Mouse sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin F (Siglec-F) is an eosinophil surface receptor, which contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) in its cytoplasmic domain, implicating it as a regulator of cell signaling as documented for other siglecs. Here, we show that the sialoside sequence 6'-sulfo-sLe(X) (Neu5Acalpha2-3[6-SO4] Galbeta1-4[Fucalpha1-3]GlcNAc) is a preferred ligand for Siglec-F. In glycan array analysis of 172 glycans, recombinant Siglec-F-Fc chimeras bound with the highest avidity to 6'-sulfo-sLe X. Secondary analysis showed that related structures, sialyl-Lewis X (sLe X) and 6-sulfo-sLe X containing 6-GlcNAc-SO4 showed much lower binding avidity, indicating significant contribution of 6-Gal-SO4 on Siglec-F binding to 6'-sulfo-sLe x. The lectin activity of Siglec-F on mouse eosinophils was "masked" by endogenous cis ligands and could be unmasked by treatment with sialidase. Unmasked Siglec-F mediated mouse eosinophil binding and adhesion to multivalent 6'-sulfo-sLe X structure, and these interactions were inhibited by anti-Siglec-F monoclonal antibody (mAb). Although there is no clear-cut human ortholog of Siglec-F, Siglec-8 is encoded by a paralogous gene that is expressed selectively by human eosinophils and has recently been found to recognize 6'-sulfo-sLe X. These observations suggest that mouse Siglec-F and human Siglec-8 have undergone functional convergence during evolution and implicate a role for the interaction of these siglecs with their preferred 6'-sulfo-sLe X ligand in eosinophil biology.

The ability of recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to integrate into the host genome and to transduce nondividing cells makes them attractive as vehicles for gene delivery. In this study, we assessed the ability of several AAV vectors to transduce airway cells in rabbits by measuring marker gene expression. AAV vectors that transferred either a beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) or a human placental alkaline phosphatase (AP) gene were delivered to one lobe of the rabbit lung by use of a balloon catheter placed under fluoroscopic guidance. We observed vector-encoded beta-gal or AP staining almost exclusively in the epithelial and smooth muscle cells in the bronchus at the region of balloon placement. The overall efficiency of transduction in the balloon-treated bronchial epithelium was low but reached 20% in some areas. The majority of the staining was in ciliated cells but was also observed in basal cells and airway smooth muscle cells. We observed an 80-fold decrease in marker-positive epithelial cells during the 60-day period after vector infusion, whereas the number of marker-positive smooth muscle cells stayed constant. Although treatment with the topoisomerase inhibitor etoposide dramatically enhanced AAV transduction in primary airway epithelial cells in culture, treatment of rabbits did not improve transduction rates in the airway. Vector readministration failed to produce additional transduction events, which correlated with the appearance of neutralizing antibodies. These results indicate that both readministration and immune modulation will be required in the use of AAV vectors for gene therapy to the airway epithelium.

Notch family genes encode transmembrane proteins involved in cell-fate determination. Using gene targeting procedures, we disrupted the mouse Notch2 gene by replacing all but one of the ankyrin repeat sequences in the cytoplasmic domain with the E. coli (beta)-galactosidase gene. The mutant Notch2 gene encodes a 380 kDa Notch2-(beta)-gal fusion protein with (beta)-galactosidase activity. Notch2 homozygous mutant mice die prior to embryonic day 11.5, whereas heterozygotes show no apparent abnormalities and are fully viable. Analysis of Notch2 expression patterns, revealed by X-gal staining, demonstrated that the Notch2 gene is expressed in a wide variety of tissues including neuroepithelia, somites, optic vesicles, otic vesicles, and branchial arches, but not heart. Histological studies, including in situ nick end labeling procedures, showed earlier onset and higher incidence of apoptosis in homozygous mutant mice than in heterozygotes or wild type mice. Dying cells were particularly evident in neural tissues, where they were seen as early as embryonic day 9.5 in Notch2-deficient mice. Cells from Notch2 mutant mice attach and grow normally in culture, demonstrating that Notch2 deficiency does not interfere with cell proliferation and that expression of the Notch2-(beta)-gal fusion protein is not toxic per se. In contrast to Notch1-deficient mice, Notch2 mutant mice did not show disorganized somitogenesis, nor did they fail to properly regulate the expression of neurogenic genes such as Hes-5 or Mash1. In situ hybridization studies show no indication of altered Notch1 expression patterns in Notch2 mutant mice. The results indicate that Notch2 plays an essential role in postimplantation development in mice, probably in some aspect of cell specification and/or differentiation, and that the ankyrin repeats are indispensable for its function.

