Distribution Of Phospholipids Research Articles

Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Shenfu Injection in Rats With Ischemic Heart Failure and Its Effect on Small Molecules Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the effect of Shenfu injection in a rat model of ischemic heart failure and explore its mechanism. Methods: A rat model of ischemic heart failure after myocardial infarction was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Forty-eight hours after surgery, the rats were intraperitoneally administered Shenfu injection for 7 weeks. Then, left ventricular fractional shortening and left ventricular ejection fraction were measured using transthoracic echocardiography, whereas heart rate and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were measured using a MD3000 biosignal acquisition and processing system. The hearts and lungs of the rats were excised and weighed to measure the heart and lung weight indexes. In addition, cardiac histopathological changes were observed via hematoxylin–eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining, and serum cardiac troponin content was detected using a cardiac troponin ELISA kit. Furthermore, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–mass spectrometry imaging was used to detect the levels and distribution of small molecules in the hearts of rats with ischemic heart failure. Results: We found that Shenfu injection can significantly increase left ventricular fractional shortening and left ventricular ejection fraction in rats with ischemic heart failure and significantly reduce the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, heart and lung weight indexes, and cardiac troponin content; improve cardiac tissue morphology; and reduce infarct size. In addition, the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–mass spectrometry imaging results demonstrated that 22:6 phospholipids were predominately distributed in the non-infarct zone, whereas 20:4 phospholipids tended to concentrate in the infarct zone. Shenfu injection significantly reduced taurine, glutathione, and phospholipids levels in the hearts of rats with ischemic heart failure and primarily changed the distribution of these molecules in the non-infarct zone. Conclusion: Shenfu injection induced obvious myocardial protective effects in rats with ischemic heart failure by stimulating antioxidation and changing the phospholipid levels and distribution.

Novel genetic link between the ATP-binding cassette subfamily A gene and hippo gene in Drosophila

The pan-neuron-specific knockdown of dABCA, a Drosophila homologue of the human ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 13 gene, increases social space without affecting climbing ability and induces the early onset of evening activity in adult flies followed by relatively high activity throughout the day. Satellite bouton numbers in the presynaptic terminals of motor neurons are increased in dABCA knockdown flies. In the present study, we further characterized pan-neuron-specific dABCA knockdown flies and found that active zones in the presynaptic terminals of motor neurons increased, whereas learning abilities decreased in larvae. Genetic crossing experiments revealed that the hippo mutation enhanced the hyperactivity phenotype of adults, but suppressed the increased satellite bouton phenotype induced by the dABCA knockdown. Drosophila ABCA is predicted to transport lipid molecules and impair the asymmetric distribution of phospholipids across the plasma membrane, and these local changes are considered to be important for various cellular functions. The disruption of lipid homeostasis in central and peripheral nervous systems by the dABCA knockdown may affect the Hippo-related signaling pathway in order to induce the observed phenotypes.

Controlled Cellular Delivery of Amphiphilic Cargo by Redox-Responsive Nanocontainers.

The specific transport of amphiphilic compounds such as fluorescently labeled phospholipids into cells is a prerequisite for the analysis of highly dynamic cellular processes involving these molecules, e.g., the intracellular distribution and metabolism of phospholipids. However, cellular delivery remains a challenge as it should not affect the physiological integrity and morphology of the cell membrane. To address this, polymer nanocontainers based on redox‐responsive cyclodextrin (CD) amphiphiles are prepared, and their potential to deliver fluorescently labeled phospholipids to intracellular membrane compartments is analyzed. It is shown that mixtures of reductively degradable cyclodextrin amphiphiles and different phospholipids form liposome‐like vesicles (CD–lipid vesicles, CSSLV) with a homogeneous distribution of each lipid. Host–guest‐mediated self‐assembly of a cystamine‐crosslinked polymer shell on these CSSLV produces polymer‐shelled liposomal vesicles (PSSCSSLV) with the unique feature of a redox‐sensitive CSSLV core and reductively degradable polymer shell. PSSCSSLV show high stability and a redox‐sensitive release of the amphiphilic cargo. Live cell experiments reveal that the novel PSSCSSLV are readily internalized by primary human endothelial cells and that the reductive microenvironment of the cells' endosomes triggers the release of the amphiphilic cargo into the cytosol. Thus, PSSCSSLV represent a highly efficient system to transport lipid‐like amphiphilic cargo into the intracellular environment.

