Staphylococcus aureus from atopic dermatitis skin accumulates in the lysosomes of keratinocytes with induction of IL-1α secretion via TLR9.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is frequently detected in the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and involved in the flare of AD. There are some evidence-specific strains of S. aureus affect the severity of AD. However, the mechanism of predominant colonization and the aggravation of dermatitis by certain strains of S. aureus in the patients with AD are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: To reveal the characteristics of S. aureus from patients with AD (S. aureus-AD), we analyzed the interaction of S. aureus-AD and keratinocytes in comparison with those of S. aureus laboratory strains (S. aureus-stand.). METHODS: We stimulated HaCaT cells, keratinocyte cell line, and human epidermal keratinocytes by heat-killed S. aureus strains, then evaluated immune response of keratinocytes by ELISA, immunofluorescence staining, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Upon incubation with keratinocytes, three out of four strains of heat-killed S. aureus-AD were strongly agglutinated inside the cytoplasm. In the cells, they are located in lysosomes and promoted the secretion of interleukin-1α (IL-1α). These reactions were not observed by any of four strains of S. aureus-stand. and S. epidermidis and were abolished by the treatment of S. aureus with proteinase K. Moreover, the IL-1α secretion was diminished by the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). CONCLUSION: S. aureus-AD accumulates in lysosome of keratinocytes by means of bacterial cell wall proteins and induces IL-1α via TLR9.

Microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of konjac products for determining the konjac powder content.

The complete hydrolysis of konjac glucomannan (KGM) with an acid or enzyme generally takes a long time. To accelerate KGM hydrolysis without diminishing the conventional quality, a diluted acid hydrolysis of KGM with sulfuric acid was conducted using a microwave digestion system. The optimum conditions of microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis for KGM were: 10 mL of 0.25 M sulfuric acid, hydrolysis temperature of 135°C (microwave power of 600 W), and total microwave-irradiation time of 45 min. The yields of the component sugars, mannose and glucose, from two konjac powders were similar to those by conventional acid hydrolysis with 1 M sulfuric acid in a boiling water bath for 5 h. Furthermore, a pretest for microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis using mixtures of konjac powder and starch at different ratios proved that their konjac content can be calculated by determining the mannose generated by the new rapid hydrolysis method, if the raw materials are provided.

Influence of pelage insulation and ambient temperature on energy intake and growth of juvenile Siberian hamsters.

Both growth and thermoregulation are energetically costly, and many studies implicate an energetic tradeoff between them. Moreover, fur is known to ameliorate thermoregulatory costs in adult mammals, but its role in maintaining energy balance during growth is unclear. This study tested for an energetic tradeoff between growth and thermoregulation in juvenile Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) and the effect of an insulative pelage on intrinsic growth rate. Hamsters weaned at 18 days of age and left fully furred or deprived of all dorsal fur by shaving at 20 days of age, were housed at 10 degrees C or 23 degrees C. Body mass, length, and food consumption were measured until hamsters were 35 days old. Thermal challenge, whether by low ambient temperature or shaving, resulted in increased food intake and decreased efficiency at converting food into body mass. Body mass and length were not affected by the thermal challenges. These results suggest that there is no mandatory tradeoff between growth and thermoregulation in this species, particularly when food is in abundant supply. Although fur was not necessary for normal growth to proceed, it ameliorated energetic costs associated with thermoregulation, and may play a role in maintaining energy balance under conditions of limited food availability.

An arginine specific protease from Spirulina platensis.

An arginine specific protease, Sp-protease, was purified by column chromatography from freeze-dried Spirulina platensis using a five-step process. Purified Sp-protease has a molecular weight of 80 kDa. It hydrolyzed the synthetic substrates containing arginine residue in the P1 position but did not hydrolyze synthetic substrates containing other amino acid residues, including lysine residue in the P1 position. Among the synthetic substrates tested, a substrate of plasminogen activator (Pyr-Gly-Arg-MCA) was hydrolyzed most effectively with the enzyme (Km = 5.5 x 10(-6) M), and fibrin gel was solubilized via activation of intrinsic plasminogen to plasmin with the enzyme. Activity was inhibited completely with camostat mesilate (Ki = 1.1 x 10(-8) M) and leupeptin (Ki = 3.9 x 10(-8) M) but was not inhibited with Nalpha-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK). The optimum pH of the enzyme has a range of pH 9.0 to pH 11.0. The optimum temperature was 50 degrees C; the enzyme was stable at 0-50 degrees C.