Mig1 and Mig2 are proteins with similar zinc fingers that are required for glucose repression of SUC2 expression. Mig1, but not Mig2, is required for repression of some other glucose-repressed genes, including the GAL genes. A second homolog of Mig1, Yer028, appears to be a glucose-dependent transcriptional repressor that binds to the Mig1-binding sites in the SUC2 promoter, but is not involved in glucose repression of SUC2 expression. Despite their functional redundancy, we found several significant differences between Mig1 and Mig2: (1) in the absence of glucose, Mig1, but not Mig2, is inactivated by the Snf1 protein kinase; (2) nuclear localization of Mig1, but not Mig2, is regulated by glucose; (3) expression of MIG1, but not MIG2, is repressed by glucose; and (4) Mig1 and Mig2 bind to similar sites but with different relative affinities. By two approaches, we have identified many genes regulated by Mig1 and Mig2, and confirmed a role for Mig1 and Mig2 in repression of several of them. We found no genes repressed by Yer028. Also, we identified no genes repressed by only Mig1 or Mig2. Thus, Mig1 and Mig2 are redundant glucose repressors of many genes.

OBJECTIVE

Silencing information regulator (SirT1), a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase, is an essential mediator of longevity in normal cells by calorie restriction. SirT1 has many biological functions, including transcription regulation, cell differentiation inhibition, cell cycle regulation, and anti-apoptosis. Resveratrol (RV)-induced SirT1 activation also improves endothelial dysfunction and suppresses vascular inflammation. In this study, we investigated the roles of RV-induced SirT1 activation in endothelial cells under oxidative stress.

METHODS

SirT1 mRNA expression levels were examined in the endothelium layer (endothelial cells) of cardiac coronary vessels from patients receiving coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) surgery and aged rats using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To further explore the effect of SirT1 activation on oxidative stress-induced aging, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) expression in RV-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with or without H(2)O(2) treatment was evaluated.

RESULTS

SirT1 expression was decreased in aged and atherosclerotic vessels in vivo, and significantly reduced in endothelial cells purified from vessel tissues. Furthermore, SirT1 levels were dose-dependently increased in RV-treated HUVECs. The SA-β gal assay showed that RV inhibited the senescent phenotype of H(2)O(2)-treated HUVECs. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the percentage of cells positive for SA-β gal were significantly increased in siRNA-SirT1 (knockdown of SirT1 expression)-treated HUVEC cells. Importantly, the treatment effect of RV was significantly abolished in the oxidative effects of H(2)O(2)-treated HUVECs by siRNA-SirT1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggested that SirT1 could be a crucial factor involved in the endothelial cells of atherosclerotic CAGB patients and aging rats. RV is a potential candidate for preventing oxidative stress-induced aging in endothelial cells. RV may also prevent ROS-induced damage via increased endothelial SirT1 expression.

GM1-ganglioside (GM1) is a major sialoglycolipid of neuronal membranes that, among other functions, modulates calcium homeostasis. Excessive accumulation of GM1 due to deficiency of lysosomal beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) characterizes the neurodegenerative disease GM1-gangliosidosis, but whether the accumulation of GM1 is directly responsible for CNS pathogenesis was unknown. Here we demonstrate that activation of an unfolded protein response (UPR) associated with the upregulation of BiP and CHOP and the activation of JNK2 and caspase-12 leads to neuronal apoptosis in the mouse model of GM1-gangliosidosis. GM1 loading of wild-type neurospheres recapitulated the phenotype of beta-gal-/- cells and activated this pathway by depleting ER calcium stores, which ultimately culminated in apoptosis. Activation of UPR pathways did not occur in mice double deficient for beta-gal and ganglioside synthase, beta-gal-/-/GalNAcT-/-, which do not accumulate GM1. These findings suggest that the UPR can be induced by accumulation of the sialoglycolipid GM1 and this causes a novel mechanism of neuronal apoptosis.

BACKGROUND

Fabry disease is an X-linked inherited disorder that is caused by excessive lysosomal globotriaosylceramide (CTH) storage due to a deficiency in alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A). Two recombinant enzyme preparations have been approved as treatment modality. We studied emergence and properties of alpha-Gal A antibodies in treated patients.

