Onset of rosette formation during spontaneous neural differentiation of hESC and hiPSC colonies

In vitro neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is an advantageous system for studying early neural development. The process of early neural differentiation in hESCs begins by initiation of primitive neuroectoderm, which is manifested by rosette formation, with consecutive differentiation into neural progenitors and early glial-like cells. In this study, we examined the involvement of early neural markers – OTX2, PAX6, Sox1, Nestin, NR2F1, NR2F2, and IRX2 – in the onset of rosette formation, during spontaneous neural differentiation of hESC and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) colonies. This is in contrast to the conventional way of studying rosette formation, which involves induction of neuronal differentiation and the utilization of embryoid bodies. Here we show that OTX2 is highly expressed at the onset of rosette formation, when rosettes comprise no more than 3–5 cells, and that its expression precedes that of established markers of early neuronal differentiation. Importantly, the rise of OTX2 expression in these cells coincides with the down-regulation of the pluripotency marker OCT4. Lastly, we show that cells derived from rosettes that emerge during spontaneous differentiation of hESCs or hiPSCs are capable of differentiating into dopaminergic neurons in vitro, and into mature-appearing pyramidal and serotonergic neurons weeks after being injected into the motor cortex of NOD-SCID mice.     

Neuronal nicotinic receptor deficits in Alzheimer patients with the Swedish amyloid precursor protein 670/671 mutation

The influence of beta-amyloid on cholinergic neurotransmission was studied by measuring alterations in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in autopsy brain tissue from subjects carrying the Swedish amyloid precursor protein (APP) 670/671 mutation. Significant reductions in numbers of nAChRs were observed in various cortical regions of the Swedish 670/671 APP mutation family subjects (-73 to -87%) as well as in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases (-37 to -57%) using the nicotinic agonists [3H]epibatidine and [3H]nicotine, which bind with high affinity to both alpha3 and alpha4 and to alpha4 nAChR subtypes, respectively. Saturation binding studies with [3H]epibatidine revealed two binding sites in the parietal cortex of AD subjects and controls. A significant decrease in Bmax (-82%) for the high-affinity site was observed in APP 670/671 subjects with no change in K(D) compared with controls (0.018 nM APP 670/671; 0.036 nM control). The highest load of neuronal plaques (NPs) was observed in the parietal cortex of APP 670/671 brains, whereas the number of [3H]nicotine binding sites was less impaired compared with other cortical brain regions. Except for a positive significant correlation between the number of [3H]nicotine binding sites and number of NPs in the parietal cortex, no strict correlation was observed between nAChR deficits and the presence of NPs and neurofibrillary tangles, suggesting that these different processes may be closely related but not strictly dependent on each other.     

胚胎早期发育过程中核仁前体的研究进展

核仁前体存在于卵母细胞及早期胚胎中,由于核仁前体在卵母细胞中的含量较少且结构致密,目前,只有少数核仁前体组分得到了鉴定.核仁前体结构的完整组成尚未被详细解析,明确核仁前体在胚胎早期发育过程中发挥的作用及其机制尚存挑战.早期的观点认为:核仁前体虽不具备加工rRNA及生成核糖体的功能,但该结构为纤维颗粒状核仁的生成提供了物质基础,从而使发育后期胚胎重获核糖体生成能力.近期,这一观点逐步得到了修正.基于显微操作技术的核仁前体转移实验证实:母源核仁前体在胚胎早期发育过程中发挥关键作用,且发挥作用的时间窗口限定在受精至原核期之间.核仁前体可参与染色质重塑过程并维持着丝粒稳定,进而影响胚胎早期发育.本文主要综述了核仁前体的结构功能特点及发挥作用的潜在机制,从核仁前体的角度为拯救早期胚胎的发育潜能提供新思路.     

Neurotoxic mechanisms triggered by Alzheimer's disease-linked mutant M146L presenilin 1: involvement of NO synthase via a novel pertussis toxin target

While it has been reported that familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD)-linked mutants of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin (PS)2 induce neuronal cytotoxicity in a manner sensitive to antioxidant and pertussis toxin (PTX), little of the mechanism for PS1-mediated neuronal cell death has been characterized. We previously found that multiple mechanisms, different in detail, underlie cytotoxicities by two FAD-linked mutants of APP, using neuronal cells with an ecdysone-controlled expression system. Here we report that this system revealed that (i) low expression of FAD-linked M146L-PS1 caused neuronal cell death, whereas that of wild-type (wt)PS1 did not; (ii) mutation-specific cytotoxicity by M146L-PS1 was sensitive to antioxidant glutathione-ethyl-ester and resistant to Ac-DEVD-CHO; (iii) cytotoxicity by higher expression of wtPS1 was resistant to both; and (iv) cytotoxicity by M146L-PS1 was inhibited by PTX. It was also highly likely that the involved superoxide-generating enzyme was nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and that the PTX-sensitive cytotoxic signal by M146L-PS1 was mediated by none of the G(i/o) proteins. We conclude that M146L-PS1 activates a NOS-mediated cytotoxic pathway via a novel PTX target.     

