Direct activation of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1(TRPV1) by Diacylglycerol (DAG)

Voltage-gated sodium channels play important roles in modulating dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron hyperexcitability and hyperalgesia after peripheral nerve injury or inflammation. We report that chronic compression of DRG (CCD) produces profound effect on tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) and tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) sodium currents, which are different from that by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in small DRG neurons. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings were obtained in vitro from L₄ and/or L₅ dissociated, small DRG neurons following in vivo DRG compression or nerve injury. The small DRG neurons were classified into slow and fast subtype neurons based on expression of the slow-inactivating TTX-R and fast-inactivating TTX-S Na⁺ currents. CCD treatment significantly reduced TTX-R and TTX-S current densities in the slow and fast neurons, but CCI selectively reduced the TTX-R and TTX-S current densities in the slow neurons. Changes in half-maximal potential (V_1/2) and curve slope (k) of steady-state inactivation of Na⁺ currents were different in the slow and fast neurons after CCD and CCI treatment. The window current of TTX-R and TTX-S currents in fast neurons were enlarged by CCD and CCI, while only that of TTX-S currents in slow neurons was increased by CCI. The decay rate of TTX-S and both TTX-R and TTX-S currents in fast neurons were reduced by CCD and CCI, respectively. These findings provide a possible sodium channel mechanism underlying CCD-induced DRG neuron hyperexcitability and hyperalgesia and demonstrate a differential effect in the Na⁺ currents of small DRG neurons after somata compression and peripheral nerve injury. This study also points to a complexity of hyperexcitability mechanisms contributing to CCD and CCI hyperexcitability in small DRG neurons.     

Cytosine Methylation Changes in Rice Centromeric and Telomeric Sequences Induced by Foreign DNA Introgression

Cytosine methylation changes (hyper- or hypomethylation) in centromeric and telomeric sequences were observed in all three studied rice introgression lines containing DNA from wild rice, Zizania latifolia Griseb. The changed genomic Southern hybridization patterns were complex and non-concordant between a pair of isoschizomers (HpaII/MspI) digests, indicating methylation modifications at both the inner and outer cytosines of the CCGG sites. The changed patterns were inherited through generations. Possible mechanism for the methylation changes and their potential implications for the phenotypic variation and genome organization are discussed.     

小麦与叶锈菌互作过程中的H2O2与HR

以小麦品种洛夫林10为材料,与叶锈菌生理小种165和260分别组成亲和组合和不亲和组合.以荧光探针DCFHDA标记H2O2的变化,并借助荧光显微镜原位地直观显现了叶锈菌侵染过程中小麦叶片中H2O2的动态变化.结果表明,亲和组合中H2O2爆发表现为单峰曲线,峰值出现在接种后12h;不亲和组合中表现为双峰曲线.峰值分别出现在接种后12h和20h,第二个峰比第一个高约一倍,且不亲和组合中H2O2爆发的强度远远大于亲和组合.另外,通过药理学试验,采用活体注射法对小麦叶片在接种叶锈菌小种260之前分别预注射抗氧化药物AsA、DTT以及NADPH氧化酶抑制剂DPI和咪唑.观察这些药物对不亲和组合中寄主叶片产生的H2O2和HR的影响.结果表明,抗氧化药物和NADPH氧化酶抑制剂均使寄主叶片中H2O2爆发的强度降低,表现在两个H2O2峰均受到抑制,其中第二个峰受抑制的程度更明显,同时寄主细胞发生HR的面积减小.     

