Characterization of a slowly inactivating outward current in adult mouse ventricular myocytes

We recently have reported that suppression of the slowly inactivating component of the outward current, Islow, in ventricular myocytes of transgenic mice (long QT mice) overexpressing the N-terminal fragment and S1 segment of Kv1.1 resulted in a significant prolongation of action potential duration and the QT interval. Here we describe the detailed biophysical properties and physiological role of Islow by applying the whole-cell patch-clamp technique at both room temperature and 37 degreesC. This current activates rapidly with time constants ranging from 3.8+/-0.8 ms at -20 mV to 2.1+/-0.5 ms at 50 mV at room temperature. The half-activation voltage and slope factor are -12.5+/-2.6 mV and 7. 7+/-1.0 mV, respectively. The inactivation of this current is slow compared with the fast inactivating component Ito, with time constants of approximately 100 ms at 37 degreesC. The steady-state inactivation of Islow is not temperature-dependent, with half-inactivation voltages and slope factors of -35.1+/-1.3 and -5. 4+/-0.4 mV at 37 degreesC, and -37.6+/-1.8 and -5.8+/-0.6 mV at room temperature. Double exponentials were required to describe the time-dependent recovery of Islow from steady-state inactivation, with time constants of 233+/-34 and 3730+/-702 ms at 37 degreesC, and 830+/-240 and 8680+/-2410 ms at room temperature. Islow is highly sensitive to 4-aminopyridine but is insensitive to tetraethylammonium, alpha-dendrotoxin, and E-4031. Stimulation with action-potential waveforms under voltage-clamp mode revealed that this current plays an important role in the early and middle phases of repolarization of the cardiac action potential. We conclude that the biophysical properties and pharmacological profiles of Islow are similar to those of Kv1.5-encoded currents.

[Sulfonylurea receptor gene polymorphism is associated with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in Chinese population]

OBJECTIVE

To test the role of Sulfonylurea receptor gene(SUR) in the pathogenesis of NIDDM in Chinese population.

METHODS

We studied the polymorphisms of the SUR gene in intron 24 and exon 22 by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and appropriate restriction enzyme (PCR-RFLP) in 86 NIDDM patients with at least two first degree diabetic relatives and 148 normal control subjects.

RESULTS

The frequency of "c" allele of intron 24 in NIDDM patients was significantly increased as compared with that in the control subjects (68.02% vs. 55.41, P = 0.007), and the frequency of the "cc" genotype of intron 24 in the NIDDM group was also significantly higher than that in the control group (41.86% vs. 27.7%, P = 0.013, OR = 4.39, CI: 1.52-12.66). The polymorphism of exon 22 described in the Caucasian population was not detected.

CONCLUSION

The association of the polymorphism of SUR gene with NIDDM in different races suggests that the SUR gene or nearby gene may play an important role in the genetic susceptibility of NIDDM.

Up-regulation of human secreted frizzled homolog in apoptosis and its down-regulation in breast tumors

In the screening of apoptosis-related genes, an elevated 4.5-kb transcript representing the full-length cDNA of human secreted frizzled-related protein (hsFRP) was cloned. To investigate its possible role in the regulation of cell proliferation, gene expression of hsFRP was examined in human immortalized breast epithelial cell line HBL-100 during growth arrest and apoptosis. Serum deprivation caused G arrest and induction of hsFRP. When serum was re-introduced into the cell culture, the expression of hsFRP declined. Adriamycin treatment induced accumulation of hsFRP mRNA and decrease of beta-catenin. This indicates that the regulation of hsFRP may be involved in the cell-cycle/apoptosis mechanism and possibly in the wnt signaling pathway. hsFRP transcripts were undetectable in cells derived from malignant breast carcinomas, but detectable in 3 immortalized non-malignant breast epithelial cell lines, indicating the involvement of hsFRP in the breast malignant transformation. When tumor and adjacent normal tissues from the same patients were examined, lower expression was found in 5/5 of breast tumors, 2/4 of ovary tumors and 3/5 of kidney tumors. These data suggest the possible involvement of hsFRP in regulation of cell proliferation and breast tumorigenesis.

