Phylogenetic distribution in the genus Mus of t-complex-specific DNA and protein markers: inferences on the origin of t-haplotypes

We have examined the phylogenetic distribution of two t-specific markers among representatives of various taxa belonging to the genus Mus. The centromeric TCP-1a marker (a testicular protein variant specific for all t-haplotypes so far studied) has also been apparently detected in several non-t representatives of the Mus IVA, Mus IVB, and probably M. cervicolor species. By contrast, a t-specific restriction- fragment-length polymorphism allele (RFLP) of the telomeric alpha- globin pseudogene DNA marker alpha-psi-4 was found only in animals belonging to the M. musculus-complex species either bearing genuine t- haplotypes or, like the M. m. bactrianus specimen studied here, likely to do so. This t-specific alpha-psi-4 RFLP allele was found to be as divergent from the RFLP alleles of the latter, non-t, taxonomical groups as it is from Mus 4A, Mus 4B, or M. spretus ones. These results suggest the presence of t-haplotypes and of t-specific markers in populations other than those belonging to the M. m. domesticus and M. m. musculus subspecies, implying a possible origin for t-haplotypes prior to the radiation of the most recent offshoot of the Mus genus (i.e., the spretus/domesticus divergence), some 1-3 Myr ago.      

Cytoplasmic and nuclear inheritance of resistance to alkylguanidines and ethidium bromide in a petite-negative yeast

Mutants of the petite-negative yeast, $\text{Kluyveromyces}$$\text{lactis}$, resistant to the inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation, decamethylenediguanidine and octylguanidine were isolated from medium containing ethidium bromide. All mutants were resistant to ethidium bromide; some mutants were resistant to both alkylguanidines, some to one, others to neither. Both nuclear and cytoplasmic inheritance of resistance to decamethylenediguanidine and ethidium bromide was demonstrated by tetrad analysis.     

Mutants of yeast with altered oxidative energy metabolism: selection and genetic characterization

Isolation of a series of mutants, characterized by decreased ability to utilize nonfermentable carbon sources for growth and presence of all cytochromes, is reported. A total of 161 mutants, showing deficient growth on glycerol but able to reduce 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride, were isolated, purified, and characterized by ability to grow on various carbon sources. Mutants showing decreased growth were examined by low-temperature spectroscopy, and the 35 strains shown to possess all cytochromes were retained for further studies. These strains were characterized by growth on various nonfermentable carbon sources, relative yield on glucose medium, and respiration (Q(O2)) of glucose and ethyl alcohol. Genetic studies revealed that at least 19 of the 35 mutants are the result of mutation in single nuclear genes. Furthermore, at least 11 complementation groups are represented among these 19 mutants. Mutants within two complementation groups were shown to be very similar in various properties. These studies demonstrate that a large number of nuclear genes control oxidative energy metabolism and that the characteristics of mutants of the general class are extremely diverse.     

The vacuolar H+-ATPase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for efficient copper detoxification,mitochondrial function,and iron metabolism

Mutations in the GEF2 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have pleiotropic effects. The gef2 mutants display a petite phenotype. These cells grow slowly on several different carbon sources utilized exclusively or primarily by respiration. This phenotype is suppressed by adding large amounts of iron to the growth medium. A defect in mitochondrial function may be the cause of the petite phenotype: the rate of oxygen consumption by intact gef2 cells and by mitochondrial fractions isolated from gef2 mutants was reduced 60%–75% relative to wild type. Cytochrome levels were unaffected in gef2 mutants, indicating that heme accumulation is not significantly altered in these strains. The gef2 mutants were also more sensitive than wild type to growth inhibition by several divalent cations including Cu. We found that the cup5 mutation, causing Cu sensitivity, is allelic to gef2 mutations. The GEF2 gene was isolated, sequenced, and found to be identical to VMA3, the gene encoding the vacuolar H ⁺-ATPase proteolipid subunit. These genetic and biochemical analyses demonstrate that the vacuolar H ⁺-ATPase plays a previously unknown role in Cu detoxification, mitochondrial function, and iron metabolism.     

