Studies on the constituents of Catalpa species. VI. Monoterpene glycosides from the fallen leaves of Catalpa ovata G. Don.

Five new monoterpene glycosides, ovatolactone 7-O-(6'-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, ovatic acid methyl ester 7-O-(6'-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, 7-O-p-hydroxybenzoylovatol 1-O-(6'-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, 6'-O-p-hydroxybenzoylcatalposide and (2E,6R)-2,6-dimethyl-8-hydroxy-2-octenoic acid 8-O-[6'-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-beta-D-glucopyranoside were isolated from the fallen leaves of Catalpa ovata G. Don. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic studies and syntheses.

New sterols and triterpenoids from four edible mushrooms.

Four edible mushrooms, Panellus serotinus, Lepista nuda, Tricholoma matsutake and Naematoloma sublateritium, have been investigated chemically. Two new sterols, 5alpha,9alpha-epidioxy-(22E)-ergosta-7,22-diene-3beta,6alpha-diol (1) and 5alpha,9alpha-epidioxy-(22E)-ergosta-7,22-diene-3beta,6beta-diol (2), have been isolated from Panellus serotinus. Compound 2 was also isolated from Lepista nuda. A new sterol, 3beta,5alpha,9alpha,14beta-tetrahydroxy-(22E)-ergosta-7,22-dien-6-one (3), and compound 2 have been isolated from Tricholoma matsutake. Three new triterpenoids, sublateriols A-C (4-6), have been isolated from Naematoloma sublateritium. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data.

Structures of new sesquiterpenoids from Farfarae Flos.

Two new bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids, (3R,4R,6S)-3,4-epoxybisabola-7(14),10-dien-2-one and (1R,3R,4R,5S,6S)-1-acetoxy-8-angeloyloxy-3,4-epoxy-5-hydroxybisabola-7(14),10-dien-2-one, and a new oplopane-type sesquiterpenoid, 14(R)-hydroxy-7beta-isovaleroyloxyoplop-8(10)-en-2-one, were isolated from Farfarae Flos along with three known compounds. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.

Secoiridoid glycosides from Gentiana scabra.

Two new secoiridoid glycosides, 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylgentiopicroside (1) and 6'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylgentiopicroside (2), have been isolated from the rhizomes and roots of Gentiana scabra together with three known compounds, olivieroside, 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylamplexine, and benzyl alcohol O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated using chemical and physicochemical (MS and NMR) studies.

Structures of new ceramides from the fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa.

Four new phytosphingosine-type ceramides, (2S,3S,4R)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxydocosanoylamino]-1,3,4-octadecane triol (1), (2S,3S,4R)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxytricosanoylamino]-1,3,4-octadecan etriol (2), (2S,3S,4R)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxypentacosanoylamino]-1,3,4-octadec anetriol (3) and (2S,3S,4R)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxyhexacosanoylamino]-1,3,4-octadeca netriol (4), have been isolated from the fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data.

Maternal program of apoptosis activated shortly after midblastula transition by overexpression of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase in Xenopus early embryos.

When we studied polyamine metabolism in Xenopus embryos, we cloned the cDNA for Xenopus S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC), which converts SAM (S-adenosylmethionine), the methyl donor, into decarboxylated SAM (dcSAM), the aminopropyl donor, and microinjected its in vitro transcribed mRNA into Xenopus fertilized eggs. We found here that the mRNA injection induces a SAM deficient state in early embryos due to over-function of the overexpressed SAMDC, which in turn induces inhibition of protein synthesis. Such embryos developed quite normally until blastula stage, but stopped development at the early gastrula stage, due to induction of massive cell dissociation and cell autolysis, irrespective of the dosage and stage of the mRNA injection. We found that the dissociated cells were TUNEL-positive, contained fragmented nuclei with ladder-forming DNA, and furthermore, rescued completely by coinjection of Bcl-2 mRNA. Thus, overexpression of SAMDC in Xenopus embryos appeared to switch on apoptotic program, probably via inhibition of protein synthesis. Here, we briefly review our results together with those reported from other laboratories. After discussing the general importance of this newly discovered apoptotic program, we propose that the maternal program of apoptosis serves as a surveillance mechanism to eliminate metabolically severely-damaged cells and functions as a 'fail-safe' mechanism for normal development in Xenopus embryos.

Studies of the constituents of Gardenia species. II. Terpenoids from Gardeniae Fructus.

Four new terpenoids, gardenate A (1), 2-hydroxyethyl gardenamide A (2), (1R,7R,8S,10R)-7,8,11-trihydroxyguai-4-en-3-one 8-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3) and Jasminoside F (4), were isolated from Gardeniae Fructus. Their structures were established on the basis of spectral analysis.

