Bioorganic synthesis of a recombinant HIV-1 fusion inhibitor,SC35EK,with an N-terminal pyroglutamate capping group

The bioorganic synthesis of an end-capped anti-HIV peptide from a recombinant protein was investigated. Cyanogen bromide-mediated cleavage of two Met-Gln sites across the target anti-HIV sequence generated an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor (SC35EK) analog bearing an N-terminal pyroglutamate (pGlu) residue and a C-terminal homoserine lactone (Hsl) residue. The end-capped peptide, pGlu-SC35EK-Hsl, had similar bioactivity and biophysical properties to the parent peptide, and an improved resistance to peptidase-mediated degradation was observed compared with the non-end-capped peptide obtained using standard recombinant technology.     

Functional Interactions between Sphingolipids and Sterols in Biological Membranes Regulating Cell Physiology

Sterols and sphingolipids are limited to eukaryotic cells, and their interaction has been proposed to favor formation of lipid microdomains. Although there is abundant biophysical evidence demonstrating their interaction in simple systems, convincing evidence is lacking to show that they function together in cells. Using lipid analysis by mass spectrometry and a genetic approach on mutants in sterol metabolism, we show that cells adjust their membrane composition in response to mutant sterol structures preferentially by changing their sphingolipid composition. Systematic combination of mutations in sterol biosynthesis with mutants in sphingolipid hydroxylation and head group turnover give a large number of synthetic and suppression phenotypes. Our unbiased approach provides compelling evidence that sterols and sphingolipids function together in cells. We were not able to correlate any cellular phenotype we measured with plasma membrane fluidity as measured using fluorescence anisotropy. This questions whether the increase in liquid order phases that can be induced by sterol–sphingolipid interactions plays an important role in cells. Our data revealing that cells have a mechanism to sense the quality of their membrane sterol composition has led us to suggest that proteins might recognize sterol–sphingolipid complexes and to hypothesize the coevolution of sterols and sphingolipids.     

Electrostatically constrained alpha-helical peptide inhibits replication of HIV-1 resistant to enfuvirtide

Alpha-helical peptides, such as T-20 (enfuvirtide) and C34, derived from the gp41 carboxyl-terminal heptad repeat (C-HR) of HIV-1, inhibit membrane fusion of HIV-1 and the target cells. Although T-20 effectively suppresses the replication of multi-drug resistant HIV variants both in vitro and in vivo, prolonged therapy with T-20 induces emergence of T-20 resistant variants. In order to suppress the emergence of such resistant variants, we introduced charged and hydrophilic amino acids, glutamic acid (E) and lysine (K), at the solvent accessible site of C34. In particular, the modified peptide, SC34EK, demonstrates remarkably potent inhibition of membrane fusion by the resistant HIV-1 variants as well as wild-type viruses. The activity was specific to HIV-1 and little influenced by serum components. We found a strong correlation between the anti-HIV-1 activities of these peptides and the thermostabilities of the 6-helix bundles that are formed with these peptides. We also obtained the crystal structure of SC34EK in complex with a 36 amino acid sequence (N36) comprising the amino-terminal heptad repeat of HIV-1. The EK substitutions in the sequence of SC34EK were directed toward the solvent and generated an electrostatic potential, which may result in enhanced alpha-helicity of the peptide inhibitor. The 6-helix bundle complex of SC34EK with N36 appears to be structurally similar to that of C34 and N36. Our approach to enhancing alpha-helicity of the peptide inhibitor may enable future design of highly effective and specific HIV-1 inhibitors.     

Hepatocyte growth factor and epidermal growth factor promote spheroid formation in polyurethane foam/hepatocyte culture and improve expression and maintenance of albumin production

In our previous pre-clinical study with pig hepatic failure, an artificial liver with polyurethane foam (PUF)/primary porcine hepatocyte spheroids had superior curative effect. We examined the effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), also known as scatter factor, on the quick formation of hepatocyte spheroids and albumin production. Spheroids were formed in the pores of PUF within 3 days regardless of addition of growth factors. In particular, spheroids were formed within 1 day in medium containing 100 ng/ml HGF and 50 ng/ml epidermal growth factor (EGF). 10,000 ng/ml HGF was effective for albumin production, but the activity dramatically decreased after 6 days in EGF-free medium. On the other hand, 100 ng/ml HGF was effective for albumin production in EGF-containing medium. Albumin production rate with ≥1000 ng/ml HGF was about 1.5 times higher than that with 100 ng/ml HGF. Furthermore, albumin production rate at 3 weeks was about 1.5 times higher than that at 2 days with 1000 ng/ml HGF. The maintenance of albumin production rate depended on the activity of the individual cell and not cell growth. In other words, we were able to show the effectiveness of HGF for functional hepatocyte organoid formation in PUF pores.     