Anti-Myocardial Infarction Effects of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Extracts and Their Influence on Small Molecules in the Heart Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata (fuzi) is the processed product of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux tuber, and has great potential anti-myocardial infarction effects, including improving myocardial damage and energy metabolism in rats. However, the effects of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata extracts in a rat model of myocardial infarction have not yet been fully illustrated. Herein, Radix Aconiti Lateral Preparata was used to prepare Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata extract (RAE), fuzi polysaccharides (FPS), and fuzi total alkaloid (FTA). Then, we aimed to compare the effects of RAE, FPS, and FTA in MI rats and further explore their influence on small molecules in the heart. We reported that Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata extract (RAE) and fuzi total alkaloid (FTA) significantly improved left ventricular function and structure, and reduced myocardial damage and infarct size in rats with myocardial infarction by the left anterior descending artery ligation. In contrast, fuzi polysaccharides (FPS) was less effective than RAE and FTA, indicating that alkaloids might play a major role in the treatment of myocardial infarction. Moreover, via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI–MSI), we further showed that RAE and FTA containing alkaloids as the main common components regulated myocardial energy metabolism-related molecules and phospholipids levels and distribution patterns against myocardial infarction. In particular, it was FTA, not RAE, that could also regulate potassium ions and glutamine to play a cardioprotective role in myocardial infarction, which revealed that an appropriate dose of alkaloids generated more obvious cardiotonic effects. These findings together suggested that Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata extracts containing an appropriate dose of alkaloids as its main pharmacological active components exerted protective effects against myocardial infarction by improving myocardial energy metabolism abnormalities and changing phospholipids levels and distribution patterns to stabilize the cardiomyocyte membrane structure. Thus, RAE and FTA extracted from Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata are potential candidates for the treatment of myocardial infarction.

Unsupervised machine learning using an imaging mass spectrometry dataset automatically reassembles grey and white matter

Current histological and anatomical analysis techniques, including fluorescence in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, immunoelectron microscopy and fluorescent fusion protein, have revealed great distribution diversity of mRNA and proteins in the brain. However, the distributional pattern of small biomolecules, such as lipids, remains unclear. To this end, we have developed and optimised imaging mass spectrometry (IMS), a combined technique incorporating mass spectrometry and microscopy, which is capable of comprehensively visualising biomolecule distribution. We demonstrated the differential distribution of phospholipids throughout the cell body and axon of neuronal cells using IMS analysis. In this study, we used solarix XR, a high mass resolution and highly sensitive MALDI-FT-ICR-MS capable of detecting higher number of molecules than conventional MALDI-TOF-MS instruments, to create a molecular distribution dataset. We examined the diversity of biomolecule distribution in rat brains using IMS and hypothesised that unsupervised machine learning reconstructs brain structures such as the grey and white matters. We have demonstrated that principal component analysis (PCA) can reassemble the grey and white matters without assigning brain anatomical regions. Hierarchical clustering allowed us to classify the 10 groups of observed molecules according to their distributions. Furthermore, the group of molecules specifically localised in the cerebellar cortex was estimated to be composed of phospholipids.

In vivo monitoring of hepatic glycolipid distribution of n-6 ∕ n-3 in jugular-vein-cannulated rats as a nutritional research model for monogastric animal.

The metabolic distribution via blood from liver of glycerolipids by omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid (-6 -3) ratio in monogastric animal nutrition is very important. In vivo monitoring technique using jugular-vein-cannulated rats as a nutritional model for monogastric animal can yield important insights into animal nutrition. This study was conducted to determine the effect of different -6 -3 ratios (, , , ) on metabolic distribution of glycerolipids newly synthesized and secreted in the liver of the rats and explore the mechanism involved. Regarding released from oxidation of glycerolipid metabolism, it was the highest (22.5 %) in groups with a -6 -3 ratio of (). The control group showed the highest total glycerolipid level, followed by the , , and groups in order (). When secreted triacylglycerol level of each group was compared with that of the control group, the , , and groups were decreased by 36.3 %, 20.9 %, and 13.3 %, respectively (). Regarding the distribution of phospholipid against total glycerolipid compared to the control group, the , , and groups were 1.38, 1.29, and 1.17 times higher, respectively (). In the comparison of emission against total glycerolipid compared with the control group, the , , and groups were 1.61, 1.52, and 1.29 times higher, respectively (). These results demonstrate that a dietary -6 -3 fatty acid ratio of could significantly decrease harmful lipid levels in the blood by controlling the mechanism of metabolic distribution via blood from triglyceride and phospholipid newly synthesized in the liver of cannulated rat.

