A leucine zipper-based peptide hybrid delivers functional Nanog protein inside the cell nucleus

We synthesized a pair of compounds containing leucine zipper peptides to deliver protein cargo into cells. One is a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) with Lz(E), a leucine zipper peptide containing negatively charged amino acids, and the other is a Nanog protein with Lz(K), a leucine zipper peptide containing positively charged amino acids. When cells were treated with these equimolar mixtures, Nanog-Lz(K) hybridized with Lz(E)-CPP was successfully delivered into the cells. Furthermore, Nanog-Lz(K) exerted its proper function after nuclear transport.     

Sodium‐powered stators of the bacterial flagellar motor can generate torque in the presence of phenamil with mutations near the peptidoglycan‐binding region

The bacterial flagellar motor powers the rotation that propels the swimming bacteria. Rotational torque is generated by harnessing the flow of ions through ion channels known as stators which couple the energy from the ion gradient across the inner membrane to rotation of the rotor. Here, we used error‐prone PCR to introduce single point mutations into the sodium‐powered Vibrio alginolyticus/Escherichia coli chimeric stator PotB and selected for motors that exhibited motility in the presence of the sodium‐channel inhibitor phenamil. We found single mutations that enable motility under phenamil occurred at two sites: (i) the transmembrane domain of PotB, corresponding to the TM region of the PomB stator from V. alginolyticus and (ii) near the peptidoglycan binding region that corresponds to the C‐terminal region of the MotB stator from E. coli. Single cell rotation assays confirmed that individual flagellar motors could rotate in up to 100 µM phenamil. Using phylogenetic logistic regression, we found correlation between natural residue variation and ion source at positions corresponding to PotB F22Y, but not at other sites. Our results demonstrate that it is not only the pore region of the stator that moderates motility in the presence of ion‐channel blockers.     

A novel in vitro co-culture model to examine contact formation between astrocytic processes and cerebral vessels

Here, we developed a novel in vitro co-culture model, in which process-bearing astrocytes and isolated cerebral microvessels from mice were co-cultured. Astrocytes formed contacts with microvessels from both adult and neonatal mice. However, concentrated localization of the immunofluorescence signal for aquaporin-4 (AQP4) at contact sites between perivascular endfoot processes and blood vessels was only detected with neonatal mouse microvessels. Contact between astrocytic processes and microvessels was retained, whereas concentrated localization of AQP4 signal at contact sites was lost, by knockdown of dystroglycan or α-syntrophin, reflecting polarized localization of AQP4 at perivascular regions in the brain. Further, using our in vitro co-culture model, we found that astrocytes predominantly extend processes to pericytes located at the abluminal surface of microvessels, providing additional evidence that this model is representative of the in vivo situation. Altogether, we have developed a novel in vitro co-culture model that can reproduce aspects of the in vivo situation and is useful for assessing contact formation between astrocytes and blood vessels.     

Complete genome sequence and comparative analysis of the industrial microorganism Streptomyces avermitilis

Species of the genus Streptomyces are of major pharmaceutical interest because they synthesize a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the linear chromosome of Streptomyces avermitilis. S. avermitilis produces avermectins, a group of antiparasitic agents used in human and veterinary medicine. The genome contains 9,025,608 bases (average GC content, 70.7%) and encodes at least 7,574 potential open reading frames (ORFs). Thirty-five percent of the ORFs (2,664) constitute 721 paralogous families. Thirty gene clusters related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis were identified, corresponding to 6.6% of the genome. Comparison with Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) revealed that an internal 6.5-Mb region in the S. avermitilis genome was highly conserved with respect to gene order and content, and contained all known essential genes but showed perfectly asymmetric structure at the oriC center. In contrast, the terminal regions were not conserved and preferentially contained nonessential genes.     

