A global map of human impact on marine ecosystems

The management and conservation of the world's oceans require synthesis of spatial data on the distribution and intensity of human activities and the overlap of their impacts on marine ecosystems. We developed an ecosystem-specific, multiscale spatial model to synthesize 17 global data sets of anthropogenic drivers of ecological change for 20 marine ecosystems. Our analysis indicates that no area is unaffected by human influence and that a large fraction (41%) is strongly affected by multiple drivers. However, large areas of relatively little human impact remain, particularly near the poles. The analytical process and resulting maps provide flexible tools for regional and global efforts to allocate conservation resources; to implement ecosystem-based management; and to inform marine spatial planning, education, and basic research.

Mannose-binding lectin and its genetic variants

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a collagen-like serum protein that mediates activation of the complement system and is of importance for host defence. Common variant alleles situated both in the promoter and structural region of the human MBL gene (MBL2) influence the stability and the serum concentration of the protein. Epidemiological studies have suggested that genetically determined variation in MBL serum concentration influences the susceptibility to and the course of different types of infections, autoimmune, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, but this is still a subject of debate. The fact that these genetic variations are very frequent indicates a dual role for MBL in host defence. In this survey, we summarize the current molecular understanding of human MBL genetics.

Protein kinase C-mediated cell death mode switch induced by high glucose

Cortical neurons rapidly die in necrosis due to poor glucose uptake in the low-density (LD) culture under serum-free condition without any supplements. The scanning and transmission electron microscopical analyses characterized the necrosis by membrane disruption, mitochondrial swelling and loss of cytoplasmic electron density. High-glucose treatment delayed the neuronal death by suppressing necrosis, but induced apoptosis through increase in Bax levels, cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and DNA ladder formation. Although pyruvate as well as high glucose inhibited necrotic cell death and rapid decrease in cellular ATP levels, possibly related to decreased [(3)H]-2-deoxy glucose uptake under the serum-free condition, it did not induce apoptosis. Protein kinase C inhibitors blocked these changes related to the cell death mode switch. Several neurotrophic factors did not affect the necrosis, but potentiated high-glucose-induced survival activity, while inhibiting cytochrome c release. All these results suggest that high-glucose treatment causes neuronal cell death mode switch by inhibiting necrosis, while inducing apoptosis, which is prevented by neurotrophic factors.

Chromatin structure of yeast minichromosomes containing triplet repeat sequences associated with human hereditary neurological diseases

Expansion of triplet repeat sequences such as (CTG)n, (CGG)n, and (GAA)n causes human genetic diseases. Since DNA is packaged into arrays of nucleosomes in eukaryotic cells, chromatin may be involved in the mechanism of triplet repeat diseases. To elucidate this issue, we have examined effects of triplet repeat sequences on the chromatin organization in vivo using well defined yeast minichromosomes. We show here that (CGG)12 disrupts an array of positioned nucleosomes, whereas (CTG)12 promotes the nucleosome formation. Thus, triplet repeat sequences can affect the chromatin organization in vivo, which may contribute to the triplet repeat expansion or alterations in the expression of genes associated with triplet repeat diseases.

Protein kinase C-mediated necrosis-apoptosis switch of cortical neurons by conditioned medium factors secreted under the serum-free stress

Cortical neurons die in necrosis in the low-density (LD) culture, and in apoptosis in the high-density (HD) culture under the serum-free condition without any supplements. The neuronal death in LD culture was delayed by conditioned medium (CM) factors prepared from the HD culture. The CM switched the cell death mode from necrosis to apoptosis, characterized by various cell death markers and transmission electron microscopy. The CM inhibited the rapid decrease in cellular ATP levels and [3H]-2-deoxy glucose ([3H]-2-DG) uptake in the LD culture. Inhibitors of phospholipase C and protein kinase C effectively abolished the CM-induced elevation of survival activity, [3H]-2-DG uptake and ATP levels, and necrosis-apoptosis switch. All these results suggest that CM caused the cell death mode switch from necrosis to apoptosis through phospholipase C- and protein kinase C-mediated mechanisms.

