31 research outputs found
Cryo-EM structure of the Ustilago maydis kinesin-5 motor domain bound to microtubules
In many eukaryotes, kinesin-5 motors are essential for mitosis, and small molecules that inhibit human kinesin-5 disrupt cell division. To investigate whether fungal kinesin-5s could be targets for novel fungicides, we studied kinesin-5 from the pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis. We used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the microtubule-bound structure of its motor domain with and without the N-terminal extension. The ATP-like conformations of the motor in the presence or absence of this N-terminus are very similar, suggesting this region is structurally disordered and does not directly influence the motor ATPase. The Ustilago maydis kinesin-5 motor domain adopts a canonical ATP-like conformation, thereby allowing the neck linker to bind along the motor domain towards the microtubule plus end. However, several insertions within this motor domain are structurally distinct. Loop2 forms a non-canonical interaction with α-tubulin, while loop8 may bridge between two adjacent protofilaments. Furthermore, loop5 - which in human kinesin-5 is involved in binding allosteric inhibitors - protrudes above the nucleotide binding site, revealing a distinct binding pocket for potential inhibitors. This work highlights fungal-specific elaborations of the kinesin-5 motor domain and provides the structural basis for future investigations of kinesins as targets for novel fungicides
Cryo-EM Structure (4.5-angstrom) of Yeast Kinesin-5-Microtubule Complex Reveals a Distinct Binding Footprint and Mechanism of Drug Resistance
Kinesin-5s are microtubule-dependent motors that drive spindle pole separation during mitosis. We used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the 4.5-Å resolution structure of the motor domain of the fission yeast kinesin-5 Cut7 bound to fission yeast microtubules and explored the topology of the motor–microtubule interface and the susceptibility of the complex to drug binding. Despite their non-canonical architecture and mechanochemistry, Schizosaccharomyces pombe microtubules were stabilized by epothilone at the taxane binding pocket. The overall Cut7 footprint on the S. pombe microtubule surface is altered compared to mammalian tubulin microtubules because of their different polymer architectures. However, the core motor–microtubule interaction is tightly conserved, reflected in similar Cut7 ATPase activities on each microtubule type. AMPPNP-bound Cut7 adopts a kinesin-conserved ATP-like conformation including cover neck bundle formation. However, the Cut7 ATPase is not blocked by a mammalian-specific kinesin-5 inhibitor, consistent with the non-conserved sequence and structure of its loop5 insertion
Circulating vaspin is unrelated to insulin sensitivity in a cohort of nondiabetic humans
Objective: To study the association of vaspin with glucose metabolism.
Design: Cross-sectional and intervention study.
Subjects and methods: The association of serum vaspin with metabolic and anthropometric characteristics was investigated in 108 volunteers. Euglycemic–hyperinsulinemic clamps (EHC) were performed in 83 of the participants. Changes of circulating vaspin levels were additionally studied in a crossover study using 300 min EHC with lipid versus saline infusion (n=10).
Results: Neither glucose tolerance status nor insulin sensitivity, both as measured using EHCs and using homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), was significantly associated with serum vaspin in the cross-sectional study. Furthermore, there was no effect of short-term lipid-induced insulin resistance due to a 300 min intravenous lipid challenge on circulating vaspin. However, circulating vaspin levels were significantly elevated in women using oral contraceptives (OC), both compared to women without OC intake (1.17±0.26 vs 0.52±0.09 ng/ml, P=0.02) and males (1.17±0.26 vs 0.29±0.04 ng/ml, P=0.01). After exclusion of OC using females and stratification according to body mass index (BMI), a significant sexual dimorphism in subjects with a BMI <25 kg/m2 was observed (males 0.21±0.04 ng/ml versus females 0.70±0.16 ng/ml, P=0.009).
