Recent Submissions

  • The role of proinflammatory cytokines on taste function

    Kumarhia, Devaki; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2015)
  • A New Antifibrotic Target of Ac-SDKP: Inhibition of Myofibroblast Differentiation in Rat Lung with Silicosis

    Xu, Hong; Yang, Fang; Sun, Ying; Yuan, Yuan; Cheng, Hua; Wei, Zhongqiu; Li, Shuyu; Cheng, Tan; Brann, Darrell W; Wang, Ruimin; et al. (2012-07-3)
    Background: Myofibroblast differentiation, characterized by a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) expression, is a key process in organ fibrosis, and is induced by TGF-b. Here we examined whether an anti-fibrotic agent, N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyllysylproline (Ac-SDKP), can regulate induction of TGF-b signaling and myofibroblast differentiation as a potential key component of its anti-fibrotic mechanism in vivo and in vitro.
  • An Improved Test for Detecting Multiplicative Homeostatic Synaptic Scaling

    Kim, Jimok; Tsien, Richard W.; Alger, Bradley E.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Graduate Program in Neuroscience; Department of Neurology (2012-05-17)
    Homeostatic scaling of synaptic strengths is essential for maintenance of network "gain", but also poses a risk of losing the distinctions among relative synaptic weights, which are possibly cellular correlates of memory storage. Multiplicative scaling of all synapses has been proposed as a mechanism that would preserve the relative weights among them, because they would all be proportionately adjusted. It is crucial for this hypothesis that all synapses be affected identically, but whether or not this actually occurs is difficult to determine directly. Mathematical tests for multiplicative synaptic scaling are presently carried out on distributions of miniature synaptic current amplitudes, but the accuracy of the test procedure has not been fully validated. We now show that the existence of an amplitude threshold for empirical detection of miniature synaptic currents limits the use of the most common method for detecting multiplicative changes. Our new method circumvents the problem by discarding the potentially distorting subthreshold values after computational scaling. This new method should be useful in assessing the underlying neurophysiological nature of a homeostatic synaptic scaling transformation, and therefore in evaluating its functional significance.
  • Glucocorticoid-Induced Leucine Zipper (GILZ) Antagonizes TNF-a Inhibition of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation

    He, Linlin; Yang, Nianlan; Isales, Carlos M.; Shi, Xing-Ming; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; Department of Pathology (2012-03-2)
    Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that inhibits osteoblast differentiation while stimulating osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. TNF-a activates MAP kinase pathway leading to inhibition of osterix (Osx) expression. TNF-a also induces the expression of E3 ubiquitin ligase protein Smurf1 and Smurf2 and promotes degradation of Runx2, another key transcription factor regulating osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. We showed previously that overexpression of glucocorticoid (GC)-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) enhances osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We and others also showed that GILZ is a GC effecter and mediates GC anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we asked the question whether GILZ retains its osteogenic activity while functioning as an anti-inflammatory mediator. To address this question, we infected mouse bone marrow MSCs with retroviruses expressing GILZ and induced them for osteogenic differentiation in the presence or absence of TNF-a. Our results show that overexpression of GILZ antagonized the inhibitory effects of TNF-a on MSC osteogenic differentiation and the mRNA and protein expression of Osx and Runx2, two pivotal osteogenic regulators. Further studies show that these antagonistic actions occur via mechanisms involving GILZ inhibition of TNF-a-induced ERK MAP kinase activation and protein degradation. These results suggest that GILZ may have therapeutic potential as a novel anti-inflammation therapy.
  • Promotion of plasma membrane repair by vitamin E

    Howard, Amber Cyran; McNeil, Anna K.; McNeil, Paul L.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy (2011-12-20)
    Severe vitamin E deficiency results in lethal myopathy in animal models. Membrane repair is an important myocyte response to plasma membrane disruption injury as when repair fails, myocytes die and muscular dystrophy ensues. Here we show that supplementation of cultured cells with α-tocopherol, the most common form of vitamin E, promotes plasma membrane repair. Conversely, in the absence of α-tocopherol supplementation, exposure of cultured cells to an oxidant challenge strikingly inhibits repair. Comparative measurements reveal that, to promote repair, an anti-oxidant must associate with membranes, as α-tocopherol does, or be capable of α-tocopherol regeneration. Finally, we show that myocytes in intact muscle cannot repair membranes when exposed to an oxidant challenge, but show enhanced repair when supplemented with vitamin E. Our work suggests a novel biological function for vitamin E in promoting myocyte plasma membrane repair. We propose that this function is essential for maintenance of skeletal muscle homeostasis.
  • IGF-1 Induction by Acylated Steryl β-Glucosides Found in a Pre-Germinated Brown Rice Diet Reduces Oxidative Stress in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes

    Usuki, Seigo; Tsai, Ying-Ying; Morikawa, Keiko; Nonaka, Shota; Okuhara, Yasuhide; Kise, Mitsuo; Yu, Robert K.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2011-12-14)
    Background: The pathology of diabetic neuropathy involves oxidative stress on pancreatic b-cells, and is related to decreased levels of Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Acylated steryl b-glucoside (PR-ASG) found in pre-germiated brown rice is a bioactive substance exhibiting properties that enhance activity of homocysteine-thiolactonase (HTase), reducing oxidative stress in diabetic neuropathy. The biological importance of PR-ASG in pancreatic b-cells remains unknown.
  • Acetylation of the Pro-Apoptotic Factor, p53 in the Hippocampus following Cerebral Ischemia and Modulation by Estrogen

    Raz, Limor; Zhang, Quan-Guang; Han, Dong; Dong, Yan; De Sevilla, Liesl; Brann, Darrell W; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2011-10-26)
    Background: Recent studies demonstrate that acetylation of the transcription factor, p53 on lysine373 leads to its enhanced stabilization/activity and increased susceptibility of cells to stress. However, it is not known whether acetylation of p53 is altered in the hippocampus following global cerebral ischemia (GCI) or is regulated by the hormone, 17b-estradiol (17b2E2), and thus, this study examined these issues.
  • Genome-wide target profiling of piggyBac and Tol2 in HEK 293: pros and cons for gene discovery and gene therapy

    Meir, Yaa-Jyuhn J; Weirauch, Matthew T; Yang, Herng-Shing; Chung, Pei-Cheng; Yu, Robert K.; Wu, Sareina C-Y; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Institute of Neuroscience (2011-03-30)
    Background: DNA transposons have emerged as indispensible tools for manipulating vertebrate genomes with applications ranging from insertional mutagenesis and transgenesis to gene therapy. To fully explore the potential of two highly active DNA transposons, piggyBac and Tol2, as mammalian genetic tools, we have conducted a side-by-side comparison of the two transposon systems in the same setting to evaluate their advantages and disadvantages for use in gene therapy and gene discovery.
  • VPS35 haploinsufficiency increases Alzheimerâ s disease neuropathology

    Wen, Lei; Tang, Fu-Lei; Hong, Yan; Luo, Shi-Wen; Wang, Chun-Lei; He, Wanxia; Shen, Chengyong; Jung, Ji-Ung; Xiong, Fei; Lee, Dae-hoon; et al. (2011-11-28)
    VPS35, a major component of the retromer complex, is important for endosome-to-Golgi retrieval of membrane proteins. Although implicated in Alzheimerâ s disease (AD), how VPS35 regulates AD-associated pathology is unknown. In this paper, we show that hemizygous deletion of Vps35 in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD led to earlier-onset AD-like phenotypes, including cognitive memory deficits, defective long-term potentiation, and impaired postsynaptic glutamatergic neurotransmission in young adult age. These deficits correlated well with an increase of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) level in the mutant hippocampus. We further demonstrate that VPS35 is predominantly expressed in pyramidal neurons of young adult hippocampus and interacts with BACE1, a protease responsible for Aβ production. Loss of VPS35 function in the mouse hippocampus increased BACE1 activity. Suppression of VPS35 expression in culture decreased BACE1 trans-Golgi localization but enriched it in endosomes. These results demonstrate an essential role for VPS35 in suppression of AD neuropathology and in inhibition of BACE1 activation and Aβ production by promoting BACE1 endosome-to-Golgi retrieval.
  • Comparison and Avoidance of Toxicity of Penetrating Cryoprotectants