Circumvention of acquired resistance to doxorubicin in K562 human leukemia cells by oxatomide

We studied the effect of oxatomide, an antiallergic drug, on the resistance of K562 cells to doxorubicin. Oxatomide synergistically potentiated the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in doxorubicin-resistant K562 cells (K562/DXR) at a concentration of 1-10 microM, but had hardly any synergistic effect on the parental cell line (K562) at the same concentration. Oxatomide inhibit P-glycoprotein pump-efflux activity and the binding of [3H]-azidopine to the cell-surface protein P-glycoprotein, in a dose-related manner. These results indicate that oxatomide reverses the multidrug-resistance phenotype through direct interaction with P-glycoprotein.

Cell density-dependent death mode switch of cultured cortical neurons under serum-free starvation stress

1. Cell death mode switch of cortical neurons from E17 rats was studied. Cells rapidly died under the serum-free condition. The time-course of cell death was markedly delayed by increasing cell density for primary culture in the trypan blue exclusion, LDH release, and MTT assays. 2. By analyzing cell death by the use of double staining using PI/TUNEL and PI/Annexin V combinations, the mode in the low density culture was found to be necrosis, while that in the high density culture was apoptosis. 3. The intracellular ATP level after the start of serum-free culture rapidly decline to 25% of 0-time level in the low density culture, but it was 60% in the high density culture. Both oligomycin and zVAD-fmk markedly decreased ATP levels and the population of TUNEL-positive neurons, while 3-aminobenzamide slightly increased these indices. 4. Thus. it is strongly suggested that the cell death mode switch from necrosis to apoptosis is closely related to intracellular ATP levels, and some conditioned medium factors observed in the high density culture may affect both ATP level and cell death mode switch.

ATP suppresses the K(+) current responses to FSH and adenosine in the follicular cells of Xenopus oocyte

The application of either follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or adenosine (Ade) induces a K(+)-current response in the follicular cells surrounding a Xenopus oocyte under a voltage clamp. These K(+)-current responses are reported to be produced by an increase in intracellular cAMP. A previous application of ATP to the same cells markedly depressed the K(+)-current responses to FSH and Ade. Furthermore, a 2 min application of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), significantly depressed the K(+)-current responses to FSH and Ade, but it had no significant effect on the Cl(-)-current response to ATP. An application of either ATP or PDBu also depressed the K(+)-current response induced by intracellularly applied cAMP. In contrast to the effect of PDBu, the application of 1-octanol, an inhibitor of gap junction channel, significantly depressed both the Ade- and ATP-induced responses, indicating that the acting site of 1-octanol is different from that of PKC. The results suggest that the depressing effect of ATP on the FSH- and Ade-induced K(+)-current responses might be mediated by PKC activation and that the site of PKC action might be downstream of the cAMP production involved in the K(+) channel opening.

Diels-Alder cycloadditions of 2(1H)-quinolones having an electron-withdrawing group at the 3-position acting as dienophiles with dienes

Diels-Alder cycloadditions of 2(1H)-quinolones having an electron-withdrawing group at the 3-position with alkyl- and silyloxy-1,3-butadienes (2a,b) were carried out to give phenanthridones richly functionalized regio- or stereoselectively under conditions of atmospheric and high pressure. Furthermore, regioselectivity and chemoselectivity of 3-substituted 2(1H)-quinolones to 2a, b were examined using MO calculation.

Diels-Alder reaction of 1,3-butadiene derivatives with 1-methyl-2(1H)-quinolones having an electron-withdrawing group at the 4-position

Diels-Alder reactions of 1-methyl-2(1H)-quinolones having an electron-withdrawing group at the 4-position with isoprene, butadiene sulfone, and cyclohexadiene were performed to yield functionalized phenanthridones stereoselectively at atmospheric and at high pressure. Regioselectivity and stereochemistry of a methoxycarbonyl group were studied using the semi-empirical and ab initio MO methods, respectively.