Molecular cloning of a chloroplastic proteinassociated with both the envelope and thylakoid membranes

Chloroplasts consist of six morphologically distinct compartments. Each compartment has a specific set of polypeptides that perform distinct biochemical functions. We report here the identification of a membrane-associated protein with a novel localization. This protein was synthesized as a 37 kDa precursor and was processed to a mature protein of 30 kDa after being imported into isolated pea chloroplasts. Fractionation of chloroplasts showed that the 30 kDa mature protein was associated with both of the envelope membranes as well as with thylakoid membranes. Immunocyto-chemical localization of the 30 kDa protein revealed that the protein occurred in clusters in the vicinity of both the envelope and the thylakoid. Possible functions of this 30 kDa protein, inferred from its novel localization pattern, are discussed.Abbreviations CAB light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein of photosystem II - prCAB precursor protein to CAB - SS small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase - prSS precursor protein to SS - RCF relative centrifugation force     

Amyloid precursor protein traffics from the Golgi directly to early endosomes in an Arl5b‐ and AP4‐dependent pathway

The intracellular trafficking and proteolytic processing of the membrane‐bound amyloid precursor protein (APP) are coordinated events leading to the generation of pathogenic amyloid‐beta (Aβ) peptides. The membrane transport of newly synthesized APP from the Golgi to the endolysosomal system is not well defined, yet it is likely to be critical for regulating its processing by β‐secretase (BACE1) and γ‐secretase. Here, we show that the majority of newly synthesized APP is transported from the trans‐Golgi network (TGN) directly to early endosomes and then subsequently to the late endosomes/lysosomes with very little transported to the cell surface. We show that Arl5b, a small G protein localized to the TGN, and AP4 are essential for the post‐Golgi transport of APP to early endosomes. Arl5b is physically associated with AP4 and is required for the recruitment of AP4, but not AP1, to the TGN. Depletion of either Arl5b or AP4 results in the accumulation of APP, but not BACE1, in the Golgi, and an increase in APP processing and Aβ secretion. These findings demonstrate that APP is diverted from BACE1 at the TGN for direct transport to early endosomes and that the TGN represents a site for APP processing with the subsequent secretion of Aβ.      

前体、诱导子及抑制剂对细胞培养生产紫杉醇的调节作用

研究了前体、诱导子和抑制剂对中国红豆杉细胞培养生产紫杉醇的影响。结果表明 ,它们之间的协同作用对提高紫杉醇的产量有显著影响。其中向培养基中加入 30mg/L 3 甲基 2 丁烯 1 醇 ,2mmol/L苯甲酸钠 ,10mg/L氯化氯胆碱 (CCC) ,10 0 μmol/L茉莉酸甲酯 (MJ) ,0 1mmol/L丝氨酸 (Ser)可以使紫杉醇含量增加 1141 1%。     

罗哌卡因抑制脊髓胶质细胞的激活而减轻CCI大鼠的神经病理性疼痛

目的:通过硬膜外注射局麻药罗哌卡因,评价其对神经病理性疼痛模型大鼠的作用及其机制.方法:在坐骨神经损伤神经病理性疼痛大鼠模型(CCI)术后7d,进行硬膜外置管手术,在术后8d和11d由硬膜外导管注入罗哌卡因,观测CCI大鼠机械痛阈(PWT)和脊髓后角纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)的变化.结果:硬膜外注射罗哌卡因能够升高CCI大鼠患肢的机械痛阈,降低脊髓后角GFAP的表达.结论:在CCI大鼠模型硬膜外注射罗哌卡因可以较长时间抑制脊髓胶质细胞的激活,从而减轻神经病理性疼痛.     

Cytoprotective function of sAppalpha in human keratinocytes

sAPPalpha, the soluble form of the beta-amyloid precursor protein, has been shown to act as a potent epidermal growth factor by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation and migration. In this report we provide evidence for a cytoprotective role of sAPPalpha. As a model we used HaCaT cells and normal human keratinocytes (NHK) cultured in the absence of fetal calf serum and bovine pituitary extract. Under these conditions keratinocytes began to undergo apoptosis at increasing rates after 96 h of culture. Surprisingly, keratinocytes were protected from apoptosis by the addition of 50 nM recombinant sAPPalpha. Subsequent experiments were performed to elucidate the regulatory basis of the cytoprotective role of sAPPalpha. We found that recombinant sAPPalpha facilitated the substrate adhesion of keratinocytes in the first 30 minutes after seeding. The basis for this adhesion-promoting function was shown by the ability of recombinant sAPPalpha to continuously coat the culture dish thereby promoting the ability to bind keratinocytes. A second mechanism explaining the cytoprotective role was found in the significant inhibition of apoptosis by recombinant sAPPalpha. In HaCaT cells moderate UV-B irradiation was sufficient to induce apoptosis. In contrast, induction of apoptosis in NHK required additionally the depletion of endogenous sAPPalpha suggesting that sAPPalpha mediates protection against UV-B irradiation. Staurosporine-induced apoptosis rates were significantly reduced by about 59% after addition of recombinant sAPPalpha. These results show that sAPPalpha exerts a pronounced cytoprotective effect and that this effect is mediated by facilitated cell adhesion and by the antiapoptotic function of sAPPalpha.     

维生素B型氨基酸衍生维生素的生物合成及功能研究

氨基酸衍生维生素是以氨基酸为前体合成的维生素,主要为维生素B和E家族的维生素,其生物合成方式主要为氨基酸整合和转氨作用。氨基酸衍生维生素在大多数真核生物中主要是作为辅被用物和辅因子,缺乏某些维生素会使动植物患病。本文主要对氨基酸衍生维生素中的维生素B家族的生物合成及功能进行综述,概述了氨基酸在B族维生素生物合成中的作用、不同物种中B族维生素的含量水平以及B族维生素的作用。