Lipid metabolism and adipokine levels in fatty acid-binding protein null and transgenic mice

Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) facilitate the diffusion of fatty acids within cellular cytoplasm. Compared with C57Bl/6J mice maintained on a high-fat diet, adipose-FABP (A-FABP) null mice exhibit increased fat mass, decreased lipolysis, increased muscle glucose oxidation, and attenuated insulin resistance, whereas overexpression of epithelial-FABP (E-FABP) in adipose tissue results in decreased fat mass, increased lipolysis, and potentiated insulin resistance. To identify the mechanisms that underlie these processes, real-time PCR analyses indicate that the expression of hormone-sensitive lipase is reduced, while perilipin A is increased in A-FABP/aP2 null mice relative to E-FABP overexpressing mice. In contrast, de novo lipogenesis and expression of genes encoding lipoprotein lipase, CD36, long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 5, and diacylglycerol acyltransferase are increased in A-FABP/aP2 null mice relative to E-FABP transgenic animals. Consistent with an increase in de novo lipogenesis, there was an increase in adipose C16:0 and C16:1 acyl-CoA pools. There were no changes in serum free fatty acids between genotypes. Serum levels of resistin were decreased in the E-FABP transgenic mice, whereas serum and tissue adiponectin were increased in A-FABP/aP2 null mice and decreased in E-FABP transgenic animals; leptin expression was unaffected. These results suggest that the balance between lipolysis and lipogenesis in adipocytes is remodeled in the FABP null and transgenic mice and is accompanied by the reprogramming of adipokine expression in fat cells and overall changes in plasma adipokines.     

Inhibitors can activate proteases to catalyze the synthesis and hydrolysis of peptides

Competitive inhibitors can activate proteases (papain, trypsin, and cathepsin S) to catalyze the synthesis of peptide bonds and accelerate the hydrolysis of poor substrates (from 1 to 99%). Reaction mixtures contained intermediate molecules that were formed by the coupling of the inhibitor with the poor substrate. This and other findings suggest the following chain of events. Part of the binding energy of formation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex was used to activate the inhibitor, i.e., to form acyl-enzyme species with a high-energy bond (e.g., a thioester bond in the case of papain) required for coupling the inhibitor with the substrate to form the intermediate molecule. The latter was subjected to successive reactions which led to a stepwise degradation of the substrate, as well as to the regeneration of the inhibitor. One mole of the inhibitor could catalyze rapid hydrolysis of at least 53 mol of substrate. The intermediate molecules were the species undergoing rapid hydrolysis. Therefore, 1 mol of inhibitor was involved in the synthesis of 53 mol of intermediate molecules; i.e., the inhibitor functioned as a cofactor that catalyzed the synthesis of peptides. Thus, the binding energy of formation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex can be utilized to catalyze the synthesis of peptide bonds in the absence of an exogenous energy source (e.g., ATP).     

Herbicide-resistance conferred by expression of a catalytic antibody in Arabidopsis thaliana

Engineering herbicide resistance in crops facilitates control of weed species, particularly those that are closely related to the crop, and may be useful in selecting lines that have undergone multiple transformation events. Here we show that herbicide-resistant plants can be engineered by designing an herbicide and expressing a catalytic antibody that destroys the herbicide in planta. First, we developed a carbamate herbicide that can be catalytically destroyed by the aldolase antibody 38C2. This compound has herbicidal activity on all three plant species tested. Second, the light chain and half of the heavy chain (Fab) of the catalytic antibody were targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum in two classes of Arabidopsis thaliana transformants. Third, the two transgenic plants were crossed to produce an herbicide-resistant F1 hybrid. The in vitro catalytic activity of the protein from F1 hybrids corroborates that catalytic antibodies can be constitutively expressed in transgenic plants, and that they can confer a unique trait.     

The inflammatory response of keratinocytes and its modulation by vitamin D: the role of MAPK signaling pathways

