scholarly journals Critical Role of Dispensable Genes in Mycoplasma agalactiae Interaction with Mammalian Cells

2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 1542-1551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Baranowski ◽  
Sébastien Guiral ◽  
Eveline Sagné ◽  
Agnès Skapski ◽  
Christine Citti
Keyword(s):  
Hela Cells ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Genomic Region ◽  
Mycoplasma Agalactiae ◽  
Transposon Insertion ◽  
Mammalian Cell Lines ◽  
Fold Reduction ◽  
Genomic Regions

ABSTRACT Mycoplasmas are minimal bacteria whose genomes barely exceed the smallest amount of information required to sustain autonomous life. Despite this apparent simplicity, several mycoplasmas are successful pathogens of humans and animals, in which they establish intimate interactions with epithelial cells at mucosal surfaces. To identify biological functions mediating mycoplasma interactions with mammalian cells, we produced a library of transposon knockout mutants in the ruminant pathogen Mycoplasma agalactiae and used this library to identify mutants displaying a growth-deficient pheonotype in cell culture. M. agalactiae mutants displaying a 3-fold reduction in CFU titers to nearly complete extinction in coculture with HeLa cells were identified. Mapping of transposon insertion sites revealed 18 genomic regions putatively involved in the interaction of M. agalactiae with HeLa cells. Several of these regions encode proteins with features of membrane lipoproteins and/or were involved in horizontal gene transfer with phylogenetically distant pathogenic mycoplasmas of ruminants. Two mutants with the most extreme phenotype carry a transposon in a genomic region designated the NIF locus which encodes homologues of SufS and SufU, two proteins presumably involved in [Fe-S] cluster biosynthesis in Gram-positive bacteria. Complementation studies confirmed the conditional essentiality of the NIF locus, which was found to be critical for proliferation in the presence of HeLa cells and several other mammalian cell lines but dispensable for axenic growth. While our results raised questions regarding essential functions in mycoplasmas, they also provide a means for studying the role of mycoplasmas as minimal pathogens.

Autophagy Modulators and Neuroinflammation

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 955-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoung Sang Cho ◽  
Jang Ho Lee ◽  
Jeiwon Cho ◽  
Guang-Ho Cha ◽  
Gyun Jee Song
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Scientific Interest ◽  
Therapeutic Tools ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Background: Neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the development and progression of various neurological disorders. Therefore, various studies have focused on the development of neuroinflammation inhibitors as potential therapeutic tools. Recently, the involvement of autophagy in the regulation of neuroinflammation has drawn substantial scientific interest, and a growing number of studies support the role of impaired autophagy in the pathogenesis of common neurodegenerative disorders. Objective: The purpose of this article is to review recent research on the role of autophagy in controlling neuroinflammation. We focus on studies employing both mammalian cells and animal models to evaluate the ability of different autophagic modulators to regulate neuroinflammation. Methods: We have mostly reviewed recent studies reporting anti-neuroinflammatory properties of autophagy. We also briefly discussed a few studies showing that autophagy modulators activate neuroinflammation in certain conditions. Results: Recent studies report neuroprotective as well as anti-neuroinflammatory effects of autophagic modulators. We discuss the possible underlying mechanisms of action of these drugs and their potential limitations as therapeutic agents against neurological disorders. Conclusion: Autophagy activators are promising compounds for the treatment of neurological disorders involving neuroinflammation.

Wingless signaling in the Drosophila embryo: zygotic requirements and the role of the frizzled genes

Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Muller ◽  
R. Samanta ◽  
E. Wieschaus
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Region ◽  
Drosophila Embryo ◽  
Surface Molecules ◽  
New Genes ◽  
Wingless Signaling ◽  
Frizzled Receptors ◽  
Signaling Receptors ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
High Degree

Wingless signaling plays a central role during epidermal patterning in Drosophila. We have analyzed zygotic requirements for Wingless signaling in the embryonic ectoderm by generating synthetic deficiencies that uncover more than 99% of the genome. We found no genes required for initial wingless expression, other than previously identified segmentation genes. In contrast, maintenance of wingless expression shows a high degree of zygotic transcriptional requirements. Besides known genes, we have identified at least two additional genomic regions containing new genes involved in Wingless maintenance. We also assayed for the zygotic requirements for Wingless response and found that no single genomic region was required for the cytoplasmic accumulation of Armadillo in the receiving cells. Surprisingly, embryos homozygously deleted for the candidate Wingless receptor, Dfrizzled2, showed a normal Wingless response. However, the Armadillo response to Wingless was strongly reduced in double mutants of both known members of the frizzled family in Drosophila, frizzled and Dfrizzled2. Based on their expression pattern during embryogenesis, different Frizzled receptors may play unique but overlapping roles in development. In particular, we suggest that Frizzled and Dfrizzled2 are both required for Wingless autoregulation, but might be dispensable for late Engrailed maintenance. While Wingless signaling in embryos mutant for frizzled and Dfrizzled2 is affected, Wingless protein is still internalized into cells adjacent to wingless-expressing cells. Incorporation of Wingless protein may therefore involve cell surface molecules in addition to the genetically defined signaling receptors of the frizzled family.

