scholarly journals Identification of an Arabidopsis Aminotransferase that Facilitates Tryptophan and Auxin Homeostasis

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Pieck ◽  
Youxi Yuan ◽  
Jason Godfrey ◽  
Christopher Fisher ◽  
Sanda Zolj ◽  
...  

IAA plays a critical role in regulating numerous aspects of plant growth and development. While there is much genetic support for tryptophan-dependent (Trp-D) IAA synthesis pathways, there is little genetic evidence for tryptophan-independent (Trp-I) IAA synthesis pathways. Using Arabidopsis, we identified two mutant alleles of ISS1 (Indole Severe Sensitive) that display indole-dependent IAA overproduction phenotypes including leaf epinasty and adventitious rooting. Stable isotope labeling showed that iss1, but not WT, uses primarily Trp-I IAA synthesis when grown on indole-supplemented medium. In contrast, both iss1 and WT use primarily Trp-D IAA synthesis when grown on unsupplemented medium. iss1 seedlings produce 8-fold higher levels of IAA when grown on indole and surprisingly have a 174-fold increase in Trp. These findings indicate that the iss1 mutant???s increase in Trp-I IAA synthesis is due to a loss of Trp catabolism. ISS1 was identified as At1g80360, a predicted aromatic aminotransferase, and in vitro and in vivo analysis confirmed this activity. At1g80360 was previously shown to primarily carry out the conversion of indole-3-pyruvic acid to Trp as an IAA homeostatic mechanism in young seedlings. Our results suggest that in addition to this activity, in more mature plants ISS1 has a role in Trp catabolism and possibly in the metabolism of other aromatic amino acids. We postulate that this loss of Trp catabolism impacts the use of Trp-D and/or Trp-I IAA synthesis pathways.

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (18) ◽  
pp. 5602
Author(s):  
Zuzana Vitková ◽  
Marián Tárník ◽  
Jarmila Pavlovičová ◽  
Ján Murgaš ◽  
Andrej Babinec ◽  
...  

Depending on their concentrations the surface-active substances, tensides (surfactants) can positively or negatively influence the drug absorption, which is widely used in the design of the dosage forms with controlled release. A problem is that the (in-vivo) rate of absorption cannot be directly measured and for that reason, it is frequently substituted by evaluation of the (in-vitro) dissolution. On other hand, a suitably designed pharmacokinetic model can directly predict virtually all pharmacokinetic quantities including both the rate of absorption and fraction of the dose reaching the blood circulation. The paper presents a new approach to the analysis of the rate of drug absorption and shows its superiority over traditional in-vivo approaches. Both the in-vivo analysis and model-based prediction of the tenside (monolaurin of sucrose) influence on the rate of absorption of the drug (sulfathiazole) after instantaneous per-oral administration to rats are discussed. It was found that 0.001% solution of tenside can increase the rate of absorption by cca 50% and a two-fold increase in absolute bioavailability can be reached. Attention is also devoted to the formal requirements laid on the model’s structure and its identifiability. The systematic design, substantiation and validation of a parsimonious predictive model that confirms in-vivo results are presented. The match between in-vivo observations and model-based predictions is demonstrated. The frequently overlooked metaphysics lying behind the compartmental modelling is briefly explained.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yilin Zhao ◽  
Yaya Wang ◽  
Jing Zhao ◽  
Zhaohui Zhang ◽  
Mingpeng Jin ◽  
...  

Growing evidence indicates that the dysregulation of mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) plays a critical role in the growth of tumor cells, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underling mechanism is not fully elucidated. In this study, the regulatory effects of mitochondrial Ca2+ on phosphodiesterase 2 (PDE2)/cAMP/PKA axis and the phosphorylation of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) as well as the growth of CRC cells were systematically investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrated that MCU-induced mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake activated mitochondrial PDE2 in CRC cells. Moreover, overexpression MCU in CRC led to a 1.9-fold increase in Ca2+ uptake compared to control cells. However, knockdown of MCU resulted in 1.5-fould decrease in Ca2+ uptake in mitochondria compared to the controls. Activation of mitochondrial PDE2 significantly inhibited the activity of mitochondrial protein kinase A (PKA), which subsequently leads to decreased phosphorylation of TFAM. Our data further revealed that PKA regulates the phosphorylation of TFAM and promotes the degradation of phosphorylated TFAM. Thus, TFAM protein levels accumulated in mitochondria when the activity of PKA was inhibited. Overall, this study showed that the overexpression of MCU enhanced CRC growth through promoting the accumulation of TFAM proteins in mitochondria. Conversely, knockdown of MCU in CRC cells resulted in decreased CRC growth. Collectively, these data suggest that the mitochondrial Ca2+-activated PDE2/cAMP/PKA axis plays a key role in regulating TFAM stability and the growth of CRC cells.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Hung Wang ◽  
Wen-Jin Cherng ◽  
I-Chang Hsieh ◽  
Ning-I Yang ◽  
Chi-Hsiao Yeh

