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Biomedical subjects

H Hosoya

Publications and source records attributed to H Hosoya.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Activation of actin-activated MgATPase activity of myosin II by phosphorylation with MAPK-activated protein kinase-1b (RSK-2).

Regulatory light chain of myosin II (MRLC) was identified as a novel substrate of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK)-2, a Ser/Thr protein kinase which is phosphorylated and activated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in vitro and in vivo. Phosphopeptide map of MRLC phosphorylated by RSK-2 was identical to that by myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). Phosphoserine was recovered by the phosphoamino acid analysis of MRLC phosphorylated by RSK-2. Further, phosphorylation using recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins of HeLa MRLC2 revealed that RSK-2 phosphorylated wild-type MRLC2 (GST-wtMRLC2) but not its mutants GST-MRLC2(S19A) or GST-MRLC2(T18AS19A) (alanine substituted for Ser19 or both Ser19 and Thr18). These results revealed that RSK-2 phosphorylates MRLC at Ser19 as did MLCK. Phosphorylation of myosin II by RSK-2 resulted in activation of actin-activated MgATPase activity of myosin II. Interestingly, RSK-2 activity to phosphorylate MRLC was suppressed by phosphorylation with MAPK. RSK-2 might be a mediator that regulates myosin II activity through the MAPK cascade.

Actins↗

Myosin II regulatory light chain as a novel substrate for AIM-1, an aurora/Ipl1p-related kinase from rat.

Previous studies demonstrated that the phosphorylated myosin II regulatory light chain (MRLC) is localized at the cleavage furrow of dividing cells, suggesting that phosphorylation of MRLC plays an important role in cytokinesis. However, it remains unclear which kinase(s) phosphorylate MRLC during cytokinesis. AIM-1, an Aurora/Ipl1p-related kinase from rat, is known as a serine/threonine kinase that is required for cytokinesis. Here we examined the possibility that AIM-1 is a candidate for a kinase that phosphorylates MRLC during cytokinesis. As a result, we showed that AIM-1 monophosphorylated MRLC at Ser19 using two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping analysis and several MRLC mutants. Furthermore, AIM-1 was colocalized with monophosphorylated MRLC at the cleavage furrow of dividing cells. We propose here that AIM-1 may participate in monophosphorylation of MRLC during cytokinesis.

Animals↗

Urinary excretions of albumin and type IV collagen in normotensive and hypertensive subjects.

Plasma albumin leaks into urine as a result of glomerular hypertension and basement membrane injury, while urinary type IV collagen derives from mesangial matrix and glomerular basement membrane. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the pathophysiological significance of these urinary microproteins as an indicator of cardiovascular organ injuries in hypertension. In health-checkup participants without diabetes, proteinuria, or microhematuria, and who were not being treated for hypertension or any other disease at the time of enrollment, urinary albumin and type IV collagen were measured and their relations to organ injuries and cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated. Of 1,079 subjects (40- to 65-year-old; 256 men and 823 women) enrolled in the study, 120 (11.1%) had untreated hypertension exceeding 140/90 mmHg. Urinary albumin was positively correlated with both age (r=0.16, p<0.001) and systolic blood pressure (r=0.27, p<0.001). Urinary type IV collagen was not only positively correlated with age (r=0.12, p<0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.14, p<0.001) but also negatively correlated with blood hemoglobin (r=-0.12, p<0.001). Urinary albumin, but not type IV collagen, had a significant relation to electrocardiographic signs of left ventricular hypertrophy (p=0.012) and retinal arteriosclerosis on fundoscopy (p <0.001). Thus both albumin and type IV collagen would seem to have increased in association with age and hypertension in this cohort. It is suggested that urinary albumin is an indicator not only of renal injury, but also possibly of development of cardiac hypertrophy and arteriosclerotic changes. Urinary type IV collagen, on the other hand, may be associated with renal tissue injuries that affect erythrokinetics.

Adult↗

ZIP kinase identified as a novel myosin regulatory light chain kinase in HeLa cells.

A novel myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) cDNA was isolated from a HeLa cell cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence was identical to that of a zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) which mediates apoptosis [Kawai et al. (1998) Mol. Cell. Biol. 18, 1642-1651]. Here we found that HeLa ZIPK phosphorylated the regulatory light chain of myosin II (MRLC) at both serine 19 and threonine 18 in a Ca2+/calmodulin independent manner. Phosphorylation of myosin II by HeLa ZIPK resulted in activation of actin-activated MgATPase activity of myosin II. HeLa ZIPK is the first non-muscle MLCK that phosphorylates MRLC at two sites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Activation of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit by mitosis-specific phosphorylation.

