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Biomedical subjects

Jing Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Jing Wang.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

Phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate regulates targeting of clathrin adaptor AP-1 complexes to the Golgi.

Phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate [PI(4)P] is essential for secretion in yeast, but its role in mammalian cells is unclear. Current paradigms propose that PI(4)P acts primarily as a precursor to phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PIP2), an important plasma membrane regulator. We found that PI(4)P is enriched in the mammalian Golgi, and used RNA interference (RNAi) of PI4KIIalpha, a Golgi resident phosphatidylinositol 4 kinase, to determine whether PI(4)P directly regulates the Golgi. PI4KIIalpha RNAi decreases Golgi PI(4)P, blocks the recruitment of clathrin adaptor AP-1 complexes to the Golgi, and inhibits AP-1-dependent functions. This AP-1 binding defect is rescued by adding back PI(4)P. In addition, purified AP-1 binds PI(4)P, and anti-PI(4)P inhibits the in vitro recruitment of cytosolic AP-1 to normal cellular membranes. We propose that PI4KIIalpha establishes the Golgi's unique lipid-defined organelle identity by generating PI(4)P-rich domains that specify the docking of the AP-1 coat machinery.

Adaptor Protein Complex 1↗

Construction of a genetically engineered microorganism for CO2 fixation using a Rhodopseudomonas/Escherichia coli shuttle vector.

The CO2 fixation ability of Rhodopseudomonas palustris DH was enhanced by introducing the recombinant plasmid pMG-CBBM containing the form II ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) gene (cbbM) isolated from Rps. palustris NO. 7. Sequencing of a 3.0-kb PstI fragment containing the cbbM gene revealed an open reading frame encoding 461 amino acids, homologous to known cbbM genes, with a ribosome binding site upstream of cbbM and a terminator downstream of cbbM, without promoter. pMG-CBBM, a Rhodopseudomonas/Escherichia coli shuttle expression plasmid, was derived from the Rhodopseudomonas/E. coli shuttle cloning vector pMG105, by inserting the promoter of the pckA gene and the cbbM gene into its multiple cloning site. Plasmid pMG-CBBM was transformed into Rps. palustris DH by electroporation, and was stably maintained when transformants were grown either photoheterotrophically or photolithoautotrophically in the absence of antibiotics. This is the first report of an expression plasmid containing a Rps. palustris-specific promoter that allows stable expression of a foreign gene in the absence of antibiotic selection.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Involvement of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the early stages of wallerian degeneration.

Local axon degeneration is a common pathological feature of many neurodegenerative diseases and peripheral neuropathies. While it is believed to operate with an apoptosis-independent molecular program, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we used the degeneration of transected axons, termed "Wallerian degeneration," as a model to examine the possible involvement of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Inhibiting UPS activity by both pharmacological and genetic means profoundly delays axon degeneration both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we found that the fragmentation of microtubules is the earliest detectable change in axons undergoing Wallerian degeneration, which among other degenerative events, can be delayed by proteasome inhibitors. Interestingly, similar to transected axons, degeneration of axons from nerve growth factor (NGF)-deprived sympathetic neurons could also be suppressed by proteasome inhibitors. Our findings suggest a possibility that inhibiting UPS activity may serve to retard axon degeneration in pathological conditions.

Amino Acids↗

Atypical protein kinase C plays a critical role in protein transport from pre-Golgi intermediates.

The small GTPase Rab2 requires atypical protein kinase C iota/lambda (PKCiota/lambda) kinase activity to promote vesicle budding from normal rat kidney cell microsomes (Tisdale, E. J. (2000) Traffic 1, 702-712). The released vesicles lack anterograde-directed cargo but contain coat protein I (COPI) and the recycling protein p53/p58, suggesting that the vesicles traffic in the retrograde pathway. In this study, we have directly characterized the role of PKCiota/lambda in the early secretory pathway. A peptide corresponding to the unique PKCiota/lambda pseudosubstrate domain was introduced into an in vitro assay that efficiently reconstitutes transport of vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cis-medial Golgi compartments. This peptide blocked transport in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, normal rat kidney cells incubated with Rab2 and the pseudosubstrate peptide displayed abundant swollen or dilated vesicles that contained Rab2, PKCiota/lambda, beta-COP, and p53/p58. Because Rab2, beta-COP, and p53/p58 are marker proteins for pre-Golgi intermediates (vesicular tubular clusters,VTCs), most probably the swollen vesicles are derived from VTCs. Similar results were obtained when the assays were supplemented with kinase-dead PKCiota/lambda (W274K). Both the pseudosubstrate peptide and kinase-dead PKCiota/lambda in tandem with Rab2 caused sustained membrane association of PKCiota/lambda, suggesting that reverse translocation was inhibited. Importantly, the inhibitory phenotype of kinase-dead PKCiota/lambda was reversed by PKCiota/lambda wild type. These combined results indicate that PKCiota/lambda is essential for protein transport in the early secretory pathway and suggest that PKCiota/lambda kinase activity is required to promote Rab2-mediated vesicle budding at a VTC subcompartment enriched in recycling cargo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Stereocontrolled synthesis of ara-type cyclohexenyl nucleosides.

