NGF Modulates trkANGFR/p75NTR in αSMA-Expressing Conjunctival Fibroblasts from Human Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid (OCP)

Objective

In a previous study, we reported the upregulation of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and trkA^NGFR expression in Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid (OCP), an inflammatory and remodeling eye disease. Herein, we hypothesize a potential NGF-driven mechanism on fibroblasts (FBs) during OCP remodeling events. To verify, human derived OCP-FBs were isolated and characterized either at baseline or after NGF exposure.

Materials and Methods

Conjunctival biopsies were obtained from 7 patients having OCP and 6 control subjects (cataract surgery). Both conjunctivas and primary FB cultures were characterised for αSMA, NGF and trkA^NGFR/p75^NTR expression. Subcultures were exposed to NGF and evaluated for αSMA, NGF, trkA^NGFR/p75^NTR expression as well as TGFβ1/IL4 release. For analysis, early and advanced subgroups were defined according to clinical parameters.

Results

OCP-conjunctivas showed αSMA-expressing FBs and high NGF levels. Advanced OCP-FBs showed higher αSMA expression associated with higher p75^NTR and lower trkA^NGFR expression, as compared to early counterparts. αSMA expression was in keeping with disease severity and correlated to p75^NTR. NGF exposure did not affect trkA^NGFR levels in early OCP-FBs while decreased both αSMA/p75^NTR expression and TGFβ1/IL4 release. These effects were not observed in advanced OCP-FBs.

Conclusions

Taken together, these data are suggestive for a NGF/p75^NTR task in the potential modulation of OCP fibrosis and encourages further studies to fully understand the underlying mechanism occurring in fibrosis. NGF/p75^NTR might be viewed as a potential therapeutic target.     

Genetic dissection of Al tolerance QTLs in the maize genome by high density SNP scan

Background

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is an important limitation to food security in tropical and subtropical regions. High Al saturation on acid soils limits root development, reducing water and nutrient uptake. In addition to naturally occurring acid soils, agricultural practices may decrease soil pH, leading to yield losses due to Al toxicity. Elucidating the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying maize Al tolerance is expected to accelerate the development of Al-tolerant cultivars.

Results

Five genomic regions were significantly associated with Al tolerance, using 54,455 SNP markers in a recombinant inbred line population derived from Cateto Al237. Candidate genes co-localized with Al tolerance QTLs were further investigated. Near-isogenic lines (NILs) developed for ZmMATE2 were as Al-sensitive as the recurrent line, indicating that this candidate gene was not responsible for the Al tolerance QTL on chromosome 5, qALT5. However, ZmNrat1, a maize homolog to OsNrat1, which encodes an Al³⁺ specific transporter previously implicated in rice Al tolerance, was mapped at ~40 Mbp from qALT5. We demonstrate for the first time that ZmNrat1 is preferentially expressed in maize root tips and is up-regulated by Al, similarly to OsNrat1 in rice, suggesting a role of this gene in maize Al tolerance. The strongest-effect QTL was mapped on chromosome 6 (qALT6), within a 0.5 Mbp region where three copies of the Al tolerance gene, ZmMATE1, were found in tandem configuration. qALT6 was shown to increase Al tolerance in maize; the qALT6-NILs carrying three copies of ZmMATE1 exhibited a two-fold increase in Al tolerance, and higher expression of ZmMATE1 compared to the Al sensitive recurrent parent. Interestingly, a new source of Al tolerance via ZmMATE1 was identified in a Brazilian elite line that showed high expression of ZmMATE1 but carries a single copy of ZmMATE1.

Conclusions

High ZmMATE1 expression, controlled either by three copies of the target gene or by an unknown molecular mechanism, is responsible for Al tolerance mediated by qALT6. As Al tolerant alleles at qALT6 are rare in maize, marker-assisted introgression of this QTL is an important strategy to improve maize adaptation to acid soils worldwide.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-153) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Risk Factors for Death in 632 Patients with Sickle Cell Disease in the United States and United Kingdom

Background

The role of pulmonary hypertension as a cause of mortality in sickle cell disease (SCD) is controversial.

Methods and Results

We evaluated the relationship between an elevated estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure and mortality in patients with SCD. We followed patients from the walk-PHaSST screening cohort for a median of 29 months. A tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV)≥3.0 m/s cuttof, which has a 67–75% positive predictive value for mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥25 mm Hg was used. Among 572 subjects, 11.2% had TRV≥3.0 m/sec. Among 582 with a measured NT-proBNP, 24.1% had values ≥160 pg/mL. Of 22 deaths during follow-up, 50% had a TRV≥3.0 m/sec. At 24 months the cumulative survival was 83% with TRV≥3.0 m/sec and 98% with TRV<3.0 m/sec (p<0.0001). The hazard ratios for death were 11.1 (95% CI 4.1–30.1; p<0.0001) for TRV≥3.0 m/sec, 4.6 (1.8–11.3; p = 0.001) for NT-proBNP≥160 pg/mL, and 14.9 (5.5–39.9; p<0.0001) for both TRV≥3.0 m/sec and NT-proBNP≥160 pg/mL. Age >47 years, male gender, chronic transfusions, WHO class III–IV, increased hemolytic markers, ferritin and creatinine were also associated with increased risk of death.

Conclusions

A TRV≥3.0 m/sec occurs in approximately 10% of individuals and has the highest risk for death of any measured variable.