It has been demonstrated previously that during mitosis the sites of myosin phosphorylation are switched between the inhibitory sites, Ser 1/2, and the activation sites, Ser 19/Thr 18 (Yamakita, Y., S. Yamashiro, and F. Matsumura. 1994. J. Cell Biol. 124:129- 137; Satterwhite, L.L., M.J. Lohka, K.L. Wilson, T.Y. Scherson, L.J. Cisek, J.L. Corden, and T.D. Pollard. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 118:595-605), suggesting a regulatory role of myosin phosphorylation in cell division. To explore the function of myosin phosphatase in cell division, the possibility that myosin phosphatase activity may be altered during cell division was examined. We have found that the myosin phosphatase targeting subunit (MYPT) undergoes mitosis-specific phosphorylation and that the phosphorylation is reversed during cytokinesis. MYPT phosphorylated either in vivo or in vitro in the mitosis-specific way showed higher binding to myosin II (two- to threefold) compared to MYPT from cells in interphase. Furthermore, the activity of myosin phosphatase was increased more than twice and it is suggested this reflected the increased affinity of myosin binding. These results indicate the presence of a unique positive regulatory mechanism for myosin phosphatase in cell division. The activation of myosin phosphatase during mitosis would enhance dephosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain, thereby leading to the disassembly of stress fibers during prophase. The mitosis-specific effect of phosphorylation is lost on exit from mitosis, and the resultant increase in myosin phosphorylation may act as a signal to activate cytokinesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Microtubule-dependent movement of symbiotic algae and granules in Paramecium bursaria.

Paramecia demonstrate rotational cytoplasmic streaming, in which some cytoplasmic granules and organelles, including symbiotic algae, flow in a constant direction. To elucidate the mechanism of this streaming, we examined the effects of cytochalasins (cytochalasin B and D, and dihydrocytochalasin B) and nocodazole, which are reagents affecting microfilament and microtubule networks, respectively, in the cell. In previous reports, paramecia have been compressed with a coverslip to facilitate observation of cytoplasmic streaming. Here we found that the cytoplasmic streaming of paramecia was suppressed by such compression and then observed the process without compression in this work. In the presence of cytochalasins, cytoplasmic streaming was not affected. In contrast, treatment with nocodazole (10 microg/ml) resulted in discontinuation of cytoplasmic streaming in paramecia. Immunofluorescent microscopic observations by confocal microscopy revealed that the number of intracellular microtubules in nocodazole-treated cells was markedly decreased compared to that of controls. Electron microscopic observations confirmed the decrease. These results suggest that cytoplasmic microtubules play an important role in the cytoplasmic streaming of paramecia.

Animals↗

Generation and characterization of a monoclonal antibody, mH1, raised against mitotic HeLa cells.

Hybridoma cell lines were prepared from spleen cells of mouse immunized with mitotic HeLa cells. A monoclonal antibody (mH1), which intensively reacted with cleavage furrows of dividing HeLa cells in immunofluorescence, was obtained. In interphase, this antibody diffusely stained whole HeLa cells. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that mH1 antigens were localized at microvillus projections at the surface of dividing HeLa cells, but definite localization of that antigen was not observed in interphasic cells. Immunoblot analysis showed that mH1 is reactive to 42-kDa and 130-kDa components. Further, the 42-kDa component was identified as a gamma-actin homolog by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis.

Actins↗

Interleukin-10 inhibits both production of cytokines and expression of cytokine receptors in microglia.

Microglia, macrophage-like cells in the CNS, are multifunctional cells; they play an important role in removal of dead cells or their remnants by phagocytosis in the CNS degeneration and are one of important cells in the CNS cytokine network to produce and respond to a variety of cytokines. The functions of microglia are regulated by inhibitory cytokines. We have reported the expression of interleukin (IL)-10, one of the inhibitory cytokines, and its receptor in mouse microglia; therefore, IL-10 may affect microglial functions. In this study, we investigated the effects of IL-10 on purified microglia in culture. IL-10 inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production, lysosomal enzyme activity, and superoxide anion production in a dose-dependent manner, but did not affect granulocyte/ macrophage colony-stimulating factor-dependent proliferation of microglia. IL-10 also decreased the expression of both IL-6 receptor and lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-2 receptor but not IL-4 receptor on microglia as measured by flow cytometric analysis with an indirect immunofluorescence technique. IL-10 also decreased mRNA expression of IL-2 and IL-6 cytokine receptors. These results suggest that IL-10 is a unique and potent inhibitory factor in the CNS cytokine network involved in decreasing the expression of cytokine receptors as well as cytokine production by microglia.