A highly stereocontrolled synthesis of a new class of carbocyclic nucleosides, ara-type cyclohexenyl nucleosides, was developed. The key intermediate (+/-)-9 was obtained after a series of transformations starting from easily available endo-bicyclo carboxylic acid (+/-)-3. The allylic hydroxyl group of (+/-)-9 was masked via oxidation with manganese dioxide and released, after protection of the 2'-hydroxyl group, via reduction with NaBH(4) in the presence of CeCl(3).7H(2)O. The base moiety was introduced with use of the Mitsunobu methodology.

Carboxylic Acids↗

AtCHIP, a U-box-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase, plays a critical role in temperature stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.

The Arabidopsis gene AtCHIP encodes a protein with three tetratricopeptide repeats and a U-box domain, which is structurally similar to the animal CHIP proteins, a new class of E3 ubiquitin ligases. Like animal CHIP proteins, AtCHIP has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro. AtCHIP is a single-copy gene, and its transcript is up-regulated by several stress conditions such as low and high temperatures. However, increased AtCHIP expression alone was not correlated with increased stress tolerance; in fact, overexpression of AtCHIP in Arabidopsis rendered plants more sensitive to both low- and high-temperature treatments. Higher electrolyte leakage was observed in leaves of AtCHIP overexpression plants after chilling temperature treatment, suggesting that membrane function is likely impaired in these plants under such a condition. These results indicate that AtCHIP plays an important role in plant cellular metabolism under temperature stress conditions.

Acclimatization↗

Optical encoding with shaped DAM-1 molecular sieve particles.

This work introduces a new high-throughput screening particle - a Dallas Amphorous Material No. 1 (DAM-1) molecular sieve particle. In contrast to porous silica microspheres, the 2-8-microm sized DAM-1 molecular sieve particles are available in a variety of shapes and morphologies including spheres, hexagons, rods, gyroids, and discoids. The advantage of using DAM-1 molecular sieve particles is the ability to encode an array by particle shape, which in turn permits the repeated use of luminescent reporter dyes. In this technical note, we demonstrate optical decoding of fluorescein- and Texas Red-modified shaped molecular sieve particles using reflectance and fluorescence microscopies.

Biosensing Techniques↗

[Method of differentiation of adult human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell into Schwann-like cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method of committedly induced adult bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells differentiating into schwann' s-like cells in vitro. METHODS: Adult human bone marrow mononuclear cells were separated by gradient centrifugation on Percoll(density 1.073 g.ml-1). The cells were incubated in low-glucose DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum. Cell surface antigenic features were analyzed by flow cytometry technique. Passages 2, 3, 5 and 8 of MSCs were committedly induced to differentiate into Schwann-like cells. S-100, GFAP was detected by immunohistochemistry staining. RESULTS: The mesenchymal stem cells separated by percoll were expanded for more than 16 passages, increased about 6 x 10(7) folds. Flow cytometry results showed that: the CD29+ CD44+ CD34- CD45- cells separated from percoll immediately were 32.47% +/- 3.49%; The CD29+ CD44+ CD34- CD45- cells incubated in DMEM-LG with 10% fetal bovine serum were around 94.38% +/- 1.50%. Immunohistochemistry staining results indicated that induced with beta-ME + bFGF S-100 positive cells were 90% +/- 4%, while about 21% +/- 5% cells expressed GFAP. CONCLUSION: MSCs in human adult bone marrow are capable of being committedly induced to differentiate into Schwann-like cells in vitro.

Bone Marrow Cells↗

LIGHT (a cellular ligand for herpes virus entry mediator and lymphotoxin receptor)-mediated thymocyte deletion is dependent on the interaction between TCR and MHC/self-peptide.

Negative selection serves as a major mechanism to maintain self-tolerance. We previously reported that LIGHT (a cellular ligand for herpes virus entry mediator and lymphotoxin receptor), a TNF family member, plays an important role in thymocyte development via promoting apoptosis of double-positive thymocytes. Here, we demonstrated that LIGHT-mediated deletion of thymocyte requires the strong interaction of TCR with MHC/self-peptide. Transgenic mice overexpressing LIGHT in thymocytes were bred with a transgenic mouse line expressing a TCR recognizing the H-Y male Ag in the context of H-2b class I MHC molecules. In male H-Y/LIGHT double-transgenic mice, more efficient negative selection of H-Y T cells occurred, and total thymocyte number was further reduced compared with H-Y/negative littermates. In contrast, the presence of LIGHT transgene had no evident impact on the thymocyte development of female H-Y/LIGHT double-transgenic mice. Taken together, LIGHT plays a role in negative selection of thymocytes via inducing the apoptosis of thymocytes bearing high affinity TCR during negative selection.

