Activation of AMPK is essential for AICAR-induced glucose uptake by skeletal muscle but not adipocytes

5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) reportedly activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and stimulates glucose uptake by skeletal muscle cells. In this study, we investigated the role of AMPK in AICAR-induced glucose uptake by 3T3-L1 adipocytes and rat soleus muscle cells by overexpressing wild-type and dominant negative forms of the AMPKalpha2 subunit by use of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer. Overexpression of the dominant negative mutant had no effect on AICAR-induced glucose transport in adipocytes, although AMPK activation was almost completely abolished. This suggests that AICAR-induced glucose uptake by 3T3-L1 adipocytes is independent of AMPK activation. By contrast, overexpression of the dominant negative AMPKalpha2 mutant in muscle markedly suppressed both AICAR-induced glucose uptake and AMPK activation, although insulin-induced uptake was unaffected. Overexpression of the wild-type AMPKalpha2 subunit significantly increased AMPK activity in muscle but did not enhance glucose uptake. Thus, although AMPK activation may not, by itself, be sufficient to increase glucose transport, it appears essential for AICAR-induced glucose uptake in muscle.     

Production and secretion in Escherichia coli of hepatitis B virus pre-S2 antigen as fusion proteins with beta-lactamase.

The diagnostically important surface antigen pre-S2 of hepatitis B virus was produced in large amounts in the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli. The DNA fragments (pre-S2) coding the pre-S2 antigen were tandemly duplicated or triplicated and ligated in the same reading frame to a fragment containing the promoter and the signal sequence of the alkaline phosphatase-coding gene (phoA) of E. coli. Further, a DNA fragment (bla) coding mature beta-lactamase was joined to the region coding the C terminus of the pre-S2 repeat to stabilize the gene product. Upon induction of the phoA-(pre-S2)3-bla fusion gene, the fusion protein was produced at up to 30% of the total cellular protein. Fractionation of the cellular components and trypsin accessibility of the product showed that the antigen was secreted in the periplasm and formed inclusion bodies there. The signal sequence of alkaline phosphatase was found to be correctly processed in E. coli.     

Determination of plasma Vitamin K by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection using Vitamin K analogs as internal standards

A HPLC fluorescence determination method for Vitamin K derivatives (Vitamin K(1), phylloquinone, PK and K(2), menaquinones, MK-4 and MK-7) using post-column reduction and internal standards was developed. Selectivity and reproducibility were increased by optimized chromatography conditions and satisfactory precision and accuracy were attained by using synthetic internal standards. After addition of internal standards to plasma samples, lipids were extracted with ethanol and hexane. Chromatography was performed by isocratic reverse phase separation on a C18 column. Vitamin K derivatives were detected at 430 nm with excitation at 320 nm for MK-4 and 240 nm for PK and MK-7. The detection limits for MK-4, PK and MK-7 were 4, 2 and 4 pg, respectively. The recoveries of MK-4, PK and MK-7 were greater than 92% and the inter- and intra-assay R.S.D. values were 5.7-9.2% for MK-4, 4.9-9.6% for PK and 6.3-19.3% for MK-7. The data showed good correlation between proposed method and LC-APCI/MS method for MK-4 (R(2)=0.988), PK (R(2)=0.979) and MK-7 (R(2)=0.986). The method allows the determination of Vitamin K for evaluating their clinical and nutritional status.     

WFS1 is a novel component of the unfolded protein response and maintains homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum in pancreatic beta-cells

In Wolfram syndrome, a rare form of juvenile diabetes, pancreatic beta-cell death is not accompanied by an autoimmune response. Although it has been reported that mutations in the WFS1 gene are responsible for the development of this syndrome, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying beta-cell death caused by the WFS1 mutations remain unknown. Here we report that WFS1 is a novel component of the unfolded protein response and has an important function in maintaining homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in pancreatic beta-cells. WFS1 encodes a transmembrane glyco-protein in the ER. WFS1 mRNA and protein are induced by ER stress. The expression of WFS1 is regulated by inositol requiring 1 and PKR-like ER kinase, central regulators of the unfolded protein response. WFS1 is normally up-regulated during insulin secretion, whereas inactivation of WFS1 in beta-cells causes ER stress and beta-cell dysfunction. These results indicate that the pathogenesis of Wolfram syndrome involves chronic ER stress in pancreatic beta-cells caused by the loss of function of WFS1.     

