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Eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha-independent pathway of stress granule induction by the natural product pateamine A.

Stress granules are aggregates of small ribosomal subunits, mRNA, and numerous associated RNA-binding proteins that include several translation initiation factors. Stress granule assembly occurs in the cytoplasm of higher eukaryotic cells under a wide variety of stress conditions, including heat shock, UV irradiation, hypoxia, and exposure to arsenite. Thus far, a unifying principle of eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha phosphorylation prior to stress granule formation has been observed from the majority of experimental evidence. Pateamine A, a natural product isolated from marine sponge, was recently reported to inhibit eukaryotic translation initiation and induce the formation of stress granules. In this report, the protein composition and fundamental progression of stress granule formation and disassembly induced by pateamine A was found to be similar to that for arsenite. However, pateamine A-induced stress granules were more stable and less prone to disassembly than those formed in the presence of arsenite. Most significantly, pateamine A induced stress granules independent of eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha phosphorylation, suggesting an alternative mechanism of formation from that previously described for other cellular stresses. Taking into account the known inhibitory effect of pateamine A on eukaryotic translation initiation, a model is proposed to account for the induction of stress granules by pateamine A as well as other stress conditions through perturbation of any steps prior to the rejoining of the 60S ribosomal subunit during the entire translation initiation process.

Animals↗

Derlin-1 promotes the efficient degradation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and CFTR folding mutants.

A complex involving Derlin-1 and p97 mediates the retrotranslocation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation of misfolded proteins in yeast and is used by certain viruses to promote host cell protein degradation (Romisch, K. (2005) Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 21, 435-456; Lilley, B. N., and Ploegh, H. L. (2004) Nature 429, 834-840; Ye, Y., Shibata, Y., Yun, C., Ron, D., and Rapoport, T. A. (2004) Nature 429, 841-847). We asked whether the components of this pathway are involved in the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation of the mammalian integral membrane protein, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a substrate for the ubiquitin-proteasome system. We report that Derlin-1 and p97 formed complexes with CFTR in human airway epithelial cells. Derlin-1 interacted with nonubiquitylated CFTR, whereas p97 associated with ubiquitylated CFTR. Exogenous expression of Derlin-1 led to its co-localization with CFTR in the ER where it reduced wild type (WT) CFTR expression and efficiently degraded the disease-associated CFTR folding mutants, DeltaF508 and G85E (>90%). Consistent with this, Derlin-1 also reduced the amount of WT or DeltaF508 CFTR appearing in detergent-in-soluble aggregates. An approximately 70% knockdown of endogenous Derlin-1 by RNA interference increased the steady-state levels of WT and DeltaF508 CFTR by 10-15-fold, reflecting its significant role in CFTR degradation. Derlin-1 mediated the degradation of N-terminal CFTR fragments corresponding to the first transmembrane domain of CFTR, but CFTR fragments that incorporated additional domains were degraded less efficiently. These findings suggest that Derlin-1 recognizes misfolded, nonubiquitylated CFTR to initiate its dislocation and degradation early in the course of CFTR biogenesis, perhaps by detecting structural instability within the first transmembrane domain.

Animals↗

Angiotensin II receptor-independent antiinflammatory and antiaggregatory properties of losartan: role of the active metabolite EXP3179.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT(1)) antagonists such as losartan (LOS) are widely used for the treatment of hypertension and elicit antiinflammatory and antiaggregatory in vitro and in patients, although the underlying mechanism are unclear. Following computer-based molecule similarity, we proposed that on cytochrome-P450 degradation, the LOS metabolite EXP3179 is generated, which shows molecule homology to indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor with antiinflammatory and antiaggregatory properties. Subsequently, serum-levels of EXP3179 were determined for 8 hours in patients receiving a single oral dose of 100 mg LOS. High-performance liquid chromatography followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) [corrected] from serum samples revealed a maximum of 10(-7) mol/L for EXP3179 peaking between 3 to 4 hours. The increase in serum-EXP3179 levels was associated with a significant reduction in platelet aggregation in vivo (-35+/-4%, P<0.001 versus control). EXP3179 generation was investigated in a chemical reaction mimicking the liver cytochrome-P450-dependent LOS-degradation and human endothelial cells were exposed to Ang II or lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the presence of EXP3179 (10(-7) mol/L). LPS- and Ang II-induced COX-2 transcription was abolished by EXP3179. Moreover, EXP3179 significantly reduced Ang II- and LPS-induced formation of prostaglandin F2alpha as determined by GC-MS [corrected]. Thus, antiinflammatory properties of LOS are mediated via its EXP3179 metabolite by abolishing COX-2 mRNA upregulation and COX-dependent TXA2 and PGF2alpha generation. Serum levels of EXP3179 are detectable in patients in concentrations that exhibit antiinflammatory and antiaggregatory properties in vitro.

