Search bioRxivSearch

Biology subjects

Konishi, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Konishi, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

A novel saline-soluble, rapidly-metabolized RyR1 inhibitor rescues volatile anesthesia-induced death and environmental heat stroke in a mouse model relevant to malignant hyperthermia

Mutations in the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1), a Ca2+ release channel in skeletal muscle, hyperactivate the channel to cause malignant hyperthermia (MH) and are implicated in severe heat stroke. Dantrolene, the only approved drug for MH, has the disadvantages of having very poor water solubility and long plasma half-life. We show here that a novel RyR1-selective inhibitor, 6,7-(methylenedioxy)-1-octyl-4-quinolone-3-carboxylic acid (Compound 1, Cpd1), effectively prevents and treats MH and heat stroke in several mouse models relevant to MH. Cpd1 reduced resting intracellular Ca2+, inhibited halothane- and isoflurane-induced Ca2+ release, suppressed caffeine-induced contracture in skeletal muscle, reduced sarcolemmal cation influx, and prevented or reversed the fulminant MH crisis induced by isoflurane anesthesia and rescued animals from heat stroke caused by environmental heat stress. Notably, Cpd1 has great advantages of better water solubility and rapid clearance in vivo over dantrolene. Cpd1 has the potential to be a promising new candidate for effective treatment of patients carrying RyR1 mutations.

pharmacology and toxicology

Requirement for proper mitochondrial RNA processing in the restrictive control of cell proliferation during early lateral root morphogenesis

Although mechanisms that activate organogenesis in plants are well established, much less is known about the subsequent fine-tuning of cell proliferation, which is crucial for creating properly structured and sized organs. Here we show, through analysis of temperature-dependent fasciation (TDF) mutants of Arabidopsis, root redifferentiation defective 1 (rrd1), rrd2, and root initiation defective 4 (rid4), that mitochondrial RNA processing is required for limiting cell division during early lateral root (LR) organogenesis. These mutants formed abnormally broadened (i.e., fasciated) LRs under high-temperature conditions due to excessive cell division. All TDF proteins localized to mitochondria, where they were found to participate in RNA processing: RRD1 in mRNA deadenylation, and RRD2 and RID4 in mRNA editing. Further analysis suggested that LR fasciation in the TDF mutants is triggered by reactive oxygen species generation caused by defective mitochondrial respiration. Our findings provide novel clues for the physiological significance of mitochondrial activities in plant organogenesis.

plant biology

Enterohepatic transcription factor CREB3L3 protects atherosclerosis via SREBP competitive inhibition

CREB3L3 is a membrane-bound transcription factor to maintain lipid metabolism in the liver and small intestine. CREB3L3 ablation in Ldlr-/- mice exacerbated hyperlipidemia with remnant ApoB-containing lipoprotein accumulation, developing enhanced aortic atheroma formation, whose extent was additive between liver- and intestine-specific deletion. Conversely, hepatic nuclear CREB3L3 overexpression markedly suppressed atherosclerosis with amelioration of hyperlipidemia. CREB3L3 directly upregulates anti-atherogenic FGF21 and ApoA4, whereas antagonizes hepatic SREBP-mediated lipogenic and cholesterogenic genes and regulates LXR-regulated genes involved in intestinal transport of cholesterol. CREB3L3 deficiency accumulates nuclear SREBP proteins. Because both transcriptional factors share the cleavage system for nuclear transactivation, full-length CREB3L3 and SREBPs on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) functionally inhibit each other. CREB3L3 competitively antagonizes SREBPs for ER-Golgi transport, resulting in ER retention and proteolytic activation inhibition at Golgi, and vice versa. Collectively, due to this new mechanistic interaction between CREB3L3 and SREBPs under atherogenic conditions, CREB3L3 has multi-potent protective effects against atherosclerosis.

physiology