Multiple nodules on the face and in the nasal cavity are the symptoms of vegetative pyoderma gangrenosum complicated with myelodysplastic syndrome.

We have encountered and treated an unusual case of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) characterized by multiple nodular lesions on the face and in the nasal meatus, which was complicated by myelodysplastic syndrome.

A cold-adapted endo-arabinanase from Penicillium chrysogenum.

Previously, three arabinan-degrading enzymes were isolated from Penicillium chrysogenum 31B. Here we describe another arabinan-degrading enzyme, termed Abnc, from the culture filtrate of the same organism. Analysis of the reaction products of debranched arabinan by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) revealed that Abnc cleaved the substrate in an endo manner and that the final major product was arabinotriose. The molecular mass of Abnc was estimated to be 35 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Enzyme activity of Abnc was highest at pH 6.0 to 7.0. The enzyme was stable up to 30 degrees C and showed optimum activity at 30 to 40 degrees C. Compared with a mesophilic counterpart from Aspergillus niger, Abnc exhibited a lower thermal stability and optimum enzyme activity at lower temperatures. Production of Abnc in P. chrysogenum was found to be strongly induced by arabinose-containing polymers and required a longer culture time than did other arabinanase isozymes in this strain.

An extensive outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning due to low-fat milk in Japan: estimation of enterotoxin A in the incriminated milk and powdered skim milk.

An extensive outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning occurred in Kansai district in Japan. As many as 13,420 cases frequently ingested dairy products manufactured by a factory in Osaka City. The main ingredient of these dairy products was powdered skim milk manufactured by a factory in Hokkaido. Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) (< or = 0.38 ng/ml) was detected in low-fat milk and approx. 3.7 ng/g in powdered skim milk. The total intake of SEA per capita was estimated mostly at approx. 20-100 ng. The assumed attack rate was considerably lower than those reported in previous outbreaks. SEA exposed at least twice to pasteurization at 130 degrees C for 4 or 2 s retained both immunological and biological activities, although it had been partially inactivated. The present outbreak was unusual in that the thermal processes had destroyed staphylococci in milk but SEA had retained enough activity to cause intoxication.

Erythropoietin receptor-mediated inhibition of exocytotic glutamate release confers neuroprotection during chemical ischemia.

Erythropoietin (EPO) reduced Ca(2+)-induced glutamate (Glu) release from cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Inhibition was also produced by EPO mimetic peptide 1 (EMP1), a small synthetic peptide agonist of EPO receptor (EPO-R), but not by iEMP1, an inactive analogue of EMP1. EPO and EMP1 induced autophosphorylation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), a tyrosine kinase that associates with EPO-R. Furthermore, genistein, but not genistin, antagonized both the phosphorylation of JAK2 and the suppression of Glu release induced by EPO and EMP1. During chemical ischemia, substantial amounts of Glu were released from cultured cerebellar and hippocampal neurons by at least two distinct mechanisms. In the early phase, Glu release occurred by exocytosis of synaptic vesicle contents, because it was abolished by botulinum type B neurotoxin (BoNT/B). In contrast, the later phase of Glu release mainly involved a BoNT/B-insensitive non-exocytotic pathway. EMP1 inhibited Glu release only during the early exocytotic phase. A 20-min exposure of hippocampal slices to chemical ischemia induced neuronal cell death, especially in the CA1 region and the dentate gyrus, which was suppressed by EMP1 but not iEMP1. However, EMP1 did not attenuate neuronal cell death induced by exogenously applied Glu. These results suggest that activation of EPO-R suppresses ischemic cell death by inhibiting the exocytosis of Glu.

D-Aspartate is stored in secretory granules and released through a Ca(2+)-dependent pathway in a subset of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells.

