Formation of E-cadherin/beta-catenin-based adherens junctions in hepatocytes requires serine-10 in p27(Kip1)

The adhesion between epithelial cells at adherens junctions is regulated by signaling pathways that mediate the intracellular trafficking and assembly of its core components. Insight into the molecular mechanisms of this is necessary to understand how adherens junctions contribute to the functional organization of epithelial tissues. Here, we demonstrate that in human hepatic HepG2 cells, oncostatin M-p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling stimulates the phosphorylation of p27(Kip1) on Ser-10 and promotes cell-cell adhesion. The overexpression of wild-type p27 or a phospho-mimetic p27S10D mutant in HepG2 cells induces a hyper-adhesive phenotype. In contrast, the overexpression of a nonphosphorylatable p27S10A mutant prevents the mobilization of E-cadherin and beta-catenin at the cell surface, reduces basal cell-cell adhesion strength, and prevents the stimulatory effect of oncostatin M on cell-cell adhesion. As part of the underlying molecular mechanism, it is shown that in p27S10A-expressing cells beta-catenin interacts with p27 and is prevented from interacting with E-cadherin. The intracellular retention of E-cadherin and beta-catenin is also observed in hepatocytes from p27S10A knockin mice that express the p27S10A mutant instead of wild-type p27. Together, these data suggest that the formation of adherens junctions in hepatocytes requires Ser-10 in p27.     

Photoactivatable peptides based on BMS-197525: a potent antagonist of the human thrombin receptor (PAR-1)

Photoactivatable analogs of the human thrombin receptor (PAR-1) antagonist, N-trans-cinnamoyl-p-fluoroPhe-p-guanidinoPhe-Leu-Arg-NH2 (BMS-197525), were prepared with benzophenone substitutions in the N-terminal, Leu, or Arg position. The analogs retained antagonist activity (with reduced potency); the tritium-labeled isotopomers are potential photoaffinity labels for the receptor. C-Terminal extension of the analogs with ornithine(biotin) did not significantly alter antagonist potency.     

Imbibitional leakage from anhydrobiotes revisited

Dry desiccation-tolerant organ(ism)s leak cellular solutes when placed in water. Elevated temperatures at imbibition and elevated initial moisture contents reduce the leakage and promote growth. We have re-examined the effects of imbibitional stress imposed on cattail (Typha latifolia L.) pollen as a model anhydrobiotic system. A nitroxide spin probe technique and electron microscopy were used, allowing study of the permeability of the plasma membrane together with its visual intactness. Imbibitional leakage can be transient, or prolonged when associated with membrane damage. During the first 15 s of rehydration in medium, plasma membranes of pre-humidified pollen were highly permeable but became less permeable thereafter. The resulting transient leakage may affect vigour as measured by the rate of fresh weight increase, but did not reduce germination. A permanent, high permeability was observed when dry pollen was plunged into medium at low temperatures. This led to cell death and is associated with a phase change of the membranes from gel to liquid crystalline during imbibition. Freeze-fracture images indicate that the damage to plasma membranes is mechanically imposed by the pressure of the penetrating water rather than occurring structurally by a phase separation of membrane components. We suggest that a high rigidity of the plasma membranes in the gel phase at imbibition underlies imbibitional damage.     

Nuclear transport of single molecules: dwell times at the nuclear pore complex

The mechanism by which macromolecules are selectively translocated through the nuclear pore complex (NPC) is still essentially unresolved. Single molecule methods can provide unique information on topographic properties and kinetic processes of asynchronous supramolecular assemblies with excellent spatial and time resolution. Here, single-molecule far-field fluorescence microscopy was applied to the NPC of permeabilized cells. The nucleoporin Nup358 could be localized at a distance of 70 nm from POM121-GFP along the NPC axis. Binding sites of NTF2, the transport receptor of RanGDP, were observed in cytoplasmic filaments and central framework, but not nucleoplasmic filaments of the NPC. The dwell times of NTF2 and transportin 1 at their NPC binding sites were 5.8 +/- 0.2 and 7.1 +/- 0.2 ms, respectively. Notably, the dwell times of these receptors were reduced upon binding to a specific transport substrate, suggesting that translocation is accelerated for loaded receptor molecules. Together with the known transport rates, our data suggest that nucleocytoplasmic transport occurs via multiple parallel pathways within single NPCs.     

