Structural and kinetic studies on the activators of succinate dehydrogenase.

1. Diverse classes of compounds such as dicarboxylates, pyrophosphates, quinols and nitrophenols are known to activate mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.99.1). Examples in each class -- malonate, pyrophosphate, ubiquinol and 2,4-dinitrophenol -- are selected for comparative studies on the kinetic constants and structural relationship. 2. The activated forms of the enzyme obtained on preincubating mitochondria with the effectors exhibited Michaelian kinetics and gave double-reciprocal plots which are nearly parallel to that of the basal form. On activation, Km for the substrate also increased along with V. The effectors activated the enzyme at low concentrations and inhibited, in a competitive fashion, at high concentrations. The binding constant for activation was lower than that for inhibition for each effector. 3. These compounds possess ionizable twin oxygens separated by a distance of 5.5 +/- 0.8 A and having fractional charges in the range of -0.26 to -0.74 e. The common twin-oxygen feature of the substrate and the effectors suggested the presence of corresponding counter charges in the binding domain. The competitive nature of effectors with the substrate for inhibition further indicated the close structural resemblance of the activation and catalytic sites.     

Protective effect of vanillic acid against benzo(a)pyrene induced lung cancer in Swiss albino mice

Vanillic acid (VA) is found in high concentrations in various plants and used as traditional medicine for various diseases. The aim of the existing study is to illustrate the protective effects of VA against benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P)‐induced lung cancer in Swiss albino mice. B(a)P (50 mg/kg b.wt.) was given orally to induce lung cancer in mice. The body weight, tumor incidence, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron‐specific enolase (NSE), and enzymatic/nonenzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione) were estimated. Further histochemical investigation through hematoxylin and eosin staining was also carried out. B(a)P administered groups showed increased levels of serum pathological markers CEA, NSE along with reduced final body weight as well as decreased tissue enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants activities, whereas VA treatment (200mg/kg/b.wt) along with B(a)P showed significantly reverted the above changes, which proves as prominent anticancer effects in experimentally induced lung cancer. Overall, these results suggest that VA has an efficient preventive action against B(a)P‐induced lung cancer, and this is attributed to its free‐radical scavenging antioxidant activities.     

Microbial pathogen-induced necrotic cell death mediated by the inflammasome components CIAS1/cryopyrin/NLRP3 and ASC

Cryopyrin (CIAS1, NLRP3) and ASC are components of the inflammasome, a multiprotein complex required for caspase-1 activation and cytokine IL-1beta production. CIAS1 mutations underlie autoinflammation characterized by excessive IL-1beta secretion. Disease-associated cryopyrin also causes a program of necrosis-like cell death in macrophages, the mechanistic details of which are unknown. We find that patient monocytes carrying disease-associated CIAS1 mutations exhibit excessive necrosis-like death by a process dependent on ASC and cathepsin B, resulting in spillage of the proinflammatory mediator HMGB1. Shigella flexneri infection also causes cryopyrin-dependent macrophage necrosis with features similar to the death caused by mutant CIAS1. This necrotic death is independent of caspase-1 and IL-1beta, and thus independent of the inflammasome. Furthermore, necrosis of primary macrophages requires the presence of Shigella virulence genes. While similar proteins mediate pathogen-induced cell death in plants, this report identifies cryopyrin as an important host regulator of programmed pathogen-induced necrosis in animals, a process we term pyronecrosis.     

Inorganic pyrophosphate generation by transforming growth factor-beta-1 is mainly dependent on ANK induction by Ras/Raf-1/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways in chondrocytes