METHODS

During the first 6 to 12 months of intravenous administration of recombinant enzymes (rh-alpha-Gal A) formation of antibodies was studied in 18 adult Fabry patients (two females).

RESULTS

The female patients did not develop detectable amounts of antibodies following enzyme therapy. After 6 months of treatment with either agalsidase alpha or beta, 11/16 male patients showed high titers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that cross-react in vitro similarly with both recombinant enzymes. The anti-rh-alpha-Gal A IgG neutralizes rh-alpha-Gal A activity in vitro for 65% to 95%. During infusion with rh-alpha-Gal A, circulating enzyme-antibody complexes are formed and these complexes are taken up by leukocytes in the peripheral blood. After 6 months of treatment all IgG-negative patients showed a significant (P < 0.01) reduction of urinary CTH (1890 +/- 797 to 603 +/- 291 nmol CTH/24hr urine), compared to IgG-positive patients (mean increase from 2535 +/- 988 to 2723 +/- 1212), suggesting a negative effect of circulating antibodies on renal tubular CTH clearance.

CONCLUSIONS

Emergence of antibodies with in vivo neutralizing capacities is frequently encountered in treated Fabry disease patients. Complete cross-reactivity of these antibodies suggests that it is unlikely that switching from one to the other recombinant protein prevents the immune response and related effects. Further studies on the clinical implications of alpha-Gal A antibodies are essential.

The structures of five complexes of the X-31 influenza A (H3N2) virus hemagglutinin with sialyloligosaccharide receptor analogs have been determined from 2.5 to 2.8 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. There is well-defined electron density for three to five saccharides in all five complexes and a striking conformational difference between two linear pentasaccharides with the same composition but different linkage [alpha(2-->6) or alpha(2-->3)] at the terminal sialic acid. The bound position of the terminal sialic acid (NeuAc) is the same in all five complexes and is identical to that reported previously from the study of mono- and trisaccharides. The two oligosaccharides with NeuAc alpha(2-->6)Gal linkages and GlcNAc at the third position have a folded conformation with the GlcNAc doubled back to contact the sialic acid. The pentasaccharide with a terminal NeuAc alpha(2-->3)Gal linkage and GlcNAc at the third position has an extended (not folded) conformation and exits from the opposite side of the binding site than the alpha(2-->6)-linked molecule of the same composition. The difference between the conformation of the pentasaccharide with a 2,6 linkage and the trisaccharide 2,6-sialyllactose suggests that 2,6-sialyllactose is not, as previously believed, an appropriate analog of natural influenza A virus receptors. The oligosaccharides studied are NeuAc alpha(2-->3)Gal beta(1-->4)Glc, NeuAc alpha(2-->6)Gal beta(1-->4)Glc, NeuAc alpha(2-->3)Gal beta(1-->3)GlcNAc beta(1-->3)Gal beta(1-->4)Glc, NeuAc alpha(2-->6)Gal beta(1-->4)GlcNAc beta(1-->3)Gal beta(1-->4)Glc, and [NeuAc alpha(2-->6)Gal beta(1-->4)GlcNAc]2 beta(1-->3/6)Gal-beta-O-(CH2)5-COOCH3.

A locus involved in the biosynthesis of gonococcal lipooligosaccharide (LOS) has been cloned from gonococcal strain F62. The locus contains five open reading frames. The first and second reading frames are homologous, but not identical, to the fourth and fifth reading frames, respectively. Interposed is an additional reading frame which has distant homology to the Escherichia coli rfaI and rfaI genes, both glucosyl transferases involved in lipopolysaccharide core biosynthesis. The second and fifth reading frames show strong homology to the lex-1 or lic2A gene of Haemophilus influenzae, but do not contain the CAAT repeats found in this gene. Deletions of each of these five genes, of combinations of genes, and of the entire locus were constructed and introduced into parental gonococcal strain F62 by transformation. The LOS phenotypes were then analyzed by SDS-PAGE and reactivity with monoclonal antibodies. Analysis of the gonococcal mutants indicates that four of these genes are the glycosyl transferases that add GalNAc beta 1-->3Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->3 Gal beta 1--4 to the substrate Glc beta 1-->4Hep--R of the inner core region. The gene with homology to E. coli rfaI/rfaI is involved with the addition of the alpha-linked galactose residue in the biosynthesis of the alternative LOS structure Gal alpha 1-->4Gal beta 1-->4Glc beta 1-->4Hep->>R. Since these genes encode LOS glycosyl transferases they have been named lgtA, lgtB, lgtC, lgtD, and lgtE. The DNA sequence analysis revealed that lgtA, lgtC, and lgtD contained poly-G tracts, which, in strain F62 were, respectively, 17, 10, and 11 bp. Thus, three of the LOS biosynthetic enzymes are potentially susceptible to premature termination by reading frame changes. It is likely that these structural features are responsible for the high-frequency genetic variation of gonococcal LOS.

