Tissue-resident mast cells (MCs) have important roles in IgE-associated and -independent allergic reactions. Although microenvironmental alterations in MC phenotypes affect the susceptibility to allergy, understanding of the regulation of MC maturation is still incomplete. We previously reported that group III secreted phospholipase A
A cDNA representing a unique Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase has been cloned and sequenced from a rat brain cDNA library. This enzyme, expressed in brain, testis, and spleen, is only 32% identical to the various isoforms of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. The sequence of the COOH-terminal 169 amino acids is identical to that of a previously described male germ cell-specific calmodulin-binding protein called calspermin (T. Ono, G.R. Slaughter, R.G. Cook, and A.R. Means, J. Biol. Chem. 264:2081-2087, 1989). This identity extends to the nucleic acid sequence and includes all but the first 130 nucleotides of the calspermin cDNA. Primer extension and sequence of a genomic fragment containing the unique calspermin sequence reveals that this mRNA is derived from the kinase transcription unit by germ cell-specific use of a unique exon. In situ hybridization was used to demonstrate that both kinase and calspermin mRNAs are expressed during spermatogenesis. The kinase mRNA is first detected in early meiotic cells and declines to a low level in haploid cells. Calspermin mRNA first appears in pachytene primary spermatocytes and continues to increase as cells complete meiosis and undergo terminal differentiation. These results show that differential utilization of a single gene during spermatogenesis is used to generate mRNAs that encode proteins with distinct functions.
To investigate whether the remnant like particles (RLP), separated from serum by an immunoaffinity gel mixture of anti-apo B-100 and apo A-I monoclonal antibodies, are relevant to the initiation or progression of atherosclerosis, the incorporation of RLP into mouse macrophages was studied using histochemical and biochemical techniques. Remnant lipoproteins such as RLP are reported to contain a large quantity of chyloniron and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) remnants, especially in diabetic patients. The RLP separated from the sera of 32 diabetic patients were found to be predominantly taken up into macrophages harvested from mouse abdominal cavities by the staining method applying oil red 0. Furthermore, using 14C-oleate to prove the uptake of lipoproteins by macrophages, the uptake of RLP-VLDL, a VLDL fraction of RLP by ultracentrifugation, was the next highest to that of the oxidized LDL, which suggests that RLP-VLDL is also aggressively taken up by macrophages. The degree of uptake of RLP-VLDL by macrophages was positively correlated with HbA1c of these diabetic patients (r = 0.556, p < 0.01), irrespective of the ways of the treatment of diabetes. In conclusion, RLP can contribute to the foaming of macrophages, which in turn may explain the acceleration of atherosclerosis in diabetic patients. J Atheroscler Thromb, 1994 ; 1 : 98-102.
Mammalian eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) is the largest complex of the translation initiation factors. The eIF3 complex is comprised of thirteen subunits, which are named eIF3a to eIF3 m in most multicellular organisms. The eIF3e gene locus is one of the most frequent integration sites of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), which induces mammary tumors in mice. MMTV-integration events result in the expression of C-terminal-truncated eIF3e proteins, leading to mammary tumor formation. We have shown that tumor formation can be partly caused by activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 2α. To investigate the function of eIF3e in mammals, we generated eIF3e-deficient mice. These eIF3e-/- mice are embryonically lethal, while eIF3e+/- mice are much smaller than wild-type mice. In addition, eIF3e+/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) contained reduced levels of eIF3a and eIF3c subunits and exhibited reduced cellular proliferation. These results suggest that eIF3e is essential for embryonic development in mice and plays a role in maintaining eIF3 integrity.