Sterol constituents from two edible mushrooms, Lentinula edodes and Tricholoma matsutake.

Two new sterols, (22E)-23-methylergosta-5,7,22-trien-beta-ol (1) and 5alpha,6alpha-epoxy-(22E)-ergosta-8,14,22-triene -3beta,7alpha-diol (2), have been isolated from two edible mushrooms, Lentinula edodes and Tricholoma matsutake, respectively, together with twelve known ones (3-14). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectral data.

Structure, expression, and function of the Xenopus laevis caspase family.

Caspases, a family of cysteine proteases, have been recognized as the central executors of programmed cell death. Nonetheless, the information on the caspase family has been limited to mammals, Drosophila, and nematodes. To examine the structure and characterization of the Xenopus caspase family, we have cloned the cDNAs encoding caspase-2 and -6-10 in addition to caspase-1 and -3, which we characterized previously (Yaoita, Y., and Nakajima, K. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 5122-5127). First, the existence of these caspases in frog suggests that the caspase cascades clarified in mammals are conserved at least from Amphibia. Interestingly, Xenopus caspase-1, -8, and -10 (especially caspase-8) showed a lower degree of identity to human equivalents than the other caspases. Second, mRNAs of many caspases increased during the climax of metamorphosis in regressing organs, tail, and intestine, where programmed cell death occurs, but not in apoptotic tail-derived cultured cells (XLT-15-11) treated with thyroid hormone, showing that new RNA synthesis of caspases is dispensable to programmed cell death. Third, comparison of human and Xenopus caspase sequences implies that some proposed regulations of human caspases are not conserved in frog.

Secoiridoid glycosides from the flower buds of Lonicera japonica.

Two secoiridoid glycosides, loniceracetalides A and B, were isolated in very small amounts, together with 10 known iridoid glycosides, from the flower buds of Lonicera japonica. The structures of loniceracetalides A and B were determined by spectroscopic analysis.

Construction of multiple-epitope tag sequence by PCR for sensitive Western blot analysis.

Epitope tagging is a powerful technique to characterize a recombinantly expressed protein encoded by cDNA without the purification of the protein and the immunization of animals. In some cases, however, the expression of a tagged protein is too low to analyze by Western blot. We have developed a simple method to generate tandem repetitive nucleotide sequence by PCR, which allows us to label a protein of interest with a multiple-epitope tag. When five myc epitopes were attached to vaccinia virus protein CrmA, its signal was multiplied 5.8 times in Western blot analysis, compared with that of one epitope-tagged CrmA.

Induction of apoptosis and CPP32 expression by thyroid hormone in a myoblastic cell line derived from tadpole tail.

During amphibian metamorphosis, the tail and gills that are useful in aquatic life but inappropriate for terrestrial activity are induced to degenerate completely in several days by endogenous thyroid hormone (TH). The dramatic resorption of the tadpole tail has attracted a good deal of attention as an experimental system of cell death, but the mechanism has not been well characterized. To facilitate in vitro analysis, we have established a myoblast cell line (XLT-15) derived from the Xenopus laevis tadpole tail. This cultured cell line died in response to TH and exhibited positive TUNEL reaction and internucleosomal DNA cleavage. Simultaneously, expression of the Xenopus CPP32/apopain/Yama gene was up-regulated by TH in the cell line as it is in regressing tadpole tail, whereas interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE) mRNA is around 1 copy/cell in tail and undetectable in XLT-15 cells. A CPP32/apopain/Yama inhibitor (acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde) prevented TH-induced apoptosis of XLT-15 cells, but an ICE inhibitor (acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-aldehyde) did not. These results suggested that an increase of CPP32/apopain/Yama gene expression is involved in TH-dependent apoptosis of XLT-15 and tadpole tail resorption during metamorphosis.

Genomic organization and alternative promoter usage of the two thyroid hormone receptor beta genes in Xenopus laevis.

Each of the two Xenopus laevis thyroid hormone receptor beta genes is at least 70 kilobases in length with similar intron-exon organization. There are up to eight alternatively spliced exons in the 5'-untranslated region. Excluding the extreme amino terminus, each receptor is encoded by six exons spanning about 6 kilobases of the genome, in which each of the two zinc fingers that comprise the DNA-binding domain is encoded by a separate exon and the hormone-binding domain is split into three exons. The last exon of the coding region also contains at least 600 base pairs of the 3'-untranslated region, which is about 8 kilobases. Each of the receptor genes has two promoters and just one of them is up-regulated in tadpoles by the administration of thyroid hormone.

