MicroRNA-24 can control triacylglycerol synthesis in goat mammary epithelial cells by targeting the fatty acid synthase gene.

In nonruminants it has been demonstrated that microRNA-24 (miR-24) is involved in preadipocyte differentiation, hepatic lipid, and plasma triacylglycerol synthesis. However, its role in ruminant mammary gland remains unclear. In this study we measured miR-24 expression in goat mammary gland tissue at 4 different stages of lactation and observed that it had highest expression at peak lactation when compared with the dry period. Overexpression or downregulation of miR-24 in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMEC) strongly affected fatty acid profiles; in particular, miR-24 enhanced unsaturated fatty acid concentration. Additional effects of miR-24 included changes in triacylglycerol content and the expression of fatty acid synthase, sterol regulatory element binding transcription protein 1, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase mitochondrial, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that fatty acid synthase is a target of miR-24. Taken together, these results not only highlight the physiological importance of miR-24 in fatty acid metabolism in GMEC, but also laid the foundation for further research on regulatory mechanisms among miR-24 and other microRNA expressed in GMEC.

Functional reconstitution of purified chloroquine resistance membrane transporter expressed in yeast.

Malaria is one of the major parasitic diseases. Current treatment of malaria is seriously hampered by the emergence of drug resistant cases. A once-effective drug chloroquine (CQ) has been rendered almost useless. The mechanism of CQ resistance is complicated and largely unknown. Recently, a novel transmembrane protein, Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), has fulfilled all the requirements of being the CQ resistance gene. In order to elucidate the mechanism how PfCRT mediates CQ resistance, we have cloned the cDNA from a CQ sensitive parasite (3D7) and tried to express it in Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris) but with unsuccessful results due to AT-rich sequences in the malaria genome. We have therefore, based on the codon usage in P. pastoris, chemically synthesized a codon-modified pfcrt with an overall 55% AT content. This codon-modified pfcrt has now been successfully expressed in P. pastoris. The expressed PfCRT has been purified with immuno metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and then reconstituted into proteoliposome. It was found that proteoliposomes have a saturable, concentration and time-dependent CQ transport activity. In addition, we found that proteoliposomes with resistant PfCRT(r) (K76T or K76I) showed an increased CQ transport activity compared to liposomes with lipid alone, or proteoliposomes reconstituted with sensitive PfCRT(s) (K76) protein. This activity could be inhibited by nigericin and decreased with the removal of Cl(-). This work suggests that PfCRT is mediating CQR in P. falciparum by virtue of its changes in CQ transport activity depending on pH gradient and chloride ion in the food vacuole.

Construction and characterization of a cDNA library from 4-week-old human embryo.

Development and differentiation studies of early human embryos have been severely impeded by general difficulties in obtaining suitable samples. In order to isolate and identify new genes expressed during early human development, we constructed and characterized a PCR-based cDNA library using a 4-week-old chorion-free human embryo. The constructed cDNA library contained 6.3 x 10(6) directional recombinants, and its insert size ranged from 0.4 to 1.8 kb. The cDNA library proportionally represents the mRNA population, containing beta-actin, tPA and LINE1 repetitive sequences at the expected frequencies as in other conventionally constructed and PCR-based cDNA libraries. PCR analyses of the library for specific genes have also revealed the presence of cDNAs for developmentally important genes such as CD59, MCP, Quox-1 and ZNF268. Among the 70 randomly selected cDNA clones, 53% encoded previously known genes, 26% matched with anonymous sequences, and 17% showed no sequence similarity and were designated as human early embryo-specific ESTs. These results demonstrate the sequence complexity and relatively low redundancy of our cDNA library. Furthermore, approximately 40% of those randomly analyzed clones contained full-length encoding regions. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the PCR-based cDNA library from a 4-week-old chorion-free human embryo, and the presence of novel sequences within this library makes it a valuable and unique resource for studying gene expression and regulatory mechanisms that underlie the early process of human embryogenesis.

Cloning and characterization of a novel Krüppel-like zinc finger gene, ZNF268, expressed in early human embryo.

With the aim of identifying genes involved in early human embryonic development, we have isolated a cDNA clone representing a novel human zinc finger gene ZNF268 from 3 week old human embryo cDNA library using a differential hybridization strategy. The complete cDNA sequence of ZNF268 contained an open reading frame of 2841 nucleotides that encodes a 947 amino acid protein with an N-terminal Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) domain and 24 C-terminal zinc fingers. Northern blot analysis showed that ZNF268 mRNA is mainly expressed in 3-5 week old human embryos suggesting it could play certain roles in the embryogenesis. The gene consists of six exons spanning about 22 kb of genomic DNA. According to the genomic sequence from the HTGS database, the ZNF268 gene is assigned to human chromosome 5.