Structural analyses of Legionella LepB reveal a new GAP fold that catalytically mimics eukaryotic RasGAP

Rab GTPases are emerging targets of diverse bacterial pathogens. Here, we perform biochemical and structural analyses of LepB, a Rab GTPase-activating protein (GAP) effector from Legionella pneumophila. We map LepB GAP domain to residues 313-618 and show that the GAP domain is Rab1 specific with a catalytic activity higher than the canonical eukaryotic TBC GAP and the newly identified VirA/EspG family of bacterial RabGAP effectors. Exhaustive mutation analyses identify Arg444 as the arginine finger, but no catalytically essential glutamine residues. Crystal structures of LepB_313-618 alone and the GAP domain of Legionella drancourtii LepB in complex with Rab1-GDP-AlF₃ support the catalytic role of Arg444, and also further reveal a 3D architecture and a GTPase-binding mode distinct from all known GAPs. Glu449, structurally equivalent to TBC RabGAP glutamine finger in apo-LepB, undergoes a drastic movement upon Rab1 binding, which induces Rab1 Gln70 side-chain flipping towards GDP-AlF₃ through a strong ionic interaction. This conformationally rearranged Gln70 acts as the catalytic cis-glutamine, therefore uncovering an unexpected RasGAP-like catalytic mechanism for LepB. Our studies highlight an extraordinary structural and catalytic diversity of RabGAPs, particularly those from bacterial pathogens.     

Cryptochrome‐mediated hypocotyl phototropism was regulated antagonistically by gibberellic acid and sucrose in Arabidopsis

Both phototropins(phot1 and phot2) and cryptochromes(cry1 and cry2) were proven as the Arabidopsis thaliana blue light receptors. Phototropins predominately function in photomovement, and cryptochromes play a role in photomorphogenesis. Although cryptochromes have been proposed to serve as positive modulators of phototropic responses, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we report that depleting sucrose from the medium or adding gibberellic acids(GAs) can partially restore the defects in phototropic curvature of the phot1 phot2 double mutants under high-intensity blue light; this restoration does not occur in phot1 phot2 cry1 cry2 quadruple mutants and nph3(nonphototropic hypocotyl 3) mutants which were impaired phototropic response in sucrose-containing medium. These results indicate that GAs and sucrose antagonistically regulate hypocotyl phototropism in a cryptochromes dependent manner, but it showed a crosstalk with phototropin signaling on NPH3.Furthermore, cryptochromes activation by blue light inhibit GAs synthesis, thus stabilizing DELLAs to block hypocotyl growth, which result in the higher GAs content in the shade side than the lit side of hypocotyl to support the asymmetric growth of hypocotyl. Through modulation of the abundance of DELLAs by sucrose depletion or added GAs, it revealed that cryptochromes have a function in mediating phototropic curvature.     

A nuclear export signal and phosphorylation regulate Dok1 subcellular localization and functions

Dok1 is believed to be a mainly cytoplasmic adaptor protein which down-regulates mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, inhibits cell proliferation and transformation, and promotes cell spreading and cell migration. Here we show that Dok1 shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Treatment of cells with leptomycin B (LMB), a specific inhibitor of the nuclear export signal (NES)-dependent receptor CRM1, causes nuclear accumulation of Dok1. We have identified a functional NES (348LLKAKLTDPKED359) that plays a major role in the cytoplasmic localization of Dok1. Src-induced tyrosine phosphorylation prevented the LMB-mediated nuclear accumulation of Dok1. Dok1 cytoplasmic localization is also dependent on IKKbeta. Serum starvation or maintaining cells in suspension favor Dok1 nuclear localization, while serum stimulation, exposure to growth factor, or cell adhesion to a substrate induce cytoplasmic localization. Functionally, nuclear NES-mutant Dok1 had impaired ability to inhibit cell proliferation and to promote cell spreading and cell motility. Taken together, our results provide the first evidence that Dok1 transits through the nucleus and is actively exported into the cytoplasm by the CRM1 nuclear export system. Nuclear export modulated by external stimuli and phosphorylation may be a mechanism by which Dok1 is maintained in the cytoplasm and membrane, thus regulating its signaling functions.     

