A preliminary investigation into the comparison of dissolution/digestion techniques for the chemical characterization of polyurethane foam.

Due to their widespread use in domestic and commercial premises, polyurethane foams, as either fragmented or bulk foam, are types of evidence commonly found at crime scenes. The traditional approach to determining the evidential value of polyurethane foam (PF) involves comparing recovered and control fragments under low and high magnification, under various lighting conditions, as well as the comparison of their respective dye spectra. As with most forms of trace evidence, chemical comparison is also desirable. In this work, two approaches to chemically comparing foam fragments were investigated, i.e. inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis of the Tin (Sn) content in different foam types; and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) analysis of soluble components in PFs mobilized by dichloromethane. Seven different foam types were studied and their Sn content was found to be different. They also produced characteristic GC-FID chromatographic profiles whose compounds were identified with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. This study suggests that incorporating chemical data obtained from GC-FID/GC-MS and ICP-OES into a case involving PF could be advantageous, as this will enable the forensic scientist to broaden the comparison between control and recovered fragments, and further assess the strength of the evidence. However, ICP-OES analysis is a destructive technique with a relatively short sample turnaround time, whilst GC-FID analysis is more time-consuming and non-destructive, requiring corroboration with GC-MS data. The values of these two analytical techniques in the forensic chemical characterization of PFs are discussed.

Listeria monocytogenes infection overcomes the requirement for CD40 ligand in exogenous antigen presentation to CD8(+) T cells.

In vivo priming of CD8(+) T lymphocytes against exogenously processed model Ags requires CD4(+) T cell help, specifically interactions between CD40 ligand (CD40L) expressed by activated CD4(+) T cells and CD40, which is present on professional APC such as dendritic cells (DCs). To address this issue in the context of bacterial infection, we examined CD40L-CD40 interactions in CD8(+) T cell priming against an exogenously processed, nonsecreted bacterial Ag. CD40L interactions were blocked by in vivo treatment with anti-CD40L mAb MR-1, which inhibited germinal center formation and CD8(+) T cell cross-priming against an exogenous model Ag, OVA. In contrast, MR-1 treatment did not interfere with CD8(+) T cell priming against a nonsecreted or secreted recombinant Ag expressed by Listeria monocytogenes. Memory and secondary responses of CD8(+) T cells against nonsecreted and secreted bacterial Ags were also largely unimpaired by transient MR-1 treatment. When MR-1-treated mice were concurrently immunized with L. monocytogenes and OVA-loaded splenocytes, cross-priming of OVA-specific naive CD8(+) T cells occurred. No significant decline in cross-priming against OVA was measured when either TNF or IFN-gamma was neutralized in L. monocytogenes-infected animals, demonstrating that multiple signals exist to overcome CD40L blockade of CD8(+) T cell cross-priming during bacterial infection. These data support a model in which DCs can be stimulated in vivo through signals other than CD40, becoming APC that can effectively stimulate CD8(+) T cell responses against exogenous Ags during infection.

Role of the M1 receptor in regulating circadian rhythms.

Cholinergic stimuli are potent regulators of the circadian clock in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Using a brain slice model, we have found that the SCN clock is subject to muscarinic regulation, a sensitivity expressed only during the night of the clock's 24-h cycle. Pharmacological and signal transduction characteristics are compatible with a response mediated by an M1-like receptor. Molecular manipulation of muscarinic receptors will provide important insights as to the receptor subtype(s) regulating circadian rhythms.

Identification of subtypes of muscarinic receptors that regulate Ca2+ and K+ channel activity in sympathetic neurons.

Many different G protein-coupled receptors modulate the activity of Ca2+ and K+ channels in a variety of neuronal types. There are five known subtypes (M1-M5) of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Knockout mice lacking the M1, M2, or M4 subtypes are studied to determine which receptors mediate modulation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in mouse sympathetic neurons. In these cells, muscarinic agonists modulate N- and L-type Ca2+ channels and the M-type K+ channel through two distinct, G-protein mediated pathways. The fast and voltage-dependent pathway is lacking in the M2 receptor knockout mice. The slow and voltage-independent pathway is absent in the M1 receptor knockout mice. Neither pathway is affected in the M4 receptor knockout mice. Muscarinic modulation of the M current is absent in the M1 receptor knockout mice, and can be reconstituted in a heterologous expression system using cloned channels and M1 receptors. Our results using knockout mice are compared with pharmacological data in the rat.

