Divergent genetic and epigenetic post-zygotic isolation mechanisms in Mus and Peromyscus

Interspecific hybridization in the rodent genera Peromyscus and Mus results in abnormal placentation. In the Peromyscus interspecies hybrids, abnormal allelic interaction between an X-linked locus and the imprinted paternally expressed Peg3 locus was shown to cause the placental defects. In addition, loss-of-imprinting (LOI) of Peg3 was positively correlated with increased placental size. As in extreme cases this placental dysplasia constitutes a post-zygotic barrier against interspecies hybridization, this finding was the first direct proof that imprinted genes may be important in speciation and thus in evolution. In the Mus interspecies hybrids, a strong role of an X-linked locus in placental dysplasia has also been detected. However, here we show by backcross and allele specific expression analyses that neither LOI of Peg3 nor abnormal interactions between Peg3 and an X-linked locus are involved in generating placental dysplasia in Mus hybrids, although the placental phenotypes observed in the two genera seem to be identical. In contrast to this, another dysgenesis effect common to Peromyscus and Mus hybrids, altered foetal growth, is caused at least in part by the same X-chromosomal regions in both genera. These findings first underline the strong involvement of the X-chromosome in the genetics of speciation. Secondly, they indicate that disruption of epigenetic states, such as LOI, at specific loci may be involved in hybrid dysgenesis effects in one group, but not in another. Thus, we conclude that even in closely related groups divergent molecular mechanisms may be involved in the production of phenotypically similar post-zygotic barriers against hybridization.     

Effects of basic fibroblast factor (bFGF) on MMP-2, TIMP-2, and type-I collagen levels in human lung carcinoma fibroblasts

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP's) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP's) possess a preponderant role in the metabolism of the major extracellular matrix protein, collagen, and are thought to be important in the mechanism of tumor invasion. Lung cancer occupies the first position in mortality and the second position in incidence, among all cancers. In the present investigation, we studied the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on collagen, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-2 (TIMP-2) levels in normal and carcinoma lung tissue fibroblast cultures. MMP-2 was selected because of its high specificity in the degradation of type IV collagen, major component of the basal membrane. The effect of bFGF on MMP-2, TIMP-2, total collagen, and type I collagen levels of normal and carcinoma lung fibroblast cultures was investigated at 0, 10, and 100 ng/ml. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Mann-Whitney-U test and possible correlations were searched using the Spearman correlation analysis method. MMP-2, TIMP-2, total collagen, and type-1 collagen levels based on cell counts (10(3) cells) showed no statistically significant differences between the carcinoma and normal fibroblast cultures. However, positive correlations were found between MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in normal (P = 0.016) and carcinoma (P = 0.001) tissue fibroblast cultures. Positive correlations were also found between total collagen and TIMP-2 levels in normal and carcinoma tissue fibroblast cultures (P = 0.002 and P = 0.032). Total collagen and TIMP-2 levels also showed positive and strong correlations in all cultures except in 100 ng/ml bFGF concentrations. In addition, type I collagen and MMP-2 levels showed positive significant correlations only in normal and carcinoma control cultures, while type I collagen and TIMP-2 levels showed positive correlations in all cultures except carcinoma fibroblasts at 100 ng/ml bFGF. It may be concluded that bFGF does not affect MMP-2, TIMP-2, total collagen, and type-1 collagen levels in fibroblast cultures grown from human carcinoma and normal lung tissues. However, bFGF was noted, in vitro, to disturb the equilibrium which normally exists between the four parameters, both in normal and carcinoma tissue fibroblasts.     

Kinetics and subunit composition of NMDA receptors in respiratory-related neurons

NMDA receptors are involved in a variety of brainstem functions. The excitatory postsynaptic NMDA currents of pre-Botzinger complex interneurons and hypoglossal motoneurons, which are located in the medulla oblongata, show remarkably fast deactivation kinetics of approximately 30 ms compared with NMDA receptors in other types of neurons. Because structural heterogeneity might be the basis for physiological properties, we examined the expression of six NMDA receptor subunits (NMDAR1, NR2A-2D, and NR3A) plus eight NMDR1 splice variants in pre-Botzinger complex, hypoglossal and, for comparison, neurons from the nucleus of the solitary tract in young rats using single cell multiplex RT-PCR. Expression of NR2A, NR2B, and NR2D was observed in all three cell types while NR3A was much more abundant in pre-Botzinger complex interneurons, which belong to the rhythm generator of respiratory activity. In hypoglossal neurons, the NMDAR1 splice variants NMDAR1-4a and NMDAR1-4b were found. In neurons of the nucleus of the solitary tract, instead of NMDAR1-4b, the NMDAR1-2a splice variant was detected. This differential expression of modulatory splice variants might be the molecular basis for the characteristic functional properties of NMDA receptors, as neurons expressing a special NMDAR1 splice variant at the mRNA level show fast kinetics compared with neurons lacking this splice variant.     