ANK is a multipass transmembrane protein transporter thought to play a role in the export of intracellular inorganic pyrophosphate and so to contribute to the pathophysiology of chondrocalcinosis. As transforming growth factor-beta-1 (TGF-β1) was shown to favor calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition, we investigated the contribution of ANK to the production of extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate (ePPi) by chondrocytes and the signaling pathways involved in the regulation of Ank expression by TGF-β1. Chondrocytes were exposed to 10 ng/mL of TGF-β1, and Ank expression was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. ePPi was quantified in cell supernatants. RNA silencing was used to define the respective roles of Ank and PC-1 in TGF-β1-induced ePPi generation. Finally, selective kinase inhibitors and dominant-negative/overexpression plasmid strategies were used to explore the contribution of several signaling pathways to Ank induction by TGF-β1. TGF-β1 strongly increased Ank expression at the mRNA and protein levels, as well as ePPi production. Using small interfering RNA technology, we showed that Ank contributed approximately 60% and PC-1 nearly 20% to TGF-β1-induced ePPi generation. Induction of Ank by TGF-β1 required activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway but not of p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase or of protein kinase A. In line with the general protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor calphostin C, Gö6976 (a Ca²⁺-dependent PKC inhibitor) diminished TGF-β1-induced Ank expression by 60%, whereas a 10% inhibition was observed with rottlerin (a PKCδ inhibitor). These data suggest a regulatory role for calcium in TGF-β1-induced Ank expression. Finally, we demonstrated that the stimulatory effect of TGF-β1 on Ank expression was inhibited by the suppression of the Ras/Raf-1 pathway, while being enhanced by their constitutive activation. Transient overexpression of Smad 7, an inhibitory Smad, failed to affect the inducing effect of TGF-β1 on Ank mRNA level. These data show that TGF-β1 increases ePPi levels, mainly by the induction of the Ank gene, which requires activation of Ras, Raf-1, ERK, and Ca²⁺-dependent PKC pathways in chondrocytes.     

Drosophila Spaghetti and Doubletime Link the Circadian Clock and Light to Caspases,Apoptosis and Tauopathy

While circadian dysfunction and neurodegeneration are correlated, the mechanism for this is not understood. It is not known if age-dependent circadian dysfunction leads to neurodegeneration or vice-versa, and the proteins that mediate the effect remain unidentified. Here, we show that the knock-down of a regulator (spag) of the circadian kinase Dbt in circadian cells lowers Dbt levels abnormally, lengthens circadian rhythms and causes expression of activated initiator caspase (Dronc) in the optic lobes during the middle of the day or after light pulses at night. Likewise, reduced Dbt activity lengthens circadian period and causes expression of activated Dronc, and a loss-of-function mutation in Clk also leads to expression of activated Dronc in a light-dependent manner. Genetic epistasis experiments place Dbt downstream of Spag in the pathway, and Spag-dependent reductions of Dbt are shown to require the proteasome. Importantly, activated Dronc expression due to reduced Spag or Dbt activity occurs in cells that do not express the spag RNAi or dominant negative Dbt and requires PDF neuropeptide signaling from the same neurons that support behavioral rhythms. Furthermore, reduction of Dbt or Spag activity leads to Dronc-dependent Drosophila Tau cleavage and enhanced neurodegeneration produced by human Tau in a fly eye model for tauopathy. Aging flies with lowered Dbt or Spag function show markers of cell death as well as behavioral deficits and shortened lifespans, and even old wild type flies exhibit Dbt modification and activated caspase at particular times of day. These results suggest that Dbt suppresses expression of activated Dronc to prevent Tau cleavage, and that the circadian clock defects confer sensitivity to expression of activated Dronc in response to prolonged light. They establish a link between the circadian clock factors, light, cell death pathways and Tau toxicity, potentially via dysregulation of circadian neuronal remodeling in the optic lobes.     

Biological and Chemical Induction of Resistance to the Globodera tabacum solanacearum in Oriental and Flue-Cured Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

The effects of acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) and four combinations of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the reproduction of a tobacco cyst nematode, Globodera tabacum solanacearum, and growth of Nicotiana tabacum (cv. K326 and Xanthi) were tested under greenhouse and field conditions. The PGPR included combinations of Bacillus subtilis A13 with B. pumilis INR7, B. pumilis SE34, B. licheniformis IN937b, or B. amyloliquefaciens IN937a, respectively. Among the four rhizobacterial combinations, IN937a + A13 exhibited the most consistent reduction in G. t. solanacearum cysts under greenhouse and field conditions. No undesirable effects of IN937a + A13 were observed on tobacco growth under greenhouse and field conditions. Use of INR7 + A13 reduced G. t. solanacearum reproduction on flue-cured tobacco cv. K326 but not on oriental tobacco cv. Xanthi. Application of ASM reduced final numbers of G. t. solanacearum cysts, but also resulted in phytotoxicity mainly under the greenhouse conditions. When oriental tobacco seedlings were pre-grown in a IN937a + A13-treated soil-less medium, a single application of ASM at 200 mg/L one week after transplanting significantly reduced G. t. solanacearum reproduction in the field.     