Animals↗

Roseateles depolymerans gen. nov., sp. nov., a new bacteriochlorophyll a-containing obligate aerobe belonging to the beta-subclass of the Proteobacteria.

Strains 61AT (T = type strain) and 61B2, the first bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a-containing obligate aerobes to be classified in the beta-subclass of the Proteobacteria, were isolated from river water. The strains were originally isolated as degraders of poly(hexamethylene carbonate) (PHC). The organisms can utilize PHC and some other biodegradable plastics. The strains grow only under aerobic conditions. Good production of BChl a and caroterioid pigments is achieved on PHC agar plates and an equivalent production is observed under oligotrophic conditions on agar medium. Spectrometric results suggest that BChl a is present in light-harvesting complex I and the photochemical reaction centre. The main carotenoids are spirilloxanthin and its precursors. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the phylogenetic positions of the two strains are similar to each other and that their closest relatives are the genera Rubrivivax, ideonella and Leptothrix with similarities of 96.3, 96.2 and 96.1%, respectively. The cells are motile, straight rods and contain poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate granules. Ubiquinone-8 is the predominant quinone. Vitamins are not required for growth. The G + C content of genomic DNA is 66.2-66.3 mol%. Genetic and phenotypic features suggest that the strains represent a new genus in the beta-subclass which is evenly distant from known genera. Consequently, the name Roseateles depolymerans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for the strains; the type strain of Roseateles depolymerans is strain 61AT (= DSM 11813T).

Bacteria, Aerobic↗

Secretion of tetrain, a Tetrahymena cysteine protease, as a mature enzyme and its identification as a member of the cathepsin L subfamily.

A protease in the culture medium of Tetrahymena pyriformis was purified to homogeneity. The purified protease had an apparent molecular mass of 28 kDa on SDS/PAGE. The amino acid sequences of the N-terminal and internal peptides of the protease showed complete identity with those of tetrain, an enzyme previously reported as a Tetrahymena cysteine protease but not characterized in detail. Two overlapping cDNA clones for tetrain were sequenced, and the nucleotide sequence predicts that these clones encode a 330-amino acid protein composed of a 16-residue N-terminal signal sequence followed by a 103-residue propeptide and a 211-residue mature protease. The primary structure and enzymatic properties support the conclusion that tetrain belongs to the cathepsin L subfamily. Immunoblotting analyses showed that mature tetrain was found exclusively in the culture medium. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that tetrain was concentrated in or around the food vacuoles of cells in the late logarithmic phase, but the staining of food vacuoles was not obvious in the stationary phase. These results suggest that tetrain is synthesized at the logarithmic phase and is secreted into the culture medium as a mature form.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Bacterial isolates degrading aliphatic polycarbonates.

Bacteria that degrade an aliphatic polycarbonate, poly(hexamethylene carbonate), were isolated from river water in Ibaraki. Prefecture, Japan, after enrichment in liquid medium containing poly(hexamethylene carbonate) suspensions as carbon source, and dilution to single cells. Four of the strains, 35L, WFF52, 61A and 61B2, degraded poly(hexamethylene carbonate) on agar plate containing suspended poly(hexamethylene carbonate). Degradation of poly(hexamethylene carbonate) was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography. Besides poly(hexamethylene carbonate), the strains were found to degrade poly(tetramethylene carbonate). The strains were characterized morphologically, physiologically, and by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Strains 35L and WFF52 were tentatively identified as Pseudomonas sp. and Variovorax sp., respectively, while strains 61A and 61B2 constitute an unidentified branch within the beta subclass of the Proteobacteria.

Bacteria↗

Age-related decline of F3/contactin in rat hippocampus.

F3/Contactin (F3), a neural adhesion molecule, is known to be involved in developmental and regenerative processes in the brain. We have investigated age-related change in the expression of F3 mRNA and protein in the Wistar rat brain using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. From 3 months to 24 months, no obvious change in the amount of F3 protein was observed in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. However, in 30-month-old rats a significant decrease in F3 protein was found in the hippocampus. A specific decrease of density of F3 immunostaining and F3 mRNA expression was observed in the pyramidal neurons of CA1 and the granule cells in dentate gyrus. The specific decrease of F3 in the hippocampus at late stage of aging may be related to memory deficient in old age.

