Journals
2009 EN
Steven J. Shabel · Patricia H. Janak
The amygdala is important for determining the emotional significance of environmental stimuli. However, the degree to which appetitive and aversive stimuli are processed by the same or different neuronal circuits within the amygdala remains unclear. Here we show that neuronal activity during the expression of classically conditioned appetitive and aversive emotional responses is more similar than expected by chance, despite the different sensory modalities of the eliciting stimuli. We also found that the activity of a large number of cells (> 43%) was correlated with blood pressure, a measure of emotional arousal. Together, our results suggest that a substantial proportion of neuronal circuits within the amygdala can contribute to both appetitive and aversive emotional arousal.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Hannah Song · Charles Yoon · Steven Kattman
+9 more
Myocardial infarction resulting in irreversible loss of cardiomyocytes (CMs) remains a leading cause of heart failure. Although cell transplantation has modestly improved cardiac function, major challenges including increasing cell survival, engraftment, and functional integration with host tissue, remain. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which can be differentiated into cardiac progenitors (CPs) and CMs, represent a candidate cell source for cardiac cell therapy. However, it is not known what specific cell type or condition is the most appropriate for transplantation. This problem is exasperated by the lack of efficient and predictive strategies to screen the large numbers of parameters that may impact cell transplantation. We used a cardiac tissue model, engineered heart tissue (EHT), and quantitative molecular and electrophysiological analyses, to test transplantation conditions and specific cell populations for their potential to functionally integrate with the host tissue. In this study, we validated our analytical platform using contractile mouse neonatal CMs (nCMs) and noncontractile cardiac fibroblasts (cFBs), and screened for the integration potential of ESC-derived CMs and CPs (ESC-CMs and -CPs). Consistent with previous in vivo studies, cFB injection interfered with electrical signal propagation, whereas injected nCMs improved tissue function. Purified bioreactor-generated ESC-CMs exhibited a diminished capacity for electrophysiological integration; a result correlated with lower (compared with nCMs) connexin 43 expression. ESC-CPs, however, appeared able to appropriately mature and integrate into EHT, enhancing the amplitude of tissue contraction. Our results support the use of EHT as a model system to accelerate development of cardiac cell therapy strategies.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Jihoon Chang · Steven L. Kunkel · CheongHee Chang
IL-10 produced by dendritic cells (DC) can limit or terminate ongoing inflammatory responses by inhibiting the proinflammatory cytokine production. Currently, the molecular mechanism by which IL-10 suppresses cytokine production is still ill-defined. In this study, we showed that IL-10 produced by DC dampens myeloid differentiation factor (MyD)88-dependent, but not MyD88-independent signaling. At the molecular level, IL-10 induces ubiquitination and subsequent protein degradation of MyD88-dependent signaling molecules, including IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 and TNF-receptor associated factor 6. Protein degradation by IL-10 was associated with decreased phosphorylation of p38, JNK, and IKK. All of these events were prevented by either blocking IL-10 receptor signaling or inhibiting proteasome degradation. IL-10 induced LPS hyporesponsiveness using the same mechanisms, i.e., ubiquitination and protein degradation. Thus, a previously undescribed regulatory mechanism by which IL-10-mediated protein degradation contributes to the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production and endotoxin tolerance in DC.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Peter M. Hollingsworth · Laura L. Forrest · John L. Spouge
+49 more
DNA barcoding involves sequencing a standard region of DNA as a tool for species identification. However, there has been no agreement on which region(s) should be used for barcoding land plants. To provide a community recommendation on a standard plant barcode, we have compared the performance of 7 leading candidate plastid DNA regions (atpF-atpH spacer, matK gene, rbcL gene, rpoB gene, rpoC1 gene, psbK-psbI spacer, and trnH-psbA spacer). Based on assessments of recoverability, sequence quality, and levels of species discrimination, we recommend the 2-locus combination of rbcL+matK as the plant barcode. This core 2-locus barcode will provide a universal framework for the routine use of DNA sequence data to identify specimens and contribute toward the discovery of overlooked species of land plants.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Dominic Holland · James Brewer · Donald J. Hagler
+194 more
Regions of the temporal and parietal lobes are particularly damaged in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and this leads to a predictable pattern of brain atrophy. In vivo quantification of subregional atrophy, such as changes in cortical thickness or structure volume, could lead to improved diagnosis and better assessment of the neuroprotective effects of a therapy. Toward this end, we have developed a fast and robust method for accurately quantifying cerebral structural changes in several cortical and subcortical regions using serial MRI scans. In 169 healthy controls, 299 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 129 subjects with AD, we measured rates of subregional cerebral volume change for each cohort and performed power calculations to identify regions that would provide the most sensitive outcome measures in clinical trials of disease-modifying agents. Consistent with regional specificity of AD, temporal-lobe cortical regions showed the greatest disease-related changes and significantly outperformed any of the clinical or cognitive measures examined for both AD and MCI. Global measures of change in brain structure, including whole-brain and ventricular volumes, were also elevated in AD and MCI, but were less salient when compared to changes in normal subjects. Therefore, these biomarkers are less powerful for quantifying disease-modifying effects of compounds that target AD pathology. The findings indicate that regional temporal lobe cortical changes would have great utility as outcome measures in clinical trials and may also have utility in clinical practice for aiding early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Steven R. Barthel · Georg Wiese · Jaehyung Cho
+6 more
