Imidazolines increase the levels of the autophagosomal marker LC3-II in macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells.

This study evaluated whether imidazolines can induce autophagy in the murine macrophage-like cell line RAW264.7. Idazoxan increased the content of LC3-II, an autophagosomal marker, in RAW264.7 cells. To determine whether this effect was due to the induction of its synthesis or inhibition of its degradation, idazoxan treatment was performed in the presence of bafilomycin A1, which blocks autophagosome-lysosome fusion, as well as Pepstatin A and E-64d, both of which block protein degradation in autolysosomes. An increased content of LC3-II was observed in the presence of bafilomycin A1 as well as the protease inhibitors. Furthermore, an increased number of autophagosomes was observed following idazoxan treatment using an autophagosome-specific dye. This indicated that idazoxan induced autophagy. Other imidazolines, such as efaroxan, clonidine, and 2-(2-benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline, also increased the LC3-II content in RAW264.7 cells in the presence of bafilomycin A1. Taken together, these results indicate that some imidazolines, including idazoxan, can induce autophagy in RAW264.7 cells.

The human oligodendrocyte proteome.

Myelination of the CNS is performed by oligodendrocytes (OLs), which have been implicated in brain disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. We have used the human oligodendroglial cell line MO3.13 to establish an OL reference proteome database. Proteins were prefractionationated by SDS-PAGE and after in-gel digestion subjected to nanoflow LC-MS analysis. Approximately 11 600 unique peptides were identified and, after stringent filtering, resulted in 2290 proteins representing nine distinct biological processes and various molecular classes and functions. OL-specific proteins, such as myelin basic protein (MBP) and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP), as well as other proteins involved in multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia were also identified and are discussed. Proteins of this dataset have also been classified according to their chromosomal origin for providing useful data to the Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP). Given the importance of OLs in the etiology of demyelinating and oligodendrogial disorders, the MO3.13 proteome database is a valuable data resource. The MS proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000263 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000263).

Flagella proteins contribute to the production of outer membrane vesicles from Escherichia coli W3110.

Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, release outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) that are derived from the bacterial outer membrane. OMVs contribute to bacterial cell-cell communications and host-microbe interactions by delivering components to locations outside the bacterial cell. In order to explore the molecular machinery involved in OMV biogenesis, the role of a major OMV protein was examined in the production of OMVs from E. coli W3110, which is a widely used standard E. coli K-12 strain. In addition to OmpC and OmpA, which are used as marker proteins for OMVs, an analysis of E. coli W3110 OMVs revealed that they also contain abundant levels of FliC, which is also known as flagellin. A membrane-impermeable biotin-labeling reagent did not label FliC in intact OMVs, but labeled FliC in sonically disrupted OMVs, suggesting that FliC is localized in the lumen of OMV. Compared to the parental strain expressing wild-type fliC, an E. coli strain with a fliC-null mutation produced reduced amounts of OMVs based on both protein and phosphate levels. In addition, an E. coli W3110-derived strain with a null-mutation in flgK, which encodes flagellar hook-associated protein that is essential along with FliC for flagella synthesis, also produced fewer OMVs than the parental strain. Taken together, these results indicate that the ability to form flagella, including the synthesis of flagella proteins, affects the production of E. coli W3110 OMVs.

The Effect of Concomitant Usage of Analgesics on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-related Interstitial Lung Disease.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a serious adverse event (AE) associated with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, the risk factors for developing ICI-related ILD remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of concomitant analgesics on developing ICI-related ILD using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the reported AE data were downloaded from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency website, and the JADER data between January 2014 and March 2021 were analysed. The relationship between ICI-related ILD and concomitant use of analgesics was assessed using reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence interval. We investigated whether the effect of developing ILD varied according to the type of analgesics used during ICI treatment. RESULTS: Positive signals for ICI-related ILD development were detected for the concomitant use of the narcotic analgesics codeine, fentanyl and oxycodone, but not with morphine. In contrast, there were no positive signals for the concomitant use of the non-narcotic analgesics celecoxib, acetaminophen, loxoprofen and tramadol. An increased ROR for ICI-related ILD in cases with concomitant use of narcotic analgesics was observed in a multivariate logistic analysis adjusted by sex and age. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the concomitant use of narcotic analgesics is involved in the development of ICI-related ILD.