Isolation of a protein Z-dependent plasma protease inhibitor

Human protein Z (PZ) is a 62,000-Mr, vitamin K-dependent plasma protein whose structure is similar to coagulation factors VII, IX, X, protein C, and protein S, but whose function is not known. The procoagulant activity of factor Xa in a one-stage plasma coagulation assay is reduced when factor Xa is first incubated with PZ. This apparent inhibitory effect is time dependent, requires the presence of calcium ions and procoagulant phospholipids (rabbit brain cephalin), and appears predominantly related to the incubation period of PZ with cephalin. In serum the initial rate of inhibition of factor Xa with calcium ions and cephalin also is enhanced in the presence PZ. A PZ-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) has been isolated from plasma. ZPI is a 72,000-Mr single-chain protein with an N-terminal amino acid sequence of LAPSPQSPEXXA (X = indeterminate) and an estimated concentration in citrate-treated plasma of 1.0-1.6 microg/ml. In systems using purified components, the factor Xa inhibition produced by ZPI is rapid (>95% within 1 min by coagulation assay) and requires the presence of PZ, calcium ions, and cephalin. The inhibitory process appears to involve the formation of a factor Xa-PZ-ZPI complex at the phospholipid surface.

[Mobilization of autologous peripheral blood stem cells by cyclophosphamide and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(rhG-CSF)]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of cyclophosphamide (CTX) and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(rhG-CSF, Filgrastim) on autologous peripheral blood stem cells (APBSC) mobilization.

METHODS

CTX (3.7 +/- 0.2) g/m2 was intravenously injected the first day. rhG-CSF (4.5 +/- 0.6) micrograms.kg-1.d-1 was injected subcutaneously from the day of white blood cell (WBC) nadir to the day before the end of APBSC harvest. APBSC harvest was started when WBC > 2.5 x 10(9)/L and finished when accumulated mononuclear cells (MNC) of APBSC > 5 x 10(8)/kg. CFU-GM, BFU-E culture and CD34+ cells detection of the APBSC was performed.

RESULTS

Twenty cases underwent the APBSC mobilization. The nadir of WBC was (1.1 +/- 0.5) x 10(9)/L at day (9 +/- 1). rhG-CSF was injected from day (10 +/- 1) and continued for (6 +/- 1) days. APBSC harvest began on day (13 +/- 1) and continued for (4 +/- 1) days. Accumulated MNC harvest was (8.4 +/- 1.9) x 10(8)/kg, CFU-GM (18.7 +/- 10.3) x 10(4)/kg, BFU-E (18.5 +/- 8.7) x 10(4)/kg, and CD34+ cells (20.9 +/- 5.7) x 10(6)/kg. No severe toxicity was observed. Hematopoietic reconstitution was very well in 18 patients received the APBSC transplantation.

CONCLUSION

CTX combined with rhG-CSF was a safe and highly effective method for APBSC mobilization.

Analysis of p53 gene mutations in keloids using polymerase chain reaction-based single-strand conformational polymorphism and DNA sequencing

BACKGROUND

Keloids are the result of a dysregulated wound healing process. They are characterized by the formation of excess scar tissue that proliferates beyond the boundaries of the original wound. Somatic mutations of p53 have been implicated as causal events in up to 50% of all human malignancies. In addition, p53 has been shown to play an important role in controlling cell proliferation and apoptosis. We hypothesize that mutations in p53 can lead to a hyperproliferative state that can result in keloid formation.

OBJECTIVE

To detect p53 DNA mutations in tissues and cultured fibroblasts from skin lesions of 7 patients with keloids.

DESIGN

The polymerase chain reaction followed by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and direct DNA sequencing were used to detect p53 gene mutations.

SETTING

The Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich.

PATIENTS

Seven patients with keloids seen for routine surgical excision of their lesions. Normal DNA specimens were obtained from buccal smears and healthy skin samples from these patients.