D-Aspartate in mammalian neuronal and neuroendocrine cells is suggested to play a regulatory role(s) in the neuroendocrine function. Although D-aspartate is known to be released from neuroendocrine cells, the mechanism underlying the release is less understood. Rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells contain an appreciable amount of D-aspartate (257 +/- 31 pmol/10(7) cells). Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with specific antibodies against d-aspartate indicated that the amino acid is present within a particulate structure, which is co-localized with dopamine and chromogranin A, markers for secretory granules, but not with synaptophysin, a marker for synaptic-like microvesicles. After sucrose density gradient centrifugation of the postnuclear particulate fraction, about 80% of the d-aspartate was recovered in the secretory granule fraction. Upon the addition of KCl, an appreciable amount of D-aspartate (about 40 pmol/10(7) cells at 10 min) was released from cultured cells on incubation in the presence of Ca(2+) in the medium. The addition of also triggered d-aspartate release. Botulinum neurotoxin type E inhibited about 40% of KCl- and Ca(2+)-dependent d-aspartate release followed by specific cleavage of 25-kDa synaptosomal-associated protein. alpha-Latrotoxin increased the intracellular [Ca(2+)] and caused the Ca(2+)-dependent d-aspartate release. Bafilomycin A1 dissipated the intracellular acidic regions and inhibited 40% of the Ca(2+)-dependent D-aspartate release. These properties are similar to those of the exocytosis of dopamine. Furthermore, digitonin-permeabilized cells took up radiolabeled d-aspartate depending on MgATP, which is sensitive to bafilomycin A1 or 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzylidene-malononitrile. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that d-aspartate is stored in secretory granules and then secreted through a Ca(2+)-dependent exocytotic mechanism. Exocytosis of D-aspartate further supports the role(s) of D-aspartate as a chemical transmitter in neuroendocrine cells.

Effects of dietary polyamine deficiency on Trypanosoma gambiense infection in rats.

Nishimura, K., Araki, N., Ohnishi, Y., and Kozaki, S. 2001. Effects of dietary polyamine deficiency on Trypanosoma gambiense infection in rats. Experimental Parasitology 97, 95-101. A diet deficient in polyamines decreases the availability of dietary polyamines. We used rats infected with the Wellcome strain of Trypanosoma gambiense to examine the effects of polyamine-deficient chow (PDC) on trypanosome proliferation and symptoms of infection. Rats fed PDC showed limited increase of trypanosome and symptoms of infection and limited loss of body weight and anemia. Survival in these rats was prolonged. Before infection, the heparinized plasma concentration of spermidine in the PDC-fed rats was lower than that in control rats fed with standard chow. After infection, the content of spermidine in red blood cells increased in the control rats, but was only slightly increased in PDC-fed rats. The content of spermidine in the trypanosomes after infection was low in the PDC-fed rats. Decreases in the polyamine content of trypanosomes limited their increase. These observations suggest that a reduction in dietary polyamines may help in the regulation of trypanosome infection.

Technique for calculation of the propagation constant in an optical planar waveguide with a gaussian profile.

We performed analysis of a planar waveguide with arbitrary index variations. We obtained numerical results for the propagation coefficient by using first-order Langer and Liouville transformations. The accuracy of the numerical results is confirmed by a comparison with those obtained by other methods.

Endocytosis of Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin into rat brain synaptosomes.

Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin cleaves VAMP (vesicle-associated membrane protein)/synaptobrevin into two fragments, which results in inhibition of neurotransmitter release. The induced fragment did not react to the antibody raised against the synthetic peptide of the amino-terminal 20 residues of VAMP-2, suggesting that the toxin treatment has caused antigenical alteration in the amino-terminal region of VAMP-2. In rat brain synaptosomes, type B neurotoxin was reduced presumably with sulfhydryls in the membrane and detected in the synaptic vesicle fraction which involved the degradation of VAMP-2 and the inhibition of neurotransmitter release. The light chain in a free form was present in the cytosol fraction. These findings suggest a possibility that type B neurotoxin endocytoses into synaptic vesicles by the recycling pathway and the light chain is penetrable through synaptic vesicle membrane. However, the amount of type B neurotoxin entrapped into synaptic vesicles appears to be extremely small, which may be attributed to a lower sensitivity of the toxin to brain synaptosomes than to peripheral nerve endings.