An inflammatory role for the mammalian carboxypeptidase inhibitor latexin: relationship to cystatins and the tumor suppressor TIG1

Latexin, the only known mammalian carboxypeptidase inhibitor, has no detectable sequence similarity with plant and parasite inhibitors, but it is related to a human putative tumor suppressor protein, TIG1. Latexin is expressed in the developing brain, and we find that it plays a role in inflammation, as it is expressed at high levels and is inducible in macrophages in concert with other protease inhibitors and potential protease targets. The crystal structure of mouse latexin, solved at 1.83 A resolution, shows no structural relationship with other carboxypeptidase inhibitors. Furthermore, despite a lack of detectable sequence duplication, the structure incorporates two topologically analogous domains related by pseudo two-fold symmetry. Surprisingly, these domains share a cystatin fold architecture found in proteins that inhibit cysteine proteases, suggesting an evolutionary and possibly functional relationship. The structure of the tumor suppressor protein TIG1 was modeled, revealing its putative membrane binding surface.     

Rejoinder to Use of Principal Component Analysis and the GE -Biplot for the Graphical Exploration of Gene Expression Data

Summary This note is in response to Wouters et al. (2003, Biometrics 59, 1131–1139) who compared three methods for exploring gene expression data. Contrary to their summary that principal component analysis is not very informative, we show that it is possible to determine principal component analyses that are useful for exploratory analysis of microarray data. We also present another biplot representation, the GE‐biplot (Gene Expression biplot), that is a useful method for exploring gene expression data with the major advantage of being able to aid interpretation of both the samples and the genes relative to each other.     

Effect of auxin transport inhibitors and ethylene on the wood anatomy of poplar

The influence of the auxin transport inhibitors naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and methyl-2-chloro-9-hydroxyflurene-9-carboxylate (CF), as well as the gaseous hormone ethylene on cambial differentiation of poplar was determined. NPA treatment induced clustering of vessels and increased vessel length. CF caused a synchronized differentiation of cambial cells into either vessel elements or fibres. The vessels in CF-treated wood were significantly smaller and fibre area was increased compared with controls. Under the influence of ethylene, the cambium produced more parenchyma, shorter fibres and shorter vessels than in controls. Since poplar is the model tree for molecular biology of wood formation, the modulation of the cambial differentiation of poplar towards specific cell types opens an avenue to study genes important for the development of vessels or fibres.     

Acylated iridoid glucosides from Veronica anagallis-aquatica

Three new (1-3) and four known iridoid glucosides (4-7) as well as a known phenylethanoid glycoside (8) were isolated from the aerial parts of Veronica anagallis-aquatica and their structures were determined as 6'-O-benzoyl-8-epiloganic acid named aquaticoside A (1), 6'-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl-8-epiloganic acid named aquaticoside B (2), 6'-O-benzoyl-gardoside named aquaticoside C (3), veronicoside (4), catalposide (5), verproside (6), verminoside (7) and martynoside (8) on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis.     

CD4<Superscript>+</Superscript> T cells kill Id<Superscript>+</Superscript> B-lymphoma cells: FasLigand-Fas interaction is dominant in vitro but is redundant in vivo

B-lymphoma cells express a highly tumor-specific antigen, monoclonal Ig, which is a promising target for immunotherapy. Previous work has demonstrated that B-lymphoma cells spontaneously process their endogenous monoclonal Ig and present variable (V) region peptides (Id-peptides) on their MHC class II molecules to CD4⁺ T cells. Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells protect mice against B-lymphoma cells in the absence of anti-idiotypic antibodies. The molecular mechanism by which Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells kill B-lymphoma cells is hitherto unknown. We here demonstrate in an Id-specific T-cell receptor (TCR)–transgenic mouse model that Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells induce apoptosis of Fas⁺ B-lymphoma cells in vitro by FasLigand (FasL)–Fas interaction. Moreover, the rare B lymphomas that had escaped rejection in TCR-transgenic mice had down-regulated their sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Although these results suggest that FasL-Fas interaction is important, Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells could eliminate Id⁺ B-lymphoma cells in vivo by other mechanisms, since three independent ways of blocking FasL-Fas–mediated killing failed to abrogate tumor protection in TCR-transgenic mice. These results suggest that there are several redundant pathways by which Id-specific CD4⁺ T cells eliminate Id⁺ B-lymphoma cells in vivo, of which FasL-Fas interaction is only one.Supported by grants from the Norwegian Cancer Society, the Research Council of Norway, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.     

Educational differences in smoking: international comparison

ObjectiveTo investigate international variations in smoking associated with educational level.DesignInternational comparison of national health, or similar, surveys.SubjectsMen and women aged 20 to 44 years and 45 to 74 years.Setting12 European countries, around 1990.ResultsIn the 45 to 74 year age group, higher rates of current and ever smoking among lower educated subjects were found in some countries only. Among women this was found in Great Britain, Norway, and Sweden, whereas an opposite pattern, with higher educated women smoking more, was found in southern Europe. Among men a similar north-south pattern was found but it was less noticeable than among women. In the 20 to 44 year age group, educational differences in smoking were generally greater than in the older age group, and smoking rates were higher among lower educated people in most countries. Among younger women, a similar north-south pattern was found as among older women. Among younger men, large educational differences in smoking were found for northern European as well as for southern European countries, except for Portugal.ConclusionsThese international variations in social gradients in smoking, which are likely to be related to differences between countries in their stage of the smoking epidemic, may have contributed to the socioeconomic differences in mortality from ischaemic heart disease being greater in northern European countries. The observed age patterns suggest that socioeconomic differences in diseases related to smoking will increase in the coming decades in many European countries.