Lateral diffusion of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 is regulated by actin filaments and 4.1N in neuronal dendrites

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type1 (IP3R1) plays an important role in neuronal functions; however, the lateral diffusion of IP3R1 on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and its regulation in the living neurons remain unknown. We expressed green fluorescent protein-tagged IP3R1 in cultured rat hippocampal neurons and observed the lateral diffusion by the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching technique. IP3R1 showed lateral diffusion with an effective diffusion constant of approximately 0.3 microm2/s. Depletion of actin filaments increased the diffusion constant of IP3R1, suggesting that the diffusion of IP3R1 is regulated negatively through actin filaments. We also found that protein 4.1N, which binds to IP3R1 and contains an actin-spectrin-binding region, was responsible for this actin regulation of the IP3R1 diffusion constant. Overexpression of dominant-negative 4.1N and blockade of 4.1N binding to IP3R1 increased the IP3R1 diffusion constant. The diffusion of IP3R type 3 (IP3R3), one of the isoforms of IP3Rs lacking the binding ability to 4.1N, was not dependent on actin filaments but became dependent on actin filaments after the addition of a 4.1N-binding sequence. These data suggest that 4.1N serves as a linker protein between IP3R1 and actin filaments. This actin filament-dependent regulation of IP3R1 diffusion may be important for the spatiotemporal regulation of intracellular Ca2+ signaling.     

Crystal structure of unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolase, responsible for the degradation of glycosaminoglycan, from Bacillus sp. GL1 at 1.8 A resolution

Unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolase (UGL) is a novel glycosaminoglycan hydrolase that releases unsaturated d-glucuronic acid from oligosaccharides produced by polysaccharide lyases. The x-ray crystallographic structure of UGL from Bacillus sp. GL1 was first determined by multiple isomorphous replacement (mir) and refined at 1.8 A resolution with a final R-factor of 16.8% for 25 to 1.8 A resolution data. The refined UGL structure consists of 377 amino acid residues and 478 water molecules, four glycine molecules, two dithiothreitol (DTT) molecules, and one 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol (MPD) molecule. UGL includes an alpha(6)/alpha(6)-barrel, whose structure is found in the six-hairpin enzyme superfamily of an alpha/alpha-toroidal fold. One side of the UGL alpha(6)/alpha(6)-barrel structure consists of long loops containing three short beta-sheets and contributes to the formation of a deep pocket. One glycine molecule and two DTT molecules surrounded by highly conserved amino acid residues in UGLs were found in the pocket, suggesting that catalytic and substrate-binding sites are located in this pocket. The overall UGL structure, with the exception of some loops, very much resembled that of the Bacillus subtilis hypothetical protein Yter, whose function is unknown and which exhibits little amino acid sequence identity with UGL. In the active pocket, residues possibly involved in substrate recognition and catalysis by UGL are conserved in UGLs and Yter. The most likely candidate catalytic residues for glycosyl hydrolysis are Asp(88) and Asp(149). This was supported by site-directed mutagenesis studies in Asp(88) and Asp(149).     

Plasmodium ookinete-secreted proteins secreted through a common micronemal pathway are targets of blocking malaria transmission

The mosquito midgut ookinete stage of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, possesses microneme secretory organelles that mediate locomotion and midgut wall egress to establish sporogonic stages and subsequent transmission. The purpose of this study was 2-fold: 1) to determine whether there exists a single micronemal population with respect to soluble and membrane-associated secreted proteins; and 2) to evaluate the ookinete micronemal proteins chitinase (PgCHT1), circumsporozoite and TRAP-related protein (CTRP), and von Willebrand factor A domain-related protein (WARP) as immunological targets eliciting sera-blocking malaria parasite infectivity to mosquitoes. Indirect immunofluorescence localization studies in Plasmodium gallinaceum using specific antisera showed that all three proteins are distributed intracellularly with a similar granular cytoplasmic appearance and with focal concentration of PgCHT1 and PgCTRP, but not PgWARP, at the ookinete apical end. Immunogold double-labeling electron microscopy, using antisera against the membrane-associated protein CTRP and the soluble WARP, showed that these two proteins co-localized to the same micronemal population. Within the microneme CTRP was associated peripherally at the microneme membrane, whereas PgCHT1 and WARP were diffuse within the micronemal lumen. Sera produced against Plasmodium falciparum WARP significantly reduced the infectivity of P. gallinaceum to Aedes aegypti and P. falciparum to Anopheles mosquitoes. Antisera against PgCTRP and PgCHT1 also significantly reduced the infectivity of P. gallinaceum for A. aegypti. These results support the concept that ookinete micronemal proteins may constitute a general class of malaria transmission-blocking vaccine candidates.     

The Q223R polymorphism in LEPR is associated with obesity in Pacific Islanders

Various Pacific Island populations have experienced a marked increase in the prevalence of obesity in past decades. This study examined the association of a promoter polymorphism of the leptin gene (LEP), G-2548A (rs7799039), and two non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR), K109R (rs1137100) and Q223R (rs1137101), with body weight, body mass index (BMI) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) in Pacific Islanders. A total of 745 Austronesian (AN)-speaking participants were analyzed after adjusting for age, gender, and population differences. The results revealed that carriers of the 223Q alleles of LEPR had significantly higher body weight (P = 0.0009) and BMI (P = 0.0022) than non-carriers (i.e., 223R homozygotes); furthermore, the 223Q carriers also had a significantly higher risk of obesity in comparison to non-carriers (P = 0.0222). The other two polymorphisms, G-2548A and K109R, were associated with neither body weight, BMI, nor obesity. The 223Q allele was widely found among the AN-speaking study subjects, thus suggesting that the LEPR Q223R polymorphism is one of the factors contributing to the high prevalence of obesity in the Pacific Island populations.     

