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Non-pathogenic Rickettsia species LON strains closely related to an agent of Japanese spotted fever (JSF), R. japonica, were isolated in Japan from Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in 2001. However, the biological properties of LONs in mammalian host cells are poorly understood. In this study, microscopic analysis showed that LONs in a mouse-derived L929 host cell line were rod shaped with sizes of 0.3-0.5 × 0.5-2.0 μm. Molecular analysis revealed the existence of a LON-specific disrupted open reading frame in R. japonica-related group-specific DNA regions. Growth kinetics of LON-2 and LON-13 strains analyzed by a quantitative real-time PCR showed 100-fold or more increment of LONs cultured in L929 host cells at 30°C and slightly less increment at 33°C, and 25-fold increment in human-derived THP-1 host cells at 35°C on day 7 (168 h) post infection. The generation times of the two LON strains cultured in L929 and THP-1 were estimated to be 9.4-12.9 h and 9.6-10.9 h, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the biological characteristics of Rickettsia sp. LON strains in mammalian cells, which may provide significant information for the experimental approaches for other rickettsiae.

Non-pathogenic Rickettsia species LON strains closely related to an agent of Japanese spotted fever (JSF), R. japonica, were isolated in Japan from Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in 2001. However, the biological properties of LONs in mammalian host cells are poorly understood. In this study, microscopic analysis showed that LONs in a mouse-derived L929 host cell line were rod shaped with sizes of 0.3-0.5 × 0.5-2.0 μm. Molecular analysis revealed the existence of a LON-specific disrupted open reading frame in R. japonica-related group-specific DNA regions. Growth kinetics of LON-2 and LON-13 strains analyzed by a quantitative real-time PCR showed 100-fold or more increment of LONs cultured in L929 host cells at 30°C and slightly less increment at 33°C, and 25-fold increment in human-derived THP-1 host cells at 35°C on day 7 (168 h) post infection. The generation times of the two LON strains cultured in L929 and THP-1 were estimated to be 9.4-12.9 h and 9.6-10.9 h, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the biological characteristics of Rickettsia sp. LON strains in mammalian cells, which may provide significant information for the experimental approaches for other rickettsiae.

Ehrlichia species are obligatory intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropods, and some of these species cause febrile diseases in humans and livestock. Genome sequencing has only been performed with cultured Ehrlichia species, and the taxonomic status of such ehrlichiae has been estimated by core genome-based phylogenetic analysis. However, many uncultured ehrlichiae exist in nature throughout the world, including Japan. This study aimed to conduct a molecular-based taxonomic and ecological characterization of uncultured Ehrlichia species or genotypes from ticks in Japan. We first surveyed 616 Haemaphysalis ticks by p28-PCR screening and analyzed five additional housekeeping genes (16S rRNA, groEL, gltA, ftsZ, and rpoB) from 11 p28-PCR-positive ticks. Phylogenetic analyses of the respective genes showed similar trees but with some differences. Furthermore, we found that V1 in the V1–V9 regions of Ehrlichia 16S rRNA exhibited the greatest variability. From an ecological viewpoint, the amounts of ehrlichiae in a single tick were found to equal approx. 6.3E+3 to 2.0E+6. Subsequently, core-partial-RGGFR-based phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the five housekeeping loci revealed six Ehrlichia genotypes, which included potentially new Ehrlichia species. Thus, our approach contributes to the taxonomic profiling and ecological quantitative analysis of uncultured or unidentified Ehrlichia species or genotypes worldwide.

Dysregulation of the complement system is linked to the pathogenesis of a variety of hematological disorders. Eculizumab, an anti-complement C5 monoclonal antibody, is the current standard of care for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). However, because of high levels of C5 in plasma, eculizumab has to be administered biweekly by intravenous infusion. By applying recycling technology through pH-dependent binding to C5, we generated a novel humanized antibody against C5, SKY59, which has long-lasting neutralization of C5. In cynomolgus monkeys, SKY59 suppressed C5 function and complement activity for a significantly longer duration compared to a conventional antibody. Furthermore, epitope mapping by X-ray crystal structure analysis showed that a histidine cluster located on C5 is crucial for the pH-dependent interaction with SKY59. This indicates that the recycling effect of SKY59 is driven by a novel mechanism of interaction with its antigen and is distinct from other known pH-dependent antibodies. Finally, SKY59 showed neutralizing effect on C5 variant p.Arg885His, while eculizumab does not inhibit complement activity in patients carrying this mutation. Collectively, these results suggest that SKY59 is a promising new anti-C5 agent for patients with PNH and other complement-mediated disorders.

