Light-induced hormone conversion of T4 to T3 regulates photoperiodic response of gonads in birds

Reproduction of many temperate zone birds is under photoperiodic control. The Japanese quail is an excellent model for studying the mechanism of photoperiodic time measurement because of its distinct and marked response to changing photoperiods. Studies on this animal have suggested that the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) is an important centre controlling photoperiodic time measurement. Here we report that expression in the MBH of the gene encoding type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio2), which catalyses the intracellular deiodination of thyroxine (T4) prohormone to the active 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3), is induced by light in Japanese quail. Intracerebroventricular administration of T3 mimics the photoperiodic response, whereas the Dio2 inhibitor iopanoic acid prevents gonadal growth. These findings demonstrate that light-induced Dio2 expression in the MBH may be involved in the photoperiodic response of gonads in Japanese quail.     

Adrenergic activation of triiodothyronine production in brown adipose tissue

There are several mechanisms by which homeothermic animals increase heat production, including shivering, sympathetic nervous system activation and stimulation of thyroid hormone secretion. Studies in rats have shown that increased sympathetic activity causes increased heat production in brown adipose tissue (BAT) after cold exposure or food ingestion. Acute cold exposure also increases circulating thyroid hormones which in turn stimulate cellular metabolism through induction of various enzymes. Most metabolic effects of thyroxine (T4) are thought to be due to the triiodothyronine (T3) which is produced from T4 by a process of 5' monodeiodination. There are two enzymes responsible for this reaction: type I, or propylthiouracil (PTU)-sensitive iodothyronine deiodinase (5'D-I), which is reduced in hypothyroidism, stimulated in hyperthyroidism and probably provides most of the circulating T3 in the adult rat. Type II 5'-deiodinase (5'D-II) is characteristic of brain and pituitary, is increased by thyroidectomy, is not inhibited by PTU and provides 50-80% of the intracellular T3 in these two tissues. Recently, 5'D-II activity was identified in interscapular BAT. As the sympathetic nervous system influences the metabolic activation of BAT, we have studied the effects of noradrenaline and acute cold exposure on BAT 5'D-II. We report here that both noradrenaline and cold exposure increase BAT 5'D-II through alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, whereas depletion of catecholamines with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (MPT) prevents the effect of cold but not that of noradrenaline. These results suggest that the sympathetic nervous system may increase T3 production in rats by stimulating BAT 5'D-II. By increasing metabolic rate, this rise in T3 would enhance the thermogenic response to sympathetic stimulation.     

Recognition of UGA as a selenocysteine codon in type I deiodinase requires sequences in the 3' untranslated region.

Selenocysteine is incorporated cotranslationally at UGA codons, normally read as stop codons, in several bacterial proteins and in the mammalian proteins glutathione peroxidase (GPX), selenoprotein P and Type I iodothyronine 5' deiodinase (5'DI). Previous analyses in bacteria have suggested that a stem-loop structure involving the UGA codon and adjacent sequences is necessary and sufficient for selenocysteine incorporation into formate dehydrogenase and glycine reductase. We used the recently cloned 5'DI to investigate selenoprotein synthesis in eukaryotes. We show that successful incorporation of selenocysteine into this enzyme requires a specific 3' untranslated (3'ut) segment of about 200 nucleotides, which is found in both rat and human 5'DI messenger RNAs. These sequences are not required for expression of a cysteine-mutant deiodinase. Although there is little primary sequence similarity between the 3'ut regions of these mRNAs and those encoding GPX, the 3'ut sequences of rat GPX can substitute for the 5'DI sequences in directing selenocysteine insertion. Computer analyses predict similar stem-loop structures in the 3'ut regions of the 5'DI and GPX mRNAs. Limited mutations in these structures reduce or eliminate their capacity to permit 5'DI translation. These results identify a 'selenocysteine-insertion sequence' motif in the 3'ut region of these mRNAs that is essential for successful translation of 5'DI, presumably GPX, and possibly other eukaryotic selenocysteine-containing proteins.     