The hormonal form of vitamin D, calcitriol, and its analogs are known for their beneficial effect in the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders. Keratinocytes play a role in epidermal inflammatory responses invoked by breeching of the epidermal barrier, by infectious agents and by infiltrating immune cells. We studied the role of calcitriol in the initiation of keratinocyte inflammatory response by the viral and injury mimic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) and in its maintenance by tumor-necrosis-factor α (TNFα) and investigated the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades in these processes and their regulation by calcitriol. The inflammatory response of human HaCaT keratinocytes to poly(I:C) or TNFα was assessed by measuring mRNA levels of 13 inflammation-related molecules by real-time PCR microarray and by in-depth investigation of the regulation of interleukin 8, intercellular-adhesion-molecule 1, and TNFα expression. We found that while calcitriol had only a minor effect on the keratinocyte response to poly(I:C) and a modest effect on the early response (2 h) to TNFα, it markedly attenuated the later response (16-24 h) to TNFα. The expression of CYP27B1, the enzyme responsible for calcitriol production, was marginally increased by poly(I:C) and markedly by TNFα treatment. This pattern suggests that while allowing the initial keratinocyte inflammatory response to proceed, calcitriol contributes to its timely resolution. Using pharmacological inhibitors we found that while the p38 MAPK and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase have only a minor role, c-Jun N-terminal kinase plays a pivotal role in the induction of the pro-inflammatory genes and its modulation by calcitriol.     

Dissociation of inositol-requiring enzyme (IRE1α)-mediated c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation from hepatic insulin resistance in conditional X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1) knock-out mice

Hepatic insulin resistance has been attributed to both increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and accumulation of intracellular lipids, specifically diacylglycerol (DAG). The ER stress response protein, X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1), was recently shown to regulate hepatic lipogenesis, suggesting that hepatic insulin resistance in models of ER stress may result from defective lipid storage, as opposed to ER-specific stress signals. Studies were designed to dissociate liver lipid accumulation and activation of ER stress signaling pathways, which would allow us to delineate the individual contributions of ER stress and hepatic lipid content to the pathogenesis of hepatic insulin resistance. Conditional XBP1 knock-out (XBP1Δ) and control mice were fed fructose chow for 1 week. Determinants of whole-body energy balance, weight, and composition were determined. Hepatic lipids including triglyceride, DAGs, and ceramide were measured, alongside markers of ER stress. Whole-body and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity were determined by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies. Hepatic ER stress signaling was increased in fructose chow-fed XBP1Δ mice as reflected by increased phosphorylated eIF2α, HSPA5 mRNA, and a 2-fold increase in hepatic JNK activity. Despite JNK activation, XBP1Δ displayed increased hepatic insulin sensitivity during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies, which was associated with increased insulin-stimulated IRS2 tyrosine phosphorylation, reduced hepatic DAG content, and reduced PKCε activity. These studies demonstrate that ER stress and IRE1α-mediated JNK activation can be disassociated from hepatic insulin resistance and support the hypothesis that hepatic insulin resistance in models of ER stress may be secondary to ER stress modulation of hepatic lipogenesis.     

Biochemical aspects of bean resistance to anthracnose mediated by silicon

This study investigated the effect of silicon (Si) on resistance of bean plants (cv. ‘Peróla’) to anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, grown in a nutrient solution containing 0 (?Si) or 2 mmol Si L^?1 (+Si). The concentration of Si in leaf tissue and the incubation period increased by 55.2% and 14.3%, respectively, in +Si plants in relation to ?Si plants. The area under anthracnose progress curve and the severity estimated by the software QUANT significantly decreased by 32.9% and 27%, respectively, for +Si plants. Si did not affect the concentration of total soluble phenolics. Chitinases activity was higher in the advanced stages of infection by C. lindemuthianum for leaves of ?Si plants. β‐1,3‐Glucanase activity increased after C. lindemuthianum infection, but it was not enhanced by Si. Peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities had no apparent effect on the resistance of bean plants to anthracnose, regardless of the presence of Si. The increase in lignin concentration as well as on the phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and lipoxygenase activities were important for the resistance of +Si plants against anthracnose. The results of this study suggest that Si may increase resistance to anthracnose in bean plants by enhancing certain biochemical mechanisms of defence as opposed to just acting as a physical barrier to penetration by C. lindemuthianum.     

Mechanisms for insulin resistance: common threads and missing links

Insulin resistance is a complex metabolic disorder that defies explanation by a single etiological pathway. Accumulation of ectopic lipid metabolites, activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, and innate immune pathways have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. However, these pathways are also closely linked to changes in fatty acid uptake, lipogenesis, and energy expenditure that can impact ectopic lipid deposition. Ultimately, these cellular changes may converge to promote the accumulation of specific lipid metabolites (diacylglycerols and/or ceramides) in liver and skeletal muscle, a common final pathway leading to impaired insulin signaling and insulin resistance.     

The Arabidopsis‐related halophyte Thellungiella halophila: boron tolerance via boron complexation with metabolites?