The contractile basis of amoeboid movement: V. The control of gelation, solation, and contraction in extracts from dictyostelium discoideum

Motile extracts have been prepared from Dictyostelium discoideum by homogenization and differential centrifugation at 4 degrees C in a stabilization solution (60). These extracts gelled on warming to 25 degrees Celsius and contracted in response to micromolar Ca++ or a pH in excess of 7.0. Optimal gelation occurred in a solution containing 2.5 mM ethylene glycol-bis (β-aminoethyl ether)N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (EGTA), 2.5 mM piperazine-N-N'-bis [2-ethane sulfonic acid] (PIPES), 1 mM MgC1(2), 1 mM ATP, and 20 mM KCI at ph 7.0 (relaxation solution), while micromolar levels of Ca++ inhibited gelation. Conditions that solated the gel elicited contraction of extracts containing myosin. This was true regardless of whether chemical (micromolar Ca++, pH >7.0, cytochalasin B, elevated concentrations of KCI, MgC1(2), and sucrose) or physical (pressure, mechanical stress, and cold) means were used to induce solation. Myosin was definitely required for contraction. During Ca++-or pH-elicited contraction: (a) actin, myosin, and a 95,000-dalton polypeptide were concentrated in the contracted extract; (b) the gelation activity was recovered in the material sqeezed out the contracting extract;(c) electron microscopy demonstrated that the number of free, recognizable F-actin filaments increased; (d) the actomyosin MgATPase activity was stimulated by 4- to 10-fold. In the absense of myosin the Dictyostelium extract did not contract, while gelation proceeded normally. During solation of the gel in the absense of myosin: (a) electron microscopy demonstrated that the number of free, recognizable F- actin filaments increased; (b) solation-dependent contraction of the extract and the Ca++-stimulated MgATPase activity were reconstituted by adding puried Dictyostelium myosin. Actin purified from the Dictyostelium extract did not gel (at 2 mg/ml), while low concentrations of actin (0.7-2 mg/ml) that contained several contaminating components underwent rapid Ca++ regulated gelation. These results indicated : (a) gelation in Dictyostelium extracts involves a specific Ca++-sensitive interaction between actin and several other components; (b) myosin is an absolute requirement for contraction of the extract; (c) actin-myosin interactions capable of producing force for movement are prevented in the gel, while solation of the gel by either physical or chemical means results in the release of F-actin capable of interaction with myosin and subsequent contraction. The effectiveness of physical agents in producting contraction suggests that the regulation of contraction by the gel is structural in nature.     

Roles of creatine in the regulation of cardiac protein synthesis

The observation that increased muscular activity leads to muscle hypertrophy is well known, but identification of the biochemical and physiological mechanisms by which this occurs remains an important problem. Experiments have been described (5, 6) which suggest that creatine, an end product of contraction, is involved in the control of contractile protein synthesis in differentiating skeletal muscle cells and may be the chemical signal coupling increased muscular activity and the increased muscular mass. During contraction, the creatine concentration in muscle transiently increases as creatine phosphate is hydrolyzed to regenerate ATP. In isometric contraction in skeletal muscle for example, Edwards and colleagues (3) have found that nearly all of the creatine phosphate is hydrolyzed. In this case, the creatine concentration is increased about twofold, and it is this transient change in creatine concentration which is postulated to lead to increased contractile protein synthesis. If creatine is found in several intracellular compartments, as suggested by Lee and Vissher (7), local changes in concentration may be greater then twofold. A specific effect on contractile protein synthesis seems reasonable in light of the work of Rabinowitz (13) and of Page et al. (11), among others, showing disproportionate accumulation of myofibrillar and mitochondrial proteins in response to work-induced hypertrophy and thyroxin-stimulated growth. Previous experiments (5, 6) have shown that skeletal muscles cells which have differentiated in vitro or in vivo synthesize myosin heavy-chain and actin, the major myofibrillar polypeptides, faster when supplied creatine in vitro. The stimulation is specific for contractile protein synthesis since neither the rate of myosin turnover nor the rates of synthesis of noncontractile protein and DNA are affected by creatine. The experiments reported in this communication were undertaken to test whether creatine selectively stimulates contractile protein synthesis in heart as it does in skeletal muscle.     

Microengineered systems with iPSC-derived cardiac and hepatic cells to evaluate drug adverse effects

Hepatic and cardiac drug adverse effects are among the leading causes of attrition in drug development programs, in part due to predictive failures of current animal or in vitro models. Hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold promise for predicting clinical drug effects, given their human-specific properties and their ability to harbor genetically determined characteristics that underlie inter-individual variations in drug response. Currently, the fetal-like properties and heterogeneity of hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes differentiated from iPSCs make them physiologically different from their counterparts isolated from primary tissues and limit their use for predicting clinical drug effects. To address this hurdle, there have been ongoing advances in differentiation and maturation protocols to improve the quality and use of iPSC-differentiated lineages. Among these are in vitro hepatic and cardiac cellular microsystems that can further enhance the physiology of cultured cells, can be used to better predict drug adverse effects, and investigate drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics to facilitate successful drug development. In this article, we discuss how cellular microsystems can establish microenvironments for these applications and propose how they could be used for potentially controlling the differentiation of hepatocytes or cardiomyocytes. The physiological relevance of cells is enhanced in cellular microsystems by simulating properties of tissue microenvironments, such as structural dimensionality, media flow, microfluidic control of media composition, and co-cultures with interacting cell types. Recent studies demonstrated that these properties also affect iPSC differentiations and we further elaborate on how they could control differentiation efficiency in microengineered devices. In summary, we describe recent advances in the field of cellular microsystems that can control the differentiation and maturation of hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes for drug evaluation. We also propose how future research with iPSCs within engineered microenvironments could enable their differentiation for scalable evaluations of drug effects.     

