Jun 2010, Volume 1 Issue 6
    

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  • Research articles
    From synthetic genome to creation of life
    Xiaoxue Zhang,
    2010, 1(6): 501-502. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0071-5
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  • Research articles
    Forgetting and small G protein Rac
    Yichun Shuai, Yi Zhong,
    2010, 1(6): 503-506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0077-z
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  • Research articles
    In memory of Professor Tianqin Cao (Tien-chin Tsao)
    Youshang Zhang,
    2010, 1(6): 507-509. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0074-2
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  • Research articles
    HIV-1 tropism
    Aikichi Iwamoto, Noriaki Hosoya, Ai Kawana-Tachikawa,
    2010, 1(6): 510-513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0066-2
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  • Research articles
    Dynamic interplay between viral adaptation and immune recognition during HIV-1 infection
    Chihiro Motozono, Philip Mwimanzi, Takamasa Ueno,
    2010, 1(6): 514-519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0068-0
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    Untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections usually lead to death from AIDS, although the rate of the disease progression varies widely among individuals. The cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, which is restricted by highly polymorphic MHC class I alleles, plays a central role in controlling HIV replication. It is now recognized that the antiviral efficacy of CTLs at the single cell level is dependent on their antigen specificity and is important in determining the quality of host response to viruses so that the individual will remain asymptomatic. However, because of the extreme mutational plasticity of HIV, HIV-specific CTL responses are continuously and dynamically changing. In order to rationally design an effective vaccine, the questions as to what constitutes an effective antiviral CTL response and what characterizes a potent antigenic peptide to induce such responses are becoming highlighted as needing to be answered.
  • Research articles
    The next-generation sequencing technology and application
    Xiaoguang Zhou, Lufeng Ren, Jun Yu, Qingshu Meng, Yuntao Li, Yude Yu,
    2010, 1(6): 520-536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0065-3
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    As one of the key technologies in biomedical research, DNA sequencing has not only improved its productivity with an exponential growth rate but also been applied to new areas of application over the past few years. This is largely due to the advent of newer generations of sequencing platforms, offering ever-faster and cheaper ways to analyze sequences. In our previous review, we looked into technical characteristics of the next-generation sequencers and provided prospective insights into their future development. In this article, we present a brief overview of the advantages and shortcomings of key commercially available platforms with a focus on their suitability for a broad range of applications.
  • Research articles
    Insulin: a small protein with a long journey
    Qingxin Hua,
    2010, 1(6): 537-551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0069-z
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    Insulin is a hormone that is essential for regulating energy storage and glucose metabolism in the body. Insulin in liver, muscle, and fat tissues stimulates the cell to take up glucose from blood and store it as glycogen in liver and muscle. Failure of insulin control causes diabetes mellitus (DM). Insulin is the unique medicine to treat some forms of DM. The population of diabetics has dramatically increased over the past two decades, due to high absorption of carbohydrates (or fats and proteins), lack of physical exercise, and development of new diagnostic techniques. At present, the two largest developing countries (India and China) and the largest developed country (United States) represent the top three countries in terms of diabetic population. Insulin is a small protein, but contains almost all structural features typical of proteins: α-helix, β-sheet, β-turn, high order assembly, allosteric T®R-transition, and conformational changes in amyloidal fibrillation. More than ten years’ efforts on studying insulin disulfide intermediates by NMR have enabled us to decipher the whole picture of insulin folding coupled to disulfide pairing, especially at the initial stage that forms the nascent peptide. Two structural switches are also known to regulate insulin binding to receptors and progress has been made to identify the residues involved in binding. However, resolving the complex structure of insulin and its receptor remains a challenge in insulin research. Nevertheless, the accumulated knowledge of insulin structure has allowed us to specifically design a new ultra-stable and active single-chain insulin analog (SCI-57), and provides a novel way to design super-stable, fast-acting and cheaper insulin formulations for DM patients. Continuing this long journey of insulin study will benefit basic research in proteins and in pharmaceutical therapy.
  • Research articles
    Progranulin promotes neurite outgrowth and neuronal differentiation by regulating GSK-3β
    Xue Gao, Lei Wang, Amar Kar, Payal Ray, Jane Y. Wu, Alvin P. Joselin, Andrew Bateman, Alison M. Goate,
    2010, 1(6): 552-562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0067-1
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    Progranulin (PGRN) has recently emerged as a key player in a subset of frontotemporal dementias (FTD). Numerous mutations in the progranulin gene have been identified in patients with familial or sporadic frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). In order to understand the molecular mechanisms by which PGRN deficiency leads to FTLD, we examined activity of PGRN in mouse cortical and hippocampal neurons and in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Treatment of mouse neurons with PGRN protein resulted in an increase in neurite outgrowth, supporting the role of PGRN as a neurotrophic factor. PGRN treatment stimulated phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) in cultured neurons. Knockdown of PGRN in SH-SY5Y cells impaired retinoic acid induced differentiation and reduced the level of phosphorylated GSK-3β. PGRN knockdown cells were also more sensitized to staurosporine- induced apoptosis. These results reveal an important role of PGRN in neurite outgrowth and involvement of GSK-3β in mediating PGRN activity. Identification of GSK-3β activation as a downstream event for PGRN signaling provides a mechanistic explanation for PGRN activity in the nervous system. Our work also suggest that loss of axonal growth stimulation during neural injury repair or deficits in axonal repair may contribute to neuronal damage or axonal loss in FTLD associated with PGRN mutations. Finally, our study suggests that modulating GSK-3β or similar signaling events may provide therapeutic benefits for FTLD cases associated with PGRN mutations.