    Szurek, Edyta A.; Eroglu, Ali; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Department of Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; GHSU Cancer Center (2011-11-16)
    The objective of this study was to elucidate the toxicity of widely used penetrating cryoprotective agents (CPAs) to mammalian oocytes. To this end, mouse metaphase II (M II) oocytes were exposed to 1.5 M solutions of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG), or propanediol (PROH) prepared in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 10% fetal bovine serum. To address the time- and temperature-dependence of the CPA toxicity, M II oocytes were exposed to the aforementioned CPAs at room temperature (RT, ,23uC) and 37uC for 15 or 30 minutes. Subsequently, the toxicity of each CPA was evaluated by examining post-exposure survival, fertilization, embryonic development, chromosomal abnormalities, and parthenogenetic activation of treated oocytes. Untreated oocytes served as controls. Exposure of MII oocytes to 1.5 M DMSO or 1.5 M EG at RT for 15 min did not adversely affect any of the evaluated criteria. In contrast, 1.5 M PROH induced a significant increase in oocyte degeneration (54.2%) and parthenogenetic activation (16%) under same conditions. When the CPA exposure was performed at 37uC, the toxic effect of PROH further increased, resulting in lower survival (15%) and no fertilization while the toxicity of DMSO and EG was still insignificant. Nevertheless, it was possible to completely avoid the toxicity of PROH by decreasing its concentration to 0.75 M and combining it with 0.75 M DMSO to bring the total CPA concentration to a cryoprotective level. Moreover, combining lower concentrations (i.e., 0.75 M) of PROH and DMSO significantly improved the cryosurvival of MII oocytes compared to the equivalent concentration of DMSO alone. Taken together, our results suggest that from the perspective of CPA toxicity, DMSO and EG are safer to use in slow cooling protocols while a lower concentration of PROH can be combined with another CPA to avoid its toxicity and to improve the cryosurvival as well.
  • Unique phenotype in a patient with CHARGE syndrome

    Jain, Shobhit; Kim, Hyung-Goo; Lacbawan, Felicitas; Meliciani, Irene; Wenzel, Wolfgang; Kurth, Ingo; Sharma, Josefina; Schoeneman, Morris; Ten, Svetlana; Layman, Lawrence C; et al. (2011-10-13)
    CHARGE is a phenotypically heterogeneous autosomal dominant disorder recognized as a cohesive syndrome since the identification of CHD7 as a genetic etiology. Classic features include: Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia choanae, Retarded growth and development, Genitourinary abnormalities, and Ear anomalies and/or deafness. With greater accessibility to genetic analysis, a wider spectrum of features are emerging, and overlap with disorders such as DiGeorge syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, and Hypoparathyroidism Sensorineural Deafness and Renal Disease syndrome, is increasingly evident. We present a patient with a unique manifestation of CHARGE syndrome, including primary hypoparathyroidism and a limb anomaly; to our knowledge, he is also the first CHARGE subject reported with bilateral multicystic dysplastic kidneys. Furthermore, with structural modeling and murine expression studies, we characterize a putative CHD7 G744S missense mutation. Our report continues to expand the CHARGE phenotype and highlights that stringent fulfillment of conventional criteria should not strictly guide genetic analysis.
  • The role of sulfoglucuronosyl glycosphingolipids in the pathogenesis of monoclonal IgM paraproteinemia and peripheral neuropathy

    Ariga, Toshio; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2011-07-25)
    In IgM paraproteinemia and peripheral neuropathy, IgM M-protein secretion by B cells leads to a T helper cell response, suggesting that it is antibody-mediated autoimmune disease involving carbohydrate epitopes in myelin sheaths. An immune response against sulfoglucuronosyl glycosphingolipids (SGGLs) is presumed to participate in demyelination or axonal degeneration in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). SGGLs contain a 3-sulfoglucuronic acid residue that interacts with anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and the monoclonal antibody anti-HNK-1. Immunization of animals with sulfoglucuronosyl paragloboside (SGPG) induced anti-SGPG antibodies and sensory neuropathy, which closely resembles the human disease. These animal models might help to understand the disease mechanism and lead to more specific therapeutic strategies. In an in vitro study, destruction or malfunction of the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) was found, resulting in the leakage of circulating antibodies into the PNS parenchyma, which may be considered as the initial key step for development of disease.
  • Ceramide in Stem Cell Differentiation and Embryo Development: Novel Functions of a Topological Cell-Signaling Lipid and the Concept of Ceramide Compartments

