Complex formation of sphingomyelin synthase 1 with glucosylceramide synthase increases sphingomyelin and decreases glucosylceramide levels

Sphingolipids, including sphingomyelin (SM) and glucosylceramide (GlcCer), are generated by the addition of a polar head group to ceramide (Cer). Sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SMS1) and glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) are key enzymes that catalyze the conversion of Cer to SM and GlcCer, respectively. GlcCer synthesis has been postulated to occur mainly in cis-Golgi, and SM synthesis is thought to occur in medial/trans-Golgi; however, SMS1 and GCS are known to partially co-localize in cisternae, especially in medial/trans-Golgi. Here, we report that SMS1 and GCS can form a heteromeric complex, in which the N terminus of SMS1 and the C terminus of GCS are in close proximity. Deletion of the N-terminal sterile α-motif of SMS1 reduced the stability of the SMS1-GCS complex, resulting in a significant reduction in SM synthesis in vivo In contrast, chemical-induced heterodimerization augmented SMS1 activity, depending on an increase in the amount and stability of the complex. Fusion of the SMS1 N terminus to the GCS C terminus via linkers of different lengths increased SM synthesis and decreased GlcCer synthesis in vivo These results suggest that formation of the SMS1-GCS heteromeric complex increases SM synthesis and decreases GlcCer synthesis. Importantly, this regulation of relative Cer levels by the SMS1-GCS complex was confirmed by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of SMS1 or GCS combined with pharmacological inhibition of Cer transport protein in HEK293T cells. Our findings suggest that complex formation between SMS1 and GCS is part of a critical mechanism controlling the metabolic fate of Cer in the Golgi.

A patient with TSC1 germline mutation whose clinical phenotype was limited to lymphangioleiomyomatosis

BACKGROUND

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) can occur as in isolated form (sporadic LAM) or as a pulmonary manifestation of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) (TSC-associated LAM). Recent studies, however, revealed that both forms of LAM are genetically related but that sporadic LAM is a distinct clinical entity caused by somatic mutations of TSC2 (not TSC1) rather than a forme fruste of TSC carrying either of the TSC1 or TSC2 germline mutations.

METHOD

Case presentation and in-depth molecular and histopathological examinations. A 34-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed as having pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) when bilateral pneumothoraces were surgically treated in 1992. Although slowly progressive renal disfunction was observed due to bilateral multiple renal cysts during the past 4 years, she had no other clinical features of TSC and was diagnosed as having sporadic LAM with multiple renal cysts of undetermined aetiology. Her subsequent clinical course was complicated by an endobrochial carcinoid tumour, which eventually resulted in her death in June 1999 due to massive haemoptysis.

RESULTS

Postmortem examination revealed the presence of LAM lesions in the lungs, mediastinal lymph nodes, kidneys and uterus. Diffuse renal LAM lesions are presumed to generate multiple renal cysts by constricting the nephron rather than epithelial hyperplasia obstructing lumina, which is analysis of the TSC genes demonstrated that she did not have TSC2/PKD1 contiguous gene syndrome but had a TSC1 germline mutation (Sato T et al. J Hum Genet 2002; 47: 20-8) that had occured de novo.

CONCLUSION

This patient therefore illustrates that clinical manifestations of TSC are sufficiently diverse as to allow a forme fruste of TSC that mimics sporadic LAM and that TSC1 mutation can cause multiple renal cysts resulting in renal failure.

COX-2+ myofibroblasts may play a key role in marked stromal fibrosis in strictured colorectal carcinomas

AIMS

To elucidate the mechanism of marked stromal fibrosis in strictured colorectal carcinomas (SC) that cause complete ileus.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Sixteen cases of SC and 29 cases of non-strictured colorectal carcinoma (NSC) were studied. These carcinomas showed similar clinicopathological features except for bowel stricture. The stricture index (SI) showing the degree of bowel stricture was 59.8 +/- 12.1% in SC versus 20.8 +/- 24.6% in NSC (P < 0.001). The fibrosis index (FI), defined to reflect the extent of stromal fibrosis, was 56.3 +/- 8.8% in SC versus 21.9 +/- 10.6% in NSC (P < 0.001). COX-2+ myofibroblasts were detected in 13 cases (81.3%) in SC versus eight cases (27.6%) in NSC (P < 0.01). The COX-2+ myofibroblast density was 276.7 +/- 181.1 cells/mm(2) in SC versus 26.6 +/- 52.7 cells/mm(2) in NSC (P < 0.001). When all cases were divided into two groups with and without COX-2+ myofibroblasts, the SI was 48.8 +/- 19.1% in those with COX-2+ myofibroblasts versus 24.8 +/- 29.3% in those with COX-2- myofibroblasts (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

COX-2+ myofibroblasts may play an important role in extensive bowel stricture in colorectal carcinomas.