Importance of two-dimensional cation clusters induced by protein folding in intrinsic intracellular membrane permeability.

We investigated the cell penetration of Sp1 zinc finger proteins (Sp1 ZF) and the mechanism via which the total cationic charge and distribution of cationic residues on the protein surface affect intracellular trafficking. Sp1 ZFs showed intrinsic cell membrane permeability. The intracellular transfer of Sp1 ZFs other than 1F3 was dependent on the total cationic charge. Investigation of the effect of cationic residue distribution on intracellular membrane permeability revealed that the cellular uptake of unfolded Zn2+-non-coordinating Ala mutants was lower than that of the wild type. Therefore, the total cationic charge and distribution of cationic residues on the protein played crucial roles in intracellular translocation. Mutational studies revealed that the two-dimensional cation cluster on the protein surface significantly improved their cellular uptake. This study will contribute to the design of artificial cargoes that can efficiently transport target substances into cells.

Altering the expression balance of hnRNP C1 and C2 changes the expression of myelination-related genes.

The expression level of hnRNP C1/C2 protein has been reported to be significantly decreased in the post-mortem brain of schizophrenic patients. In this study, we investigated whether overexpression of the hnRNP C variants hnRNP C1 and C2 changed the expression of myelination-related genes in the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH. In both hnRNP C1- and C2-overexpressing cells, the expression of quaking (QKI)-6 and QKI-7 significantly increased or decreased compared to the control, respectively. Intriguingly, QKI-5 and myelin basic protein were markedly up- or down-regulated by overexpressing hnRNP C2, respectively. Our findings are the first to demonstrate distinct functions of hnRNP C1 and C2, and may be helpful in understanding the functions of these molecules. These findings indicate that altered expression levels of hnRNP C in the brain of patients with schizophrenia could be involved in the pathophysiology of this disease through alteration of the QKI isoform and myelin basic protein expression.

Therapeutic effects of sertraline on improvement of Ovariectomy-induced decreased spontaneous activity in mice.

We have already reported that ovariectomized (OVX) rats reduced the spontaneous activity during the dark period due to the decease of serotonin release in the amygdala. In this study, we examined the potential of sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on the recovery of less spontaneous activity seen in mice with OVX-induced despair-like behaviors. Female 9-week old ICR mice were underwent either OVX or sham surgery. Sertraline (10 mg/kg/day, s.c.) or saline were started to administer to each group for 8 weeks (6 times/week) from the 8th week after OVX. Each spontaneous activity of mouse was evaluated during the dark period (19:00-07:00) using an infrared sensor. Moreover, mRNA expression levels of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) were measured in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex using by a real-time PCR method. We found out that the OVX-induced despair-like behaviors were improved by the continuous administration of sertraline. After treatment of OVX, our real-time PCR data showed that sertraline significantly suppressed the upregulation of XBP1 expression levels in both hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, although this suppression of the downregulation of TPH expression levels was seen in only hippocampus. These results suggest that sertraline improves the decrease in spontaneous activity induced by OVX assessed by the hippocampus suppressing decreased serotonin synthesis in the serotonergic neuron.

Lactoferrin Suppresses Decreased Locomotor Activities by Improving Dopamine and Serotonin Release in the Amygdala of Ovariectomized Rats.

BACKGROUND: Decreases in female hormones not only affect bone metabolism and decrease bone mass, but also affect the central nervous system, causing brain disorders such as depression and dementia. Administration of estradiol by hormone replacement therapy can improve dementia, while reduced estradiol in ovariectomized (OVX) model rats can reduce both bone density and locomotor activity. The antidepressant fluvoxamine, which is widely used in clinical practice, can improve this effect on locomotor reduction. Similarly, lactoferrin (LF) can reportedly improve inhibitory locomotion due to stress. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the effect of LF on neurite outgrowth in vitro and in vivo using PC12 cells and rats, respectively. METHODS: We performed an in vivo study in which 8-week-old female OVX rats were administered LF five days a week for 6 weeks from the day after surgery. After administration was completed, spontaneous locomotor activity in the dark period, immobility time in a forced swim test, and release amount of dopamine and serotonin in the brain were measured. RESULTS: LF was found to have a neurite outgrowth function in PC12 cells. Moreover, LF was found to improve OVX-induced decreases in locomotor activity and increases in immobility time in the forced swim test. Furthermore, the administration of LF elicited significant recovery of decreased dopamine and serotonin release in the brains of OVX group rats. CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that LF improved OVX-induced decreases in momentum during the dark period and, moreover, that release of dopamine and serotonin in the brain was involved in this effect.

