Inhibition of immune opsonin-independent phagocytosis by antibody to a pulmonary macrophage cell surface antigen

Unlike other hamster phagocytes, hamster pulmonary macrophages (PM) avidly ingest albumin-coated latex particles in the absence of serum. They also possess a highly specific cell surface antigen. To evaluate the relationship between these two characteristics, PM were incubated with mouse monoclonal antibody directed against the PM antigen. After unbound antibody was removed, the amount of bound antibody and the phagocytic capability of PM were measured by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Maximum antibody binding produced a 25% inhibition of ingestion. Particle attachment was not affected. This effect was antigen specific, since neither a nonspecific mouse myeloma protein of the same subclass nor a mouse antibody that bound to another hamster surface antigen had any effect on binding or ingestion. If antigen-specific F(ab')2 fragments were introduced both before and during the period of phagocytosis, the inhibition of particle ingestion approached 100%. Particle binding increased at low F(ab')2 concentrations but declined at higher concentrations. Because calcium may play a role in the ingestion process, the effect of antibody on 45Ca uptake was evaluated. It was observed that antigen-specific F(ab')2 fragments stimulated 45Ca uptake, whereas control antibodies did not. These results suggest that the antigen reacting with our anti-hamster PM monoclonal antibody is involved in immune opsonin-independent phagocytosis and that calcium participates in this phagocytic process.     

Discriminatory Role of Detergent-Resistant Membranes in the Dimerization and Endocytosis of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a type-II membrane glycoprotein that was initially identified in LNCaP cells. It is expressed at elevated levels in prostate cancer. In view of the correlation between the expression levels of PSMA and disease grade and stage, PSMA is considered to be one of the most promising biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. In LNCaP cells PSMA undergoes internalization via clathrin-coated pits followed by accumulation in the endosomes. PSMA associates with different types of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) along the secretory pathway. Its mature form is mainly insoluble in Lubrol WX, but does not associate with Triton X-100-DRMs. To understand the mechanism of PSMA internalization we investigated its association during internalization with DRMs. For this purpose, internalization was induced by antibody cross-linking. We demonstrate at the biochemical and cell biological levels that: [i] exclusively homodimers of PSMA are associated with Lubrol WX-DRMs, [ii] antibody-induced cross-linking of PSMA molecules results in a time-dependent partitioning into another DRMs type, namely Triton X-100-DRMs, and [iii] concomitant with its association with Triton-X-100-DRMs internalization of PSMA occurs along tubulin filaments. In a previous work (Colombatti et al. (2009) PLoS One 4: e4608) we demonstrated that the small GTPases RAS and RAC1 and the MAPKs p38 and ERK1/2 are activated during antibody cross-linking. As downstream effects of this activation we observed a strong induction of NF-kB associated with an increased expression of IL-6 and CCL5 genes and that IL-6 and CCL5 enhanced the proliferative potential of LNCaP cells synergistically. These observations together with findings reported here hypothesize a fundamental role of DRMs during activation of PSMA as platforms for trafficking, endocytosis and signalling. Understanding these mechanisms constitutes an essential prerequisite for utilization of PSMA as a therapeutically suitable target in prostate cancer.     

Longitudinal Metabolomic Profiling of Amino Acids and Lipids across Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is characterized by a complexity of metabolic processes that may impact fetal development and ultimately, infant health outcomes. However, our understanding of whole body maternal and fetal metabolism during this critical life stage remains incomplete. The objective of this study is to utilize metabolomics to profile longitudinal patterns of fasting maternal metabolites among a cohort of non-diabetic, healthy pregnant women in order to advance our understanding of changes in protein and lipid concentrations across gestation, the biochemical pathways by which they are metabolized and to describe variation in maternal metabolites between ethnic groups. Among 160 pregnant women, amino acids, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates, keto-bodies and non-esterified fatty acids were detected by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, while polar lipids were detected through flow-injected mass spectrometry. The maternal plasma concentration of several essential and non-essential amino acids, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, free carnitine, acetylcarnitine, phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins significantly decreased across pregnancy. Concentrations of several TCA intermediates increase as pregnancy progresses, as well as the keto-body β-hydroxybutyrate. Ratios of specific acylcarnitines used as indicators of metabolic pathways suggest a decreased beta-oxidation rate and increased carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 enzyme activity with advancing gestation. Decreasing amino acid concentrations likely reflects placental uptake and tissue biosynthesis. The absence of any increase in plasma non-esterified fatty acids is unexpected in the catabolic phase of later pregnancy and may reflect enhanced placental fatty acid uptake and utilization for fetal tissue growth. While it appears that energy production through the TCA cycle increases as pregnancy progresses, decreasing patterns of free carnitine and acetylcarnitine as well as increased carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 rate and β-hydroxybutyrate levels suggest a concomitant upregulation of ketogenesis to ensure sufficient energy supply in the fasting state. Several differences in metabolomic profiles between Hispanic and non-Hispanic women demonstrate phenotypic variations in prenatal metabolism which should be considered in future studies.     

