Non-caspase proteases: triggers or amplifiers of apoptosis?

Caspases are the most important effectors of apoptosis, the major form of programmed cell death (PCD) in multicellular organisms. This is best reflected by the appearance of serious development defects in mice deficient for caspase-8, -9, and -3. Meanwhile, caspase-independent PCD, mediated by other proteases or signaling components has been described in numerous publications. Although we do not doubt that such cell death exists, we propose that it has evolved later during evolution and is most likely not designed to execute, but to amplify and speed-up caspase-dependent cell death. This review shall provide evidence for such a concept.     

Nitrogen loss from unpolluted South American forests mainly via dissolved organic compounds.

Conceptual and numerical models of nitrogen cycling in temperate forests assume that nitrogen is lost from these ecosystems predominantly by way of inorganic forms, such as nitrate and ammonium ions. Of these, nitrate is thought to be particularly mobile, being responsible for nitrogen loss to deep soil and stream waters. But human activities-such as fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer production and land-use change-have substantially altered the nitrogen cycle over large regions, making it difficult to separate natural aspects of nitrogen cycling from those induced by human perturbations. Here we report stream chemistry data from 100 unpolluted primary forests in temperate South America. Although the sites exhibit a broad range of environmental factors that influence ecosystem nutrient cycles (such as climate, parent material, time of ecosystem development, topography and biotic diversity), we observed a remarkably consistent pattern of nitrogen loss across all forests. In contrast to findings from forests in polluted regions, streamwater nitrate concentrations are exceedingly low, such that nitrate to ammonium ratios were less than unity, and dissolved organic nitrogen is responsible for the majority of nitrogen losses from these forests. We therefore suggest that organic nitrogen losses should be considered in models of forest nutrient cycling, which could help to explain observations of nutrient limitation in temperate forest ecosystems.     

Trigger factor in complex with the ribosome forms a molecular cradle for nascent proteins

During protein biosynthesis, nascent polypeptide chains that emerge from the ribosomal exit tunnel encounter ribosome-associated chaperones, which assist their folding to the native state. Here we present a 2.7 A crystal structure of Escherichia coli trigger factor, the best-characterized chaperone of this type, together with the structure of its ribosome-binding domain in complex with the Haloarcula marismortui large ribosomal subunit. Trigger factor adopts a unique conformation resembling a crouching dragon with separated domains forming the amino-terminal ribosome-binding 'tail', the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase 'head', the carboxy-terminal 'arms' and connecting regions building up the 'back'. From its attachment point on the ribosome, trigger factor projects the extended domains over the exit of the ribosomal tunnel, creating a protected folding space where nascent polypeptides may be shielded from proteases and aggregation. This study sheds new light on our understanding of co-translational protein folding, and suggests an unexpected mechanism of action for ribosome-associated chaperones.     

Systematic screen for human disease genes in yeast

High similarity between yeast and human mitochondria allows functional genomic study of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to be used to identify human genes involved in disease. So far, 102 heritable disorders have been attributed to defects in a quarter of the known nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins in humans. Many mitochondrial diseases remain unexplained, however, in part because only 40-60% of the presumed 700-1,000 proteins involved in mitochondrial function and biogenesis have been identified. Here we apply a systematic functional screen using the pre-existing whole-genome pool of yeast deletion mutants to identify mitochondrial proteins. Three million measurements of strain fitness identified 466 genes whose deletions impaired mitochondrial respiration, of which 265 were new. Our approach gave higher selection than other systematic approaches, including fivefold greater selection than gene expression analysis. To apply these advantages to human disorders involving mitochondria, human orthologs were identified and linked to heritable diseases using genomic map positions.     

Mutations in the polyglutamine binding protein 1 gene cause X-linked mental retardation

We found mutations in the gene PQBP1 in 5 of 29 families with nonsyndromic (MRX) and syndromic (MRXS) forms of X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). Clinical features in affected males include mental retardation, microcephaly, short stature, spastic paraplegia and midline defects. PQBP1 has previously been implicated in the pathogenesis of polyglutamine expansion diseases. Our findings link this gene to XLMR and shed more light on the pathogenesis of this common disorder.     

