Identification and cloning of xp95, a putative signal transduction protein in Xenopus oocytes

A 95-kDa protein in Xenopus oocytes, Xp95, was shown to be phosphorylated from the first through the second meiotic divisions during progesterone-induced oocyte maturation. Xp95 was purified and cloned. The Xp95 protein sequence exhibited homology to mouse Rhophilin, budding yeast Bro1, and Aspergillus PalA, all of which are implicated in signal transduction. It also contained three conserved features including seven conserved tyrosines, a phosphorylation consensus sequence for the Src family of tyrosine kinases, and a proline-rich domain near the C terminus that contains multiple SH3 domain-binding motifs. We showed the following: 1) that both Xp95 isolated from Xenopus oocytes and a synthetic peptide containing the Src phosphorylation consensus sequence of Xp95 were phosphorylated in vitro by Src kinase and to a lesser extent by Fyn kinase; 2) Xp95 from Xenopus oocytes or eggs was recognized by an anti-phosphotyrosine antibody, and the relative abundance of tyrosine-phosphorylated Xp95 increased during oocyte maturation; and 3) microinjection of deregulated Src mRNA into Xenopus oocytes increased the abundance of tyrosine-phosphorylated Xp95. These results suggest that Xp95 is an element in a tyrosine kinase signaling pathway that may be involved in progesterone-induced Xenopus oocyte maturation.     

Characterization of YS-27, an axenic Korean strain of Entamoeba histolytica

Characterization of YS-27, an axenic Entamoeba strain, was performed by three different laboratory methods. Zymodeme analysis using starch gel electrophoresis and PCR with species-specific primers showed that YS-27 is a pathogenic Entamoeba which belongs to the group II zymodeme. Pathogenicity of YS-27 was further confirmed by observing the formation of liver abscess in Mongolian gerbils. These results showed that YS-27 is E. hisolytica.     

Combining SSH and cDNA microarrays for rapid identification of differentially expressed genes

Comparing patterns of gene expression in cell lines and tissues has important applications in a variety of biological systems. In this study we have examined whether the emerging technology of cDNA microarrays will allow a high throughput analysis of expression of cDNA clones generated by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). A set of cDNA clones including 332 SSH inserts amplified by PCR was arrayed using robotic printing. The cDNA arrays were hybridized with fluorescent labeled probes prepared from RNA from ER-positive (MCF7 and T47D) and ER-negative (MDA-MB-231 and HBL-100) breast cancer cell lines. Ten clones were identified that were over-expressed by at least a factor of five in the ER-positive cell lines. Northern blot analysis confirmed over-expression of these 10 cDNAs. Sequence analysis identified four of these clones as cytokeratin 19, GATA-3, CD24 and glutathione-S-transferase mu-3. Of the remaining six cDNA clones, four clones matched EST sequences from two different genes and two clones were novel sequences. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence confirmed that CD24 protein was over-expressed in the ER-positive cell lines. We conclude that SSH and microarray technology can be successfully applied to identify differentially expressed genes. This approach allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes without the need to obtain previously cloned cDNAs.     

p38alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase plays a critical role in cardiomyocyte survival but not in cardiac hypertrophic growth in response to pressure overload

The molecular mechanism for the transition from cardiac hypertrophy, an adaptive response to biomechanical stress, to heart failure is poorly understood. The mitogen-activated protein kinase p38alpha is a key component of stress response pathways in various types of cells. In this study, we attempted to explore the in vivo physiological functions of p38alpha in hearts. First, we generated mice with floxed p38alpha alleles and crossbred them with mice expressing the Cre recombinase under the control of the alpha-myosin heavy-chain promoter to obtain cardiac-specific p38alpha knockout mice. These cardiac-specific p38alpha knockout mice were born normally, developed to adulthood, were fertile, exhibited a normal life span, and displayed normal global cardiac structure and function. In response to pressure overload to the left ventricle, they developed significant levels of cardiac hypertrophy, as seen in controls, but also developed cardiac dysfunction and heart dilatation. This abnormal response to pressure overload was accompanied by massive cardiac fibrosis and the appearance of apoptotic cardiomyocytes. These results demonstrate that p38alpha plays a critical role in the cardiomyocyte survival pathway in response to pressure overload, while cardiac hypertrophic growth is unaffected despite its dramatic down-regulation.     

