[Advances in the research of sepsis-related stress response]

In recent years, the levels of anti-infection and organ function support of sepsis have been improved, but the mortality rate remains high, which brings about challenges for critical care clinicians. Sources of sepsis-related stress response include severe infection, frequent therapeutic procedures, routine nursing measures, and physical constraints, etc. Although sepsis-related stress response has obtained a lot of concern, its understanding is still in the stage of research and the treatment method is nonspecific. This article summarizes the pathogenesis, evaluation methods, and treatment of sepsis-related stress response, with a hope to provide reference for its clinical treatment.

Differential expression and functional analysis of Pitx2 isoforms in regulation of heart looping in the chick

Pitx2, a bicoid-related homeobox gene, plays a crucial role in the left-right axis determination and dextral looping of the vertebrate developing heart. We have examined the differential expression and function of two Pitx2 isoforms (Pitx2a and Pitx2c) that differ in the region 5' to the homeodomain, in early chick embryogenesis. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses indicated the existence of Pitx2a and Pitx2c but not Pitx2b in the developing chick embryos. In situ hybridization demonstrated a restricted expression of Pitx2c in the left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM), left half of heart tube and head mesoderm, but its absence in the extra-embryonic tissues where vasculogenesis occurs. RT-PCR experiments revealed that Pitx2a is absent in the left LPM, but is present in the head and extra-embryonic mesoderm. However, ectopic expression of either Pitx2c or Pitx2a via retroviral infection to the right LMP equally randomized heart looping direction. Mapping of the transcriptional activation function to the C terminus that is identical in both isoforms explained the similar results obtained by the gain-of-function approach. In contrast, elimination of Pitx2c expression from the left LMP by antisense oligonucleotide resulted in a randomization of heart looping, while treatment of embryos with antisense oligonucleotide specific to Pitx2a failed to generate similar effect. We further constructed RCAS retroviral vectors expressing dominant negative Pitx2 isoforms in which the C-terminal transcriptional activation domain was replaced by the repressor domain of the Drosophila Engrailed protein (En(r)). Ectopic expression of Pitx2c-En(r), but not Pitx2a-En(r), to the left LPM randomized the heart looping. The results thus demonstrate that Pitx2c plays a crucial role in the left-right axis determination and rightward heart looping during chick embryogenesis.

Antiviral effects on mouse leukemia virus replication by oligodeoxynucleotides in vitro and in vivo

Oligodeoxynucleotides (Oligomers) including modified and unmodified, homo- and heterooligomers were tested for their ability to inhibit mouse SRS leukemia virus (SRSV)-induced proliferation of cells, colony formation, syncytium formation and reverse transcriptase (RT) activity in vitro. Phosphorothioate analogs complementary to Mo-MuLV sequences, as well as noncomplementary homooligomers, were found to be active. Unmodified homooligomer (dC14) also showed inhibition of growth of ascitic lymphoma carrying SRS virus. Our study suggests that different classes of oligonucleotides may inhibit SRSV replication with different mechanisms.

NGF and EGF rapidly activate p21ras in PC12 cells by distinct, convergent pathways involving tyrosine phosphorylation

Activation of p21ras, demonstrated directly as an increase in p21ras-associated GTP, was induced rapidly but transiently by both nerve growth factor (NGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in PC12 cells. The factors activate p21ras to equal extents and with virtually identical time courses. Growth factor-induced p21ras activation and tyrosine phosphorylation have similar time courses and sensitivities to genistein inhibition, indicating that p21ras activation is a result of tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, PC12 mutants lacking the Trk NGF receptor tyrosine kinase also lack NGF-inducible p21ras activation. The protein kinase inhibitor K252a and the methyltransferase inhibitor MTA abolish NGF-induced, but not EGF-induced, p21ras activation--effects correlated with inhibition only of NGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. In spite of differences in sensitivity to genistein, MTA, and K252a, EGF- and NGF-stimulated p21ras activation are not additive, implying that they do share at least one step in common.

ras isoprenylation is required for ras-induced but not for NGF-induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells

We have used compactin, an inhibitor of mevalonate biosynthesis, to block p21ras posttranslational modification and membrane association in PC12 cells. Previous studies have demonstrated a requirement for isoprenylation for mitogenic effects of activated p21ras in mammalian cells and for function of RAS gene products in yeast. Immunoprecipitation of [35S]methionine-labeled p21ras from PC12 cell homogenates confirmed that the processed p21ras species is missing from compactin-treated PC12 cells. Immunoprecipitation from particulate and cytosolic fractions of PC12 cells confirmed that compactin blocks p21ras membrane association: p21ras is confined to the cytosol fraction. Induction of neuronal differentiation and ornithine decarboxylase (ODCase) transcription by oncogenic p21N-ras does not occur in compactin-treated cells indicating that activity of oncogenic p21N-ras expressed in PC12 cells is abolished by compactin treatment. Thus, p21ras isoprenylation or association with the membrane appears to be required for early responses and neuronal differentiation attributable to p21ras activation. In contrast, blockade of p21ras isoprenylation and membrane association by compactin treatment did not significantly reduce PC12 cell responses to NGF. Responses examined included rapid phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase, rapid induction of ODCase expression, survival in serum-free medium and neuronal differentiation. Compactin blocked growth factor-induced rapid changes in cell surface morphology but did so whether this response was induced by NGF or by EGF. These results indicate that functional p21ras is not necessary for responses to NGF which in turn implies that if a ras-dependent NGF signal transduction pathway exists, as has been previously suggested, at least one additional ras-independent pathway must also be present.

