Glial connexins and gap junctions in CNS inflammation and disease

Gap junctions facilitate direct cytoplasmic communication between neighboring cells, facilitating the transfer of small molecular weight molecules involved in cell signaling and metabolism. Gap junction channels are formed by the joining of two hemichannels from adjacent cells, each composed of six oligomeric protein subunits called connexins. Of paramount importance to CNS homeostasis are astrocyte networks formed by gap junctions, which play a critical role in maintaining the homeostatic regulation of extracellular pH, K⁺, and glutamate levels. Inflammation is a hallmark of several diseases afflicting the CNS. Within the past several years, the number of publications reporting effects of cytokines and pathogenic stimuli on glial gap junction communication has increased dramatically. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent observations characterizing the consequences of inflammatory stimuli on homocellular gap junction coupling in astrocytes and microglia as well as changes in connexin expression during various CNS inflammatory conditions.     

Choline Availability Modulates the Expression of TGFβ1 and Cytoskeletal Proteins in the Hippocampus of Developing Rat Brain

Choline availability influences long-term memory in concert with changes in the spatial organization and morphology of septal neurons, however little is known concerning the effects of choline on the hippocampus, a region of the brain also important for memory performance. Pregnant rats on gestational day 12 were fed a choline control (CT), choline supplemented (CS), or choline deficient (CD) diet for 6 days and fetal brain slices were prepared on embryonic day 18 (El8). The hippocampus in these brain slices was studied for the immunohistochemical localization of the growth-related proteins transforming growth factor beta type 1 (TGF1) and GAP43, the cytoskeletal proteins vimentin and microtubule associated protein type 1 (MAP1), and the neuronal cell marker neuron specific enolase (NSE). In control hippocampus, there was weak expression of TGF1 and vimentin proteins, but moderately intense expression of MAP1 protein. These proteins were not homogeneously distributed, but were preferentially localized to cells with large cell bodies located in the central (CA1–CA3) region of the hippocampus, and to the filamentous processes of small cells in the fimbria region. Feeding a choline-supplemented diet decreased, whereas a choline-deficient diet increased the intensity of immunohistochemical labeling for these proteins in El8 hippocampus. GAP43 and NSE were localized to peripheral nervous tissue but not hippocampus, indicating that the maturation of axons and neurite outgrowth in embryonic hippocampus were unaffected by the availability of choline in the diet. These data suggest that the availability of choline affects the differentiation of specific regions of developing hippocampus.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hoxa3</Emphasis> regulates the proliferation and differentiation of the third pharyngeal arch mesenchyme in mice

Genetic disruption of Hoxa3 results in bilateral defects of the common carotid artery, which is derived from the third branchial arch artery. The tunica media of the great arteries derived from the arch arteries is formed by the ectomesenchymal neural crest cells. To examine the etiology of the regression of the third arch artery, we generated Hoxa3 homozygous null mutant embryos that expressed a lacZ marker transgene driven by a connexin43 (Cx43): promoter in the neural crest cells. The expression of -galactosidase in these mouse embryos was examined by both whole-mount X-gal staining and immunohistochemistry with the monoclonal -galactosidase antibody on sections. The migration of neural crest cells from the neural tube to the third branchial arch was not affected in the Hoxa3 homozygotes. The initial formation of the third arch artery was also not disturbed. The artery, however, regressed at embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5), when differentiation of the third pharyngeal arch began. The internal and external carotid arteries arose from the dorsal aorta in E12.5 null mutants, which showed an abnormal persistence of the ductus caroticus. The third pharyngeal arch of wild-type mice fuses with the fourth and second arches at E12.0. In the Hoxa3 null mutants, however, the fusion was delayed, and the hypoplastic third pharyngeal arch was still discerned at E12.5. Moreover, the number of proliferating cells in the third arch of the null mutants was small compared with that in the wild-type. Thus, Hoxa3 is required for the growth and differentiation of the third pharyngeal arch. The defective development of the third pharyngeal arch may induce the anomalies of the carotid artery system. This work was supported in part by a grant (no. 14570026) from the Ministry of Education of Japan to Y.K.     

心肌细胞／胶原复合体移植心梗大鼠梗死周边区的电偶联网络变化

目的应用免疫组化技术和电生理技术记录心肌细胞／胶原复合体对心梗大鼠梗死周边区的有效不应期（ERP）及缝隙连接蛋白43（Cx43）改变,探讨梗死周边区的电偶联网络变化。方法将成年SD大鼠随机分组：假手术组、模型组、移植组。后2组制作心肌梗死动物模型,假手术组仅开胸,不结扎冠状动脉,移植组移植心肌细胞与胶原材料复合组织。结果①左室ERP变化：与假手术组相比,心梗组梗死周边区ERP显著延长（P〈0．01）;移植组梗死周边区ERP延长,但较心梗阻ERP缩短,差异无显著性（P〉0．01）。②Cx43免疫组化结果：移植组Cx43阳性蛋白表达高于心梗组。结论移植的心肌细胞／胶原复合体移植可改善大鼠心肌梗死周边区缝隙连接电偶联网络,进而调控心肌细胞／胶原复合体与宿主心肌同步收缩。     

HPV16 E6对HeLa细胞中Rap1GAP蛋白水平下调的研究

目的探讨HPV16E6对细胞中Rap1GAP蛋白水平的影响,为阐明宫颈癌发生发展的分子机制提供实验依据。本研究组前期实验显示,宫颈癌石蜡切片组织中Rap1GAP蛋白水平下降,且与高危型HPV16/18感染相关。本文将进一步探讨HPV16 E6是否导致Rap1GAP蛋白下调的原因。方法通过将HPV16 E6基因插入pGEX-KG的BamHI和Hind Ⅲ酶切位点构建GST标记的HPVE6质粒,采用脂质体转染法将其转染入HeLa细胞中,Westernblot方法观察GST-tagged-HPV16 E6在HeLa细胞中的表达,并观察其对HeLa细胞中内源性Rap1GAP蛋白水平的影响。结果测序表明成功构建GST标记的HPV16E6质粒;Western blot检测表明HPV16E6在HeLa细胞中成功表达;并且发现HeLa细胞中过表达HPV16 E6后,Rap1GAP蛋白相对含量(0.602±0.205)明显低于未转染组(1.130±0.163),差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论HPV16 E6下调Rap1GAP蛋白水平。     

