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Antisense RNA inactivation of myosin heavy chain gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum.

The role of myosin in the contraction of striated muscle cells is well known, but its importance in nonmuscle cells is not yet clear. The function of myosin in Dictyostelium discoideum has been investigated by isolating cells which specifically lack myosin heavy chain (MHC A) protein. Cells were transformed with a vector encoding RNA complementary to mhcA messenger RNA (antisense RNA). Stable transformants have a dramatic reduction in the amount of MHC A protein, grow slowly, and generate giant multinucleated progeny, indicating an impairment in cytokinesis. Surprisingly, the cells adhere to surfaces, extend pseudopods and are capable of ameboid locomotion. The developmental sequence that is initiated by starving cells is severely impaired by the lack of myosin. The cells are unable to form multicellular aggregates normally and do not undergo subsequent morphogenesis. By changing the food source from liquid medium to bacteria, expression of the endogenous mhcA messenger RNA can be increased relative to expression of antisense RNA. When grown in this way, the transformed cells accumulate MHC A protein, remain mononucleate, and proceed through development normally.

Cell Movement↗

[Stress granules: RNP-containing cytoplasmic bodies springing up under stress. The structure and mechanism of organization].

In this review recent data describing stress granules are summarized. Stress granules are specific RNA-containing structures in the cytoplasm of living cells which arise under stress conditions (e. g. heat shock, UV irradiation, energy depletion and oxidative stress). It became evident that stress granules accumulate non-canonical 48S initiation complexes and contain mRNA with associated proteins, small ribosomal subunits and some initiation factors. Stress granules are depleted with ternary complex and large ribosomal subunit. It's proposed that eIF2alpha phosphorylation and ternary complex decrease can be a trigger for stress granule formation. Shuttling nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA-binding protein TIA-1 plays a crucial role in this process. It's proposed that TIA-1 forms prion-like aggregates, and these aggregates are scaffolds for other components of stress granules. Cytoskeletal structures facilitate the accumulation of stress granule components in local cytoplasmic sites. Investigation of process of stress granule formation is important for understanding of cell reaction to stress and translation regulation mechanisms.

Animals↗

Metaviromic profiling of mosquito excreta using superhydrophobic collection devices expands the known RNA virome of North America.

Nearly 30% of emerging infectious disease events worldwide are transmitted by arthropod vectors, and this proportion continues to rise. Rapid and accurate detection is critical for directing vector control interventions, thereby reducing the likelihood of widespread transmission. Surveillance of infected mosquitoes can provide an early warning of impending human infection; however, conventional virus testing relies on processing large pools of mosquitoes and requires labor-intensive pre-processing. During rapidly developing epidemic or panzootic events, these delays may limit the effectiveness of public health responses. Mosquito excreta has recently emerged as a promising alternative substrate for pathogen detection. Sugar-fed mosquitoes regularly excrete gut contents, offering a rich source of nucleic acids. In this study, we developed and applied custom superhydrophobic excreta-collection funnels that efficiently aggregate excreta produced by field-collected Culex mosquitoes into attached microcentrifuge tubes. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of this material revealed a diverse RNA virome, including both globally distributed viruses and those reported here for the first time from the Americas. Beyond virus detection, additional analyses enabled confirmation of host mosquito species and identification of trypanosomatid parasites, demonstrating the broader utility of mosquito excreta for integrated surveillance. We anticipate that methods and devices of this type will become valuable components of vector surveillance programs, particularly in remote or resource-limited settings where repeated collections are challenging. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of excreta-based monitoring to improve early detection of emerging or unknown pathogens of One Health importance, refine our understanding of mosquito virome biogeography, and facilitate the discovery of previously undescribed viruses.IMPORTANCEMany infectious diseases that affect people and animals are spread by mosquitoes and other biting insects, and the number of these outbreaks is increasing. Detecting pathogens in mosquito populations early can provide a critical warning before human cases begin, allowing health officials to act quickly. However, traditional surveillance requires collecting and processing large numbers of mosquitoes, which can be slow and labor-intensive during fast-moving outbreaks. Here we demonstrate a simpler approach: testing mosquito waste. When mosquitoes feed on sugar, they excrete material that contains genetic traces of viruses and other organisms. Using specially designed collection devices and modern genetic sequencing, we show that mosquito excreta can reveal a wide range of viruses and parasites while also identifying the mosquito species present. This method could make disease surveillance faster and more practical in remote or resource-limited settings, improving our ability to detect emerging pathogens that threaten human, animal, and environmental health.

Animals↗

The frequency of transcriptional and translational errors at nonsense codons in the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli.

