DNA polymerase in nuclei isolated from herpes simplex virus type-2-infected cells. Characterization of the reaction product and inhibition by substrate analogs

Nuclei isolated from herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2-infected KB cells were examined for their capacity to serve as an in situ source of herpes DNA polymerase. In contrast to purified enzymes with added template, approx. 80% of the DNA synthesized in isolated nuclei was viral. The average size of DNA fragments labeled in vitro was 3.2 X 10(6) Da. Based on an increase in DNA density when nuclei were incubated in the presence of BrdUTP rather than dTTP, 16% of the nucleotides were added during the in vitro reaction. Sucrose gradient analysis of DNA polymerase activity in extracts of isolated nuclei demonstrated the nearly exclusive presence of herpes DNA polymerase. Km concentrations for the four dNTPs were from 0.14 to 0.55 microM. DNA synthesis was inhibited competitively by the 5'-triphosphates of ara-A and ara-C (Ki = 0.03 and 0.22 microM, respectively) but not by the 5'-triphosphate of dideoxythymidine. aATP also served as a substrate (Km = 0.014 microM) for the reaction. We conclude that nuclei from HSV-infected cells have significant advantages for the detailed study of inhibitors of herpesvirus replication.     

Mutations in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae succinate dehydrogenase result in distinct metabolic phenotypes revealed through (1)H NMR-based metabolic footprinting

Metabolomics is a powerful method of examining the intricate connections between mutations, metabolism, and disease. Metabolic footprinting examines the extracellular metabolome or exometabolome. We employed NMR-based metabolic footprinting and multivariate statistical analysis to examine a yeast model of mitochondrial dysfunction. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is a component of both the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Mutations in the human SDH are linked to a variety of cancers or neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting the genotype/phenotype complexity associated with SDH dysfunction. To gain insight into the underlying global metabolic consequences of SDH dysfunction, we examined the metabolic footprints of SDH3 and SDH4 mutants. We identified and quantified 36 metabolites in the exometabolome. Our results indicate that SDH mutations cause significant alterations to several areas of yeast metabolism. Multivariate statistical analysis allowed us to discriminate between the different metabotypes of individual mutants, including mutants that were phenotypically indistinguishable. Metabotypes were highly correlated to mutant growth yields, suggesting that the characterization of metabotypes offers a rapid means of investigating the phenotype of a new mutation. Our study provides novel insight into the metabolic effects of SDH dysfunction and highlights the effectiveness of metabolic footprinting for examining complex disorders, such as mitochondrial diseases.     

Expression profiling of MAP kinase-mediated meiotic progression in Caenorhabditis elegans

The LET-60 (Ras)/LIN-45 (Raf)/MPK-1 (MAP kinase) signaling pathway plays a key role in the development of multiple tissues in Caenorhabditis elegans. For the most part, the identities of the downstream genes that act as the ultimate effectors of MPK-1 signaling have remained elusive. A unique allele of mpk-1, ga111, displays a reversible, temperature-sensitive, tissue-specific defect in progression through meiotic prophase I. We performed gene expression profiling on mpk-1(ga111) animals to identify candidate downstream effectors of MPK-1 signaling in the germ line. This analysis delineated a cohort of genes whose expression requires MPK-1 signaling in germ cells in the pachytene stage of meiosis I. RNA in situ hybridization analysis shows that these genes are expressed in the germ line in an MPK-1-dependent manner and have a spatial expression pattern consistent with the location of activated MPK-1. We found that one MPK-1 signaling-responsive gene encoding a C2H2 zinc finger protein plays a role in meiotic chromosome segregation downstream of MPK-1. Additionally, discovery of genes responsive to MPK-1 signaling permitted us to order MPK-1 signaling relative to several events occurring in pachytene, including EFL-1/DPL-1 gene regulation and X chromosome reactivation. This study highlights the utility of applying global gene expression methods to investigate genes downstream of commonly used signaling pathways in vivo.     

Molecular evidence of the survival of subterranean amphipods (Arthropoda) during Ice Age underneath glaciers in Iceland

Two endemic groundwater arthropod crustacean species, Crangonyx islandicus and Crymostygius thingvallensis, were recently discovered on the mid‐Atlantic volcanic island of Iceland. The extent of morphological differences from closest relatives, endemism, along with the geographic isolation of Iceland and its complete coverage by glaciers 21 000 years ago, suggests that these two species have survived glaciation periods in sub‐glacial refugia. Here we provide strong support for this hypothesis by an analysis of mitochondrial genetic variation within Crangonyx islandicus. Our results show that the species is divided into several distinct monophyletic groups that are found along the volcanic zone in Iceland, which have been separated by 0.5 to around 5 million years. The genetic divergence between groups reflects geographic distances between sampling sites, indicating that divergence occurred after the colonization of Iceland. The genetic patterns, as well as the dependency of genetic variation on distances from the tectonic plate boundary and altitude, points to recent expansion from several refugia within Iceland. This presents the first genetic evidence of multicellular organisms as complex as crustacean amphipods which have survived glaciations beneath an ice sheet. This survival may be explained by geothermal heat linked to volcanic activities, which may have maintained favourable habitats in fissures along the tectonic plate boundary in Iceland during glaciations.     

