A Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Mutant Resistant to Phosphatidylserine Is Defective in Transbilayer Movement of Cell Surface Phosphatidylserine

A mammalian plasma membrane protein(s) which catalyzes ATP-dependent transbilayer movement (flip-flop) of phosphatidylserine (PS) has been suggested to be involved in the formation and maintenance of membrane lipid asymmetry. Flip-flop of PS in the cell surface of nucleated cells was first described by O. C. Martin and R. E. Pagano (1987,J. Biol. Chem.262, 5890–5898). It has been suggested that flip-flop is involved in the internalization of exogenous PS in cultured cells. In the present study we report that incubation with an excess amount of PS is cytotoxic to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, while the same amount of phosphatidylcholine gives no effect. This effect allowed us to obtain PS-resistant cells among mutagenized CHO cells. Endocytosis-independent internalization of exogenous fluorescent PS analog was defective in 40% of the PS-resistant mutants. One of the mutants, PSR (phosphatidylserine resistant) 406 was further characterized. Unlike wild-type CHO cells, this mutant did not transport fluorescent PS significantly at 15°C. Fluorescent PS was not metabolized at 15°C in either wild-type or mutant cells. These results suggest that transbilayer movement of cell surface PS is defective in PS-resistant cells.     

Isolation and functional identification of a novel cDNA for astaxanthin biosynthesis from Haematococcus pluvialis,and astaxanthin synthesis in Escherichia coli

We succeeded in isolating a novel cDNA involved in astaxanthin biosynthesis from the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis, by an expression cloning method using an Escherichia coli transformant as a host that synthesizes -carotene due to the Erwinia uredovora carotenoid biosynthesis genes. The cloned cDNA was shown to encode a novel enzyme, -carotene ketolase (-carotene oxygenase), which converted -carotene to canthaxanthin via echinenone, through chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis of the pigments accumulated in an E. coli transformant. This indicates that the encoded enzyme is responsible for the direct conversion of methylene to keto groups, a mechanism that usually requires two different enzymatic reactions proceeding via a hydroxy intermediate. Northern blot analysis showed that the mRNA was synthesized only in the cyst cells of H. pluvialis. E. coli carrying the H. pluvialis cDNA and the E. uredovora genes required for zeaxanthin biosynthesis was also found to synthesize astaxanthin (3S, 3S), which was identified after purification by a variety of spectroscopic methods.     

Behavior of chromosomes after meiosis inCoprinus cinereus

The movement was investigated of a specific chromosome in the F₁ progeny of the basidiomyceteCoprinus cinereus. We focussed our attention on the smallest chromosome of the 5302 strain. We first constructed a chromosome-smallest library and screened it with a chromosome-specific clone, pRC 1. The pRC 1 probe hybridized only with the smallest chromosome of the 5302 strain, and it detected one band of different mobility in two parental strains. In the F₁ progeny, the probe hybridized with one to three chromosomes. Most of the hybridized chromosomes in the F₁ progeny were positioned in terms of mobility between the hybridized chromosomes of the two parental strains. Therefore, they were probably generated by meiotic recombination between homologous chromosomes of different sizes.     

An insight into the thermodynamic characteristics of human thrombopoietin complexation with TN1 antibody

Human thrombopoietin (hTPO) primarily stimulates megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet production and is neutralized by the mouse TN1 antibody. The thermodynamic characteristics of TN1 antibody–hTPO complexation were analyzed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) using an antigen‐binding fragment (Fab) derived from the TN1 antibody (TN1‐Fab). To clarify the mechanism by which hTPO is recognized by TN1‐Fab the conformation of free TN1‐Fab was determined to a resolution of 2.0 Å using X‐ray crystallography and compared with the hTPO‐bound form of TN1‐Fab determined by a previous study. This structural comparison revealed that the conformation of TN1‐Fab does not substantially change after hTPO binding and a set of 15 water molecules is released from the antigen‐binding site (paratope) of TN1‐Fab upon hTPO complexation. Interestingly, the heat capacity change (ΔCp) measured by ITC (?1.52 ± 0.05 kJ mol^?1 K^?1) differed significantly from calculations based upon the X‐ray structure data of the hTPO‐bound and unbound forms of TN1‐Fab (?1.02 ～ 0.25 kJ mol^?1 K^?1) suggesting that hTPO undergoes an induced‐fit conformational change combined with significant desolvation upon TN1‐Fab binding. The results shed light on the structural biology associated with neutralizing antibody recognition.     