ATP11C T418N, a gene mutation causing congenital hemolytic anemia, reduces flippase activity due to improper membrane trafficking

Distribution of phosphatidylserine (PS) in the erythrocyte membrane is essential for its activity. Flippase transports phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of the lipid bilayer and maintains asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in the plasma membrane. ATP11C, a flippase, catalyzes PS flipping at the plasma membrane in association with cell cycle control protein 50A (CDC50A). ATP11C T418 N mutation causes 90% decrease in erythrocyte PS-flippase activity. However, the mechanism of the activity reduction remains unknown. To study the endogenous expression of ATP11C in erythrocytes, we produced a monoclonal antibody against human ATP11C. Immunoblotting analyses with this antibody revealed the absence of ATP11C in erythrocyte membranes derived from a patient with the T418 N mutation. Transiently expressed ATP11C wild-type in cultured cells localized in the cell membranes in the presence of CDC50A. Contrastingly, ATP11C T418 N mutants stacked at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) even in the presence of CDC50A, suggesting improper intracellular trafficking. Expression of the T418 N mutant in cultured cells was lower than that in the wild-type. However, reduced expression of the T418 N mutant was partially restored by treatment with proteasome inhibitors, suggesting ER-associated degradation of the mutant protein. Cells expressing T418 N did not show flippase activity at the plasma membrane. These data show that the loss of PS-flippase activity in erythrocytes carrying ATP11C T418 N mutation is due to impaired enzymatic activity, improper membrane trafficking, and increased proteasome degradation.

Phosphatidylserine receptor-targeting therapies for the treatment of cancer.

Asymmetric distribution of phospholipids across the plasma membrane is a unique characteristic of eukaryotic cells. Phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin are exposed in the outer leaflet, and phosphatidylserine (PS) is predominantly located in the inner leaflet. Redistribution of PS to the cell surface can be observed in several physiological conditions, such as apoptosis and platelet activation, or in pathological conditions, such as the release of microvesicles/exosomes from tumor tissues. PS binding to the phosphatidylserine receptor (PSR) on immune cells initiates immunosuppressive pathways that can lead to immune evasion by cancer cells. Conversely, PSR activation of cancer cells plays an important role in their survival, proliferation and metastasis. Herein, we briefly summarize both recent advances in our understanding of the pathological roles of PS and its receptor in cancer biology, as well as relevant pharmacological approaches.

Mapping the fly Malpighian tubule lipidome by imaging mass spectrometry.

Matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) is an analytical technique for understanding the spatial distribution of biomolecules across a sample surface. Originally employed for mammalian tissues, this technology has been adapted to study specimens as diverse as microbes and cell cultures, food such as strawberries, and invertebrates including the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. As an ideal model organism, Drosophila has brought greater understanding about conserved biological processes, organism development, and diseased states and even informed management practices of agriculturally and environmentally important species. Drosophila displays anatomically separated renal (Malpighian) tubules that are the physiological equivalent to the vertebrate nephron. Insect Malpighian tubules are also responsible for pesticide detoxification. In this article, we first describe an effective workflow and sample preparation method to study the phospholipid distribution of the Malpighian tubules that initially involves the manual microdissection of the tubules in saline buffer followed by a series of washes to remove excess salt and enhances the phospholipid signals prior to matrix deposition and IMS at 25-μm spatial resolution. We also established a complementary methodology for lipid IMS analysis of whole-body fly sections using a dual-polarity data acquisition approach at the same spatial resolution after matrix deposition by sublimation. Both procedures yield rich signal profiles from the major phospholipid classes. The reproducibility and high-quality results offered by these methodologies enable cohort studies of Drosophila through MALDI IMS.

Phospholipid distributions in purple phototrophic bacteria and LH1-RC core complexes