Angiotensin II↗

Lovastatin enhances ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity and cell surface expression in endothelial cells: implication of rho-family GTPases.

Extracellular adenosine production by the GPI-anchored Ecto-5'-Nucleotidase (Ecto-5'-Nu) plays an important role in the cardiovascular system, notably in defense against hypoxia. It has been previously suggested that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (HRIs) could potentiate the hypoxic stimulation of Ecto-5'Nu in myocardial ischemia. In order to elucidate the mechanism of Ecto-5'-Nu stimulation by HRIs, Ecto-5'-Nu activity and expression were determined in an aortic endothelial cell line (SVAREC) incubated with lovastatin. Lovastatin enhanced Ecto-5'-Nu activity in a dose-dependent manner. This increase was not supported by de novo synthesis of the enzyme because neither the mRNA content nor the total amount of the protein were modified by lovastatin. By contrast, lovastatin enhanced cell surface expression of Ecto-5'-Nu and decreased endocytosis of Ecto-5'-Nu, as evidenced by immunostaining. This effect appeared unrelated to modifications of cholesterol content or Ecto-5'-Nu association with detergent-resistant membranes. The effect of lovastatin was reversed by mevalonate, the substrate of HMG-CoA reductase, by its isoprenoid derivative, geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate, and by cytotoxic necrotizing factor, an activator of Rho-GTPases. Stimulation of Ecto-5'-Nu by lovastatin enhanced the inhibition of platelet aggregation induced by endothelial cells. In conclusion, lovastatin enhances Ecto-5'-Nu activity and membrane expression in endothelial cells. This effect seems independent of lowering cholesterol content but could be supported by an inhibition of Ecto-5'-Nu endocytosis through a decrease of Rho-GTPases isoprenylation.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

Downstream of kinase, p62(dok), is a mediator of Fc gamma IIB inhibition of Fc epsilon RI signaling.

The low-affinity receptor for IgG, Fc gamma RIIB, is expressed widely in the immune system and functions to attenuate Ag-induced immune responses. In mast cells, coaggregation of Fc gamma RIIB with the high-affinity IgE receptor, Fc epsilon RI, leads to inhibition of Ag-induced degranulation and cytokine production. Fc gamma RIIB inhibitory activity requires a conserved motif within the Fc gamma RIIB cytoplasmic domain termed the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif. When coaggregated with an activating receptor (e.g., Fc epsilon RI, B cell Ag receptor), Fc gamma RIIB is rapidly phosphorylated on tyrosine and recruits the SH2 domain-containing inositol 5-phosphatase (SHIP). However, the mechanisms by which SHIP mediates Fc gamma RIIB inhibitory function in mast cells remain poorly defined. In this report we demonstrate that Fc gamma RIIB coaggregation with Fc epsilon RI stimulates enhanced SHIP tyrosine phosphorylation and association with Shc and p62(dok). Concurrently, enhanced p62(dok) tyrosine phosphorylation and association with RasGAP are observed, suggesting that SHIP may mediate Fc gamma RIIB inhibitory function in mast cells via recruitment of p62(dok) and RasGAP. Supporting this hypothesis, recruitment of p62(dok) to Fc epsilon RI is sufficient to inhibit Fc epsilon RI-induced calcium mobilization and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activation. Interestingly, both the amino-terminal pleckstrin homology and phosphotyrosine binding domains and the carboxyl-terminal proline/tyrosine-rich region of p62(dok) can mediate inhibition, suggesting activation of parallel downstream signaling pathways that converge at extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activation. Finally, studies using gene-ablated mice indicate that p62(dok) is dispensable for Fc gamma RIIB inhibitory signaling in mast cells. Taken together, these data suggest a role for p62(dok) as a mediator of Fc gamma RIIB inhibition of Fc epsilon RI signal transduction in mast cells.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

A phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C regulates activation of p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinases in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human alveolar macrophages.