The study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier

{"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00492531","term_id":"NCT00492531"}}NCT00492531     

Growth Factors and Steroid Mediated Regulation of Cytoskeletal Protein Expression in Serum-Deprived Primary Astrocyte Cultures

In this research we aimed to investigate the interactions between growth factors (GFs) and dexamethasone (DEX) on cytoskeletal proteins GFAP and vimentin (VIM) expression under different experimental conditions. Condition I: 24 h pretreatment with bFGF, subsequent 72 h switching in serum-free medium (SFM) and final addition of GFs, alone or by two in the last 24 h, after a prolonged (60 h) DEX treatment. Condition II: 36 h pretreatment with DEX (with bFGF in the last 24 h), followed by SFM for 60 h and final addition for 24 h with growth factors alone or two of them togheter. Western blot analysis data showed a marked GFAP expression in cultures submitted to Condition I comparing results to untreated or treated controls. VIM expression was instead significantly reduced after GFs addition in the last 24 h of 60 h DEX treatment, respect to control DEX-pretreated ones. Referring data to untreated controls, VIM expression was significantly enhanced after GFs addition. GFAP showed also a significant increase in astrocytes submitted to Condition II, respect to untreated or treated control cultures. VIM expression was up and down regulated under Condition II. Collectively, our findings evidence an interactive dialogue between GFs and DEX in astroglial cultures, co-pretreated with DEX and bFGF, regulating cytoskeletal network under stressfull conditions. Special issue article in honor of Dr. Anna Maria Giuffrida-Stella.     

Reproductive biology and mating system estimates of two Andean melocacti, Melocactus schatzlii and M. andinus (Cactaceae)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The genus Melocactus comprises 36 species of globose cacti with the most derived traits in the Cereeae tribe. It is the proper study system to examine what are the most derived reproductive strategies within that tribe. This study aims to characterize the reproductive biology and to estimate the mating system parameters of two Andean melocacti, Melocactus schatzlii and M. andinus. METHODS: The reproductive attributes of the two species were described, including floral morphology, anthesis patterns, floral rewards, floral visitors and visitation patterns. Levels of self-compatibility and autonomous self-pollination were estimated by hand-pollination experiments. Mating system estimates were obtained by conducting progeny array analyses using isozymes. KEY RESULTS: The flowers of the two species present the typical hummingbird-pollination syndrome. Despite their morphological resemblance, the two species differ in flower size, pollen and ovule production and anthesis pattern. Their main pollinator agents are hummingbirds, four species in M. schatzlii and one species in M. andinus. Both cacti are self-compatible and capable of self-pollination without the aid of pollen vectors. Population-level outcrossing rate was higher for M. schatzlii (t(m)=0.9) than for M. andinus (t(m)=0.4). At the family level, outcrossing rates for most mothers of M. schatzlii were higher (t(m)>0.8) than for M. andinus (t(m)<0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Although the two cacti are capable of selfing, M. schatzlii is a predominantly outcrossing species, while M. andinus behaves as a mixed-mating cactus. Hummingbirds are the only pollinators responsible for outcrossing and gene flow events in these species. In their absence, both melocacti set seeds by selfing. Based on its low population size, restricted distribution in Venezuela, low rates of floral visits, and high levels of inbreeding, M. andinus is considered to be an endangered species deserving further study to define its conservation status.     

Contribution of dipole-dipole interactions to the stability of the collagen triple helix

Unveiling sequence-stability and structure-stability relationships is a major goal of protein chemistry and structural biology. Despite the enormous efforts devoted, answers to these issues remain elusive. In principle, collagen represents an ideal system for such investigations due to its simplified sequence and regular structure. However, the definition of the molecular basis of collagen triple helix stability has hitherto proved to be a difficult task. Particularly puzzling is the decoding of the mechanism of triple helix stabilization/destabilization induced by imino acids. Although the propensity-based model, which correlates the propensities of the individual imino acids with the structural requirements of the triple helix, is able to explicate most of the experimental data, it is unable to predict the rather high stability of peptides embedding Gly-Hyp-Hyp triplets. Starting from the available X-ray structures of this polypeptide, we carried out an extensive quantum chemistry analysis of the mutual interactions established by hydroxyproline residues located at the X and Y positions of the Gly-X-Y motif. Our data clearly indicate that the opposing rings of these residues establish significant van der Waals and dipole-dipole interactions that play an important role in triple helix stabilization. These findings suggest that triple helix stabilization can be achieved by distinct structural mechanisms. The interplay of these subtle but recurrent effects dictates the overall stability of this widespread structural motif.     

The crystal structure of archaeal serine hydroxymethyltransferase reveals idiosyncratic features likely required to withstand high temperatures

Serine hydroxymethyltransferases (SHMTs) play an essential role in one‐carbon unit metabolism and are used in biomimetic reactions. We determined the crystal structure of free (apo) and pyridoxal‐5′‐phosphate‐bound (holo) SHMT from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, the first from a hyperthermophile, from the archaea domain of life and that uses H₄MPT as a cofactor, at 2.83 and 3.0 Å resolution, respectively. Idiosyncratic features were observed that are likely to contribute to structure stabilization. At the dimer interface, the C‐terminal region folds in a unique fashion with respect to SHMTs from eubacteria and eukarya. At the active site, the conserved tyrosine does not make a cation‐π interaction with an arginine like that observed in all other SHMT structures, but establishes an amide‐aromatic interaction with Asn257, at a different sequence position. This asparagine residue is conserved and occurs almost exclusively in (hyper)thermophile SHMTs. This led us to formulate the hypothesis that removal of frustrated interactions (such as the Arg‐Tyr cation‐π interaction occurring in mesophile SHMTs) is an additional strategy of adaptation to high temperature. Both peculiar features may be tested by designing enzyme variants potentially endowed with improved stability for applications in biomimetic processes. Proteins 2014; 82:3437–3449. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.