Bis induces growth inhibition and differentiation of HL-60 cells via up-regulation of p27

Bis (Bag-3, CAIR), a Bcl-2-interacting protein, promotes the anti-apoptotic activity of Bcl-2 and increased levels of Bis have been observed in several disease models. The involvement of Bcl-2 and some Bcl-2-binding proteins in differentiation has recently been reported. However, the relevance of Bis to cellular differentiation remains unknown. The findings herein show that Bis expression is up-regulated during the differentiation of HL-60 cells. To investigate the effect of Bis expression on differentiation, we established Bis-overexpressing HL-60 cells (HL-60-bis). HL-60-bis cells have a low nuclear: cytoplasmic ratio and indented nucleus in Wright- Giemsa staining, and an increased expression of CD11b in immunofluorescence study, indicating the promotion of differentiation. The overexpression of Bis also resulted in a retarded cell growth rate, accompanied by the accumulation of HL-60 cells at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, which was sustained during the differentiation process. Western blot analysis revealed that the expression of p27, a representative inducer of cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, was increased 2.5-fold in HL-60-bis cells compared to HL-60-neo cells. These results suggest that the Bis induced growth inhibition of HL-60 cells promotes G0/G1 phase arrest via up-regulation of p27, which seems to be a prerequisite for differentiation. Further studies will be required to define the exact roles of Bis on cellular differentiation more precisely.     

Cavity search: An algorithm for the isolation and display of cavity-like binding regions

Summary A set of algorithms designed to enhance the display of protein binding cavities is presented. These algorithms, collectively entitled CAVITY SEARCH, allow the user to isolate and fully define the extent of a particular cavity. Solid modeling techniques are employed to produce a detailed cast of the active site region, which can then be color-coded to show electrostatic and steric interactions between the protein cavity and a bound ligand.     

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip for precolumn reaction and micellar electrokinetic chromatography of biogenic amines

We have demonstrated that precolumn derivatization and capillary electrophoresis separation on a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchip can be realized as efficient as those on glass microchips. In an optimized condition of micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), using 25 mM sodium borate buffer (pH 10.0) with 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 5% v/v methanol, the electroosmotic flow in an oxidized PDMS microchip is stabilized within 3% for days. By employing a fluorometric derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) in an optimally designed reaction chamber, four most important biogenic amines occurring in foods, histamine, tyramine, putrescine, and tryptamine, are quantitatively determined in less than 1 min at the levels applicable to real samples. The migration behaviors of anionic OPA-derivatized biogenic amines under the MEKC conditions are analyzed, and it has been found that under our separation conditions, the electrophoretic mobility of the SDS micelles is significantly greater than those of the anions in the aqueous phase. The channel manifold in a PDMS substrate is fabricated using replica molding against a thick photoresist, SU-8, pattern generated by photolithography. The plate with the microchannel pattern is strongly, irreversibly bonded to another PDMS plate by using a new bonding technique, which employs surface oxidation by corona discharge generated from a cheap, handy source, Tesla coil.     

A novel synthetic method for 2-arylmethyl substituted imidazolines and imidazoles from 2-aryl-1,1-dibromoethenes

Various 2-arylmethylimidazolines were prepared by treating readily available 2-aryl-1,1-dibromoethenes with ethylenediamine under mild conditions and further converted into the corresponding imidazoles smoothly with Swern oxidation.     

Characterization of the short-chain branches in poly(vinyl chloride)s by γ irradiation of the reduced polymers

The volatile products from the γ irradiation of samples of poly(vinyl chloride) prepared under different conditions and reduced to the corresponding polyethylenes have been measured quantitatively and compared with those for low- and high-density polyethylenes and copolymers of ethylene with small amounts of α-olefins. The presence of methyl branches is clearly demonstrated and there is also evidence for ethyl and butyl branches, although these had not been considered significant in previous [¹³C] NMR studies. The method is shown to be extremely sensitive to small quantities of residual trialkyl tin hydride reductant occluded in, and possibly also reacted with, the polymer, and to residual chlorine (<0.5%). The yields of alkanes are higher than expected from the branch frequencies determined by i.r. and [¹³C] NMR and results for ethylene-α-olefin copolymers. This difference is apparently due to sensitisation of the radiation degradation by residual chlorine and reductant. Quantitative determinations of branch frequencies by the radiolytic method are unlikely to be obtained until these problems are overcome.     

Relaxation of the optical Kerr effect of anisotropic molecules in mixed liquids

The relaxation time of the Kerr effect of nitrobenzene and m-nitrotoluene in various mixtures with carbon tetrachloride and various alcohols was determined by measuring the kinetics of the Kerr effect using picosecond laser techniques. These measurements yield information on the rotational motion of molecules in liquids. The relaxation time data are interpreted in terms of an effective local viscosity effect, pair correlation, and coupling of rotational motion with shear modes.     

The Photochemistry of Diazomethane the Reactions of Methylene with Toluene and P-Xylene in Liquid Phase (I)

The photochemistry of diazomethane in toluene and p-xylene solutions was investigated. The reactions of methylene with toluene gave eight products. In the diazomethane p-xylene solution, p-ethyltoluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,4-dimethylcyclohepatriene-1,3,5 and three unidentified compounds were found as products of the reaction of methylene with p-xylene. The relative rates of addition and insertion reaction of methylene with toluene and p-xylene have been calculated.     

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of liquid Al88Si12 alloys

First-principles molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to study the structures, dynamics, and electronic properties of liquid Al88Si12 in the temperature ranging from 898 to 1298 K. The temperature dependence of static structure factors, pair correlation functions, and electronic density-of-states are investigated. The structural properties obtained from the simulations are in good agreement with the x-ray diffraction experimental results.     

Electrical conductivity measurements of aqueous sodium chloride solutions to 600°C and 300 MPa

Electrical conductance measurements of dilute (<0.1>^–1) aqueous NaCl solutions were made primarily to quantify the degree of ion association which increases with increasing temperature and decreasing solvent density. These measurements were carried out at temperatures from 100 to 600°C and pressures up to 300 MPa with a modified version of the apparatus used previously in the high temperature study in this laboratory. Particular emphasis was placed on conditions close to the critical temperaturelpressure region of water, i.e., at 5° intervals from 370 to 400°C. The results verify previous findings that the limiting equivalent conductance A_o of NaCl increases linearly with decreasing density from 0.75 to 0.3 g-cm^–1 and also with increasing temperature from 100 to 350°C. Above 350°C. A_o is virtually temperature independent. The logarithm of the molal association constant as calculated exclusively from the data400°C is represented as a function of temperature (Kelvin) and the logarithm of the density of water (g-cm^–3) as follows:

The participation of the anion and alkyl substituent of diaryliodonium salts in photo‐initiated cationic polymerization reactions

The photo‐initiated cationic polymerization (PCP) of epoxides using diaryliodonium salt photoacid generators (PAGs) bearing alkyl groups and anions was investigated. The properties and reactivities of a series of iodonium salts containing various cations and anions were compared in the context of a PCP reaction. The products from the decomposition of the cations of these salts were analyzed using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) spectra. The relationship between the molecular structure of the salts and their reaction mechanism in the PCP reaction was investigated. Based on the results of the investigation, it was concluded that the structures of the cations and anions of theiodonium salts affect the PCP reaction rate, which was controlled by the products from the diaryliodonium salts. As part of an additional investigation, the diaryliodonium salts‐epoxide materials were applied to 254 nm‐photo‐patterning. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.