Contact-based sequence alignment

This paper introduces the novel method of contact-based protein sequence alignment, where structural information in the form of contact mutation probabilities is incorporated into an alignment routine using contact-mutation matrices (CAO: Contact Accepted mutatiOn). The contact-based alignment routine optimizes the score of matched contacts, which involves four (two per contact) instead of two residues per match in pairwise alignments. The first contact refers to a real side-chain contact in a template sequence with known structure, and the second contact is the equivalent putative contact of a homologous query sequence with unknown structure. An algorithm has been devised to perform a pairwise sequence alignment based on contact information. The contact scores were combined with PAM-type (Point Accepted Mutation) substitution scores after parameterization of gap penalties and score weights by means of a genetic algorithm. We show that owing to the structural information contained in the CAO matrices, significantly improved alignments of distantly related sequences can be obtained. This has allowed us to annotate eight putative Drosophila IGF sequences. Contact-based sequence alignment should therefore prove useful in comparative modelling and fold recognition.     

Ion transit pathways and gating in ClC chloride channels

ClC chloride channels possess a homodimeric structure in which each monomer contains an independent chloride ion pathway. ClC channel gating is regulated by chloride ion concentration, pH and voltage. Based on structural and physiological evidence, it has been proposed that a glutamate residue on the extracellular end of the selectivity filter acts as a fast gate. We utilized a new search algorithm that incorporates electrostatic information to explore the ion transit pathways through wild-type and mutant bacterial ClC channels. Examination of the chloride ion permeation pathways supports the importance of the glutamate residue in gating. An external chloride binding site previously postulated in physiological experiments is located near a conserved basic residue adjacent to the gate. In addition, access pathways are found for proton migration to the gate, enabling pH control at hyperpolarized membrane potentials. A chloride ion in the selectivity filter is required for the pH-dependent gating mechanism.     

Immunocytochemical localization of Na+-HCO3- cotransporters and carbonic anhydrase dependence of fluid transport in corneal endothelial cells

In corneal endothelium, there is evidence for basolateral entry of HCO(3)(-) into corneal endothelial cells via Na(+)-HCO(3)(-) cotransporter (NBC) proteins and for net HCO(3)(-) flux from the basolateral to the apical side. However, how HCO(3)(-) exits the cells through the apical membrane is unclear. We determined that cultured corneal endothelial cells transport HCO(3)(-) similarly to fresh tissue. In addition, Cl(-) channel inhibitors decreased fluid transport by at most 16%, and inhibition of membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase IV by benzolamide or dextran-bound sulfonamide decreased fluid transport by at most 29%. Therefore, more than half of the fluid transport cannot be accounted for by anion transport through apical Cl(-) channels, CO(2) diffusion across the apical membrane, or a combination of these two mechanisms. However, immunocytochemistry using optical sectioning by confocal microscopy and cryosections revealed the presence of NBC transporters in both the basolateral and apical cell membranes of cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells and freshly isolated rabbit endothelia. This newly detected presence of an apical NBC transporter is consistent with its being the missing mechanism sought. We discuss discrepancies with other reports and provide a model that accounts for the experimental observations by assuming different stoichiometries of the NBC transport proteins at the basolateral and apical sides of the cells. Such functional differences might arise either from the expression of different isoforms or from regulatory factors affecting the stoichiometry of a single isoform.     