Conclusion: Our results support the existence of a sexual dimorphism regarding circulating vaspin. The lack of an association of serum vaspin with HOMA-IR and M value indicates, however, no major role for vaspin concerning insulin sensitivity in nondiabetic humans
Cryo-EM structure (4.5-Å) of Yeast Kinesin-5–Microtubule Complex reveals a distinct binding footprint and mechanism of drug resistance
Kinesin-5s are microtubule-dependent motors that drive spindle pole separation during
mitosis. We used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the 4.5 Å resolution structure of the
motor domain of the fission yeast kinesin-5 Cut7 bound to fission yeast microtubules, and
explored the topology of the motor-microtubule interface and the susceptibility of the
complex to drug binding. Despite their non-canonical architecture and mechanochemistry, S.
pombe microtubules were stabilized by epothilone at the taxane binding pocket. The overall
Cut7 footprint on the S. pombe microtubule surface is altered compared to mammalian
tubulin microtubules because of their different polymer architectures. However, the core
motor-microtubule interaction is tightly conserved, reflected in similar Cut7 ATPase activities
on each microtubule type. AMPPNP-bound Cut7 adopts a kinesin-conserved ATP-like
conformation including cover neck bundle formation. However, the Cut7 ATPase is not
blocked by a mammalian-specific kinesin-5 inhibitor, consistent with the non-conserved
sequence and structure of its loop5 insertion
Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response in skeletal muscle of subjects suffering from peritoneal sepsis
We provide a descriptive characterization of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in skeletal muscle of human patients with peritoneal sepsis and a sepsis model of C57BL/6J mice. Patients undergoing open surgery were included in a cross-sectional study and blood and skeletal muscle samples were taken. Key markers of the UPR and cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68) as surrogate of inflammatory injury were evaluated by real-time PCR and histochemical staining. CD68 mRNA increased with sepsis in skeletal muscle of patients and animals (p < 0.05). Mainly the inositol-requiring enzyme 1α branch of the UPR was upregulated as shown by elevated X-box binding-protein 1 (XBP1u) and its spliced isoform (XBP1s) mRNA (p < 0.05, respectively). Increased expression of Gadd34 indicated activation of PRKR-Like Endoplasmic Reticulum Kinase (PERK) branch of the UPR, and was only observed in mice (p < 0.001) but not human study subjects. Selected cell death signals were upregulated in human and murine muscle, demonstrated by increased bcl-2 associated X protein mRNA and TUNEL staining (p < 0.05). In conclusion we provide a first characterization of the UPR in skeletal muscle in human sepsis
Deletion of the diabetes candidate gene Slc16a13 in mice attenuates diet-induced ectopic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified SLC16A13 as a novel susceptibility gene for type 2 diabetes. The SLC16A13 gene encodes SLC16A13/MCT13, a member of the solute carrier 16 family of monocarboxylate transporters. Despite its potential importance to diabetes development, the physiological function of SLC16A13 is unknown. Here, we validate Slc16a13 as a lactate transporter expressed at the plasma membrane and report on the effect of Slc16a13 deletion in a mouse model. We show that loss of Slc16a13 increases mitochondrial respiration in the liver, leading to reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and increased hepatic insulin sensitivity in high-fat diet fed Slc16a13 knockout mice. We propose a mechanism for improved hepatic insulin sensitivity in the context of Slc16a13 deficiency in which reduced intrahepatocellular lactate availability drives increased AMPK activation and increased mitochondrial respiration, while reducing hepatic lipid content. Slc16a13 deficiency thereby attenuates hepatic diacylglycerol-PKCε mediated insulin resistance in obese mice. Together, these data suggest that SLC16A13 is a potential target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Determinants of Integration and Its Impact on the Economic Success of Immigrants: A Case Study of the Turkish Community in Berlin
Using a new data on 590 Turkish households in Berlin, we investigate the determinants and impact of integration on economic performance. We find that usual suspects such as time spent in Germany and education have positive impact, while networks have no impact on integration. There is strong evidence that political integration and the degree of full integration promote income. Using endogenous switching regression models, we show that local familial networks increase the income of unintegrated migrant groups only, while transnational networks decrease it. We also find that education is more welfare improving for integrated than non-integrated immigrants
Blutglukoseziele in der operativen Intensivmedizin.