Animals↗

A G protein-coupled receptor kinase induces Xenopus oocyte maturation.

Several recent studies have suggested that resumption of oocyte meiosis, indicated by germinal vesicle breakdown or GVBD, involves inhibition of endogenous heterotrimeric G proteins in both frogs and mice. These studies imply that a heterotrimeric G protein(s), and hence its upstream activator (a G protein-coupled receptor or GpCR), is activated in prophase oocytes and is responsible for maintaining meiosis arrest. To test the existence and function of this putative GpCR, we utilized a mammalian G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK3) and beta-arrestin-2, which together are known to cause GpCR desensitization. Injection of mRNA for rat GRK3 caused hormone-independent GVBD. The kinase activity of GRK3 was essential for GVBD induction as its kinase-dead mutant (GRK3-K220R) was completely ineffective. Another GRK3 mutant (GRK3-DeltaC), which lacked the C-terminal G(betagamma)-binding domain and which was not associated with oocyte membranes, also failed to induce GVBD. Furthermore, injection of rat beta-arrestin-2 mRNA also induced hormone-independent GVBD. Several inhibitors of clathrin-mediated receptor endocytosis (the clathrin-binding domain of beta-arrestin-2, concanavalin A, and monodansyl cadaverine) significantly reduced the abilities of GRK3/beta-arrestin-2 to induce GVBD. These results support the central role of a yet-unidentified GpCR in maintaining prophase arrest in frog oocytes and provide a potential means for its molecular identification.

Animals↗

High expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and splice variants is a distinctive feature of poor-prognosis chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable regions for somatic hypermutation identifies 2 prognostic subsets, mutated and unmutated. Investigators have postulated that unmutated and mutated CLL arises from malignant transformation of pre- and post-germinal center (GC) B cells, respectively. Alternatively, unmutated cases may arise from B cells stimulated by T-cell-independent antigens or from GC B cells with inactive somatic hypermutation. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), a protein essential for somatic hypermutation, is expressed by GC B cells in which this process occurs. We investigated AID mRNA expression in 20 CLL cases. In 8 cases we detected high expression of wild-type AID mRNA and 2 splice variants; in 12 cases and 5 normal peripheral blood B-cell samples we detected no expression using standard conditions. Of 8 CLL cases that highly expressed AID, 7 were unmutated, suggesting that this subset may arise from GC-experienced B cells with inactive somatic hypermutation, and may predict prognosis.

Alternative Splicing↗

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 potently blocks K(V) currents via a direct mechanism.

Voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channels negatively regulate Ca2+ entry into pancreatic beta-cells by repolarizing glucose-stimulated action potentials. A role for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) modulation of Kv channel function was investigated using the PI3K inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002, and LY303511, a negative control compound with respect to PI3K activity. In MIN6 insulinoma cells, wortmannin (100 nM) had no effect on whole-cell outward K+ currents, but LY294002 and LY303511 reversibly blocked currents in a dose-dependent manner (IC50=9.0+/-0.7 microM and 64.6+/-9.1 microM, respectively). Western blotting confirmed the specific inhibitory effects of LY294002 and wortmannin on insulin-stimulated PI3K activity. Kv currents in rat beta-cells at near physiological temperatures were inhibited 92% by 25 microM LY294002. Kv2.1 and Kv1.4 are highly expressed in beta-cells, and in Kv2.1-transfected tsA201 cells, 50 microM LY294002 and 100 microM LY303511 reversibly inhibited currents by 99% and 41%, respectively. In Kv1.4-transfected tsA201 cells, 50 microM LY294002 reduced the inactivation time constant from 73 to 18 ms. The insulinotropic properties of LY294002 and its effects in other excitable cells may be caused by inhibition of Kv currents rather than PI3K antagonism. Furthermore, LY294002 may represent a novel structure from which future Kv channel blockers may be developed.

Androstadienes↗

A comprehensive approach to the analysis of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight proteomics spectra from serum samples.

For our analysis of the data from the First Annual Proteomics Data Mining Conference, we attempted to discriminate between 24 disease spectra (group A) and 17 normal spectra (group B). First, we processed the raw spectra by (i) correcting for additive sinusoidal noise (periodic on the time scale) affecting most spectra, (ii) correcting for the overall baseline level, (iii) normalizing, (iv) recombining fractions, and (v) using variable-width windows for data reduction. Also, we identified a set of polymeric peaks (at multiples of 180.6 Da) that is present in several normal spectra (B1-B8). After data processing, we found the intensities at the following mass to charge (m/z) values to be useful discriminators: 3077, 12 886 and 74 263. Using these values, we were able to achieve an overall classification accuracy of 38/41 (92.6%). Perfect classification could be achieved by adding two additional peaks, at 2476 and 6955. We identified these values by applying a genetic algorithm to a filtered list of m/z values using Mahalanobis distance between the group means as a fitness function.

