Heat shock cognate protein 70 contributes to Brucella invasion into trophoblast giant cells that cause infectious abortion

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The cell tropism of <it>Brucella abortus</it>, a causative agent of brucellosis and facultative intracellular pathogen, in the placenta is thought to be a key event of infectious abortion, although the molecular mechanism for this is largely unknown. There is a higher degree of bacterial colonization in the placenta than in other organs and many bacteria are detected in trophoblast giant (TG) cells in the placenta. In the present study, we investigated mechanism of <it>B. abortus </it>invasion into TG cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed internalization and intracellular growth of <it>B. abortus </it>in cultured TG cells. A monoclonal antibody that inhibits bacterial internalization was isolated and this reacted with heat shock cognate protein 70 (Hsc70). Depletion and over expression of Hsc70 in TG cells inhibited and promoted bacterial internalization, respectively. IFN-γ receptor was expressed in TG cells and IFN-γ treatment enhanced the uptake of bacteria by TG cells. Administering the anti-Hsc70 antibody to pregnant mice served to prevent infectious abortion.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>B. abortus </it>infection of TG cells in placenta is mediated by Hsc70, and that such infection leads to infectious abortion.</p

Acupuncture Improves Sleep Conditions of Minipigs Representing Diurnal Animals through an Anatomically Similar Point to the Acupoint (GV20) Effective for Humans

Acupuncture, an alternative medicine, has been widely applied for people with sleep disturbances; therefore, the effects should be evaluated objectively. Micro-minipigs (MMPigs), the smallest miniature pigs for animal experiments, were used. Acupuncture was performed at two different points: Dafengmen is located on the head and is an anatomically similar point to human-Baihui (GV20), an effective acupoint for sleep disturbances in humans; pig-Baihui is on the back. The procedure was performed as follows: shallow, within 5 mm depth for several seconds; deep, 10–20 mm depth for 20 min. The sleep conditions were evaluated by actigraph, and the amount of catecholamine in pooled urine after acupuncture treatment. MMPigs with deep acupuncture at Dafengmen showed significantly efficient values on actigraph and catecholamine analysis as compared with untreated MMPigs. The effective acupoint for sleep conditions in the porcine model is at an anatomically similar point to humans, rather than the point determined by traditional Chinese medicine

Benzene Metabolite 1,2,4-Benzenetriol Induces Halogenated DNA and Tyrosines Representing Halogenative Stress in the HL-60 Human Myeloid Cell Line

Background: Although benzene is known to be myelotoxic and to cause myeloid leukemia in humans, the mechanism has not been elucidated

Reduced N-acetylaspartate levels in mice lacking aralar, a brain- and muscle-type mitochondrial aspartate-glutamate carrier

Aralar is a mitochondrial calcium-regulated aspartate-glutamate carrier mainly distributed in brain and skeletal muscle, involved in the transport of aspartate from mitochondria to cytosol, and in the transfer of cytosolic reducing equivalents into mitochondria as a member of the malate-aspartate NADH shuttle. In the present study, we describe the characteristics of aralar-deficient (Aralar-/-) mice, generated by a gene-trap method, showing no aralar mRNA and protein, and no detectable malate-aspartate shuttle activity in skeletal muscle and brain mitochondria. Aralar-/- mice were growth-retarded, exhibited generalized tremoring, and had pronounced motor coordination defects along with an impaired myelination in the central nervous system. Analysis of lipid components showed a marked decrease in the myelin lipid galactosyl cerebroside. The content of the myelin lipid precursor, N-acetylaspartate, and that of aspartate are drastically decreased in the brain of Aralar-/- mice. The defect in N-acetylaspartate production was also observed in cell extracts from primary neuronal cultures derived from Aralar-/- mouse embryos. These results show that aralar plays an important role in myelin formation by providing aspartate for the synthesis of N-acetylaspartate in neuronal cell

Ulip6, a novel unc-33 and dihydropyrimidinase related protein highly expressed in developing rat brain

AbstractHere, we report the identification of Ulip6, a novel unc-33 and dihydropyrimidinase related protein that belongs to the Ulip/CRMP protein family. Ulip6 was found in a yeast two-hybrid screen using the neuronal glycine transporter GlyT2 as bait. The rat and human Ulip6 sequences are highly homologous and most closely related to the liver enzyme dihydropyrimidinase (Ulip5). Northern and Western analysis of rat tissues revealed that the distribution of the Ulip6 mRNA and protein resembles those of brain-type Ulip proteins. Like Ulip1–4, Ulip6 is highly expressed in embryonic and early postnatal brain and spinal cord. These findings are consistent with Ulip6 having a function in neuronal differentiation and/or axon growth