A two-component histidine kinase of the rice blast fungus is involved in osmotic stress response and fungicide action

We isolated and characterized a histidine kinase gene (HIK1) from the rice blast fungus, Pyricularia oryzae (Magnaporthe grisea). The deduced amino acid sequence of HIK1 showed highest similarity (85.7%) to a hybrid-type histidine kinase, Os-1/Nik-1 of Neurospora crassa. Disruption of HIK1 caused no defect in cell growth on normal media and in pathogenicity to rice plants. The Deltahik1 strain acquired resistance to three groups of fungicides (phenylpyrroles, dicarboximides, and aromatic hydrocarbons) similar to os-1 mutants of N. crassa. The Deltahik1 strain showed increased sensitivity to high concentrations of sugars although its salt sensitivity was not elevated, suggesting that the rice blast fungus can distinguish osmostresses caused by high sugar concentrations and high salt concentrations. In contrast, os-1 mutants of N. crassa are sensitive to high concentrations of both salts and sugars. These findings suggest that P. oryzae and N. crassa partially differ in their os (osmosensitive) signal transduction pathway.     

Acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenases are localized on GLUT4-containing vesicles via association with insulin-regulated aminopeptidase in a manner dependent on its dileucine motif

Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP, also termed vp165) is known to be localized on the GLUT4-containing vesicles and to be recruited to the plasma membrane after stimulation with insulin. The cytoplasmic region of IRAP contains two dileucine motifs and acidic regions, one of which (amino acid residues 55-82) is reportedly involved in retention of GLUT4-containing vesicles. The region of IRAP fused with glutathione-S-transferase [GST-IRAP(55-82)] was incubated with lysates from 3T3-L1 adipocytes, leading to identification of long-chain, medium-chain, and short-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenases (ACDs) as the proteins associated with IRAP. The association was nearly abolished by mutation of the dileucine motif of IRAP. Immunoblotting of fractions prepared from sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation and vesicles immunopurified with anti-GLUT4 antibody revealed these ACDs to be localized on GLUT4-containing vesicles. Furthermore, 3-mercaptopropionic acid and hexanoyl-CoA, inhibitors of long-chain and medium-chain ACDs, respectively, induced dissociation of long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase and/or medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase from IRAP in vitro as well as recruitment of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane and stimulation of glucose transport activity in permeabilized 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These findings suggest that ACDs are localized on GLUT4-containing vesicles via association with IRAP in a manner dependent on its dileucine motif and play a role in retention of GLUT4-containing vesicles to an intracellular compartment.     

Domain organization of D-AKAP2 revealed by enhanced deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (DXMS)

Dual specific A-kinase anchoring protein 2 (D-AKAP2) is a scaffold protein that coordinates cAMP-mediated signaling complexes by binding to type I and type II protein kinase A (PKA). While information is unfolding regarding specific binding motifs, very little is known about the overall structure and dynamics of these scaffold proteins. We have used deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (DXMS) and limited proteolysis to probe the folded regions of D-AKAP2, providing for the first time insight into the intra-domain dynamics of a scaffold protein. Deuterium on-exchange revealed two regions of low deuterium exchange that were surrounded by regions of high exchange, suggestive of two distinctly folded regions, flanked by disordered or solvent accessible regions. Similar folded regions were detected by limited proteolysis. The first folded region contained a putative regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) domain. A structural model of the RGS domain revealed that the more deuterated regions mapped onto loops and turns, whereas less deuterated regions mapped onto alpha-helices, consistent with this region folding into an RGS domain. The second folded region contained a highly protected PKA binding site and a more solvent-accessible PDZ binding motif, which may serve as a potential targeting domain for D-AKAP2. DXMS has verified the multi-domain architecture of D-AKAP2 implied by sequence homology and has provided unique insight into the accessibility of the PKA binding site.     

Cloning and sequencing of a gene encoding a novel salt stress-induced membrane protein from Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. dentrificans

The gene encoding a membrane protein, SspA, induced under salt stress conditions was cloned and sequenced from a photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans IL106. A single open reading frame consisting of 972 base pairs that encoded a polypeptide composed of a signal peptide of 24 amino acids and a mature protein of 300 amino acids (Mr 33,386) was found. A database search failed to detect any highly homologous sequences, indicating that SspA is a novel protein. The protein was present in the outer membrane as a transmembrane protein and was specifically induced by salt stress, but not by heat shock.