Biological function of modified nucleotides in tRNA molecules--synthesis and biological activity of the analogues of yeast alanyl tRNA with I34 replaced by A34 or G34

Analogues of yeast alanyl tRNA with I34 replaced by A34 or G34 were synthesized. Synthetic analogues of yeast alanyl tRNT occupy the same position as the natural yeast alanyl tRNA on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and their purity is about 95% after electrophoresis on a 10% or 20% polyacrylamide gel. The two terminal and nearest neighbour nucleotides of the analogues are all correct. The accepting activity of the synthetic analogues is similar to that of the reconstituted natural yeast alanyl tRNA. The incorporation activity of alanine into proteins of the synthetic analogues is about 30% of that of the natural of reconstituted natural yeast alanyl tRNA when I34 is replaced by A, and is 90% when I34 is replaced by G. The reason of the variation in biological function of the analogues of yeast alanyl tRNA after I34 replaced by A or G was discussed.

Effect of the anticodon loop size of yeast alanyl tRNA on its biological activity

Three analogs of yeast alanyl tRNA with anticodon loops of different sizes, tRNA75 (no G35 and 5'-terminal phosphate), tRNA77 (one more C between G35 and C36, no 5'-terminal phosphate), and ptRNA79 (with Cm1I psi between G35 and C36), were synthesized. In comparison with the reconstituted natural yeast tRNA, the charging activities of the three analogs were 90% (tRNA75), 94.7% (tRNA77), and 104% (ptRNA79). These results supported the conclusion (Yang De-ping and Wang De-bao (T. P. Wang) (1983) Acta Biochim. Biophys. Sin. 15, 83-90) that the anticodon loop of yeast alanyl tRNA was not involved in the interaction between alanyl-tRNA synthetase from rat liver and yeast alanyl tRNA. In contrast, in the rabbit reticulocyte lysate system, the incorporation of alanine in the charged analogs was 0% (tRNA75 and ptRNA79) and 100% (tRNA77). There were significant differences between the incorporation activities of analogs and those of the reconstituted molecule. The reason for these differences is discussed.

Total synthesis of yeast alanine transfer ribonucleic acid

By a combination of chemical and enzymatic methods, small oligonucleotides with lengths varying from 2 to 8 nucleotides were synthesized from mononucleotides. The small oligonucleotides were then ligated with T4 RNA ligase into six large oligonucleotides (9 to 19 nucleotides long) which were further ligated to form two half molecules with 35 and 41 nucleotides respectively. Finally, the two synthetic half molecules were annealed and ligated to obtain the whole molecule of yeast alanine tRNA (tRNAAlay). Prior to this, two semi-syntheses were performed, i.e. ligation of the synthetic 5'-half molecule with the natural 3'-half molecule and that of the natural 5'-half molecule with the synthetic 3'-half molecule. Both the semi-synthetic tRNAAlay and the synthetic tRNAAlay occupy the same position as the natural tRNAAlay after electrophoresis on a 20% polyacrylamide gel. They have the same chemical composition (containing 9 modified nucleotides of 7 different species) and structure as the natural tRNAAlay and are biologically active, i.e. accepting and transferring alanine into proteins in a cell-free protein synthesizing system, the accepting activity of the synthetic product is 52-66% of that of the natural tRNAAlay and 91-106% of that of the reconstituted product of the two natural half molecules. The incorporation activity of alanine into proteins of the synthetic 3H-alanine tRNAAlay is 63%, corresponding to 91% of that of the natural tRNAAlay and 115% of that of the reconstituted product of the two natural half molecules. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a natural RNA with biological activity is synthesized.

Synthesis of the 3'-half molecule of yeast alanine tRNA

This paper deals with the synthesis of the 3'-half molecule of yeast alanine transfer RNA (tRNAAlay) by ligation with T4 RNA ligase of three component oligonucleotide fragments corresponding to nucleotides 36-45(I), 46-57(II) and 58-76(III) in succession extending from the 3'-end to the 5'-end. First, in a ratio of acceptor to donor at 1.5 to 1, we adopted a method of three successive reactions, namely, the 5'-phosphorylation of the nonadecamer (III), ligation with the dodecamer (II) and the 5'-phosphorylation of the ligation product formed; with one isolation step and obtained the 5'-phosphorylated 31mer(46-76) (IV) in an overall yield of 70%. Then the 31mer(IV) as a donor was ligated with 3 times of decamer (I) to form the 41mer(36-76) (V), the 3'-half molecule of tRNAAlay. The yield was 67%. After 5'-phosphorylation, (V) was ligated with the natural 5'-half molecule to form the semi-synthetic tRNAAlay, which was biologically active, i.e. accepting and transferring (3H)-alanine into proteins.