A correlation of thyroid hormone receptor gene expression with amphibian metamorphosis.

The expression of the thyroid hormone (TH) receptor genes alpha (TR alpha) and beta (TR beta) in Xenopus laevis begins after the embryo hatches. The TR alpha mRNA increases throughout the premetamorphosis stage of tadpole development, is maximal by prometamorphosis, and falls after climax of metamorphosis to a lower level in frogs. The TR beta mRNA is barely detectable during premetamorphosis. In synchrony with the onset of endogenous TH synthesis by the thyroid gland (prometamorphosis), the level of TR beta mRNA rises in parallel with endogenous TH, reaching a peak at the climax of metamorphosis (stage 61) and drops to approximately 10% of its peak level after metamorphosis. As suggested by this correlation, exogenous TH up-regulates TR beta mRNA as much as 20-fold during premetamorphosis, whereas TH up-regulates TR alpha mRNA by approximately 2-fold during the same period. Up-regulation of TR beta mRNA is the earliest response to exogenous TH by competent tadpoles yet detected.

Xenopus laevis alpha and beta thyroid hormone receptors.

The Xenopus laevis genome encodes two genes for the alpha (TR alpha) and two genes for the beta (TR beta) thyroid hormone receptors. The two TR alpha genes closely resemble their rat, human, and chicken counterparts. No alternatively spliced TR alpha cDNA clones were found in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR). In contrast, complex alternative splicing of TR beta mRNA occurs within the 5' UTR as well as possible alternative transcriptional start sites. As many as eight exons encoding mainly the 5' UTR are alternatively spliced, giving rise to at least two amino termini for each of the two TR beta proteins. The 5' UTR of transcripts from both TR alpha and TR beta genes contain multiple AUG sequences with short open reading frames suggesting translational control mechanisms might play a role in expression of TR genes.

Chromosomal mapping of the mouse IL-4 and human IL-5 genes.

We mapped the mouse interleukin (IL)-4 gene on chromosome 11 by restriction fragment length polymorphism using recombinant inbred mouse strains. The human IL-5 gene was mapped on chromosome 5q 23.3-31.1 by in situ hybridization. Because the granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-3 genes were previously mapped on mouse chromosome 11 (within a 230-kb region) and human chromosome 5, the IL-4 and IL-5 genes are likely to cluster on the same chromosomes with the GM-CSF and IL-3 genes in both species.

Biased expression of variable region gene families of the immunoglobulin heavy chain in autoimmune-prone mice.

We have examined usage of variable region gene families of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (VH gene family) in spleens of MRL/MpJ-1pr/lpr (MRL/lpr), (NZB x NZW)F1, and BXSB mice by Northern analysis using various VH probes, including the VHPAR gene which we cloned and identified as a gene encoding the heavy-chain variable region of antipoly(ADP-ribose) antibody. The amount of VHS107 family mRNA was almost constant for the same amount of splenic crude RNA in autoimmune-prone and normal mice, while concentrations of other family mRNAs were elevated in autoimmune-prone mice. For example, per splenic RNA the VHPAR family was expressed in MRL/lpr mice 10 times more than in their normal counterpart, MRL/MpJ-+/+ (MRL/+) mice. These results indicate the bias of VH gene usage in autoimmune-prone mice. Expression of the VHS107 family was depressed from an early life stage of MRL/lpr and male BXSB mice. Furthermore, the expression of IL-4 and IL-5 were quantitatively compared, as B cell differentiation factor was thought to be produced by abnormally proliferative T cells in lymph nodes of MRL/lpr mice. We could not, however, observe overproduction of IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA in the lymph nodes.

A unique monoclonal antibody derived from a lupus-prone mouse with multiple bindings to autoantigens associated with rheumatic disease.

Monoclonal anti-poly(ADP-ribose) (MRP-2) was primarily a product of a hybridoma selected by binding to poly(ADP-ribose) from an autoimmune MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/1) mouse. Detailed examination revealed that anti-poly(ADP-ribose) monoclonal IgMK antibody bound not only to left-handed Z-DNA and single-stranded (ss) DNA but also to a conformational epitope formed by histone and double-stranded (ds) DNA. A reconstitution study revealed that association of dsDNA with histone H3 plus H4 was essential for their binding to MRP-2 monoclonal antibody. MRP-2 monoclonal antibody acted as a rheumatoid factor (RF). Since some monoclonal or polyclonal human serum antibodies of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) have been reported to recognize shared epitopes of denatured IgG and DNA-histone (nucleosomes), this MRP-2 monoclonal antibody with the similar activity derived from a lupus-prone mouse will be useful for the studies on the etiology of autoantibodies associated with RA, MCTD and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).