Cytokinin-induced photomorphogenesis in dark-grown Arabidopsis: a proteomic analysis

High concentrations of cytokinins (CKs) in the cultivation medium can induce partial photomorphogenesis in dark-grown Arabidopsis seedlings. However, no significant increases in endogenous CK levels have been found in de-etiolated mutants, suggesting that either parallel pathways are involved in the light and CK responses, or changes in the sensitivity to CKs occur during photomorphogenesis. Here it is shown that even modest increases in endogenous CK levels induced by transgenic expression of the CK biosynthetic gene, ipt, can lead to many typical features of light-induced de-etiolation, including inhibition of hypocotyl elongation and partial cotyledon opening. In addition, significant changes in expression of 37 proteins (mostly related to chloroplast biogenesis, a major element of light-induced photomorphogenesis) were detected by image and mass spectrometric analysis of two-dimensionally separated proteins. The identified chloroplast proteins were all up-regulated in response to increased CKs, and more than half are up-regulated at the transcript level during light-induced photomorphogenesis according to previously published transcriptomic data. Four of the up-regulated chloroplast proteins identified here have also been shown to be up-regulated during light-induced photomorphogenesis in previous proteomic analyses. In contrast, all differentially regulated mitochondrial proteins (the second largest group of differentially expressed proteins) were down-regulated. Changes in the levels of several tubulins are consistent with the observed morphological alterations. Further, 10 out of the 37 differentially expressed proteins detected have not been linked to either photomorphogenesis or CK action in light-grown Arabidopsis seedlings in previously published transcriptomic or proteomic analyses.

A proteomic analysis of protein variations during differentiation of v-myb-transformed monoblasts

v-myb oncogene of avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) transforms myelomonocytic cells in vitro and induces acute monoblastic leukemia in vivo. The transforming effect of the v-myb can be suppressed using phorbol ester (TPA) or histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA), the inducers of cell differentiation that are in clinical trials. In this study, we used proteomics-based approach to identify proteins with variable expression in differentiated BM2 cells. Proteome variations induced by TPA and TSA were compared to examine the mechanism of differentiation-promoting effects of these drugs. We found that expression of several proteins participating in cell cytoskeleton rearrangement, heat shock response, proteosynthesis and cell signaling was altered in TPA- or TSA-treated cells. We present here the first comparative proteome analysis of v-myb-transformed monoblasts BM2 focused on identification of proteins involved in their terminal differentiation.

The identification of catalytic pentad in the haloalkane dehalogenase DhmA from Mycobacterium avium N85: Reaction mechanism and molecular evolution

Haloalkane dehalogenase DhmA from Mycobacterium avium N85 showed poor expression and low stability when produced in Escherichia coli. Here, we present expression DhmA in newly constructed pK4RP rhodococcal expression system in a soluble and stable form. Site-directed mutagenesis was used for the identification of a catalytic pentad, which makes up the reaction machinery of all currently known haloalkane dehalogenases. The putative catalytic triad Asp123, His279, Asp250 and the first halide-stabilizing residue Trp124 were deduced from sequence comparisons. The second stabilizing residue Trp164 was predicted from a homology model. Five point mutants in the catalytic pentad were constructed, tested for activity and were found inactive. A two-step reaction mechanism was proposed for DhmA. Evolution of different types of catalytic pentads and molecular adaptation towards the synthetic substrate 1,2-dichloroethane within the protein family is discussed.

Structural protein analysis of the polyvalent staphylococcal bacteriophage 812

Phage 812 is a polyvalent phage with a very broad host range in the genus Staphylococcus, which makes it a suitable candidate for phage therapy of staphylococcal infections. This proteomic study, combining the results of both 1-DE and 2-DE followed by PMF, led to the identification of 24 virion proteins. Twenty new proteins, not yet identified by proteome analysis of closely related staphylococcal phages K and G1 were identified using this approach. Fifteen proteins were assigned unambiguously to the head-tail genome module; the remaining nine proteins are encoded by genes of the left or right arms of the phage genome. As expected, the most abundant proteins in the electrophoretic patterns are the major capsid protein, the major tail sheath protein and proteins identical to ORF 50 and ORF 95 of phage K, although their function is only putative. Identification of these 20 new proteins contributes substantially to a detailed characterization of phage virions, knowledge of which is necessary for rational phage therapy.

Role of vimentin in regulation of monocyte/macrophage differentiation

Maturation of blood cells depends on dramatic changes of expression profiles of specific genes. Although these changes have been extensively studied, their functional outcomes often remain unclear. In this study, we explored the identity and function of an unknown protein that was greatly overexpressed in v-myb-transformed BM2 monoblasts undergoing differentiation to macrophage-like cells. We identified this protein as vimentin, the intermediate filament protein. We show that an increased level of vimentin protein results from activation of the vimentin gene promoter occurring in monoblastic cells induced to differentiate by multiple agents. Furthermore, our studies reveal that the vimentin gene promoter is stimulated by Myb and Jun proteins, the key transcriptional regulators of myeloid maturation. Silencing of vimentin gene expression using siRNA markedly suppressed the ability of BM2 cells to form macrophage polykaryons active in phagocytosis and producing reactive oxygen species. Taken together, these findings document that up-regulation of vimentin gene expression is important for formation of fully active macrophage-like cells and macrophage polykaryons.

[Prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis in older pregnant women]

The paper deals with the genetic risk of advanced age of women assessed on the basis of prenatal cytogenetic analysis during the second trimester of gestation. The examined group comprised 614 pregnant women older than 35 years. The cells for chromosomal analysis were obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis during the 16th to 18th week of gestation. Cytogenetic examination revealed that the general risk of an aneuploid foetus in women of more advanced age is 2.12% and the most frequently encountered chromosomal aberration was trisomy 21 which was confirmed in 1.30 cytogenetically examined foetuses.

Cytogenetic analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in workers occupationally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls

The ability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to induce chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in peripheral lymphocytes was studied in a group of workers occupationally exposed to PCBs during the production of the Czechoslovak PCB products Delor 103 and Delor 106. The effect of PCB exposure was compared between an exposed group (N = 32, 3.25 +/- 0.34% aberrant cells, AB.C.), control group 1 (N = 20, 1.30 +/- 0.29% AB.C.), and control group 2 (N = 20, 1.60 +/- 0.31% AB.C.). The length of PCB exposure over 10 yr increased the frequency of AB.C. in a group exposed for 11-15 yr to 3.40% (N = 5) and in a group exposed for 16-25 yr to 5.85% (N = 7) vs. an increase of 1.60% AB.C. in group C2 and of SCE to 12.6 +/- 0.9/cell vs. 6.9 +/- 0.7 SCE/cell in C2. The clastogenic activity observed in this group may be the result of a high PCB concentration in blood plasma (320 +/- 190 micrograms PCB/l), and it is probably related to its solubility in adipose tissue, when it may act as another mutagen and carcinogen biotransformation inducer.

[Relation of the occurrence of chromosome aberrations in human peripheral lymphocytes to the cell cycle]

Experimental results confirmed that the best period of cultivation of human peripheral lymphocytes for chromosomal analyses in subjects exposed to mutagens and carcinogens is 44-48 hours when the dividing lymphocytes are in the first cellular cycle. With prolongation of the cultivation period of lymphocytes the values of chromosomal aberrations decline because in subsequent cellular cycles their number declines as a result of mitotic deaths of cells which contain unstable types of aberrations.