Small vessel vasculitis limited to pleuropulmonary manifestations, possibly induced by endotoxin

AIMS

We investigated a rare case of small vessel vasculitis (SVV) limited to pleuropulmonary manifestations, possibly induced by endotoxin, to determine the activation of immuno-mediated cells and endothelia in the pleuropulmonary circulation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A 44-year-old man with a high fever was X-rayed, revealing bilateral pleural effusion and atelectasis in the chest. His laboratory data were within normal limits except for a high white blood cell count and a high C-reactive protein level. Autoantibodies including anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody were negative. Endotoxin was detected in his sera, but repeated cultures of sputa, urine, blood and the pleural effusion were negative for bacteria. Video-assisted thoracic surgery was performed and lung and parietal pleura specimens were obtained. Histology showed arterioles or small arteries infiltrated by monocytes or neutrophils with fibrinoid necrosis and acute or chronic venulitis. A diagnosis of SVV in the lung and pleura was made. Immunohistochemistry revealed that interleukin (IL)-1beta was expressed in monocytes and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 on endothelial cells in the vasculitic lesions in the lung.

CONCLUSIONS

Endotoxin possibly induced the inflammation in this apparently unique case of pleuropulmonary small vessel vasculitis. Immunohistochemistry revealed the expression of IL-1beta and VCAM-1 which may have caused activation of monocytes and endothelial cells within the vasculitic lesions.

The 1.55 A resolution structure of Nicotiana alata S(F11)-RNase associated with gametophytic self-incompatibility

The crystal structure of Nicotiana alata (ornamental tobacco) S(F11)-RNase, an S-allelic glycoprotein associated with gametophytic self-incompatibility, was determined by X-ray diffraction at 1.55 A resolution. The protein has a tertiary structure typical of members of the RNase T(2) family as it consists of a variant of the (alpha+beta) fold and has eight helices and seven strands. A heptasaccharide moiety is also present, and amino acid residues that serve as the catalytic acid and base can be assigned to His32 and His91, respectively. Two "hypervariable" regions, known as HVa and HVb, are the proposed sites of S-allele discrimination during the self-incompatibility reaction, and in the S(F11)-RNase these are well separated from the active site. HVa and HVb are composed of a long, positively charged loop followed by a part of an alpha-helix and short, negatively charged alpha-helix, respectively. The S(F11)-RNase structure shows both regions are readily accessible to the solvent and hence could participate in the process of self/non-self discrimination between the S-RNase and an unknown pollen S-gene product(s) upon pollination.

Crystals of ternary protein-DNA complexes composed of DNA-binding domains of c-Myb or v-Myb, C/EBPalpha or C/EBPbeta and tom-1A promoter fragment

c-Myb and the C/EBP family are transcriptional regulatory factors that act in concert to regulate the expression of myeloid-specific genes. v-Myb encoded by avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) is a mutated form of c-Myb that contains point mutations which disrupt the cooperation with C/EBPs. To understand the mechanism of the transcriptional synergy between c-Myb and C/EBPs and the effect of the v-Myb mutations on that synergy, knowledge based on their three-dimensional structures is essential. Crystals of ternary complexes, in which various combinations of the DNA-binding domains of c-Myb or v-Myb and C/EBPalpha or C/EBPbeta are bound to a DNA fragment from tom-1A promoter, were obtained by the vapour-diffusion method. Complete diffraction data sets were obtained from each native crystal and two types of iodine-derivative crystals. A three-wavelength MAD data set was also obtained from a bromine-derivative crystal.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analyses of quaternary, ternary and binary protein-DNA complexes with involvement of AML1/Runx-1/CBFalpha Runt domain, CBFbeta and the C/EBPbeta bZip region

Three types of protein-DNA complexes, AML1/Runx-1/CBFalpha(Runt)-CBFbeta-C/EBPbeta(bZip)-DNA (CBFalpha-beta-C/EBPbeta-DNA), AML1/Runx-1/CBFalpha(Runt)-C/EBPbeta(bZip)-DNA (CBFalpha-C/EBPbeta-DNA) and AML1/Runx-1/CBFalpha(Runt)-DNA (CBFalpha-DNA), were crystallized. The crystals were all orthorhombic and belonged to space groups C222(1), P2(1)2(1)2 and P2(1)2(1)2(1), respectively. The resolutions of CBFalpha-beta-C/EBPbeta-DNA and CBFalpha-C/EBPbeta-DNA crystals were both 3 A, while that of the CBFalpha-DNA crystal was 2.65 A. Complete data sets were collected for all of the native crystals, along with MAD and MIR data sets for CBFalpha-beta-C/EBPbeta-DNA. The heavy-atom site was determined using MAD data for a gold derivative of CBFalpha-beta-C/EBPbeta-DNA.