How cancer cells bind to vascular surfaces and extravasate into target organs is an underappreciated, yet essential step in metastasis. We postulate that the metastatic process involves discrete adhesive interactions between circulating cancer cells and microvascular endothelial cells. Sialyl Lewis X (sLe(X)) on prostate cancer (PCa) cells is thought to promote metastasis by mediating PCa cell binding to microvascular endothelial (E)-selectin. Yet, regulation of sLe(X) and related E-selectin ligand expression in PCa cells is a poorly understood factor in PCa metastasis. Here, we describe a glycobiological mechanism regulating E-selectin-mediated adhesion and metastatic potential of PCa cells. We demonstrate that alpha1,3 fucosyltransferases (FT) 3, 6, and 7 are markedly elevated in bone- and liver-metastatic PCa and dictate synthesis of sLe(X) and E-selectin ligands on metastatic PCa cells. Upregulated FT3, FT6, or FT7 expression induced robust PCa PC-3 cell adhesion to bone marrow (BM) endothelium and to inflamed postcapillary venules in an E-selectin-dependent manner. Membrane proteins, CD44, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), podocalyxin-like protein (PCLP), and melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) were major scaffolds presenting E-selectin-binding determinants on FT-upregulated PC-3 cells. Furthermore, elevated FT7 expression promoted PC-3 cell trafficking to and retention in BM through an E-selectin dependent event. These results indicate that alpha1,3 FTs could enhance metastatic efficiency of PCa by triggering an E-selectin-dependent trafficking mechanism.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Renzhi Han · Motoi Kanagawa · Takako YoshidaMoriguchi
+13 more
Skeletal muscle basal lamina is linked to the sarcolemma through transmembrane receptors, including integrins and dystroglycan. The function of dystroglycan relies critically on posttranslational glycosylation, a common target shared by a genetically heterogeneous group of muscular dystrophies characterized by alpha-dystroglycan hypoglycosylation. Here we show that both dystroglycan and integrin alpha7 contribute to force-production of muscles, but that only disruption of dystroglycan causes detachment of the basal lamina from the sarcolemma and renders muscle prone to contraction-induced injury. These phenotypes of dystroglycan-null muscles are recapitulated by Large(myd) muscles, which have an intact dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and lack only the laminin globular domain-binding motif on alpha-dystroglycan. Compromised sarcolemmal integrity is directly shown in Large(myd) muscles and similarly in normal muscles when arenaviruses compete with matrix proteins for binding alpha-dystroglycan. These data provide direct mechanistic insight into how the dystroglycan-linked basal lamina contributes to the maintenance of sarcolemmal integrity and protects muscles from damage.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Carlos W. Nossa · Prashant Jain · Batcha Tamilselvam
+5 more
Modification of eukaryotic proteins is a powerful strategy used by pathogenic bacteria to modulate host cells during infection. Previously, we demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori modify an unidentified protein within mammalian cell lysates in a manner consistent with the action of a bacterial ADP-ribosylating toxin. Here, we identified the modified eukaryotic factor as the abundant nuclear factor poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), which is important in the pathologies of several disease states typically associated with chronic H. pylori infection. However, rather than being ADP-ribosylated by an H. pylori toxin, the intrinsic poly(ADP-ribosyl) polymerase activity of PARP-1 is activated by a heat- and protease-sensitive H. pylori factor, resulting in automodification of PARP-1 with polymers of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR). Moreover, during infection of gastric epithelial cells, H. pylori induce intracellular PAR-production by a PARP-1-dependent mechanism. Activation of PARP-1 by a pathogenic bacterium represents a previously unrecognized strategy for modulating host cell signaling during infection.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
Braulio Gutiérrez–Medina · Adrian N. Fehr · Steven M. Block
Kinesin is a homodimeric motor with two catalytic heads joined to a stalk via short neck linkers (NLs). We measured the torsional properties of single recombinant molecules by tracking the thermal angular motions of fluorescently labeled beads bound to the C terminus of the stalk. When kinesin heads were immobilized on microtubules (MTs) under varied nucleotide conditions, we observed bounded or unbounded angular diffusion, depending on whether one or both heads were attached to the MT. Free rotation implies that NLs act as swivels. From data on constrained diffusion, we conclude that the coiled-coil stalk domains are approximately 30-fold stiffer than its flexible "hinge" regions. Surprisingly, while tracking processive kinesin motion at low ATP concentrations, we observed occasional abrupt reversals in the directional orientations of the stalk. Our results impose constraints on kinesin walking models and suggest a role for rotational freedom in cargo transport.
National Academy of Sciences
Journals
2009 EN
K. R. Freeman · A. P. Martin · Dipesh Karki
+6 more
Periglacial soils are one of the least studied ecosystems on Earth, yet they are widespread and are increasing in area due to retreat of glaciers worldwide. Soils in these environments are cold and during the brief summer are exposed to high levels of UV radiation and dramatic fluctuations in moisture and temperature. Recent research suggests that these environments harbor immense microbial diversity. Here we use sequencing of environmental DNA, culturing of isolates, and analysis of environmental variables to show that members of the Chytridiomycota (chytrids) dominate fungal biodiversity and perhaps decomposition processes in plant-free, high-elevation soils from the highest mountain ranges on Earth. The zoosporic reproduction of chytrids requires free water, yet we found that chytrids constituted over 70% of the ribosomal gene sequences of clone libraries from barren soils of the Himalayas and Rockies; by contrast, they are rare in other soil environments. Very few chytrids have been cultured, although we were successful at culturing chytrids from high-elevation sites throughout the world. In a more focused study of our sites in Colorado, we show that carbon sources that support chytrid growth (eolian deposited pollen and microbial phototrophs) are abundant and that soils are saturated with water for several months under the snow, thus creating ideal conditions for the development of a chytrid-dominated ecosystem. Our work broadens the known biodiversity of the Chytridomycota, and describes previously unsuspected links between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in alpine regions.
National Academy of Sciences