A strain of Escherichia coli originally isolated from urine of a patient with acute pyelonephritis was studied in detail for binding to glycosphingolipids. Bacteria labeled metabolically with [14C]glucose were layered over a glycolipid chromatogram and bound bacteria were detected by autoradiography. The detection was down to a few ng of glycolipid (pmol level) under these assay conditions. At a test level of 500 ng all glycolipids (more than a dozen molecular species analyzed) with Gal alpha 1----4Gal as an internal or terminal part bound the bacteria strongly while glycolipids known to lack this sequence were negative. Conformational analysis using hard sphere calculations including the exo-anomeric effect showed a bend in the saccharide chain at this disaccharide with a largely hydrophobic surface of the convex side, probably being part of the binding epitope. Mixtures of glycolipids isolated from a human ureter scraping and from urinary sediments bound bacteria in the 2- to 7-sugar interval. Thus, this infectious strain of E. coli recognizes glycolipids being present in epithelial cells lining the urinary tract.

Binding sites for the GAL4-positive regulatory protein have been identified upstream of six galactose-inducible genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the basis of (i) protection in DNAse I footprints, (ii) loss of protection when excess GAL4-binding oligonucleotide is added and (iii) homology with a 23-bp dyad-symmetric consensus sequence. Many of the binding sites have been shown to function as upstream activating sequences. The number of binding sites upstream of the various genes ranges from one to four, but a feature is conserved: in cases of multiple sites there is a pair with highest binding affinity located at dyad--dyad distances of 82--87 bp. We suggest that a pair of sites facilitates repression by the GAL80-negative regulatory protein, on the basis of (i) a correlation of a pair of sites (or only one) with full (or only partial) repression and (ii) the introduction of a second site abolishing transcription occurring with one.

Null mutations in three genes encoding cyclin-like proteins (CLN1, CLN2, and CLN3) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cause cell cycle arrest in G1 (cln arrest). In cln1 cln2 cln3 strains bearing plasmids containing the CLN3 (also called WHI1 or DAF1) coding sequence under the transcriptional control of a galactose-regulated promoter, shift from galactose to glucose medium (shutting off synthesis of CLN3 mRNA) allowed completion of cell cycles in progress but caused arrest in the ensuing unbudded G1 phase. Cell growth was not inhibited in arrested cells. Cell division occurred in glucose medium even if cells were arrested in S phase during the initial 2 h of glucose treatment, suggesting that CLN function may not be required in the cell cycle after S phase. However, when the coding sequence of the hyperactive C-terminal truncation allele CLN3-2 (formerly DAF1-1) was placed under GAL control, cells went through multiple cycles before arresting after a shift from galactose to glucose. These results suggest that the C terminus of the wild-type protein confers functional instability. cln-arrested cells are mating competent. However, cln arrest is distinct from constitutive activation of the mating-factor signalling pathway because cln-arrested cells were dependent on the addition of pheromone both for mating and for induction of an alpha-factor-induced transcript, FUS1, and because MATa/MAT alpha (pheromone-nonresponsive) strains were capable of cln arrest in G1 (although a residual capacity for cell division before arrest was observed in MATa/MAT alpha strains). These results are consistent with a specific CLN requirement for START transit.