Cyclosporine A (CsA), an immunosuppressant, has remarkably improved the short-term success rate of transplantation. The CD26/dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP IV) system plays a critical role in mobilizing endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from bone marrow. This study investigated whether CsA manipulates CD26/DPP IV activity and increases EPC mobilization. C57 BL/6 mice were divided into control and CsA-treated groups. Circulating EPCs were enumerated before and after hindlimb ischemia was induced. Levels of stroma-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), stem cell factor (SCF), vascular endothelial grow factor (VEGF), and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) were measured in the blood. Compared to the controls, CsA treatment significantly increased the serum levels of SDF-1α and SCF (p < 0.001), but not of VEGF or G-CSF after ischemic stress. The CsA group displayed a significant increase in the number of circulating EPCs (with a 7-fold increase in sca-1 + KDR + cells and a 1.5-fold increase in c-kit + CD31 + cells versus the controls at 18 h after ischemia was induced, both p < 0.05). In vivo , CsA also caused 2- and 5-fold increases in the numbers of bone marrow-derived EPCs incorporated into the Matrigel and ischemic limbs, respectively (p < 0.05). In the peripheral blood, CsA significantly decreased CD26 + cell numbers (p < 0.001) and attenuated the plasma CD26/DPP IV activity (p < 0.001). CsA did not alter the acitivty of MMP-2 or MMP-9 in vitro or in vivo . Compared to the controls, short-term CsA treatment significantly improved the perfusion of ischemic limbs and decreased the spontaneous digital amputation rate. In conclusions, this study demonstrated that CsA manipulates the mobilization of bone marrow-derived EPCs into the circulation via the CD26/DPP IV system. Short-term CsA treatment has beneficial effects on angiogensis of ischemic tissues.


Oncogene ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiuna Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyu Jiang ◽  
Jie Yin ◽  
Shiying Dou ◽  
Xiaoli Xie ◽  
...  

AbstractRING finger proteins (RNFs) play a critical role in cancer initiation and progression. RNF141 is a member of RNFs family; however, its clinical significance, roles, and mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the expression of RNF141 in 64 pairs of CRC and adjacent normal tissues by real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analysis. We found that there was more expression of RNF141 in CRC tissue compared with its adjacent normal tissue and high RNF141 expression associated with T stage. In vivo and in vitro functional experiments were conducted and revealed the oncogenic role of RNF141 in CRC. RNF141 knockdown suppressed proliferation, arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase, inhibited migration, invasion and HUVEC tube formation but promoted apoptosis, whereas RNF141 overexpression exerted the opposite effects in CRC cells. The subcutaneous xenograft models showed that RNF141 knockdown reduced tumor growth, but its overexpression promoted tumor growth. Mechanistically, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry indicated RNF141 interacted with KRAS, which was confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation, Immunofluorescence assay. Further analysis with bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays showed that RNF141 could directly bind to KRAS. Importantly, the upregulation of RNF141 increased GTP-bound KRAS, but its knockdown resulted in a reduction accordingly. Next, we demonstrated that RNF141 induced KRAS activation via increasing its enrichment on the plasma membrane not altering total KRAS expression, which was facilitated by the interaction with LYPLA1. Moreover, KRAS silencing partially abolished the effect of RNF141 on cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, our findings presented that RNF141 functioned as an oncogene by upregulating KRAS activity in a manner of promoting KRAS enrichment on the plasma membrane in CRC.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 668
Author(s):  
Concetta Altamura ◽  
Maria Raffaella Greco ◽  
Maria Rosaria Carratù ◽  
Rosa Angela Cardone ◽  
Jean-François Desaphy

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the deadliest gynecologic cancer, due to late diagnosis, development of platinum resistance, and inadequate alternative therapy. It has been demonstrated that membrane ion channels play important roles in cancer processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, motility, and invasion. Here, we review the contribution of ion channels in the development and progression of OC, evaluating their potential in clinical management. Increased expression of voltage-gated and epithelial sodium channels has been detected in OC cells and tissues and shown to be involved in cancer proliferation and invasion. Potassium and calcium channels have been found to play a critical role in the control of cell cycle and in the resistance to apoptosis, promoting tumor growth and recurrence. Overexpression of chloride and transient receptor potential channels was found both in vitro and in vivo, supporting their contribution to OC. Furthermore, ion channels have been shown to influence the sensitivity of OC cells to neoplastic drugs, suggesting a critical role in chemotherapy resistance. The study of ion channels expression and function in OC can improve our understanding of pathophysiology and pave the way for identifying ion channels as potential targets for tumor diagnosis and treatment.


Author(s):  
Wen-Dai Bao ◽  
Pei Pang ◽  
Xiao-Ting Zhou ◽  
Fan Hu ◽  
Wan Xiong ◽  
...  