RESULTS

Mutations in the p53 were identified in all patients by polymerase chain reaction followed by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and subsequently confirmed by DNA sequencing. A mutation in exon 5 resulting in amino acid substitution was found in 1 of the patients in keloid tissue and cultured keloid fibroblasts (codon 156, CGC-->CCC, arginine-->proline). Frameshift mutations in exons 5 and 6 caused by the insertion or deletion of a nucleotide at different positions were found in 6 patients with keloids in both keloid tissues and cultured fibroblasts. Mutations in exon 4 resulting in amino acid substitution were found in all patients in both keloid tissues and cultured fibroblasts (all in codon 72, CGC-->CCC, arginine-->proline). No p53 mutations were detected in buccal smears or cultured fibroblasts from healthy skin samples of any of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Focal mutations in p53 may increase cell proliferation and decrease cell death in the dysregulated growth patterns that have been clinically documented. An understanding of the pattern of all growth dysregulation related to keloids may lead to new therapeutic strategies.

[Effect of herbs 814 on tumor necrosis factor a production from alveolar macrophages in vitro]

OBJECTIVE

To study the influence of herbs 814 on the secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) from hamster alveolar macrophages (AMs) in vitro and elucidate mechanism of herbs 814's prevention of emphysema.

METHODS

AMs of hamster were collected by bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL). The lung lavage cells were adjusted to 5 x 10(5)/ml and seeded in each well of a 24-well tissue culture plates. The herbs 814 was added into these wells before or after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and then cultured supernatants were collected. TNF-alpha production in the supernatants was tested by ELISA, TNF-alpha cytotoxicity was assayed using L929 cells which were susceptible to TNF-alpha and a monoclonal antibody (MAb) that neutralizes rhTNF-alpha was utilized to identify the cytotoxicity of cultured TNF-alpha.

RESULTS

ELISA showed that TNF-alpha production in the supernatants with 814 added was lower than those either in LPS-stimulated or non LPS-stimulated supernatants and there was a significant decrease in the supernatants of higher concentration (1:5) of herbs 814. Cytotoxicity test showed that TNF-alpha cytotoxic activity in the supernatants into which herbs 814 was added was lower than one in the LPS-stimulated supernatants and there was a significant decrease in the supernatants of higher concentration (1:5) of herbs 814. Meanwhile, MAb significantly reduced cytotoxicity of LPS-stimulated culture supernatants.

CONCLUSIONS

Herbs 814 could inhibit the secretion of TNF-alpha and prevent the lung damage mediated by TNF-alpha.

FTIR study of the thermal denaturation of alpha-actinin in its lipid-free and dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol-bound states and the central and N-terminal domains of alpha-actinin in D2O

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been carried out to investigate the thermal denaturation of alpha-actinin and its complexes with dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) vesicles. The amide I regions in the deconvolved spectra of alpha-actinin in the lipid-free and DOPG-bound states are both consistent with predominantly alpha-helical secondary structure below the denaturation temperatures. Studies of the temperature dependence of the spectra revealed that for alpha-actinin alone the secondary structure was unaltered up to 40 degrees C. But, in the presence of DOPG vesicles, the thermal stability of the secondary structure of alpha-actinin increased to 55 degrees C. The thermal denaturation mechanisms of the lipid-free and DOPG-bound states of alpha-actinin also vary. The secondary structure of the lipid-free alpha-actinin changed to be predominantly unordered upon heating to 65 degrees C and above. Whereas, the original alpha-helical structure in the DOPG-bound alpha-actinin retained even at 70 degrees C, the highest temperature we examined. Analysis of the reduction in amide II intensities, which is due to peptide H-D exchange upon heating alpha-actinin in D2O, showed that partially unfolded states with increased solvent accessibility but substantial secondary structures could be observed from 35 to 40 degrees C only if DOPG vesicles were present. A so-called "protamine precipitation" method has been developed to purify the N-terminal domain of alpha-actinin by use of the fact that the central domain of alpha-actinin is negatively charged but the N-terminal domain is positively charged. Thermal denaturation of the central and N-terminal domains of alpha-actinin were then investigated with FTIR. The secondary structure of the N-terminal domain of alpha-actinin was found to be thermally sensitive below 35 degrees C, which is characterized as the increase of the alpha-helical structure at the expense of the random coil upon heating the N-terminal domain from 4 to 35 degrees C. The membrane-binding ability of the N-terminal domain of alpha-actinin was proposed in terms of the analysis of the local electrostatic properties of alpha-actinin and the assignment of the amide II bands in the FTIR spctra of alpha-actinin.

