Control Limitations in Models of T1DM and the Robustness of Optimal Insulin Delivery.

BACKGROUND: In insulin therapy, the blood glucose level is constrained from below by the hypoglycemic threshold, that is, the blood glucose level must remain above this threshold. It has been shown that this constraint fundamentally limits the ability to lower the maxima of the blood glucose level predicted by many mathematical models of glucose metabolism. However, it is desirable to minimize hyperglycemia as well. Hence, a desirable insulin input is one that minimizes the maximum glucose concentration while causing it to remain above the hypoglycemic, or higher, threshold. It has been shown that this input, which we call optimal, is characterized by glucose profiles for which either each maximum of the glucose concentration is followed by a minimum or each minimum is followed by a maximum. METHODS: We discuss the implication of this inherent control limitation for clinical practice and test, through simulation, the robustness of the optimal input to a number of different model and parameter uncertainties. We further develop guidelines on how to design an optimal insulin input that is robust to such uncertainties. RESULTS: The optimal input is in general not robust to uncertainties. However, a number of strategies may be used to ensure the blood glucose level remains above the hypoglycemic threshold and the maximum blood glucose level achieved is less than that achieved by standard therapy. CONCLUSIONS: An understanding of the limitations on the controllability of the blood glucose level is important for future treatment improvements and the development of artificial pancreas systems.

SAR and biological evaluation of 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane derivatives as µ opioid ligands.

3-Azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane compounds were designed as novel achiral µ opioid receptor ligands for the treatment of pruritus in dogs. In this paper, we describe the SAR of this class of opioid ligand, highlighting changes to the lead structure which led to compounds having picomolar binding affinity, selective for the µ receptor over δ and κ subtypes. Some subtleties of functional activity will also be described.

The proto-oncoprotein SYT interacts with SYT-interacting protein/co-activator activator (SIP/CoAA), a human nuclear receptor co-activator with similarity to EWS and TLS/FUS family of proteins.

The proto-oncoprotein SYT is involved in the unique translocation t(X;18) found in synovial sarcoma SYT-SSX fusions. SYT has a conserved N-terminal domain (SNH domain) that interacts with the human paralog of Drosophila Brahma (hBRM) and Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) chromatin remodeling proteins and a C-terminal transactivating sequence rich in glutamine, proline, glycine, and tyrosine (QPGY domain). Here we reported the isolation of the ribonucleoprotein SYT-interacting protein/co-activator activator (SIP/CoAA), which specifically binds the QPGY domain of SYT and also the SYT-SSX2 translocation fusion. SIP/CoAA is a general nuclear co-activator and an RNA splicing modulator that contains two RNA recognition motifs and multiple hexapeptide repeats. We showed that the region consisting of the hexapeptide motif (YQ domain) is similar to the hexapeptide repeat domain found in EWS and in TLS/FUS family proteins. The YQ domain also resembles the QPGY region of SYT itself and like all these other domains acts as a transcriptional activator in reporter assays. Most interestingly, the last 84 amino acids adjacent to YQ down-modulate by 25-fold the YQ transactivation of the reporter gene, and both domains are important for SIP/CoAA binding to SYT. In addition, SYT acts together with SIP/CoAA in stimulating estrogen and glucocorticoid receptor-dependent transcriptional activation. Activation is hormone-dependent and requires functional hBRM and/or BRG1. The stimulation is strongly reduced if the N-terminal region of hBRM/BRG1 (amino acids 1-211) is deleted. This region encompasses the SNF11 binding domain (amino acids 156-211), which interacts specifically with SYT in vivo and in vitro.

Crystal structure of the proximal BAH domain of the polybromo protein.

The BAH domain (bromo-associated homology domain) was first identified from a repeated motif found in the nuclear protein polybromo--a large (187 kDa) modular protein comprising six bromodomains, two BAH domains and an HMG box. To date, the BAH domain has no ascribed function, although it is found in a wide range of proteins that contain additional domains involved in either transcriptional regulation (e.g. SET, PHD and bromodomain) and/or DNA binding (HMG box and AT hook). The molecular function of polybromo itself also remains unclear, but it has been identified as a key component of an SWI/SNF (switching/sucrose non-fermenting)-related, ATP-dependent chromatin-remodelling complex PBAF (polybromo, BRG1-associated factors; also known as SWI/SNF-B or SWI/SNFbeta). We present in this paper the crystal structure of the proximal BAH domain from chicken polybromo (BAH1), at a resolution of 1.6 A (1 A=0.1 nm). Structure-based sequence analysis reveals several features that may be involved in mediating protein-protein interactions.

Mutations in PTF1A cause pancreatic and cerebellar agenesis.

Individuals with permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus usually present within the first three months of life and require insulin treatment. We recently identified a locus on chromosome 10p13-p12.1 involved in permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus associated with pancreatic and cerebellar agenesis in a genome-wide linkage search of a consanguineous Pakistani family. Here we report the further linkage analysis of this family and a second family of Northern European descent segregating an identical phenotype. Positional cloning identified the mutations 705insG and C886T in the gene PTF1A, encoding pancreas transcription factor 1alpha, as disease-causing sequence changes. Both mutations cause truncation of the expressed PTF1A protein C-terminal to the basic-helix-loop-helix domain. Reporter-gene studies using a minimal PTF1A deletion mutant indicate that the deleted region defines a new domain that is crucial for the function of this protein. PTF1A is known to have a role in mammalian pancreatic development, and the clinical phenotype of the affected individuals implicated the protein as a key regulator of cerebellar neurogenesis. The essential role of PTF1A in normal cerebellar development was confirmed by detailed neuropathological analysis of Ptf1a(-/-) mice.

Amplification and overexpression of E2F3 in human bladder cancer.

We demonstrate that, in human bladder cancer, amplification of the E2F3 gene, located at 6p22, is associated with overexpression of its encoded mRNA transcripts and high levels of expression of E2F3 protein. Immunohistochemical analyses of E2F3 protein levels have established that around one-third (33/101) of primary transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder overexpress nuclear E2F3 protein, with the proportion of tumours containing overexpressed nuclear E2F3 increasing with tumour stage and grade. When considered together with the established role of E2F3 in cell cycle progression, these results suggest that the E2F3 gene represents a candidate bladder cancer oncogene that is activated by DNA amplification and overexpression.

Conserved SNH domain of the proto-oncoprotein SYT interacts with components of the human chromatin remodelling complexes, while the QPGY repeat domain forms homo-oligomers.

Many studies have now established that the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complexes are involved in activation and repression of a variety of genes. In mammalian cells, these complexes contain the BRM and BRG1 helicase-like proteins that are thought to be responsible for nucleosome remodelling. The proto-oncoprotein SYT, involved in the unique translocation t(X;18) found in synovial sarcoma, is known to interact with human BRM (hBRM), thus providing a link between chromatin remodelling factors and human cancer. In this work, we address how SYT interacts with hBRM and BRG1. We demonstrate that the conserved N-terminal SNH domain of SYT, which is also present in the oncoproteins SYT-SSX, binds to both hBRM and BRG1. We have also found that in vivo the C-terminus transactivation QPGY region of SYT can interact with itself. This results in an amplified interaction with hBRM and highlights a possible regulatory function of this domain in cells.