Reconstruction of the Human Colon Epithelium In Vivo

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Identification and functional characterization of a Na+-independent neutral amino acid transporter with broad substrate selectivity.

We have isolated a cDNA from rat small intestine that encodes a novel Na+-independent neutral amino acid transporter with distinctive characteristics in substrate selectivity and transport property. The encoded protein, designated L-type amino acid transporter-2 (LAT-2), shows amino acid sequence similarity to the system L Na+-independent neutral amino acid transporter LAT-1 (Kanai, Y., Segawa, H., Miyamoto, K., Uchino, H., Takeda, E., and Endou, H. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 23629-23632) (50% identity) and the system y+L transporters y+LAT-1 (47%) and KIAA0245/y+LAT-2 (45%) (Torrents, D., Estevez, R., Pineda, M., Fernandez, E., Lloberas, J., Shi, Y.-B., Zorzano, A., and Palacin, M. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 32437-32445). LAT-2 is a nonglycosylated membrane protein. It requires 4F2 heavy chain, a type II membrane glycoprotein, for its functional expression in Xenopus oocytes. LAT-2-mediated transport is not dependent on Na+ or Cl- and is inhibited by a system L-specific inhibitor, 2-aminobicyclo-(2,2,1)-heptane-2-carboxylic acid (BCH), indicating that LAT-2 is a second isoform of the system L transporter. Compared with LAT-1, which prefers large neutral amino acids with branched or aromatic side chains, LAT-2 exhibits remarkably broad substrate selectivity. It transports all of the L-isomers of neutral alpha-amino acids. LAT-2 exhibits higher affinity (Km = 30-50 microM) to Tyr, Phe, Trp, Thr, Asn, Ile, Cys, Ser, Leu, Val, and Gln and relatively lower affinity (Km = 180-300 microM) to His, Ala, Met, and Gly. In addition, LAT-2 mediates facilitated diffusion of substrate amino acids, as distinct from LAT-1, which mediates amino acid exchange. LAT-2-mediated transport is increased by lowering the pH level, with peak activity at pH 6.25, because of the decrease in the Km value without changing the Vmax value. Because of these functional properties and a high level of expression of LAT-2 in the small intestine, kidney, placenta, and brain, it is suggested that the heterodimeric complex of LAT-2 and 4F2 heavy chain is involved in the trans-cellular transport of neutral amino acids in epithelia and blood-tissue barriers.     

KIF13B enhances the endocytosis of LRP1 by recruiting LRP1 to caveolae

Multifunctional low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) recognizes and internalizes a large number of diverse ligands, including LDL and factor VIII. However, little is known about the regulation of LRP1 endocytosis. Here, we show that a microtubule-based motor protein, KIF13B, in an unexpected and unconventional function, enhances caveolin-dependent endocytosis of LRP1. KIF13B was highly expressed in the liver and was localized on the sinusoidal plasma membrane of hepatocytes. KIF13B knockout (KO) mice showed elevated levels of serum cholesterol and factor VIII, and KO MEFs showed decreased uptake of LDL. Exogenous KIF13B, initially localized on the plasma membrane with caveolae, was translocated to the vesicles in the cytoplasm with LRP1 and caveolin-1. KIF13B bound to hDLG1 and utrophin, which, in turn, bound to LRP1 and caveolae, respectively. These linkages were required for the KIF13B-enhanced endocytosis of LRP1. Thus, we propose that KIF13B, working as a scaffold, recruits LRP1 to caveolae via LRP1–hDLG1–KIF13B–utrophin–caveolae linkage and enhances the endocytosis of LRP1.     

Characterization of glutamate transport system in hydrophobic protein (H protein) of Bacillus subtilis

Hydrophobic protein (H protein) was isolated from membrane fractions of Bacillus subtilis and constituted into artificial membrane vesicles with lipid of B. substilis. Glutamate was accumulated into the vesicle when a Na⁺ gradient across the membrane was imposed. The maximum effect of Na⁺ on the transport was achieved at a concentration of about 40 mM, while the apparent K_m for Na⁺ was approximately 8 mM. On the other hand, K_m for glutamate in the presence of 50 mM Na⁺ was about 8 μM. Increasing the concentration of Na⁺ resulted in a decrease in K_m for glutamate, maximum velocity was not affected. The transport was sensitive to monensin (Na⁺ ionophore).Glutamate was also accumulated when pH gradient (interior alkaline) across the membrane was imposed or a membrane potential was induced with K⁺-diffusion potential. The pH gradient-driven glutamate transport was sensitive to carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and the apparent K_m for glutamate was approximately 25 μM.These results indicate that two kinds of glutamate transport system were present in H protein: one is Na⁺ dependent and the other is H⁺ dependent.     

Computational analysis of stop codon readthrough in D.melanogaster

MOTIVATION: Readthrough is an unusual process in which a stop codon is misread or skipped. Recently it has been shown that some translation is regulated by the readthrough reactions although the complete mechanism is not clear. Therefore, the discovery of 'readthrough genes' is important for further investigation of their cellular roles, which may provide additional insights into the mechanism of translational regulation. RESULTS: We constructed a system that lists candidates of readthrough genes based on the existence of a 'protein motif' at the 3' untranslated region (UTR). Using this system, we extracted 85 candidates from 4082 nucleic acid sequences of Drosophila melanogaster in GenBank database. The sequences of these candidates had a slightly more stable secondary structure and different base preferences compared to the non-candidates. As these features are known to have an effect on readthrough events, we would like to suggest that these candidates contain actual readthrough genes. AVAILABILITY: Source code of the system is available upon request.     

Dynamic perceptual changes in audiovisual simultaneity

Background

The timing at which sensory input reaches the level of conscious perception is an intriguing question still awaiting an answer. It is often assumed that both visual and auditory percepts have a modality specific processing delay and their difference determines perceptual temporal offset.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here, we show that the perception of audiovisual simultaneity can change flexibly and fluctuates over a short period of time while subjects observe a constant stimulus. We investigated the mechanisms underlying the spontaneous alternations in this audiovisual illusion and found that attention plays a crucial role. When attention was distracted from the stimulus, the perceptual transitions disappeared. When attention was directed to a visual event, the perceived timing of an auditory event was attracted towards that event.

Conclusions/Significance

This multistable display illustrates how flexible perceived timing can be, and at the same time offers a paradigm to dissociate perceptual from stimulus-driven factors in crossmodal feature binding. Our findings suggest that the perception of crossmodal synchrony depends on perceptual binding of audiovisual stimuli as a common event.