Latency of the lipid A deacylase PagL is involved in producing a robust permeation barrier in the outer membrane of Salmonella enterica.

Lipid A deacylase PagL, which detoxifies endotoxin, is latent in Salmonella enterica. This study determined the biological significance of this latency. PagL latency was beneficial for bacteria in producing a robust permeation barrier through lipid A modifications under host-mimetic conditions that induced the modification enzymes, including PagL.

Mutations in the lipid A deacylase PagL which release the enzyme from its latency affect the ability of PagL to interact with lipopolysaccharide in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

PagL, a lipid A deacylase, is unique in that it is latent in the outer membrane of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Several point mutations in the extracellular loops of PagL, which do not affect its enzymatic activity, release it from this latency. Precipitation analysis revealed that latent wild-type PagL associated with lipopolysaccharide, but non-latent PagL mutants did not. In contrast, non-latent PagL mutants preferentially associated with some membrane proteins. Precipitation analysis using inactive PagL mutants demonstrated that membrane lipid A deacylation did not affect association. These results indicate that mutations in the lipid A deacylase PagL which relieve the enzyme from its latency affect the ability of PagL to interact with lipopolysaccharide.

Involvement of caspase-4 in endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis and Abeta-induced cell death.

Recent studies have suggested that neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease or ischemia could arise from dysfunction of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Although caspase-12 has been implicated in ER stress-induced apoptosis and amyloid-beta (Abeta)-induced apoptosis in rodents, it is controversial whether similar mechanisms operate in humans. We found that human caspase-4, a member of caspase-1 subfamily that includes caspase-12, is localized to the ER membrane, and is cleaved when cells are treated with ER stress-inducing reagents, but not with other apoptotic reagents. Cleavage of caspase-4 is not affected by overexpression of Bcl-2, which prevents signal transduction on the mitochondria, suggesting that caspase-4 is primarily activated in ER stress-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, a reduction of caspase-4 expression by small interfering RNA decreases ER stress-induced apoptosis in some cell lines, but not other ER stress-independent apoptosis. Caspase-4 is also cleaved by administration of Abeta, and Abeta-induced apoptosis is reduced by small interfering RNAs to caspase-4. Thus, caspase-4 can function as an ER stress-specific caspase in humans, and may be involved in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Extracellular loops of lipid A 3-O-deacylase PagL are involved in recognition of aminoarabinose-based membrane modifications in Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium modifies its lipopolysaccharide (LPS), including the lipid A portion, in response to changes in its environment including host tissues. The lipid A 3-O-deacylase PagL, the expression of which is promoted under a host-mimetic environment, exhibits latency in S. enterica; deacylation of lipid A is not usually observed in vivo, despite the expression of the outer membrane protein PagL. In contrast, PagL does not exhibit latency in S. enterica pmrA and pmrE mutants, both of which are deficient in the aminoarabinose-based modification of lipid A, indicating that aminoarabinose-modified LPS species were involved in the latency. In order to analyze the machinery for PagL's repression, we generated PagL mutants in which an amino acid residue located at four extracellular loops was replaced with alanine. Apparent lipid A 3-O deacylation was observed in S. enterica expressing the recombinant mutants PagL(R43A), PagL(R44A), PagL(C85A), and PagL(R135A), but not in S. enterica expressing wild-type PagL, suggesting that the point mutations released PagL from the latency. In addition, mutations at Arg-43, Arg-44, Cys-85, and Arg-135 did not affect lipid A 3-O-deacylase activity in an S. enterica pmrA mutant or in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). These results, taken together, indicate that specific amino acid residues located at extracellular loops of PagL are involved in the recognition of aminoarabinose-modified LPS. Furthermore, S. enterica expressing the recombinant PagL(R43A) or PagL(R135A) mutant showed apparent growth arrest at 43 degrees C compared with S. enterica expressing wild-type PagL, indicating that the latency of PagL is important for bacterial growth.

