The affinity of human RANK binding to its ligand RANKL

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) and its ligand, RANKL play critical roles in bone re-modeling, immune function, vascular disease and mammary gland development. To study the interaction of RANK and RANKL, we have expressed both extracellular domain of RANK and ectodomain of RANKL using Escherichia coli expression system. RANK was expressed as an inclusion body first which properly refolded later, while RANKL was initially produced as a GST fusion protein, after which the GST was removed by enzyme digestion. Soluble RANK existed as a monomer while RANKL was seen as a trimer in solution, demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and cross-linking experiment. The recombinant RANK and RANKL could bind to each other and the binding affinity of RANKL for RANK was measured with surface plasmon resonance technology and K_D value is about 1.09 × 10⁻¹⁰ M.     

Reciprocal influence of connexins and apical junction proteins on their expressions and functions

Membranes of adjacent cells form intercellular junctional complexes to mechanically anchor neighbour cells (anchoring junctions), to seal the paracellular space and to prevent diffusion of integral proteins within the plasma membrane (tight junctions) and to allow cell-to-cell diffusion of small ions and molecules (gap junctions). These different types of specialised plasma membrane microdomains, sharing common adaptor molecules, particularly zonula occludens proteins, frequently present intermingled relationships where the different proteins co-assemble into macromolecular complexes and their expressions are co-ordinately regulated. Proteins forming gap junction channels (connexins, particularly) and proteins fulfilling cell attachment or forming tight junction strands mutually influence expression and functions of one another.     

Probing the interaction between p53 and the bacterial protein azurin by single molecule force spectroscopy

p53 is a human tumour suppressor which regulates multiple cellular processes, including cell growth, genomic stability and cell death. Recent works have demonstrated the bacterial redox protein azurin to enter cancer cells and induce apoptosis through p53 stabilization, resulting in a tumour growth regression. Azurin has been shown to bind p53 although many details of the complex formed by these two proteins are still poorly characterized. Here, we get insight into the kinetics of this complex formation, by exploring the interaction between p53 and azurin in their environment by single molecule force spectroscopy. To this aim, azurin has been linked to the atomic force microscope tip, whereas p53 has been immobilized onto a gold substrate. Therefore, by performing force-distance cycles we have detected specific recognition events between p53 and azurin, displaying unbinding forces of around 70 pN for an applied loading rate of 3 nN s(-1). The specificity of these events has been assessed by the significant reduction of their frequency observed after blocking the p53 sample by an azurin solution. Moreover, by measuring the rupture force as a function of the loading rate we have determined the dissociation rate constant of this complex to be approximately 0.1 s(-1). Our findings are here discussed in connection with results obtained in bulk experiments, with the aim of clarifying some molecular details of the p53-azurin complex that may help designing new anticancer strategy.     

Utilization of a receptor reserve for effective amplification of mitogenic signaling by an epidermal growth factor mutant deficient in receptor activation

The idea of a receptor reserve in mediating cellular function is well known but direct biochemical evidence has not been easy to obtain. This study stems from our results showing that L15 of epidermal growth factor (EGF) is important in both EGF receptor (EGFR) binding and activation, and the L15A analog of human EGF (hEGF) partially uncouples EGFR binding from EGFR activation (Nandagopal et al., [1996] Protein Engng 9:781-788). We address the cellular mechanism of mitogenic signal amplification by EGFR tyrosine kinase in response to L15A hEGF. L15A is partially impaired in receptor dimerization, shown by chemical cross-linking and allosteric activation of EGFR in a substrate phosphorylation assay. Immunoprecipitation experiments reveal, however, that L15A can induce EGFR autophosphorylation in intact murine keratinocytes by utilizing spare receptors, the ratio of total phosphotyrosine content per receptor being significantly lower than that elicited by wild-type. This direct biochemical evidence, based on function, of utilization of a receptor reserve for kinase stimulation suggests that an EGF variant can activate varying receptor numbers to generate the same effective response. L15A-activated receptors can stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) that is important for mitogenesis. The lack of linear correlation between levels of receptor dimerization, autophosphorylation, and MAPK activation suggests that signal amplification is mediated by cooperative effects. Flow cytometric analyses show that the percentages of cells which proliferate in response to 1 nM L15A and their rate of entry into S-phase are both decreased relative to 1 nM wild-type, indicating that MAPK activation alone is insufficient for maximal stimulation of mitogenesis. Higher concentrations of L15A reverse this effect, indicating that L15A and wild-type differ in the number of receptors each activates to induce the threshold response, which may be attained by cooperative activation of receptor dimers/oligomers by van der Waal's weak forces of attraction. The maintenance of a receptor reserve underscores an effective strategy in cell survival.     

