A Comparative Kidney Transcriptome Analysis of Bicarbonate-Loaded insrr-Null Mice.

The maintenance of plasma pH is critical for life in all organisms. The kidney plays a critical role in acid-base regulation in vertebrates by controlling the plasma concentration of bicarbonate. The receptor tyrosine kinase IRR (insulin receptor-related receptor) is expressed in renal ß-intercalated cells and is involved in alkali sensing due to its ability to autophosphorylate under alkalization of extracellular medium (pH > 7.9). In mice with a knockout of the insrr gene, which encodes for IRR, urinary bicarbonate secretion in response to alkali loading is impaired. The specific regulatory mechanisms in the kidney that are under the control of IRR remain unknown. To address this issue, we analyzed and compared the kidney transcriptomes of wild-type and insrr knockout mice under basal or bicarbonate-loaded conditions. Transcriptomic analyses revealed a differential regulation of a number of genes in the kidney. Using TaqMan real-time PCR, we confirmed different expressions of the slc26a4, rps7, slc5a2, aqp6, plcd1, gapdh, rny3, kcnk5, slc6a6 and atp6v1g3 genes in IRR knockout mice. Also, we found that the expression of the kcnk5 gene is increased in wild-type mice after bicarbonate loading but not in knockout mice. Gene set enrichment analysis between the IRR knockout and wild-type samples identified that insrr knockout causes alterations in expression of genes related mostly to the ATP metabolic and electron transport chain processes.

Pharmacogenetic Analysis of the Interaction of the Low-Molecular-Weight BDNF Mimetic Dipeptide GSB-106 with TRK Receptors.

Using TrkA or TrkB receptor gene knockout HT-22 cells, the selectivity of the interaction of the low-molecular-weight dipeptide BDNF mimetic GSB-106 (hexamethylenediamide bis(N-monosuccinyl-L-seryl-L-lysine)) with TrkB receptors was shown.

Changes in the Expression of the gapdh Gene in the Organs of insrr Knockout Mice.

The most important property of a living organism is the maintenance of optimal acid-base balance and the ionic composition of the internal environment. The kidneys are one of the main pH-regulating organs in the body. Receptor tyrosine kinase IRR (an insulin receptor-related receptor) is an alkaline pH-sensor. In mice (Mus Musculus) with a knockout of the insrr gene encoding the IRR receptor, bicarbonate secretion is impaired under the conditions of alkaline loading, which indicates the role of the receptor tyrosine kinase IRR in the regulation of acid-base balance in the body. In order to search for proteins functionally associated with the receptor tyrosine kinase IRR, we performed a large-scale sequencing of the mouse kidney transcriptome of wild type and insrr knockout mice kept under normal conditions and under alkaline conditions. As a result, we found a decrease in the gapdh gene expression in the kidneys of insrr knockout mice compared to wild type mice. RNA sequencing data were confirmed by TaqMan real-time PCR and Western blotting. Using the TaqMan real-time PCR method, we revealed a decrease in the level of gapdh expression not only in the kidneys, but also in the liver and brain of insrr knockout mice. Thus, the changes in the gapdh gene expression in the kidneys of insrr knockout mice may indicate a functional relationship between genes and a possible role of GAPDH in previously undescribed molecular mechanisms of regulation of acid-base balance in the body.

Optimization of Heterologous Expression of Insulin Receptor-Related Receptor Ectodomain.

In this paper, we present an approach to optimize the heterologous expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase IRR, which further simplifies the purification of the IRR from the medium and increases the final yield. The approach proposed by us can find application in the biotechnological production of other large-scale recombinant proteins produced for medical purposes.

[Behavioral Phenotype of Mice with Alkali Sensor IRR Gene Knockout].

Receptor-like tyrosine kinase IRR (the insulin receptor-related receptor) can be activated by extra- cellular alkaline media. IRR is found in organs that come in contact with liquids of extremal pH, and also in specific cells of the nervous systems where its function is not known. In this study, we analyzed the phenotype of IRR knockout mice in a series of behavioral tests. In control experi- ments, null-mutation littermate mice were analyzed. In the "Social interaction" test, the knockout animals showed a reduced number of social contacts. No statistically significant differences in im- mobility time were revealed in the "Forced swim" test, yet the number of animals that showed pro- longed immobility time, was higher in the group of knockout mice. In the "Resident-intruder" test, wild-type mice demonstrated their typical aggressive behavior whereas 7 out of 16 knockout animals stayed inert and, in contrast, attacked by the intruder. The obtained data suggest that the IRR gene inactivation results in disturbances of the aggressive-defensive behavior typical of the parental mouse strain.

Synthetic Fluorophores for Visualizing Biomolecules in Living Systems.

The last decade has witnessed significant advance in the imaging of living systems using fluorescent markers. This progress has been primarily associated with the discovery of different spectral variants of fluorescent proteins. However, the fluorescent protein technology has its own limitations and, in some cases, the use of low-molecular-weight fluorophores is preferable. In this review, we describe the arsenal of synthetic fluorescent tools that are currently in researchers' hands and span virtually the entire spectrum, from the UV to visible and, further, to the near-infrared region. An overview of recent advances in site-directed introduction of synthetic fluorophores into target cellular objects is provided. Application of these fluorescent probes to the solution of a wide range of biological problems, in particular, to the determination of local ion concentrations and pH in living systems, is discussed.

