Selective increase in cytokeratin synthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes in response to hormonal stimulation

Addition of a combination of insulin, dexamethasone and EGF at seeding time to cultured rat hepatocytes in serum-free medium caused a selective increase in the biosynthesis of particular cytokeratin components. This increase was prominent during the first day in culture. No significant increases were detected in the absence of hormones or in the presence of either hormones added alone or in pairs, except in the case of insulin plus dexamethasone, which yielded an effect close to that obtained with the three factors. Interestingly, the latter condition also maintained a high level of albumin production over a 6-day period in culture.     

Effects of detergents on catalytic activity of human endometase/matrilysin 2, a putative cancer biomarker

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of hydrolytic enzymes that play significant roles in development, morphogenesis, inflammation, and cancer invasion. Endometase (matrilysin 2 or MMP-26) is a putative early biomarker for human carcinomas. The effects of the ionic and nonionic detergents on catalytic activity of endometase were investigated. The hydrolytic activity of endometase was detergent concentration dependent, exhibiting a bell-shaped curve with its maximum activity near the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of nonionic detergents tested. The effect of Brij-35 on human gelatinase B (MMP-9), matrilysin (MMP-7), and membrane-type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP) was further explored. Their maximum catalysis was observed near the CMC of Brij-35 (∼ 90 μM). Their IC₅₀ values were above the CMC. The inhibition mechanism of MMP-7, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP by Brij-35 was a mixed type as determined by Dixon’s plot; however, the inhibition mechanism of endometase was noncompetitive with a K_i value of 240 μM. The catalytic activities of MMPs are influenced by detergents. Monomer of detergents may activate and stabilize MMPs to enhance catalysis, but micelle of detergents may sequester enzyme and block the substrate binding site to impede catalysis. Under physiological conditions, a lipid or membrane microenvironment may regulate enzymatic activity.     

Microcalorimetric assay of acetylcholinesterase

Comparative assays were made in a spectrophotometer and a microcalorimeter for the reaction between acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) and acetylthiocholine. The rate of light absorbance change and the rate of heat flow were measured from similar and simultaneous reactions in spectrophotometer and microcalorimeter, respectively. At the enzyme activity levels studied, i.e., 0.05–0.15 I.U. in calorimetry and 1–4 I.U. in spectrophotometry, the reaction rates were linear and showed first-order kinetics. A highly significant positive correlation was seen between the two methods (r = 0.997). More importantly, spectrophotometric assay with acetylthiocholine (which utilized a secondary reaction with chromagen, dithiobisnitrobenzoic acid) stood in highly significant positive correlation with calorimetric assays (which did not require a chromagen) either with the same substrate (r = 0.976) or with acetylcholine (r = 0.900). It appears that microcalorimetry can be used in preference to spectrophotometry for enzyme kinetic studies to overcome the complexity of reaction mixture and interference problems and with the advantage of using natural substrates.     

Expression of pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein in Arabidopsis thaliana

This is the first report on using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a pH reporter in plants. Proton fluxes and pH regulation play important roles in plant cellular activity and therefore, it would be extremely helpful to have a plant gene reporter system for rapid, non‐invasive visualization of intracellular pH changes. In order to develop such a system, we constructed three vectors for transient and stable transformation of plant cells with a pH‐sensitive derivative of green fluorescent protein. Using these vectors, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco plants were produced. Here the application of pH‐sensitive GFP technology in plants is described and, for the first time, the visualization of pH gradients between different developmental compartments in intact whole‐root tissues of A. thaliana is reported. The utility of pH‐sensitive GFP in revealing rapid, environmentally induced changes in cytoplasmic pH in roots is also demonstrated.     

M(en)TORship lessons on life and death by the integrated stress response

Cells employ pro-survival and pro-adaptive pathways to cope with different forms of environmental stress. When stress is excessive, and the damage caused by it is unsustainable, cells engage pro-death pathways, which are in place to protect the host from the deleterious effects of harmed cells. Two important pathways that determine the balance between survival and death of stressed cells are the integrated stress response (ISR) and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), both of which converge at the level of mRNA translation. The two pathways have established avenues of communication to control their activity and determine the fate of stressed cells in a context-dependent manner. The functional interplay between the ISR and mTOR may have significant ramifications in the development and treatment of human diseases such as diabetes, neurodegeneration and cancer.     

