Identification of Tubulin Deglutamylase among Caenorhabditis elegans and Mammalian Cytosolic Carboxypeptidases (CCPs)

Tubulin polyglutamylation is a reversible post-translational modification, serving important roles in microtubule (MT)-related processes. Polyglutamylases of the tubulin tyrosine ligase-like (TTLL) family add glutamate moieties to specific tubulin glutamate residues, whereas as yet unknown deglutamylases shorten polyglutamate chains. First we investigated regulatory machinery of tubulin glutamylation in MT-based sensory cilia of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that ciliary MTs were polyglutamylated by a process requiring ttll-4. Conversely, loss of ccpp-6 gene function, which encodes one of two cytosolic carboxypeptidases (CCPs), resulted in elevated levels of ciliary MT polyglutamylation. Consistent with a deglutamylase function for ccpp-6, overexpression of this gene in ciliated cells decreased polyglutamylation signals. Similarly, we confirmed that overexpression of murine CCP5, one of two sequence orthologs of nematode ccpp-6, caused a dramatic loss of MT polyglutamylation in cultured mammalian cells. Finally, using an in vitro assay for tubulin glutamylation, we found that recombinantly expressed Myc-tagged CCP5 exhibited deglutamylase biochemical activities. Together, these data from two evolutionarily divergent systems identify C. elegans CCPP-6 and its mammalian ortholog CCP5 as a tubulin deglutamylase.     

Lysis of Radio-resistant Bacteria by Enzyme of Achromobacter lunatus

An unknown polyacetylene was isolated from the subterranean stems of Solidago altissima L. in which the two poly acetylenes, dehydromatricaria ester (I) and methyl 10-[(Z)-2-methyl- 2-butenoyloxy]-(2Z,8Z)-2,8-decadiene-4,6-diynoate (II) had already been found, and its structure was identified as (4Z)-2,4-decadiene-6,8-diyn-4-olide (dehydromatricaria lactone) (III). The lactone (III), as well as I, strongly inhibited the growth of the seedlings of barnyard millet (Panicum crus-galli L. var. frumentaceum Trin.).

The seasonal variations in the polyacetylene contents of the subterranean stems were closely investigated, with the results that III occurred only in the fall of the year while I and II hardly varied throughout the year. II was a major polyacetylene component and the content was 0.9~1.0 µmol/g fresh wt.     

Synergistic Actions of Halogenophenols on Radiation Inactivation of Microorganisms

The combined effects of radiations and halogenophenols were investigated. The activities of these reagents to increase the radiolethality during irradiation were demonstrated with E. coli and Z. soya. Some relationships between chemical structure and activity were revealed as follows at pH 6 and 8: (1) effectiveness of substituted halogen was in the order of I>Br>Cl; (2) effectiveness of the monosubstituting position on a benzene ring of halogenophenols was increased in the order of p->m->o-; (3) effectiveness increased with increasing the number of halogen atom. The halogenophenol action was also found to be considerably pH-dependent. In the case of chlorinated derivatives, the synergistic activity to increase the radiolethality was intensified on the acidic side, though bromides and iodides were more effective on the basic side.     

Chemerin activates fibroblast-like synoviocytes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction

Chemerin is a chemotactic agonist identified as a ligand for ChemR23 that is expressed on macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, we analyzed the expression of chemerin and ChemR23 in the synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and the stimulatory effects of chemerin on fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from RA patients.

Methods

Chemerin and ChemR23 expression in the RA synovium was ascertained by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Chemerin expression on cultured FLSs was analyzed by ELISA. ChemR23 expression on FLSs was determined by immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. Cytokine production from FLSs was measured by ELISA. FLS cell motility was evaluated by utilizing a scrape motility assay. We also examined the stimulating effect of chemerin on the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK1/2), p38MAPK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2 and Akt, as well as on the degradation of regulator of NF-κB (IκBα) in FLSs, by Western blot analysis.

Results

Chemerin was expressed on endothelial cells and synovial lining and sublining cells. ChemR23 was expressed on macrophages, immature DCs and FLSs and a few mature DCs in the RA synovium. Chemerin and ChemR23 were highly expressed in the RA synovium compared with osteoarthritis. Chemerin and ChemR23 were expressed on unstimulated FLSs. TNF-α and IFN-γ upregulated chemerin production. Chemerin enhanced the production of IL-6, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 3 by FLSs, as well as increasing FLS motility. The stimulatory effects of chemerin on FLSs were mediated by activation of ERK1/2, p38MAPK and Akt, but not by JNK1/2. Degradation of IκB in FLSs was not promoted by chemerin stimulation. Inhibition of the ERK1/2, p38MAPK and Akt signaling pathways significantly suppressed chemerin-induced IL-6 production. Moreover, blockade of the p38MAPK and Akt pathways, but not the ERK1/2 pathway, inhibited chemerin-enhanced cell motility.