scholarly journals Direct lysosome-based autophagy of lipid droplets in hepatocytes

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (51) ◽  
pp. 32443-32452
Author(s):  
Ryan J. Schulze ◽  
Eugene W. Krueger ◽  
Shaun G. Weller ◽  
Katherine M. Johnson ◽  
Carol A. Casey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Lipid Droplets ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Lipid Homeostasis ◽  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
Double Membrane ◽  
Live Cell Microscopy ◽  
Cell Microscopy

Hepatocytes metabolize energy-rich cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) in the lysosome-directed process of autophagy. An organelle-selective form of this process (macrolipophagy) results in the engulfment of LDs within double-membrane delimited structures (autophagosomes) before lysosomal fusion. Whether this is an exclusive autophagic mechanism used by hepatocytes to catabolize LDs is unclear. It is also unknown whether lysosomes alone might be sufficient to mediate LD turnover in the absence of an autophagosomal intermediate. We performed live-cell microscopy of hepatocytes to monitor the dynamic interactions between lysosomes and LDs in real-time. We additionally used a fluorescent variant of the LD-specific protein (PLIN2) that exhibits altered fluorescence in response to LD interactions with the lysosome. We find that mammalian lysosomes and LDs undergo interactions during which proteins and lipids can be transferred from LDs directly into lysosomes. Electron microscopy (EM) of primary hepatocytes or hepatocyte-derived cell lines supports the existence of these interactions. It reveals a dramatic process whereby the lipid contents of the LD can be “extruded” directly into the lysosomal lumen under nutrient-limited conditions. Significantly, these interactions are not affected by perturbations to crucial components of the canonical macroautophagy machinery and can occur in the absence of double-membrane lipoautophagosomes. These findings implicate the existence of an autophagic mechanism used by mammalian cells for the direct transfer of LD components into the lysosome for breakdown. This process further emphasizes the critical role of lysosomes in hepatic LD catabolism and provides insights into the mechanisms underlying lipid homeostasis in the liver.

scholarly journals Accumulation of transposable elements in Hox gene clusters during adaptive radiation of Anolis lizards

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1840) ◽  
pp. 20161555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Feiner
Keyword(s):  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Adaptive Radiation ◽  
Genome Structure ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Genomic Region ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Morphological Adaptations ◽  
Genomic Regions

Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can insert elsewhere in the genome and modify genome structure and gene regulation. The role of TEs in evolution is contentious. One hypothesis posits that TE activity generates genomic incompatibilities that can cause reproductive isolation between incipient species. This predicts that TEs will accumulate during speciation events. Here, I tested the prediction that extant lineages with a relatively high rate of speciation have a high number of TEs in their genomes. I sequenced and analysed the TE content of a marker genomic region ( Hox clusters) in Anolis lizards, a classic case of an adaptive radiation. Unlike other vertebrates, including closely related lizards, Anolis lizards have high numbers of TEs in their Hox clusters, genomic regions that regulate development of the morphological adaptations that characterize habitat specialists in these lizards. Following a burst of TE activity in the lineage leading to extant Anolis , TEs have continued to accumulate during or after speciation events, resulting in a positive relationship between TE density and lineage speciation rate. These results are consistent with the prediction that TE activity contributes to adaptive radiation by promoting speciation. Although there was no evidence that TE density per se is associated with ecological morphology, the activity of TEs in Hox clusters could have been a rich source for phenotypic variation that may have facilitated the rapid parallel morphological adaptation to microhabitats seen in extant Anolis lizards.

scholarly journals Differential Incorporation of Cholesterol by Sindbis Virus Grown in Mammalian or Insect Cells

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (18) ◽  
pp. 9113-9121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Hafer ◽  
Rebecca Whittlesey ◽  
Dennis T. Brown ◽  
Raquel Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Insect Cell ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Sindbis Virus ◽  
Insect Cells ◽  
Virus Assembly ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Insect Cell Line