In contrast to plants, algae and cyanobacteria that contain glycolipids as the major lipid components in their photosynthetic membranes, phospholipids are the dominant lipids in the membranes of anoxygenic purple phototrophic bacteria. Although the phospholipid compositions in whole cells or membranes are known for a limited number of the purple bacteria, little is known about the phospholipids associated with individual photosynthetic complexes. In this study, we investigated the phospholipid distributions in both membranes and the light-harvesting 1-reaction center (LH1-RC) complexes purified from several purple sulfur and nonsulfur bacteria. 31P NMR was used for determining the phospholipid compositions and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was used for measuring the total phosphorous contents. Combining these two techniques, we could determine the numbers of specific phospholipids in the purified LH1-RC complexes. A total of approximate 20–30 phospholipids per LH1-RC were detected as the tightly bound lipids in all species. The results revealed that while cardiolipin (CL) exists as a minor component in the membranes, it became the most abundant phospholipid in the purified core complexes and the sum of CL and phosphatidylglycerol accounted for more than two thirds of the total phospholipids for most species. Preferential association of these anionic phospholipids with the LH1-RC is discussed in the context of the recent high-resolution structure of this complex from Thermochromatium (Tch.) tepidum. The detergent lauryldimethylamine N-oxide was demonstrated to selectively remove phosphatidylethanolamine from the membrane of Tch. tepidum.

"Redox lipidomics technology: Looking for a needle in a haystack".

Aerobic life is based on numerous metabolic oxidation reactions as well as biosynthesis of oxygenated signaling compounds. Among the latter are the myriads of oxygenated lipids including a well-studied group of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) - octadecanoids, eicosanoids, and docosanoids. During the last two decades, remarkable progress in liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry has led to significant progress in the characterization of oxygenated PUFA-containing phospholipids, thus designating the emergence of a new field of lipidomics, redox lipidomics. Although non-enzymatic free radical reactions of lipid peroxidation have been mostly associated with the aberrant metabolism typical of acute injury or chronic degenerative processes, newly accumulated evidence suggests that enzymatically catalyzed (phospho)lipid oxygenation reactions are essential mechanisms of many physiological pathways. In this review, we discuss a variety of contemporary protocols applicable for identification and quantitative characterization of different classes of peroxidized (phospho)lipids. We describe applications of different types of LCMS for analysis of peroxidized (phospho)lipids, particularly cardiolipins and phosphatidylethanolalmines, in two important types of programmed cell death - apoptosis and ferroptosis. We discuss the role of peroxidized phosphatidylserines in phagocytotic signaling. We exemplify the participation of peroxidized neutral lipids, particularly tri-acylglycerides, in immuno-suppressive signaling in cancer. We also consider new approaches to exploring the spatial distribution of phospholipids in the context of their oxidizability by MS imaging, including the latest achievements in high resolution imaging techniques. We present innovative approaches to the interpretation of LC-MS data, including audio-representation analysis. Overall, we emphasize the role of redox lipidomics as a communication language, unprecedented in diversity and richness, through the analysis of peroxidized (phospho)lipids.

Comparison of lipid profiles in head and brain samples of drosophila melanogaster using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)

Drosophila melanogaster (fruits fly) is a representative model system widely used in biological studies because its brain function and basic cellular processes are similar to human beings. The whole head of the fly is often used to obtain the key function in brain-related diseases like degenerative brain diseases; however the biomolecular distribution of the head may be slightly different from that of a brain. Herein, lipid profiles of the head and dissected brain samples of Drosophila were studied using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). According to the sample types, the detection of phospholipid ions was suppressed by triacylglycerol (TAG), or the specific phospholipid signals that are absent in the mass spectrum were measured. The lipid distribution was found to be different in the wild-type and the microRNA-14 deficiency model (miR-14Δ1) with abnormal lipid metabolism. A few phospholipids were also profiled by comparison of the head and the brain in two fly model systems. The mass spectra showed that the phospholipid distributions in the miR-14Δ1 model and the wild-type were different, and principal component analysis revealed a correlation between some phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylserine (PS)) in miR-14Δ1. The overall results suggested that brain-related lipids should be profiled using fly samples after dissection for more accurate analysis.

Deletion of a flippase subunit Tmem30a in hematopoietic cells impairs mouse fetal liver erythropoiesis.

Transmembrane protein 30A (Tmem30a) is the β-subunit of P4-ATPases which function as flippase that transports aminophospholipids such as phosphatidylserine from the outer to the inner leaflets of the plasma membrane to maintain asymmetric distribution of phospholipids. It has been documented that deficiency of Tmem30a led to exposure of phosphatidylserine. However, the role of Tmem30a in vivo remains largely unknown. Here we found that Vav-Cre-driven conditional deletion of Tmem30a in hematopoietic cells led to embryonic lethality due to severe anemia by embryonic day 16.5. The numbers of erythroid colonies and erythroid cells were decreased in the Tmem30a deficient fetal liver. This was accompanied by increased apoptosis of erythroid cells. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed an increase of localization of erythropoietin receptor to areas of membrane raft microdomains in response to erythropoietin stimulation in Ter119−erythroid progenitors, which was impaired in Tmem30a deficient cells. Moreover, erythropoietin receptor (EPOR)-mediated activation of the STAT5 pathway was significantly reduced in Tmem30a deficient fetal liver cells. Consistently, knockdown of TMEM30A in human CD34+ cells also impaired erythropoiesis. Our findings demonstrate that Tmem30a plays a critical role in erythropoiesis by regulating the EPOR signaling pathway through the formation of membrane rafts in erythroid cells.

