The influence of claw morphology on gripping efficiency.

This paper considers the effects of claw morphology on the gripping efficiency of arboreal (Varanus varius) and burrowing (Varanus gouldii and Varanus panoptes) lizards. To ensure a purely morphological comparison between the lizards, we circumvent the material effects of claws from different species, by modelling and testing claw replicates of the same material properties. We correlate climbing efficiency to critical morphological features including; claw height (hc), width (wc), length (lc), curvature () and tip angle (γ), which are expressed as ratios to normalise mechanically beneficial claw structures. We find that there is strong correlation between the static grip force Fsg and the claw aspect and the cross-sectional rigidity ratio , and milder correlation (i.e. higher scatter) with the profile rigidity ratio . These correlations are also true for the interlocking grip force Fint over different shaped and sized protuberances, though we note that certain protuberance size-shape couplings are of detriment to the repeatability of Fint. Of the three lizard species, the claws of the arboreal (V. varius) are found to be superior to those of the burrower lizards (V. gouldii and V. panoptes) as a result of the V. varius claws having a smaller aspect, a higher cross-sectional rigidity ratio and a small profile rigidity ratio, which are deemed noteworthy morphological parameters that influence a claw's ability to grip effectively.

Keratin 7 Is a Constituent of the Keratin Network in Mouse Pancreatic Islets and Is Upregulated in Experimental Diabetes.

Keratin (K) 7 is an intermediate filament protein expressed in ducts and glands of simple epithelial organs and in urothelial tissues. In the pancreas, K7 is expressed in exocrine ducts, and apico-laterally in acinar cells. Here, we report K7 expression with K8 and K18 in the endocrine islets of Langerhans in mice. K7 filament formation in islet and MIN6 ß-cells is dependent on the presence and levels of K18. K18-knockout (K18‒/‒) mice have undetectable islet K7 and K8 proteins, while K7 and K18 are downregulated in K8‒/‒ islets. K7, akin to F-actin, is concentrated at the apical vertex of ß-cells in wild-type mice and along the lateral membrane, in addition to forming a fine cytoplasmic network. In K8‒/‒ ß-cells, apical K7 remains, but lateral keratin bundles are displaced and cytoplasmic filaments are scarce. Islet K7, rather than K8, is increased in K18 over-expressing mice and the K18-R90C mutation disrupts K7 filaments in mouse ß-cells and in MIN6 cells. Notably, islet K7 filament networks significantly increase and expand in the perinuclear regions when examined in the streptozotocin diabetes model. Hence, K7 represents a significant component of the murine islet keratin network and becomes markedly upregulated during experimental diabetes.

Keratin intermediate filaments in the colon: guardians of epithelial homeostasis.

Keratin intermediate filament proteins are major cytoskeletal components of the mammalian simple layered columnar epithelium in the gastrointestinal tract. Human colon crypt epithelial cells express keratins 18, 19 and 20 as the major type I keratins, and keratin 8 as the type II keratin. Keratin expression patterns vary between species, and mouse colonocytes express keratin 7 as a second type II keratin. Colonic keratin patterns change during cell differentiation, such that K20 increases in the more differentiated crypt cells closer to the central lumen. Keratins provide a structural and mechanical scaffold to support cellular stability, integrity and stress protection in this rapidly regenerating tissue. They participate in central colonocyte processes including barrier function, ion transport, differentiation, proliferation and inflammatory signaling. The cell-specific keratin compositions in different epithelial tissues has allowed for the utilization of keratin-based diagnostic methods. Since the keratin expression pattern in tumors often resembles that in the primary tissue, it can be used to recognize metastases of colonic origin. This review focuses on recent findings on the biological functions of mammalian colon epithelial keratins obtained from pivotal in vivo models. We also discuss the diagnostic value of keratins in chronic colonic disease and known keratin alterations in colon pathologies. This review describes the biochemical properties of keratins and their molecular actions in colonic epithelial cells and highlights diagnostic data in colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease patients, which may facilitate the recognition of disease subtypes and the establishment of personal therapies in the future.

PDE6D Inhibitors with a New Design Principle Selectively Block K-Ras Activity.

