Antagonistic regulation of type I collagen gene expression by interferon-gamma and transforming growth factor-beta. Integration at the level of p300/CBP transcriptional coactivators

Among the extracellular signals that modulate the synthesis of collagen, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) are preeminent. These two cytokines exert antagonistic effects on fibroblasts, and play important roles in the physiologic regulation of extracellular matrix turnover. We have shown previously that in normal skin fibroblasts, TGF-beta positively regulates alpha2(I) procollagen gene (COL1A2) promoter activity through the cellular Smad signal transduction pathway. In contrast, IFN-gamma activates Stat1alpha, down-regulates COL1A2 transcription, and abrogates its stimulation induced by TGF-beta. The level of integration of the two pathways mediating antagonistic collagen regulation is unknown. We now report that IFN-gamma abrogates TGF-beta-stimulated COL1A2 transcription in fibroblasts by inhibiting Smad activities. IFN-gamma appears to induce competition between activated Stat1alpha and Smad3 for interaction with limiting amounts of cellular p300/CBP. Overexpression of p300 restored COL1A2 stimulation by TGF-beta in the presence of IFN-gamma, and potentiated IFN-gamma-dependent positive transcriptional responses. In contrast to fibroblasts, in U4A cells lacking Jak1 and consequently unable to activate Stat1alpha-mediated responses, IFN-gamma failed to repress TGF-beta-induced transcription. These results indicate that as essential coactivators for both Smad3 and Stat1alpha, nuclear p300/CBP integrate signals that positively or negatively regulate COL1A2 transcription. The findings implicate a novel mechanism to account for antagonistic interaction of Smad and Jak-Stat pathways in regulation of target genes. In fibroblasts responding to cytokines with opposing effects on collagen transcription, the relative levels of cellular coactivators, and their interaction with regulated transcription factors, may govern the net effect.

A nucleoprotein complex containing CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta interacts with an insulin response sequence in the insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 gene and contributes to insulin-regulated gene expression

Highly related insulin response sequences (IRSs) mediate effects of insulin on the expression of multiple genes in the liver, including insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Gel shift studies reveal that oligonucleotide probes containing an IRS from the IGFBP-1 or PEPCK gene form a similar complex with hepatic nuclear proteins. Unlabeled competitors containing the IGFBP-1 or PEPCK IRS or a binding site for C/EBP proteins inhibit the formation of this complex. Antibody against C/EBPbeta (but not other C/EBP proteins) supershifts this complex, and Western blotting of affinity purified proteins confirms that C/EBPbeta is present in this complex. Studies with affinity purified and recombinant protein indicate that C/EBPbeta does not interact directly with the IRS, but that other factors are required. Gel shift assays and reporter gene studies with constructs containing point mutations within the IRS reveal that the ability to interact with factors required for the formation of this complex correlates well with the ability of insulin to regulate promoter activity via this IRS (r = 0.849, p < 0.01). Replacing the IRS in reporter gene constructs with a C/EBP-binding site (but not an HNF-3/forkhead site or cAMP response element) maintains the effect of insulin on promoter activity. Together, these findings indicate that a nucleoprotein complex containing C/EBPbeta interacts with IRSs from the IGFBP-1 and PEPCK genes in a sequence-specific fashion and may contribute to the ability of insulin to regulate gene expression.

Insulin suppresses transactivation by CAAT/enhancer-binding proteins beta (C/EBPbeta). Signaling to p300/CREB-binding protein by protein kinase B disrupts interaction with the major activation domain of C/EBPbeta

CAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) play an important role in the regulation of gene expression in insulin-responsive tissues. We have found that a complex containing C/EBPbeta interacts with an insulin response sequence in the insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) gene and that a C/EBP-binding site can mediate effects of insulin on promoter activity. Here, we examined mechanisms mediating this effect of insulin. The ability of insulin to suppress promoter activity via a C/EBP-binding site is blocked by LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, but not by rapamycin, which blocks activation of p70(S6 kinase). Dominant negative phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B (PKB) block the effect of insulin, while activated PKB suppresses promoter function via a C/EBP-binding site, mimicking the effect of insulin. Coexpression studies indicate that insulin and PKB suppress transactivation by C/EBPbeta, but not C/EBPalpha, and that N-terminal transactivation domains in C/EBPbeta are required. Studies with Gal4 fusion proteins reveal that insulin and PKB suppress transactivation by the major activation domain in C/EBPbeta (AD II), located between amino acids 31 and 83. Studies with E1A protein indicate that interaction with p300/CBP is required for transactivation by AD II and the effect of insulin and PKB. Based on a consensus sequence, we identified a PKB phosphorylation site (Ser(1834)) within the region of p300/CBP known to bind C/EBPbeta. Mammalian two-hybrid studies indicate that insulin and PKB disrupt interactions between this region of p300 and AD II and that Ser(1834) is critical for this effect. Signaling by PKB and phosphorylation of Ser(1834) may play an important role in modulating interactions between p300/CBP and transcription factors and mediate effects of insulin and related growth factors on gene expression.

Mn(III)-PROMOTED ANNULATION OF ENOL ETHERS AND ESTERS TO FUSED OR SPIRO 2-CYCLOPENTENONES

Manganese(III)-promoted addition of various 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to enol ethers or terminal enol esters, followed by hydrolysis of the resulting adducts and base catalyzed aldol cyclization provides an effective process for the synthesis of a wide range of fused and spiro 2-cyclopentenones.

Di(2-Pyridyl) Carbonate Promoted Alkoxycarbonylation of Amines: A Convenient Synthesis of Functionalized Carbamates

The reaction of di(2-pyridyl) carbonate with a variety of alcohols including hindered secondary, tertiary and protected glycols afforded the corresponding mixed carbonate which was efficiently transformed into various carbamates in high yield under mild conditions.

An economised craniofacial identification system

It has been attempted to develop an economised craniofacial identification system, as a special automated version of photo/video superimposition technique, that can deal with common cases of personal identification with the aid of a skull and a nearly front view face photograph of the suspected victim. The proposed method is economic in respect of (i) cost of hardware configuration, (ii) processing time as well as (iii) manual labour involved. Over and above, it has got a capability to take care of ambiguities due to soft tissue thickness during the selection of facial features, which is a part of the procedure. In order to reconstruct a 2-D cranial image, superimposable over the facial one, the new method does not need any reconstruction of a digitised 3-D cranial image. It works simply by a suitable segment-wise processing of a 2-D cranial image with the aid of the symmetry perceiving adaptive neuronet (SPAN), that has recently been introduced in connection with nearly front view facial image recognition. The final comparison of the facial and the superimposable cranial images is as versatile as the same for facial image recognition by SPAN.A practical application of this extended version of SPAN has been demonstrated in the present paper.

Total synthesis of antitumor depsipeptide (-)-doliculide

[reaction: see text] (-)-Doliculide, a potent antitumor agent, is synthesized stereoselectively in a convergent manner. The key strategy involves a stereoselective synthesis of the polyketide unit and synthesis of the D-tyrosine derivative, followed by assembly of the fragments by an esterification and cycloamidation reaction sequence. The synthesis of the polyketide fragment was achieved by an iterative asymmetric synthesis to install stereoselectively both 1,3-dimethyl groups and the 1,3-diol unit by utilizing asymmetric cyclopropanations and Sharpless asymmetric epoxidations as the key steps.

Hepatitis C virus NS5A physically associates with p53 and regulates p21/waf1 gene expression in a p53-dependent manner

We have previously demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A protein promotes cell growth and transcriptionally regulates the p21/waf1 promoter, a downstream effector gene of p53. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of NS5A-mediated transcriptional repression of p21/waf1. We observed that transcriptional repression of the p21/waf1 gene by NS5A is p53 dependent by using p53 wild-type (+/+) and null (-/-) cells. Interestingly, p53-mediated transcriptional activation from a synthetic promoter containing multiple p53 binding sites (PG13-LUC) was abrogated following expression of HCV NS5A. Additional studies using pull-down experiments, in vivo coimmunoprecipitation, and mammalian two-hybrid assays demonstrated that NS5A physically associates with p53. Confocal microscopy revealed sequestration of p53 in the perinuclear membrane and colocalization with NS5A in transfected HepG2 and Saos-2 cells. Together these results suggest that an association of NS5A and p53 allows transcriptional modulation of the p21/waf1 gene and may contribute to HCV-mediated pathogenesis.