Tolerance to boron (B) is still not completely understood. We tested here the hypothesis that Thellungiella halophila, an Arabidopsis thaliana-related 'extremophile' plant, with abundance of B in its natural environment, is tolerant to B, and examined the potential mechanisms of this tolerance. With 1-10 mm B applied ([B](ext)) to Thellungiella and Arabidopsis grown in hydroponics, the steady-state accumulated B concentration ([B](int)) in the root was below [B](ext), and was similar in both, suggesting both extrude B actively. Whether grown in soil or hydroponically, the shoot [B](int) was higher in Arabidopsis than in Thellungiella, suggesting more effective net B exclusion by Thellungiella root. Arabidopsis exhibited toxicity symptoms including reduced shoot fresh weight (FW), but Thellungiella was not affected, even at similar levels of shoot-accumulated [B](int) (about 10 to 40 mm B in 'shoot water'), suggesting additional B tolerance mechanism in Thellungiella shoot. At [B](ext) = 5 mm, the summed shoot concentration of the potentially B-binding polyhydroxyl metabolites (malic acid, fructose, glucose, sucrose and citric acid) in Arabidopsis was below [B](int) , but in Thellungiella it was over twofold higher than [B](int) , and therefore likely to allow appreciable 1:2 boron-metabolite complexation in the shoot. This, we suggest, is an important component of Thellungiella B tolerance mechanism.     

Physical characteristics and physiological attributes of female volleyball players--the need for individual data

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to profile physical characteristics and physiological attributes of adolescent and adult Greek female volleyball players (n = 61) who were members of the A (the best league for female volleyball players) and B (the second-best league for female volleyball players) Series clubs in Greece and (b) to examine the intraindividual variability among these players in all physical and physiological measurements that were undertaken in the study. The participants were divided into 3 age groups--under 14, 14-18, and over 18 years. They underwent a series of physical (e.g., height, body mass, and percentage of body fat) and physiological (e.g., aerobic profile, flexibility, and vertical jumping ability) tests. Three main findings emerged from the data analysis: (a) differences in physical characteristics and physiological attributes existed between the 3 age groups. For example, fat-free mass was lower in players under the age of 14 years (41.57 ± 6.06 kg) compared with that in players between the ages of 14-18 years (50.24 ± 6.96 kg) and players over the age of 18 years (52.03 ± 3.39 kg). In addition, the relative peak power as measured in the Wingate Anaerobic Test was the highest in the over-18 group (9.72 ± 0.65 W·kg), lower in the 14-18 group (8.95 ± 0.7), and the lowest in the under-14 group (8.32 ± 0.78 W·kg), (b) large intraindividual variability existed in most physical characteristics and physiological attributes measured in the study, and (c) the intraindividual variability was observed in all the 3 groups. These findings emphasize the need for coaches to examine the intraindividual variability within the players on their teams and to use this information when designing training programs and strength and conditioning programs.     

Long-term Relationships between Cholinergic Tone, Synchronous Bursting and Synaptic Remodeling

Cholinergic neuromodulation plays key roles in the regulation of neuronal excitability, network activity, arousal, and behavior. On longer time scales, cholinergic systems play essential roles in cortical development, maturation, and plasticity. Presumably, these processes are associated with substantial synaptic remodeling, yet to date, long-term relationships between cholinergic tone and synaptic remodeling remain largely unknown. Here we used automated microscopy combined with multielectrode array recordings to study long-term relationships between cholinergic tone, excitatory synapse remodeling, and network activity characteristics in networks of cortical neurons grown on multielectrode array substrates. Experimental elevations of cholinergic tone led to the abrupt suppression of episodic synchronous bursting activity (but not of general activity), followed by a gradual growth of excitatory synapses over hours. Subsequent blockage of cholinergic receptors led to an immediate restoration of synchronous bursting and the gradual reversal of synaptic growth. Neither synaptic growth nor downsizing was governed by multiplicative scaling rules. Instead, these occurred in a subset of synapses, irrespective of initial synaptic size. Synaptic growth seemed to depend on intrinsic network activity, but not on the degree to which bursting was suppressed. Intriguingly, sustained elevations of cholinergic tone were associated with a gradual recovery of synchronous bursting but not with a reversal of synaptic growth. These findings show that cholinergic tone can strongly affect synaptic remodeling and synchronous bursting activity, but do not support a strict coupling between the two. Finally, the reemergence of synchronous bursting in the presence of elevated cholinergic tone indicates that the capacity of cholinergic neuromodulation to indefinitely suppress synchronous bursting might be inherently limited.