Impairment of protein trafficking by direct interaction of gliadin peptides with actin

Intestinal celiac disease (CD) is triggered by peptic-tryptic digest of gluten, known as Frazer's Fraction (FF), in genetically predisposed individuals. Here, we investigate the immediate effects of FF on the actin cytoskeleton and the subsequent trafficking of actin-dependent and actin-independent proteins in COS-1 cells. Morphological alterations in the actin filaments were revealed concomitant with a drastic reduction in immunoprecipitated actin from cells incubated with FF. These alterations elicit impaired protein trafficking of intestinal sucrase–isomaltase, a glycoprotein that follows an actin-dependent vesicular transport to the cell surface. However, the actin-independent transport of intestinal lactase phlorizin hydrolase remains unaffected. Moreover, the morphological alteration in actin is induced by direct interaction of this protein with gliadin peptides carrying the QQQPFP epitope revealed by co-immunoprecipitation utilizing a monoclonal anti-gliadin antibody. Finally, stimulation of cells with FF directly influences the binding of actin to Arp2. Altogether, our data demonstrate that FF directly interacts with actin and alters the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton thus leading to an impaired trafficking of intestinal proteins that depend on an intact actin network. This direct interaction could be related to the endocytic segregation of gliadin peptides as well as the delayed endocytic vesicle trafficking and maturation in gliadin-positive intestinal epithelial cells and opens new insights into the pathogenesis of CD.     

Effects of different acute hypoxic regimens on tissue oxygen profiles and metabolic outcomes

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep. Both obesity and OSA are associated with insulin resistance and systemic inflammation, which may be attributable to tissue hypoxia. We hypothesized that a pattern of hypoxic exposure determines both oxygen profiles in peripheral tissues and systemic metabolic outcomes, and that obesity has a modifying effect. Lean and obese C57BL6 mice were exposed to 12 h of intermittent hypoxia 60 times/h (IH60) [inspired O? fraction (Fi(O?)) 21-5%, 60/h], IH 12 times/h (Fi(O?) 5% for 15 s, 12/h), sustained hypoxia (SH; Fi(O?) 10%), or normoxia while fasting. Tissue oxygen partial pressure (Pti(O?)) in liver, skeletal muscle and epididymal fat, plasma leptin, adiponectin, insulin, blood glucose, and adipose tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured. In lean mice, IH60 caused oxygen swings in the liver, whereas fluctuations of Pti(O?) were attenuated in muscle and abolished in fat. In obese mice, baseline liver Pti(O?) was lower than in lean mice, whereas muscle and fat Pti(O?) did not differ. During IH, Pti(O?) was similar in obese and lean mice. All hypoxic regimens caused insulin resistance. In lean mice, hypoxia significantly increased leptin, especially during SH (44-fold); IH60, but not SH, induced a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in TNF-α secretion by fat. Obesity was associated with striking increases in leptin and TNF-α, which overwhelmed effects of hypoxia. In conclusion, IH60 led to oxygen fluctuations in liver and muscle and steady hypoxia in fat. IH and SH induced insulin resistance, but inflammation was increased only by IH60 in lean mice. Obesity caused severe inflammation, which was not augmented by acute hypoxic regimens.     

The analysis of N-glycans of cell membrane proteins from human hematopoietic cell lines reveals distinctions in their pattern

Abstract Human cell lines are often different in their features and present variations in the glycosylation patterns of cell membrane proteins. Protein glycosylation is the most common posttranslational modification and plays a particular role in functionality and bioactivity. The key approach of this study is the comparative analysis of five hematopoietic cell lines for their N-glycosylation pattern. The N-glycans of membrane proteins were elucidated by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS analyses. Furthermore, the expression of a set of glycosyltransferases was determined via RT-PCR. The B-lymphoma BJA-B and promyelocytic HL-60 cell lines distinguish in levels and linkages of glycan-bound sialic acids. Furthermore, subclones of BJA-B and HL-60 cells, which completely lack UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-ēpimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (GNE), the key enzyme of sialic acid biosynthesis, contained almost no sialylated N-glycans. Compared to wild-type cells, the GNE-deficient cells pres\xadented a similar cell surface N-glycosylation pattern in terms of antennarity and fucosylation. The Jurkat T-cell line revealed only partially sialylated N-glycans. Additionally, the different hematopoietic cell lines vary in their level of bisecting GlcNAcylation and antennary fucosylation with the quantities of bisecting N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and core fucose coinciding with the expression of GnT-III and FucT-VIII. Of note is the occurrence of N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) extensions on tetraantennary structures in GNE-deficient cell lines.