This study uses human alveolar macrophages to determine whether activation of a phosphatidylcholine (PC)-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) is linked to activation of the p42/44 (ERK) kinases by LPS. LPS-induced ERK kinase activation was inhibited by tricyclodecan-9-yl xanthogenate (D609), a relatively specific inhibitor of PC-PLC. LPS also increased amounts of diacylglycerol (DAG), and this increase in DAG was inhibited by D609. LPS induction of DAG was, at least in part, derived from PC hydrolysis. Ceramide was also increased in LPS-treated alveolar macrophages, and this increase in ceramide was inhibited by D609. Addition of exogenous C2 ceramide or bacterial-derived sphingomyelinase to alveolar macrophages increased ERK kinase activity. LPS also activated PKC zeta, and this activation was inhibited by D609. LPS-activated PKC zeta phosphorylated MAP kinase kinase, the kinase directly upstream of the ERK kinases. LPS-induced cytokine production (RNA and protein) was also inhibited by D609. As an aggregate, these studies support the hypothesis that one way by which LPS activates the ERK kinases is via activation of PC-PLC and that activation of a PC-PLC is an important component of macrophage activation by LPS.

Bridged-Ring Compounds↗

[Autoradiography of the exchanges that can occur between murine sarcoma cells (BP 8) and yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, complete or protoplast)].

We can tell after observing the resulting negative that yeasts are able, in our experimental conditions, to collect a sequence of ADN and of ARN proceeding from the cancerous cells. Then, those yeasts could turn their synthesis towards the production of new materials. If those informed yeasts were introduced into a mouse, they would induce at the level of the immunocompetent cells a specific immunizing antitumoral power.

Animals↗

HCV infection and pericarditis: an extrahepatic manifestation?

The authors describe a clinical case in which they found the unusual combination of acute hepatitis caused by HCV and pericarditis in a young person, resulting in complete recovery from the pericarditis but in a deterioration of the chronic HCV. A close examination of the literature on this subject revealed that, although no similar case was recorded, an aetiological relationship between the hepatitis C virus and pericarditis cannot be excluded since an HCV infection often gives rise to extra-hepatic cardiac problems.

Acute Disease↗

Non-A, non-B hepatitis: research progress and current perspectives.

Recent studies have documented the existence of at least two transmissible agents of posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis. The disease frequently progresses to a state of chronic liver disease and/or persistent viremia, often in the absence of elevated liver enzymes. Difficulties encountered in the development of serologic tests for NANB antigens may be related to a lack of potent antibody coupled with low concentrations of infectious agent. The ultrastructural changes we have observed in infected chimpanzee hepatocytes are primarily confined to the cytoplasm and are, in the aggregate, most similar to those induced by a variety of RNA, but not DNA, viruses. At least one of the NANB hepatitis agents interferes with concurrent HAV or HBV infection in experimentally inoculated chimpanzees.

Animals↗

Platelet-activating factor enhances urokinase-type plasminogen activator gene expression in corneal epithelium.

PURPOSE: To determine whether platelet-activating factor (PAF), a lipid mediator that is accumulated in the cornea after alkali burn, induces the gene expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) in the corneal epithelium. Possible signaling mechanisms of uPA gene induction by PAF also were examined. METHODS: Rabbit corneas were cultured with or without PAF. One hour before stimulation, PAF antagonists or other modulators were added to PAF. In some experiments, the corneas were permeabilized to introduce guanosine triphosphate analogs into the corneal epithelial cells. Corneal epithelia were then harvested for Northern blot analysis, nuclear runoff transcription assay, and zymography. RESULTS: Platelet-activating factor induced uPA mRNA expression in the corneal epithelium. New protein synthesis was not required for the induction of uPA mRNA. The induction was at the level of transcription as shown by nuclear runoff assays. Additionally, both actinomycin D and alpha-amanitin inhibited the increase in uPA mRNA by PAF. The message was translated into protein, which was secreted into the conditioned medium. An antagonist with high affinity for intracellular PAF binding sites (BN 50730) inhibited uPA gene expression and cellular secretion of the protein. The effect of PAF was not mediated by G proteins and was independent of protein kinase C- and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent signal transduction pathways. Okadaic acid increased the expression of uPA and, at longer times, augmented the effect of PAF, suggesting that a signaling pathway that requires phosphorylation is involved in activated uPA mRNA synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: After corneal injury and inflammation, PAF may be an important initiator of the proteolytic cascade, leading to epithelial defects and corneal ulceration. Antagonists of PAF could be useful in the prevention of these diseases.

Amanitins↗

Human respiratory syncytial virus matrix protein is an RNA-binding protein: binding properties, location and identity of the RNA contact residues.