Solution structure of the N‐terminal domain of DC‐UbP/UBTD2 and its interaction with ubiquitin

DC‐UbP/UBTD2 is a ubiquitin (Ub) domain‐containing protein first identified from dendritic cells, and is implicated in ubiquitination pathway. The solution structure and backbone dynamics of the C‐terminal Ub‐like (UbL) domain were elucidated in our previous work. To further understand the biological function of DC‐UbP, we then solved the solution structure of the N‐terminal domain of DC‐UbP (DC‐UbP_N) and studied its Ub binding properties by NMR techniques. The results show that DC‐UbP_N holds a novel structural fold and acts as a Ub‐binding domain (UBD) but with low affinity. This implies that the DC‐UbP protein, composing of a combination of both UbL and UBD domains, might play an important role in regulating protein ubiquitination and delivery of ubiquitinated substrates in eukaryotic cells.     

Involvement of aquaporin in thromboxane A2 receptor-mediated, G12/13/RhoA/NHE-sensitive cell swelling in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells

The physiological role of the thromboxane A₂ (TXA₂) receptor expressed on glial cells remains unclear. We previously reported that 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells pretreated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) became swollen in response to U46619, a TXA₂ analogue. In the present study, we examined the detailed mechanisms of TXA₂ receptor-mediated cell swelling in 1321N1 cells. The cell swelling caused by U46619 was suppressed by expression of p115-RGS, an inhibitory peptide of Gα_12/13 pathway and C3 toxin, an inhibitory protein for RhoA. The swelling was also inhibited by treatment with Y27632, a Rho kinase inhibitor and 5-(ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA), a Na⁺/H⁺-exchanger inhibitor. Furthermore, cell swelling was suppressed by the pretreatment with aquaporin inhibitors mercury chloride or phloretin in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that aquaporins are involved in U46619-induced 1321N1 cell swelling. In fact, U46619 caused [³H]H₂O influx into the cells, which was inhibited by p115-RGS, C3 toxin, EIPA, mercury chloride and phloretin. This is the first report that the TXA₂ receptor mediates water influx through aquaporins in astrocytoma cells via TXA₂ receptor-mediated activation of Gα_12/13, Rho A, Rho kinase and Na⁺/H⁺-exchanger.     

Influence of ionic strength and pH on the interaction between high-affinity heparin and antithrombin

Binding constants for the binding of high-affinity heparin to antithrombin at different ionic strengths were determined by fluorescence titrations and were also estimated from dissociation curves of the heparin-antithrombin complex. These curves were monitored by near-ultraviolet circular dichroism or fluorescence. The dependence of the binding constant on the activity of NaCl suggested that maximally 5–6 charged groups are directly involved in the interaction between the two macromolecules. Major pH-dependent changes of the interaction, as evident by changes of the spectroscopic properties of the complex between the molecules, were found to occur below pH 5.5 and above pH 8.5. The acid change, which was irreversible, was most likely caused by an irreversible conformational change of antithrombin. At alkaline pH, however, the gross conformation of antithrombin was stable up to pH 12, while the affinity of high-affinity heparin for antithrombin began to decrease markedly at pH 8.5. The dissociation curve, which was reversible, had a midpoint around pH 9.5. This is compatible with the loss of affinity being caused by either a local conformational change, by ionization of tyrosine or by titration of one or more amino groups.     

Two oligosaccharides from Marsdenia roylei

Phytochemical analysis of dried twigs of Marsdenia roylei (family Asclepiadaceae) has resulted in the isolation of a trisaccharide, maryal, and a diglycoside, rolinose. Their structures were determined as O-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-beta-D-digitoxopyranosyl++ +-(1-->4)-D- cymaral and ethyl O-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1-->4)-O-3-O-methyl-6-deoxy-beta-D- allopyranoside, respectively, by chemical degradation and spectroscopic methods.