Tartaric Acid and Tartrates in the Synthesis of Bioactive Molecules

A review on the syntheses of bioactive compounds published since 1995 using tartaric acid and its derivatives as synthons is presented.

A novel 16-kilodalton cellular protein physically interacts with and antagonizes the functional activity of c-myc promoter-binding protein 1

We initially identified c-myc promoter-binding protein 1 (MBP-1) from a human cervical carcinoma cell expression library which negatively regulates c-myc promoter activity. A recent study demonstrated that MBP-1 acts as a general transcriptional repressor (A. K. Ghosh, R. Steele, and R. B. Ray, Mol. Cell. Biol. 19:2880-2886, 1999). In order to identify the cellular protein(s) interacting with MBP-1 for transcriptional regulation, a HeLa cell cDNA expression library was screened using a yeast two-hybrid system. An MBP-1-interacting cDNA encoding a polypeptide of 140 amino acid residues with an approximate molecular mass of 16 kDa was identified and named MBP-1 interacting protein-2A (MIP-2A). MIP-2A has a sequence similarity with an unknown mRNA and SEDL. Mutations in the SEDL gene, located at human chromosome Xp22, has recently been implicated with an X-linked genetic disease, although the function of SEDL gene product was not determined (A. K. Gedeon et al., Nat. Genet. 22:400-404, 1999). However, our results suggested the localization of MIP-2A at human chromosome 19. The specificity of interaction between MBP-1 and MIP-2A was verified by an in vitro glutathione S-transferase pulldown experiment, a mammalian two-hybrid analysis, and in vivo coimmunoprecipitation assays. Further analysis revealed that the amino-terminal domain of MBP-1 (amino acids 1 to 95) interacts with MIP-2A. Immunofluorescent staining suggested colocalization of MIP-2A and MBP-1 primarily in the perinuclear membrane of cells. Functional analysis demonstrated that MIP-2A relieves MBP-1 mediated transcriptional repression on c-myc promoter. Additionally, MIP-2A antagonizes cell growth regulatory role of MBP-1. Taken together, these results suggest the functional interaction of MIP-2A and MBP-1 in cell growth regulation.

Syntheses of FDA Approved HIV Protease Inhibitors

The treatment of HIV and AIDS was revolutionized by the introduction of peptidomimetic aspartyl protease inhibitors. One of the major limitations of this type of therapy is that higher therapeutic doses are necessary because of the presence of 'peptide-like' features in the drugs. Therefore, adequate supplies and cost effective syntheses of these drugs are of utmost importance. To date, there are six protease inhibitors approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HIV and AIDS. This review focuses on the published syntheses of currently FDA approved HIV protease inhibitor drugs, their isosteres and ligands.

Protection of apoptotic cell death by protein A

The word "Apoptosis" or pragrammed cell death is described as the ultimate end of multiple cellular events converging from numerous initiating events to the ultimate death of a cell or organism. Several processes, such as initiation of death signals at the plasma membrane, expression of pro-apoptotic oncoproteins, activation of death proteases, endonucleases etc., that ultimately coalesce to a common irreversible execution phase, lead to cell demise. Counteracting the death signals are cell survival factors. A balance between the cell death and cell survival factors plays a major role in the decision making process as to whether a cell should die or must live. It is, therefore, hypothesized that if the balance can be shifted in favor of cell survival, one might be able to arrest the aging process, save the injured cells or else if the balance is shifted toward cell-kill it might help destroy tumors and other undesirable cells. Protein A (PA) of Staphylococcus aureus has been found to have multifarious biological response modifying properties. It has been shown to possess anti-tumor, antitoxic, anti-parasitic and antifungal activities. It also acts as a potent immunostimulator. PA can protect bone marrow progenitor cells from zidovudin(AZT)-induced apoptosis and can stimulate immunocyte proliferation, thereby helping to replenish/restore the depleted hematopoietic cell pool. Such ability to replenish hematopoietic cells is a common property of PA observed against a number of toxic drugs/chemicals, such as cyclophosphamide, benzene, aflatoxin, salmonella endotoxin, etc. Interestingly, it was further demonstrated in our laboratory that PA can selectively kill tumor cells without affecting normal cells of the host. A search for the mechanisms of PA action revealed that this bacterial protein could shift the balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in favor of survival in normal cells, but in favor of cell death in tumor cells at a particular dose level. This unique property of PA suggests that controlled use of such type of Biological Response Modifier might help in controlling both cell growth and death phenomena.