躯体和内脏传入冲动在大鼠束旁核内的会聚

在麻痹的大鼠上,分别刺激迷走神经、内脏大神经、坐骨神经、腓肠神经、睾丸和副睾,在对侧丘脑束旁核记录到了45个细胞的单位放电。根据诱发反应的潜伏期、时程和放电频谱分布的不同,可将他们分为五种类型,并且认为这些类型和刺激引起的感觉性质有关。在观察到的45单位中,29个的反应具有痛放电的特性,而且对躯体及内脏的传入冲动呈聚合性反应。其中2个单位只对内脏传入冲动产生反应。这项研究的结果表明,束旁核不仅是接受内脏传入的丘脑结构,而且也是一个整合内脏与躯体传入信息的中枢。     

Cytogenetic study of F1 hybrids betweenCrepis dinarica andCrepis froelichiana (Asteraceae)

Crepis dinarica andC. froelichiana are two closely related species of theC. praemorsa complex. Even though they exhibit the same chromosome number (2n = 8) and similar idiogram shape, they differ widely in quantity and distribution of heterochromatin bands. The hybrids between these two species comprise three morphological types. Parental genomes were distinguished in hybrids by Giemsa differential staining (C-banding). Although meiosis presents only a few abnormalities (about 2.4%), the percentage of aborted pollen grains is very high (90%).     

DNA recovery and direct detection of Tn5 sequences from soil

Specific Tn5 sequences inserted in the genome of Enterobacter agglomerans were detected in EcoRI digested DNA directly recovered from soil 70 d after its inoculation with the bacteria, when these were no longer culturable on agar medium. A new method of DNA extraction from soil was used. No amplification of DNA sequences by PCR was needed.     

Studies on effects of tamoxifen (ICI 46474) on agonistic encounters between pairs of intact mice

The anti-estrogen tamoxifen (Tam), which has been shown to dramatically suppress offensive behavior in male rats without markedly influencing other aspects of the social encounter, was tested for its effectiveness in mice. TO strain albino mice were given control injections or 50 or 100 micrograms of Tam for 4 or 8 days. Subsequently, mice were tested in pairs (for a particular dose and treatment duration) in which both animals received Tam, one animal received Tam and one saline, or both animals received saline control injections. Ten-minute videotaped encounters were analyzed in terms of total times allocated to nonsocial investigation, social investigation, offense, defense, sexual activity/intense social investigation, and immobility. The lower dose given for the shorter duration produced less social investigation and more nonsocial investigation when Tam-treated subjects were paired together (cf. the Tam vs saline pairing). At all the other doses and durations, Tam reduced offense. Defense also changed in those pairings, but that activity seemed related to the amount of attack received. Tamoxifen had little influence on the weights of accessory sex glands. The data confirm that Tam is a potent suppressor of "androgen-dependent" aggression in male laboratory mice and provide further support for the aromatization hypothesis.     

Immune opsonin-independent phagocytosis by pulmonary macrophages

The uptake of albumin-coated latex particles by hamster pulmonary macrophages (PM) in vitro was investigated by using a new technique that combined flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy to differentiate and quantitate bound vs ingested particles. In the absence of serum, PM avidly bound and ingested particles, whereas phagocytosis by hamster polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was less marked. In the presence of serum, phagocytosis by PM was slightly depressed, whereas phagocytosis by PMN was stimulated more than 10-fold. The binding of particles to PM in the absence of serum was pH, temperature, and trypsin sensitive and was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca++ but not Mg++. The ingestion of particles by this immune opsonin-independent pathway was also temperature sensitive but was not affected by either pH or extracellular Ca++. Particle ingestion, but not binding, was inhibited by cytochalasin D and the divalent cation ionophore A23187.