Paclitaxel-induced aberrant mitosis and mitotic slippage efficiently lead to proliferative death irrespective of canonical apoptosis and p53

Spindle poisons elicit various cellular responses following metaphase arrest, but how they relate to long-term clonogenicity has remained unclear. We prepared several HeLa lines in which the canonical apoptosis pathway was attenuated, and compared their acute responses to paclitaxel, as well as long-term fate, with the parental line. Three-nanomolar paclitaxel induced brief metaphase arrest (<5 h) often followed by aberrant mitosis, and about 90% of the cells of each line had lost their clonogenicity after 48 h of the treatment. A combination of the same concentration of paclitaxel with the kinesin-5 inhibitor, S-trityl-L-cysteine (STLC), at 1 µM led to much longer arrest (～20 h) and predominance of subsequent line-specific responses: mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) in the apoptosis-prone line, or mitotic slippage without obvious MOMP in the apoptosis-reluctant lines. In spite of this, combination with STLC did not lead to a marked difference in clonogenicity between the apoptosis-prone and -reluctant lines, and intriguingly resulted in slightly better clonogenicity than that of cells treated with 3 nM paclitaxel alone. This indicates that changes in the short-term response within 3 possible scenarios — acute MOMP, mitotic slippage or aberrant mitosis ― has only a weak impact on clonogenicity. Our results suggest that once cells have committed to slippage or aberrant mitosis they eventually undergo proliferative death irrespective of canonical apoptosis or p53 function. Consistent with this, cells with irregular DNA contents originating from mitotic slippage or aberrant mitosis were mostly eliminated from the population within several rounds of division after the drug treatment.     

Vesiculation of platelet plasma membranes. Dilauroylglycerophosphocholine-induced shedding of a platelet plasma membrane fraction enriched in acetylcholinesterase activity

Incubation of washed rabbit platelets with suspensions of dilauroylglycerophosphocholine resulted in the shedding of vesicles without causing any appreciable leakage of cytoplasmic marker (lactate dehydrogenase) or organelle marker ([¹⁴C]serotonin). The response was dependent on incubation time, concentration of dilauroylglycerophosphocholine and reaction temperature. Vesicles were separated from platelets and exogenous dilauroylglycerophosphocholine by a series of centrifugation steps. An average diameter of vesicles was 100–200 nm on scanning electron microscopy. Vesicles were enriched 5-fold in plasma membrane marker enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, whereas specific activities of lactate dehydrogenase and intracellular membrane marker enzyme, NADH-cytochrome c reductase were decreased in vesicles. Protein analysis by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that actin and actin-binding protein were present, while myosin was barely detectable in vesicles. Vesicles contained all phospholipid species of intact platelets and cholesterol but almost 50% of phospholipids in vesicles was dilauroylglycerophosphocholine. The phospholipid to protein ratio in vesicles was about 6.5-times higher than in intact platelets.     

Changes in Outward K+ Currents in Response to Two Types of Sweeteners in Sweet Taste Transduction of Gerbil Taste Cells

Using the whole cell patch clamp technique, we measured changesin outward K⁺ currents of gerbil taste cells in response todifferent kinds of sweeteners. Outward K⁺ currents of the tastecell induced by depolarizing pulses were suppressed by sweetstimuli such as 10 mM Na-saccharin. The membrane-permeable analogof cAMP, cpt-cAMP, also decreased outward K⁺ currents. On theother hand, the K+ currents were enhanced by amino acid sweetenerssuch as 10 mM D-tryptophan. The outward K⁺ current was enhancedby external application of Ca²⁺-transporting ionophore, 5 µMionomycin, and intracellular application of 5 µM inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate(IP₃). The outward K⁺ currents were no longer suppressed by10 mM Na-saccharin containing 20 µM gurmarin, but werestill enhanced by 10 mM D-tryptophan containing 20 µMgurmarin. These results suggest that sweet taste transductionfor one group of sweeteners such as Na-saccharin in gerbilsis concerned with an increase of the intracellular cAMP level,and that the transduction for the other group of sweetenerssuch as D-tryptophan is concerned with an increase of the intracellularIP₃ level which releases Ca²⁺ from the internal stores. Chem.Senses 22: 163–169, 1997.     

Arginine-specific gingipain A from Porphyromonas gingivalis induces Weibel-Palade body exocytosis and enhanced activation of vascular endothelial cells through protease-activated receptors

Gingipains, cysteine proteases derived from Porphyromonas gingivalis, are important virulence factors in periodontal diseases. We found that arginine-specific gingipain A (RgpA) increased the responsiveness of vascular endothelial cells to P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and P. gingivalis whole cells to induce enhanced IL-8 production through protease-activated receptors (PARs) and phospholipase C (PLC) gamma. We therefore investigated whether RgpA-induced enhanced cell activation is mediated through exocytosis of Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs) because they store vasoactive substances. RgpA rapidly activated PAR- and PLCgamma-dependent WPB exocytosis. In addition, angiopoietin (Ang)-2, a substance of WPB, enhanced IL-8 production by P. gingivalis LPS, suggesting that Ang-2 mediates the RgpA-induced enhanced cell responses. Thus, we propose a novel role for RgpA in induction of a proinflammatory event through PAR-mediated WPB exocytosis, which may be an important step for enhanced endothelial responses to P. gingivalis.