Structure of the bacterial flagellar protofilament and implications for a switch for supercoiling

The bacterial flagellar filament is a helical propeller constructed from 11 protofilaments of a single protein, flagellin. The filament switches between left- and right-handed supercoiled forms when bacteria switch their swimming mode between running and tumbling. Supercoiling is produced by two different packing interactions of flagellin called L and R. In switching from L to R, the intersubunit distance ( approximately 52 A) along the protofilament decreases by 0.8 A. Changes in the number of L and R protofilaments govern supercoiling of the filament. Here we report the 2.0 A resolution crystal structure of a Salmonella flagellin fragment of relative molecular mass 41,300. The crystal contains pairs of antiparallel straight protofilaments with the R-type repeat. By simulated extension of the protofilament model, we have identified possible switch regions responsible for the bi-stable mechanical switch that generates the 0.8 A difference in repeat distance.

Structural analyses of DNA recognition by the AML1/Runx-1 Runt domain and its allosteric control by CBFbeta

The core binding factor (CBF) heterodimeric transcription factors comprised of AML/CBFA/PEBP2alpha/Runx and CBFbeta/PEBP2beta subunits are essential for differentiation of hematopoietic and bone cells, and their mutation is intimately related to the development of acute leukemias and cleidocranial dysplasia. Here, we present the crystal structures of the AML1/Runx-1/CBFalpha(Runt domain)-CBFbeta(core domain)-C/EBPbeta(bZip)-DNA, AML1/Runx-1/CBFalpha(Runt domain)-C/EBPbeta(bZip)-DNA, and AML1/Runx-1/CBFalpha(Runt domain)-DNA complexes. The hydrogen bonding network formed among CBFalpha(Runt domain) and CBFbeta, and CBFalpha(Runt domain) and DNA revealed the allosteric regulation mechanism of CBFalpha(Runt domain)-DNA binding by CBFbeta. The point mutations of CBFalpha related to the aforementioned diseases were also mapped and their effect on DNA binding is discussed.

Structural basis of glutamate recognition by a dimeric metabotropic glutamate receptor

The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are key receptors in the modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. Here we have determined three different crystal structures of the extracellular ligand-binding region of mGluR1--in a complex with glutamate and in two unliganded forms. They all showed disulphide-linked homodimers, whose 'active' and 'resting' conformations are modulated through the dimeric interface by a packed alpha-helical structure. The bi-lobed protomer architectures flexibly change their domain arrangements to form an 'open' or 'closed' conformation. The structures imply that glutamate binding stabilizes both the 'active' dimer and the 'closed' protomer in dynamic equilibrium. Movements of the four domains in the dimer are likely to affect the separation of the transmembrane and intracellular regions, and thereby activate the receptor. This scheme in the initial receptor activation could be applied generally to G-protein-coupled neurotransmitter receptors that possess extracellular ligand-binding sites.

Crystal structure combined with genetic analysis of the Thermus thermophilus ribosome recycling factor shows that a flexible hinge may act as a functional switch