Controlled regeneration of bone or cartilage has recently begun to facilitate a host of novel clinical treatments. An osteoblast line, which we isolated is able to form new bone matrix in vivo within 2 days and exhibits a mature osteoblast phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. Using these cells, we show that cuboidal bones can be generated into a predesigned shaped-bone with high-density bone trabeculae when used in combination with a modified poly-DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-collagen sponge. PLGA coated with collagen gel serves as a good scaffold for osteoblasts. These results indicate that mature osteoblasts, in combination with a scaffold such as PLGA-collagen sponge, show promise for use in a custom-shaped bone regeneration tool for both basic research into osteogenesis and for development of therapeutic applications. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The estrogen receptor (ER) regulates the expression of target genes in a ligand-dependent manner. The ligand-dependent activation function AF-2 of the ER is located in the ligand binding domain (LBD), while the N-terminal A/B domain (AF-1) functions in a ligand-independent manner when isolated from the LBD. AF-1 and AF-2 exhibit cell type and promoter context specificity. Furthermore, the AF-1 activity of the human ERalpha (hERalpha) is enhanced through phosphorylation of the Ser(118) residue by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). From MCF-7 cells, we purified and cloned a 68-kDa protein (p68) which interacted with the A/B domain but not with the LBD of hERalpha. Phosphorylation of hERalpha Ser(118) potentiated the interaction with p68. We demonstrate that p68 enhanced the activity of AF-1 but not AF-2 and the estrogen-induced as well as the anti-estrogen-induced transcriptional activity of the full-length ERalpha in a cell-type-specific manner. However, it did not potentiate AF-1 or AF-2 of ERbeta, androgen receptor, retinoic acid receptor alpha, or mineralocorticoid receptor. We also show that the RNA helicase activity previously ascribed to p68 is dispensable for the ERalpha AF-1 coactivator activity and that p68 binds to CBP in vitro. Furthermore, the interaction region for p68 in the ERalpha A/B domain was essential for the full activity of hERalpha AF-1. Taken together, these findings show that p68 acts as a coactivator specific for the ERalpha AF-1 and strongly suggest that the interaction between p68 and the hERalpha A/B domain is regulated by MAPK-induced phosphorylation of Ser(118).

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) induces osteoclast-like cell (osteoclast) formation in a dose-dependent fashion in cocultures of mouse bone marrow cells and osteoblastic cells when soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) is present. Simultaneous treatment with submaximal doses of IL-1alpha and IL-6 with sIL-6R caused marked induction of osteoclast formation and PGE2 synthesis. These effects were suppressed by adding neutralizing antibodies against IL-1alpha or IL-6R and were totally abolished by adding nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, such as indomethacin and a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor (NS398). In mouse osteoblastic cells, both IL-1alpha and IL-6 with sIL-6R markedly induced messenger RNA expression of COX-2, but not COX-1, as determined by Northern blot analysis, and luciferase activity in cells stably transfected with a COX-2 promoter-luciferase fusion construct. IL-6 and sIL-6R, when added separately, did not stimulate COX-2 messenger RNA expression. Simultaneous addition of IL-1alpha and IL-6 with sIL-6R to osteoblast cultures cooperatively induced transcription of COX-2, which was associated with a marked increase in COX activity measured by the conversion of arachidonic acid into PGE2. The increased PGE2 synthesis by osteoblasts may play an important role in osteoclastogenesis induced by submaximal doses of IL-1 and IL-6.

Steroid hormones regulate cell growth and function through the transcriptional control of target genes by their cognate nuclear receptors. These receptors bind to ligands and associate with transcriptional cofactors to stimulate transcription. SRC-1, one of the nuclear receptor coactivators, is known to interact with nuclear receptors and enhance transactivation function in a ligand-dependent manner. In this study, to assess the function of SRC-1 in cell growth regulated by nuclear receptor ligands, we established a stable transformant cell line overexpressing human SRC-1 and studied the action of 17β-estradiol (E2) on cell growth as well as the expression of E2-responsive genes in MCF-7 cells. We found that SRC-1 overexpression potentiates cell growth stimulated by E2 in accordance with enhancement of transcriptional activation of exogenous and endogenous E2-responsive genes. These findings clearly indicate the importance of nuclear receptor coactivators for the activities of steroid/lipophilic vitamins in cell growth and gene expression.

The effect of regucalcin, a calcium-binding protein isolated from rat liver cytosol, on Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide (AMP) phosphodiesterase activity in rat liver cytosol was investigated. The addition of Ca2+ (50 microM) and calmodulin 160 U/ml in the enzyme reaction mixture caused a significant increase in cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. This increase was inhibited by the presence of regucalcin (0.5-3.0 microM); the inhibitory effect was complete at 1.0 microM. Regucalcin (1.0 microM) did not have an appreciable effect on basal activity without Ca2+ and calmodulin. The inhibitory effect of regucalcin was still evident even at several fold higher concentrations of calmodulin (160-480 U/ml). However, regucalcin (1.0 microM) did not inhibit Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in the presence of 100 and 200 microM Ca2+ added. Meanwhile, Cd2+ (25-100 microM)-induced decrease in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was not reversed by the presence of regucalcin (1.0 microM). The present results suggest that regucalcin can regulate Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity due to binding Ca2+ in liver cells.