Nonsense alleles in the lacZ gene of E. coli do not completely eliminate enzyme activity as errors during protein synthesis allow some chains to be completed. The relative contributions of transcriptional and translational errors to this leakiness were investigated by two methods: the introduction of rho- alleles into extreme-polar mutants and the kinetics of beta-galactosidase induction. Virtually all the errors appeared to be transcriptional in the case of two extreme-polar and one non-polar mutation. These alleles should prove useful for further in vivo investigations of RNA polymerase accuracy. With two other non-polar alleles, transcriptional mistakes were low and translational ones high. The frequency of RNA polymerase errors was context-dependent and varied for different nonsense codons in the same position and for the same codon in different positions. The reasons why some alleles showed no activity due to translational errors could not be clearly established. However, increasing the rates of ribosomal errors from one such allele with streptomycin raised the contribution of ribosomal errors to activity markedly and non-linearly. Translational mistakes may give rise to active enzyme only if the monomers are formed at a rate sufficient for effective aggregation to the normal tetramer.

Alleles↗

Genomic and replicative hepatitis C virus RNA sequences and histologic activity in chronic hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) frequently leads to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanism of liver injury is unknown. To determine whether replication of HCV is related to liver damage, we studied 17 liver biopsy specimens (six anti-HCV-positive chronic persistent hepatitis specimens, seven anti-HCV-positive chronic active hepatitis specimens, and four anti-HCV-negative controls) by reverse transcription followed by double polymerase chain reaction for the 5' nontranslated regions of the genomic and replicative strands of HCV. The histologic activity index as well as lymphoid aggregates in portal tracts, bile duct damage, and fatty change were assessed semiquantitatively. There was a statistically significant correlation between the presence of HCV RNA sequences in liver tissue and anti-HCV antibody in serum (P < .005). No correlation was detected between the histologic activity index or any individual histologic parameters and the presence of genomic or replicative strands of HCV. These findings suggest that a direct viropathic effect is less important than other mechanisms, such as the host immune response, in the pathogenesis of hepatocyte and bile duct injury in chronic hepatitis.

Adult↗

Tetrahydroaminoacridine-induced ribosomal changes and inhibition of protein synthesis in rat hepatocyte suspensions.

Tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine) is currently the only drug approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, tetrahydroaminoacridine therapy is often limited by this drug's propensity to induce reversible hepatotoxicity. Using suspensions of freshly isolated rat hepatocytes, we investigated the mechanism of tetrahydroaminoacridine cytotoxicity by examining the effect of tetrahydroaminoacridine on hepatocyte viability, protein synthesis, protein, DNA and RNA levels and ultrastructure. Our experimental findings support the explanation that tetrahydroaminoacridine-induced hepatotoxicity results from tetrahydroaminoacridine's adverse effect on protein synthesis and ribosomal structure and function. We found that viable, tetrahydroaminoacridine-treated hepatocytes (1.0 to 2.0 mmol/L or 118 to 235 micrograms/10(6) cells) demonstrated a dose-dependent and dramatic aggregation of ribosomes on endoplasmic reticulum as well as the aggregation of other nucleic acids found in the nucleus (chromatin) and in mitochondria. These electron microscopy data suggest that tetrahydroaminoacridine treatment results in severe ribosomal dysfunction. This was confirmed by the observed rapid loss of cellular RNA content (but not DNA or protein) and the rapid and complete inhibition of protein synthesis in tetrahydroaminoacridine-treated cells (lowest concentration tested was 0.5 mmol/L or 58 micrograms/10(6) cells). Thus tetrahydroaminoacridine treatment appears to aggregate hepatocellular nucleic acids, and in doing so adversely affects ribosomal function and protein synthesis. We propose that these adverse effects of exposure to tetrahydroaminoacridine are responsible for tetrahydroaminoacridine-induced hepatotoxicity.

Animals↗

Characterization of a partial prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase-1 deficiency in a patient with a bleeding disorder.