Gassericin T基因的合成及其组成型表达载体的构建

目的:构建Gassericin T基因毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)组成型表达载体。方法:根据乳酸菌素Gassericin T的基因序列,把Gassericin T的结构基因gatA编码的氨基酸的密码子转换成P.pastoris偏爱的形式,设计了6条59nt的寡聚核苷酸引物,通过3次连续PCR反应,获得了250bp左右的gat A片段(简称gat基因)。应用PCR方法从P.pastoris染色体中扩增了GAP启动子,大小为500bp左右,以其取代诱导型表达载体pPIC9K上的pAOX1,构建了组成型表达载体pGAP9K。将合成的gat基因克隆到pGAP9K质粒的多克隆位点中。结果:获得的gat及gap基因与预期结果一致,序列无碱基突变,构建的表达载体pGAP9K-gat经PCR、酶切鉴定完全正确。结论:成功构建了Gassericin T基因P.pastoris组成型表达载体,为下一步高效表达Gassericin T蛋白,进一步研究其作用机理及应用价值打下基础。     

特异腐质霉角质酶-OMP25融合蛋白在大肠杆菌中的高效表达

【目的】通过探究特异腐质霉角质酶-OMP25融合蛋白(HiC-OMP25)在不同大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)菌株中的表达情况、底物降解情况、热稳定性及宿主菌细胞膜通透性与细胞表面疏水性,揭示表达HiC-OMP25时不同宿主菌的差异性,并进一步提高HiC-OMP25在大肠杆菌中的表达量。【方法】分别在E.coli BL21(DE3)及E.coli C43(DE3)中表达HiC-OMP25,并测定其对对硝基苯丁酸酯(4-nitrophenol butyrate,pNPB)、聚丙烯酸乙酯(polyethyl acrylate,PEA)的降解效果、50℃稳定性;测定表达HiC-OMP25时宿主菌的细胞膜通透性及细胞表面疏水性变化;共表达伴侣蛋白提高HiC-OMP25在E.coli C43(DE3)中的表达量。【结果】HiC-OMP25在E.coli BL21(DE3)与E.coli C43(DE3)中均成功表达并降解pNPB,但前者对PEA的降解效果及50 ℃稳定性均低于后者。同时,表达HiC-OMP25显著增强了E.coli BL21(DE3)的细胞膜通透性及细胞表面疏水性。HiC-OMP25与巯基氧化酶(Erv1p)、二硫键异构酶(DsbC)在E.coli C43(DE3)中共表达时,其表达量为原始菌株的2.14倍,且对pNPB及PEA均有良好的降解效果。【结论】异源表达时,HiC-OMP25在E.coli C43(DE3)中正确折叠,而在E.coli BL21(DE3)中未完全正确折叠;通过共表达伴侣蛋白提高了HiC-OMP25在E.coli C43(DE3)中的表达量,为以后HiC-OMP25的工业化生产及应用奠定了基础。     

解脂耶氏酵母脂肪酶基因lip1的克隆、密码子优化及功能表达

摘要：【目的】克隆解脂耶氏酵母（Yarrawia lipolytica）脂肪酶基因lip1,并通过密码子优化,首次实现其在毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)中的诱导型和组成型表达。【方法】通过PCR扩增Y. lipolytica脂肪酶基因lip1,根据P. pastoris密码子偏爱性,运用重叠延伸PCR合成改造后基因MLip1,将其分别克隆至诱导型分泌载体pPIC9K和新构建的组成型分泌载体pGAP9K上,电转至P. pastoris GS115中,G418抗性筛选得到高拷贝转化重组子,摇瓶发酵     

The most prevalent genetic cause of ALS-FTD,C9orf72 synergizes the toxicity of ATXN2 intermediate polyglutamine repeats through the autophagy pathway

The most common genetic cause for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD) is repeat expansion of a hexanucleotide sequence (GGGGCC) within the C9orf72 genomic sequence. To elucidate the functional role of C9orf72 in disease pathogenesis, we identified certain molecular interactors of this factor. We determined that C9orf72 exists in a complex with SMCR8 and WDR41 and that this complex acts as a GDP/GTP exchange factor for RAB8 and RAB39, 2 RAB GTPases involved in macroautophagy/autophagy. Consequently, C9orf72 depletion in neuronal cultures leads to accumulation of unresolved aggregates of SQSTM1/p62 and phosphorylated TARDBP/TDP-43. However, C9orf72 reduction does not lead to major neuronal toxicity, suggesting that a second stress may be required to induce neuronal cell death. An intermediate size of polyglutamine repeats within ATXN2 is an important genetic modifier of ALS-FTD. We found that coexpression of intermediate polyglutamine repeats (30Q) of ATXN2 combined with C9orf72 depletion increases the aggregation of ATXN2 and neuronal toxicity. These results were confirmed in zebrafish embryos where partial C9orf72 knockdown along with intermediate (but not normal) repeat expansions in ATXN2 causes locomotion deficits and abnormal axonal projections from spinal motor neurons. These results demonstrate that C9orf72 plays an important role in the autophagy pathway while genetically interacting with another major genetic risk factor, ATXN2, to contribute to ALS-FTD pathogenesis.