Reversal of vinblastine resistance in human leukemic cells by haloperidol and dihydrohaloperidol

Haloperidol, an antipsychotic, was investigated in cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein to detemine whether it was a clinically effective drug to reverse for reversing multidrug resistance (MDR) mediated by P-glycoprotein. A nontoxic concentration of haloperidol (1-30 microM) enhanced the cytotoxic effects of vinblastine (VBL) concentration-dependently in VBL-resistant human leukemia (K562/VBL) cells, but had no effect in the parent cells. Haloperidol also enhanced the cytotoxicities of epirubicin, doxorubicin and actinomycin D in the K562/VBL cells, but not those of idarubicin or cisplatin; this enhancement was less than that of the VBL toxicity in the VBL-resistant tumor line. Haloperidol increased the intracellular accumulation of VBL in the K562/VBL cells, and the binding of [3H]-azidopine to the cell-surface protein, P-glycoprotein, was inhibited by haloperidol in a concentration-dependent manner. Haloperidol was less potent than verapamil. Thus, haloperidol appeared to potentiate anticancer agents through the reversal of MDR by competitively inhibiting drug-binding to P-glycoprotein. In contrast, the main metabolite of haloperidol, dihydrohaloperidol, without antipsychotic activity, had less of an effect. Therefore, haloperidol might be useful in reversing drug-resistance.

Diels-Alder reactions of nitro-2(1H)-pyridones with 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene

Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of 3- or 5-nitro-2(1H)-pyridones and nitro-2(1H)-pyridones containing a methoxycarbonyl group with 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene were examined. The DA reactions of 3-nitro-2(1H)-pyridones in this paper represent, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of DA reactions of 3-substituted 2(1H)-pyridones and consequent production of isoquinolones. Performing the same reactions with 5-nitro-2(1H)-pyridones yielded quinolones. DA reactions of 2(1H)-pyridones with nitro and methoxycarbonyl groups produced isoquinolones, quinolones and phenanthridones (the double DA adducts), aromatized or hydrogenated. The substituent effect was evaluated by calculating the activation energy, using the ab initio MO method.

Synthesis of phenanthridones using Diels-Alder reactions of 4-substituted 2(1H)-quinolones acting as dienophiles

Diels-Alder reactions of 2(1H)-quinolones having an electron-withdrawing group at the 4-position with 1,3-butadiene derivatives were carried out to give the phenanthridones richly functionalized under the conditions of atmospheric and high pressure. Furthermore, the reactivities of 4-substituted 2(1H)-quinolones acting as a dienophile were examined using MO calculation.

Cycloaddition of 2(1H)-pyridones having a methoxycarbonyl group to 1,3-butadiene derivatives

The cycloaddition of 4-methoxycarbonyl-2(1H)-pyridones to silyloxydienes gave isoquinolone derivatives in reasonable yields. Furthermore, the cycloaddition of 6-methoxycarbonyl-2(1H)-pyridones to 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene produced cycloadducts (isoquinolone and quinolone derivatives) and double cycloadducts (phenanthridone derivatives). The activation energies using Gaussian 98 with RHF/3-21G level of 4- and 6-methoxycarbonyl-2(1H)-pyridones coincided with the experimental facts.

Heterodimerization of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) with Bax and Bad in colorectal cancer

The rate of cell loss owing to apoptosis is mediated by competitive dimerization with selective pairs of cell death antagonists (Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L)) and agonists (Bax, Bad). The aim of this study was to investigate which Bcl-2 family dimers had a critical factor in colorectal cancer. We analyzed the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), Bax, and Bad in normal-appearing mucosa and colorectal tumor tissues by Western blotting after immunoprecipitation. Compared with the ratio of Bax-Bcl-2/total Bax in normal mucosa, the ratio was significantly reduced in tumors (p = 0.02). In this series, the low ratio of Bad-Bcl-2/total Bcl-2 was associated with advanced tumor stages (p = 0.02). A reduced heterodimerization of Bax with Bcl-2 may contribute to the development of colorectal cancer. The heterodimerization of Bad with Bcl-2 may be repressed in advanced tumor tissues, and may contribute to tumor growth in colorectal cancer.

Five novel RPGR mutations in families with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa

X-linked forms of retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) are among the most severe because of their early onset, often leading to significant visual impairment before the fourth decade. RP3, genetically localized at Xp21.1, accounts for 70% of XLRP in different populations. The RPGR (Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator) gene that was isolated from the RP3 region is mutated in 20% of North American families with XLRP. From mutation analysis of 27 independent XLRP families, we have identified five novel RPGR mutations in 5 of the families (160delA, 789 A>T, IVS8+1 G>C, 1147insT and 1366 G>A). One of these mutations was detected in a family from Chile. Hum Mutat 17:151, 2001.