The trafficking chaperone PDE6D (also referred to as PDEδ) has been nominated as a surrogate target for K-Ras4B (hereafter K-Ras). Arl2-assisted unloading of K-Ras from PDE6D in the perinuclear area is significant for correct K-Ras localization and therefore activity. However, the unloading mechanism also leads to the undesired ejection of PDE6D inhibitors. To counteract ejection, others have recently optimized inhibitors for picomolar affinities; however, cell penetration generally seems to remain an issue. To increase resilience against ejection, we engineered a "chemical spring" into prenyl-binding pocket inhibitors of PDE6D. Furthermore, cell penetration was improved by attaching a cell-penetration group, allowing us to arrive at micromolar in cellulo potencies in the first generation. Our model compounds, Deltaflexin-1 and -2, selectively disrupt K-Ras, but not H-Ras membrane organization. This selectivity profile is reflected in the antiproliferative activity on colorectal and breast cancer cells, as well as the ability to block stemness traits of lung and breast cancer cells. While our current model compounds still have a low in vitro potency, we expect that our modular and simple inhibitor redesign could significantly advance the development of pharmacologically more potent compounds against PDE6D and related targets, such as UNC119 in the future.

Keratins regulate ß-cell mitochondrial morphology, motility, and homeostasis.

Loss of the epithelial intermediate filament protein keratin 8 (K8) in murine ß cells leads to irregular insulin vesicles and decreased insulin levels. Because mitochondria are central in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, the relationship between keratins and ß-cell mitochondrial function and morphology was investigated. ß cells in murine K8-knockout (K8-/-) islets of Langerhans have increased numbers of mitochondria, which are rounder and have diffuse cristae, as seen by electron microscopy. The mitochondrial network in primary cultured K8-/- ß cells is more fragmented compared with K8+/+ mitochondria, correlating with decreased levels of mitofusin 2 and the mitofusin 2- and keratin-binding protein trichoplein. K8-/- ß-cell mitochondria have decreased levels of total and mitochondrial cytochrome c, which correlates with a reduction in electron transport complexes I and IV. This provokes loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and reduction of ATP and insulin amount, as seen in K8-/- ß cells. Mitochondria in K8 wild-type ß cells and MIN6 insulinoma cells overexpressing K8 and 18 are more stationary compared with mitochondria in keratin-deficient cells. In conclusion, keratins, likely through trichoplein-mitofusin interactions, regulate both structural and dynamic functions of ß-cell mitochondria, which could have implications for downstream insulin secretion.-Silvander, J. S. G., Kvarnström, S. M., Kumari-Ilieva, A., Shrestha, A., Alam, C. M., Toivola, D. M. Keratins regulate ß-cell mitochondrial morphology, motility, and homeostasis.

Diatom-inspired skeletonisation of insulin - Mechanistic insights into crystallisation and extracellular bioactivity.

In this paper, we encage insulin within calcium carbonate by means of a biomineralisation process. We find that both dogbone and crossbone morphologies develop during the crystallisation process. The crystals break down into small nanocrystals after prolonged immersion in phosphate buffer solution, which adhere extracellularly to mammalian cells without causing any observable damage or early cell-death. The mechanisms behind calcium carbonate encaging of single insulin monomers are detailed. This communication elucidates a novel, diatom-inspired approach to the mineral skeletonisation of insulin.

The amount of keratins matters for stress protection of the colonic epithelium.

Keratins (K) are important for epithelial stress protection as evidenced by keratin mutations predisposing to human liver diseases and possibly inflammatory bowel diseases. A role for K8 in the colon is supported by the ulcerative colitis-phenotype with epithelial hyperproliferation and abnormal ion transport in K8-knockout (K8-/-) mice. The heterozygote knockout (K8+/-) colon appears normal but displays a partial ion transport-defect. Characterizing the colonic phenotype we show that K8+/- colon expresses ~50% less keratins compared to K8 wild type (K8+/+) but de novo K7 expression is observed in the top-most cells of the K8+/- and K8-/- crypts. The K8+/- colonic crypts are significantly longer due to increased epithelial hyperproliferation, but display no defects in apoptosis or inflammation in contrast to K8-/-. When exposed to colitis using the dextran sulphate sodium-model, K8+/- mice showed higher disease sensitivity and delayed recovery compared to K8+/+ littermates. Therefore, the K8+/- mild colonic phenotype correlates with decreased keratin levels and increased sensitivity to experimental colitis, suggesting that a sufficient amount of keratin is needed for efficient stress protection in the colonic epithelia.

Keratins in health and disease.

The cytoprotective keratins (K) compose the intermediate filaments of epithelial cells and their inherited and spontaneous mutations give rise to keratinopathies. For example, mutations in K1/K5/K10/K14 cause epidermal skin diseases whereas simple epithelial K8/K18/K19 variants predispose to development of several liver disorders. Due to their abundance, tissue- and context-specific expression, keratins constitute excellent diagnostic markers of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. During injury and in disease, keratin expression levels, cellular localization or posttranslational modifications are altered. Accumulating evidence suggests that these changes modulate multiple processes including cell migration, tumor growth/metastasis and development of infections. Therefore, our understanding of keratins is shifting from diagnostic markers to active disease modifiers.