Primary structure of bovine thyroglobulin deduced from the sequence of its 8,431-base complementary DNA

In mammals, an adequate supply of thyroid hormones is essential for normal growth and neurological development. The biosynthesis of thyroid hormones involves an iodinated precursor protein, thyroglobulin, which may be considered an extreme example of a pro-hormone. Thyroglobulin is a dimeric glycoprotein of relative molecular mass (Mr) 660,000 (660K), which is secreted by the thyrocyte and stored in the lumen of the thyroid follicle. The hormonogenic reaction is extracellular, and involves iodination of tyrosyl residues of thyroglobulin and the intramolecular coupling of a subset of these into thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which remain part of the polypeptide chain. Secretion of hormones results from the endocytosis of thyroglobulin followed by its complete hydrolysis in lysosomes. Considering that the maximum yield of hormones is approximately 6-8 per 660K protein, the whole process is apparently wasteful. However, the efficiency of thyroglobulin as a thyroid hormone precursor is extremely high when the supply of iodine is short; in such conditions, almost all the iodine incorporated is found in iodothyronine. Hence it is suggested that the thyroglobulin structure has evolved to allow for the preferential and efficient iodination and coupling of the hormonogenic tyrosines. Here we report the complete primary structure of bovine thyroglobulin, derived from the sequence of its 8,431-base-pair complementary DNA. The 2,769-amino-acid sequence is characterized by a pattern of imperfect repeats derived from three cysteine-rich motifs. Four hormonogenic tyrosines have been precisely localized near the amino and carboxyl ends of the protein.     

Bile acids induce energy expenditure by promoting intracellular thyroid hormone activation

While bile acids (BAs) have long been known to be essential in dietary lipid absorption and cholesterol catabolism, in recent years an important role for BAs as signalling molecules has emerged. BAs activate mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, are ligands for the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) TGR5 and activate nuclear hormone receptors such as farnesoid X receptor alpha (FXR-alpha; NR1H4). FXR-alpha regulates the enterohepatic recycling and biosynthesis of BAs by controlling the expression of genes such as the short heterodimer partner (SHP; NR0B2) that inhibits the activity of other nuclear receptors. The FXR-alpha-mediated SHP induction also underlies the downregulation of the hepatic fatty acid and triglyceride biosynthesis and very-low-density lipoprotein production mediated by sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein 1c. This indicates that BAs might be able to function beyond the control of BA homeostasis as general metabolic integrators. Here we show that the administration of BAs to mice increases energy expenditure in brown adipose tissue, preventing obesity and resistance to insulin. This novel metabolic effect of BAs is critically dependent on induction of the cyclic-AMP-dependent thyroid hormone activating enzyme type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) because it is lost in D2-/- mice. Treatment of brown adipocytes and human skeletal myocytes with BA increases D2 activity and oxygen consumption. These effects are independent of FXR-alpha, and instead are mediated by increased cAMP production that stems from the binding of BAs with the G-protein-coupled receptor TGR5. In both rodents and humans, the most thermogenically important tissues are specifically targeted by this mechanism because they coexpress D2 and TGR5. The BA-TGR5-cAMP-D2 signalling pathway is therefore a crucial mechanism for fine-tuning energy homeostasis that can be targeted to improve metabolic control.     

Bioinformatic prediction of selenoprotein genes in the dolphin genome

Selenium (Se), an essential trace element in vivo, is present mainly as selenocystein (Sec) in various selenoproteins. The Sec residue is translated from an in-frame TGA codon, which traditionally functions as a stop codon. Prediction of selenoprotein genes is difficult due to the lack of an effective method for distinguishing the dual function of the TGA codon in the open reading frame of a selenoprotein gene. In this article a eukaryotic bioinformatic prediction system that we have developed was used to predict selenoprotein genes from the genome of the common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. Sixteen selenoprotein genes were predicted, including selenoprotein P and glutathione peroxidase. In particular, a type II iodothyronine deiodinase was found to have two Sec residues, while the type I iodothyronine deiodinase gene has two alternative splice forms. These results provide important information for the investigation of the relationship between a variety of selenoproteins and the evolution of the marine-living dolphin.     

The thymine glycosylase MBD4 can bind to the product of deamination at methylated CpG sites.

In addition to its well-documented effects on gene silencing, cytosine methylation is a prominent cause of mutations. In humans, the mutation rate from 5-methylcytosine (m5C) to thymine (T) is 10-50-fold higher than other transitions and the methylated sequence CpG is consequently under-represented. Over one-third of germline point mutations associated with human genetic disease and many somatic mutations leading to cancer involve loss of CpG. The primary cause of mutability appears to be hydrolytic deamination. Cytosine deamination produces mismatched uracil (U), which can be removed by uracil glycosylase, whereas m5C deamination generates a G x T mispair that cannot be processed by this enzyme. Correction of m5CpG x TpG mismatches may instead be initiated by the thymine DNA glycosylase, TDG. Here we show that MBD4, an unrelated mammalian protein that contains a methyl-CpG binding domain, can also efficiently remove thymine or uracil from a mismatches CpG site in vitro. Furthermore, the methyl-CpG binding domain of MBD4 binds preferentially to m5CpG x TpG mismatches-the primary product of deamination at methyl-CpG. The combined specificities of binding and catalysis indicate that this enzyme may function to minimize mutation at methyl-CpG.     