Hintergrund:
Bei 30–80 % der Patienten auf Intensivstationen kommt es perioperativ
zu einer Hyperglykämie. Diese Stresshyperglykämie wird über
inflammatorisch-endokrine sowie iatrogene Stimuli ausgelöst
beziehungsweise unterhalten und bedarf regelmäßig therapeutischer
Interventionen. Dabei bestehen Unsicherheiten, welche Blutglukoseziele
für Patienten mit Diabetes mellitus anzustreben sind.Methode: Es erfolgte eine selektive Literaturrecherche in PubMed und über GoogleScholar.Ergebnisse:
Intensivmedizinisch versorgte Patienten mit vorbestehendem Diabetes
mellitus profitieren nicht im selben Ausmaß von einer Blutglukosesenkung
wie stoffwechselgesunde, werden aber gleichermaßen einem relevanten
Hypoglykämierisiko ausgesetzt. Ein Therapiekorridor zwischen
4,4–6,1 mmol/L (79–110 mg/dL) ist für Patienten mit Diabetes mellitus
nicht zu rechtfertigen. Perioperativ besteht das wichtigste Therapieziel
darin, Hypoglykämien in jedem Fall strikt zu vermeiden. Negativfolgen
der Hyperglykämie sind unter anderem neurotoxische Effekte und die
Begünstigung von Wundheilungsstörungen. Metaanalysen belegen, dass eine
obere Blutglukosegrenze von 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) mit einem günstigeren
Ergebnis für Patienten mit Diabetes mellitus verbunden ist als eine
niedrigere Schwelle. Der von Fachgesellschaften für hospitalisierte
Menschen mit Diabetes mellitus vorgeschlagene Zielbereich von
7,8–10 mmol/L (140–180 mg/dL) scheint der Gratwanderung, einerseits eine
Hypoglykämie zu vermeiden und andererseits die klinischen Resultate zu
optimieren, derzeit am ehesten gerecht zu werden. Mittel der Wahl zur
Therapie in der Intensivmedizin ist die kontinuierliche intravenöse
Insulingabe, deren Anwendung es erfordert, dezidierte Rahmenbedingungen
einzuhalten.Schlussfolgerung:
In der Intensivmedizin ist eine optimale Blutglukosekontrolle für
Patienten mit Diabetes mellitus darauf ausgerichtet, sowohl eine
Hypoglykämie zu vermeiden als auch einen Zielbereich bis 10 mmol/L
(180 mg/dL) zu erreichen. Die leitliniengerechte Steuerung der
Ernährungstherapie ist hierbei eine unabdingbare Voraussetzung
Associations of betatrophin/ANGPTL8 with septic dyslipidemia in human peritonitis: An explorative analysis.
Sepsis is defined by life-threatening organ dysfunction mediated by the host’s response to infection. This can result in septic dyslipidemia, which is involved in the neutralization of pathogen-related lipids. Knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of septic dyslipidemia is incomplete. The cytokine betatrophin/Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) plays a role in the regulation of triacylglyceride metabolism, though its function in septic dyslipidemia remains unknown. Sixty-six patients were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Circulating concentrations and adipose tissue (AT) mRNA expression of betatrophin/ANGPTL8 were studied in patients suffering from peritoneal sepsis. Insulin-resistant individuals and subjects without metabolic derangement/systemic inflammation were enrolled as controls. All underwent open abdominal surgery. Circulating betatrophin/ANGPTL8 was analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and AT mRNA expression levels were assessed by real-time PCR. Standard laboratory analyses including lipid electrophoresis were evaluated. Sepsis patients showed pronounced septic dyslipidemia (p < 0.05 for all major lipid classes). Despite comparable betatrophin/ANGPTL8 mRNA expression in AT (p = 0.24), we found significantly increased circulating betatrophin/ANGPTL8 with septic dyslipidemia (p = 0.009). Expression levels of betatrophin/ANGPTL8 in AT correlated with circulating concentrations in both control groups (r = 0.61; p = 0.008 and r = 0.43; p = 0.034), while this association was undetectable in sepsis. After stratification, betatrophin/ANGPTL8 remained associated with hypertriacylglyceridemia (p < 0.05)