The upf3 protein is a component of the surveillance complex that monitors both translation and mRNA turnover and affects viral propagation

The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway functions to degrade aberrant mRNAs that contain premature translation termination codons. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Upf1, Upf2, and Upf3 proteins have been identified as trans-acting factors involved in this pathway. Recent results have demonstrated that the Upf proteins may also be involved in maintaining the fidelity of several aspects of the translation process. Certain mutations in the UPF1 gene have been shown to affect the efficiency of translation termination at nonsense codons and/or the process of programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting used by viruses to control their gene expression. Alteration of programmed frameshift efficiencies can affect virus assembly leading to reduced viral titers or elimination of the virus. Here we present evidence that the Upf3 protein also functions to regulate programmed -1 frameshift efficiency. A upf3-Delta strain demonstrates increased sensitivity to the antibiotic paromomycin and increased programmed -1 ribosomal frameshift efficiency resulting in loss of the M1 virus. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that the Upf proteins are part of a surveillance complex that functions to monitor translational fidelity and mRNA turnover.

Measurements of the neutron yields from 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction (thick target) with incident energies from 1.885 to 2.0 MeV

Accelerator-based neutron source have been considered to be practical for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Based on experience with a parameters of the Brookhaven National Laboratory BMRR reactor neutron source, which has been used in treatment experiments, the future accelerator-based neutron source for BNCT should have the properties of low energy distribution (< 100 keV) and high flux (about 10(9) neutrons per second per square centimeter) in the patient zone. Using protons to bombard thick 7Li targets, generating neutrons via the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction, is one of the optimal choices for this kind of neutron source. Neutron yield data versus incident energy are necessary in order to select the proper incident energy and for estimating how high the incident proton current should be. The required proton beam current intensity is one of the key parameters for an accelerator useful for BNCT. In the present work, neutron yields of the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction with a thick lithium target and incident energies of 1.885 and 1.9 MeV were measured at 0 degree with respect to the incident beam direction. The results are (3.08 +/- 0.17) x 10(12) and (5.71 +/- 0.32) x 10(12) neutrons/C sr, respectively. Neutron yield angular distribution measurements at 2 MeV incident energy were also performed. The proton beams were generated by the Peking University 4.5 MV electrostatic accelerator. The emitted neutrons from these reactions have the advantages of low energy distribution and forward angular distribution, which are requirements for a BNCT neutron source. The data obtained in this work can be used as a reference to study the accelerator-based neutron sources for BNCT.

Nonesterified fatty acids induce transmembrane monovalent cation flux: host-guest interactions as determinants of fatty acid-induced ion transport

