Intracerebroventricular interleukin-6 treatment decreases body fat in rats

Recently we found that interleukin-6 (IL-6) knockout mice develop mature-onset obesity and that a single intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of IL-6 increases energy expenditure. In the present study we investigated if chronic ICV treatment with IL-6 can suppress body fat mass. IL-6 was injected ICV daily for two weeks to rats fed a high-fat diet. IL-6 treatment but not saline treatment decreased body weight by 8.4% and decreased the relative weights of mesenteric and retroperitoneal fat pads. Consistent with this, circulating leptin levels were decreased by 40% after IL-6 treatment but not after saline treatment. Average food intake per day was decreased in the IL-6 treated group compared to the saline treated rats. IL-6 treatment did not change hepatic expression of the acute-phase protein haptoglobin, serum levels of insulin or insulin-like growth factor-I, or the weights of the heart, liver, kidneys, adrenals, and spleen. We conclude that centrally administered IL-6 can decrease body fat in rats without causing acute-phase reaction.     

Inhibition of cGMP-dependent protein kinase II by its own splice isoform

cGMP- and cAMP-dependent protein kinases (cGK I, cGK II, and cAK) are important mediators of many signaling pathways that increase cyclic nucleotide concentrations and ultimately phosphorylation of substrates vital to cellular functions. Here we demonstrate a novel mRNA splice isoform of cGK II arising from alternative 5' splicing within exon 11. The novel splice variant encodes a protein (cGK II Delta(441-469)) lacking 29 amino acids of the cGK II Mg-ATP-binding/catalytic domain, including the conserved glycine-rich loop consensus motif Gly-x-Gly-x-x-Gly-x-Val which interacts with ATP in the protein kinase family of enzymes. cGK II Delta(441-469) has no intrinsic enzymatic activity itself, however, it antagonizes cGK II and cGK I, but not cAK. Thus, the activation and cellular functions of cGK II may be determined not only by intracellular cGMP levels but also by alternative splicing which may regulate the balance of expression of cGK II versus its own inhibitor, cGK II Delta(441-469).     

The crystal structure of the H48Q active site mutant of human group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 at 1.5 A resolution provides an insight into the catalytic mechanism

The human group IIA secreted PLA(2) is a 14 kDa calcium-dependent extracellular enzyme that has been characterized as an acute phase protein with important antimicrobial activity and has been implicated in signal transduction. The selective binding of this enzyme to the phospholipid substrate interface plays a crucial role in its physiological function. To study interfacial binding in the absence of catalysis, one strategy is to produce structurally intact but catalytically inactive mutants. The active site mutants H48Q, H48N, and H48A had been prepared for the secreted PLA(2)s from bovine pancreas and bee venom and retained minimal catalytic activity while the H48Q mutant showed the maximum structural integrity. Preparation of the mutant H48Q of the human group IIA enzyme unexpectedly produced an enzyme that retained significant (2-4%) catalytic activity that was contrary to expectations in view of the accepted catalytic mechanism. In this paper it is established that the high residual activity of the H48Q mutant is genuine, not due to contamination, and can be seen under a variety of assay conditions including assays in the presence of Co(2+) and Ni(2+) in place of Ca(2+). The crystallization of the H48Q mutant, yielding diffraction data to a resolution of 1.5 A, allowed a comparison with the corresponding recombinant wild-type enzyme (N1A) that was also crystallized. This comparison revealed that all of the important features of the catalytic machinery were in place and the two structures were virtually superimposable. In particular, the catalytic calcium ion occupied an identical position in the active site of the two proteins, and the catalytic water molecule (w6) was clearly resolved in the H48Q mutant. We propose that a variation of the calcium-coordinated oxyanion ("two water") mechanism involving hydrogen bonding rather than the anticipated full proton transfer to the histidine will best explain the ability of an active site glutamine to allow significant catalytic activity.     

Examination of the kinetic mechanism of mitogen-activated protein kinase activated protein kinase-2

The kinetic mechanism of mitogen-activated protein kinase activated protein kinase-2 (MAPKAPK2) was investigated using a peptide (LKRSLSEM) based on the phosphorylation site found in serum response factor (SRF). Initial velocity studies yielded a family of double-reciprocal lines that appear parallel and indicative of a ping-pong mechanism. The use of dead-end inhibition studies did not provide a definitive assignment of a reaction mechanism. However, product inhibition studies suggested that MAPKAPK2 follows an ordered bi-bi kinetic mechanism, where ATP must bind to the enzyme prior to the SRF-peptide and the phosphorylated product is released first, followed by ADP. In agreement with these latter results, surface plasmon resonance measurements demonstrate that the binding of the inhibitor peptide to MAPKAPK2 requires the presence of ATP. Furthermore, competitive inhibitors of ATP, adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imino)triphosphate (AMPPNP) and a staurosporine analog (K252a), can inhibit this ATP-dependent binding providing further evidence that the peptide substrate binds preferably to the E:ATP complex.     

