Conservation laws for self-adjoint first order evolution equations

In this work we consider the problem on group classification and conservation laws of the general first order evolution equations. We obtain the subclasses of these general equations which are quasi-self-adjoint and self-adjoint. By using the recent Ibragimov's Theorem on conservation laws, we establish the conservation laws of the equations admiting self-adjoint equations. We illustrate our results applying them to the inviscid Burgers' equation. In particular an infinite number of new symmetries of these equations are found and their corresponding conservation laws are established.Comment: This manuscript has been accepted for publication in Journal of Nonlinear Mathematical Physic

Liver regeneration is associated with lipid reorganization in membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum

BACKGROUND:In recent years, an adaptive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response has been actively investigated. The ER membrane, isolated from the intact and regenerating liver, may be an appropriate model for investigating the association between structural and functional characteristics of ER in vivo and their corresponding behavioral characteristics in vitro. The rate of lipid synthesis and that of intracellular lipid exchange between the ER and cytosol were investigated in the intact and regenerating liver (13 h after partial hepatectomy). Particularly, membrane characteristics, surface potential, and glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity were investigated, along with the degradation rate of G6Pase in vitro, which was estimated by the loss of G6Pase activity, formation of lipid peroxides, and size of excreted membrane vesicles. METHODS:The rate of lipid synthesis was determined by measuring the intensity of radioactive precursor (C14 - sodium acetate) in different fractions of lipids (phospholipids, non-esterified fatty acids, and triacylglycerides) after 30 min exposure. The rate of lipid metabolism was assessed by measuring the quantity of lipids with radioactive labels emerging in the cytosol of hepatocytes (CPM). Viscosity and surface potential were determined by fluorescent probes. RESULTS:It was observed that after 13 h of partial hepatectomy, the rate of lipid synthesis in the ER of hepatocytes in the regenerating liver was 3 times lower than that in ER of hepatocytes in the intact liver, wherein the rate of incorporation of newly synthesized lipids in cytosol was several times higher in the regenerating liver. Increase in the rate of exchange of neutral lipids in cells of the regenerating liver was accompanied by lipid reconstruction in the ER, changing the structural and functional characteristics of the membrane. Such membrane rebuilding also contributed to the rate of degradation of the ER in vitro,which that must be taken into account during development of systems for in vitro assessment of xenobiotic metabolism. CONCLUSIONS:An increase in the rate of direct (microsomes---cytosol) and reverse transport of lipids (cytosol --- microsomes) was observed in the regenerating liver. Microsomes, isolated from the regenerating liver, were degraded in the in vitro system at a higher rate

The conservation and uniqueness of the caspase family in the basal chordate, amphioxus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The caspase family, which plays a central role in apoptosis in metazoans, has undergone an expansion in amphioxus, increasing to 45 members through domain recombination and shuffling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to shed light on the conservation and uniqueness of this family in amphioxus, we cloned three representative caspase genes, designated as <it>bbtCaspase-8, bbtCaspase-1/2 </it>and <it>bbtCaspase3</it>-like, from the amphioxus <it>Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense</it>. We found that <it>bbtCaspase-8 </it>with conserved protein architecture is involved in the Fas-associated death domain-Caspase-8 mediated pro-apoptotic extrinsic pathway, while <it>bbtCaspase3</it>-like may mediate a nuclear apoptotic pathway in amphioxus. Also, <it>bbtCaspase-1/2 </it>can co-localize with <it>bbtFADD2 </it>in the nucleus, and be recruited to the cytoplasm by amphioxus apoptosis associated speck-like proteins containing a caspase recruitment domain, indicating that <it>bbtCaspase-1/2 </it>may serve as a switch between apoptosis and caspase-dependent innate immune response in invertebrates. Finally, amphioxus extrinsic apoptotic pathway related caspases played important roles in early embryogenesis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study not only demonstrates the conservation of <it>bbtCaspase-8 </it>in apoptosis, but also reveals the unique features of several amphioxus caspases with novel domain architectures arose some 500 million years ago.</p

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

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