Nonesterified fatty acids are key intermediates in cellular metabolism whose intracellular concentration is regulated by multiple anabolic, catabolic, and oxidative enzymatic cascades. Herein, we demonstrate that fatty acids induce transmembrane monovalent cation flux with an apparent rate constant kapp = 10(-)4 - 10(-)3 s-1. Fatty acid-induced cation efflux exploits the ionic association of the cation with the carboxylate anion of the fatty acid and the subsequent transmembrane flip-flop of the fatty acid-cation complex. Rates of fatty acid-induced transmembrane cation flux were dependent upon complex host-guest interactions between the fatty acid-cation complex and the phospholipid constituents which comprise the membrane bilayer including (1) the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid guest and the regiospecificity and stereospecificity of its olefinic linkages; (2) the phospholipid subclass and individual molecular species which constitute the host membrane phospholipids; (3) impedance matching of host and guest hydrophobic characteristics; and (4) the cholesterol content of the membrane bilayer. Arrhenius analysis demonstrated that fatty acid-induced K+ efflux was facilitated largely by changes in the entropy of activation of ion translocation and not the energy of activation. Moreover, Arrhenius analysis demonstrated that the energy of activation of ion translocation was phospholipid subclass specific. For example, arachidonic acid-induced cation efflux in membranes comprised of 16:0-18:1 plasmenylcholine possessed an Ea = 5.3 +/- 0.4 kcal/mol, while that for 16:0-18:1 phosphatidylcholine was 7.2 +/- 0.5 kcal/mol. Electrophysiologic measurements of planar lipid membranes containing 10 mol % arachidonic acid as a substitutional impurity confirmed the ability of physiologically relevant amounts of fatty acid to induce ion translocation with a specific conductance of 2.6 +/- 0.3 microS/cm2. Collectively, these results demonstrate that fatty acids facilitate transmembrane cation flux by an ion carrier type mechanism and suggest that fatty acid-mediated ion transport contributes to the leakage current present in many cell types and thus potentially modulates cellular responsivity during signal transduction where the intracellular content of fatty acids changes dramatically.

The role of taurine in infant nutrition

The importance of taurine in the diet of pre-term and term infants has not always been clearly understood and is a topic of interest to students of infant nutrition. Recent evidence indicates that it should be considered one of the "conditionally essential" amino acids in infant nutrition. Plasma values for taurine will fall if infants are fed a taurine-free formula or do not have taurine provided in the TPN solution. Urine taurine values also fall, which is indicative of an attempt by the kidney to conserve taurine. The very-low-birth-weight infant, for a variety of reasons involving the maturation of tubular transport function, cannot maximally conserve taurine by enhancing renal reabsorption and, hence, is potentially at greater risk for taurine depletion than larger pre-term or term infants, and certainly more than older children who have taurine in their diet. Taurine has an important role in fat absorption in pre-term and possibly term infants and in children with cystic fibrosis. Because taurine-conjugated bile acids are better emulsifiers of fat than glycine-conjugated bile acids, the dietary (or TPN) intake has a direct influence on absorption of lipids. Taurine supplementation of formulas or TPN solutions could potentially serve to minimize the brain phospholipid fatty acid composition differences between formula-fed and human milk-fed infants. Taurine appears to have a role in infants, children, and even adults receiving most (> 75%) of their calories from TPN solutions in the prevention of granulation of the retina and electroencephalographic changes. Taurine has also been reported to improve maturation of auditory-evoked responses in pre-term infants, although this point is not fully established. Clearly, taurine is an important osmolyte in the brain and the renal medulla. At these locations, it is a primary factor in the cell volume regulatory process, in which brain or renal cells swell or shrink in response to osmolar changes, but return to their previous volume according to the uptake or release of taurine. While there is a dearth of clinical studies in man concerning this volume regulatory response, studies in cats, rats, and dog kidney cells indicate the protective role of taurine in hyperosmolar stress. The infant depleted of taurine may not be able to respond to hyper- or hyponatremic stress without massive changes in neuronal volume, which has obvious clinical significance. The fact that the brain content of taurine is very high at birth and falls with maturation may be a protective feature, or compensation for renal immaturity Defining an amino acid as "conditionally essential" requires that deficiency result in a clinical consequence or consequences which can be reversed by supplementation. In pre-term and term infants, taurine insufficiency results in impaired fat absorption, bile acid secretion, retinal function, and hepatic function, all of which can be reversed by taurine supplementation. Therefore, this small beta-amino acid, taurine, is indeed conditionally essential.

Effect of taurine on human fetal neuron cells: proliferation and differentiation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of taurine on human fetal brain neuron cell proliferation and differentiation using a glial-free, pure cerebral neuronal culture grown in a serum-free environment. We found that taurine was necessary for neuronal survival and neurite extension. Taurine, on the other hand, has a trophic effect on the human fetal brain cell, promoting both proliferation and differentiation. Results showed that DNA synthesis of the neurons was increased in a dose-dependent manner when neurons were cultured in the medium containing taurine (100-6400 microM). The protein content of neuronal cells was also significantly increased in the neurons treated with taurine as compared to the control. At day 15, the expression of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was only detected in the neurons cultured in the medium containing taurine. These results establish taurine as a putative human fetal brain neurontrophic factor in the process of human brain development.