In vivo imaging of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in murine colitis.

BACKGROUND: Traditional techniques analyzing mouse colitis are invasive, laborious, or indirect. Development of in vivo imaging techniques for specific colitis processes would be useful for monitoring disease progression and/or treatment effectiveness. The aim was to evaluate the applicability of the chemiluminescent probe L-012, which detects reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, for in vivo colitis imaging. METHODS: Two genetic colitis mouse models were used; K8 knockout (K8(-/-)) mice, which develop early colitis and the nonobese diabetic mice, which develop a transient subclinical colitis. Dextran sulphate sodium was used as a chemical colitis model. Mice were anesthetized, injected intraperitoneally with L-012, imaged, and quantified for chemiluminescent signal in the abdominal region using an IVIS camera system. RESULTS: K8(-/-) and nonobese diabetic mice showed increased L-012-mediated chemiluminescence from the abdominal region compared with control mice. L-012 signals correlated with the colitis phenotype assessed by histology and myeloperoxidase staining. Although L-012 chemiluminescence enabled detection of dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis at an earlier time point compared with traditional methods, large mouse-to-mouse variations were noted. In situ and ex vivo L-012 imaging as well as [18F]FDG-PET imaging of K8(-/-) mice confirmed that the in vivo signals originated from the distal colon. L-012 in vivo imaging showed a wide variation in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in young mice, irrespective of K8 genotype. In aging mice L-012 signals were consistently higher in K8(-/-) as compared to K8(+/+) mice. CONCLUSIONS: In vivo imaging using L-012 is a useful, simple, and cost-effective tool to study the level and longitudinal progression of genetic and possibly chemical murine colitis.

Morphological and mechanical characterisation of the hindwing nodus from the Libellulidae family of dragonfly (Indonesia).

In this communication, the morphologies and mechanical characteristics of nodi from the hindwings of seven Indonesian Libellulidae dragonfly species are identified. Geometrical analyses reveal that in all species, the shape of dorsal face resilin is relatively long and thin while ventral face resilin covers a greater surface area than dorsal face resilin, and is shaped like a hook. Finite element analyses reveal that the magnitude of strain energy may differ considerably between species, even though the locations of highest strain energy are usually the same. Importantly, a correlation is found to exist between the mechanical forces that build up in the resilin, the face under investigation (dorsal or ventral) and the elongational shape factor of the resilin.

On the non-linear attachment characteristics of blood to bacterial cellulose/kaolin biomaterials.

In this communication, we report a non-linear variation in the strength of blood attachment to bacterial cellulose/kaolin biomaterials as the fractions of bacterial cellulose to kaolin are increased. The changes observed for attachment strength are elucidated following both experimental and numerical investigations on both the biomaterial and the blood-biomaterial interface. Our research reveals that the non-linear strength of attachment of blood is related to topographical characteristics on the surface of the biomaterial, the maleability of the biomaterial and the intermolecular strength of attraction between clotted blood proteins (fibrinogen) with the cellulose/kaolin components of the biomaterial.

Keratin 8 modulates ß-cell stress responses and normoglycaemia.

Keratin intermediate filament (IF) proteins are epithelial cell cytoskeletal components that provide structural stability and protection from cell stress, among other cellular and tissue-specific functions. Numerous human diseases are associated with IF gene mutations, but the function of keratins in the endocrine pancreas and their potential significance for glycaemic control are unknown. The impact of keratins on ß-cell organisation and systemic glucose control was assessed using keratin 8 (K8) wild-type (K8(+/+)) and K8 knockout (K8(-/-)) mice. Islet ß-cell keratins were characterised under basal conditions, in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes and in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. STZ-induced diabetes incidence and islet damage was assessed in K8(+/+) and K8(-/-) mice. K8 and K18 were the predominant keratins in islet ß-cells and K8(-/-) mice expressed only remnant K18 and K7. K8 deletion resulted in lower fasting glucose levels, increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and decreased pancreatic insulin content. GLUT2 localisation and insulin vesicle morphology were disrupted in K8(-/-) ß-cells. The increased levels of cytoplasmic GLUT2 correlated with resistance to high-dose STZ-induced injury in K8(-/-) mice. However, K8 deletion conferred no long-term protection from STZ-induced diabetes and prolonged STZ-induced stress caused increased exocrine damage in K8(-/-) mice. ß-cell keratin upregulation occurred 2 weeks after treatments with low-dose STZ in K8(+/+) mice and in diabetic NOD mice, suggesting a role for keratins, particularly in non-acute islet stress responses. These results demonstrate previously unrecognised functions for keratins in ß-cell intracellular organisation, as well as for systemic blood glucose control under basal conditions and in diabetes-induced stress.

