Differential subcellular localization of insulin receptor substrates depends on C-terminal regions and importin beta

Insulin receptor substrates (IRSs) play essential roles in signal transduction of insulin and insulin-like growth factors. Previously, we showed that IRS-3 is localized to the nucleus as well as the cytosol, while IRS-1 and 2 are mainly localized to the cytoplasm. In the present study, we found that importin β directly interacts with IRS-3 and is able to mediate nuclear transport of IRS-3. Importin β interacted with the pleckstrin homology domain, the phosphotyrosine binding domain and the C-terminal region of IRS-3; indeed all of these fragments exhibited predominant nuclear localization. By contrast, almost no interaction of importin β with IRS-1 and -2 was observed, and their C-terminal regions displayed discrete spotty images in the cytosol. In addition, using chimeric proteins between IRS-1 and IRS-3, we revealed that the C-terminal regions are the main determinants of the differing subcellular localizations of IRS-1 and IRS-3.     

Structure, function, and evolution of the PsbP protein family in higher plants

The PsbP is a thylakoid lumenal subunit of photosystem II (PSII), which has developed specifically in higher plants and green algae. In higher plants, the molecular function of PsbP has been intensively investigated by release-reconstitution experiments in vitro. Recently, solution of a high-resolution structure of PsbP has enabled investigation of structure-function relationships, and efficient gene-silencing techniques have demonstrated the crucial role of PsbP in PSII activity in vivo. Furthermore, genomic and proteomic studies have shown that PsbP belongs to the divergent PsbP protein family, which consists of about 10 members in model plants such as Arabidopsis and rice. Characterization of the molecular function of PsbP homologs using Arabidopsis mutants suggests that each plays a distinct and important function in maintaining photosynthetic electron transfer. In this review, recent findings regarding the molecular functions of PsbP and other PsbP homologs in higher plants are summarized, and the molecular evolution of these proteins is discussed.     

Experimental evaluation of cross-contamination between cryotubes containing mouse 2-cell embryos and murine pathogens in liquid nitrogen tanks.

It has been suspected that embryos stored in liquid nitrogen tanks may become contaminated with murine pathogens, if some pathogens had been introduced to the tanks accidentally. To examine this, we stored tubes containing embryos with tubes containing mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) or Pasteurella pneumotropica in liquid nitrogen tanks and examined whether progeny mice derived from the embryos were contaminated with the pathogens or not. After storing for 6 months or 1 year the frozen embryos were thawed and implanted into the oviducts of pseudopregnant female mice, and the mice were bred in vinyl isolators. We could not detect serum antibodies to MHV and isolate Pasteurella pneumotropica in the progeny mice, suggesting that cross-contamination between tubes in a liquid nitrogen tank scarcely occurs.     

Comparison of filamin A-induced cross-linking and Arp2/3 complex-mediated branching on the mechanics of actin filaments.

We compared the effects of human filamin A (FLNa) and the activated human Arp2/3 complex on mechanical properties of actin filaments. As little as 1 FLNa to 800 polymerizing actin monomers induces a sharp concentration-dependent increase in the apparent viscosity of 24 microm actin, a parameter classically defined as a gel point. The activated Arp2/3 complex, at concentrations up to 1:25 actins had no detectable actin gelation activity, even in the presence of phalloidin, to stabilize actin filaments against debranching. Increasing the activated Arp2/3 complex to actin ratio raises the FLNa concentration required to induce actin gelation, an effect ascribable to Arp2/3-mediated actin nucleation resulting in actin filament length diminution. Time lapse video microscopy of microparticles attached to actin filaments or photoactivation of fluorescence revealed actin filament immobilization by FLNa in contrast to diffusion of Arp2/3-branched actin filaments. The experimental results support theories predicting that polymer branching absent cross-linking does not lead to polymer gelation and are consistent with the observation that cells deficient in actin filament cross-linking activity have unstable surfaces. They suggest complementary roles for actin branching and cross-linking in cellular actin mechanics in vivo.     

Overexpression of ganglioside GM1 results in the dispersion of platelet-derived growth factor receptor from glycolipid-enriched microdomains and in the suppression of cell growth signals.

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of gangliosides for the regulation of cell proliferation, Swiss 3T3 cells were transfected with GM2/GD2 synthase and GM1 synthase cDNAs, resulting in the establishment of GM1-expressing (GM1(+)) lines. Compared with the vector control (GM1(-)) cell lines, GM1(+) cells exhibited reduced cell proliferation by stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). In accordance with the reduced cell growth, GM1(+) cells showed earlier decreases in the phosphorylation levels of PDGF receptor and less activation of MAP kinases than GM1(-) cells. To analyze the effects of GM1 expression on the PDGF/PDGF receptor (PDGFR) signals, the glycolipid-enriched microdomain (GEM) was isolated and the following results were obtained. (i) PDGFR predominantly distributed in the non-GEM fraction in GM1(+) cells, while it was present in both GEM and non-GEM fractions in GM1(-) cells. (ii) Activation of PDGFR as detected by anti-phosphotyrosine antibody occurred almost in parallel with existing amounts of PDGFR in each fraction. (iii) GM1 binds with PDGFR in GEM fractions. These findings suggested that GM1 regulates signals via PDGF/PDGFR by controlling the distribution of PDGFR in- and outside of GEM, and also interacting with PDGFR in the GEM fraction as a functional constituent of the microdomain.     