Conclusions

The interaction of chemerin and ChemR23 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of RA through the activation of FLSs.     

Two flagellar stators and their roles in motility and virulence in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas syringae</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tabaci</Emphasis> 6605

The motor proteins around the flagellar basal body consist of two cytoplasmic membrane proteins, MotA and MotB, and function as a complex that acts as the stator to generate the torque that drives rotation. Genome analysis of several Pseudomonas syringae pathovars revealed that there are two sets of genes encoding motor proteins: motAB and motCD. Deduced amino acid sequences for MotA/B and MotC/D showed homologies to the H⁺-driven stator from Escherichia coli and Na⁺-driven stator from Vibrio alginolyticus, respectively. However, the swimming motility of P. syringae pv. tabaci (Pta) 6605 was inhibited by the protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone but not by the sodium stator-specific inhibitor phenamil. To identify a gene encoding the stator protein required for motility, ∆motAB, ∆motCD, and ∆motABCD mutants were generated. The ∆motCD mutant had remarkably reduced and the ∆motABCD mutant completely abolished swimming motilities, whereas the ∆motAB mutant retained some degree of these abilities. The ∆motCD and ∆motABCD mutants did not produce N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), quorum-sensing molecules in this pathogen, and remarkably reduced the ability to cause disease in host tobacco leaves, as we previously observed in the ∆fliC mutant strain. These results strongly indicate that both stator pairs in Pta 6605 are proton-dependent and that MotCD is important for not only flagellar motility but also for production of AHLs and the ability to cause disease in host plants.     

Mitochondrial dysfunction, a probable cause of persistent oxidative stress after exposure to ionizing radiation

Several recent studies have suggested that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from mitochondria contribute to genomic instability after exposure of the cells to ionizing radiation, but the mechanism of this process is not yet fully understood. We examined the hypothesis that irradiation induces mitochondrial dysfunction to cause persistent oxidative stress, which contributes to genomic instability. After the exposure of cells to 5 Gy gamma-ray irradiation, we found that the irradiation induced the following changes in a clear pattern of time courses. First, a robust increase of intracellular ROS levels occurred within minutes, but the intracellular ROS disappeared within 30 min. Then the mitochondrial dysfunction was detected at 12 h after irradiation, as indicated by the decreased activity of NADH dehydrogenase (Complex I), the most important enzyme in regulating the release of ROS from the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC). Finally, a significant increase of ROS levels in the mitochondria and the oxidation of mitochondrial DNA were observed in cells at 24 h or later after irradiation. Although further experiments are required, results in this study support the hypothesis that mitochondrial dysfunction causes persistent oxidative stress that may contribute to promote radiation-induced genomic instability.     

Imaging mass spectrometry: principle and application

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is two-dimensional mass spectrometry to visualize the spatial distribution of biomolecules, which does not need either separation or purification of target molecules, and enables us to monitor not only the identification of unknown molecules but also the localization of numerous molecules simultaneously. Among the ionization techniques, matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is one of the most generally used for IMS, which allows the analysis of numerous biomolecules ranging over wide molecular weights. Proper selection and preparation of matrix is essential for successful imaging using IMS. Tandem mass spectrometry, which is referred to MSⁿ, enables the structural analysis of a molecule detected by the first step of IMS. Applications of IMS were initially developed for studying proteins or peptides. At present, however, targets of IMS research have expanded to the imaging of small endogenous metabolites such as lipids, exogenous drug pharmacokinetics, exploring new disease markers, and other new scientific fields. We hope that this new technology will open a new era for biophysics.     

Gac two-component system in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci is required for virulence but not for hypersensitive reaction

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 causes wildfire disease on host tobacco plants. To investigate the regulatory mechanism of the expression of virulence, Gac two-component system-defective mutants, ΔgacA and ΔgacS, and a double mutant, ΔgacAΔgacS, were generated. These mutants produced smaller amounts of N-acyl homoserine lactones required for quorum sensing, had lost swarming motility, and had reduced expression of virulence-related hrp genes and the algT gene required for exopolysaccharide production. The ability of the mutants to cause disease symptoms in their host tobacco plant was remarkably reduced, while they retained the ability to induce hypersensitive reaction (HR) in the nonhost plants. These results indicated that the Gac two-component system of P. syringae pv. tabaci 6605 is indispensable for virulence on the host plant, but not for HR induction in the nonhost plants. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the DDBJ/GenBank/EMBL databank with the accession numbers AB266103, AB266104, AB266105, AB266106, AB266107, AB266108.