Characterization of cypovirus isolates from tropical and temperate Indian saturniidae silkworms

Cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (cypovirus, CPV) isolates from larvae of saturniidae silkworms Antheraea mylitta, Antheraea proylei, and Antheraea assamensis were obtained and characterized. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies revealed the presence of hexahedral (rhombic dodecahedron) polyhedral bodies of various size (1-4 microns) in individual hosts while transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies of isolated virions showed their uniform (icosahedral) shape and size (approximately 55 nm). Genomes of these isolates were obtained from purified polyhedral bodies and analyzed by agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Eleven bands ranging from about 350 bp to 3.9 kb (total of 25.35 kb) were detected. These bands were completely degraded after treatment of the genome preparations with RNase A at low salt but not at high salt concentration. The banding pattern of the genomes remained unaffected by treatment of the respective preparations with DNase I, indicating that the genomes were composed of 11 double-stranded (ds) RNA segments. The RNA banding patterns of the CPV isolates from the saturniidae silkworms were similar to each other. These characteristics were similar to that of Antheraea mylitta cypovirus 4 (AmCPV-4) but different from that of Bombyx mori cypovirus 1 (BmCPV-1). In comparison to AmCPV-4 the isolates contained an additional, eleventh RNA segment and the size of the RNA segments was also different. Dot blot hybridization showed hybridization of the cloned 9th and 10th segment cDNAs from the A. mylitta CPV (AmCPV) isolate with RNAs from the A. proylei and A. assamensis CPV (ApCPV, AaCPV) isolates but not with RNA from BmCPV-1. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE) of polyhedral proteins from the AmCPV isolate showed the presence of 3 major and 5 minor bands of M(r) from 29.4 K to 163 K, but BmCPV-1 polyhedral bodies showed different protein banding pattern. Two heterologous cell lines infected with the AmCPV isolate showed very slow virus growth with the accumulation of polyhedral bodies in the cytoplasm of infected cells indicating a restricted host range of this CPV isolate.

Cyclooxygenase-2-mediated angiogenesis in carrageenin-induced granulation tissue in rats

The possible participation of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in angiogenesis in granulation tissue was analyzed using an air pouch-type carrageenin-induced inflammation model in rats. Injection of carrageenin solution into an air pouch induced gradual increases in the pouch fluid volume and granulation tissue weight as well as angiogenesis in granulation tissue. NS-398 (10-100 microg) inhibited all of these parameters in a dose-dependent manner. NS-398 (100 microg), indomethacin (100 microg), and dexamethasone (10 microg) markedly reduced prostaglandin (PG) E(2) levels in the pouch fluid at day 6. NS-398 and indomethacin did not affect protein levels of COX-1 and COX-2 but dexamethasone significantly reduced the level of COX-2 in granulation tissue at day 6. Protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in granulation tissue and in the pouch fluid were higher at day 6 than at day 3, and the levels were decreased by treatment with NS-398 (10-100 microg) in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effects of NS-398 (100 microg) were almost the same as those of indomethacin (100 microg). Dexamethasone (10 microg) also reduced VEGF protein levels in granulation tissue at day 6. To clarify the role of PGE(2) in VEGF production, minced granulation tissue obtained 3 days after carrageenin injection from the indomethacin-treated rats was incubated in the presence of various concentrations of PGE(2). It was shown that VEGF mRNA and protein levels in the minced granulation tissue were increased by PGE(2) in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings suggest that COX-2-derived PGE(2) plays a significant role in angiogenesis in the carrageenin-induced granulation tissue through VEGF formation.