ABSTRACT Cholesterol has been shown to be essential for the fusion of alphaviruses with artificial membranes (liposomes). Cholesterol has also been implicated as playing an essential and critical role in the processes of entry and egress of alphaviruses in living cells. Paradoxically, insects, the alternate host for alphaviruses, are cholesterol auxotrophs and contain very low levels of this sterol. To further evaluate the role of cholesterol in the life cycle of alphaviruses, the cholesterol levels of the alphavirus Sindbis produced from three different mosquito (Aedes albopictus) cell lines; one other insect cell line, Sf21 from Spodoptera frugiperda; and BHK (mammalian) cells were measured. Sindbis virus was grown in insect cells under normal culture conditions and in cells depleted of cholesterol by growth in serum delipidated by using Cab-O-sil, medium treated with methyl-β-cyclodextrin, or serum-free medium. The levels of cholesterol incorporated into the membranes of the cells and into the virus produced from these cells were determined. Virus produced from these treated and untreated cells was compared to virus grown in BHK cells under standard conditions. The ability of insect cells to produce Sindbis virus after delipidation was found to be highly cell specific and not dependent on the level of cholesterol in the cell membrane. A very low level of cholesterol was required for the generation of wild-type levels of infectious Sindbis virus from delipidated cells. The data show that one role of the virus membrane is structural, providing the stability required for infectivity that may not be provided by the delipidated membranes in some cells. These data show that the amount of cholesterol in the host cell membrane in and of itself has no effect on the process of virus assembly or on the ability of virus to infect cells. Rather, these data suggest that the cholesterol dependence reported for infectivity and assembly of Sindbis virus is a reflection of differences in the insect cell lines used and the methods of delipidation.

scholarly journals Chromosomal gain promotes formation of a steep RanGTP gradient that drives mitosis in aneuploid cells

2013 ◽  
Vol 200 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisuke Hasegawa ◽  
Sung Jin Ryu ◽  
Petr Kaláb
Keyword(s):  
Hela Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Mitotic Chromosomes ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Growing Cell ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Guanosine Triphosphatase

Many mitotic factors were shown to be activated by Ran guanosine triphosphatase. Previous studies in Xenopus laevis egg extracts and in highly proliferative cells showed that mitotic chromosomes were surrounded by steep Ran guanosine triphosphate (GTP) concentration gradients, indicating that RanGTP-activated factors promote spindle assembly around chromosomes. However, the mitotic role of Ran in normal differentiated cells is not known. In this paper, we show that although the steep mitotic RanGTP gradients were present in rapidly growing cell lines and were required for chromosome congression in mitotic HeLa cells, the gradients were strongly reduced in slow-growing primary cells, such as HFF-1 fibroblasts. The overexpression of RCC1, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ran, induced steeper mitotic RanGTP gradients in HFF-1 cells, showing the critical role of RCC1 levels in the regulation of mitosis by Ran. Remarkably, in vitro fusion of HFF-1 cells produced cells with steep mitotic RanGTP gradients comparable to HeLa cells, indicating that chromosomal gain can promote mitosis in aneuploid cancer cells via Ran.

scholarly journals Role of Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase in Innate Immunity

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1784
Author(s):  
Sudha B. Singh ◽  
Henry C. Lin
Keyword(s):  
Innate Immunity ◽  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Functional Protein ◽  
Mammalian Cell Lines ◽  
Defensive Role

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) is a multi-functional protein that has been demonstrated to primarily protect the gut. The role of IAP in maintaining intestinal homeostasis is underscored by the observation that IAP expression is defective in many gastrointestinal-related disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease IBD, necrotizing enterocolitis, and metabolic syndrome and that exogenous IAP supplementation improves the outcomes associated with these disorders. Additionally, studies using transgenic IAP-knock out (IAP-KO) mouse models further support the importance of the defensive role of IAP in the intestine. Supplementation of exogenous IAP and cellular overexpression of IAP have also been used in vitro to dissect out the downstream mechanisms of this protein in mammalian cell lines. Some of the innate immune functions of IAP include lipopolysaccharide (LPS) detoxification, protection of gut barrier integrity, regulation of gut microbial communities and its anti-inflammatory roles. A novel function of IAP recently identified is the induction of autophagy. Due to its critical role in the gut physiology and its excellent safety profile, IAP has been used in phase 2a clinical trials for treating conditions such as sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. Many excellent reviews discuss the role of IAP in physiology and pathophysiology and here we extend these to include recent updates on this important host defense protein and discuss its role in innate immunity via its effects on bacteria as well as on host cells. We will also discuss the relationship between IAP and autophagy and how these two pathways may act in concert to protect the gut.