Identifying distinct classes of bladder carcinoma using microarrays

Bladder cancer is a common malignant disease characterized by frequent recurrences. The stage of disease at diagnosis and the presence of surrounding carcinoma in situ are important in determining the disease course of an affected individual. Despite considerable effort, no accepted immunohistological or molecular markers have been identified to define clinically relevant subsets of bladder cancer. Here we report the identification of clinically relevant subclasses of bladder carcinoma using expression microarray analysis of 40 well characterized bladder tumors. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three major stages, Ta, T1 and T2-4, with the Ta tumors further classified into subgroups. We built a 32-gene molecular classifier using a cross-validation approach that was able to classify benign and muscle-invasive tumors with close correlation to pathological staging in an independent test set of 68 tumors. The classifier provided new predictive information on disease progression in Ta tumors compared with conventional staging (P < 0.005). To delineate non-recurring Ta tumors from frequently recurring Ta tumors, we analyzed expression patterns in 31 tumors by applying a supervised learning classification methodology, which classified 75% of the samples correctly (P < 0.006). Furthermore, gene expression profiles characterizing each stage and subtype identified their biological properties, producing new potential targets for therapy.     

The Future of Systems Thinking

Due to the diminishing popularity of systems thinking, an attempt is done to predict its future in the university world. Two starting points are used: one in the traditional scientific community, being its habitat; and the other in the surrounding society, being its area of application. The investigation shows that systems thinking is highly needed, although its nearest future seems bleak. The systemic challenge to the traditional academic world has unfortunately been taken as a threat against its existence. The scientific and educational impact of systems thinking is therefore opposed as an alternative to the old scientific paradigm. Furthermore, the resistance to new theories moving across disciplinary boundaries seems stronger than resistance to theories within the disciplines.     

Immune self-reactivity triggered by drug-modified HLA-peptide repertoire

Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) are highly polymorphic proteins that initiate immunity by presenting pathogen-derived peptides to T?cells. HLA polymorphisms mostly map to the antigen-binding cleft, thereby diversifying the repertoire of self-derived and pathogen-derived peptide antigens selected by different HLA allotypes. A growing number of immunologically based drug reactions, including abacavir hypersensitivity syndrome (AHS) and carbamazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), are associated with specific HLA alleles. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of these associations, including AHS, a prototypical HLA-associated drug reaction occurring exclusively in individuals with the common histocompatibility allele HLA-B*57:01, and with a relative risk of more than 1,000 (refs?6, 7). We show that unmodified abacavir binds non-covalently to HLA-B*57:01, lying across the bottom of the antigen-binding cleft and reaching into the F-pocket, where a carboxy-terminal tryptophan typically anchors peptides bound to HLA-B*57:01. Abacavir binds with exquisite specificity to HLA-B*57:01, changing the shape and chemistry of the antigen-binding cleft, thereby altering the repertoire of endogenous peptides that can bind HLA-B*57:01. In this way, abacavir guides the selection of new endogenous peptides, inducing a marked alteration in 'immunological self'. The resultant peptide-centric 'altered self' activates abacavir-specific T-cells, thereby driving polyclonal CD8 T-cell activation and a systemic reaction manifesting as AHS. We also show that carbamazepine, a widely used anti-epileptic drug associated with hypersensitivity reactions in HLA-B*15:02 individuals, binds to this allotype, producing alterations in the repertoire of presented self peptides. Our findings simultaneously highlight the importance of HLA polymorphism in the evolution of pharmacogenomics and provide a general mechanism for some of the growing number of HLA-linked hypersensitivities that involve small-molecule drugs.     

Global variation in copy number in the human genome

Copy number variation (CNV) of DNA sequences is functionally significant but has yet to be fully ascertained. We have constructed a first-generation CNV map of the human genome through the study of 270 individuals from four populations with ancestry in Europe, Africa or Asia (the HapMap collection). DNA from these individuals was screened for CNV using two complementary technologies: single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping arrays, and clone-based comparative genomic hybridization. A total of 1,447 copy number variable regions (CNVRs), which can encompass overlapping or adjacent gains or losses, covering 360 megabases (12% of the genome) were identified in these populations. These CNVRs contained hundreds of genes, disease loci, functional elements and segmental duplications. Notably, the CNVRs encompassed more nucleotide content per genome than SNPs, underscoring the importance of CNV in genetic diversity and evolution. The data obtained delineate linkage disequilibrium patterns for many CNVs, and reveal marked variation in copy number among populations. We also demonstrate the utility of this resource for genetic disease studies.