Genetic analysis of type E botulinum toxin-producing Clostridium butyricum strains.

Type E botulinum toxin (BoNT/E)-producing Clostridium butyricum strains isolated from botulism cases or soil specimens in Italy and China were analyzed by using nucleotide sequencing of the bont/E gene, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and Southern blot hybridization for the bont/E gene. Nucleotide sequences of the bont/E genes of 11 Chinese isolates and of the Italian strain BL 6340 were determined. The nucleotide sequences of the bont/E genes of 11 C. butyricum isolates from China were identical. The deduced amino acid sequence of BoNT/E from the Chinese isolates showed 95.0 and 96.9% identity with those of BoNT/E from C. butyricum BL 6340 and Clostridium botulinum type E, respectively. The BoNT/E-producing C. butyricum strains were divided into the following three clusters based on the results of RAPD assay, PFGE profiles of genomic DNA digested with SmaI or XhoI, and Southern blot hybridization: strains associated with infant botulism in Italy, strains associated with food-borne botulism in China, and isolates from soil specimens of the Weishan lake area in China. A DNA probe for the bont/E gene hybridized with the nondigested chromosomal DNA of all toxigenic strains tested, indicating chromosomal localization of the bont/E gene in C. butyricum. The present results suggest that BoNT/E-producing C. butyricum is clonally distributed over a vast area.

The mechanism of the neurotransmitter release in growth cones.

The growth cone is considered the precursor of the presynaptic terminal. To elucidate the minimal molecular machinery required for exocytosis, we examined the characteristics of alpha-latrotoxin-induced exocytosis in growth cones. In isolated growth cones (IGC), neurotransmitters were released in a SNARE-dependent manner, but rab3A cycling was blocked. By supplying rabphilin, a rab3A acceptor found in low levels in IGC, the IGC obtained as high an exocytotic efficiency as adult synaptosomes, and the complete GDP-GTP conversion of rab3A occurred on growth cone vesicles (GCV). GCVs bound SNAREs but not NSF or alpha-SNAP; whereas in the rabphilin-supplied IGC, GCVs recruited both NSF and alpha-SNAP, to form the SNARE-NSF-SNAP complex. These results suggest that rab3A cycling is dependent upon the accumulation of rabphilin and is completed later than the SNARE mechanism, and that rabphilin is involved in determining the efficiency of exocytosis by modifying the SNARE mechanism.

Difference in hydrophobicity between botulinum type B activated and non-activated neurotoxins under low pH conditions.

We showed that botulinum type B activated neurotoxin with a di-chain structure became hydrophobic more quickly and extensively than did the non-activated toxin with a single-chain structure on low pH exposure. The activated toxin possessed 50-fold higher toxicity than did the non-activated type. The difference in the susceptibility to hydrophobic change may be one clue to answering the question of why the activated toxin possesses a higher toxicity than does the non-activated type.

Identification and characterization of functional subunits of Clostridium botulinum type A progenitor toxin involved in binding to intestinal microvilli and erythrocytes.

Clostridium botulinum type A hemagglutinin-positive progenitor toxin consists of three distinct components: neurotoxin (NTX), hemagglutinin (HA), and non-toxic non-HA (NTNH). The HA consists of four subcomponents designated HA1, 2, 3a and 3b. By employing purified toxin and GST-fusion proteins of each HA subcomponent, we found that the HA-positive progenitor toxin, GST-HA1 and GST-HA3b bind to human erythrocytes and microvilli of guinea pig upper small intestinal sections. The HA-positive progenitor toxin and GST-HA1 bind via galactose moieties, GST-HA3b binds via sialic acid moieties. GST-2 and GST-3a showed no detectable binding.

Characterization of a novel monoclonal antibody that senses nitric oxide-dependent activation of soluble guanylate cyclase.

Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against bovine lung soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) were prepared and characterized. mAb 3221 recognized both the alpha- and beta-subunits of sGC and had greater binding affinity to the enzyme in the presence of NO. mAb 28131 recognized only the beta-subunit and its affinity did not change with NO. Neither mAb cross-reacted with particulate GC. Cultured Purkinje cells from rats were treated with S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, an NO donor, and examined by immunocytochemical methods. The immunoreactivity associated with mAb 3221 increased with the cGMP content in a crude extract of cerebellum and the NO2 generated in the culture medium increased.

Distribution of synaptosomal-associated protein 25 in nerve growth cones and reduction of neurite outgrowth by botulinum neurotoxin A without altering growth cone morphology in dorsal root ganglion neurons and PC-12 cells.

Synaptosomal-associated protein 25 has been regarded as one of the target-associated soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion attachment protein receptors essential for exocytosis of vesicles in synapses. We have previously reported that cleavage of syntaxin, which is another target-associated soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion attachment protein receptor, with botulinum neurotoxin C1 resulted in inhibition of neurite extension and morphological changes including growth cone collapse and large vacuole formation. As an attempt to explore the mechanism of growth cone extension, we examined the ultrastructural localization of synaptosomal-associated protein 25 in growth cones with or without treatment of botulinum neurotoxin A, which cleaves synaptosomal-associated protein 25. In dorsal root ganglion neurons, light microscopy demonstrated synaptosomal-associated protein 25 immunoreactivity throughout the neurons, including the cell bodies, neurites and growth cones. Using electron microscopy, gold signals immunoreactive for synaptosomal-associated protein 25 were identified diffusely in the cytoplasm of the growth cones. In contrast, in PC-12 cells, a large number of gold signals were localized on the plasma membranes. High levels of signal were also found in the cytoplasm in the central region of the growth cones. We also confirmed that botulinum neurotoxin A treatment reduced neurite extension by about 50%. However, both in dorsal root ganglion neurons and in PC-12 cells we found no differences in the ultrastructure nor in the localization of synaptosomal-associated protein 25 between growth cones with and without toxin treatment. These results indicate that cleavage of synaptosomal-associated protein 25 inhibits growth cone extension in a manner different than that of syntaxin cleavage. The results of this study suggest the possibility that synaptosomal-associated protein 25 is involved in growth cone extension through a process independent of vesicle fusion.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor induces rapid and transient release of glutamate through the non-exocytotic pathway from cortical neurons.

There is increasing interest in the involvement of neurotrophins in neural transmission and plasticity. Thus, we investigated the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on glutamate release from cortical neurons. Treatment of cultured cortical neurons with BDNF induced rapid and transient release of glutamate. This effect was suggested to be mediated by TrkB activation because K252a inhibited the release of glutamate and BDNF phosphorylated TrkB within 30 s. BDNF-induced glutamate release was observed even when using Ca2+-free assay buffer but was inhibited by BAPTA-AM, a cell-permeable Ca2+ chelator. Therefore, BDNF-induced glutamate release was independent of extracelluar Ca2+ but dependent on intracellular Ca2+. Because normal neurotransmitter release is exocytotic, the involvement of the exocytotic pathway in BDNF-induced glutamate release was examined. As botulinum toxin is known to cleave exocytosis-associated proteins, thereby inhibiting exocytosis, it was applied to neurons prior to the release assay. Although botulinum toxin B cleaved VAMP2 and inhibited Ca2+-triggered glutamate release, it did not inhibit the BDNF-induced release of glutamate. These results strongly suggested that BDNF induces rapid and transient release of glutamate from cortical neurons through a non-exocytotic pathway.

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ-induced nociceptive responses through substance P release from peripheral nerve endings in mice.