Infection of Adult Thymus with Murine Retrovirus Induces Virus-Specific Central Tolerance That Prevents Functional Memory CD8+ T Cell Differentiation

In chronic viral infections, persistent antigen presentation causes progressive exhaustion of virus-specific CD8⁺ T cells. It has become clear, however, that virus-specific naïve CD8⁺ T cells newly generated from the thymus can be primed with persisting antigens. In the setting of low antigen density and resolved inflammation, newly primed CD8⁺ T cells are preferentially recruited into the functional memory pool. Thus, continual recruitment of naïve CD8⁺ T cells from the thymus is important for preserving the population of functional memory CD8⁺ T cells in chronically infected animals. Friend virus (FV) is the pathogenic murine retrovirus that establishes chronic infection in adult mice, which is bolstered by the profound exhaustion of virus-specific CD8⁺ T cells induced during the early phase of infection. Here we show an additional evasion strategy in which FV disseminates efficiently into the thymus, ultimately leading to clonal deletion of thymocytes that are reactive to FV antigens. Owing to the resultant lack of virus-specific recent thymic emigrants, along with the above exhaustion of antigen-experienced peripheral CD8⁺ T cells, mice chronically infected with FV fail to establish a functional virus-specific CD8⁺ T cell pool, and are highly susceptible to challenge with tumor cells expressing FV-encoded antigen. However, FV-specific naïve CD8⁺ T cells generated in uninfected mice can be primed and differentiate into functional memory CD8⁺ T cells upon their transfer into chronically infected animals. These findings indicate that virus-induced central tolerance that develops during the chronic phase of infection accelerates the accumulation of dysfunctional memory CD8⁺ T cells.     

Natural Inhibitor for Volatile C6-Aldehyde Formation from C18-Unsaturated Fatty Acids

The homogenate of tea seed cotyledons contained an inhibitor for C₆-aldehyde formation from linoleic acid and linolenic acid by isolated tea chloroplasts. Seed homogenates of other plants, such as soybean, kidney bean, cucumber, Japanese radish and rice, also contained the inhibitor for C₆-aldehyde formation. The inhibitor from tea seed and cucumber seed inhibited C₆-aldehyde formation by the homogenate of cucumber hypocotyl. Hydroperoxides of linoleic acid detected were reduced when the tea seed inhibitor was added to the reaction mixture, but the enzyme activities of lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide lyase were not inhibited. This means that the inhibitor is a decomposer of fatty acid hydroperoxides as an intermediate of C₆-aldehyde formation. The tea seed inhibitor was formed during the seed ripening and it was stable during the seed germination. These findings obtained here suggest that the inhibitor is widely present in plant seeds and inhibits C₆-aldehyde formation by a variety of plant tissues.     

Conjunctival brush cytology

In order to collect conjunctival cells efficiently, we developed a special brush that is a modification of the Cytobrush used in cervical cytology. The conjunctival brush is small and made of nylon bristles. Cells collected by these brushes were rinsed into a buffered solution, from which filter preparations were made. This technique produced adequately cellular samples from temporal bulbar conjunctiva; these preparations stained well with the Papanicolaou stain. Under normal conditions, three cell types were observed in the brushing samples; one was the polygonal epithelial cell, the second type was a small rounded cell, and the third type was a mucus-secreting goblet cell. Samples from dry-eyed patients contained keratinized cells with or without a decrease in goblet cells. Elongated cells were seen in samples from postirradiation and postoperative patients. Irritation caused by the brushing was of the same intensity as irritation caused by collecting cytologic specimens by impression or by the use of cotton swabs. These findings suggest that brushing cytology of the conjunctiva is a relatively noninvasive technique and can provide valuable information for evaluation of conjunctival conditions.     

Neopterin as an endogenous antioxidant.

The in vitro potency of neopterin (NP) as an antioxidant and its in vivo activity to suppress alloxan-induced diabetes were investigated. The reduced form of neopterin, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroneopterin (NPH-4), showed an extremely high superoxide anion radical scavenging activity in two assay systems, i.e. xanthine/xanthine oxidase- and macrophage/phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-reaction systems. NPH-4 also inhibited the oxidation of linoleic acid about as effectively as uric acid. Furthermore, NPH-4 and NP effectively suppressed alloxan-induced mouse diabetes. These results suggest that pteridines play an important role as endogenous antioxidants.