The Adenomatous Polyposis Coli-associated Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Asef Is Involved in Angiogenesis

Mutation of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a key early event in the development of most colorectal tumors. APC promotes degradation of β-catenin and thereby negatively regulates Wnt signaling, whereas mutated APCs present in colorectal tumor cells are defective in this activity. APC also stimulates the activity of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Asef and regulates cell morphology and migration. Truncated mutant APCs constitutively activate Asef and induce aberrant migration of colorectal tumor cells. Furthermore, we have recently found that Asef and APC function downstream of hepatocyte growth factor and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. We show here that Asef is required for basic fibroblast growth factor- and vascular endothelial growth factor-induced endothelial cell migration. We further demonstrate that Asef is required for basic fibroblast growth factor- and vascular endothelial growth factor-induced microvessel formation. Furthermore, we show that the growth as well as vascularity of subcutaneously implanted tumors are markedly impaired in Asef^−/− mice compared with wild-type mice. Thus, Asef plays a critical role in tumor angiogenesis and may be a promising target for cancer chemotherapy.     

Independent differentiation of mammotropes and somatotropes in the chicken embryonic pituitary gland

It has been reported that mammotropes in a rodent pituitary gland are derived from somatotropes via somatomammotropes (SMTs), cells that produce both growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (Prl). However, no studies have been done on the transdifferentiation of somatotropes in the chicken pituitary gland. In this study, in order to determine the origin of mammotropes, we studied detail property of appearance of chicken somatotropes, mammotropes and pit-1 cells and then evaluated the existence of SMTs in the chicken embryonic pituitary gland. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that GH-immunopositive (GH-ip) cells appeared on embryonic day (E) 14 and were mainly distributed in the caudal lobe, while Prl-immunopositive (Prl-ip) cells appeared in the cephalic lobe of the pituitary gland on E16. In situ hybridization (ISH) and RT-PCR analysis showed that expression of GH and Prl mRNA starts at E12 in the caudal lobe and at E14 in the cephalic lobe respectively. Pit-1 mRNA was first detected on E5 by RT-PCR, and pit-1 mRNA-expressing cells were found in the cephalic lobe on E8. Then with the ontogeny of the chicken, these cells spread into both lobes. Using a double staining method with ISH and immunohistochemistry, we could not detect the existence of SMTs in the chicken embryonic pituitary gland even in the marginal region of either lobe. These results suggest that chicken somatotropes and mammotropes independently appear in different lobes of pituitary gland and that transdifferentiation from somatotropes to mammotropes is not the central route for differentiation of mammotropes in the embryonic chicken pituitary gland.     

Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 regulate anteroposterior axis elongation and somite segmentation during mouse embryogenesis

Regulation of Wnt signaling is essential for embryonic patterning. Sfrps are secreted Wnt antagonists that directly interact with the Wnt ligand to inhibit signaling. Here, we show that Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 are required for anteroposterior (AP) axis elongation and somitogenesis in the thoracic region during mouse embryogenesis. Double homozygous mutations in Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 lead to severe shortening of the thoracic region. By contrast, a homozygous mutation in one or the other exerts no effect on embryogenesis, indicating that Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 are functionally redundant. The defect of a shortened thoracic region appears to be the consequence of AP axis reduction and incomplete somite segmentation. The reduction in the AP axis is partially due to abnormalities in cell migration of pre-somitic mesoderm from the end of gastrulation. Aberrant somite segmentation is associated with altered oscillations of Notch signaling, as evidenced by abnormal Lfng and Hes7 expression during somitogenesis in the thoracic region. This study suggests that Wnt regulation by Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 is required for embryonic patterning.     

Increased expression of midkine in the rat colon during healing of experimental colitis

Midkine (MK) is a unique growth and differentiation factor that modulates the proliferation and migration of various cells; however, little is known regarding its relationship to intestinal diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate MK expression and its role in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rats. The expressions of MK, receptor-like protein-tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP)-beta, and proinflammatory cytokines were examined in rat colonic tissues after the development of DSS-induced colitis using Northern blotting, immunohistochemistry, and laser-capture microdissection (LCM) coupled with RT-PCR. The effects of MK on the migration of intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) were also evaluated in vitro using an intestinal wound repair model. MK expression was significantly increased in damaged colonic mucosa, mainly from day 3 to day 5 after the end of DSS administration, with abundant MK immunoreactive signals detected in submucosal fibroblasts. Expressions of proinflammatory cytokines were most strongly induced on day 1, which preceded the augmentation of MK expression. Results of LCM coupled with RT-PCR clearly indicated RPTP-beta expression in colonic epithelial cells. The migration assay showed that wound repair in the MK-treated groups was accelerated dose dependently. The present results showed for the first time that intestinal inflammation upregulates the MK-RPTP-beta system, which may stimulate mucosal regeneration during the process of healing of colitis. Additional investigations regarding the role of MK may contribute to the development of new options for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.