Phenotype of cardiomyopathy in cardiac-specific heat shock protein B8 K141N transgenic mouse.

A K141N missense mutation in heat shock protein (HSP) B8, which belongs to the small HSP family, causes distal hereditary motor neuropathy, which is characterized by the formation of inclusion bodies in cells. Although the HSPB8 gene causes hereditary motor neuropathy, obvious expression of HSPB8 is also observed in other tissues, such as the heart. The effects of a single mutation in HSPB8 upon the heart were analyzed using rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. Expression of HSPB8 K141N by adenoviral infection resulted in increased HSPB8-positive aggregates around nuclei, whereas no aggregates were observed in myocytes expressing wild-type HSPB8. HSPB8-positive aggresomes contained amyloid oligomer intermediates that were detected by a specific anti-oligomer antibody (A11). Expression of HSPB8 K141N induced slight cellular toxicity. Recombinant HSPB8 K141N protein showed reactivity against the anti-oligomer antibody, and reactivity of the mutant HSPB8 protein was much higher than that of wild-type HSPB8 protein. To extend our in vitro study, cardiac-specific HSPB8 K141N transgenic (TG) mice were generated. Echocardiography revealed that the HSPB8 K141N TG mice exhibited mild hypertrophy and apical fibrosis as well as slightly reduced cardiac function, although no phenotype was detected in wild-type HSPB8 TG mice. A single point mutation of HSPB8, such as K141N, can cause cardiac disease.

Effect of a modification site on the electron-transfer reaction of glucose oxidase hybrids modified with phenothiazine via a poly(ethylene oxide) spacer.

Glucose oxidase [GOx-(PT-PEONH2)] hybrids are synthesized by attaching phenothiazine (PT) groups to aspartic and glutamic acid residues on the enzyme surface via poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) spacers of different molecular weights. A fast oxidation of FADH2/FADH by PT+ with the aid of the local motion of a hydrophilic, long, flexible PEO spacer is achieved for the GOx-(PT-PEONH2) hybrids and yields greater electron-transfer (ET) rates than that for GOx-(PTNH2) hybrids, in which the PT groups are directly bonded to the GOx surface. The ET rate of GOx-(PT-PEONH2) hybrids depends on the molecular weight of PT-PEONH2, and the maximum is obtained at a molecular weight of 3000. The ET rates of GOx hybrids are compared in terms of the location of the PT modification and the length and structure of the spacer chain connection of the PT mediator to a surface amino acid residue. Greater ET rates are obtained for the modification at aspartic and glutamic acid residues than for the lysine modification when the PT groups are bonded directly or via a short PEO spacer chain. In contrast, no advantage of aspartic and glutamic acid residues over lysine residues in generating a fast oxidation of FADH2/FADH by PT+ is observed for GOx hybrids in which the PT groups are attached via longer PEO spacers. The long PEO spacer is able to compensate the disadvantage of lysine residues locating far from the FAD center in GOx hybrids whose mediation reactions are based on the so-called wipe mechanism.