reactive group and an alkyne functionality for click chemistry and detected the probe bound to the TLRs in living cells, suggesting that iberin disrupts dimerization of the TLRs via covalent binding. Furthermore, we designed a variety of iberin analogues and found that the inhibition potency was influenced by the oxidation state of the sulfur. Modeling studies of the iberin analogues showed that the oxidation state of sulfur might influence the global shape of the isothiocyanates. These findings establish the TLR dimerization step as a target of food-derived anti-inflammatory compounds.     

Conserved Acidic Amino Acid Residues in a Second RNA Recognition Motif Regulate Assembly and Function of TDP-43

Accumulating evidence suggests that pathogenic TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP)-43 fragments contain a partial RNA-recognition motif domain 2 (RRM2) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/frontotemporal lobar degeneration. However, the molecular basis for how this domain links to the conformation and function of TDP-43 is unclear. Previous crystal analyses have documented that the RRM2-DNA complex dimerizes under acidic and high salt conditions, mediated by the intermolecular hydrogen bonds of Glu246-Ile249 and Asp247-Asp247. The aims of this study were to investigate the roles of Glu246 and Asp247 in the molecular assembly of RRM2 under physiological conditions, and to evaluate their potential use as markers for TDP-43 misfolding due to the aberrantly exposed dimer interface. Unexpectedly, gel filtration analyses showed that, regardless of DNA interaction, the RRM2 domain remained as a stable monomer in phosphate-buffered saline. Studies using substitution mutants revealed that Glu246 and, especially, Asp247 played a crucial role in preserving the functional RRM2 monomers. Substitution to glycine at Glu246 or Asp247 induced the formation of fibrillar oligomers of RRM2 accompanied by the loss of DNA-binding affinity, which also affected the conformation and the RNA splicing function of full-length TDP-43. A novel monoclonal antibody against peptides containing Asp247 was found to react with TDP-43 inclusions of ALS patients and mislocalized cytosolic TDP-43 in cultured cells, but not with nuclear wild-type TDP-43. Our findings indicate that Glu246 and Asp247 play pivotal roles in the proper conformation and function of TDP-43. In particular, Asp247 should be studied as a molecular target with an aberrant conformation related to TDP-43 proteinopathy.     

Hybrid Transverse Magneto-Thermoelectric Cooling in Artificially Tilted Multilayers

In artificially tilted multilayers comprising two different conductors that are alternately and obliquely stacked, transverse thermoelectric conversion occurs, in which charge and heat currents are interconverted in the orthogonal direction. Although transverse thermoelectric conversion also occurs in homogeneous materials as an intrinsic transport phenomenon owing to the effects of magnetic fields, magnetization, and spins on conduction carriers, such magneto-thermoelectric effects are investigated independently of thermoelectrics for artificially tilted multilayers. Here, this study shows that the synergy of these different principles improves the performance of transverse thermoelectric conversion. Using lock-in thermography techniques, transverse thermoelectric conversion processes are visualized in artificially tilted multilayers and the experiments clarify how nonuniform charge currents are converted into orthogonal heat currents. Through the measurements of temperature change under magnetic fields, the contributions of the magneto-thermoelectric effects are quantified in the artificially tilted multilayers and magnetically enhanced hybrid transverse thermoelectric cooling is demonstrated. By replacing one of the conductors in the multilayer with permanent magnets, the same functionality is obtained even in the absence of magnetic fields, paving the way for the creation of “thermoelectric permanent magnets” that exhibit efficient transverse thermoelectric conversion together with spontaneous magnetization. This study provides a new material design guideline for transverse thermoelectrics.     

Immunohistochemical Localization of Manserin,a Novel Neuropeptide Derived from Secretogranin II,in Rat Adrenal Gland,and its Upregulation by Physical Stress

We recently identified a novel 40-amino acid neuropeptide designated manserin from the rat brain (Yajima in NeuroReport 15: 1755–1759, 2004). Manserin is highly expressed in pituitary and hypothalamic nuclei, which suggests that it plays a role in the endocrine system. In this study, we employed immunohistochemical methods to investigate the presence of manserin in rat adrenal glands, as well as its regulation by physical stress. Immunohistochemical analysis using anti-manserin antibody showed that manserin is present in the rat adrenal medulla but not in the cortex. When the colocalization of manserin and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), an epinephrine-synthesizing enzyme, was examined, virtually all PNMT-positive cells expressed manserin. Interestingly, the immunoreactivity of manserin was significantly increased when the rats were exposed to water-immersion restraint stress. These results demonstrate for the first time that adrenal manserin, a novel neuropeptide, may have a potential physiological role under stress-inducing conditions.     

Triacylglycerol Synthesis Enzymes Mediate Lipid Droplet Growth by Relocalizing from the ER to Lipid Droplets

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Highlights? Triacylglyceride (TG) synthesis is coupled with lipid droplet (LD) growth ? Two LD populations exist: growing LDs, containing TG enzymes, and small LDs ? Specific TG synthesis enzymes move from the ER to LDs through membrane bridges ? LD localization of TG enzymes mediates expansion of a subset of LDs     

Structural basis of protein-bound endogenous aldehydes. Chemical and immunochemical characterizations of configurational isomers of a 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-histidine adduct

4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a major racemic product of lipid peroxidation, reacts with histidine to form a stable HNE-histidine Michael addition-type adduct possessing three chiral centers in the cyclic hemiacetal structure. In the present study, we characterized configurational isomers of a HNE-N(alpha)-acetylhistidine adduct by NMR spectroscopy and by molecular orbital calculations. In addition, we raised monoclonal antibodies against (R)-HNE-histidine and (S)-HNE-histidine adducts, characterized their specificities, and examined in vivo localizations of each adduct under oxidative stress. To facilitate structural characterization of the configurational isomers of an HNE-histidine adduct, we prepared the (R)-HNE-histidine and (S)-HNE-histidine adducts by incubating N(alpha)-acetylhistidine with each HNE enantiomer, both of which provided two peaks (Ra and Rb from (R)-HNE-histidine and Sa and Sb from (S)-HNE-histidine adducts) in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The NMR analysis showed that each peak was a mixture of two diastereomers. In addition, the analysis of the nuclear Overhauser effect enabled the determination of configurations of the eight isomers. The relative amounts of these isomers in the NMR analysis correlated with the relative energies calculated by molecular orbital methods. On the other hand, using (R)-HNE-modified and (S)-HNE-modified keyhole limpet hemocyanins as the antigens, we raised the monoclonal antibodies, mAbR310 and mAbS412, which enantioselectively recognized the (R)-HNE-histidine and (S)-HNE-histidine adducts, respectively. Among the mixtures (Ra, Rb, Sa, and Sb) of diastereomers, mAbR310 showed the highest immunoreactivity to Rb (the mixture of 2R,4S,5R and 2S,4S,5R isomers), whereas mAbS412 preferentially recognized Sa (the mixture of 2R,4S,5S and 2S,4S,5S isomers). The presence of (R)-HNE and (S)-HNE epitopes in vivo was immunohistochemically examined in the kidney of rats exposed to the renal carcinogen, ferric nitrilotriacetate, by which nuclear and cytosolic stainings with mAbR310 and mAbS412, respectively, were detected.