    Bieberich, Erhard; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2010-12-29)
    In the last two decades, the view on the function of ceramide as a sole metabolic precursor for other sphingolipids has completely changed. A plethora of studies has shown that ceramide is an important lipid cell-signaling factor regulating apoptosis in a variety of cell types. With the advent of new stem cell technologies and knockout mice for specific steps in ceramide biosynthesis, this view is about to change again. Recent studies suggest that ceramide is a critical cell-signaling factor for stem cell differentiation and cell polarity, two processes at the core of embryo development. This paper discusses studies on ceramide using in vitro differentiated stem cells, embryo cultures, and knockout mice with the goal of linking specific developmental stages to exciting and novel functions of this lipid. Particular attention is devoted to the concept of ceramide as a topological cell-signaling lipid: a lipid that forms distinct structures (membrane domains and vesicles termed â sphingosomeâ ), which confines ceramide-induced cell signaling pathways to localized and even polarized compartments.
  • Expression of GD2 and GD3 gangliosides in human embryonic neural stem cells

    Yanagisawa, Makoto; Yoshimura, Saori; Yu, Robert K.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2011-04-7)
    NSCs (neural stem cells) are undifferentiated neural cells endowed with a high potential for proliferation and a capacity for self-renewal with retention of multipotency to differentiate into neurons and glial cells. It has been recently reported that GD3, a b-series ganglioside, is a marker molecule for identifying and isolating mouse NSCs. However, the expression of gangliosides in human NSCs is largely unknown. In the present study, we analysed the expression of gangliosides, GD2 and GD3, in human NSCs that were isolated from human brains at gestational week 17 in the form of neurospheres, which are floating clonal aggregates formed by NSCs in vitro. Employing immunocytochemistry, we found that human NSCs were strongly reactive to anti-GD2 antibody and relatively weakly reactive to anti-GD3 antibody. Treatment of these cells with an organic solvent such as 100% methanol, which selectively removes glycolipids from plasma membrane, abolished the immunoreactivity with those antibodies, indicating that the reactivity was due to GD2 and GD3, but not to GD2-/GD3-like glycoproteins or proteoglycans. The immunoreactivity of human NSCs to antibody against SSEA-1 (stage-specific embryonic antigen-1), a well-known carbohydrate antigen of NSCs, was not decreased by the treatment with 100% methanol, indicating that SSEA-1 is mainly carried by glycoproteins and/or proteoglycans in human NSCs. Our study suggests that GD2 and GD3 can be marker gangliosides for identifying human NSCs.
  • The Current State of Proteomics in GI Oncology

    Lin, Ying; Dynan, William S.; Lee, Jeffrey R.; Zhu, Zhao-Hua; Schade, Robert R.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Department of Pathology (2009-03-23)
    Keywords: Clinical proteomics
  • Prenatal alcohol exposure triggers ceramide-induced apoptosis in neural crest-derived tissues concurrent with defective cranial development

    Wang, G; Bieberich, Erhard; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2010-05-27)
    Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The reason why specific embryonic tissues are sensitive toward ethanol is not understood. We found that in neural crest-derived cell (NCC) cultures from the first branchial arch of E10 mouse embryos, incubation with ethanol increases the number of apoptotic cells by fivefold. Apoptotic cells stain intensely for ceramide, suggesting that ceramide-induced apoptosis mediates ethanol damage to NCCs. Apoptosis is reduced by incubation with CDP-choline (citicoline), a precursor for the conversion of ceramide to sphingomyelin. Consistent with NCC cultures, ethanol intubation of pregnant mice results in ceramide elevation and increased apoptosis of NCCs in vivo. Ethanol also increases the protein level of prostate apoptosis response 4 (PAR-4), a sensitizer to ceramide-induced apoptosis. Prenatal ethanol exposure is concurrent with malformation of parietal bones in 20% of embryos at day E18. Meninges, a tissue complex derived from NCCs, is disrupted and generates reduced levels of TGF-b1, a growth factor critical for bone and brain development. Ethanol-induced apoptosis of NCCs leading to defects in the meninges may explain the simultaneous presence of cranial bone malformation and cognitive retardation in FAS. In addition, our data suggest that treatment with CDP-choline may alleviate the tissue damage caused by alcohol.
  • The Pathological Roles of Ganglioside Metabolism in Alzheimer's Disease: Effects of Gangliosides on Neurogenesis