We have studied the in vivo signaling mechanisms involved in nociceptin/orphanin FQ (Noci)-induced pain responses by using a flexor-reflex paradigm. Noci was 10,000 times more potent than substance P (SP) in eliciting flexor responses after intraplantar injection into the hind limb of mice, but the action of Noci seems to be mediated by SP. Mice pretreated with an NK1 tachykinin receptor antagonist or capsaicin, or mice with a targeted disruption of the tachykinin 1 gene no longer respond to Noci. The action of Noci appears to be mediated by the Noci receptor, a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein-coupled receptor that stimulates inositol trisphosphate receptor and Ca2+ influx. These findings suggest that Noci indirectly stimulates nerve endings of nociceptive primary afferent neurons through a local SP release.

Characterization of Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin associated with infant botulism in japan.

The neurotoxin of strain 111 (111/NT) associated with type B infant botulism showed antigenic and biological properties different from that (Okra/NT) produced by a food-borne botulism-related strain, Okra. The specific toxicity of 111/NT was found to be about 10 times lower than that of Okra/NT. The monoclonal antibodies recognizing the light chain cross-reacted with both neurotoxins, whereas most of the antibodies recognizing the carboxyl-terminal half of the heavy chain of Okra/NT did not react to 111/NT. Binding experiments with rat brain synaptosomes revealed that 125I-labeled 111/NT bound to a single binding site with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 2.5 nM; the value was rather lower than that (0.42 nM) of 125I-Okra/NT for the high-affinity binding site. In the lipid vesicles reconstituted with ganglioside GT1b, 125I-Okra/NT interacted with the amino-terminal domain of synaptotagmin 1 (Stg1N) or synaptotagmin 2 (Stg2N), fused with the maltose-binding protein, in the same manner as the respective full-length synaptotagmins, and the Kd values accorded with those of the low- and high-affinity binding sites in synaptosomes. However, 125I-111/NT only exhibited a low capacity for binding to the lipid vesicles containing Stg2N, but not Stg1N, in the presence of ganglioside GT1b. Moreover, synaptobrevin-2, an intracellular target protein, was digested to the same extent by the light chains of both neurotoxins in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings indicate that the 111/NT molecule possesses the receptor-recognition site structurally different from Okra/NT, probably causing a decreased specific toxicity.

Ganglioside GT1b as a complementary receptor component for Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins.

Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin (BoNT/B) recognizes a complex of synaptotagmin II and ganglioside GT1b or GD1a as the high-affinity toxin binding site. Recombinant deletion mutants of synaptotagmin II allowed us to demonstrate that the N-terminal domain including the transmembrane region retains BoNT/B binding activity while the C-terminal domain is not involved in constituting the BoNT/B receptor. BoNT/B binding to reconstituted lipid vesicles containing synaptotagmin II and gangliosides showed that GT1b and GD1a confer the difference in the maximum binding capacity but not in the dissociation constant. The direct binding of GT1b to the deletion mutants revealed that the transmembrane region is required to bind GT1b, suggesting that synaptotagmin II binds to the ceramide portion of gangliosides within the plasma membrane. A monoclonal antibody against GT1b effectively inhibited not only BoNT/B binding to the reconstituted lipid vesicles and brain synaptosomes but also type A BoNT (BoNT/A) binding to brain synaptosomes. In addition, the monoclonal antibody antagonized the action of both BoNT/A and BoNT/B on synaptic transmission of rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. These results suggest that GT1b functions as a component of the receptor complex.

Negative chronotropic effect of botulinum toxin on neonatal rat cardiac myocytes.

We demonstrated that botulinum neurotoxin attenuated the spontaneous beating rate of cultured cardiac myocytes. Primary cultured cardiac myocytes were prepared from the ventricles of neonatal Wistar rats (1-3 days old). On 7 days after cell seeding, botulinum toxin type A incorporated into liposomes was added to the culture medium. At a final concentration of 5.0 micrograms/ml, botulinum toxin markedly attenuated the beating rate of cardiac myocytes within 2-4 hours. These results demonstrated the effect of SNARE-complex proteins on the spontaneous beating of cardiac myocytes.