Variation in complement factor 3 is associated with risk of age-related macular degeneration

The association of variants in complement factors H and B with age-related macular degeneration has led to more intense genetic and functional analysis of the complement pathway. We identify a nonsynonymous coding change in complement factor 3 that is strongly associated with risk of age-related macular degeneration in a large case-control sample.     

Loss of ACTN3 gene function alters mouse muscle metabolism and shows evidence of positive selection in humans

More than a billion humans worldwide are predicted to be completely deficient in the fast skeletal muscle fiber protein alpha-actinin-3 owing to homozygosity for a premature stop codon polymorphism, R577X, in the ACTN3 gene. The R577X polymorphism is associated with elite athlete status and human muscle performance, suggesting that alpha-actinin-3 deficiency influences the function of fast muscle fibers. Here we show that loss of alpha-actinin-3 expression in a knockout mouse model results in a shift in muscle metabolism toward the more efficient aerobic pathway and an increase in intrinsic endurance performance. In addition, we demonstrate that the genomic region surrounding the 577X null allele shows low levels of genetic variation and recombination in individuals of European and East Asian descent, consistent with strong, recent positive selection. We propose that the 577X allele has been positively selected in some human populations owing to its effect on skeletal muscle metabolism.     

A single positively selected West Nile viral mutation confers increased virogenesis in American crows

West Nile virus (WNV), first recognized in North America in 1999, has been responsible for the largest arboviral epiornitic and epidemic of human encephalitis in recorded history. Despite the well-described epidemiological patterns of WNV in North America, the basis for the emergence of WNV-associated avian pathology, particularly in the American crow (AMCR) sentinel species, and the large scale of the North American epidemic and epiornitic is uncertain. We report here that the introduction of a T249P amino acid substitution in the NS3 helicase (found in North American WNV) in a low-virulence strain was sufficient to generate a phenotype highly virulent to AMCRs. Furthermore, comparative sequence analyses of full-length WNV genomes demonstrated that the same site (NS3-249) was subject to adaptive evolution. These phenotypic and evolutionary results provide compelling evidence for the positive selection of a mutation encoding increased viremia potential and virulence in the AMCR sentinel bird species.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Legionella pneumophila</Emphasis> — a human pathogen that co-evolved with fresh water protozoa

The bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila is found ubiquitously in fresh water environments where it replicates within protozoan hosts. When inhaled by humans it can replicate within alveolar macrophages and cause a severe pneumonia, Legionnaires disease. Yet much needs to be learned regarding the mechanisms that allow Legionella to modulate host functions to its advantage and the regulatory network governing its intracellular life cycle. The establishment and publication of the complete genome sequences of three clinical L. pneumophila isolates paved the way for major breakthroughs in understanding the biology of L. pneumophila. Based on sequence analysis many new putative virulence factors have been identified foremost among them eukaryotic-like proteins that may be implicated in many different steps of the Legionella life cycle. This review summarizes what is currently known about regulation of the Legionella life cycle and gives insight in the Legionella-specific features as deduced from genome analysis. Received 1 September 2006; received after revision 10 October 2006; accepted 22 November 2006     

Alcohol dehydrogenase 2 is a major hepatic enzyme for human retinol metabolism

The metabolism of all-trans- and 9-cis-retinol/ retinaldehyde has been investigated with focus on the activities of human, mouse and rat alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2), an intriguing enzyme with apparently different functions in human and rodents. Kinetic constants were determined with an HPLC method and a structural approach was implemented by in silico substrate dockings. For human ADH2, the determined K_m values ranged from 0.05 to 0.3 μM and k_cat values from 2.3 to 17.6 min⁻¹, while the catalytic efficiency for 9-cis-retinol showed the highest value for any substrate. In contrast, poor activities were detected for the rodent enzymes. A mouse ADH2 mutant (ADH2Pro47His) was studied that resembles the human ADH2 setup. This mutation increased the retinoid activity up to 100-fold. The K_m values of human ADH2 are the lowest among all known human retinol dehydrogenases, which clearly support a role in hepatic retinol oxidation at physiological concentrations. Received 12 October 2006; received after revision 6 December 2006; accepted 8 January 2007     

Receiving mixed signals: uncoupling oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination

The development and maturation of an oligodendroglial cell is comprised of three intimately related processes that include proliferation, differentiation, and myelination. Here we review how proliferation and differentiation are controlled by distinct molecular mechanisms and discuss whether differentiation is merely a default of inhibited proliferation. We then address whether differentiation and myelination can be uncoupled in a similar manner. This task is particularly challenging because an oligodendrocyte cannot myelinate without first differentiating, and these processes are therefore not mutually exclusive. Is it solely the presence of the axon that distinguishes a differentiated oligodendrocyte from a myelinating one? Uncoupling these two processes requires identifying specific signals that regulate myelination without affecting the differentiation process. We will review current understanding of the relationship between differentiation and myelination and discuss whether these two processes can truly be uncoupled.     

The peptidoglycan recognition proteins LCa and LCx

Infection of bacteria triggers innate immune defense reactions in Drosophila. So far, the only bacterial component known to be recognized by the insect innate immune system is peptidoglycan, one of the most abundant constituents of the bacterial cell wall. Insects use peptidoglycan recognition proteins to detect peptidoglycan and to activate innate immune responses. Such specialized peptidoglycan receptors appear to have evolved from phage enzymes that hydrolyze bacterial cell walls. They are able to bind specific peptidoglycan molecules with distinct chemical moieties and activate innate immune pathways by interacting with other signaling proteins. Recent X-ray crystallographic studies of the peptidoglycan recognition proteins LCa, and LCx bound to peptidoglycan have provided structural insights into recognition of peptidoglycan and activation of innate immunity in insects. Received 28 December 2006; received after revision 2 February 2007; accepted 21 February 2007     

Surface molecules regulating rolling and adhesion to endothelium of neutrophil granulocytes and MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cells and their interaction

The extravasation of leukocytes and tumor cells is a multi-step process with the involvement of various adhesion molecules depending on the three steps rolling, adhesion, and diapedesis. We have developed an in vitro model, by which we investigated the rolling and adhesion of neutrophil granulocytes and MDA-MB-468 human breast carcinoma cells to lung endothelial cells under physiological flow-conditions. We found that norepinephrine had an inhibitory function on the fMLP-promoted adhesion of neutrophil granulocytes due to a down-regulation of β2-integrin. Furthermore, neutrophil granulocytes serve as linking cells for the interaction of the MDA-MB-468 cells with the endothelium, which are both β2-integrin negative, but express the β2-integrin ligand ICAM-1. In addition, we show here that N-cadherin is up-regulated on the endothelial cells and on neutrophil granulocytes in response to fMLP. This up-regulation resulted in a significant increase of adherent MDA-MB-468 cells, which are also N-cadherin positive. Received 3 September 2007; received after revision 17 October 2007; accepted 22 October 2007