Ribosome recycling factor (RRF), in concert with elongation factor EF-G, is required for disassembly of the posttermination complex of the ribosome after release of polypeptides. The crystal structure of Thermus thermophilus RRF was determined at 2.6 A resolution. It is a tRNA-like L-shaped molecule consisting of two domains: a long three-helix bundle (domain 1) and a three-layer beta/alpha/beta sandwich (domain 2). Although the individual domain structures are similar to those of Thermotoga maritima RRF (Selmer et al., Science, 1999, 286:2349-2352), the interdomain angle differs by 33 degrees in two molecules, suggesting that the hinge between two domains is potentially flexible and responsive to different conditions of crystal packing. The hinge connects hydrophobic junctions of domains 1 and 2. The structure-based genetic analysis revealed the strong correlation between the hinge flexibility and the in vivo function of RRF. First, altering the hinge flexibility by making alanine or serine substitutions for large-size residues conserved at the hinge loop and nearby in domain 1 frequently gave rise to gain of function except a Pro residue conserved at the hinge loop. Second, the hinge defect resulting from a too relaxed hinge structure can be compensated for by secondary alterations in domain 1 that seem to increase the hydrophobic contact between domain 1 and the hinge loop. These results show that the hinge flexibility is vital for the function of RRF and that the steric interaction between the hinge loop and domains 1 and 2 restricts the interdomain angle and/or the hinge flexibility. These results indicate that RRF possesses an architectural difference from tRNA regardless of a resemblance to tRNA shape: RRF has a "gooseneck" elbow, whereas the tRNA elbow is rigid, and the direction of flex of RRF and tRNA is at a nearly right angle to each other. Moreover, surface electrostatic potentials of the two RRF proteins are dissimilar and do not mimic the surface potential of tRNA or EF-G. These properties will add a new insight into RRF, suggesting that RRF is more than a simple tRNA mimic.

The adoption of a twisted structure of importin-beta is essential for the protein-protein interaction required for nuclear transport

Importin-beta is a nuclear transport factor which mediates the nuclear import of various nuclear proteins. The N-terminal 1-449 residue fragment of mouse importin-beta (impbeta449) possesses the ability to bidirectionally translocate through the nuclear pore complex (NPC), and to bind RanGTP. The structure of the uncomplexed form of impbeta449 has been solved at a 2.6 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. It consists of ten copies of the tandemly arrayed HEAT repeat and exhibits conformational flexibility which is involved in protein-protein interaction for nuclear transport. The overall conformation of the HEAT repeats shows that a twisted motion produces a significantly varied superhelical architecture from the previously reported structure of RanGTP-bound importin-beta. These conformational changes appear to be the sum of small conformational changes throughout the polypeptide. Such a flexibility, which resides in the stacked HEAT repeats, is essential for interaction with RanGTP or with NPCs. Furthermore, it was found that impbeta449 has a structural similarity with another nuclear migrating protein, namely beta-catenin, which is composed of another type of helix-repeated structure of ARM repeat. Interestingly, the essential regions for NPC translocation for both importin-beta and beta-catenin are spatially well overlapped with one another. This strongly indicates the importance of helix stacking of the HEAT or ARM repeats for NPC-passage.

Crystal structure of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate dependent L-methionine gamma-lyase from Pseudomonas putida

L-Methionine gamma-lyase (MGL) catalyzes the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent alpha,gamma-elimination of L-methionine. We have determined two crystal structures of MGL from Pseudomonas putida using MAD (multiwavelength anomalous diffraction) and molecular replacement methods. The structures have been refined to an R-factor of 21.1% at 2.0 and 1.7 A resolution using synchrotron radiation diffraction data. A homotetramer with 222 symmetry is built up by non-crystallographic symmetry. Two monomers associate to build the active dimer. The spatial fold of subunits, with three functionally distinct domains and their quarternary arrangement, is similar to those of L-cystathionine beta-lyase and L-cystathionine gamma-synthase from Escherichia coli.

Histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies on the mechanism of interlobular fibrosis of the pancreas

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the mechanism of interlobular fibrosis of the pancreas, which is categorized as chronic alcoholic pancreatitis.

METHODS

Forty pancreatic tissue samples from patients with ampullary carcinomas, which cause various degrees of stricture of the main pancreatic duct, and 20 patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis were studied histopathologically and immunohistochemically.

RESULTS

Fibrosis was observed in 23 of 40 patients with ampullary carcinomas and was classified into 3 categories: mild changes (10 cases), moderate changes (9 cases), and marked changes (4 cases). In the mild change cases, mild fibrosis was diffusely distributed in the interlobular areas, with scant immunoreactivity of anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and an expansive lobular appearance, whereas moderate and marked change cases showed interlobular and intralobular fibrosis with marked anti-alpha-SMA immunoreactivity and lobular atrophy. By quantitative analysis, the mild change cases showed both higher MIB1-positive and lower apoptotic acinar cell ratios than those of moderate and marked changes. Anti-alpha-SMA immunoreactivity in the patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis was found in interlobular fibrosis. Hence, mild changes in cases of ampullary carcinomas had histologic findings similar to chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, except for excessive fibrosis cases with patchy distribution.

CONCLUSION

Incomplete obstruction of the main pancreatic duct caused the beginning of interlobular fibrosis, which is categorized as chronic alcoholic pancreatitis.

