A Ser75-to-Asp phospho-mimicking mutation in Src accelerates ageing-related loss of retinal ganglion cells in mice.

Src knockout mice show no detectable abnormalities in central nervous system (CNS) post-mitotic neurons, likely reflecting functional compensation by other Src family kinases. Cdk1- or Cdk5-dependent Ser75 phosphorylation in the amino-terminal Unique domain of Src, which shares no homology with other Src family kinases, regulates the stability of active Src. To clarify the roles of Src Ser75 phosphorylation in CNS neurons, we established two types of mutant mice with mutations in Src: phospho-mimicking Ser75Asp (SD) and non-phosphorylatable Ser75Ala (SA).

Mice lacking the glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit are susceptible to myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

Aims: Glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), a rate-limiting enzyme for glutathione (GSH) synthesis, is composed of catalytic and modifier subunits. This study examined the pathogenic role of GCL modifier subunits (GCLM) in myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury using mice lacking the GCLM (GCLM(-/-)).

Methods And Results: The GCLM(-/-)mice had an increase in myocardial I/R injury and apoptosis in ischaemic myocardium compared with GCLM(+/+) mice.

Deposition of transthyretin amyloid is not accelerated by the same amyloid in vivo.

Acceleration of amyloid deposition by administration of amyloid fibrils and transmissibility of disease have been reported in several types of amyloidoses. Families with a variant transthyretin (TTR V30M)-associated familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) exhibit genetic anticipation, with TTR V30M-amyloid depositing at an earlier age in successive generations. The molecular bases of anticipation in FAP have remained to be determined.

A brp homolog of Haloarcula japonica: gene cloning and transcriptional analysis.

The gene encoding a homolog of Halobacterium salinarum bacterioopsin-related protein (Brp) was cloned from Haloarcula japonica strain TR-1. Nucleotide sequencing analysis of the possible brp gene revealed that the structural gene consisted of an open reading frame of 1,062 nucleotides encoding 354 amino acids. Transcription of the brp homolog in Ha.