Aging↗

Identification of p34cdc2 kinase from sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus and its involvement in the phosphorylation of myosin II regulatory light chain in the metaphase extract.

We present here the nucleotide sequence for a cDNA clone encoding p34cdc2 from sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. The obtained cDNA comprised 301 amino acid residues that contained the PSTAIRE domain to be important for binding to cyclins. Amino acid sequence similarity between this clone and other eukaryotic cdc2 sequences averaged approximately 72%. Using p13suc1-conjugated Sepharose 4B and a selective inhibitor of p34cdc2 kinase, butyrolactone I, it was first suggested that p34cdc2 kinase is involved in the phosphorylation of MRLC at both MLCK site and two PKC sites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of MAPKAPK homolog (MAPKAPK-4) as a myosin II regulatory light-chain kinase in sea urchin egg extracts.

We identified and cloned a homolog of mammalian mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase (MAPKAPK)-2 and -3 from sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. The obtained cDNA clone was composed of 350 amino acid residues which contain MAPK phosphorylation sites and the bipartite nuclear localization signal sites in its C-terminal domain. The clone showed 65.4 and 66.7% amino acid residue identity to human MAPKAPK-2 and -3, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the homolog can be classified into a distinct group of MAPKAPK and, therefore, the identified homolog was designated as MAPKAPK-4. Biochemical characterization was performed using recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-MAPKAPK-4 fusion protein. The protein kinase activity of GST-MAPKAPK-4 was activated by MAPK and this enabled the kinase to phosphorylate both glycogen synthase N-terminal peptide and the regulatory light chain of myosin II in vitro. Northern blot analysis showed that MAPKAPK-4 was expressed throughout the development of sea urchin embryos. These observations suggest that MAPKAPK-4 may play an important role in the regulation of myosin II activity during the development of sea urchin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Transient expression of M-CSF is important for osteoclast-like cell differentiation in a monocytic leukemia cell line.

Cells of U937, a human monocytic leukemia cell line, differentiate into macrophages by treatment with 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), whereas cells treated with 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] continue to grow without undergoing differentiation. When U937 cells were successively treated with TPA and 1,25-(OH)2D3, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive multinucleated cells appeared at 5 days after the treatment. These osteoclast-like cells released a soluble form of 45Ca from 45Ca-labeled bone particles. These cells were not formed when the order of treatment with TPA and 1,25-(OH)2D3 was reversed. Use of either dexamethasone or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was effective in inhibiting the formation of these osteoclast-like cells. The expression of c-src, c-fms, and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) was induced by TPA treatment; however, TPA-induced M-CSF gene transcription was attenuated by the subsequent addition of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Furthermore, both dexamethasone and IFN-gamma impaired the attenuation of M-CSF expression, suggesting that the transient expression of M-CSF may be important for the formation of osteoclast-like cells.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Detection of polymorphic FGF receptor 1 mRNA in bovine lens epithelium by PCR.

The expression of FGFR 1, 2 and 3 but not FGFR 4 was detected in bovine lens epithelial cells. FGFR 1 expression of both the 2-lg and 3-lg forms was detected by a difference in the lengths of the PCR products. Furthermore, mRNA which included or excluded six nucleotides corresponding to two amino acids in the acid box region of FGFR 1 was detected by a difference in mobility of the homo- and hetero-duplex strands formed in the PCR reaction.

Animals↗

Release of a newly-identified cysteine protease, tetrain, from Tetrahymena into culture medium during the cell growth.

Protease activity in the culture medium of Tetrahymena pyriformis markedly increased during the growth of the ciliate. The protease activity in the culture medium was purified by sequential column chromatographies. The purified protease had an apparent molecular mass of 28 kDa. N-terminal amino acid sequencing analysis suggested that the protease is a mature form of cysteine protease. Requirements of free sulfhydryl groups for activity and sensitivity to N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone and Na-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone also indicated that the protease is a member of the papain family of cysteine proteases. The protease was designated as tetrain. Immunoblotting analyses showed that tetrain was present in higher amount in the culture medium in the stationary phase than in the logarithmic phase. Tetrain has high activities at neutral to alkaline pH values. This suggests that tetrain has functional roles in the culture medium in the stationary phase, because the pH of the culture medium became alkaline with the progress of Tetrahymena growth.

Amino Acid Sequence↗