Establishment and characterization of CAG/EGFP transgenic rabbit line

Cell marking is a very important procedure for identifying donor cells after cell and/or organ transplantation in vivo. Transgenic animals expressing marker proteins such as enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in their tissues are a powerful tool for research in fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The purpose of this study was to establish transgenic rabbit lines that ubiquitously express EGFP under the control of the cytomegalovirus immediate early enhancer/beta-actin promoter (CAG) to provide a fluorescent transgenic animal as a bioresource. We microinjected the EGFP expression vector into 945 rabbit eggs and 4 independent transgenic candidate pups were obtained. Two of them died before sexual maturation and one was infertile. One transgenic male candidate founder rabbit was obtained and could be bred by artificial insemination. The rabbit transmitted the transgene in a Mendelian manner. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, we detected the transgene at 7q11 on chromosome 7 as a large centromeric region in two F1 offspring (one female and one male). Eventually, one transgenic line was established. Ubiquitous EGFP florescence was confirmed in all examined organs. There were no gender-related differences in fluorescence. The established CAG/EGFP transgenic rabbit will be an important bioresource and a useful tool for various studies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.     

Antitumor studies. Part 1: design, synthesis, antitumor activity, and AutoDock study of 2-deoxo-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavins and 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides as a new class of antitumor agents

Novel 2-deoxo-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavins and 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides were prepared as a new class of antitumor agents and showed significant antitumor activities against NCI-H 460, HCT 116, A 431, CCRF-HSB-2, andKB cell lines. In vivo investigation, 2-deoxo-10-methyl-2-phenyl-5-deazaflavin exhibited the effective antitumor activity against A 431 human adenocarcinoma cells transplanted subcutaneously into nude mouse. Furthermore, AutoDock study has been done by binding of the flavin analogs into PTK pp60(c-src), where a good correlation between their IC(50) and AutoDock binding free energy was exhibited. In particular, 2-deoxo-2-phenylflavin-5-oxides exhibited the highest potential binding affinity within the binding pocket of PTK.     

Purification, characterization, and cDNA cloning of opine dehydrogenases from the polychaete rockworm Marphysa sanguinea

Alanopine dehydrogenase (AlDH) and three isoforms of strombine/alanopine dehydrogenase (St/AlDH) were purified from muscle tissue of the polychaete rockworm Marphysa sanguinea. The four enzymes, which can be distinguished by the isoelectric point, are monomeric 42 kDa proteins, possess similar pH-activity profiles, and display specificity for pyruvate and NAD(H). The three isoforms of St/AlDH show equivalent Km and Vmax for glycine and L-alanine and for D-strombine and meso-alanopine. Free amino acid levels in the muscle and D-strombine accumulation in vivo during muscle activity suggest that St/AlDHs function physiologically as StDH. AlDH shows specificity for L-alanine and meso-alanopine, but not for glycine or D-strombine. The amino acid sequences of AlDH and one of the St/AlDH isoforms were determined by a combination of amino acid sequence analysis and cDNA cloning. St/AlDH cDNA consisted of 1586 bp nucleotides that encode a 399-residue protein (43,346.70 Da), and AlDH cDNA consisted of 1587 bp nucleotides that encode a 399-residue protein (43,886.68 Da). The two amino acid sequences deduced from the cDNA displayed 67% amino acid identity, with greatest similarity to that of tauropine dehydrogenase from the polychaete Arabella iricolor.     

Hyaline cartilage formation and enchondral ossification modeled with KUM5 and OP9 chondroblasts

What is it that defines a bone marrow‐derived chondrocyte? We attempted to identify marrow‐derived cells with chondrogenic nature and immortality without transformation, defining “immortality” simply as indefinite cell division. KUM5 mesenchymal cells, a marrow stromal cell line, generated hyaline cartilage in vivo and exhibited enchondral ossification at a later stage after implantation. Selection of KUM5 chondroblasts based on the activity of the chondrocyte‐specific cis‐regulatory element of the collagen α2(XI) gene resulted in enhancement of their chondrogenic nature. Gene chip analysis revealed that OP9 cells, another marrow stromal cell line, derived from macrophage colony‐stimulating factor‐deficient osteopetrotic mice and also known to be niche‐constituting cells for hematopoietic stem cells expressed chondrocyte‐specific or ‐associated genes such as type II collagen α1, Sox9, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein at an extremely high level, as did KUM5 cells. After cultured OP9 micromasses exposed to TGF‐β3 and BMP2 were implanted in mice, they produced abundant metachromatic matrix with the toluidine blue stain and formed type II collagen‐positive hyaline cartilage within 2 weeks in vivo. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis based on microarray data of the expression of cell surface markers and cell‐type‐specific genes resulted in grouping of KUM5 and OP9 cells into the same subcategory of “chondroblast,” that is, a distinct cell type group. We here show that these two cell lines exhibit the unique characteristics of hyaline cartilage formation and enchondral ossification in vitro and in vivo. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 1240–1254, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Expression of a functional sphingomyelinase of Pseudomonas sp. TK4 in mammalian cells

We report here the expression of a bacterial sphingomyelinase in mammalian cells as a functionally active form. A chimeric Pseudomonas sphingomyelinase fused with the lysosomal sorting motif of lysosomal acid phosphatase was sorted to lysosomes in mammalian cells. As expected, the chimeric SMase hydrolyzed sphingomyelin in vivo to produce ceramide, part of which was converted to glucosylceramide.     

