Deficiency of aminopeptidase P1 causes behavioral hyperactivity,cognitive deficits,and hippocampal neurodegeneration

Metabolic diseases affect various organs including the brain. Accumulation or depletion of substrates frequently leads to brain injury and dysfunction. Deficiency of aminopeptidase P1, a cytosolic proline‐specific peptidase encoded by the Xpnpep1 gene, causes an inborn error of metabolism (IEM) characterized by peptiduria in humans. We previously reported that knockout of aminopeptidase P1 in mice causes neurodevelopmental disorders and peptiduria. However, little is known about the pathophysiological role of aminopeptidase P1 in the brain. Here, we show that loss of aminopeptidase P1 causes behavioral and neurological deficits in mice. Mice deficient in aminopeptidase P1 (Xpnpep1^?/?) display abnormally enhanced locomotor activities in both the home cage and open‐field box. The aminopeptidase P1 deficiency in mice also resulted in severe impairments in novel‐object recognition, the Morris water maze task, and contextual, but not cued, fear memory. These behavioral dysfunctions were accompanied by epileptiform electroencephalogram activity and neurodegeneration in the hippocampus. However, mice with a heterozygous mutation for aminopeptidase P1 (Xpnpep1^+/?) exhibited normal behaviors and brain structure. These results suggest that loss of aminopeptidase P1 leads to behavioral, cognitive and neurological deficits. This study may provide insight into new pathogenic mechanisms for brain dysfunction related to IEMs.     

基于Loxp-Cre系统的FBXL15基因敲除小鼠模型的建立

建立FBXL15基因条件型敲除小鼠模型,为研究该基因所发挥的重要生理功能提供材料和思路。采用KO first策略,构建打靶载体,将1st loxP插入1~2号内含子,在3~4号内含子之间插入FRT-SAIRES-lacZ-loxP-neo-loxP元件,通过Long Range PCR及Southern blot筛选出中靶克隆,随后进行囊胚注射,并将发生同源重组的ES细胞注射进C57BL/6J小鼠囊胚,移入受体小鼠子宫,最后将得到的嵌合体雄鼠与C57BL/6J雌鼠交配获得FBXL15-LoxP小鼠。PCR结果显示FBXL15的Loxp小鼠模型构建成功,该模型可为进一步研究FBXL15在胚胎发育和骨代谢中的调控作用提供工具。     

Metabolism of cholesterol by callus culture of Holarrhena antidysenterica

A chemically defined medium was established for the growth of tissue cultures of Holarrhena antidysenterica. Administration of cholesterol-[4-¹⁴C] to 10-day-old callus yielded radioactive 24-methylenecholesterol, 28-isofucosterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, and conessine, thereby indicating that the conversion of cholesterol into sitosterol is mediated through 24-methylenecholesterol and 28-isofucosterol in this system.     

Effect of lipids on activity and conformation of lysolecithin:lysolecithin acyltransferase from rabbit lung

Summary Lysolecithin:lysolecithin acyltranferase is an enzyme which in several previous studies has shown a dual behavior catalyzing two types of reaction, transacylation or hydrolysis, with the same substrate. Both activities have shown to be dependent on several environmental conditions and among them, the presence of lipids.The addition of several classes of lipids activated in all the cases the enzyme, decreasing the hydrolysis/transacylation molar ratio. This effect was higher for PC/PE/Chol mixture than for other lipids assayed. Circular dichroism spectra of the enzyme did not show any change with the addition of lipids, concluding that the effect of lipids was not due to any structural change in the protein. The hypothesis has been made of an influence of lipids on the physical state of the substrate as well as, possibly, on the enzyme-substrate interaction.The significance of these effects on the physiological role of lysolecithin:lysolecithin acyltransferase from soluble fraction of rabbit lung is discussed.Abbreviations Chol cholesterol - CMC critical micellar concentration - DPPC dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine - FA fatty acid - H/T hydrolysis/transacylation molar ratio - LPC lysophosphatidylcholine - PC phosphatidylcholine - PE phosphatidylethanolamine - TG triglyceride - UV ultraviolet     

Administration of a maple syrup extract to mitigate their hepatic inflammation induced by a high-fat diet: a transcriptome analysis

Effects of the administration of maple syrup extract (MSX) on hepatic gene expression were investigated in mice fed a high-fat diet. Gene annotation enrichment analysis based on gene ontology revealed some changes in the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and the immune response in MSX-fed mice. Detailed analysis of these data indicated that MSX ingestion mitigates hepatic inflammation.     

