Functions, structure, and read-through alternative splicing of feline APOBEC3 genes

Background

Over the past years a variety of host restriction genes have been identified in human and mammals that modulate retrovirus infectivity, replication, assembly, and/or cross-species transmission. Among these host-encoded restriction factors, the APOBEC3 (A3; apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing catalytic polypeptide 3) proteins are potent inhibitors of retroviruses and retrotransposons. While primates encode seven of these genes (A3A to A3H), rodents carry only a single A3 gene.

Results

Here we identified and characterized several A3 genes in the genome of domestic cat (Felis catus) by analyzing the genomic A3 locus. The cat genome presents one A3H gene and three very similar A3C genes (a-c), probably generated after two consecutive gene duplications. In addition to these four one-domain A3 proteins, a fifth A3, designated A3CH, is expressed by read-through alternative splicing. Specific feline A3 proteins selectively inactivated only defined genera of feline retroviruses: Bet-deficient feline foamy virus was mainly inactivated by feA3Ca, feA3Cb, and feA3Cc, while feA3H and feA3CH were only weakly active. The infectivity of Vif-deficient feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus was reduced only by feA3H and feA3CH, but not by any of the feA3Cs. Within Felidae, A3C sequences show significant adaptive selection, but unexpectedly, the A3H sequences present more sites that are under purifying selection.

Conclusion

Our data support a complex evolutionary history of expansion, divergence, selection and individual extinction of antiviral A3 genes that parallels the early evolution of Placentalia, becoming more intricate in taxa in which the arms race between host and retroviruses is harsher.     

Biodegradation of 2,4,6-tribromophenol by Ochrobactrum sp. strain TB01

A bacterium that utilizes 2,4,6-tribromophenol (2,4,6-TBP) as sole carbon and energy source was isolated from soil contaminated with brominated pollutants. This bacterium, designated strain TB01, was identified as an Ochrobactrum species. The organism degraded 100 microM of 2,4,6-TBP within 36 h in a growing culture. In addition, it released 3 mol of bromine ions from 1 mol of 2,4,6-TBP during the complete degradation of 2,4,6-TBP in a resting cell assay. Moreover, cells grown on 2,4,6-TBP degraded 2,6-dibromophenol (2,6-DBP), 4-bromophenol (4-BP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) and phenol. Metabolic intermediates were detected in the reaction mixture of an in vitro assay for 2,4,6-TBP, and they were identified as 2,4-DBP and 2-BP. NADH was required for the debromination of 2,4,6-TBP. These results suggest that 2,4,6-TBP is converted to phenol through sequential reductive debromination reactions via 2,4-DBP and 2-BP by this strain.     

Differential antagonism of endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 supraspinal antinociception by naloxonazine and 3-methylnaltrexone

To determine if different subtypes of mu-opioid receptors were involved in antinociception induced by endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2, the effect of pretreatment with various mu-opioid receptor antagonists beta-funaltrexamine, naloxonazine and 3-methylnaltrexone on the inhibition of the paw-withdrawal induced by endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 given intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) were studied in ddY male mice. The inhibition of the paw-withdrawal induced by i.c.v. administration of endomorphin-1, endomorphin-2 or DAMGO was completely blocked by the pretreatment with a selective mu-opioid receptor antagonist beta-funaltrexamine (40 mg/kg), indicating that the antinociception induced by all these peptides are mediated by the stimulation of mu-opioid receptors. However, naloxonazine, a mu1-opioid receptor antagonist pretreated s.c. for 24h was more effective in blocking the antinociception induced by endomorphin-2, than by endomorphin-1 or DAMGO given i.c.v. Pretreatment with a selective morphine-6 beta-glucuronide blocker 3-methylnaltrexone 0.25mg/kg given s.c. for 25 min or co-administration of 3-methylnaltrexone 2.5 ng given i.c.v. effectively attenuated the antinociception induced by endomorphin-2 given i.c.v. and co-administration of 3-methylnaltrexone shifted the dose-response curves for endomorphin-2 induced antinociception to the right by 4-fold. The administration of 3-methylnaltrexone did not affect the antinociception induced by endomorphin-1 or DAMGO given i.c.v. Our results indicate that the antinociception induced by endomorphin-2 is mediated by the stimulation of subtypes of mu-opioid receptor, which is different from that of mu-opioid receptor subtype stimulation by endomorphin-1 and DAMGO.     

Synthesis, isolation and spectroscopic characterization of Dawson polyoxotungstate-supported, organometallic complex, [{(C6H6)Ru}P2W15V3O62]: The two positional isomers

The Dawson polyoxotungstate (POM)-based, organometallic ruthenium(II) complex, [{(C₆H₆)Ru}P₂W₁₅V₃O₆₂]⁷⁻, was synthesized as two materials, i.e. 1 · 2Bu₄NCl and 1 · 1Bu₄NCl (1 = (Bu₄N)₇[{(C₆H₆)Ru}P₂W₁₅V₃O₆₂]), which contained two positional isomers a and b as major or minor species. In isomer a with the overall C_s symmetry, the (C₆H₆)Ru²⁺ group was supported on one vanadium(V) octahedral site (two V-O-V bridging oxygens and one OV terminal oxygen) of the three edge-shared vanadium(V) octahedra (V₃ site, B-site) in the Dawson POM-support [1,2,3-P₂W₁₅V₃O₆₂]⁹⁻, whereas in the other isomer b with the overall C_3v symmetry, the (C₆H₆)Ru²⁺ group was supported on the center of the V₃ site in the Dawson POM-support. Material 1 · 2Bu₄NCl was prepared by a stoichiometric reaction in CH₂Cl₂ at ambient temperature of the Dawson POM-support (Bu₄N)₉[1,2,3-P₂W₁₅V₃O₆₂] with the precursor [(C₆H₆)RuCl₂]₂, whereas material 1 · 1Bu₄NCl was prepared by a stoichiometric reaction in CH₃CN under refluxing conditions. The temperature-varied ³¹P NMR spectra revealed that b was thermodynamically more stable thana.     