Wnt signalling regulates paxillin ubiquitination essential for mesodermal cell motility

Gastrulation movements are critical for establishing the three germ layers and the architecture of vertebrate embryos. During Xenopus laevis gastrulation, mesodermal tissue migrates on the blastocoel roof and elongates along the antero-posterior axis. During this process, cells in the dorsal mesoderm are polarized and intercalate with each other, which is defined as convergent extension and is known to be regulated by the non-canonical Wnt pathway. Here, we show that paxillin plays an essential role in this process. Paxillin is a focal-adhesion associated protein implicated in the regulation of actin cytoskeletal organization and cell motility, but its role in Xenopus embryogenesis has not yet been clarified. We demonstrate that the Wnt pathway controls the ubiquitination and stability of paxillin, and that this regulatory mechanism is essential for convergent extension movements. We identified a RING finger protein XRNF185, which physically binds to paxillin and the proteasome. XRNF185 destabilizes paxillin at focal adhesions and promotes mesodermal cell migration during convergent extension. We propose a mechanism to regulate gastrulation movements that involves paxillin ubiquitination and stability controlled by Wnt signalling.     

Effects of initial settings on computational protein–ligand docking accuracies for several docking programs

In this study, the influences of initial settings, i.e. initial conformations, configurations and docking parameters, on docking results were investigated. The conformations used in the study were generated by the CAMDAS program. After the conformational search calculations, five structures were selected from the conformer groups according to their conformation energies and root mean square deviations against crystal structures; for example, the lowest energy conformer, as well as the closest and farthest conformers to the crystal structure, was retrieved. Several docking parameter settings were used (default, high speed, generating 50 poses). In this study, docking calculations were conducted using the GOLD, eHiTS, AutoDock, AutoDock vina, FRED and DOCK programs. The success rates of GOLD, eHiTS and FRED were better than those of AutoDock, AutoDock vina and DOCK. The docking results using the farthest conformations were worse than those obtained using other conformations, indicating that some conformation search for the ligand molecule should be performed before the docking calculations.     

PGC-1α-mediated changes in phospholipid profiles of exercise-trained skeletal muscle

Exercise training influences phospholipid fatty acid composition in skeletal muscle and these changes are associated with physiological phenotypes; however, the molecular mechanism of this influence on compositional changes is poorly understood. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), a nuclear receptor coactivator, promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, the fiber-type switch to oxidative fibers, and angiogenesis in skeletal muscle. Because exercise training induces these adaptations, together with increased PGC-1α, PGC-1α may contribute to the exercise-mediated change in phospholipid fatty acid composition. To determine the role of PGC-1α, we performed lipidomic analyses of skeletal muscle from genetically modified mice that overexpress PGC-1α in skeletal muscle or that carry KO alleles of PGC-1α. We found that PGC-1α affected lipid profiles in skeletal muscle and increased several phospholipid species in glycolytic muscle, namely phosphatidylcholine (PC) (18:0/22:6) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (18:0/22:6). We also found that exercise training increased PC (18:0/22:6) and PE (18:0/22:6) in glycolytic muscle and that PGC-1α was required for these alterations. Because phospholipid fatty acid composition influences cell permeability and receptor stability at the cell membrane, these phospholipids may contribute to exercise training-mediated functional changes in the skeletal muscle.     

Geographic variation of color polymorphism in two sibling ladybird species,Harmonia yedoensis and H. axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Geographical variation of elytra color pattern in two sibling ladybird species, Harmonia yedoensis and H. axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), was examined. The two species are distributed sympatrically in central Japan; however, only H. yedoensis and H. axyridis occur in the Ryukyu Islands (southern Japan) and Hokkaido island (northern Japan), respectively. The frequency of elytra color patterns was significantly different between the two species in all sympatric locations and our results were inconsistent with the classical theory on Müllerian mimicry. The most dominant pattern of H. axyridis was the least dominant of H. yedoensis in all sympatric populations. Furthermore, the frequency of the non‐melanic form (red ground color with or without black spots) increased towards the south in H. yedoensis. This tendency was in contrast to the known geographical cline in H. axyridis in which the melanic form (black ground color with red spots) was gradually displaced with the non‐melanic form northwards in the Japanese archipelago. We discuss possible selective factors including predator avoidance, thermal adaptation and reproductive character displacement, all of which might contribute to the maintenance of the color polymorphism in the two Harmonia species.     

Ultrasensitive human prion detection in cerebrospinal fluid by real-time quaking-induced conversion

The development of technologies for the in vitro amplification of abnormal conformations of prion protein (PrP(Sc)) has generated the potential for sensitive detection of prions. Here we developed a new PrP(Sc) amplification assay, called real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QUIC), which allows the detection of ≥1 fg of PrP(Sc) in diluted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) brain homogenate. Moreover, we assessed the technique first in a series of Japanese subjects and then in a blind study of 30 cerebrospinal fluid specimens from Australia, which achieved greater than 80% sensitivity and 100% specificity. These findings indicate the promising enhanced diagnostic capacity of RT-QUIC in the antemortem evaluation of suspected CJD.