Abnormal intracellular Ca(2+) cycling plays an important role in cardiac dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias in the setting of heart failure and transient cardiac ischemia followed by reperfusion (I/R). We hypothesized that overexpression of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase pump (SERCA2a) may improve both contractile dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias. Continuous ECG recordings were obtained in 46 conscious rats after adenoviral gene transfer of either SERCA2a or the reporter gene beta-galactosidase (beta gal) or parvalbumin (PV), as early as 48 h before and 48 h after 30 min ligation of the left anterior descending artery by using an implantable telemetry system. Sham-operated animals were used for comparison for hemodynamic measurements, whereas within-animal baseline was used for electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters. All episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) were counted, and their durations were summed by telemetry. I/R decreased regional cardiac wall thickening as well as the maximal rate of left ventricular pressure rise (+dP/dt) and ventricular pressure fall (-dP/dt). SERCA2a restored regional wall thickening and +dP/dt and -dP/dt to levels seen preoperatively. Regional-wall motion and anterior-wall thickening were improved in the SERCA2a animals, as assessed by echocardiography and piezoelectric crystals. To assess whether these effects are SERCA2a specific, we overexpressed a skeletal-muscle protein, PV, to examine whether Ca(2+) buffering alone can mitigate ventricular arrhythmias. During the first hour after I/R, the rate of nonsustained VT plus VF was 16 +/- 5 episodes per h (n = 6) in the Ad.beta gal group, 22 +/- 6 in the Ad.PV group, and 4 +/- 2(n = 6, P < 0.01) in the Ad.SERCA2a group. The decrease in VT plus VF in the Ad.SERCA2a group was consistent throughout the 48 h of monitoring. These results show that improving intracellular Ca(2+) handling by overexpression of SERCA2a restores contractile function and reduces ventricular arrhythmias during I/R.

IgA1 proteins from sera of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) are galactosylated to a lesser degree than those from healthy controls. The increased reactivity of intact or de-sialylated serum IgA1 with N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-specific lectins, Helix aspersa (HAA) and Caragana arborescens (CAA) and de-sialylated IgA1 with Helix pomatia (HPA) and Bauhinia purpurea (BPA) indicated that the Gal deficiency is in glycans located in the hinge region of IgA1 molecules. De-sialylated IgA from sera of 81 IgAN patients bound biotin-labeled lectin HAA more effectively than did de-sialylated IgA from 56 healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Similar results were observed for 67 IgAN patients and 52 controls with second lectin, CAA (P < 0.001). The binding patterns for 9 patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis of non-IgA origin were similar to those for controls. Incompletely galactosylated IgA1 capable of binding GalNAc-specific lectins was detected in complexes with IgG as demonstrated by ELISA, size-exclusion chromatography and sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The formation of IgA1-IgG complexes may affect the serum level of IgA1 by reducing the rate of its elimination and catabolic degradation by the liver.

The construction of a xylose-inducible expression vector is described. This vector allows the integration of any gene, coding for its authentic protein, at the amyE locus of Bacillus subtilis (Bs). The controlable expression cassette consists of the repressor-encoding gene and the promoter of the Bacillus megaterium-derived operon for xylose utilization, sandwiched between the 5'- and 3'-ends of amyE. This thereby allows insertion of in vitro constructed transcriptional fusions at the amyE locus of the Bs chromosome. The versatility of this expression system was tested by fusing three different heat-shock genes to the xylose-inducible promoter and following their expression by Western immunoblot analysis. Whereas no increase in the amount of heat-shock protein could be detected under non-inducing conditions when compared to the isogenic wild-type strain, the three proteins were strongly induced after addition of xylose, depending on the gene. To determine the tightness and the induction factor of the system more accurately, the bgaB gene encoding a heat-stable beta-galactosidase (beta Gal) was analyzed. The background activity of beta Gal increased by a factor of at least 200 after addition of xylose. The system is not subject to catabolite, but rather to glucose repression.

In response to extracellular stimuli, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, also known as ERK) translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK, also know as MEK), which possesses a nuclear export signal (NES), acts as a cytoplasmic anchor of MAPK. Here we show evidence that tyrosine (Tyr190 in Xenopus MPK1/ERK2) phosphorylation of MAPK by MAPKK is necessary and sufficient for the dissociation of the MAPKK-MAPK complex, and that the dissociation of the complex is required for the nuclear translocation of MAPK. We then show that nuclear entry of MAPK through a nuclear pore occurs via two distinct mechanisms. Nuclear import of wild-type MAPK (mol. wt 42 kDa) was induced by activation of the MAPK pathway even in the presence of wheat germ agglutinin or dominant-negative Ran, whereas nuclear import of beta-galactosidase (beta-gal)-fused MAPK (mol. wt 160 kDa), which occurred in response to stimuli, was completely blocked by these inhibitors. Moreover, while a dimerization-deficient mutant of MAPK was able to translocate to the nucleus upon stimulation, this mutant MAPK, when fused to beta-gal, became unable to enter the nucleus. These results suggest that monomeric and dimeric forms of MAPK enter the nucleus by passive diffusion and active transport mechanisms, respectively.