Molecular cloning and functional expression of an LLC-PK1 cell taurine transporter that is adaptively regulated by taurine

Studies have shown that the renal tubular epithelium adapts to alterations in the sulfur amino acid composition of the diet. The renal adaptive response has been described in man, mouse, rat, dog, and pig. The observed phenomenon involves increased or decreased initial rate activity of the NaCl-dependent taurine transporter at the brush border membrane surface of the proximal tubule following dietary manipulation of taurine. A cDNA encoding a taurine transporter has been isolated from LLC-PK1 cells, designated pTAUT, and its functional properties have been examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The nucleotide sequence of the clone predicts a 621-amino acid protein with about 90% homology to other cloned taurine transporter cDNAs. When expressed in oocytes the transporter displays a Km of 25 microM and is dependent on the presence of external sodium and chloride, characteristics similar to taurine uptake by LLC-PK1 cells. The abundance of pTAUT mRNA and protein were up-regulated in cells cultured in taurine-free medium as compared with cells cultured in medium containing 500 microM taurine. Activation of PKC by PMA had no effect on adaptive regulation of pTAUT mRNA and protein, indicating that down-regulation of LLC-PK1 cell taurine transport activity by PMA occurs at the post-translational level.

Characteristics of nitric oxide-mediated cholinergic modulation of calcium current in rabbit sino-atrial node

1. We have previously shown that nitric oxide (NO) production is essential for cholinergic inhibition of the beta-adrenergic stimulated L-type calcium current (ICa-L) in rabbit pacemaker (sino-atrial node (SAN)) cells. The present experiments demonstrate the presence of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in SAN cells, and characterize the NO-mediated cholinergic response. 2. Immunohistochemical staining, using an antibody prepared against endothelial cNOS, demonstrated that this enzyme was present in single myocytes obtained from the SAN. 3. The activation of cNOS is known to be Ca2+ and calmodulin dependent. Strongly buffering intracellular Ca2+ with the membrane-permeable chelator BAPTA-AM (10 microM) significantly reduced (and in some cases abolished) the attenuation of ICa-L by the muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine (CCh). In contrast, the CCh-induced activation of an outward K+ current, IK,ACh, was unaffected by buffering of [Ca2+]i. The calmodulin inhibitor 48/80 (20 microM) also abolished the attenuation of ICa-L by CCh, with no change in the activation of IK,ACh. 4. Neither thapsigargin nor ryanodine (5-10 microM), agents which deplete intracellular Ca2+ stores, significantly changed the attenuation of ICa-L by CCh. 5. Pertussis toxin (PTX) completely abolished both the inhibitory action of CCh on ICa-L and the activation of IK,ACh. This establishes that a PTX-sensitive GTP-binding protein links the muscarinic receptor to NO synthase activation in SAN cells. 6. Our hypothesis is that NO leads to activation of a cyclic GMP (cGMP)-activated phosphodiesterase (PDE II) as a mechanism for enhanced cyclic AMP breakdown and ICa-L attenuation. This was supported by showing that a specific inhibitor of PDE II, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine (EHNA), blocks the effect of CCh on ICa-L, but not on IK,ACh. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction techniques, we have established that PDE II is the dominant cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase isoform in SAN cells.

The surveillance complex interacts with the translation release factors to enhance termination and degrade aberrant mRNAs

The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway is an example of an evolutionarily conserved surveillance pathway that rids the cell of transcripts that contain nonsense mutations. The product of the UPF1 gene is a necessary component of the putative surveillance complex that recognizes and degrades aberrant mRNAs. Recent results indicate that the Upf1p also enhances translation termination at a nonsense codon. The results presented here demonstrate that the yeast and human forms of the Upf1p interact with both eukaryotic translation termination factors eRF1 and eRF3. Consistent with Upf1p interacting with the eRFs, the Upf1p is found in the prion-like aggregates that contain eRF1 and eRF3 observed in yeast [PSI+] strains. These results suggest that interaction of the Upf1p with the peptidyl release factors may be a key event in the assembly of the putative surveillance complex that enhances translation termination, monitors whether termination has occurred prematurely, and promotes degradation of aberrant transcripts.