Alteration of cardiovascular and neuronal function in M1 knockout mice.

We used gene targeting to generate mice lacking the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. These mice exhibit a decreased susceptibility to pilocarpine-induced seizures, loss of regulation of M-current potassium channel activity and of a specific calcium channel pathway in sympathetic neurons, a loss of the positive chronotropic and inotropic responses to the novel muscarinic agonist McN-A-343, and impaired learning in a hippocampal-dependent test of spatial memory.

Elucidating the role of muscarinic receptors in psychosis.

Muscarinic receptors have been implicated in the regulation of cognition and psychosis based on pharmacological evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies. Muscarinic agonists have shown promise in the clinic in improving cognition and reducing psychotic episodes in Alzheimer's patients. However, lack of selective muscarinic ligands has limited their use due to troublesome side effects observed at higher doses. Without selective ligands, it has been difficult to assign a specific muscarinic receptor subtype to these high order mental processes. Recent development of muscarinic receptor knockout mice has provided additional tools to investigate cognition and psychosis in behavioral assays and to determine the receptor subtypes associated with parasympathomimetic physiology. Biochemical studies indicate that the M1 receptor plays a significant role in regulating G alpha q-mediated signal transduction in the hippocampus and cortex. Behavioral studies suggest that the M4 receptor is involved in movement regulation and prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex, a measure of attention. These findings support a role for the development of M1 and M4 receptor agonists for diseases in which symptoms include cognitive impairment and psychotic behaviors.

The M1 receptor is required for muscarinic activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in murine cerebral cortical neurons.

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) in the central nervous system are involved in learning and memory, epileptic seizures, and processing the amyloid precursor protein. The M(1) receptor is the predominant mAChR subtype in the cortex and hippocampus. Although the five mAChR fall into two broad functional groups, all five subtypes, when expressed in recombinant systems, can activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. The MAPK pathway has been implicated in learning and memory, amyloid protein processing, and neuronal plasticity. We used M(1) knock-out mice to determine the role of this receptor subtype in signal transduction in the mouse forebrain. In primary cortical cultures from mice lacking the M(1) mAChR, agonist-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis was reduced by more than 60% compared with cultures from wild type mice. Although muscarinic agonists induced robust activation of MAPK in cortical cultures from wild type mice, mAChR-mediated activation of MAPK was virtually absent in cultures from M(1)-deficient mice. These results indicate that the M(1) mAChR is the major subtype that mediates activation of phospholipase C and MAPK in mouse forebrain.

M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase in CA1 pyramidal neurons in mouse hippocampal slices.

Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) is crucial for many neural functions, including learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity. As muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) modulate many of the same higher brain functions as ERK, we examined mAChR-mediated ERK activation in mouse hippocampal slices. The cholinergic agonist carbachol caused an atropine-sensitive ERK activation in the dendrites and somata CA1 pyramidal neurons. To determine the responsible mAChR subtype, we combined pharmacologic and genetic approaches. Pretreatment with M1 antagonists inhibited ERK activation. Furthermore, mAChR-induced ERK activation was absent in slices from M1 knockout mice. ERK activation was normal in slices derived from other mAChR subtype knockouts (M2, M3, and M4), although these other subtypes are expressed in many of the same neurons. Thus, we demonstrate divergent functions for the different mAChR subtypes. We conclude that M1 is responsible for mAChR-mediated ERK activation, providing a mechanism by which M1 may modulate learning and memory.

Impaired assembly yet normal trafficking of MHC class I molecules in Tapasin mutant mice.

Loading of peptides onto major histocompatibility complex class I molecules involves a multifactorial complex that includes tapasin (TPN), a membrane protein that tethers empty class I glycoproteins to the transporter associated with antigen processing. To evaluate the in vivo role of TPN, we have generated Tpn mutant mice. In these animals, most class I molecules exit the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in the absence of stably bound peptides. Consequently, mutant animals have defects in class I cell surface expression, antigen presentation, CD8+ T cell development, and immune responses. These findings reveal a critical role of TPN for ER retention of empty class I molecules. Tpn mutant animals should prove useful for studies on alternative antigen-processing pathways that involve post-ER peptide loading.