Rif1 regulates DNA replication timing and double-strand break repair, and its depletion induces transcriptional bursting of two-cell (2C) zygote-specific genes in mouse ES cells. However, how Rif1 regulates zygotic transcription is unclear. We show here that Rif1 depletion promotes the formation of a unique Zscan4 enhancer structure harboring both histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) and moderate levels of silencing chromatin mark H3K9me3. Curiously, another enhancer mark H3K4me1 is missing, whereas DNA methylation is still maintained in the structure, which spreads across gene bodies and neighboring regions within the Zscan4 gene cluster. We also found by function analyses of Rif1 domains in ES cells that ectopic expression of Rif1 lacking N-terminal domain results in upregulation of 2C transcripts. This appears to be caused by dominant negative inhibition of endogenous Rif1 protein localization at the nuclear periphery through formation of hetero-oligomers between the N-terminally truncated and endogenous forms. Strikingly, in murine 2C embryos, most of Rif1-derived polypeptides are expressed as truncated forms in soluble nuclear or cytosolic fraction and are likely nonfunctional. Toward the morula stage, the full-length form of Rif1 gradually increased. Our results suggest that the absence of the functional full-length Rif1 due to its instability or alternative splicing and potential inactivation of Rif1 through dominant inhibition by N-terminally truncated Rif1 polypeptides may be involved in 2C-specific transcription program.
The calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II is a major component of brain synaptic junctions and has been proposed to play a variety of important roles in brain function. A complementary DNA representing a portion of the smaller 50-kilodalton subunit of the rat brain enzyme has been cloned and sequenced. The calmodulin-binding region has been identified and a synthetic analog prepared that binds calmodulin with high affinity in the presence of calcium. Like the 50-kilodalton kinase polypeptide, the concentration of the messenger RNA varies both neuroanatomically and during postnatal development of the brain. The broad tissue and species cross-reactivity of the complementary DNA suggests that the 50-kilodalton subunit found in rat brain is evolutionarily conserved and is the product of a single gene.
Neonatal rats were subjected to transient cerebral hypoxic-ischemia (HI, unilateral occlusion of the common carotid artery +7.70% O2 for 100 min) and allowed to recover for up to 14 days. Calpain caseinolytic activity was found to increase in both hemispheres for at least 20 hr. Hypoxic exposure per se increased the activity of calpains, more pronounced in a membrane-associated fraction, probably through interaction with cellular components, whereas HI introduced a loss of activity, most likely through consumption and loss of proteases. Consecutive tissue sections were stained with antibodies against calpastatin, alpha-fodrin, the 150-kDa breakdown product of alpha-fodrin (FBDP, marker of calpain proteolysis) or microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2, marker of dendrosomatic neuronal injury). Areas with brain injury displayed a distinct loss of MAP-2, which clearly delineated the infarct. FBDP accumulated in injured and borderline regions ipsilaterally, and a less conspicuous, transient increase in FBDP also occurred in the contralateral hemisphere, especially in the white matter. The cytosolic fraction (CF) and the membrane and microsomal fraction (MMF) of cortical tissue were subjected to Western blotting and stained with antibodies against calpain, calpastatin and the 150-kDa breakdown product of alpha-fodrin (FBDP). Calpain immunoreactivity decreased bilaterally in the CF during the insult (62-68% of controls) and remained significantly lower during early recovery, whereas the MMF showed no significant changes. This translocation of calpains coincided with the appearance of FBDP in the ipsilateral, HI hemisphere, displaying a significantly higher level of FBDP from immediately after the insult until at least 1 day of recovery (204-292% of controls). No significant changes in FBDP were found in the contralateral, undamaged hemisphere, despite translocation of calpains in both hemispheres, a prerequisite for calpain activation. This discrepancy may be related to changes in the endogenous inhibitor, calpastatin. Calpastatin protein was found to decrease during and shortly after HI in the ipsilateral, but not the contralateral, hemisphere. The inhibitory activity of calpastatin also tended to decrease after HI, indicating that a reduction of calpastatin may be necessary for extensive calpain activation to occur. The mRNA of m-calpain increased in the HI hemisphere 48 hr after the insult (167%, p < 0.001), a time point when the protein was also increased. In summary, our findings indicate that calpains are activated during HI and in the early phase of reperfusion after HI, preceding neuronal death.