European springtime temperature synchronises ibex horn growth across the eastern Swiss Alps

Direct effects of climate change on animal physiology, and indirect impacts from disruption of seasonal synchrony and breakdown of trophic interactions are particularly severe in Arctic and Alpine ecosystems. Unravelling biotic from abiotic drivers, however, remains challenging because high‐resolution animal population data are often limited in space and time. Here, we show that variation in annual horn growth (an indirect proxy for individual performance) of 8043 male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) over the past four decades is well synchronised among eight disjunct colonies in the eastern Swiss Alps. Elevated March to May temperatures, causing premature melting of Alpine snowcover, earlier plant phenology and subsequent improvement of ibex food resources, fuelled annual horn growth. These results reveal dependency of local trophic interactions on large‐scale climate dynamics, and provide evidence that declining herbivore performance is not a universal response to global warming even for high‐altitude populations that are also harvested.     

miR-455-5p靶向SOCS3抑制RSV感染致气道上皮炎症反应的机制研究

摘要 目的：揭示miR-455-5p对呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）感染致气道上皮细胞炎症反应的作用机制。方法：qRT-PCR检测30例健康体检儿童（健康组）、RSV感染轻症组（n=41）和重症组（n=31）患儿血清miR-455-5p水平。将16HBE细胞分为Control组、NC-agomir组、miR-455-5p-agomir组、NC-antagomir组、miR-455-5p-antagomir组。使用Lipofectamine 3000转染16HBE细胞后培养48 h后,分为Blank组、NC组（转染了NC-agomir的细胞）、RSV+NC-agomir组、RSV+miR-455-5p-agomir组,用RSV病毒液感染RSV+NC-agomir组和RSV+miR-455-5p-agomir组16HBE细胞,Blank组和NC组16HBE细胞正常培养。用CCK-8法和EdU法检测细胞增殖、TUNEL法检测细胞凋亡、ELISA法检测上清液中TNF-α、IL-6、IL-8水平,qRT-PCR检测miR-455-5p和SOCS3的mRNA水平,Western blot检测SOCS3、IFN-α、STAT1、STAT2、p-STAT1和p-STAT2的蛋白水平。结果：与健康组相比,轻症组和重症组患儿的血清miR-455-5p水平降低（P<0.05）。与轻症组相比,重症组的血清miR-455-5p水平降低（P<0.05）。与Control组和NC-agomir组相比,miR-455-5p-agomir组16HBE细胞的miR-455-5p水平、相对细胞活力和EdU阳性率升高（P<0.05）,TUNEL阳性率降低（P<0.05）,上清液中的TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平降低（P<0.05）,SOCS3 mRNA和蛋白水平降低（P<0.05）,IFN-α蛋白、STAT1和STAT2磷酸化水平升高（P<0.05）。与Control组和NC-antagomir组相比,miR-455-5p-antagomir组16HBE细胞的miR-455-5p水平、相对细胞活力和EdU阳性率降低（P<0.05）,TUNEL阳性率升高（P<0.05）,上清液中的TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平升高（P<0.05）,SOCS3 mRNA和蛋白水平升高（P<0.05）,IFN-α蛋白、STAT1和STAT2磷酸化水平降低（P<0.05）。与Blank组和NC组相比,RSV+NC-agomir组16HBE细胞的miR-455-5p水平、相对细胞活力和EdU阳性率降低（P<0.05）,TUNEL阳性率升高（P<0.05）,上清液中的TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平升高（P<0.05）,SOCS3 mRNA和蛋白水平升高（P<0.05）,IFN-α蛋白、STAT1和STAT2磷酸化水平降低（P<0.05）。与RSV+NC-agomir组相比,RSV+miR-455-5p-agomir组的miR-455-5p水平、相对细胞活力和EdU阳性率升高（P<0.05）,TUNEL阳性率降低（P<0.05）,上清液中的TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平降低（P<0.05）,SOCS3 mRNA和蛋白水平降低（P<0.05）,IFN-α蛋白、STAT1和STAT2磷酸化水平升高（P<0.05）。结论：miR-455-5p在RSV感染患儿血清中下调,上调miR-455-5p通过抑制SOCS3的转录和表达从而激活RSV感染的16HBE细胞中IFN-α介导的抗病毒反应。     

Overcoming resistance to rapalogs in gliomas by combinatory therapies

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive brain tumor type, with a mean patient survival of approximately 1 year. Many previous analyses of the glioma kinome have identified key deregulated pathways that converge and activate mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Following the identification and characterization of mTOR-promoting activity in gliomagenesis, data from preclinical studies suggested the targeting of mTOR by rapamycin or its analogs (rapalogs) as a promising therapeutic approach. However, clinical trials with rapalogs have shown very limited efficacy on glioma due to the development of resistance mechanisms. Analysis of rapalog-insensitive glioma cells has revealed increased activity of growth and survival pathways compensating for mTOR inhibition by rapalogs that are suitable for therapeutic intervention. In addition, recently developed mTOR inhibitors show high anti-glioma activity. In this review, we recapitulate the regulation of mTOR signaling and its involvement in gliomagenesis, discuss mechanisms resulting in resistance to rapalogs, and speculate on strategies to overcome resistance. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Inhibitors of Protein Kinases (2012).