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae LEP1/SAC3 gene is associated with leucine transport

Leucine uptake by Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by three transport systems, the general amino acid transport system (GAP), encoded by GAP1, and two group-specific systems (S1 and S2), which also transport isoleucine and valine. A new mutant defective in both group-specific transport activities was isolated by employing a gap1 leu4 strain and selecting for trifluoroleucine-resistant mutants which also showed greatly reduced ability to utilize l-leucine as sole nitrogen source and very low levels of [¹⁴C]l-leucine uptake. A multicopy plasmid containing a DNA fragment which complemented the leucine transport defect was isolated by selecting for transformants that grew normally on minimal medium containing leucine as nitrogen source and subsequently assaying [¹⁴C]l-leucine uptake. Transformation of one such mutant, lep1, restored sensitivity to trifluoroleucine. The complementing gene, designated LEP1, was subcloned and sequenced. The LEP1 ORF encodes a large protein that lacks characteristics of a transporter or permease (i.e., lacks hydrophobic domains necessary for membrane association). Instead, Lep1p is a very basic protein (pI of 9.2) that contains a putative bipartite signal sequence for targeting to the nucleus, suggesting that it might be a DNA-binding protein. A database search revealed that LEP1 encodes a polypeptide that is identical to Sac3p except for an N-terminal truncation. The original identification of SAC3 was based on the isolation of a mutant allele, sac3-1, that suppresses the temperature-sensitive growth defect of an actin mutant containing the allele act1-1. Sac3p has been previously shown to be localized in the nucleus. When a lep1 mutant was crossed with a sac3 deletion mutant, no complementation was observed, indicating that the two mutations are functionally allelic.     

Analysis of the N-acetylneuraminic acid and N-glycolylneuraminic acid contents of glycoproteins by high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection

Presence or absence of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) can change a sialylated glycoprotein's serum half-life and possibly its function. We evaluated the linearity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy of a HPAEC/PAD method to determine its suitability for routine simultaneous analysis of Neu5Ac and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). An effective internal standard for this analysis is 3-deoxy-d-glycero-d- galacto-2-nonulosonic acid (KDN). We investigated the effect of the Au working electrode recession and determined that linear range and sensitivity were dependent on electrode recession. Using an electrode that was 350 &mgr;m recessed from the electrode block, the minimum detection limits of Neu5Ac, KDN, and Neu5Gc were 2, 5, and 2 pmol, respectively, and were reduced to 1, 2, and 0.5 pmol using a new electrode. The response of standards was linear from 10 to 500 pmol (r2>0.99) regardless of electrode recession. When Neu5Ac, KDN, and Neu5Gc (200 pmol each) were analyzed repetitively for 48 h, area RSDs were <3%. Reproducibility was unaffected when injections of glycoprotein neuraminidase and acid digestions were interspersed with standard injections. Area RSDs of Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc improved when the internal standard was used. We determined the precision and accuracy of this method for both a recessed and a new working electrode by analyzing Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc contents of bovine fetuin and bovine and human transferrins. Results were consistent with published values and independent of the working electrode. The sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy of this method make it suitable for direct routine analysis of glycoprotein Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc contents.      

Comparative pathogenesis of three human and zoonotic SARS-CoV strains in cynomolgus macaques

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic was characterized by increased pathogenicity in the elderly due to an early exacerbated innate host response. SARS-CoV is a zoonotic pathogen that entered the human population through an intermediate host like the palm civet. To prevent future introductions of zoonotic SARS-CoV strains and subsequent transmission into the human population, heterologous disease models are needed to test the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics against both late human and zoonotic isolates. Here we show that both human and zoonotic SARS-CoV strains can infect cynomolgus macaques and resulted in radiological as well as histopathological changes similar to those seen in mild human cases. Viral replication was higher in animals infected with a late human phase isolate compared to a zoonotic isolate. While there were significant differences in the number of host genes differentially regulated during the host responses between the three SARS-CoV strains, the top pathways and functions were similar and only apparent early during infection with the majority of genes associated with interferon signaling pathways. This study characterizes critical disease models in the evaluation and licensure of therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV for human use.