Regulated interaction between polypeptide chain elongation factor-1 complex with the 26S proteasome during Xenopus oocyte maturation

BACKGROUND: During Xenopus oocyte maturation, the amount of a 48 kDa protein detected in the 26S proteasome fraction (p48) decreased markedly during oocyte maturation to the low levels seen in unfertilized eggs. The results indicate that the interaction of at least one protein with the 26S proteasome changes during oocyte maturation and early development. An alteration in proteasome function may be important for the regulation of developmental events, such as the rapid cell cycle, in the early embryo. In this study, we identified p48. RESULTS: p48 was purified by conventional column chromatography. The resulting purified fraction contained two other proteins with molecular masses of 30 (p30) and 37 (p37) kDa. cDNAs encode elongation factor-1γ and δ were obtained by an immuno-screening method using polyclonal antibodies against purified p48 complex, which recognized p48 and p37. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of p30 revealed that it was identical to EF-1β. To identify the p48 complex bound to the 26S proteasome as EF-1βγδ, antibodies were raised against the components of purified p48 complex. Recombinant EF-1 β,γ and δ were expressed in Escherichia coli, and an antibody was raised against purified recombinant EF-1γ. Cross-reactivity of the antibodies toward the p48 complex and recombinant proteins showed it to be specific for each component. These results indicate that the p48 complex bound to the 26S proteasome is the EF-1 complex. MPF phosphorylated EF-1γ was shown to bind to the 26S proteasome. When EF-1γ is phosphorylated by MPF, the association is stabilized. CONCLUSION: p48 bound to the 26S proteasome is identified as the EF-1γ. EF-1 complex is associated with the 26S proteasome in Xenopus oocytes and the interaction is stabilized by MPF-mediated phosphorylation

Molecular characterization of atmospheric NO2-responsive germin-like proteins in azalea leaves

Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an environmental oxidant that is removed through direct uptake by foliage, but plant responses to this highly reactive gas are not well understood at the molecular level. From NO2-exposed leaves of a woody azalea (Rhododendron mucronatum), we cloned two cDNAs (RmGLP1 and RmGLP2) for germin-like proteins (GLPs), a group of ubiquitous plant proteins that have been implicated in various plant physiological and developmental processes. Quantitative analysis of mRNA expression, together with immunoblotting data, showed that foliar exposure to NO2 caused a robust induction of these GLP-encoding genes. When produced in tobacco cell culture, recombinant RmGLP2 was secreted into the apoplast, where it exhibited superoxide dismutase activity. RmGLP1 and RmGLP2 represent the first examples of plant genes that are responsive to airborne NO2. These enzymes might have a potential role in extracellular defense mechanisms through attenuation of interactions between reactive nitrogen and oxygen species

Matrix metalloproteinase-3 in odontoblastic cells derived from ips cells: unique proliferation response as odontoblastic cells derived from ES cells.

We previously reported that matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 accelerates wound healing following dental pulp injury. In addition, we reported that a proinflammatory cytokine mixture (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and interferon-γ) induced MMP-3 activity in odontoblast-like cells derived from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, suggesting that MMP-3 plays a potential unique physiological role in wound healing and regeneration of dental pulp in odontoblast-like cells. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that upregulation of MMP-3 activity by IL-1β promotes proliferation and apoptosis of purified odontoblast-like cells derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) and ES cells. Each odontoblast-like cell was isolated and incubated with different concentrations of IL-1β. MMP-3 mRNA and protein expression were assessed using RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. MMP-3 activity was measured using immunoprecipitation and a fluorescence substrate. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined using ELISA for BrdU and DNA fragmentation, respectively. siRNA was used to reduce MMP-3 transcripts in these cells. Treatment with IL-1β increased MMP-3 mRNA and protein levels, and MMP-3 activity in odontoblast-like cells. Cell proliferation was found to markedly increase with no changes in apoptosis. Endogenous tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 were constitutively expressed during all experiments. The exocytosis inhibitor, Exo1, potently suppressed the appearance of MMP-3 in the conditioned medium. Treatment with siRNA against MMP-3 suppressed an IL-1β-induced increase in MMP-3 expression and activity, and also suppressed cell proliferation, but unexpectedly increased apoptosis in these cells (P<0.05). Exogenous MMP-3 was found to induce cell proliferation in odontoblast-like cells derived from iPS cells and ES cells. This siRNA-mediated increase in apoptosis could be reversed with exogenous MMP-3 stimulation (P<0.05). Taken together, IL-1β induced MMP-3-regulated cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis in odontoblast-like cells derived from iPS and ES cells

Pikachurin Protein Required for Increase of Cone Electroretinogram B-Wave during Light Adaptation.