scholarly journals The Use of Transcription Terminators to Generate Transgenic Lines of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells (CHO) with Stable and High Level of Reporter Gene Expression

Acta Naturae ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 74-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. B. Gasanov ◽  
S. V. Toshchakov ◽  
P. G. Georgiev ◽  
O. G. Maksimenko
Keyword(s):  
Cell Lines ◽  
Reporter Gene ◽  
Chinese Hamster Ovary ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells ◽  
Chinese Hamster ◽  
Genomic Region ◽  
Globin Genes ◽  
Mammalian Cell Lines ◽  
Transgenic Lines

Mammalian cell lines are widely used to produce recombinant proteins. Stable transgenic cell lines usually contain many insertions of the expression vector in one genomic region. Transcription through transgene can be one of the reasons for target gene repression after prolonged cultivation of cell lines. In the present work, we used the known transcription terminators from the SV40 virus, as well as the human - and -globin genes, to prevent transcription through transgene. The transcription terminators were shown to increase and stabilize the expression of the EGFP reporter gene in transgenic lines of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Hence, transcription terminators can be used to create stable mammalian cells with a high and stable level of recombinant protein production.

scholarly journals Smc5/6-mediated regulation of replication progression contributes to chromosome assembly during mitosis in human cells

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 302-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Marcela Gallego-Paez ◽  
Hiroshi Tanaka ◽  
Masashige Bando ◽  
Motoko Takahashi ◽  
Naohito Nozaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Replication ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Genome Structure ◽  
Dna Breaks ◽  
Damage Response ◽  
Chromatin Fractionation ◽  
And Function ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Structural Maintenance Of Chromosomes

The structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) proteins constitute the core of critical complexes involved in structural organization of chromosomes. In yeast, the Smc5/6 complex is known to mediate repair of DNA breaks and replication of repetitive genomic regions, including ribosomal DNA loci and telomeres. In mammalian cells, which have diverse genome structure and scale from yeast, the Smc5/6 complex has also been implicated in DNA damage response, but its further function in unchallenged conditions remains elusive. In this study, we addressed the behavior and function of Smc5/6 during the cell cycle. Chromatin fractionation, immunofluorescence, and live-cell imaging analyses indicated that Smc5/6 associates with chromatin during interphase but largely dissociates from chromosomes when they condense in mitosis. Depletion of Smc5 and Smc6 resulted in aberrant mitotic chromosome phenotypes that were accompanied by the abnormal distribution of topoisomerase IIα (topo IIα) and condensins and by chromosome segregation errors. Importantly, interphase chromatin structure indicated by the premature chromosome condensation assay suggested that Smc5/6 is required for the on-time progression of DNA replication and subsequent binding of topo IIα on replicated chromatids. These results indicate an essential role of the Smc5/6 complex in processing DNA replication, which becomes indispensable for proper sister chromatid assembly in mitosis.

scholarly journals Critical Role for AMPK in Metabolic Disease-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 7994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Juszczak ◽  
Nathalie Caron ◽  
Anna V. Mathew ◽  
Anne-Emilie Declèves
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Disease ◽  
Chronic Kidney Disease ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Nutrient Sensing ◽  
Renal Diseases ◽  
Renal Cells

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent in 9.1% of the global population and is a significant public health problem associated with increased morbidity and mortality. CKD is associated with highly prevalent physiological and metabolic disturbances such as hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and aging, which are also risk factors for CKD pathogenesis and progression. Podocytes and proximal tubular cells of the kidney strongly express AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK plays essential roles in glucose and lipid metabolism, cell survival, growth, and inflammation. Thus, metabolic disease-induced renal diseases like obesity-related and diabetic chronic kidney disease demonstrate dysregulated AMPK in the kidney. Activating AMPK ameliorates the pathological and phenotypical features of both diseases. As a metabolic sensor, AMPK regulates active tubular transport and helps renal cells to survive low energy states. AMPK also exerts a key role in mitochondrial homeostasis and is known to regulate autophagy in mammalian cells. While the nutrient-sensing role of AMPK is critical in determining the fate of renal cells, the role of AMPK in kidney autophagy and mitochondrial quality control leading to pathology in metabolic disease-related CKD is not very clear and needs further investigation. This review highlights the crucial role of AMPK in renal cell dysfunction associated with metabolic diseases and aims to expand therapeutic strategies by understanding the molecular and cellular processes underlying CKD.

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