Ly6C supports preferential homing of central memory CD8+ T cells into lymph nodes.

Ly6C is a murine cell-surface antigen expressed by plasma cells, subsets of myeloid cells and many T cells, including memory T cells. We previously documented that Ly6C crosslinking induces LFA-1 clustering on naïve CD8(+) T cells. Here, we show that in vitro and in vivo differentiation of naïve CD8(+) T cells into central (Tcm) but not effector (Tem) memory T cells enhances Ly6C expression, and its crosslinking induces strong LFA-1 clustering on Tcm. Blocking Ly6C function inhibits in vivo Tcm homing to LNs as efficiently as blocking L-selectin but it does not potentiate the inhibition provided by blocking either L-selectin or LFA-1 function. Thus, Ly6C, L-selectin and LFA-1 all appear to be part of a common homing pathway. In vitro, Ly6C crosslinking enhances Tcm adherence to ICAM-1 in the presence of CCL21. In summary, Tcm homing involves Ly6C, in addition to L-selectin and LFA-1, and appears to potentiate firm adhesion of Tcm to ICAM-1 in synergy with a chemokine. We propose that Ly6C augments Tcm compartmentalization into LNs during their homing.

Inflammatory tendencies and overproduction of IL-17 in the colon of young NOD mice are counteracted with diet change.

OBJECTIVE: Dietary factors influence diabetes development in the NOD mouse. Diet affects the composition of microbiota in the distal intestine, which may subsequently influence intestinal immune homeostasis. However, the specific effects of antidiabetogenic diets on gut immunity and the explicit associations between intestinal immune disruption and type 1 diabetes onset remain unclear. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Gut microbiota of NOD mice fed a conventional diet or ProSobee formula were compared using gas chromatography. Colonic lamina propria immune cells were characterized in terms of activation markers, cytokine mRNA and Th17 and Foxp3(+) T-cell numbers, using real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Activation of diabetogenic CD4 T-cells by purified B-cells was assessed in both groups. Immune tolerance to autologous commensal bacteria was evaluated in vitro using thymidine-incorporation tests. RESULTS: Young NOD mice showed a disturbed tolerance to autologous commensal bacteria. Increased numbers of activated CD4 T-cells and (CD11b(+)CD11c(+)) dendritic cells and elevated levels of Th17 cells and IL23 mRNA were moreover observed in colon lamina propria. These phenomena were abolished when mice were fed an antidiabetogenic diet. The antidiabetogenic diet also altered the expression levels of costimulatory molecules and the capacity of peritoneal B-cells to induce insulin-specific CD4 T-cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Young NOD mice show signs of subclinical colitis, but the symptoms are alleviated by a diet change to an antidiabetogenic diet. Disrupted immune tolerance in the distal intestine may influence peritoneal cell pools and B-cell-mediated activation of diabetogenic T-cells.

Incomplete Killing And Enhanced Activation of Islet-Reactive CD8+ T Cells by FasL-Expressing Dendritic Cells Limits Protection from Diabetes.

AIMS: Autologous dendritic cells (DC) are a promising tool for induction of cytotoxic CD8+ T cell immunity against tumors and chronic viral infections. When armed with the death-inducing Fas-ligand (FasL, CD195), DC attenuate delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions and allotransplant rejection by promoting activation-induced cell death in T cells. We investigated the possibility of using FasL-expressing DC to induce deletion of islet-reactive CD8+ T cells in vivo, and to prevent destruction of pancreatic islets in a model of autoimmune diabetes. METHODS: DC, propagated from mouse bone marrow cells, were purified and made to express FasL and islet-antigen via plasmid transfection. CD8+ T cells (OT-I cells) recognizing the antigen, ovalbumin, were adoptively transferred to transgenic mice expressing ovalbumin in islets (RIP-OVA(lo) mice), and these mice were primed with ovalbumin. To test the potential of DC to prevent diabetes in this model, the mice were later intravenously vaccinated with the transfected DC. RESULTS: Transfected DC induced partial deletion of antigen-reactive CD8+ T cells in vivo and reduced the level of lymphocyte infiltration into pancreatic islets. Diabetes developed less frequently in vaccinated mice, but this effect was limited. Further in vitro analysis showed that FasL-expressing DC not only deleted many of the responding CD8+ T cells but also promoted the expansion of surviving cells and their IFN-gamma production. CONCLUSIONS: FasL-expressing DC can also have stimulatory effects on CD8+ T cells warranting further investigation into the optimal design of tolerance-promoting DC-vaccination to prevent autoimmune diabetes.