The human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) matrix (M) protein is a structural internal membrane protein. Here we have shown that, like its orthomyxovirus and rhabdovirus counterparts, it has RNA-binding capacity, as determined by retardation of (32)P-labelled riboprobes in gel electrophoresis, cross-linking with UV light and Northern-Western assays. Its binding to RNA was neither sequence-specific nor showed a length requirement, although it had cooperative kinetics with a K(d) of 25 nM and probably two different types of RNA-binding sites. After preparative cross-linking of (32)P-labelled riboprobes with purified, renatured HRSV Long strain M protein (256 residues), the residues in contact with RNA were located between amino acids 120 and 170, in the central part of the molecule. Lysine (positions 121, 130, 156 and 157) and arginine (position 170) residues located within this region and conserved among pneumovirus M proteins of different origins were found to be essential for RNA contact. M protein expression did not affect the replication and transcription of HRSV RNA analogues in vivo (except when expressed in large amounts), in contrast to the in vitro transcription inhibition described previously. In addition, M protein was found to aggregate into high-molecular-mass oligomers, both in the presence and absence of its RNA-binding activity. The formation of these structures has been related in other viruses to either viral or host-cell RNA metabolism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Agrin fragments differentially induce ectopic aggregation of acetylcholine receptors in myotomal muscles of Xenopus embryos.

Agrin is an extracellular synaptic protein that organizes the postsynaptic apparatus, including acetylcholine receptors (AChRs), of the neuromuscular junction. The COOH-terminal portion of agrin has full AChR-aggregating activity in culture, and includes three globular domains, G1, G2, and G3. Portions of the agrin protein containing these domains bind to different cell surface proteins of muscle cells, including alpha-dystroglycan (G1-G2) and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (G2), whereas the G3 domain is sufficient to aggregate AChRs. We sought to determine whether the G1 and G2 domains of agrin potentiate agrin activity in vivo, as they do in culture. Fragments from the COOH-terminal of a neuronal agrin isoform (4,8) containing G3, both G2 and G3, or all three G domains were overexpressed in Xenopus embryos during neuromuscular synapse formation in myotomal muscles. RNA encoding these fragments of rat agrin was injected into one-cell embryos. All three fragments increased the ectopic aggregation of AChRs in noninnervated regions near the center of myotomes. Surprisingly, ectopic aggregation was more pronounced after overexpression of the smallest fragment, which lacks the heparin- and alpha-dystroglycan-binding domains. Synaptic AChR aggregation was decreased in embryos overexpressing the fragments, suggesting a competition between endogenous agrin secreted by nerve terminals and exogenous agrin fragments secreted by muscle cells. These results suggest that binding of the larger agrin fragments to alpha-dystroglycan and/or heparan sulfate proteoglycans may sequester the fragments and inhibit their activity in embryonic muscle. These intermolecular interactions may regulate agrin activity and differentiation of the neuromuscular junction in vivo.

Agrin↗

Localization of RNAs to the mitochondrial cloud in Xenopus oocytes through entrapment and association with endoplasmic reticulum.

The germ cell lineage in Xenopus is specified by the inheritance of germ plasm, which originates within a distinct "mitochondrial cloud" (MC) in previtellogenic oocytes. Germ plasm contains localized RNAs implicated in germ cell development, including Xcat2 and Xdazl. To understand the mechanism of the early pathway through which RNAs localize to the MC, we applied live confocal imaging and photobleaching analysis to oocytes microinjected with fluorescent Xcat2 and Xdazl RNA constructs. These RNAs dispersed evenly throughout the cytoplasm through diffusion and then became progressively immobilized and formed aggregates in the MC. Entrapment in the MC was not prevented by microtubule disruption and did not require localization to germinal granules. Immobilized RNA constructs codistributed and showed coordinated movement with densely packed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) concentrated in the MC, as revealed with Dil16(3) labeling and immunofluorescence analysis. Vg1RBP/Vera protein, which has been implicated in linking late pathway RNAs to vegetal ER, was shown to bind specifically both wild-type Xcat2 3' untranslated region and localization-defective constructs. We found endogenous Vg1RBP/Vera and Vg1RBP/Vera-green fluorescent protein to be largely excluded from the MC but subsequently to codistribute with Xcat2 and ER at the vegetal cortex. We conclude that germ line RNAs localize into the MC through a diffusion/entrapment mechanism involving Vg1RBP/Vera-independent association with ER.

Animals↗

Morphology of nucleolar cistrons in a plant cell, Acetabularia mediterranea.