Diverse manifestation of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia in a family

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) is a cardiomyopathy of unknown cause associated with life-threatening arrhythmias. The purpose of this case report is two-fold: (i) To highlight the utility of a definite set of diagnostic criteria encompassing structural, histologic, electrocardiographic, arrhythmic and genetic factors in establishing diagnosis of ARVD in institutions like ours which are handicapped by lack of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endomyocardial biopsy facilities, (ii) to present diverse arrhythmic manifestations in a single family.

Stereoselective construction of quaternary carbon centers by three component coupling reactions

TiCl4 promoted coupling reactions of pyruvates with vinyl ethers such as 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran or 2,3-dihydrofuran constructed quaternary carbon centers stereoselectively.

Structure of the protease domain of memapsin 2 (beta-secretase) complexed with inhibitor

Memapsin 2 (beta-secretase) is a membrane-associated aspartic protease involved in the production of beta-amyloid peptide in Alzheimer's disease and is a major target for drug design. We determined the crystal structure of the protease domain of human memapsin 2 complexed to an eight-residue inhibitor at 1.9 angstrom resolution. The active site of memapsin 2 is more open and less hydrophobic than that of other human aspartic proteases. The subsite locations from S4 to S2' are well defined. A kink of the inhibitor chain at P2' and the change of chain direction of P3' and P4' may be mimicked to provide inhibitor selectivity.

Partial purification and characterization of a phosphoprotein phosphatase from sperm plasma membrane

A phosphoprotein phosphatase (PPase M-I) that dephosphorylates serine and threonine residues of histones was isolated from the goat cauda-epididymal sperm plasma membrane and partially characterized. The PPase was solubilized from the sperm membrane by treating it with 0.1 N NaOH at pH 11.4 and the solubilized enzyme was partially purified by concanavalin A-sepharose affinity chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), revealing it to be a 520-kDa protein. The PPase gave a single protein band in native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), but in the presence of SDS it resolved into multiple proteins (35-170 kDa) showing that the isolated enzyme contained a few contaminating proteins. The enzyme is a glycoprotein because it binds with high affinity to concanavalin A. It was maximally active at pH 8.0 and its activity was not dependent on bivalent metal ions. The enzyme is a specific phosphatase as it displayed higher affinity for dephosphorylation of large molecular weight phosphate esters. The PPase showed broad substrate specificity for the dephosphorylation of a variety of proteins. The membrane-associated PPase was strongly (70-80%) inhibited by detergents (0.5%) such as Nonidet P-40, Lubrol PX, Triton X-100 and Tween-20. Pyrophosphate (5 mm) and orthovanadate (400 microM) had no significant effect on the activity of the isolated PPase whereas polyamines such as spermine (10 mM) and spermidine (10 mM) slightly inhibited (20%) the enzymatic activity. Inorganic phosphate (10 mM) and NaF (10 mM), the well-known inhibitors of the cytosolic PPases, had no appreciable effect on the activity of PPase M-I, indicating that the membrane-bound PPase is distinct from the cytosolic PPases. The enzyme was radiolabelled when the intact spermatozoa were subjected to lactoperoxidase-mediated radioiodination reaction. The results show that the PPase M-I is an ecto-enzyme that may play an important role in sperm physiology by causing the dephosphorylation of the sperm outer surface phosphoproteins.

Asymmetric synthesis of (-)-tetrahydrolipstatin: an anti-aldol-based strategy

A stereoselective synthesis of (-)-tetrahydrolipstatin is described. The synthesis involves an asymmetric ester derived titanium enolate anti-aldol reaction, a nitro-aldol reaction to append the C-2' C(11) side chain, and a diastereoselective reduction of a beta-hydroxy ketone to an anti-1,3-diol functionality followed by its elaboration to (-)-tetrahydrolipstatin.

Diels-Alder approach to tetralin-based constrained alpha-amino acid derivatives

Tetralin-based constrained alpha-amino acid derivatives were prepared via [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction as a key step. Here sultine is used as a latent diene and 2-acetamidoacrylate serves as a dienophile component.