Effects of culture conditions on osteogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells

Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs) must differentiate into osteogenic cells to allow for successful bone regeneration. In this study, we investigated the effects of different combinations of three soluble osteogenic differentiation-inducing factors [L-ascorbic acid (AC), beta-glycerophosphate (betaG), and bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2)] and the presence of a hydroxyapatite (HA) substrate on hBMMSC osteogenic differentiation in vitro. hBMMSCs were cultured in medium containing various combinations of the soluble factors on culture plates with or without HA coating. After 7 days of culture, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium deposition, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteopontin (OPN) expression were measured. The effects of individual and combined factors were evaluated using a factorial analysis method. BMP-2 predominantly affected expression of early markers of osteogenic differentiation (ALP and OPG). HA had the highest positive effect on OPN expression and calcium deposition. The interaction between AC, betaG, and HA had the second highest positive effect on ALP activity.     

Structure of the Q237W mutant of HhaI DNA methyltransferase: an insight into protein-protein interactions

We have determined the structure of a mutant (Q237W) of HhaI DNA methyltransferase, complexed with the methyl-donor product AdoHcy. The Q237W mutant proteins were crystallized in the monoclinic space group C2 with two molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. Protein-protein interface calculations in the crystal lattices suggest that the dimer interface has the specific characteristics for homodimer protein-protein interactions, while the two active sites are spatially independent on the outer surface of the dimer. The solution behavior suggests the formation of HhaI dimers as well. The same HhaI dimer interface is also observed in the previously characterized binary (M.HhaI-AdoMet) and ternary (M.HhaI-DNA-AdoHcy) complex structures, crystallized in different space groups. The dimer is characterized either by a non-crystallographic two-fold symmetry or a crystallographic symmetry. The dimer interface involves three segments: the amino-terminal residues 2-8, the carboxy-terminal residues 313-327, and the linker (amino acids 179-184) between the two functional domains--the catalytic methylation domain and the DNA target recognition domain. Both the amino- and carboxy-terminal segments are part of the methylation domain. We also examined protein-protein interactions of other structurally characterized DNA MTases, which are often found as a 2-fold related 'dimer' with the largest dimer interface area for the group-beta MTases. A possible evolutionary link between the Type I and Type II restriction-modification systems is discussed.     

天鹅洲故道水生态研究进展

20世纪90年代初, 湖北长江天鹅洲故道水质良好, 鱼类资源丰富, 被认为是建立长江豚类半自然保护区和四大家鱼种质资源生态库的理想场所, 而对之开展了水生态研究, 之后由于成功实现了长江江豚的迁地保护而受到越来越多的关注。学者们从水质和沉积物等环境因素, 浮游植物、浮游动物、底栖动物和高等水生植物等生物因素, 水体初级生产力、渔产潜力和鱼类等资源因素多角度开展了天鹅洲故道水生态研究。天鹅洲故道水质呈恶化趋势。浮游植物数量增加了2个数量级, 且从单细胞个体转变为多细胞群体, 同时带有胶被的蓝藻在种类和密度上占有绝对优势; 浮游动物优势种呈小型化趋势; 底栖动物密度有所下降; 高等水生植物呈逐渐衰退趋势。鱼类资源量呈下降趋势。根据水质化学和生物学评价结果, 结合天鹅洲故道受人类活动的影响, 本文指出故道与长江阻隔、渔业活动和环境污染是天鹅洲故道水生态面临的主要问题, 其通过水质、饵料和栖息地等方面影响长江江豚的可持续性生存。同时, 提出5个方面的建议: 首先, 实施通江工程, 恢复故道水文特征, 提高故道理化环境异质性; 其次, 控制外源和内源营养负荷, 提高故道水体水质; 然后, 持续监测水质、沉积物和水生生物状况, 建立故道水生态数据库; 再次, 实施生态修复工程, 提高水生生物多样性; 最后, 规范渔业活动, 优化故道渔业资源, 为保护天鹅洲故道水环境质量和水生态健康, 维持江豚可持续生存提供依据。