Characteristics of an aminopeptidase from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen.

A peptidase from Japanese cedar pollen, Jc-peptidase, was clarified to preferentially hydrolyze an MCA substrate of Phe-MCA (L-phenylalanyl-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide). This study examined substrate specificities of Jc-peptidase using oligopeptides. Jc-peptidase hydrolyzed Phe-Phe and Tyr-Phe effectively and hydrolyzed Leu-Phe, Met-Phe, and Arg-Phe moderately. Other substrates such as Ala-Phe, Asp-Phe, and Pro-Phe were not hydrolyzed with the peptidase. Results obtained with a series of aminoacyl-Phe peptides were compatible with the facts obtained for MCA substrates except for Arg-MCA. Effects of amino acid residues in the P1' position were also examined using Phe-amino acids. An N-terminal phenylalanine residue was actually released from bioactive peptides such as molluscan cardioexcitatory neuropeptide (FMRF-NH(2)). Because the activity was inhibited with Zn(2+) and EDTA, Jc-peptidase was inferred to belong to the metalloproteases. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined to be APIGVQLEIEENYVHMYNGF and an internal sequence to be EIFAATFNVDEETEA, but no homology with other proteins was found.

Isolation and characterization of aminopeptidase (Jc-peptidase) from Japanese cedar pollen (Cryptomeria japonica).

An aminopeptidase, Jc-peptidase, was purified from Japanese cedar pollen by seven steps, including precipitation with ammonium sulfate, ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration, hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenyl-agarose, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Purified Jc-peptidease has a molecular weight of 42 kDa and hydrolyzes the synthetic substrates of L-phenylalanyl-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide (Phe-MCA) with Km = 5 x 10(-5) M, Tyr-MCA with Km = 7 x 10(-4) M, Leu-MCA with Km = 1 x 10(-3) M, and Met-MCA with Km = 1 x 10(-3) M. Other MCA analogues such as Arg-MCA or Glu-MCA failed to serve as its substrates. The activity was inhibited in the presence of phebestin, [(2S,3R)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoyl-L-valyl]-L-phenylalanine, with Ki = 4.7 x 10(-5) M, or bestatin, [(2S,3R)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoyl]-L-leucine, with Ki = 1.1 x 10(-4) M. According to amino acid sequence analysis, the N-terminal amino group seems to be blocked. The physiological function of the aminopeptidase (Jc-peptidase) has not been clarified in vivo.

Formation of a bioconjugate composed of hemin, smectite, and quaternary ammonium chloride that is soluble and active in hydrophobic media.

Hemin (Fe(3+)) was adsorbed onto synthetic smectite (clay mineral) intercalated with a quaternary alkenylammonium compound, dioleyldimethylammonium chloride (DOA), to form a hemin-smectite-DOA conjugate. The hemin-smectite-DOA conjugate was soluble in organic solvents such as benzene and toluene to form a transparent colloidal solution with a light yellow color. Its absorption spectrum in benzene showed two bands, 600 and 568 nm, in the visible region and a sharp Soret band at 400 nm with the molar extinction coefficient of 7.5 x 10(4) M(-1) cm(-1). The formation of the conjugate of smectite and DOA was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis: the basal spacing, d(001), of hemin-smectite-DOA conjugate was 19 A which is an expansion of the interlayer space by 5 A based upon the basal spacing of smectite of 14 A. Hemin-smectite-DOA conjugate catalyzed the peroxidase-like reaction in organic solvents using benzoyl peroxide as the hydrogen acceptor and leucocrystal violet as the hydrogen donor. The temperature-dependent peroxidase-like activity of the conjugate was compared with peroxidase activity of horseradish peroxidase. The hemin-smectite-DOA conjugate exhibited higher activity as the temperature was increased from 30 to 70 degrees C, while horseradish peroxidase activity was reduced as the temperature was increased.

Cooperativity of Albumin and Aggrexons A and B for ADP-Induced-Aggregation of Platelets.

Using extensively washed bovine platelets and a chemically defined medium instead of whole plasma, it was demonstrated that aggregation to a near normal extent was induced by ADP only in the presence of at least the following three components from plasma; albumin, Aggrexon A and Aggrexon B. These three proteins apparently acted cooperatively; the elimination of any one of the above mentioned plasma components from the system resulted in marked reduction of the aggregation.