Blood Proteins↗

Long-term effects of high dietary fiber intake on glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism in GK rats: comparison among barley, rice, and cornstarch.

Whether the intake of high dietary fiber may improve glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes has been controversial. This study was conducted to observe the long-term effects of dietary fiber intake on glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism in rats. Thirty male type 2 diabetic model GK rats were divided randomly into 3 groups. Each group was fed either a barley (high-dietary fiber) diet, rice (low-dietary fiber) diet, or cornstarch (very-low-dietary fiber) diet. The rats were pair-fed for 9 months. The intake of the barley diet significantly improved the area under the plasma glucose concentration time curves, lowered the fasting plasma glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels, and decreased plasma total cholesterol (T Chol), triglycerides (TG), and free fatty acid (FFA) levels. This study demonstrated that long-term intake of barley has beneficial effects on glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism and suggests the intake of unrefined cereal foods should increase as a diet therapy for type 2 diabetes.

Animals↗

Meliternatin: a feeding deterrent and larvicidal polyoxygenated flavone from Melicope subunifoliolata.

We screened more than 60 Malaysian plants against two species of insects and found that Melicope subunifoliolata (Stapf) T.G. Hartley (Rutaceae) showed strong feeding deterrent activity against Sitophilus zeamais Motsch. (Curculionidae) and very good larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera). One anti-insect compound, meliternatin (3,5-dimethoxy-3',4',6,7-bismethylendioxyflavone) (6) and six other minor polyoxygenated flavones were isolated from M. subunifoliolata.

Aedes↗

Sources and patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution in kitchen air, China.

Twelve polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, multi-ringed compounds known to be carcinogenic in air of six domestic kitchens and four commercial kitchens of China were measured in 1999-2000. The mean concentration of total PAHs in commercial kitchens was 17 microg/m3, consisting mainly of 3- and 4-ring PAHs, and 7.6 microg/m3 in domestic kitchens, where 2- and 3-ring PAHs were predominant, especially naphthalene. The BaP levels in domestic kitchens were 0.0061-0.024 microg/m3 and 0.15- 0.44 microg/m3 in commercial kitchens. Conventional Chinese cooking methods were responsible for such heavy PAHs pollution. The comparative study for PAH levels in air during three different cooking practices: boiling, broiling and frying were conducted. It was found that boiling produced the least levels of PAHs. For fish, a low-fat food, frying it produced a larger amount of PAHs compared to broiling practice, except pyrene and anthracene. In commercial kitchens, PAHs came from two sources, cooking practice and oil-fumes, however the cooking practice had a more predominant contribution to PAHs in commercial kitchen air. In domestic kitchens, except for cooking practice and oil-fumes, there were other PAHs sources, such as smoking and other human activities in the domestic houses, where 3-4 ring PAHs mainly came from cooking practice. Naphthalene (NA, 2-ring PAHs) was the most predominant kind, mostly resulting from the evaporation of mothball containing a large quantity of NA, used to prevent clothes against moth. A fingerprint of oil-fumes was the abundance of 3-ring PAHs. Heating at the same temperature, the PAHs concentrations in different oil-fumes were lard > soybean oil > rape-seed oil. An increase in cooking temperature increased the levels of PAHs, especially acenaphthene.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

A genome sequence of novel SARS-CoV isolates: the genotype, GD-Ins29, leads to a hypothesis of viral transmission in South China.

We report a complete genomic sequence of rare isolates (minor genotype) of the SARS-CoV from SARS patients in Guangdong, China, where the first few cases emerged. The most striking discovery from the isolate is an extra 29-nucleotide sequence located at the nucleotide positions between 27,863 and 27,864 (referred to the complete sequence of BJ01) within an overlapped region composed of BGI-PUP5 (BGI-postulated uncharacterized protein 5) and BGI-PUP6 upstream of the N (nucleocapsid) protein. The discovery of this minor genotype, GD-Ins29, suggests a significant genetic event and differentiates it from the previously reported genotype, the dominant form among all sequenced SARS-CoV isolates. A 17-nt segment of this extra sequence is identical to a segment of the same size in two human mRNA sequences that may interfere with viral replication and transcription in the cytosol of the infected cells. It provides a new avenue for the exploration of the virus-host interaction in viral evolution, host pathogenesis, and vaccine development.

Base Sequence↗