Differential expression of estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) and its C-terminal truncated splice variant ERbetacx as prognostic predictors in human prostatic cancer.

Estrogens have been widely used for the treatment of advanced prostatic adenocarcinoma. However, their direct effect to prostatic cancer cells via estrogen receptors remains unclear. We investigated expression of ERalpha, wild-type ERbeta (wtERbeta), and a C-terminal truncated splice variant of ERbeta (ERbetacx) in 50 benign and 100 malignant human prostatic tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. While strong immunostaining of ERalpha was consistently identified in the stromal compartment, wtERbeta was expressed in epithelial cells in both the benign and malignant foci. However, wtERbeta expression was significantly lower in the cancers than in the benign epithelium and inversely correlated with Gleason tumor grade (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0099, respectively). In contrast, ERbetacx was significantly more expressed in the high-grade cancers (83%) compared with the low-grade tumors (22%) and the benign sites (11%) (P < 0.0001, both). Cancer-specific survival of patients with lower wtERbeta expression was significantly worse than those with higher expression of wtERbeta (P = 0.0018). Conversely, higher ERbetacx expression significantly correlated with poor cancer-specific survival (P = 0.0058). These results suggest that differential expressions of wtERbeta and ERbetacx may be prognostic predictors for prostatic cancer.     

Heterologous expression of the Pleurotus ostreatus MnP3 gene by the laccase gene promoter in Lentinula edodes

Lentinula edodes (shiitake), which have a powerful ligninolytic system, is one of the most important edible mushrooms in Asia. In this study, we introduced the manganese peroxidase (MnP, EC 1.11.1.13) gene from Pleurotus ostreatus driven by L. edodes laccase 1 gene promoter into L. edodes for expression. The resulting transformant expressed the recombinant gene and showed a higher level of MnP activity than that of the wild-type strain.     

The effects of nicotine administration on the pathophysiology of rat aortic wall

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the progressive dilation of the abdominal aorta. Nicotine is reported to be associated with the development and rupture of AAA, but the pathological effects of nicotine on normal rat aorta have not been determined. We investigated pathological changes in the aortic wall of rats caused by the administration of nicotine. Nicotine administration weakened the vascular wall, increased gelatinolytic activity and promoted the destruction of elastin and collagen in the rat abdominal aorta. There were no differences in the areas positive for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 between the control and nicotine treated groups. The areas positive for MMP-12 in the nicotine group were significantly greater than for the control group. Gelatinolytic activity in the aortic wall was increased significantly in the nicotine group. Our findings suggest that MMP-12 is sensitive to nicotine exposure in rats.     

Angiopoietin-related growth factor antagonizes obesity and insulin resistance

Angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF), a member of the angiopoietin-like protein (Angptl) family, is secreted predominantly from the liver into the systemic circulation. Here, we show that most (>80%) of the AGF-deficient mice die at about embryonic day 13, whereas the surviving AGF-deficient mice develop marked obesity, lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle and liver, and insulin resistance accompanied by reduced energy expenditure relative to controls. In parallel, mice with targeted activation of AGF show leanness and increased insulin sensitivity resulting from increased energy expenditure. They are also protected from high-fat diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and nonadipose tissue steatosis. Hepatic overexpression of AGF by adenoviral transduction, which leads to an approximately 2.5-fold increase in serum AGF concentrations, results in a significant (P < 0.01) body weight loss and increases insulin sensitivity in mice fed a high-fat diet. This study establishes AGF as a new hepatocyte-derived circulating factor that counteracts obesity and related insulin resistance.     

Strength of TRAF6 signalling determines osteoclastogenesis

TRANCE/TRAF6 signalling governs osteoclastogenesis in vivo. Only the TRANCE receptor (TRANCE-R) has been shown to induce osteoclastogenesis, even though other immune receptors, including CD40 and IL-1R/Toll-like receptor, use TRAF6 to activate overlapping signalling cascades. These observations led us to question whether qualitative or quantitative differences exist between the TRAF6-mediated signals induced by TRANCE and by other ligand-receptor pairs. Here we show that stimulation by overexpressed wild-type CD40 can induce osteoclastogenesis. Stimulation through modified CD40 containing increased numbers of TRAF6-binding sites in the cytoplasmic tails showed a dose-dependent increase in the activation of p38 kinase and more pronounced osteoclastogenesis. Moreover, precursors overexpressing TRAF6 differentiate into osteoclasts in the absence of additional signals from TRANCE. Our results suggest that differences in the osteoclastogenesis-inducing capacity of TRANCE-R versus other TRAF6-associated receptors may in part stem from a quantitative difference in the TRAF6-mediated signals.