Phenotypic correlates between clock genes and phenology among populations of Diederik cuckoo, Chrysococcyx caprius.

The Diederik cuckoo, Chrysococcyx caprius, is a small Afrotropical bird in the family Cuculidae. It is taxonomically related to 13 other species within the genus Chrysococcyx and is migratory in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a unique breeding behaviour of being a brood parasite: Breeding pairs lay their eggs in the nests of a host species and hatchlings expel the eggs of the host species. The aim of the present study was to investigate diversity in two circadian clock genes, Clock and Adcyap1, to probe for a relationship between genetic polymorphisms and their role in circannual timing and habitat selection (phenology) in intra-African migrants. DNA extracted from blood was used for the PCR amplification and sequencing of clock genes in 30 Diederik cuckoos. Three alleles were detected for Clock with similar genotypes between individuals from the Northern and Southern breeding ranges while 10 alleles were detected for Adcyap1, having shorter alleles in the North and longer alleles in the South. Population genetic analyses, including allele frequency and zygosity analysis, showed distinctly higher frequencies for the most abundant Clock allele, containing 10 polyglutamine repeats, as well as a high degree of homozygosity. In contrast, all individuals were heterozygous for Adcyap1 and alleles from both regions showed distinct differences in abundance. Comparisons between both clock genes and phenology found several phenotypic correlations. This included evidence of a relationship between the shorter alleles and habitat selection as well as a relationship between longer alleles and timing. In both instances, evidence is provided that these effects may be sex-specific. Given that these genes drive some of the synchronicity between environments and the life cycles of birds, they provide valuable insight into the fitness of species facing global challenges including climate change, urbanisation and expanding agricultural practices.

Regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression in human vein and microvascular endothelial cells. Effects of tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 and phorbol ester.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a role in tissue remodelling and angiogenesis. We have investigated the expression and regulation of MMP-1 (interstitial collagenase), MMP-2 (gelatinase A), MMP-3 (stromelysin 1), MMP-7 (matrilysin), MMP-9 (gelatinase B) and their inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in human umbilical vein, femoral vein and microvascular endothelial cells, and compared these data with those obtained with human synovial fibroblasts. Non-stimulated vein endothelial cells expressed the mRNAs for MMP-1, MMP-2, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. MMP-3 mRNA and protein were undetectable or only weakly expressed, but could be stimulated by the inflammatory mediator tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). The expression of MMP-3 and MMP-1 was further enhanced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Phorbol ester also induced TIMP-1 and MMP-9, the expression of the latter being further enhanced by TNF alpha or interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha). Similar stimulatory effects were observed in microvascular endothelial cells. Hence the inflammatory mediator TNF alpha induces/enhances the production of several matrix metalloproteinases in human endothelial cells. On the other hand, MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were not affected or were affected in a variable way by TNF alpha and/or phorbol ester, suggesting a dissimilar regulation of these proteins. The cyclic AMP-enhancing agent forskolin affected the production of MMPs in a cell-type-specific way. In human vein endothelial cells it enhanced the PMA-mediated induction of MMP-9, whereas it suppressed this induction in human microvascular endothelial cells and in synovial fibroblasts. On the other hand, forskolin suppressed the PMA-mediated induction of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in synovial fibroblasts, while it enhanced or did not affect this induction in various types of human endothelial cells. These observations may have implications for future pharmacological intervention in angiogenesis.

Role of protein kinase C and cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the regulation of tissue-type plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and platelet-derived growth factor mRNA levels in human endothelial cells. Possible involvement of proto-oncogenes c-jun and c-fos.

Activation of protein kinase C leads to a strong induction of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) expression in endothelial cells. Using endothelial cells from human umbilical vein (HUVECs) and human aorta (HAECs), we have studied this regulation of t-PA and its inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), at the mRNA level and have compared their induction with the expression of platelet-derived growth factors A and B (PDGF-A and PDGF-B) and the proto-oncogenes c-jun and c-fos. Treatment of HUVECs with exogenous bacterial phospholipase C or the synthetic diacylglycerol 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol led to a threefold and a twofold increase, respectively, in t-PA concentrations in 24-hour-conditioned medium. Similarly, the more stable protein kinase C activator 4 beta-phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) caused about a 10-fold increase in t-PA antigen levels. This effect of PMA is maximal between 8 and 16 hours at a concentration of 10 nM and is fully accounted for by parallel increases in t-PA mRNA levels. An increase in intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels by forskolin (10 microM) slightly diminished t-PA expression but further enhanced the PMA-induced increases in t-PA synthesis and mRNA levels by at least twofold. PMA also enhanced the mRNA levels of two other important endothelium-expressed genes, PDGF-A and PDGF-B, with a time profile similar to that of t-PA, with peak values about fivefold higher than control values. Forskolin did not further stimulate this PMA-induced PDGF expression in HUVECs, which suggests a regulatory mechanism different from that of t-PA. Qualitatively very similar induction patterns of t-PA, PDGF-A, and PDGF-B were seen with HAECs. In contrast to t-PA and PDGF, PAI-1 mRNA and antigen levels increased only slightly after PMA treatment of HUVECs or HAECs; forskolin alone or in combination with PMA diminished the expression of PAI-1. The induction of t-PA mRNA by PMA was dependent on protein synthesis and was preceded by a strong transient increase in c-jun and c-fos mRNA levels; the induction of c-fos but not of c-jun was potentiated by forskolin. Because the products of these two proto-oncogenes form dimeric complexes for which specific binding sites are present in the t-PA promoter region, they may mediate the protein kinase C-dependent increase in t-PA gene expression, including the stimulating action of cyclic adenosine monophosphate.