[Cloning and identification of a new telomeric-associated zinc finger protein cDNA].

In order to isolate novel genes related to early human embryo development and differentiation, a directional cDNA library was constructed from 3-week-old human embryo. Single-pass DNA sequence analysis was used to sequence 47 randomly picked low-abundance cDNA clones. This approach led us to select a clone, L30, showing significant homology with the telomeric-associated DNA and zinc finger protein genes. It is about 3.8 kb in length and contains an open reading frame of notable length within 5'-region, and a tailing signal of AAUAAA and poly (A+) with 39 A in 3'-region. The gene was transcribed in human embryo by Northern blot hybridization and assigned to human chromosome 12 by in situ hybridization.

Molecular interactions of endogenous D-myo-inositol phosphates with the intracellular D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate recognition site.

A systematic effort was made to elucidate the mode of recognition at the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-specific receptor. Eleven D-myo-inositol phosphates were synthesized and tested for Ca(2+)-mobilizing and receptor-binding activities, which included Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P5, Ins(1,2,5,6)P4, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, Ins(1,3,4,6)P4, Ins(1,4,5,6)P4, Ins(3,4,5,6)P4, Ins(1,3,4)P4, Ins(1,4,5)P3, Ins(1,5,6)P3, Ins(1,4)P2, and Ins(4,5)P2. Of these, Ins(1,4,5)P3, Ins(1,3,4,6)P4, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, Ins(1,4,5,6)P4, and Ins(4,5)P2 were able to elicit Ca2+ release from rat brain microsomes. Binding experiments suggest that the ability of these polyphosphates to effect Ca2+ mobilization arises from interactions with the Ins(1,4,5)P3-specific receptor. Accordingly, a model accounting for the ligand recognition is proposed. The Ins(1,4,5)P3-binding site is presumably composed of two domains. The anchoring domain binds the 4,5-bisphosphate 6-hydroxy motif. Disruption of this structural feature abolishes the agonist activity. The auxiliary domain exerts long-range interactions with the 1-phosphate, thus enhancing the binding affinity. The stereochemical requirement for this electrostatic interaction is, however, less stringent. Evidence suggests that Ca(2+)-mobilizing inositol phosphates are able to effect productive binding by assuming conformations displaying or mimicking these essential structural features.

D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate analogues as useful tools in biochemical studies of intracellular calcium mobilization.

Two types of structural variants of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] were prepared by a chemoenzymatic route. These 6-O-substituted analogues retained the biological activity of Ins(1,4,5)P3, and were able to elicit Ca2+ release from porcine brain microsomes. Moreover, these derivatives allowed the preparation of Ins(1,4,5)P3-based immunogens and affinity matrix which were successfully applied to the preparation and purification of antibodies against Ins(1,4,5)P3. These antibodies displayed discriminative affinity towards Ins(1,4,5)P3, and provide a useful tool to study intracellular Ca2+ mobilization.

A 13C NMR study on ibuprofen metabolism in isolated rat liver mitochondria.

A 13C NMR approach was taken to study the biotransformation of (R)- and (S)-[2-13C,2-2H]ibuprofen-CoA in isolated rat liver mitochondria. The 13C chemical shift induced by 2H substitution for the C-2 of [2-13C,2-2H]-ibuprofen-CoA is about 0.5 ppm relative to the corresponding 1H-bearing thioester. The C-2 resonances for [2-13C]- and [2-13C,2-2H]ibuprofen-CoA are 5 ppm downfield with respect to their acid counterparts. Consequently, this technique permits real time analyses of the metabolic fate of the doubly labeled substrate in a quantitative manner. The initial rate of the epimerization of (S)-[2-13C,2-2H]ibuprofen-CoA relative to the (R)-counterpart by intact mitochondria was estimated to be 1.5, which is in line with the equilibrium constant determined with the purified epimerase. Contrary to the reports by other groups, this 13C NMR study did not find spontaneous hydrolysis of the CoA-thioester upon being exposed to intact mitochondria. Current focus of this investigation is to extend this NMR methodology to the levels of whole cells and live animals to gain a better understanding of the enantioselective metabolism of ibuprofen.