Muscarinic-induced modulation of potassium conductances is unchanged in mouse hippocampal pyramidal cells that lack functional M1 receptors.

Activation of muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (mAChRs) increases excitability of pyramidal cells by inhibiting several K+ conductances, including the after-hyperpolarization current (Iahp), the M-current (Im), and a leak K+ conductance (Ileak). Based on pharmacological evidence and the abundant localization of M1 receptors in pyramidal cells, it has been assumed that the M1 receptor is responsible for mediating these effects. However, given the poor selectivity of the pharmacological agents used to characterize these mAChR responses, rigorous characterization of the receptor subtypes that mediate these actions has not been possible. Surprisingly, patch clamp recording from CA1 pyramidal cells in M1 knockout mice revealed no significant difference in the degree of inhibition of Iahp, Im, or Ileak by the mAChR agonist, carbachol (CCh), as compared with wildtype controls. In addition, the M1-toxin was not able to block CCh's inhibition of the Iahp, Im, or Ileak These data demonstrate that the M1 receptor is not involved in increasing CA1 pyramidal cell excitability by mediating ACh effects on these K+ conductances.

Inhibition of human telomerase in immortal human cells leads to progressive telomere shortening and cell death.

The correlation between telomerase activity and human tumors has led to the hypothesis that tumor growth requires reactivation of telomerase and that telomerase inhibitors represent a class of chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, we examine the effects of inhibition of telomerase inside human cells. Peptide nucleic acid and 2'-O-MeRNA oligomers inhibit telomerase, leading to progressive telomere shortening and causing immortal human breast epithelial cells to undergo apoptosis with increasing frequency until no cells remain. Telomere shortening is reversible: if inhibitor addition is terminated, telomeres regain their initial lengths. Our results validate telomerase as a target for the discovery of anticancer drugs and supply general insights into the properties that successful agents will require regardless of chemical type. Chemically similar oligonucleotides are in clinical trials and have well characterized pharmacokinetics, making the inhibitors we describe practical lead compounds for testing for an antitelomerase chemotherapeutic strategy.

Assignment of muscarinic receptor subtypes mediating G-protein modulation of Ca(2+) channels by using knockout mice.

There are five known subtypes of muscarinic receptors (M(1)-M(5)). We have used knockout mice lacking the M(1), M(2), or M(4) receptors to determine which subtypes mediate modulation of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels in mouse sympathetic neurons. Muscarinic agonists modulate N- and L-type Ca(2+) channels in these neurons through two distinct G-protein-mediated mechanisms. One pathway is fast and membrane-delimited and inhibits N- and P/Q-type channels by shifting their activation to more depolarized potentials. The other is slow and voltage-independent and uses a diffusible cytoplasmic messenger to inhibit both Ca(2+) channel types. Using patch-clamp methods on acutely dissociated sympathetic neurons, we isolated each pathway by pharmacological and kinetic means and found that each one is nearly absent in a particular knockout mouse. The fast and voltage-dependent pathway is lacking in the M(2) receptor knockout mice; the slow and voltage-independent pathway is absent from the M(1) receptor knockout mice; and neither pathway is affected in the M(4) receptor knockout mice. The knockout effects are clean and are apparently not accompanied by compensatory changes in other muscarinic receptors.

Irreversible inactivation of purple acid phosphatase by hydrogen peroxide and ascorbate.

Treatment of the Cu(II)-Fe(III) derivative of pig allantoic fluid acid phosphatase with hydrogen peroxide caused irreversible inactivation of the enzyme and loss of half of the intensity of the visible absorption spectrum. Phosphate, a competitive inhibitor, protected against this inactivation, suggesting that it occurred as a result of a reaction at the active site. The native Fe(II)-Fe(III) enzyme was irreversibly inactivated by H2O2 to a much smaller extent than the Cu(II)-Fe(III) derivative, whereas the Zn(II)-Fe(III) derivative was stable to H2O2 treatment. The rates of inactivation of the Cu(II)-Fe(III) and Fe(II)-Fe(III) enzymes in the presence of H2O2 were increased by addition of ascorbate. These results suggest involvement of a Fenton-type reaction, generating hydroxyl radicals which react with essential active site groups. Experiments carried out on the Fe(II)-Fe(III) enzyme showed that irreversible inactivation by H2O2 in the presence of ascorbate obeyed pseudo first-order kinetics. A plot of kobs for this reaction against H2O2 concentration (at saturating ascorbate) was hyperbolic, giving kobs(max) = 0.41 +/- 0.025 min-1 and S0.5(H2O2) = 1.16 +/- 0.18 mM. A kinetic scheme is presented to describe the irreversible inactivation, involving hydroxyl radical generation by reaction of H2O2 with Fe(II)-Fe(III) enzyme, reduction of the product Fe(III)-Fe(III) enzyme by ascorbate and reaction of hydroxyl radical with an essential group in the enzyme.