Maternal immune activation in mice delays myelination and axonal development in the hippocampus of the offspring.

Epidemiological data suggest a relationship between maternal infection and a high incidence of schizophrenia in offspring. An animal model based on this hypothesis was made by injecting double-stranded RNA, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly-I:C), into early pregnant mice, and their offspring were examined for biochemical and histological abnormalities. Mouse brains were examined with special reference to oligodendrocytes, which have been implicated in several neurodevelopmental disorders. We detected a significant decrease of myelin basic protein (MBP) mRNA and protein at early postnatal periods in poly-I:C mice. MBP immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy revealed that the hippocampus of juvenile poly-I:C mice was less myelinated than in PBS mice, with no significant loss of oligodendrocytes. In addition, axonal diameters were significantly smaller in juvenile poly-I:C mice than in control mice. These abnormalities reverted to normal levels when the animals reached the adult stage. These findings suggest that retarded myelination and axonal abnormalities in early postnatal stages caused by maternal immune activation could be related to schizophrenia-related behaviors in adulthood.

Genetic fate mapping of Olig2 progenitors in the injured adult cerebral cortex reveals preferential differentiation into astrocytes.

Olig2 is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor essential for development of motoneurons and oligodendrocytes. It is known that Olig2(+) cells persist in the central nervous system (CNS) from embryonic to adult stages and that the number of Olig2(+) progenitors increases in the injured adult CNS. Recent studies have demonstrated an inhibitory action of Olig2 on neurogenesis in adult CNS, but the fate of Olig2(+) cells in the injured state remains largely unknown. To trace directly the fate of Olig2 cells in the adult cerebral cortex after injury, we employed the CreER/loxP system to target the olig2 locus. In this genetic tracing study, green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter-positive cells labeled after cryoinjury coexpressed glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an astrocytic marker. Electron microscopy also showed that GFP(+) cells have the ultrastructural characteristics of astrocytes. Furthermore, GFP(+) cells labeled before injury, most of which had been NG2 cells, also produced bushy astrocytes. Here we show direct evidence that Olig2(+) cells preferentially differentiate into astrocytes, which strongly express GFAP, in response to injury in the adult cerebral cortex. These results suggest that reactive astrocytes, known to be the main contributors to glial scars, originate, at least in part, from Olig2(+) cells.

Lysophosphatidylcholine induces delayed myelination in the juvenile ventral hippocampus and behavioral alterations in adulthood.

Maternal virus infection or maternal polyinosinic-polycytidilic acid injection confers behavioral alterations including deficit in prepulse inhibition on the offspring. We previously found delayed myelination specifically in the early postnatal hippocampus in the polyinosinic-polycytidilic acid-injection model. To test whether the transient delay in myelination in the juvenile hippocampus leads to abnormal behaviors after adolescence, we injected lysophosphatidylcholine, a potent demyelinating agent, into the ventral hippocampus of the 10-day-old rat. The lysophosphatidylcholine treatment yielded hypomyelination at postnatal day 16, but myelination reverted to normal level in the adult rat. Neuronal arrays and morphology were not disturbed in this model. We then performed a battery of behavioral tests on the lysophosphatidylcholine-treated and control PBS-injected rats. The lysophosphatidylcholine-treated rats showed deficit in prepulse inhibition, motor hyperactivity in response to methamphetamine and anxiety-related behaviors, all of which are typical behaviors observed in the maternal infection models. These findings suggest that the timing of myelination in the early postnatal hippocampus is crucial for the proper development of sensorimotor and emotional functions. The lysophosphatidylcholine-treated rat without a gross anatomical defect is useful as a model for psychotic disorders.

Knockdown of the L3/Lhx8 gene suppresses cholinergic differentiation of murine embryonic stem cell-derived spheres.

L3/Lhx8, a member of the Lim-homeobox gene family, is selectively and specifically expressed in the murine embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). Our previous study demonstrated that L3/Lhx8-deficient mice specifically lack cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. In this manuscript, we report the in vitro effects of reduced L3/Lhx8 gene expression on cholinergic differentiation in murine embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived spheres without dissociation. The knockdown of L3/Lhx8 gene expression dramatically decreased the cholinergic phenotype of spheres without altering other known phenotypes (TuJ1, GABA and GFAP). These results strongly suggest that L3/Lhx8 is a key factor for cholinergic differentiation of murine ES cell-derived spheres and is involved in basal forebrain development.