Muscarinic cholinergic regulation of cardiac myocyte ICa-L is absent in mice with targeted disruption of endothelial nitric oxide synthase

Cardiac myocytes have been shown to express constitutively endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (nitric oxide synthase 3), the activation of which has been implicated in the regulation of myocyte L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channel current (ICa-L) and myocyte contractile responsiveness to parasympathetic nervous system signaling, although this implication remains controversial. Therefore, we examined the effect of the muscarinic cholinergic agonist carbachol (CCh) on ICa-L and contractile amplitude in isoproterenol (ISO)-prestimulated ventricular myocytes isolated from adult mice, designated eNOSnull mice, with targeted disruption of the eNOS gene. Although both eNOSnull and wild-type (WT) ventricular myocytes exhibited similar increases in ICa-L in response to ISO, there was no measurable suppression of ICa-L by CCh in cells from eNOSnull mice, in contrast to cells from WT mice. These results were reflected in the absence of an effect of CCh on the positive inotropic effect of ISO in eNOSnull myocytes. Also, unlike myocytes from WT animals, eNOSnull myocytes failed to exhibit an increase in cGMP content in response to CCh. Nevertheless, the pharmacologic nitric oxide donors 3-morpholino-sydnonimine and S-nitroso-acetyl-cystein increased cGMP generation and suppressed ISO-augmented ICa-L in eNOSnull cells, suggesting that the signal transduction pathway(s) downstream of eNOS remained intact. Of importance, activation of the acetylcholine-activated K+ channel by CCh was unaffected in atrial and ventricular eNOSnull myocytes. These results confirm the obligatory role of eNOS in coupling muscarinic receptor activation to cGMP-dependent control of ICa-L in cardiac myocytes.

An intramolecular i-motif: the solution structure and base-pair opening kinetics of d(5mCCT3CCT3ACCT3CC)

We present a high-definition structure of d(5mCCT3CCT3ACCT3CC), a DNA sequence which resembles a four-times repeat of the C-rich strand of telomeres and centromeres. The structure is monomeric. The CC stretches form four hemi-protonated C.C base-pairs, belonging to two parallel-stranded duplexes which intercalate head-to-tail into an i-motif core. The four grooves of the core are similar to those observed previously in i-motif tetramers, with P-P distances around 0.9 nm and 1.4 nm for the narrow and wide grooves, respectively. At 0 degrees C, the structure is formed even at pH 7, despite the required protonation of cytidine pairs, suggesting that it may be biologically relevant.The intercalation topology of the i-motif core is read off the pattern of inter-residue cross-peaks along each groove: between H1' protons across the narrow grooves, and between amino and H2' protons across the wide grooves. In the hemi-protonated C.C pairs, the imino proton is shared equally between the two bases, as shown by the equal intensities of the NOESY cross-peaks between the imino proton and the two cis amino protons of the pair. Short inter-sugar distances and the direction of CH1' bonds are consistent with CH1'...O4' hydrogen bonds across the narrow grooves, as suggested by Berger et al. (1996). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 93, 12116-12121. At one extremity of the i-motif core, the T3A linker loops across one of the two wide grooves. It extends the core by stacking of A11, which also forms a strongly propeller-twisted reverse-Hoogsteen pair with T8. At the other extremity, the two T3 linkers loop side by side across the two narrow grooves, extending the core by stacking of a T5.T16 pair which connects the two linkers. In this T.T pair between parallel strands, the hydrogen bonds are from imino proton to O4, and the base-pair lifetime is 6 ms at 0 degrees C. The structures of segments 1 to 7 and 12 to 18, which form the i-motif core and the T3 loops, are related by a 2-fold pseudo-symmetry: the geometries and environment are so similar that the NOESY spectra are barely resolved. These various interactions illustrate how linker sequences may affect the stability, intercalation topology and folding pattern of the intramolecular i-motif.