Cellular delivery of peptide nucleic acids and inhibition of human telomerase.

BACKGROUND: Human telomerase has an essential RNA component and is an ideal target for developing rules correlating oligonucleotide chemistry with disruption of biological function. Similarly, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), DNA analogs that bind complementary sequences with high affinity, are outstanding candidates for inducing phenotypic changes through hybridization. RESULTS: We identify PNAs directed to nontemplate regions of the telomerase RNA that can overcome RNA secondary structure and inhibit telomerase by intercepting the RNA component prior to holoenzyme assembly. Relative potencies of inhibition delineate putative structural domains. We describe a novel protocol for introducing PNAs into eukaryotic cells and report efficient inhibition of cellular telomerase by PNAs. CONCLUSIONS: PNAs directed to nontemplate regions are a new class of telomerase inhibitor and may contribute to the development of novel antiproliferative agents. The dependence of inhibition by nontemplate-directed PNAs on target sequence suggests that PNAs have great potential for mapping nucleic acid structure and predictably regulating biological processes. Our simple method for introducing PNAs into cells will not only be useful for probing the complex biology surrounding telomere length maintenance but can be broadly applied for controlling gene expression and functional genomics.

Molecular analysis of the regulation of muscarinic receptor expression and function.

We have investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor gene expression and localization and generated knockout mice to study the role of the M1 muscarinic receptor in vivo. We have used the MDCK cell system to demonstrate that different subtypes of mAChR can be targeted to different regions of polarized cells. We have also examined the developmental regulation of mAChR expression in the chick retina. Early in development, the M4 receptor is the predominant mAChR while the levels of the M2 and M3 receptors increase later in development. The level of M2 receptor is also initially very low in retinal cultures and undergoes a dramatic increase over several days in vitro. The level of M2 receptor can be increased by a potentially novel, developmentally regulated, secreted factor produced by retinal cells. The promoter for the chick M2 receptor gene has been isolated and shown to contain a site for GATA-family transcription factors which is required for high level cardiac expression. The M2 promoter also contains sites which mediate induction of transcription in neural cells by neurally active cytokines. We have generated knockout mice lacking the M1 receptor and shown that these mice do not exhibit pilocarpine-induced seizures and muscarinic agonist-induced suppression of the M-current potassium channel in sympathetic neurons.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction data for a purple acid phosphatase from sweet potato.

Purple acid phosphatase from sweet potato is a homodimer of 110 kDa. Two forms of the enzyme have been characterized. One contains an Fe-Zn centre similar to that previously reported for red kidney bean purple acid phosphatase. Another isoform, the subject of this work, is the first confirmed example of an Fe-Mn-containing enzyme. Crystals of this protein have been grown from PEG 6000. They have unit-cell parameters a = b = 118.4, c = 287.4 A and have the symmetry of space group P6(5)22, with one dimer per asymmetric unit. Diffraction data collected using a conventional X--ray source from a cryocooled crystal extend to 2.90 A resolution. The three-dimensional structure of the enzyme will provide insight into the coordination of this novel binuclear metal centre.

Molecular mechanisms for the regulation of the expression and function of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

The regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor expression and function was investigated in cultured cells and in knockout mice. Muscarinic agonist exposure causes m2 receptor desensitization and sequestration and decreases the expression of cardiac potassium channels. The expression of m2 receptors in chick retina is regulated by a developmentally regulated secreted factor. Mice lacking the m1 receptor exhibit a loss of muscarinic regulation of M-current potassium channel activity and pilocarpine-induced seizures.