Crystal structure of rhodopsin: A G protein-coupled receptor

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) respond to a variety of different external stimuli and activate G proteins. GPCRs share many structural features, including a bundle of seven transmembrane alpha helices connected by six loops of varying lengths. We determined the structure of rhodopsin from diffraction data extending to 2.8 angstroms resolution. The highly organized structure in the extracellular region, including a conserved disulfide bridge, forms a basis for the arrangement of the seven-helix transmembrane motif. The ground-state chromophore, 11-cis-retinal, holds the transmembrane region of the protein in the inactive conformation. Interactions of the chromophore with a cluster of key residues determine the wavelength of the maximum absorption. Changes in these interactions among rhodopsins facilitate color discrimination. Identification of a set of residues that mediate interactions between the transmembrane helices and the cytoplasmic surface, where G-protein activation occurs, also suggests a possible structural change upon photoactivation.

Crystal structure of a repair enzyme of oxidatively damaged DNA, MutM (Fpg), from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus HB8

The MutM [formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)] protein is a trifunctional DNA base excision repair enzyme that removes a wide range of oxidatively damaged bases (N-glycosylase activity) and cleaves both the 3'- and 5'-phosphodiester bonds of the resulting apurinic/apyrimidinic site (AP lyase activity). The crystal structure of MutM from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus HB8, was determined at 1.9 A resolution with multiwavelength anomalous diffraction phasing using the intrinsic Zn(2+) ion of the zinc finger. MutM is composed of two distinct and novel domains connected by a flexible hinge. There is a large, electrostatically positive cleft lined by highly conserved residues between the domains. On the basis of the three-dimensional structure and taking account of previous biochemical experiments, we propose a DNA-binding mode and reaction mechanism for MutM. The locations of the putative catalytic residues and the two DNA-binding motifs (the zinc finger and the helix-two-turns-helix motifs) suggest that the oxidized base is flipped out from double-stranded DNA in the binding mode and excised by a catalytic mechanism similar to that of bifunctional base excision repair enzymes.

Crystal structure of N-carbamyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase with a novel catalytic framework common to amidohydrolases

BACKGROUND

N-carbamyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase (DCase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-carbamyl-D-amino acids to the corresponding D-amino acids, which are useful intermediates in the preparation of beta-lactam antibiotics. To understand the catalytic mechanism of N-carbamyl-D-amino acid hydrolysis, the substrate specificity and thermostability of the enzyme, we have determined the structure of DCase from Agrobacterium sp. strain KNK712.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of DCase has been determined to 1.7 A resolution. The enzyme forms a homotetramer and each monomer consists of a variant of the alpha + beta fold. The topology of the enzyme comprises a sandwich of parallel beta sheets surrounded by two layers of alpha helices, this topology has not been observed in other amidohydrolases such as the N-terminal nucleophile (Ntn) hydrolases.

CONCLUSIONS

The catalytic center could be identified and consists of Glu46, Lys126 and Cys171. Cys171 was found to be the catalytic nucleophile, and its nucleophilic character appeared to be increased through general-base activation by Glu46. DCase shows only weak sequence similarity with a family of amidohydrolases, including beta-alanine synthase, aliphatic amidases and nitrilases, but might share highly conserved residues in a novel framework, which could provide a possible explanation for the catalytic mechanism for this family of enzymes.

Discrimination of histamine H1 and muscarinic receptor-mediated signalling pathways by phorbol ester in human astrocytoma cells

1. Histamine H1 receptor-mediated signalling was compared with muscarinic receptor-mediated signalling in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells. 2. Short-term (2 min) treatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in a reduction of increases in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) induced by carbachol or histamine. 3. Carbachol-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were 10-fold more sensitive to PMA than the histamine-induced increases. 4. When cells were treated with PMA for 48 or 72 h (long-term treatment), protein kinase C (PKC) was down-regulated and PMA did not inhibit carbachol-induced increases in [Ca2+]i. 5. Histamine-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were significantly reduced by long-term treatment with PMA. 6. These findings suggest that the signalling pathways mediated by histamine H1 and muscarinic receptors can be distinguished by using PKC in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells.