  • Research articles
    Surface-bound myeloperoxidase is a ligand for recognition of late apoptotic neutrophils by human lung surfactant proteins A and D
    Anne Jäkel, Robert B. Sim, Howard Clark, Kenneth B. M. Reid,
    2010, 1(6): 563-572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0076-0
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    Surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D), both members of the collectin family, play a well established role in apoptotic cell recognition and clearance. Recent in vitro data show that SP-A and SP-D interact with apoptotic neutrophils in a distinct manner. SP-A and SP-D bind in a Ca2+-dependent manner to viable and early apoptotic neutrophils whereas the much greater interaction with late apoptotic neutrophils is Ca2+-independent. Cell surface molecules on the apoptotic target cells responsible for these interactions had not been identified and this study was done to find candidate target molecules. Myeloperoxidase (MPO), a specific intracellular defense molecule of neutrophils that becomes exposed on the outside of the cell upon apoptosis, was identified by affinity purification, mass-spectrometry and western blotting as a novel binding molecule for SP-A and SP-D. To confirm its role in recognition, it was shown that purified immobilised MPO binds SP-A and SP-D, and that MPO is surface-exposed on late apoptotic neutrophils. SP-A and SP-D inhibit binding of an anti-MPO monoclonal Ab to late apoptotic cells. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that anti-MPO mAb and SP-A/SP-D colocalise on late apoptotic neutrophils. Desmoplakin was identified as a further potential ligand for SP-A, and neutrophil defensin as a target for both proteins.
  • Research articles
    p38γ regulates UV-induced checkpoint signaling and repair of UV-induced DNA damage
    Chia-Cheng Wu, Xiaohua Wu, Jiahuai Han, Peiqing Sun,
    2010, 1(6): 573-583. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0075-1
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    In eukaryotic cells, DNA damage triggers activation of checkpoint signaling pathways that coordinate cell cycle arrest and repair of damaged DNA. These DNA damage responses serve to maintain genome stability and prevent accumulation of genetic mutations and development of cancer. The p38 MAPK was previously implicated in cellular responses to several types of DNA damage. However, the role of each of the four p38 isoforms and the mechanism for their involvement in DNA damage responses remained poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that p38γ, but not the other p38 isoforms, contributes to the survival of UV-treated cells. Deletion of p38γ sensitizes cells to UV exposure, accompanied by prolonged S phase cell cycle arrest and increased rate of apoptosis. Further investigation reveal that p38γ is essential for the optimal activation of the checkpoint signaling caused by UV, and for the efficient repair of UV-induced DNA damage. These findings have established a novel role of p38γ in UV-induced DNA damage responses, and suggested that p38γ contributes to the ability of cells to cope with UV exposure by regulating the checkpoint signaling pathways and the repair of damaged DNA.
  • Research articles
    Effect of the microbial lipopeptide on tumor cell lines: apoptosis induced by disturbing the fatty acid composition of cell membrane
    Xiangyang Liu, Xinyi Tao, Aihua Zou, Shizhong Yang, Bozhong Mu, Lixin Zhang,
    2010, 1(6): 584-594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0072-4
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    Microbial lipopeptides play an important role in apoptosis induction of tumor cells. However, there is little knowledge about the relationship between apoptosis induction and membrane fatty acids. The present study focused on the effects of lipopeptides produced by Bacillus subtilis HSO121 on Bcap-37 cell lines. 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl (MTT) colorimetric assay and surface tension measurements, showed that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) was a critical level for the inhibitory activity of lipopeptides on the growth of Bcap-37 cells. Under the CMC, the order of least to greatest cytotoxicity effect on cancer cell lines by lipopeptides is C13-lipopeptide<C14-lipopepitde<C15-lipopeptide. Above CMC, all lipopeptides directly exert cytolytic activity. The flow cytometric analysis and Hoechst33258 staining experiments confirmed the apoptosis of Bcap-37 cell lines induced by lipopeptides in a dose-dependent manner. This apoptosis was associated with a significant decrease of the unsaturated degree of the cellular fatty acids of Bcap-37 cell lines due to the changes in the cellular fatty acids composition induced by the lipopeptide treatment. These results indicated that disturbance of the cellular fatty acid composition of breast cancer cell lines were related to in the cell apoptosis. Furthermore, significant difference in IC50 values of tumor cells and normal cell showed that the lipopeptide exerted selective cytotoxicity on the cancer cells. Thus HSO121 lipopeptides may have potential applications as an anticancer leads.
  • Research articles
    Crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of the ϵ subunit of human translation initiation factor eIF2B
    Jia Wei, Minze Jia, Cheng Zhang, Mingzhu Wang, Feng Gao, Hang Xu, Weimin Gong,
    2010, 1(6): 595-603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-010-0070-6
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    Eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2B, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for eIF2, catalyzes conversion of eIF2·GDP to eIF2·GTP. The eIF2B is composed of five subunits, α, β, γ, δ and ε, within which the ε subunit is responsible for catalyzing the guanine exchange reaction. Here we present the crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of human eIF2Bε (eIF2Bε-CTD) at 2.0-Å resolution. The structure resembles a HEAT motif and three charge-rich areas on its surface can be identified. When compared to yeast eIF2Bε-CTD, one area involves highly conserved AA boxes while the other two are only partially conserved. In addition, the previously reported mutations in human eIF2Bε-CTD, which are related to the loss of the GEF activity and human VWM disease, have been discussed. Based on the structure, most of such mutations tend to destabilize the HEAT motif.