Functional characterisation of the peroxiredoxin gene family members of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942

Stork T, Laxa M, Dietz MS, Dietz K-J. Functional characterisation of the peroxiredoxin gene family members of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY. 2009;191(2):141-151.The genome of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 encodes six peroxiredoxins (Prx). Single genes are present each for a 1-Cys Prx and a 2-Cys Prx, while four genes code for PrxQ-like proteins (prxQ-A1, -A2, -A3 and B). Their transcript accumulation varies with growth conditions in a gene-specific manner (Stork et al. in J Exp Bot 56:3193-3206, 2005). To address their functional properties, members of the prx gene family were produced as recombinant proteins and analysed for their peroxide detoxification capacity and quaternary structure by size exclusion chromatography. Independent of the reduction state, the 2-Cys Prx separated as oligomer, the 1-Cys Prx as dimer and the PrxQ-A1 as monomer. PrxQ-A2 was inactive in our assays, 1-Cys Prx activity was unaffected by addition of TrxA, while all others were stimulated to a variable extent by addition of E. coli thioredoxin. Sensitivity towards cumene hydroperoxide treatment of E. coli BL21 cells expressing the cyanobacterial PrxQ-A1 to A3 proteins was greatly reduced, while expression of the other Prx had no effect. The study shows differentiation of Prx functions in S. elongatus PCC 7942 which is discussed in relation to potential roles in site- and stress-specific defence

A Global In Vivo Drosophila RNAi Screen Identifies a Key Role of Ceramide Phosphoethanolamine for Glial Ensheathment of Axons

Glia are of vital importance for all complex nervous system. One of the many functions of glia is to insulate and provide trophic and metabolic support to axons. Here, using glial-specific RNAi knockdown in Drosophila, we silenced 6930 conserved genes in adult flies to identify essential genes and pathways. Among our screening hits, metabolic processes were highly represented, and genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolic pathways appeared to be essential in glia. One critical pathway identified was de novo ceramide synthesis. Glial knockdown of lace, a subunit of the serine palmitoyltransferase associated with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies in humans, resulted in ensheathment defects of peripheral nerves in Drosophila. A genetic dissection study combined with shotgun high-resolution mass spectrometry of lipids showed that levels of ceramide phosphoethanolamine are crucial for axonal ensheathment by glia. A detailed morphological and functional analysis demonstrated that the depletion of ceramide phosphoethanolamine resulted in axonal defasciculation, slowed spike propagation, and failure of wrapping glia to enwrap peripheral axons. Supplementing sphingosine into the diet rescued the neuropathy in flies. Thus, our RNAi study in Drosophila identifies a key role of ceramide phosphoethanolamine in wrapping of axons by glia.peerReviewe

Proceedings Of The 23Rd Paediatric Rheumatology European Society Congress: Part Two

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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field