A cDNA encoding UDP-GlcNAc:Gal beta 1-3GalNAc-R (GlcNAc to GalNAc) beta 1-6GlcNAc transferase (EC 2.4.1.102), which forms critical branches in O-glycans, has been isolated by an expression cloning approach using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Increased activity of this enzyme and the concomitant occurrence of the O-glycan core 2 structure [Gal beta 1-3(GlcNAc beta 1-6)GalNAc] has been observed in a variety of biological processes, such as T-cell activation and immunodeficiency due to the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and AIDS. Since CHO cells do not express this enzyme, CHO cell lines were established to stably express polyoma large tumor (T) antigen, which enables transient expression cloning. Because the antibody used was found to detect most efficiently the oligosaccharide products attached to leukosialin, the CHO cells were also stably transfected with leukosialin cDNA. By using this particular CHO cell line, a cDNA that encodes a protein determining the formation of the core 2 structure was isolated from an HL-60 cDNA library. The cDNA sequence predicts a protein with type II membrane topology, as has been found for all other mammalian glycosyltransferases cloned to date. The expression of the presumed catalytic domain as a fusion protein with the IgG binding domain of protein A enabled us to demonstrate unequivocally that the cDNA encodes the core 2 beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, the enzyme responsible for the formation of Gal beta 1-3(GlcNAc beta 1-6)GalNAc structures. No activity with this enzyme was detected toward the acceptors for other beta 1-6GlcNAc transferases.

We present an approach for monitoring protein-protein interactions within intact eukaryotic cells, which should increase our understanding of the regulatory circuitry that controls the proliferation and differentiation of cells and how these processes go awry in disease states such as cancer. Chimeric proteins composed of proteins of interest fused to complementing beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) deletion mutants permit a novel analysis of protein complexes within cells. In this approach, the beta-gal activity resulting from the forced interaction of nonfunctional weakly complementing beta-gal peptides (Deltaalpha and Deltaomega) serves as a measure of the extent of interaction of the non-beta-gal portions of the chimeras. To test this application of lacZ intracistronic complementation, proteins that form a complex in the presence of rapamycin were used. These proteins, FRAP and FKBP12, were synthesized as fusion proteins with Deltaalpha and Deltaomega, respectively. Enzymatic beta-gal activity served to monitor the formation of the rapamycin-induced chimeric FRAP/FKBP12 protein complex in a time- and dose-dependent manner, as assessed by histochemical, biochemical, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting assays. This approach may prove to be a valuable adjunct to in vitro immunoprecipitation and crosslinking methods and in vivo yeast two-hybrid and fluorescence energy transfer systems. It may also allow a direct assessment of specific protein dimerization interactions in a biologically relevant context, localized in the cell compartments in which they occur, and in the milieu of competing proteins.

Six genes are widely expressed during vertebrate embryogenesis, suggesting that they are implicated in diverse differentiation processes. To determine the functions of the Six1 gene, we constructed Six1-deficient mice by replacing its first exon by the beta-galactosidase gene. We have previously shown that mice lacking Six1 die at birth due to thoracic skeletal defects and severe muscle hypoplasia affecting most of the body muscles. Here, we report that Six1(-/-) neonates also lack a kidney and thymus, as well as displaying a strong disorganisation of craniofacial structures, namely the inner ear, the nasal cavity, the craniofacial skeleton, and the lacrimal and parotid glands. These organ defects can be correlated with Six1 expression in the embryonic primordium structures as revealed by X-Gal staining at different stages of embryogenesis. Thus, the fetal abnormalities of Six1(-/-) mice appear to result from the absence of the Six 1 homeoprotein during early stages of organogenesis. Interestingly, these Six1 defects are very similar to phenotypes caused by mutations of Eya 1, which are responsible for the BOR syndrome in humans. Close comparison of Six1 and Eya 1 deficient mice strongly suggests a functional link between these two factors. Pax gene mutations also lead to comparable phenotypes, suggesting that a regulatory network including the Pax, Six and Eya genes is required for several types of organogenesis in mammals.

