Flow-Cytometric Phosphoprotein Analysis Reveals Agonist and Temporal Differences in Responses of Murine Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are probably the best-studied adult tissue-restricted stem cells. Although methods for flow cytometric detection of phosphoproteins in hematopoeitic progenitors and mature cells are available, analogous protocols for HSC are lacking. We present a robust method to study intracellular signaling in immunophenotypically-defined murine HSC/progenitor cell (HPC)-enriched populations. Using this method, we uncover differences in the response dynamics of several phosphoproteins representative of the Ras/MAP-Kinase(K), PI3K, mTOR and Jak/STAT pathways in HSC/HPCs stimulated by Scf, Thpo, as well as several other important HSC/HPC agonists

Penetratin-Membrane Association: W48/R52/W56 Shield the Peptide from the Aqueous Phase

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we studied the mode of association of the cell-penetrating peptide penetratin with both a neutral and a charged bilayer. The results show that the initial peptide-lipid association is a fast process driven by electrostatic interactions. The homogeneous distribution of positively charged residues along the axis of the helical peptide, and especially residues K46, R53, and K57, contribute to the association of the peptide with lipids. The bilayer enhances the stability of the penetratin helix. Oriented parallel to the lipid-water interface, the subsequent insertion of the peptide through the bilayer headgroups is significantly slower. The presence of negatively charged lipids considerably enhances peptide binding. Lateral side-chain motion creates an opening for the helix into the hydrophobic core of the membrane. The peptide aromatic residues form a π-stacking cluster through W48/R52/W56 and F49/R53, protecting the peptide from the water phase. Interaction with the penetratin peptide has only limited effect on the overall membrane structure, as it affects mainly the conformation of the lipids which interact directly with the peptide. Charge matching locally increases the concentration of negatively charged lipids, lateral lipid diffusion locally decreases. Lipid disorder increases, through decreased order parameters of the lipids interacting with the penetratin side chains. Penetratin molecules at the membrane surface do not seem to aggregate