MUC17, a novel membrane-tethered mucin

Membrane mucins have several functions in epithelial cells including cytoprotection, extravasation during metastases, maintenance of luminal structure, and signal transduction. In this paper we describe a large membrane mucin expressed in the normal intestine. This novel mucin, designated MUC17, contains an extended, repetitive extracellular glycosylation domain and a carboxyl terminus with two EGF-like domains, a SEA module domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain with potential serine and tyrosine phosphorylation sites. RNA blot analysis and in situ hybridization indicates that MUC17 is expressed in select pancreatic and colon cancer cell lines and in intestinal absorptive cells. Radiation hybrid mapping localized MUC17 to chromosome 7q22 where it resides in close proximity with three other membrane mucin genes, MUC3A, MUC3B, and MUC12. Thus, these membrane mucins reside together in a gene cluster, but are expressed in different tissues and are likely to have different functions as well.     

Secretion of MUC5AC mucin from pancreatic cancer cells in response to forskolin and VIP

Bisphosphonates are potent antiresorptive drugs commonly employed in the treatment of metabolic bone diseases. Despite their frequent use, the mechanisms of bisphosphonates on bone cells have largely remained unclear. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) is essential for osteoclast formation and activation, whereas osteoprotegerin (OPG) neutralizes RANKL. Various osteotropic drugs have been demonstrated to modulate osteoblastic production of RANKL and OPG. In this study, we assessed the effects of the bisphosphonates pamidronate (PAM) and zoledronic acid (ZOL) on OPG mRNA steady-state levels (by semiquantitative RT-PCR) and protein production (by ELISA) in primary human osteoblasts (hOB). PAM increased OPG mRNA levels and protein secretion by hOB by up to 2- to 3-fold in a dose-dependent fashion with a maximum effect at 10(-6) M (P < 0.001) after 72 h. Similarly, ZOL enhanced OPG gene expression and protein secretion by hOB in a dose-dependent fashion with a maximum effect at 10(-8) M after 72 h, consistent with the higher biological potency of ZOL. Time course experiments indicated a stimulatory effect of PAM and ZOL on osteoblastic OPG protein secretion by 6-fold, respectively (P < 0.001). Pretreatment with PAM and ZOL prevented the inhibitory effects of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone on OPG mRNA and protein production. Analysis of cellular markers of osteoblastic differentiation revealed that PAM and ZOL induced type I collagen secretion and alkaline phosphatase activity by 2- and 4-fold, respectively (P < 0.0001 by ANOVA). In conclusion, our data suggest that bisphosphonates modulate OPG production by normal human osteoblasts, which may contribute to the inhibition of osteoclastic bone resorption. Since, OPG production increases with osteoblastic cell maturation, enhancement of OPG by bisphosphonates could be related to their stimulatory effects on osteoblastic differentiation.     

Visualization of Rab9-mediated vesicle transport from endosomes to the trans-Golgi in living cells

Mannose 6-phosphate receptors (MPRs) are transported from endosomes to the trans-Golgi via a transport process that requires the Rab9 GTPase and the cargo adaptor TIP47. We have generated green fluorescent protein variants of Rab9 and determined their localization in cultured cells. Rab9 is localized primarily in late endosomes and is readily distinguished from the trans-Golgi marker galactosyltransferase. Coexpression of fluorescent Rab9 and Rab7 revealed that these two late endosome Rabs occupy distinct domains within late endosome membranes. Cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptors are enriched in the Rab9 domain relative to the Rab7 domain. TIP47 is likely to be present in this domain because it colocalizes with the receptors in fixed cells, and a TIP47 mutant disrupted endosome morphology and sequestered MPRs intracellularly. Rab9 is present on endosomes that display bidirectional microtubule-dependent motility. Rab9-positive transport vesicles fuse with the trans-Golgi network as followed by video microscopy of live cells. These data provide the first indication that Rab9-mediated endosome to trans-Golgi transport can use a vesicle (rather than a tubular) intermediate. Our data suggest that Rab9 remains vesicle associated until docking with the Golgi complex and is rapidly removed concomitant with or just after membrane fusion.     

Mitosis under control

The mitotic checkpoint is essential to ensure accurate chromosome segregation by allowing a mitotic delay in response to a spindle defect. This checkpoint postpones the onset of anaphase until all the chromosomes are attached and correctly aligned onto the mitotic spindle. The checkpoint functions by preventing an ubiquitin ligase called the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) from ubiquitinylating proteins whose degradation is required for anaphase onset. Loss of this checkpoint results in chromosome missegregation in higher eukaryotes and may contribute to the genomic instability observed in most of the tumour cells.