AbstractIron homeostasis disturbance has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and excess iron exacerbates oxidative damage and cognitive defects. Ferroptosis is a nonapoptotic form of cell death dependent upon intracellular iron. However, the involvement of ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of AD remains elusive. Here, we report that ferroportin1 (Fpn), the only identified mammalian nonheme iron exporter, was downregulated in the brains of APPswe/PS1dE9 mice as an Alzheimer’s mouse model and Alzheimer’s patients. Genetic deletion of Fpn in principal neurons of the neocortex and hippocampus by breeding Fpnfl/fl mice with NEX-Cre mice led to AD-like hippocampal atrophy and memory deficits. Interestingly, the canonical morphological and molecular characteristics of ferroptosis were observed in both Fpnfl/fl/NEXcre and AD mice. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of ferroptosis-related RNA-seq data showed that the differentially expressed genes were highly enriched in gene sets associated with AD. Furthermore, administration of specific inhibitors of ferroptosis effectively reduced the neuronal death and memory impairments induced by Aβ aggregation in vitro and in vivo. In addition, restoring Fpn ameliorated ferroptosis and memory impairment in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. Our study demonstrates the critical role of Fpn and ferroptosis in the progression of AD, thus provides promising therapeutic approaches for this disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianna J. Klein ◽  
Anagha Deshpande ◽  
Khan L. Cox ◽  
Fan Xuan ◽  
Mohamad Zandian ◽  
...  

AbstractChromosomal translocations of the AF10 (or MLLT10) gene are frequently found in acute leukemias. Here, we show that the PZP domain of AF10 (AF10PZP), which is consistently impaired or deleted in leukemogenic AF10 translocations, plays a critical role in blocking malignant transformation. Incorporation of functional AF10PZP into the leukemogenic CALM-AF10 fusion prevents the transforming activity of the fusion in bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo and abrogates CALM-AF10-mediated leukemogenesis in vivo. Crystallographic, biochemical and mutagenesis studies reveal that AF10PZP binds to the nucleosome core particle through multivalent contacts with the histone H3 tail and DNA and associates with chromatin in cells, colocalizing with active methylation marks and discriminating against the repressive H3K27me3 mark. AF10PZP promotes nuclear localization of CALM-AF10 and is required for association with chromatin. Our data indicate that the disruption of AF10PZP function in the CALM-AF10 fusion directly leads to transformation, whereas the inclusion of AF10PZP downregulates Hoxa genes and reverses cellular transformation. Our findings highlight the molecular mechanism by which AF10 targets chromatin and suggest a model for the AF10PZP-dependent CALM-AF10-mediated leukemogenesis.


Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 149 (3) ◽  
pp. 1465-1475 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Kozlova ◽  
G V Pokholkova ◽  
G Tzertzinis ◽  
J D Sutherland ◽  
I F Zhimulev ◽  
...  

Abstract DHR38 is a member of the steroid receptor superfamily in Drosophila homologous to the vertebrate NGFI-B-type orphan receptors. In addition to binding to specific response elements as a monomer, DHR38 interacts with the USP component of the ecdysone receptor complex in vitro, in yeast and in a cell line, suggesting that DHR38 might modulate ecdysone-triggered signals in the fly. We characterized the molecular structure and expression of the Dhr38 gene and initiated an in vivo analysis of its function(s) in development. The Dhr38 transcription unit spans more than 40 kb in length, includes four introns, and produces at least four mRNA isoforms differentially expressed in development; two of these are greatly enriched in the pupal stage and encode nested polypeptides. We characterized four alleles of Dhr38: a P-element enchancer trap line, l(2)02306, which shows exclusively epidermal staining in the late larval, pre-pupal and pupal stages, and three EMS-induced alleles. Dhr38 alleles cause localized fragility and rupturing of the adult cuticle, demonstrating that Dhr38 plays an important role in late stages of epidermal metamorphosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingxia Wei ◽  
Olivia Singh ◽  
Can Ekinci ◽  
Jaspreet Gill ◽  
Mira Li ◽  
...  

AbstractOne of the most prominent features of glioblastoma (GBM) is hyper-vascularization. Bone marrow-derived macrophages are actively recruited to the tumor and referred to as glioma-associated macrophages (GAMs) which are thought to provide a critical role in tumor neo-vascularization. However, the mechanisms by which GAMs regulate endothelial cells (ECs) in the process of tumor vascularization and response to anti-angiogenic therapy (AATx) is not well-understood. Here we show that GBM cells secrete IL-8 and CCL2 which stimulate GAMs to produce TNFα. Subsequently, TNFα induces a distinct gene expression signature of activated ECs including VCAM-1, ICAM-1, CXCL5, and CXCL10. Inhibition of TNFα blocks GAM-induced EC activation both in vitro and in vivo and improve survival in mouse glioma models. Importantly we show that high TNFα expression predicts worse response to Bevacizumab in GBM patients. We further demonstrated in mouse model that treatment with B20.4.1.1, the mouse analog of Bevacizumab, increased macrophage recruitment to the tumor area and correlated with upregulated TNFα expression in GAMs and increased EC activation, which may be responsible for the failure of AATx in GBMs. These results suggest TNFα is a novel therapeutic that may reverse resistance to AATx. Future clinical studies should be aimed at inhibiting TNFα as a concurrent therapy in GBMs.


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