Effects of Ph Gene-Associated versus Induced Resistance to Tobacco Cyst Nematode in Flue-Cured Tobacco

Effects of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR)-inducing compound acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) and the plant-growth promoting rhizobacterial mixture Bacillus subtilis A13 and B. amyloliquefaciens IN937a (GB99+GB122) were assessed on the reproduction of a tobacco cyst nematode (TCN- Globodera tabacum solanacearum) under greenhouse conditions. Two sets of two independent experiments were conducted, each involving soil or root sampling. Soil sample experiments included flue-cured tobacco cultivars with (Ph(p)+: NC71 and NC102) and without (Ph(p)-: K326 and K346) a gene (Ph(p)) suppressing TCN parasitism. Root sample experiments examined TCN root parasitism of NC71 and K326. Cultivars possessing the Ph(p) gene (Ph(p)+) were compared with Ph(p)- cultivars to assess the effects of resistance mediated via Ph(p) gene vs. induced resistance to TCN. GB99+GB122 consistently reduced nematode reproductive ratio on both Ph(p)+ and Ph(p)- cultivars, but similar effects of ASM across Ph(p)- cultivars were less consistent. In addition, ASM application resulted in leaf yellowing and reduced root weight. GB99+GB122 consistently reduced nematode development in roots of both Ph(p)+ and Ph(p)- cultivars, while similar effects of ASM were frequently less consistent. The results of this study indicate that GB99+GB122 consistently reduced TCN reproduction in all flue-cured tobacco cultivars tested, while the effects of ASM were only consistent in Ph(p)+ cultivars. Under most circumstances, GB99+GB122 suppressed nematode reproduction more consistently than ASM compared to the untreated control.     

SLOW WALKER2, a NOC1/MAK21 Homologue,Is Essential for Coordinated Cell Cycle Progression during Female Gametophyte Development in Arabidopsis