Neuregulins promote survival and growth of cardiac myocytes. Persistence of ErbB2 and ErbB4 expression in neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes

Neuregulins (i.e. neuregulin-1 (NRG1), also called neu differentiation factor, heregulin, glial growth factor, and acetylcholine receptor-inducing activity) are known to induce growth and differentiation of epithelial, glial, neuronal, and skeletal muscle cells. Unexpectedly, mice with loss of function mutations of NRG1 or of either of two of their cognate receptors, ErbB2 and ErbB4, die during midembryogenesis due to the aborted development of myocardial trabeculae in ventricular muscle. To examine the role of NRG and their receptors in developing and postnatal myocardium, we studied the ability of a soluble NRG1 (recombinant human glial growth factor 2) to promote proliferation, survival, and growth of isolated neonatal and adult rat cardiac myocytes. Both ErbB2 and ErbB4 receptors were found to be expressed by neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes and activated by rhGGF2. rhGGF2 (30 ng/ml) provoked an approximate 2-fold increase in embryonic cardiac myocyte proliferation. rhGGF2 also promoted survival and inhibited apoptosis of subconfluent, serum-deprived myocyte primary cultures and also induced hypertrophic growth in both neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes, which was accompanied by enhanced expression of prepro-atrial natriuretic factor and skeletal alpha-actin. Moreover, NRG1 mRNA could be detected in coronary microvascular endothelial cell primary cultures prepared from adult rat ventricular muscle. NRG1 expression in these cells was increased by endothelin-1, another locally acting cardiotropic peptide within the heart. The persistent expression of both a neuregulin and its cognate receptors in the postnatal and adult heart suggests a continuing role for neuregulins in the myocardial adaption to physiologic stress or injury.

[Distribution of three STR loci in Jingpo ethnic group in Yunnan province]

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at the use of old blood stains for investigating the distribution of three STR loci in Jingpo ethnic group.

METHODS

DNA extraction from old blood stains (106 in number) and multiplex amplification of CSF1PO, TPOX and TH 01 were carried out. Using denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver stain, the authors investigated the distribution of allele frequencies of CSF1PO, TPOX and TH01 loci in a Jingpo ethnic group in the southwestern part of Yunnan province.

RESULTS

7 alleles and 26 genotypes of CSF1PO locus,7 alleles and 19 genotypes of TPOX locus, and 6 alleles and 18 genotypes of TH01 locus were observed.

CONCLUSION

The satisfactory results demonstrate that multiplex amplification of CSF1PO, TPOX and TH01 is sensitive and the old stain of a drop of blood is sufficient for such amplification.

Long QT and ventricular arrhythmias in transgenic mice expressing the N terminus and first transmembrane segment of a voltage-gated potassium channel

Voltage-gated potassium channels control cardiac repolarization, and mutations of K+ channel genes recently have been shown to cause arrhythmias and sudden death in families with the congenital long QT syndrome. The precise mechanism by which the mutations lead to QT prolongation and arrhythmias is uncertain, however. We have shown previously that an N-terminal fragment including the first transmembrane segment of the rat delayed rectifier K+ channel Kv1.1 (Kv1.1N206Tag) coassembles with other K+ channels of the Kv1 subfamily in vitro, inhibits the currents encoded by Kv1.5 in a dominant-negative manner when coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes, and traps Kv1.5 polypeptide in the endoplasmic reticulum of GH3 cells. Here we report that transgenic mice overexpressing Kv1.1N206Tag in the heart have a prolonged QT interval and ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac myocytes from these mice have action potential prolongation caused by a significant reduction in the density of a rapidly activating, slowly inactivating, 4-aminopyridine sensitive outward K+ current. These changes correlate with a marked decrease in the level of Kv1.5 polypeptide. Thus, overexpression of a truncated K+ channel in the heart alters native K+ channel expression and has profound effects on cardiac excitability.