The structural organization of transcriptionally active DNA that contains cistrons for precursor molecules of ribosomal RNA is described in positively stained spread preparations from nuclei and nucleoli isolated from the green alga, Acetabularia mediterranea Lmx. These nuclei contain large aggregates of nucleolar subunits in which fibril-covered regions, the putative active cistrons for precursors of ribosomal RNA, alternate with fibril-free intercepts, the "spacers." The length distribution of the different intercepts of this DNA is given, and the pattern is compared with those shown in animal cell systems. The data are discussed in relation to problems of transcription and of amplification of ribosomal RNA genes.

Acetabularia↗

Evidence that infectious pancreatic necrosis virus has a genome-linked protein.

The double-stranded RNA segments of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus were extracted from virions by a method which avoids proteinase. In contrast to proteinase-treated RNA, such segments (i) exhibited a lower electrophoretic mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels and agarose gels, (ii) had a slightly lower buoyant density, and (iii) demonstrated a marked tendency toward aggregation as observed by electron microscopy. A small amount of protein tightly bound to the RNA could account for the above properties, and a 110,000-dalton protein was liberated from purified virion RNA by sequential digestion with RNase III and RNase A. The amount of radioactivity associated with RNA from virions labeled in vivo with [35S]methionine suggested that an average of 1.4 molecules was bound per RNA segment. Interactions between RNA segments seen in electron micrographs appeared to occur only among the ends of the segments, suggesting these were the exclusive sites of protein attachment.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗

Analysis of a temperature-sensitive mutant rotavirus indicates that NSP2 octamers are the functional form of the protein.

Evidence that NSP2 plays a role in packaging and replication comes from studies on tsE(1400), a rotavirus mutant with a temperature-sensitive (ts) lesion in the NSP2 gene. Cells infected with tsE and maintained at nonpermissive temperature contain few replication-assembly factories (viroplasms) or replication intermediates and produce virus particles that are mostly empty. Sequence analysis has indicated that an A152V mutation in NSP2 is responsible for the ts phenotype of tsE. To gain insight into the effect of the mutation on the octameric structure and biochemical activities of tsE NSP2, the protein was expressed in bacteria and purified to homogeneity. Analytical ultracentrifugation showed that tsE NSP2 formed octamers which, like those formed by wild-type (wt) NSP2, undergo conformational change into more compact structures upon binding of nucleotides. However, exposure to Mg(2+) and the nonpermissive temperature caused disruption of the tsE octamers and yielded the formation of polydisperse NSP2 aggregates, events not observed with wt octamers. Biochemical analysis showed that the RNA-binding, helix-destabilizing and NTPase activities of tsE NSP2 were significantly less at the nonpermissive temperature than at the permissive temperature. In contrast, these activities for wt NSP2 were higher at the nonpermissive temperature. Our results indicate that the octamer is the fully functional form of NSP2 and the form required for productive virus replication. The propensity of tsE NSP2 to form large aggregates provides a possible explanation for the inability of the protein to support packaging and/or replication in the infected cell at the nonpermissive temperature.

Cell Line↗

Bifunctional intercalators: relationship of antitumor activity of diacridines to the cell membrane.

The in vivo antitumor effectiveness [as measured by the percentage increase in life-span (ILS%)] of 28 diacridine bis-intercalators of nucleic acids shows a highly significant correlation with their effect on phenomena associated with plasma membrane as well as a high degree of structural specificity. In contrast, the ILS% does not correlate with the uptake of these diacridines by cells, nor with the inhibition of RNA synthesis or of DNA synthesis or with the inhibition of growth of cells in culture. The possibility that the antitumor effectiveness of actinomycin D, another DNA intercalator, is associated with sites of action other than the hibition of RNA synthesis is discussed.

Acridines↗

A mass outbreak of gastroenteritis associated with group C rotaviral infection in schoolchildren.

In 1988, a mass outbreak of epidemic diarrhea, i.e., consisting of 296 cases, occurred in Fukuoka Prefecture. Fecal samples from patients of the outbreak were cultured for bacteria, but all samples were negative. Although direct electron microscopy (DEM) revealed the existence of rotavirus-like particles (diam. 60-70 nm) in the fecal samples, serological studies could not detect any antigenic relation to the ordinary rotaviruses by the reverse passive hemagglutination (RPHA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests or immune electron microscopy (IEM) examination. The outbreak appeared to be caused by group C rotaviruses, based on the pattern of electrophoretic migration of RNA genome segments in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Furthermore, IEM examination showed large aggregates of virus particles and antibodies when the virus particles were incubated with a reference serum specific for group C rotaviruses.

Acute Disease↗