Total biosynthesis of diterpene aphidicolin, a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase α: heterologous expression of four biosynthetic genes in Aspergillus oryzae

Clustering of biosynthetic genes for producing fungal secondary metabolites, which frequently consist of less than ten genes, has been recognized with numerous genomes. The heterologous expression of whole genes in the clusters will therefore produce various types of natural products when using a suitable fungal host. We introduced the whole gene cluster for the biosynthesis of diterpene aphidicolin into the fungal quadruple auxotrophic host, Aspergillus oryzae, by using four different vectors (pTAex3, pPTRI, pUSA and pAdeA) which harbor a starch-inducible promoter/terminator to examine the expression conditions. The resulting quadruple transformant carrying the genes of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase PbGGS, terpene synthase PbACS, and two monooxygenases (PbP450-1 and PbP450-2) produced aphidicolin. The double and triple transformants also respectively produced aphidicolan-16β-ol and 3-deoxyaphidicolin. Alternative host Saccharomyces cerevisiae carrying the genes, PbGGS and PbACS, produced key intermediate aphidicolan-16β-ol. This is the first example of a total biosynthesis of terpenoids using fungal hosts.     

Experimental challenge of Anisakis simplex sensu stricto and Anisakis pegreffii (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in rainbow trout and olive flounder

The third-stage larvae of Anisakis simplex sensu lato (s.l.) are found in many marine fishes. To ensure food safety, it is important to determine whether these larvae are present in the body muscle of commercial fish species. However, there is little information regarding the tissue specificity of Anisakis and two of its sibling species, A. simplex sensu stricto (s.s.) and Anisakis pegreffii, that are common in marine fish in Japanese waters. We orally challenged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)), and olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus (Temminck and Schlegel)) with L3 larvae of these two sibling species and monitored infection for 5weeks. In rainbow trout, A. simplex s.s., but not A. pegreffii larvae, migrated into the body muscle. A small number of freely moving A. pegreffii larvae were recovered within the body cavity. In olive flounder, A. simplex s.s. larvae were found in both the body cavity and body muscle. A. pegreffii larvae were found only in the body cavity and primarily encapsulated in lumps. Our results indicate that there are differences in the sites of infection and host specificity between the two sibling species of A. simplex s.l.     

Enhancement of autophagy is a potential modality for tumors refractory to radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is a well-established treatment for cancer. However, the existence of radioresistant cells is one of the major obstacles in radiotherapy. In order to understand the mechanism of cellular radioresistance and develop more effective radiotherapy, we have established clinically relevant radioresistant (CRR) cell lines, which continue to proliferate under daily exposure to 2 Gray (Gy) of X-rays for >30 days. X-ray irradiation significantly induced autophagic cells in parental cells, which was exiguous in CRR cells, suggesting that autophagic cell death is involved in cellular radiosensitivity. An autophagy inducer, rapamycin sensitized CRR cells to the level of parental cells and suppressed cell growth. An autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine induced radioresistance of parental cells. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by knockdown of Beclin-1 made parental cells radioresistant to acute radiation. These suggest that the suppression of autophagic cell death but not apoptosis is mainly involved in cellular radioresistance. Therefore, the enhancement of autophagy may have a considerable impact on the treatment of radioresistant tumor.     

Molecular and biochemical characterization of 2-hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase. Involvement of carboxylesterase-like proteins in leguminous isoflavone biosynthesis

Isoflavonoids are ecophysiologically active secondary metabolites of the Leguminosae and known for health-promoting phytoestrogenic functions. Isoflavones are synthesized by 1,2-elimination of water from 2-hydroxyisoflavanones, the first intermediate with the isoflavonoid skeleton, but details of this dehydration have been unclear. We screened the extracts of repeatedly fractionated Escherichia coli expressing a Glycyrrhiza echinata cDNA library for the activity to convert a radiolabeled precursor into formononetin (7-hydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavone), and a clone of 2-hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase (HID) was isolated. Another HID cDNA was cloned from soybean (Glycine max), based on the sequence information in its expressed sequence tag library. Kinetic studies revealed that G. echinata HID is specific to 2,7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavanone, while soybean HID has broader specificity to both 4'-hydroxylated and 4'-methoxylated 2-hydroxyisoflavanones, reflecting the structures of isoflavones contained in each plant species. Strikingly, HID proteins were members of a large carboxylesterase family, of which plant proteins form a monophyletic group and some are assigned defensive functions with no intrinsic catalytic activities identified. Site-directed mutagenesis with soybean HID protein suggested that the characteristic oxyanion hole and catalytic triad are essential for the dehydratase as well as the faint esterase activities. The findings, to our knowledge, represent a new example of recruitment of enzymes of primary metabolism during the molecular evolution of plant secondary metabolism.     

Oxidized but not acetylated low-density lipoprotein reduces preproinsulin mRNA expression and secretion of insulin from HIT-T15 cells

We examined the effect of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) on the insulin secretion in the culture of HIT-T15 cell line, an islet beta-cell line derived from a hamster pancreatic tumor. In order to check the uptake of modified LDL by HIT-T15 cells, we prepared DiI-labeled native LDL (nLDL), acetylated LDL (AcLDL), and oxLDL. After the addition of each LDL into the cultures of HIT-T15 cells, fluorescence microscopic study was done. It was suggested that AcLDL and oxLDL were taken up by HIT-T15 cells, as well as nLDL. mRNA expression of the LDL receptor, CD36, and SR-B1 was detected in HIT-T15 by RT-PCR. The medium insulin level was measured in the culture of HIT-T15 cells with each LDL. oxLDL significantly reduced the insulin secretion stimulated by various concentrations of glucose, the intracellular content of insulin, and the expression of preproinsulin mRNA compared to the control cultures without LDL addition. In contrast, nLDL and AcLDL had no effect on the insulin secretion, the intracellular insulin level, or the expression of preproinsulin mRNA. MTT assay findings (reflecting cell numbers) were not different between cultures with and without LDLs. These results indicated that oxLDL disturbed the insulin metabolism of HIT-T15 cells.     

Ion-trap tandem mass spectrometric analysis of Amadori-glycated phosphatidylethanolamine in human plasma with or without diabetes

Peroxidized phospholipid-mediated cytotoxicity is involved in the pathophysiology of diseases [i.e., an abnormal increase of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) in plasma of type 2 diabetic patients]. The PCOOH accumulation may relate to Amadori-glycated phosphatidylethanolamine (Amadori-PE; deoxy-D-fructosyl phosphatidylethanolamine), because Amadori-PE causes oxidative stress. However, the occurrence of lipid glycation products, including Amadori-PE, in vivo is still unclear. Consequently, we developed an analysis method of Amadori-PE using a quadrupole/linear ion-trap mass spectrometer, the Applied Biosystems QTRAP. In positive ion mode, collision-induced dissociation of Amadori-PE produced a well-characterized diglyceride ion ([M+H-303]+) permitting neutral loss scanning and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). When lipid extract from diabetic plasma was infused directly into the QTRAP, Amadori-PE molecular species could be screened out by neutral loss scanning. Interfacing liquid chromatography with QTRAP mass spectrometry enabled the separation and determination of predominant plasma Amadori-PE species with sensitivity of approximately 0.1 pmol/injection in MRM. The plasma Amadori-PE level was 0.08 mol% of total PE in healthy subjects and 0.15-0.29 mol% in diabetic patients. Furthermore, plasma Amadori-PE levels were positively correlated with PCOOH (a maker for oxidative stress). These results show the involvement between lipid glycation and lipid peroxidation in diabetes pathogenesis.