Morphogenesis requires the coordination of cell growth, division, and cell differentiation. Female gametogenesis in flowering plants, where a single haploid spore undergoes continuous growth and nuclear division without cytokinesis to form an eight-nucleate coenocytic embryo sac before cellularization, provides a good system to study the genetic control of such processes in multicellular organisms. Here, we report the characterization of an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) female gametophyte mutant, slow walker2 (swa2), in which the progression of the mitotic cycles and the synchrony of female gametophyte development were impaired, causing an arrest of female gametophytes at the two-, four-, or eight-nucleate stage. Delayed pollination test showed that a portion of the mutant ovules were able to develop into functional embryo sacs and could be fertilized. SWA2 encodes a nucleolar protein homologous to yeast NUCLEOLAR COMPLEX ASSOCIATED PROTEIN1 (NOC1)/MAINTENANCE OF KILLER21 that, together with NOC2, is involved in preribosome export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Similarly, SWA2 can physically interact with a putative Arabidopsis NOC2 homologue. SWA2 is expressed ubiquitously throughout the plant, at high levels in actively dividing tissues and gametophytes. Therefore, we conclude that SWA2 most likely plays a role in ribosome biogenesis that is essential for the coordinated mitotic progression of the female gametophyte.Morphogenesis requires tightly coordinated coupling of cellular activities, such as cell growth, cell division, and differentiation. In past decades, significant progress on cell cycle control has been achieved mostly in single-celled organisms and cultured mammalian cells. The elucidation of the cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase checkpoint control, for example, provides insight into molecular mechanisms on how and when cells divide. Mechanisms coupling cell growth to environmental and developmental signals have also been investigated. Ribosome biogenesis, a key for rapid cell growth, is coupled with nutrient availability and stress signals via the TOR signaling pathway (Warner et al., 2001; Wullischleger et al., 2006). However, questions such as how the cell senses intrinsic cellular homeostatic signals remain to be addressed. For example, how ribosome dynamics and translational activities are measured and coupled to cytokinesis and cell differentiation, especially in the context of development of multicellular organisms.Female gametogenesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is a unique system to address such questions in multicellular organisms. During female gametogenesis, the haploid functional megaspore undergoes continuous cell growth and three cycles of consecutive nuclear division without cytokinesis, giving rise to a giant eight-nucleate, coenocytic cell: the embryo sac. The size of the embryo sac increases about 6-fold without cytokinesis until it reaches its maximum during gametogenesis in maize (Zea mays; Dow and Mascarenhas, 1991). The two polar nuclei migrate toward the micropylar half of the embryo sac and eventually fuse to give rise to a diploid nucleus of the central cell. As the polar nuclei migrate, cellularization takes place simultaneously to divide the coenocytic embryo sac into seven cells of four cell fates: three antipodal cells, two synergid cells, one egg cell, and one central cell (Drews et al., 1998; Grossniklaus and Schneitz, 1998; Yang and Sundaresan, 2000; Wilson and Yang, 2004). Obviously, its haploid nature and coupling of cell growth, division, and cell fates make the female gametophyte a nice system to investigate how these cellular activities are coordinated in development.The temporal and spatial control of cell growth, the mitotic division cycles, and cell fate specification during female gametogenesis have been the focus of sexual plant reproduction research. Recently, genetic studies have identified gametophytic mutations that start to shed light on the genetic and molecular control of these processes. Mutations in genes involved in diverse cellular functions, including ANDARTA (Howden et al., 1998), GAMETOPHYTIC FACTOR1 (GFA1; Christensen et al., 1997), HADAD (Moore et al., 1997), LETHAL OVULE2 (Sheridan and Huang, 1997), LYSOPHOSPHATIDYL ACYLTRANSFERASE (Kim et al., 2005), NOMEGA (Kwee and Sundaresan, 2003), PROLIFERA (Springer et al., 1995), SLOW WALKER1 (SWA1; Shi et al., 2005), SUCCINATE DEHYDROGENASE (Leon et al., 2007), and TISTRYA (Howden et al., 1998), all result in defective gametophytic cell divisions, implying that progression of the mitotic cycle is critical for the formation of a functional female gametophyte. Loss-of-function mutations in the Arabidopsis RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED PROTEIN1, a key negative regulator controlling the G1/S transition of the cell cycle, result in uncontrolled nuclear proliferation and cell fates, giving rise to embryo sacs with supernumerary nuclei that are irregular in size and partially enclosed by cell wall-like structures (Ebel et al., 2004). Loss of functions in CYTOKININ INDEPENDENT1 (Hejatko et al., 2003), DIANA/AGAMOUS-LIKE61 (Bemer et al., 2008), AGAMOUS-LIKE80 (Portereiko et al., 2006a), and NUCLEAR FUSION DEFECTIVE1 (Portereiko et al., 2006b) affect polar nuclear fusion and central cell development.Accumulating data suggest a key role of the nucleolus in cell survival and proliferation (Cockell and Gasser, 1999; Shaw and Doonan, 2005). A number of nucleolar proteins have been discovered to be involved in linking cell proliferation control and ribosome biogenesis in yeast (Srivastava and Pollard, 1999; Du and Stillman, 2002; Jorgensen et al., 2002; Zhang et al., 2002; Bernstein et al., 2007). Mutations in genes involved in RNA processing, including SWA1 (Shi et al., 2005), GFA1/CLO1, and ATROPOS (ATO; Moll et al., 2008; Liu et al., 2009; Yagi et al., 2009), lead to slow progression of the division cycle during female gametogenesis. Intriguingly, mutation in LACHESIS (LIS), coding for a putative splicing factor, promotes egg cell fate in the synergid and the central cell at the expense of the synergid and central cell fate (Groß-Hardt et al., 2007), suggesting that LIS plays a pivotal role in suppressing the egg cell fate in the synergid and the central cell as well as the central cell fate in antipodal cells. Similarly, cell fate changes have also been observed in gfa1/clo1 and ato mutants (Moll et al., 2008). These data imply that RNA processing and ribosome biogenesis play a key role in coordinating cell cycle progression and cell fate. Here, we report the genetic and molecular characterization of a swa2 mutation that impairs cell growth and cell division in Arabidopsis. SWA2 encodes a nucleolar protein homologous to yeast NUCLEOLAR COMPLEX ASSOCIATED PROTEIN1 (NOC1)/MAINTENANCE OF KILLER21 (MAK21) that is essential for ribosome biogenesis in yeast. We also show that SWA2 interacts physically with NOC2 homologues in yeast cells. Together, these data indicate that SWA2 is most likely involved in ribosome biogenesis and essential for cell cycle progression in female gametophyte development in Arabidopsis.