X-ray structure of beta-carbonic anhydrase from the red alga, Porphyridium purpureum, reveals a novel catalytic site for CO(2) hydration

The carbonic anhydrases (CAs) fall into three evolutionarily distinct families designated alpha-, beta-, and gamma-CAs based on their primary structure. beta-CAs are present in higher plants, algae, and prokaryotes, and are involved in inorganic carbon utilization. Here, we describe the novel x-ray structure of beta-CA from the red alga, Porphyridium purpureum, at 2.2-A resolution using intrinsic zinc multiwavelength anomalous diffraction phasing. The CA monomer is composed of two internally repeating structures, being folded as a pair of fundamentally equivalent motifs of an alpha/beta domain and three projecting alpha-helices. The motif is obviously distinct from that of either alpha- or gamma-CAs. This homodimeric CA appears like a tetramer with a pseudo 222 symmetry. The active site zinc is coordinated by a Cys-Asp-His-Cys tetrad that is strictly conserved among the beta-CAs. No water molecule is found in a zinc-liganding radius, indicating that the zinc-hydroxide mechanism in alpha-CAs, and possibly in gamma-CAs, is not directly applicable to the case in beta-CAs. Zinc coordination environments of the CAs provide an interesting example of the convergent evolution of distinct catalytic sites required for the same CO(2) hydration reaction.

[Nontuberculous mycobacterial infection followed for 12 years]

A 67-year-old woman presented in September 1985 with productive cough, bloody sputum, and dyspnea on exertion. Productive cough and bloody sputum had developed when the patient was 55 years old. Sputum culture and radiologic findings yielded a diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacteriosis (NTM). Antituberculous therapy with INH, RFP, and EB was initiated in November 1987 because of the development of a cavity in the right upper lobe, and led to resolution of the lesion and clinical symptoms. Despite progression of bronchiectatic changes in both lungs and a relapse of her clinical symptoms during the following 10 years, the patient retained enough pulmonary function to be able to maintain an active daily life until she died of advanced gastric cancer at the age of 79. Autopsy revealed cystic bronchiectasis accompanied by bronchial wall thickening in both lungs, with some granuloma and acid-fast-bacteria observed in lung tissue. In this report, we concluded that patients with NTM usually experience a gradual progression of symptoms and radiographic changes during their clinical course, and that their pulmonary function may be conserved well enough to maintain an active daily life.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of Thermus thermophilus HB8 MutM protein involved in repairs of oxidative DNA damage

MutM protein, which removes the oxidatively damaged DNA base product, 8-oxoguanine (GO), has been crystallized by means of a hanging-drop vapor-diffusion procedure using polyethyleneglycol monomethylether 2000 as a precipitant in 2-(cyclohexylamino) ethanesulfonic acid (CHES) buffer, pH 9.8. The diffraction data derived from oscillation photographs indicate that the crystals belong to the monoclinic system and space group P2(1). The crystals have unit-cell dimensions of a = 45.4 A, b = 62.0 A, c = 99.7 A, and beta = 90.8 degrees. Assuming that the asymmetric unit contains two molecules, the Vm value was calculated to be 2.35 A(3).Da(-1). The crystals diffracted X-rays to at least 2.1 A resolution and were suitable for high-resolution X-ray crystal structure determination.

Breast carcinoma diverging to aberrant melanocytic differentiation: a case report with histopathologic and loss of heterozygosity analyses

A case of primary breast cancer showing differentiation to malignant melanoma is reported. To obtain insight into the clonal relationship between the two components of the tumor, polymerase chain reaction-based microsatellite analysis to detect loss of heterozygosity on chromosome arms 1p, 1q, 3q, 4q, 6q, 8p, 9p, 10q, 11q, 13q, 16q, 17p, 17q, and 18q with microdissected tissues of both components was performed in addition to histologic, histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural techniques. The tumor consisted of a combination of carcinoma and melanoma with morphologic transition. Metastases in the lymph nodes and thoracic spinal bone marrow showed dual tissue structure. One of the metastatic lung tumors showed melanomatous tissue structure. The abundant pigment in the cells was positive for Fontana-Masson staining and bleached with potassium permanganate. The carcinoma component was positive for epithelial membrane antigen and CA19-9, but the melanoma component was negative. Conversely, the melanoma component was positive for HMB45 and vimentin, but the carcinoma component was negative. Electron microscopic analysis showed premelanosomes and melanosomes in the melanoma component. Microsatellite analysis showed the same genetic alterations with loss of heterozygosity on chromosome arms 1p, 3q, 4q, 6q, 9p, 10q, 11q, 13q, 16q, 17p, and 17q in in situ, invasive, and metastatic foci. We concluded that the carcinoma and melanoma components had arisen from the same clone and that this breast carcinoma might have diverged to aberrant malignant melanoma through multiple genetic alterations in the early period of ductal carcinoma in situ.