The SPR signal in living cells reflects changes other than the area of adhesion and the formation of cell constructions

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors detected large angle of resonance (AR) changes, when RBL-2H3 rat mast cells were cultured and activated on a sensor chip. Here, we demonstrated that PAM212 mouse keratinocytes also showed a large change in AR, when EGF-stimulated. We explored these changes due to intracellular reactions, through the relationship between the AR and the area of cell adhesion, using confocal microscopy for RBL-2H3 cells and PAM212 cells. The effect of Mycalolide B and Toxin B, inhibitors for cell motility, on AR was observed using RBL-2H3 cells. Measuring AR in the presence of various numbers of non-stimulated cells demonstrated that AR and cell density were proportional. However, the AR increase in response to antigen was 35% higher than that expected by solely an increase of the cell adhesion area. Moreover, the AR with PAM212 cells decreased following a transient increase in response to EGF, whilst the area of cell adhesion remained at an increased level. Furthermore, the treatment of RBL-2H3 cells with either Mycalolide B or Toxin B slightly inhibited, but never abolished the AR increase induced by antigen. These treatments abolished all morphological changes, including ruffling and the increase of cell adhesion area observed by light microscopy. These results suggest that AR changes reflect intracellular events rather than changes in the size of the area to which cells adhere.     

Development and clinical application of an enzyme immunoassay for the determination of midregional proadrenomedullin

Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a 52‐amino acid peptide with a variety of physiologic functions such as immunomodulating activity, direct bactericidal activity, maintenance of renal homeostasis, and vasodilatory activity. Midregional proADM (MR‐proADM) is derived from a larger 185‐amino acid precursor peptide, prepro‐adrenomedulin (preproADM), by posttranslational processing. It is suggested to be co‐synthesized with ADM in equimolar amounts and has the advantages over ADM in having a longer half‐life, no bioactivity, and no binding to protein. Therefore, MR‐proADM serves as a surrogate for ADM secretion. In this study, we attempted to develop an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for quantifying MR‐proADM‐like immunoreactive substance (IS), which is applicable for monitoring plasma MR‐proADM levels. By using β‐d ‐galactosidase‐labeled preproADM(83‐94) as a marker antigen, anti‐rabbit IgG‐coated immunoplate as a bound/free separator, and 4‐methylumbelliferyl‐β‐d ‐galactopyranoside as a fluorogenic substrate, a sensitive and specific EIA was developed for the quantification of MR‐proADM‐IS in human plasma. The lower limit of quantification was 0.032 pmol/well, and the steep competitive inhibition EIA calibration curve obtained was linear between 0.16 and 10 nmol/L. By using human plasma samples containing 0.2 and 2.0 nmol/L of MR‐proADM, the interassay coefficients of variation (reproducibility) were 10.78% and 8.83%, respectively, and intraassay coefficients were 3.91% and 7.81%. Plasma MR‐proADM‐IS level was significantly higher in patients with chronic renal failure (1.39 ± 0.50 nmol/L) compared with healthy subjects (0.19 ± 0.07 nmol/L). These results suggest that our EIA may be useful to evaluate plasma MR‐proADM levels as a biomarker in various clinical settings. Copyright © 2012 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ascomycetes with cellulolytic,amylolytic, pectinolytic,and mannanolytic activities inhabiting dead beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus crenata</Emphasis>) trees

It is generally accepted that dead tree decomposition is performed mainly by delignifying basidiomycetes. While ascomycetes have been reported to inhabit dead tree bark, their contribution to dead tree decomposition is still unclear. Here, we isolated five bark-inhabiting ascomycetes possessing cellulolytic activity from dead beech tree and assessed their polysaccharolytic activities. When cultivated in a medium containing filter paper as a sole carbon source, three strains degraded >40 % of the filter paper in a 4-week cultivation and the others degraded 15–30 % of the paper. The degraders possessed amylolytic, pectinolytic, and mannanolytic activities as well as cellulolytic activity, implying that they play an important role in dead tree decomposition after delignification by basidiomycetes. Phylogenetic analysis based on large subunit ribosomal DNA (lsu-DNA) sequences implied that the isolates belonged to Penicillium or Amorphotheca.     

Enhanced amyloidogenic metabolism of the amyloid beta-protein precursor in the X11L-deficient mouse brain

X11L, a neuronal adaptor protein, associates with the cytoplasmic domain of APP and suppresses APP cellular metabolism. APP is the precursor of Abeta, whose metabolism is strongly implicated in Alzheimer disease pathogenesis. To examine the roles of X11L function in APP metabolism, including the generation of Abeta in the brain, we produced X11L-deficient mutant mice on the C57BL/6 background. The mutant mice did not exhibit histopathological alterations or compensatory changes in the expression of other X11 family proteins, X11 and X11L2. The expression level and distribution of APP in the brain of mutant mice were also identical to those in wild-type mice. However, in the hippocampus, where substantial levels of X11L and APP are expressed, the mutant mice exhibited a significant increase in the level of the C-terminal fragments of APP produced by cleavage with beta-secretase but not alpha-secretase. The levels of Abeta were increased in the hippocampus of aged mutant mice as compared with age-matched controls. These observations clearly indicate that X11L suppresses the amyloidogenic but not amyloidolytic processing of APP in regions of the brain such as the hippocampus, which express significant levels of X11L.