    Ariga, Toshio; Wakade, Chandramohan; Yu, Robert K.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Institute of Neuroscience (2011-01-9)
    Conversion of the soluble, nontoxic amyloid β-protein (Aβ) into an aggregated, toxic form rich in β-sheets is a key step in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It has been suggested that Aβ induces changes in neuronal membrane fluidity as a result of its interactions with membrane components such as cholesterol, phospholipids, and gangliosides. Gangliosides are known to bind Aβ. A complex of GM1 and Aβ, termed “GAβ”, has been identified in AD brains. Abnormal ganglioside metabolism also may occur in AD brains. We have reported an increase of Chol-1α antigens, GQ1bα and GT1aα, in the brain of transgenic mouse AD model. GQ1bα and GT1aα exhibit high affinities to Aβs. The presence of Chol-1α gangliosides represents evidence for genesis of cholinergic neurons in AD brains. We evaluated the effects of GM1 and Aβ1–40 on mouse neuroepithelial cells. Treatment of these cells simultaneously with GM1 and Aβ1–40 caused a significant reduction of cell number, suggesting that Aβ1–40 and GM1 cooperatively exert a cytotoxic effect on neuroepithelial cells. An understanding of the mechanism on the interaction of GM1 and Aβs in AD may contribute to the development of new neuroregenerative therapies for this disorder.
  • Quantifiable Biomarkers of Normal Aging in the Japanese Medaka Fish (Oryzias latipes)

    Ding, Lingling; Kuhne, Wendy W.; Hinton, David E.; Song, Jian; Dynan, William S.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2010-10-11)
    Background: Small laboratory fish share many anatomical and histological characteristics with other vertebrates, yet can be maintained in large numbers at low cost for lifetime studies. Here we characterize biomarkers associated with normal aging in the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), a species that has been widely used in toxicology studies and has potential utility as a model organism for experimental aging research.
  • Ganglioside metabolism in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease: expression of Chol-1a antigens in the brain

    Ariga, Toshio; Yanagisawa, Makoto; Wakade, Chandramohan; Ando, Susumu; Buccafusco, Jerry J; McDonald, Michael P; Yu, Robert K.; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (2010-10-4)
    The accumulation of Ab (amyloid b-protein) is one of the major pathological hallmarks in AD (Alzheimer’s disease). Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids enriched in the nervous system and frequently used as biomarkers associated with the biochemical pathology of neurological disorders, have been suggested to be involved in the initial aggregation of Ab. In the present study, we have examined ganglioside metabolism in the brain of a double- Tg (transgenic) mouse model of AD that co-expresses mouse/ human chimaeric APP (amyloid precursor protein) with the Swedish mutation and human presenilin-1 with a deletion of exon 9. Although accumulation of Ab was confirmed in the double-Tg mouse brains and sera, no statistically significant change was detected in the concentration and composition of major ganglio-N-tetraosyl-series gangliosides in the double-Tg brain. Most interestingly, Chol-1a antigens (cholinergic neuron-specific gangliosides), such as GT1aa and GQ1ba, which are minor species in the brain, were found to be increased in the double-Tg mouse brain. We interpret that the occurrence of these gangliosides may represent evidence for generation of cholinergic neurons in the AD brain, as a result of compensatory neurogenesis activated by the presence of Ab.
  • Role of Rac1 GTPase in NADPH Oxidase Activation and Cognitive Impairment Following Cerebral Ischemia in the Rat

    Raz, Limor; Zhang, Quan-Guang; Zhou, Cai-feng; Han, Dong; Gulati, Priya; Yang, Li-cai; Yang, Fang; Wang, Rui-min; Brann, Darrell W; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics (2010-09-7)
    Background: Recent work by our laboratory and others has implicated NADPH oxidase as having an important role in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia, although the mechanisms controlling NADPH oxidase in the brain remain poorly understood. The purpose of the current study was to examine the regulatory and functional role of the Rho GTPase, Rac1 in NADPH oxidase activation, ROS generation and neuronal cell death/cognitive dysfunction following global cerebral ischemia in the male rat.

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