Direct inhibition of hexokinase activity by metformin at least partially impairs glucose metabolism and tumor growth in experimental breast cancer

Emerging evidence suggests that metformin, a widely used anti-diabetic drug, may be useful in the prevention and treatment of different cancers. In the present study, we demonstrate that metformin directly inhibits the enzymatic function of hexokinase (HK) I and II in a cell line of triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231). The inhibition is selective for these isoforms, as documented by experiments with purified HK I and II as well as with cell lysates. Measurements of ¹⁸F-fluoro-deoxyglycose uptake document that it is dose- and time-dependent and powerful enough to virtually abolish glucose consumption despite unchanged availability of membrane glucose transporters. The profound energetic imbalance activates phosphorylation and is subsequently followed by cell death. More importantly, the “in vivo” relevance of this effect is confirmed by studies of orthotopic xenografts of MDA-MB-231 cells in athymic (nu/nu) mice. Administration of high drug doses after tumor development caused an evident tumor necrosis in a time as short as 48 h. On the other hand, 1 mo metformin treatment markedly reduced cancer glucose consumption and growth. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that HK inhibition contributes to metformin therapeutic and preventive potential in breast cancer.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 3,4-diaryl lactam derivatives as triple reuptake inhibitors

A series of 3,4-diarylpyrrolidin-2-one was designed, prepared and evaluated as triple reuptake inhibitors for antidepressant. Most compounds exhibited comparable in vitro efficacy as norepinephrine and dopamine transporter reuptake inhibitors. Especially, 2i showed better potency than GBR-12909 (IC₅₀ = 14 nM) which was used as reference compound for dopamine transporter. In addition, 2a and 2b showed inhibition (5.17 μM–85.6 nM) for three transporters.     

AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of ULK1 regulates ATG9 localization

Autophagy is activated in response to a variety of cellular stresses including metabolic stress. While elegant genetic studies in yeast have identified the core autophagy machinery, the signaling pathways that regulate this process are less understood. AMPK is an energy sensing kinase and several studies have suggested that AMPK is required for autophagy. The biochemical connections between AMPK and autophagy, however, have not been elucidated. In this report, we identify a biochemical connection between a critical regulator of autophagy, ULK1, and the energy sensing kinase, AMPK. ULK1 forms a complex with AMPK, and AMPK activation results in ULK1 phosphorylation. Moreover, we demonstrate that the immediate effect of AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of ULK1 results in enhanced binding of the adaptor protein YWHAZ/14-3-3ζ; and this binding alters ULK1 phosphorylation in vitro. Finally, we provide evidence that both AMPK and ULK1 regulate localization of a critical component of the phagophore, ATG9, and that some of the AMPK phosphorylation sites on ULK1 are important for regulating ATG9 localization. Taken together these data identify an ULK1-AMPK signaling cassette involved in regulation of the autophagy machinery.     

植物乳杆菌CCFM8724抑制双菌生物膜的成分初探

【背景】植物乳杆菌是一种重要的益生菌,本实验室前期研究表明植物乳杆菌CCFM8724发酵液可抑制变异链球菌和白色念珠菌双菌生物膜,但植物乳杆菌发酵液中起作用的具体物质尚不清楚。【目的】评价植物乳杆菌CCFM8724发酵液抑菌成分的特性,初步探究其物质基础。【方法】探索温度、pH等因素对抑菌物质的影响,采用气相色谱-质谱(Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry,GC-MS)联用技术分析植物乳杆菌代谢物的组成,进一步通过有机溶剂萃取、超滤等方法初步分离纯化发酵液中抑制双菌生物膜的成分,并采用液相色谱-质谱(Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry,LC-MS)联用技术进行鉴定。【结果】通过多元统计分析,发现植物乳杆菌发酵液的主要差异标志物为有机酸(如苯乳酸、乙酸、羟基己酸和甘油酸等),经过初步提取鉴定并进行功能验证,其中有效成分主要为有机酸和环肽类化合物。【结论】植物乳杆菌CCFM8724发酵液主要通过多种有机酸和环肽类的协同作用抑制变异链球菌和白色念珠菌生物膜,该研究为植物乳杆菌发酵液进一步的分离纯化和有效成分的生产...