Origin of bombesin-like peptides in human fetal lung

Four different forms of bombesin-like immunoreactive peaks were detected in extracts of human fetal lung by the use of reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Peaks I, II, III and IV, (increasing retention time), were eluted using a 14-38% of acetonitrile gradient containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Peak II was the major material found in the extract of human fetal lung obtained at 16-20 weeks gestation. None of the four compounds contained in the eluted peaks had the same retention time as amphibian bombesin or porcine gastrin releasing peptide (GRP). On reversed-phase HPLC using two different solvent systems TFA or heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) as a hydrophobic counter ion, and in gel filtration chromatography, the chromatographic behavior of the main peak (peak II) was the same as that of the carboxyl terminal fragments of GRP, GRP18-27 or GRP19-27. This suggested that the peptide(s) in peak II resembled in composition the carboxy terminal 9 or 10 amino acids of porcine GRP. Following tryptic digestion the material in peak IV was converted to the more polar compound present in peak II. Two other peptide peaks were eluted close to peak II and these were presumed to be a modification of this main peak. One of the possible biosynthetic steps in the formation of bombesin-like peptides in human fetal lung could be a tryptic conversion of a less polar peptide to a more polar form (peak IV to II).     

Synthesis of ABO histo-blood group type I and II antigens

The ABO histo-blood group system is one of the most clinically important antigen families. As part of our overall goal to prepare the entire set of the A, B and H type I-VI antigens for a range of biochemical investigations, we report herein the synthesis of the type I and II antigens with a 7-octen-1-yl aglycone. This linker was chosen to facilitate not only the future conjugation of the antigens to a protein or solid support but also the synthesis of the H type I and II octyl glycosides for enzyme kinetic studies.     

An mTORC1-to-CDK1 Switch Maintains Autophagy Suppression during Mitosis

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Immunosuppression by Mutated Calreticulin Released from Malignant Cells

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Application of a photosystem II model for analysis of fluorescence induction curves in the 100 ns to 10 s time domain after excitation with a saturating light pulse

A mathematical model of photosystem II (PSII) events was used to analyze chlorophyll fluorescence transients in the time domain from 100 ns to 10 s after excitation with a saturating 10-ns flash, applied as a part of specialized illumination protocol, using preparations of a thermophilic strain of the unicellular green alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick (using both intact and diuron-treated cells). Analysis of simulation results has proven that particular attention should be given to flash-induced recombination processes, including nonradiative recombination in PSII, while subsequent charge transfer along the electron transport chain of thylakoid membrane can be adequately described by a single reaction of quinone reoxidation. The PSII model was extended by taking inhibition by diuron of the electron transport in the acceptor side of PSII into account, which allowed simulation of fluorescence induction curves observed in the presence of this inhibitor. The model parameters were determined (stromal pH, rate constants of nonradiative recombination, and the initial reduction state of the quinone pool) which provided adequate simulation of experimentally observed ratios of the maximal and initial fluorescence levels (F _m/F ₀).     

Genistein induces apoptosis by stabilizing intracellular p53 protein through an APE1-mediated pathway

Genistein (GEN) has been previously shown to have a proapoptotic effect on cancer cells through a p53-dependent pathway, the mechanism of which remains unclear. One of its intracellular targets, APE1, protects against apoptosis under genotoxic stress and interacts with p53. In this current study, we explored the mechanism of the proapoptotic effect of GEN by examining the APE1–p53 protein–protein interaction. We initially showed that the p53 protein level was elevated in GEN-treated human non-small lung cancer A549 cells and cervical cancer HeLa cells. By examining both protein synthesis and degradation, we found that GEN enhances p53 intracellular stability by interfering with the interaction of APE1 and p53, which provided a plausible explanation for how GEN initiates apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that the interaction between APE1 and p53 is important for the degradation of p53 and is dependent on the redox domain of APE1 by utilizing the redox domain mutant APE1 C65A. Our data suggest that the degradation of wild-type p53 is blocked when the redox domain of APE1 is masked or interrupted. Based on this evidence, we hereby report a novel mechanism of p53 degradation through an APE1-mediated, redox-dependent pathway.