Fusobacterium nucleatum is associated with colorectal cancer and promotes colonic tumor formation in preclinical models. However, fusobacteria are core members of the human oral microbiome and less prevalent in the healthy gut, raising questions about how fusobacteria localize to CRC. We identify a host polysaccharide and fusobacterial lectin that explicates fusobacteria abundance in CRC. Gal-GalNAc, which is overexpressed in CRC, is recognized by fusobacterial Fap2, which functions as a Gal-GalNAc lectin. F. nucleatum binding to clinical adenocarcinomas correlates with Gal-GalNAc expression and is reduced upon O-glycanase treatment. Clinical fusobacteria strains naturally lacking Fap2 or inactivated Fap2 mutants show reduced binding to Gal-GalNAc-expressing CRC cells and established CRCs in mice. Additionally, intravenously injected F. nucleatum localizes to mouse tumor tissues in a Fap2-dependent manner, suggesting that fusobacteria use a hematogenous route to reach colon adenocarcinomas. Thus, targeting F. nucleatum Fap2 or host epithelial Gal-GalNAc may reduce fusobacteria potentiation of CRC.

There is growing evidence that senescent cells accumulate in vivo and are associated with the aging process in parallel with the progressive erosion of telomeres. Because recent data show that telomere shortening is involved in the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis, we looked for replicative senescence cells in normal livers, chronic hepatitis C, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Replicative senescent cells were detected on liver tissue cryosections using expression of a specific marker, senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, a cytoplasmic enzyme detected at pH 6. A total of 57 frozen liver samples (15 normal liver, 32 chronic hepatitis C, and 10 HCCs) were studied. Replicative senescence was graded as absent in 56% of cases (32 of 57) and present in 44% (25 of 57). Replicative senescence was considered present in 3 of 15 normal livers (20%), 16 of 32 chronic hepatitis cases (50%), and 6 of 10 HCCs (60%). In the group of nontumoral livers, the presence of senescent cells in liver was associated with older age (P =.03). In the group with chronic hepatitis C, fibrosis stage, but not activity grade, was significantly correlated with the accumulation of replicative senescent cells (P <.001). Finally, beta-Gal staining in nontumoral tissue was strongly correlated with the presence of HCC in the surrounding liver (P <.001). These results suggest that chronic hepatitis C represents a relevant model of accelerated replicative senescence and that accumulation of replicative senescent cells predispose to HCC development. Detection of replicative senescent cells may then serve as a predictive marker of a hepatocellular carcinoma in the surrounding tissue. HUM PATHOL 32:327-332.

Cellular senescence as the state of permanent inhibition of cell proliferation is a tumour-suppressive mechanism. However, due to the associated secretory phenotype senescence can also contribute to cancer and possibly other age-related diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. There are two major mechanisms of cellular senescence; replicative senescence depends on telomere erosion or dysfunction whilst stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) is telomere-independent and also includes oncogene-induced senescence (OIS). The senescence phenotype is characterised by altered cellular morphology, increased activity for senescence-associated-β-galactosidase (SA-β-GAL), increased formation of senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF) and promyelocytic leukemia protein nuclear bodies (PML NBs), permanent DNA damage, chromosomal instability and an inflammatory secretome. Some of these markers have been identified in cells from age-related pathologies. However, to improve our understanding of the contribution of cellular senescence to organismal ageing and age-related disease, it is imperative to define an unequivocal signature of cellular senescence that is functionally connected with normal and pathological ageing. Herein, we describe the processes leading to senescence, and the current biomarkers of cellular senescence, with particular emphasis on the causal role of DNA damage responses involved in the process. We highlight the gaps in our knowledge both of the processes leading to senescence, and the signature of cellular senescence both in vitro and in vivo. A well-defined set of senescence biomarkers for ageing and age-related disease would have a strong impact on the diagnosis, staging and predicted outcomes of age-related disease, providing the basis for a pharmacological intervention to postpone ageing and age-related disease.

Trigger factor and DnaK protect nascent protein chains from misfolding and aggregation in the E. coli cytosol, but how these chaperones affect the mechanism of de novo protein folding is not yet understood. Upon expression under chaperone-depleted conditions, multidomain proteins such as bacterial beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) and eukaryotic luciferase fold by a rapid but inefficient default pathway, tightly coupled to translation. Trigger factor and DnaK improve the folding yield of these proteins but markedly delay the folding process both in vivo and in vitro. This effect requires the dynamic recruitment of additional trigger factor molecules to translating ribosomes. While beta-galactosidase uses this chaperone mechanism effectively, luciferase folding in E. coli remains inefficient. The efficient cotranslational domain folding of luciferase observed in the eukaryotic system is not compatible with the bacterial chaperone system. These findings suggest important differences in the coupling of translation and folding between bacterial and eukaryotic cells.