Similarity of the nucleotide sequences of rat alpha-lactalbumin and chicken lysozyme genes

alpha-Lactalbumin (alpha-LA) is a milk protein that interacts with the enzyme galactosyltransferase, modifying its substrate specificity in a way which promotes the transfer of galactose to glucose, resulting in a way which promotes the transfer of galactose to glucose, resulting in a beta-1----4 glycosidic linkage and the synthesis of lactose. Lysozyme, an enzyme which catalyses the hydrolysis of a beta-1----4 glycosidic linkage in polysaccharides, has been shown to be structurally related to alpha-LA and it has been proposed that they have arisen from a common ancestral gene. To compare their evolutionary relationships, we report here the complete nucleotide sequence of the rat alpha-LA gene, including its 5'-flanking sequences, and compare its gene structure with the chicken egg-white lysozyme gene. Both genes contain three introns at similar positions. The first three exons of the two genes have similar nucleotide sequences. The fourth exon of alpha-LA, which partly codes for the C-terminal residues of the protein, essential for its interaction with galactosyltransferase, is markedly different from the corresponding exon of the lysozyme gene and is preceded by two (TG)n repeats.     

一类链图的优美性

对于由k个完全二部图K2,m1,K2,m2,…,K2,mk(其中k,n,m1,m2,…,mk为大于1的正整数)经过不同的粘接方法而得到的链图T1、链图T2、链图T5的优美性进行了研究。在此基础上对由链图T1和长为n的路Pn的一个端点粘接得到的链图T3和链图T2与长为n的路Pn的一个端点粘接得到的链图T4的优美性进行了研究。用构造的方法给出了这几类图的优美标号,得出这些图都是优美图。这样将m1,m2,…,mk的值均为2的范围扩大到大于1的正整数,从而拓宽了优美图及其应用的道路。最后提出了将链图T1、T2、T3、T4、T5分别首尾粘接而得到的一些图是优美图的猜想。     

甲状腺99mTc摄取率与血清甲状腺激素的相关研究

目的：探讨甲状腺99mTc摄取率（CTU）与甲状腺功能的关系,方法：对524例不同甲状功能状态的受试者进行甲状腺99mTc过锝酸盐显像和全自动测量其CTU,并与其血清甲状腺激素水平进行了要相关性研究,结果：甲状腺瘤组（n=64)和单纯性甲状腺肿组（n=56)的CTU与健康对照组（n=89)之间差异无显著性意义,甲亢（n=270)和亚急性非化脓性甲状腺炎（亚甲炎）甲低期组（n=22)的CTU明显高于健康对照组,亚甲炎甲 亢期组（n=23)的CTU明显低于健康对照组,479例甲腺CT和血清甲状腺激素水平的直线相关分析结果显示两者呈显著正相关,45例亚甲炎CTU和血清甲腺激素水平的直线相关分析结果显示两者呈显著负相关,结论：甲状腺CTU和血清甲状腺激素水平密切相关,提示全自动定量测定CTU能反映甲状腺功能状态和严重程度,有较大的临床应用价值。     

老年慢性肺心病急性发作期的甲状腺功能变化

目的：观察老年肺心病急性发作期患者血清甲状腺激素的变化,并探讨其临床意义。方法：用放射免疫法测定47例老年慢性肺心病急性发作期患者（观测组）及34例同期收治的老年肺炎患者（对照组）血清甲状腺激素（T3、FT3、T4、FT4、rT3）及促甲状腺激素（TSH）水平,并进行比较。结果：观测组血清T3、FT3明显低于对照组（P〈0．05）,rT3水平明显升高（P〈0．01）,T4、FT4轻度下降,但无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,TSH两组比较差异无显著性（P〉0．05o结论：老年慢性肺心病患者血清甲状腺激素的变化对病情判断及预后具有一定临床参考价值。     

The RNA required in the first step of chlorophyll biosynthesis is a chloroplast glutamate tRNA

A molecule of chlorophyll is synthesized from eight molecules of delta-aminolevulinate (DALA), the universal precursor of porphyrins. The light-regulated conversion of glutamate to delta-aminolevulinate in the stroma of greening plastids involves the reduction of glutamate to glutamate-1-semialdehyde and its subsequent transamination. The components performing this conversion have been isolated from barley and Chlamydomonas and separated into three fractions by serial affinity chromatography on Blue Sepharose and haem- or chlorophyllin-Sepharose. The complete reaction can be performed in vitro in a reconstituted assay by combining all three fractions. An RNA is the essential component of the chlorophyllin-Sepharose-bound fraction. By nucleotide sequence analysis, we have now identified this RNA as a chloroplast glutamate acceptor RNA. Glutamate attached by an aminoacyl bond to the 3'-terminal adenosine of this RNA is a substrate for the enzyme(s) which perform the subsequent reactions. This reaction represents a novel role for transfer RNA: participation in the metabolic conversion of its cognate amino acid into another metabolite of low relative molecular mass which subsequently is not used in peptide bond synthesis.     