In normal eyes, the amplitude of the b-wave of the photopic ERGs increases during light adaptation, but the mechanism causing this increase has not been fully determined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of receptoral and post-receptoral components of the retina to this phenomenon. To accomplish this, we examined the ERGs during light adaptation in Pikachurin null-mutant (Pika -/-) mice, which have a misalignment of the bipolar cell dendritic tips to the photoreceptor ribbon synapses. After dark-adaptation, photopic ERGs were recorded from Pika -/- and wild type (WT) mice during the first 9 minutes of light adaptation. In some of the mice, post-receptoral components were blocked pharmacologically. The photopic b-waves of WT mice increased by 50% during the 9 min of light adaptation as previously reported. On the other hand, the b-waves of the Pika -/- mice decreased by 20% during the same time period. After blocking post-receptoral components, the b-waves were abolished from the WT mice, and the ERGs resembled those of the Pika -/- mice. The extracted post-receptoral component increased during light adaptation in the WT mice, but decreased for the first 3 minutes to a plateau in Pika -/- mice. We conclude that the normal synaptic connection between photoreceptor and retinal ON bipolar cells, which is controlled by pikachurin, is required for the ERGs to increase during light-adaptation. The contributions of post-receptoral components are essential for the photopic b-wave increase during the light adaptation

Interleukin-1β-induced autophagy-related gene 5 regulates proliferation of embryonic stem cell-derived odontoblastic cells.

We previously established a method for the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells into α2 integrin-positive odontoblast-like cells. We also reported that Wnt5 in response to interleukin (IL)-1β induces matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3-regulated cell proliferation in these cells. Our findings suggest that MMP-3 plays a potentially unique physiological role in the generation of odontoblast-like cells under an inflammatory state. Here, we examined whether up-regulation of autophagy-related gene (Atg) 5 by IL-1β was mediated by Wnt5 signaling, thus leading to increased proliferation of odontoblast-like cells. IL-1β increased the mRNA and protein levels of Atg5, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain (LC3, a mammalian homolog of yeast Atg8) and Atg12. Treatment with siRNAs against Atg5, but not LC3 and Atg12, suppressed the IL-1β-induced increase in MMP-3 expression and cell proliferation. Our siRNA analyses combined with western blot analysis revealed a unique sequential cascade involving Atg5, Wnt5a and MMP-3, which resulted in the potent increase in odontoblastic cell proliferation. These results demonstrate the unique involvement of Atg5 in IL-1β-induced proliferation of embryonic stem cell-derived odontoblast-like cells

ERGs of wild type (WT) and Pika-/- mice after injection of PBS or APB/PDA.

<p>(A) Photopic ERGs series recorded at each minute for 9 minutes of light adaptation. The ERGs were elicited by a stimulus intensity of 1.0 log cd-s/m² after injection of PBS or APB/PDA. The ERGs recorded from WT are shown on the left and those of Pika-/- mice are shown on the right. (B) Time-response curves of the mean amplitudes of the a- and b-waves of 11 WT mice and 11 Pika-/- mice after intravitreal injection of PBS. The curve for the WT mice is shown on the upper left and that for Pika-/- mice is shown on lower left respectively. Time-response curves of the mean amplitudes of a-wave of 11 WT mice and 11 Pika-/- mice after intravitreous injection of APB + PDA are shown in the upper right. Photopic photoreceptor potentials after the injection of APB+PDA during light adaptation were not significantly different between WT and PIKA-/- mice (P >0.05: repeated measures ANOVA). ● = ERGs of WT mice and ○ = ERGs of Pika-/- mice. The means ± SDs are plotted.</p