Neighboring group participation. Part 15. Stereoselective synthesis of some steroidal tetrahydrooxazin-2-ones, as novel presumed inhibitors of human 5alpha-reductase

During the alkaline methanolysis of 3beta-acetoxy-21-chloromethyl-pregn-5-ene-20beta-N-phenylurethane, and its p-substituted phenyl derivatives, cyclization occurs, in the course of which 17beta-[3-(N-phenyl)tetrahydrooxazin-2-on-6-yl]androst-5-en-3beta-ol and its p-substituted phenyl derivatives are formed. The cyclization takes place with (N(-)-6) neighboring group participation. Oppenauer oxidation of the 3beta-hydroxy-exo-heterocyclic steroids yielded the corresponding delta4-3-ketosteroids. The structures of the new compounds were proved by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, using up-to-date measuring techniques such as 2D-COSY, HMQC, and HMBC. The inhibitory effects (CI50) of the delta4-3-ketosteroids on 5alpha-reductase were studied.     

Multiple genetic processes result in heterogeneous rates of evolution within the major cluster disease resistance genes in lettuce

Resistance Gene Candidate2 (RGC2) genes belong to a large, highly duplicated family of nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeat (NBS-LRR) encoding disease resistance genes located at a single locus in lettuce (Lactuca sativa). To investigate the genetic events occurring during the evolution of this locus, approximately 1.5- to 2-kb 3' fragments of 126 RGC2 genes from seven genotypes were sequenced from three species of Lactuca, and 107 additional RGC2 sequences were obtained from 40 wild accessions of Lactuca spp. The copy number of RGC2 genes varied from 12 to 32 per genome in the seven genotypes studied extensively. LRR number varied from 40 to 47; most of this variation had resulted from 13 events duplicating two to five LRRs because of unequal crossing-over within or between RGC2 genes at one of two recombination hot spots. Two types of RGC2 genes (Type I and Type II) were initially distinguished based on the pattern of sequence identities between their 3' regions. The existence of two types of RGC2 genes was further supported by intron similarities, the frequency of sequence exchange, and their prevalence in natural populations. Type I genes are extensive chimeras caused by frequent sequence exchanges. Frequent sequence exchanges between Type I genes homogenized intron sequences, but not coding sequences, and obscured allelic/orthologous relationships. Sequencing of Type I genes from additional wild accessions confirmed the high frequency of sequence exchange and the presence of numerous chimeric RGC2 genes in nature. Unlike Type I genes, Type II genes exhibited infrequent sequence exchange between paralogous sequences. Type II genes from different genotype/species within the genus Lactuca showed obvious allelic/orthologous relationships. Trans-specific polymorphism was observed for different groups of orthologs, suggesting balancing selection. Unequal crossover, insertion/deletion, and point mutation events were distributed unequally through the gene. Different evolutionary forces have impacted different parts of the LRR.     

Deterministic extinction effect of parasites on host populations

 Experimental studies have shown that parasites can reduce host density and even drive host population to extinction. Conventional mathematical models for parasite-host interactions, while can address the host density reduction scenario, fail to explain such deterministic extinction phenomena. In order to understand the parasite induced host extinction, Ebert et al. (2000) formulated a plausible but ad hoc epidemiological microparasite model and its stochastic variation. The deterministic model, resembles a simple SI type model, predicts the existence of a globally attractive positive steady state. Their simulation of the stochastic model indicates that extinction of host is a likely outcome in some parameter regions. A careful examination of their ad hoc model suggests an alternative and plausible model assumption. With this modification, we show that the revised parasite-host model can exhibit the observed parasite induced host extinction. This finding strengthens and complements that of Ebert et al. (2000), since all continuous models are likely break down when all population densities are small. This extinction dynamics resembles that of ratio-dependent predator-prey models. We report here a complete global study of the revised parasite-host model. Biological implications and limitations of our findings are also presented. Received: 30 October 2001 / Revised version: 11 February 2002 / Published online: 17 October 2002 Work is partially supported by NSF grant DMS-0077790 Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 34C25, 34C35, 92D25. Keywords or phrases: Microparasite model – Ratio-dependent predator-prey model – Host extinction – Global stability – Biological control