Structural and functional analyses of the sixth site of neurexin alternative splicing.

In this study, we found the sixth site of alternative splicing (SS6) of neurexin 1a from the rat brain. This site is located between the fifth LNS and the third EGF-like domains. The insertion in the SS6 site corresponds to the 9-residue peptide VALMKADLQ, which is conserved among animals. We demonstrated that the SS6 insertion regulates tissue-specific expression of neurexin 1α.

Determination of Alkali-Sensing Parts of the Insulin Receptor-Related Receptor Using the Bioinformatic Approach.

IRR (insulin receptor-related receptor) is a receptor tyrosine kinase belonging to the insulin receptor family, which also includes insulin receptor and IGF-IR receptor. We have previously shown that IRR is activated by extracellular fluid with pH > 7.9 and regulates excess alkali excretion in the body. We performed a bioinformatic analysis of the pH-sensitive potential of all three members of the insulin receptor family of various animal species (from frog to man) and their chimeras with swapping of different domains in the extracellular region. An analysis using the AcalPred program showed that insulin receptor family proteins are divided into two classes: one class with the optimal working pH in the acidic medium (virtually all insulin receptor and insulin-like growth factor receptor orthologs, except for the IGF-IR ortholog from Xenopus laevis) and the second class with the optimal working pH in the alkaline medium (all IRR orthologs). The program had predicted that the most noticeable effect on the pH-sensitive property of IRR would be caused by the replacement of the L1 and C domains in its extracellular region, as well as the replacement of the second and third fibronectin repeats. It had also been assumed that replacement of the L2 domain would have the least significant effect on the alkaline sensitivity of IRR. To test the in silico predictions, we obtained three constructs with swapping of the L1C domains, the third L2 domain, and all three domains L1CL2 of IRR with similar domains of the insulin-like growth factor receptor. We found that replacement of the L1C and L1CL2 domains reduces the receptor's ability to be activated with alkaline pH, thus increasing the half-maximal effective concentration by about 100%. Replacement of the L2 domain increased the half-maximal effective concentration by 40%. Thus, our results indicate the high predictive potential of the AcalPred algorithm, not only for the pH-sensitive enzymes, but also for pH-sensitive receptors.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis and adaptor proteins.

Macromolecules gain access to the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells using one of several ways of which clathrin-dependent endocytosis is the most researched. Although the mechanism of clathrin-mediated endocytosis is well understood in general, novel adaptor proteins that play various roles in ensuring specific regulation of the mentioned process are being discovered all the time. This review provides a detailed account of the mechanism of clathrin-mediated internalization of activated G protein-coupled receptors, as well as a description of the major proteins involved in this process.

Deficient Response to Experimentally Induced Alkalosis in Mice with the Inactivated insrr Gene.

Currently, the molecular mechanisms of the acid-base equilibrium maintenance in the body remain poorly understood. The development of alkalosis under various pathological conditions poses an immediate threat to human life. Understanding the physiological mechanisms of alkalosis compensation may stimulate the development of new therapeutic approaches and new drugs for treatment. It was previously shown that the orphan insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR) is activated by mildly alkaline media. In this study, we analyzed mutant mice with targeted inactivation of theinsrr gene encoding IRR, and revealed their phenotype related to disorders of the acid-base equilibrium. Higher concentrations of bicarbonate and CO(2)were found in the blood ofinsrr knockout mice in response to metabolic alkalosis.

Analysis of proteins interacting with TRIP8b adapter.

Calcium-independent receptor of latrotoxin (CIRL) is an orphan heptahelical receptor implicated in regulation of exocytosis. To characterize molecular mechanisms of CIRL functioning, we searched for its intracellular partners using the yeast two-hybrid SR system with the cytoplasmic C-terminal fragment of CIRL as bait. One of the interacting proteins was identified as TRIP8b, a putative cytosolic adapter protein with multiple tetratricopeptide repeats. To understand functional significance of CIRL-TRIP8b interaction, we further isolated TRIP8b-interacting proteins by affinity chromatography of brain extracts on immobilized recombinant TRIP8b. Sixteen proteins were identified by mass spectrometry in the purified preparations. Clathrin and subunits of AP2 complex appeared to be the major TRIP8b-interacting proteins. Our data suggest a role of TRIP8b in receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Tissue-specific isoforms of the ubiquitous transcription factor Oct-1.

The ubiquitously expressed transcription factor Oct-1 is a member of the POU protein family. It is involved in the activation of snRNA promoters and some mRNA promoters (e.g., promoters and enhancers of genes for histone H2B and immunoglobulins). In this work we have cloned and sequenced a new Oct-1 isoform, named Oct-1L. Both Oct-1L mRNA and Oct-1R mRNA (cloned earlier) are expressed in lymphocytes, but not in any other cell line tested. This is the first report of tissue-specific Oct-1 gene expression. Both these forms differ from the ubiquitously expressed Oct-1 isoforms in the N-termini. They are probably generated by alternative splicing and/or alternative initiation of transcription. The latter is confirmed by the localization of transcription start points upstream of exons 1L (lymphocyte-specific) and IU (ubiquitously expressed). We assume that tissue-specific expression of Oct-1L and Oct-1R in lymphocytes and their structural differences from the ubiquitously expressed Oct-1 isoforms may be related to B and T cell differentiation and/or expression of the immunoglobulin genes.