A thyromimetic that decreases plasma cholesterol levels without increasing cardiac activity

A number of agents that mimic the ability of the thyroid hormone, T3, to decrease plasma cholesterol levels are described; one is as effective as T3 at reducing cholesterol levels and stimulating liver function, but has very little effect on cardiac function and is thus less likely to be toxic. The agent may be useful in the treatment of atherosclerosis.     

SDS-PAGE法检测人甲状腺及其肿瘤组织中bFGFs条件的选择

目的：探讨SDS－PAGE法检测人甲状腺及其肿瘤组织中bFGFs（basicFibroblastGrowthFactors）的条件。方法：采用SDS-PAGE电泳法检测人甲状腺及其肿瘤组织中的bFGFs．结果：分离胶浓度为12．5％,胶厚为0．5cm,电流强度为30mA,样品量为5－6ul,标准bFGFs上样量为20ul较适全人甲状腺及其肿瘤组织中各种分子量的bFGFs的分离及鉴定。结论：人甲状腺及其肿瘤组织中各种分子量的bFGFs的分离及鉴定与SDS－PAGE电泳时条件的选择密切相关。     

Structural basis for the selectivity of the external thioesterase of the surfactin synthetase

Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) and polyketide synthases (PKS) found in bacteria, fungi and plants use two different types of thioesterases for the production of highly active biological compounds. Type I thioesterases (TEI) catalyse the release step from the assembly line of the final product where it is transported from one reaction centre to the next as a thioester linked to a 4'-phosphopantetheine (4'-PP) cofactor that is covalently attached to thiolation (T) domains. The second enzyme involved in the synthesis of these secondary metabolites, the type II thioesterase (TEII), is a crucial repair enzyme for the regeneration of functional 4'-PP cofactors of holo-T domains of NRPS and PKS systems. Mispriming of 4'-PP cofactors by acetyl- and short-chain acyl-residues interrupts the biosynthetic system. This repair reaction is very important, because roughly 80% of CoA, the precursor of the 4'-PP cofactor, is acetylated in bacteria. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of a type II thioesterase from Bacillus subtilis free and in complex with a T domain. Comparison with structures of TEI enzymes shows the basis for substrate selectivity and the different modes of interaction of TEII and TEI enzymes with T domains. Furthermore, we show that the TEII enzyme exists in several conformations of which only one is selected on interaction with its native substrate, a modified holo-T domain.     

桥本病合并甲状腺功能亢进临床分析

为探讨桥本病合并甲状腺功能亢进的临床特征及其诊断、治疗、预后，对1985～2002年间收治的桥本病176例进行回顾性分析。结果表明，桥本病合并甲状腺功能亢进的发病率为5．1％，桥本病一过性甲状腺功能亢进的发病率16．5％，手术治疗24例，低功5例，提示临床医师应重视桥本病、桥本病一过性甲状腺功能亢进及合并甲状腺功能亢进疾病的认识。诊断性用药、细针穿刺活检、T3、T4及吸碘率的测定对于明确诊断有重要意义，术中直视观察有助于甲状腺功能低下的预防，对一些一过性功能亢进而有呼吸道压迫症状的病人，术中尽量保留正常的甲状腺组织。     

Ornithine decarboxylase activity is critical for cell transformation.

The enzyme ornithine decarboxylase is the key regulator of the synthesis of polyamines which are essential for cell proliferation. Expression of this enzyme is transiently increased upon stimulation by growth factors, but becomes constitutively activated during cell transformation induced by carcinogens, viruses or oncogenes. To test whether ornithine decarboxylase could be a common mediator of transformation and oncogenic itself, we transfected NIH3T3 cells with expression vectors carrying the complementary DNA encoding human ornithine decarboxylase in sense and antisense orientations. The increased expression of the enzyme (50-100-times endogenous levels) induced not only cell transformation, but also anchorage-independent growth in soft agar and increased tyrosine phosphorylation of a protein of M(r) 130K. Expression of ornithine decarboxylase antisense RNA was associated with an epithelioid morphology and reduced cell proliferation. Moreover, blocking the endogenous enzyme using specific inhibitor or synthesizing antisense RNA prevented transformation of rat fibroblasts by temperature-sensitive v-src oncogene. Our results imply that the gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase is a proto-oncogene central for regulation of cell growth and transformation.