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2), synthesized in platelets, is a powerful aggregating agent and vasoconstrictor. To induce platelet aggregation, the platelets' enzyme, prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase-1 (PGHS-1), first converts arachidonic acid (AA) into prostaglandin H2 (PGH2). PGH2 is then converted by the enzyme thromboxane synthase into TXA2. Finally, TXA2 is secreted and can activate the TXA2 receptor on the platelet surface. The importance of TXA2 in haemostasis has been demonstrated by the presence of a bleeding tendency in patients showing an inherited defect in the TXA2 production pathway. We studied an 18-year-old woman with a lifelong bleeding disorder, moderate thrombocytopenia (55-71 x 109/l) and a prolonged bleeding time (12.5 min). Her platelets aggregated in the presence of both PGH2 and a stable TXA2 analogue, but did not aggregate in the presence of AA. The activity of PGHS-1 in platelets, measured using thin-layer chromatography and radioactive counting of TXA2 formation from [14C]-AA, was reduced to 13% of the activity measured in control subjects. PGHS-1 protein levels, measured using Western blot analysis, were also markedly reduced to 10% of control values. Such levels of PGHS-1 enzyme were too low to sustain platelet aggregation in the patient, even if the enzyme was active. The PGHS-1 protein level was also reduced in the patient's immortalized B lymphocytes, suggesting a systemic expression defect. Northern blot analysis was then carried out with poly (A)+ RNA extracted from the patient's immortalized B lymphocytes. PGHS-1 mRNA was detected as a 2.8-kb band in both the patient and control. The intensity of the band representing the patient's PGHS-1 mRNA was similar to that of the control subject. The Northern blot result suggests a normal transcriptional rate of the PGHS-1 gene for the patient. Therefore, the defect responsible for the reduced levels of PGHS-1 protein is probably post-transcriptional.

Adult↗

Expression and function of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 in mouse leukocytes.

The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 is a cell surface glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily which mediates adhesion between neural cells. The possibility that similar cell-cell recognition mechanisms may be shared by the nervous and immune systems prompted us to study the expression and function of L1 in cells of the hematopoietic system. Immunofluorescence analysis using monoclonal L1 antibody revealed that the molecule is expressed in the bone marrow, spleen, and thymus of the mouse. This observation was confirmed by amplifying cDNA derived from these organs by the polymerase chain reaction with L1-specific oligonucleotide primers. Two-color fluorescence analysis indicated that bone marrow lymphoid and granulocyte precursor cells express low and high levels of L1, respectively. In the thymus L1 is primarily expressed by mature cells that have a strong expression of CD3 and in the spleen both B cells and T cells express L1. The possible function of L1 in lymphoid cells was studied using subcloned ESb-MP lymphoma cells having high or low densities of L1 on the cell surface as well as activated splenic B lymphoblasts. Parental and subcloned ESb-MP cells that strongly expressed L1 could form homotypic aggregates in the presence of low Ca2+ levels, whereas subcloned ESb-MP cells with a weak expression of L1 did not aggregate, suggesting that L1 mediates the Ca(2+)-independent aggregation of the parental ESb-MP cells. Furthermore, the aggregation of activated B lymphoblasts under physiological concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ was inhibited by 30% in the presence of Fab fragments of polyclonal L1 antibodies, implying that L1 also mediates adhesion among normal lymphoid cells. A possible role of L1 on lymphocytes in stimulating the innervation of lymphoid organs is discussed.

Animals↗

Induction of gene expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in activated human lymphoblastoid cells and lymphocytes.

To understand the possible role of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in human lymphocytes, and the regulation of APP gene expression in this cell type, we determined levels of cellular APP protein and of mRNA in human T-cell-derived Jurkat cells that were treated with lectin, phorbol ester, and calcium ionophore. We also related these levels to cell aggregation and adhesion. Cell-cell aggregation and cell-plastic adhesion were observed over a 24-h period after incubating cells for 2 h with phytohemagglutinin or phorbol myristate acetate. Cells treated with a calcium ionophore showed no aggregation or adhesion. Western blots indicated no obvious alteration in the level of cellular APP with different treatments. Northern blots showed a significant transient increase of APP mRNA after incubation with the calcium ionophore, whereas phorbol ester treatment showed a slight increase of APP mRNA. We analyzed the level of APP mRNA in human peripheral T cells which had been separated from peripheral lymphocytes. The level increased transiently by up to threefold after treatment with calcium ionophore plus phorbol esters. These data suggest that cell-cell aggregation and cell-matrix adhesion by human lymphocytes are not associated with an increased level of cellular APP protein or of mRNA.

Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor↗

Carbocyclic thromboxane A2 enhances the angiotensin II-induced DNA synthesis in smooth muscle cells.