Geraniol-inducible glutathione S-transferase in cultured soybean cells

When the cultured cells of Glycine max (soybean) were treated with 5 mM geraniol as a chemical stress, an mRNA level was elevated in a rapid but transient increase. The mRNA was cloned and sequenced, and found to correspond to the mRNA encoding glutathione S-transferase (GST). The GST mRNA level and GST activity were elevated to maxima at 4-6 h and 8 h, respectively, after treatment of the cultures with geraniol. These indicate that GST is one of the geraniol-responsive factors in soybean cells.     

Accumulation of magnesium as well as calcium and phosphorus in Japanese monkey arteries with aging

To examine whether an accumulation of elements in the arteries with aging differs between human and animal, the authors investigated the relationships among element contents in the arteries of the Japanese monkeys. The Japanese monkeys consisted of five males and four females, ranging in age from 2 to 29 yr. The aorta, common and external iliac, femoral, common carotid, subclavian, and axillary arteries were resected from the monkeys and element contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. It was found that there were very high correlations between calcium and phosphorus contents, between calcium and magnesium contents, and between phosphorus and magnesium contents in all of the monkey arteries. In addition, significant correlations were found among the other element contents in some, but not all of the arteries. These results were consistent with the foregoing findings of the human arteries. It is likely that magnesium forms compounds with phosphorus or calcium in the monkey arteries.     

Docosahexaenoic acid induces ERK1/2 activation and neuritogenesis via intracellular reactive oxygen species production in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells

Docosahexaenoic acid (22: 6n-3; DHA) is a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid that exists highly enriched in fish oil, and it is one of the low molecular weight food chemicals which can pass a blood brain barrier. A preliminary survey of several fatty acids for expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a marker of axonal growth, identified DHA as one of the most potent inducers. The human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells exposed to DHA showed significant and dose-dependent increases in the percentage of cells with longer neurites. To elucidate signaling mechanisms involved in DHA-enhanced basal neuritogenesis, we examined the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production using SH-SY5Y cells. From immunoblotting experiments, we observed that DHA induced the ROS production, protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibition, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK kinase (MEK) phosphorylation, and sequentially ERK1/2 phosphorylation, the last of which was significantly reduced by MEK inhibitor U0126. Both antioxidants and MEK inhibitor affected DHA-induced GAP-43 expression, whereas the specific PI3K inhibitor LY294002 did not. We found that total protein tyrosine phosphatase activity was also downregulated by DHA treatment, which was counteracted by antioxidant pretreatment. These results suggest that the ROS-dependent ERK pathway, rather than PI3K, plays an important role during DHA-enhanced neurite outgrowth.     

Group V secretory phospholipase A2 amplifies the induction of cyclooxygenase 2 and delayed prostaglandin D2 generation in mouse bone marrow culture-derived mast cells in a strain-dependent manner

Activation of mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) with stem cell factor (SCF) or IgE and antigen elicits exocytosis and an immediate phase of prostaglandin (PG) D(2) and leukotriene (LT) C(4) generation. Activation of BMMC by SCF, IL-1beta and IL-10 elicits a delayed phase of PGD(2) generation dependent on cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 induction. Cytosolic phospholipase A(2) alpha provides arachidonic acid in both phases and amplifies COX-2 induction. Pharmacological experiments implicate an amplifying role for secretory (s) PLA(2). We used mice lacking the gene encoding group V sPLA(2) (Pla2g5-/-) to definitively test its role in eicosanoid generation by BMMC. Pla2g5-/- BMMC on a C57BL/6 genetic background showed a modest reduction in exocytosis and immediate PGD(2) generation after activation with SCF or with IgE and antigen, while LTC(4) generation was not modified. Delayed-phase PGD(2) generation and COX-2 induction were reduced approximately 35% in C57BL/6 Pla2g5-/- BMMC and were restored by exogenous PGE(2). There was no deficit in either phase of eicosanoid generation by Pla2g5-/- BMMC on a BALB/c background. Thus, group V sPLA(2) amplifies COX-2 expression and delayed phase PGD(2) generation in a strain-dependent manner; it has at best a limited role in immediate eicosanoid generation by BMMC.