Adaptation to the cost of resistance: a model of compensation, recombination, and selection in a haploid organism

Populations of pathogenic organisms often evolve resistance in response to the use of pesticides or antibiotics. This rise of resistance may be followed by a fall when chemical control is suspended and resistance alleles carry a fitness cost. Another possibility is that mutations at secondary loci compensate for the cost, usually without loss of resistance. This enables resistant types to withstand invasion by the susceptible wild-type; resistance then persists in the population, which reduces the efficacy of future pesticide or antibiotic use. We examined a two-locus model of a haploid organism that adapts to the cost of resistance by a single compensatory mutation. We addressed the question how different combinations of cost and compensation and different levels of recombination affect the consequences of a single pesticide application. Resistance will become fixed in the population when the fraction of the population exposed to pesticide exceeds the cost of resistance. Compensatory mutations reduce the cost of resistance and therefore this threshold level of pesticide use. In the absence of pesticide, recombination promotes stability of equilibria. In the presence of pesticide, recombination accelerates the fixation of resistance and compensating alleles; recombination may also enable the persistence of compensated resistant types after pesticide use.     

Antisense oligonucleotides reach mRNA targets via the RNA matrix: downregulation of the 5-HT1A receptor

Successful application of antisense oligonucleotides (ODNs) in cell biology and therapy will depend on the ease of design, efficiency of (intra)cellular delivery, ODN stability, and target specificity. Equally essential is a detailed understanding of the mechanism of antisense action. To address these issues, we employed phosphorothioate ODNs directed against specific regions of the mRNA of the serotonin 5HT1A receptor, governed by sequence and structure. We demonstrate that rather than various intracellular factors, the gene sequence per se primarily determines the antisense effect, since 5HT1a autoreceptors expressed in RN46A cells, postsynaptic receptors expressed in SN48 cells, and receptors overexpressed in LLP-K1 cells are all efficiently downregulated following ODN delivery via a cationic lipid delivery system. The data also reveal that the delivery system as such is a relevant parameter in ODN delivery. Antisense ODNs bound extensively to the RNA matrix in the cell nuclei, thereby interacting with target mRNA and causing its subsequent degradation. Antisense delivery effectively diminished the mRNA pool, thus resulting in downregulation of newly synthesized 5HT1A proteins, without the appearance of truncated protein fragments. In conjunction with the selected mRNA target sequences of the ODNs, the latter data indicated that effective degradation rather than a steric blockage of the mRNA impedes protein expression. The specificity of the antisense approach, as described in this study, is reflected by the effective functional downregulation of the 5-HT1A receptor.     

Phospholipid species act as modulators in p97/p47-mediated fusion of Golgi membranes

The ATPase p97 in complex with p47 participates in Golgi cisternae rebuilding after mitosis. In a Golgi-liposome assay, the complex triggered a phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-promoted fusion. Here we show for the first time that fusion between mitotic Golgi membranes induced by adding cytosol or purified p97/p47 is modulated by PE present in Golgi membranes. Using model membranes, we demonstrate a PE-dependent recruitment of p97/p47 to membranes, causing dramatic conformational rearrangements and favoring protein-lipid interactions. Previously buried hydrophobic sites become exposed in a controlled manner, which leads to the penetration of (a) domain(s) of the complex into lipid bilayers, facilitated by a PE-dependent increase in headgroup spacing. In contrast, when facing phosphatidylcholine (PC) the complex clusters extensively. This implies that in the presence of PC protein-protein interactions rather than fusion-promoting protein-lipid interactions occur. Importantly, PE-mediated changes in secondary and tertiary structures are exclusively observed when p97 is complexed with p47, which is a prerequisite for membrane fusion. We therefore propose that at physiological conditions PE-induced conformational changes in p97/p47 are relevant in triggering this activity.     