The present study describes the influence of carbocyclic thromboxane A2 on the proliferative effects of angiotensin II on vascular smooth muscle cells. Angiotensin II (10(-7) M) and carbocyclic thromboxane A2 (10(-6) M) per se caused an increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation and cell number. The exposure of cells to both agonists resulted in a 2.5-fold elevation of the angiotensin II dependent effect on DNA synthesis and a 1.6-fold increase in cell number. 2-Ethoxy-1-[[2'-(1 H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1 H-benzimidazole-7-carboxylic acid (CV-11974), the active metabolite of the specific non-peptide angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist (+/-)-1-(cyclohexyloxycarbonyloxy)ethyl 2-ethoxy-1-[[2'-(1 H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1 H-benzimidazole-7-carboxylate (TCV-116, Candesartan) suppressed the effect of angiotensin II on cell growth as well as reduced the synergistic effect of carbocyclic thromboxane A2. Simultaneous cell stimulation with carbocyclic thromboxane A2 and angiotensin II for 30 min resulted in a 26 +/- 9% elevation of the angiotensin II-induced increase of c-fos mRNA (100%).

Angiotensin II↗

Induction of c-fos and AFP expression in a differentiating teratocarcinoma cell line.

The introduction of a c-fos expression vector has been shown to potentiate spontaneous differentiation in teratocarcinoma cells. We have studied a teratocarcinoma stem cell line which can be induced to differentiate with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) to determine endogenous c-fos expression during the process of differentiation. c-Fos expression increases dramatically as P19S1801A1 embryonal carcinoma cells are induced to differentiate into a variety of cell types. Expression peaks 12 days after the start of aggregate culture about the same time as alphafetoprotein (AFP), a characteristic of visceral endoderm differentiation, as demonstrated by RNA hybridization to specific probes, ELISA, and immunofluorescent staining with specific antibodies. However, most differentiated cells expressed c-fos, while AFP was expressed in a minor fraction (less than 5%). The data suggest that c-fos is correlated with differentiation of teratocarcinoma cells but not specifically to visceral endoderm formation.

Animals↗

Tick histamine-binding proteins: isolation, cloning, and three-dimensional structure.

High-affinity histamine-binding proteins (HBPs) were discovered in the saliva of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks. Their ability to outcompete histamine receptors indicates that they suppress inflammation during blood feeding. The crystal structure of a histamine-bound HBP, determined at 1.25 A resolution, reveals a lipocalin fold novel in containing two binding sites for the same ligand. The sites are orthogonally arranged and highly rigid and form an internal surface of unusual polar character that complements the physicochemical properties of histamine. As soluble receptors of histamine, HBPs offer a new strategy for controlling histamine-based diseases.

Animals↗

Effects of an E-cadherin-derived peptide on the gene expression of Caco-2 cells.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to determine the effects of exposure to an HAV peptide (Ac-SHAVSS-NH2) on the protein and gene expression in Caco-2 cells, a model for the intestinal mucosa. METHODS: Caco-2 cells were incubated with either 100 or 500 microM of the hexapeptide then evaluated over a 48-h time period. RESULTS: Cell detachment from the monolayer was seen only after 48 h of exposure to the peptide, with the greatest effects occurring with a peptide concentration of 500 microM. Total protein expression of E-cadherin showed a decrease of nearly 20% at the 24-h time point for each concentration examined, whereas no significant changes were detected at the other time points studied. Short term exposure to a 500 microM solution of Ac-SHAVSS-NH2 caused few changes in gene expression as determined by Affymetrix GeneChip microarrays; however, longer exposure periods produced numerous changes in the treated cells. The variations in mRNA expression indicate that this HAV peptide has an effect in the E-cadherin signaling pathways. The greatest increases in mRNA expression were found in genes regulating excretion or degradation of the peptide. CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests that this HAV peptide produces effects that reach beyond modulation of adhesion.

Actins↗

Enhancement of transforming growth factor-alpha synthesis in multicellular tumour spheroids of A431 squamous carcinoma cells.

Multicellular tumour spheroids are cellular aggregates that can be prepared from many types of tumour cells. These three-dimensional structures provide a model for analysing the effects of cell-cell contact and intercellular microenvironments on phenomena such as autocrine regulation of growth factor synthesis. Autoregulation of the synthesis of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) was investigated at the message and protein levels in spheroid and monolayer cultures prepared from the A431 human squamous carcinoma cell line. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) of these monolayer A431 cells had an average surface density of 2.2 x 10(6)/cell. Constitutive expression of TGF-alpha mRNA was an average of 3-fold greater in A431 spheroids than in monolayers, even for densely packed, confluent monolayers. This effect did not depend on hypoxic stress within the spheroids. TGF-alpha protein synthesis was enhanced in comparison with that in monolayer culture, reaching a value of up to 2-fold greater on a per cell basis. These results are discussed in the context of a TGF-alpha/EGF-R autocrine loop operating within cells that produce high local concentrations of TGF-alpha in the three-dimensional architecture of a spheroid.

Blotting, Northern↗