Translational Control of Sox9 RNA by mTORC1 Contributes to Skeletogenesis.

The mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) regulates cellular function in various cell types. Although the role of mTORC1 in skeletogenesis has been investigated previously, here we show a critical role of mTORC1/4E-BPs/SOX9 axis in regulating skeletogenesis through its expression in undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. Inactivation of Raptor, a component of mTORC1, in limb buds before mesenchymal condensations resulted in a marked loss of both cartilage and bone. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that mTORC1 selectively controls the RNA translation of Sox9, which harbors a 5' terminal oligopyrimidine tract motif, via inhibition of the 4E-BPs. Indeed, introduction of Sox9 or a knockdown of 4E-BP1/2 in undifferentiated mesenchymal cells markedly rescued the deficiency of the condensation observed in Raptor-deficient mice. Furthermore, introduction of the Sox9 transgene rescued phenotypes of deficient skeletal growth in Raptor-deficient mice. These findings highlight a critical role of mTORC1 in mammalian skeletogenesis, at least in part, through translational control of Sox9 RNA.

DACS, novel matrix structure composed of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in the brain.

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are major components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the brain. In the adult cerebral cortex, there are special CSPG-containing structures known as perineuronal nets (PNNs), which are highly condensed ECM structures. Here, we report a novel CSPG-containing structure distinct from PNNs in the adult mouse cerebral cortex. An anti-chondroitin sulfate antibody CS56 delineated a structure with a unique morphology like a dandelion clock. Accordingly, we named it DAndelion Clock-like Structure (DACS). Immunohistochemical evidence showed that DACSs surrounded a group of NeuN-positive/GABA-negative neurons. At ultrastructural level, CS56-immunoreactivities were localized in the cytoplasm and on the membrane of astrocytes. As the postnatal cerebral cortex matured, DACSs became visible around the end of the critical period. This is the first report demonstrating the presence of an ECM structure DACS composed of CSPGs around a group of cortical neurons in the adult cerebral cortex.

D-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 peptide exerts higher antimicrobial properties than its L-form counterpart via an association with bacterial cell wall components.

The antimicrobial peptide KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 was developed based on sapesin B, and synthesized using D-amino acids. Biochemical properties of the D-form and L-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 peptides were compared. In order to limit the effects due to bacterial resistance to proteolysis, antimicrobial activities of the peptides were evaluated after short-term exposure to bacteria. D-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 exhibited higher antimicrobial activities than L-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 against bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In contrast, both the D-form and L-form of other antimicrobial peptides, including Mastoparan M and Temporin A, exhibited similar antimicrobial activities. Both the D-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 and L-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 peptides preferentially disrupted S. aureus-mimetic liposomes over mammalian-mimetic liposomes. Furthermore, the D-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 increased the membrane permeability of S. aureus more than the L-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2. Thus suggesting that the enhanced antimicrobial activity of the D-form was likely due to its interaction with bacterial cell wall components. S. aureus peptidoglycan preferentially inhibited the antimicrobial activity of the D-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 relative to the L-form. Furthermore, the D-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 showed higher affinity for S. aureus peptidoglycan than the L-form. Taken together, these results indicate that the D-form KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 peptide has higher antimicrobial activity than the L-form via a specific association with bacterial cell wall components, including peptidoglycan.

Regulation and/or Repression of Cholinergic Differentiation of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells Using RNAi Directed Against Transcription Factor L3/Lhx8.

Techniques for controlling the expression of a specific gene in embryonic stem cells are effective and important for clarifying the functions of the gene. Regarding differentiation of cells into nervous system components, these techniques would play key roles in elucidating, not only the differentiation mechanisms of neuronal and glial cells but also how neuronal phenotypes are determined. In this chapter, we describe a RNA interference method for suppressing cholinergic differentiation in murine embryonic stem cells by knockdown of expression of the transcription factor L3/Lhx8, a Lim homeobox gene family protein. This method will greatly facilitate functional analyses of the factors involved in neuronal differentiation and regeneration and will contribute to cell transplantation studies.