Fluorescent lipid probes: some properties and applications (a review)

Odd as it may seem, experimental challenges in lipid research are often hampered by the simplicity of the lipid structure. Since, as in protein research, mutants or overexpression of lipids are not realistic, a considerable amount of lipid research relies on the use of tagged lipid analogues. However, given the size of an average lipid molecule, special care is needed for the selection of probes, since if the size and intramolecular localization of the probe is not specifically taken into account, it may dramatically affect the properties of the lipids. The latter is particularly important in cell biological studies of lipid trafficking and sorting, where the probed lipid should resemble its natural counterpart as closely as possible. On the other hand, for biophysical applications, these considerations may be less critical. Here we provide a brief overview of the application of several lipid probes in cell biological and biophysical research, and critically analyze their validity in the various fields.     

Analysis of the wild potato germplasm of the series Acaulia with AFLPs: implications for ex situ conservation

The wild potato germplasm of the series Acaulia maintained at the Centre for Genetic Resources, The Netherlands, currently consists of 314 accessions. This collection comprises seed samples of the species Solanum acaule (ssp. acaule, ssp. aemulans, ssp. palmirense and ssp. punae) and Solanum albicans collected from South America. In order to validate taxonomic classification, to investigate the extent of redundancy and to study the distribution of genetic diversity across the collection area, the entire collection was analysed with two AFLP primer pairs on two plants per accession. Within the entire sample a total number of 130 polymorphic bands were scored for the two primer pairs. An UPGMA cluster analysis grouped the majority of plants according to the species and subspecies. A total number of 16 misclassifications were identified, including four cases that did not seem to belong to the series Acaulia. Two accessions were found to consist of plants of different AFLP clusters. AFLP data also allowed the taxonomic classification of the subspecies of 97 accessions that previously were described as S. acaule only. For 126 accessions the two individuals studied displayed identical AFLP profiles. Forty six of these 126 accessions shared their profiles with both or single plants of other accessions. These were all tested for identical profiles for a third primer pair, resulting in 15 duplication groups consisting of a total number of 22 accessions and 14 single plants. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) were performed to examine the distribution of genetic variation. Comparison of geographic distances between the collection site of plants and the number of AFLP polymorphisms revealed no consistent relationship between geographic distance and genetic diversity. AFLP analysis appeared to be an efficient method to verify taxonomic classification and to identify redundancies in the wild germplasm of the series Acaulia. Implications of the results for the ex situ conservation of wild potato germplasm are discussed. Received: 6 November 2000 / Accepted: 20 April 2001     

Lipoplex-mediated transfection of mammalian cells occurs through the cholesterol-dependent clathrin-mediated pathway of endocytosis

Synthetic amphiphiles are widely used as a carrier system. However, to match transfection efficiencies as obtained for viral vectors, further insight is required into the properties of lipoplexes that dictate transfection efficiency, including the mechanism of delivery. Although endocytosis is often referred to as the pathway of lipoplex entry and transfection, its precise nature has been poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that lipoplex-mediated transfection is inhibited by more than 80%, when plasma membrane cholesterol is depleted with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin. Cholesterol replenishment restores the transfection capacity. Investigation of the cellular distribution of lipoplexes after cholesterol depletion revealed an exclusive inhibition of internalization, whereas cell-association remained unaffected. These data strongly support the notion that complex internalization, rather than the direct translocation of plasmid across the plasma membrane, is a prerequisite for accomplishing effective lipoplex-mediated transfection. We demonstrate that internalized lipoplexes colocalize with transferrin in early endocytic compartments and that lipoplex internalization is inhibited in potassium-depleted cells and in cells overexpressing dominant negative Eps15 mutants. In conjunction with the notion that caveolae-mediated internalization can be excluded, we conclude that efficient lipoplex-mediated transfection requires complex internalization via the cholesterol-dependent clathrin-mediated pathway of endocytosis.