Calpain cleaves phospholipid flippase ATP8A1 during apoptosis in platelets

AbstractThe asymmetric distribution of specific phospholipids on the cell surface is maintained through phospholipid flippases. Broer and colleagues studied the flippase ATP8A1 in murine and human platelets, revealing a novel mechanism of flippase cleavage that differed between activated and apoptotic platelets.

Mass spectrometric discrimination of phospholipid patterns in cisplatin-resistant and -sensitive cancer cells.

Development of therapy-resistant cancer is a major problem in clinical oncology, and there is an urgent need for novel markers identifying development of the resistant phenotype. Lipidomics represents a promising approach to discriminate lipid profiles of malignant phenotype cells. Alterations in phospholipid distribution or chemical composition have been reported in various pathologies including cancer. Here we were curious whether quantitative differences in phospholipid composition between cisplatin-resistant and -sensitive model cancer cell lines could be revealed by mass spectrometric means. The phospholipid contents of cell membranes of the cancer cell lines CCRF-CEM and A2780, both responsive and resistant to cisplatin, were analyzed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)). Extracts were obtained by disruption of cells with a dounce tissue grinder set followed by centrifugation. To minimize the enzymatic activity, phospholipids were extracted from cell extracts by SPE immediately after the cell lysis and analyzed by MS. Both supernatant and pellet fractions of cell extracts were analyzed. A phospholipid profile specific for cell lines and their phenotypes was revealed. We have documented by quantitative analysis that phosphocholines PC P-34:0, PC 34:1, PC 20:2_16:0, LPC 18:1 and LPC 16:0 PLs were present in the 200-400 μM concentration range in CCRF-CEM cisplatin-responsive cells, but absent in their cisplatin-resistant cells. Similarly, PC 34:1, LPC 18:1 and LPC 16:0 were increased in cisplatin-responsive A2780 cells, and PC 20:2_16:0 was downregulated in cisplatin-resistant A2780 cells. In this work we showed that the ESI-MS analysis of the lipid content of the therapy-resistant and -sensitive cells can clearly distinguish the phenotypic pattern and determine the potential tumor response to cytotoxic therapy. Lipid entities revealed by mass spectrometry and associated with development of therapy resistance can thus support molecular diagnosis and provide a potential complementary cancer biomarker.

Platelet Dysfunction and Cellular Microparticles May be Involved in the Hipercoagulable State Observed in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by repetitive episodes of nocturnal breathing cessation due to upper airway collapse that cause intermittent hypoxia. Because of this, there is an increase in oxidative stress, endothelial damage and mortality associated with the incidence of thrombotic events. The evaluation of platelet function by flow cytometry (FCM) and hemostatic capacity through global hemostasis tests have been successfully used in the study of the prothrombotic state associated to numerous diseases. We anticipate that these techniques may help to clarify the mechanism involved in the prothrombotic state of OSA.Materials and Methods: We included 16 OSA patients diagnosed in the Pneumology Unit of the University Hospital La Paz and 59 healthy controls recruited in the Donor Unit of the same Hospital.Platelet surface receptors were analysed by FCM (FACScan, BD Biosciences) with specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD41/αIIb and CD61/β3, CD42a and CD42b. Platelet activation was assessed by FCM through PAC1-FITC binding (mAbs that recognizes activated conformation of fibrinogen receptor), P-selectin and CD63 exposure in baseline condition and after stimulation with 100 µM TRAP (agonist of the PAR-1 receptor) and 10 µM ADP. Platelet apoptosis was analysed by FCM through FITC-annexin V (BD Pharmingen) binding to phosphatidylserine (PS) exposed on platelet membrane under basal conditions and by determination of activity of caspases -3/7, -8, and -9 (BD Millipore).The overall hemostatic capacity was determined by the evaluation of thrombin generation using the Calibrated Automatic Thrombinography (CAT) with fresh platelet-poor plasma (obtained after double centrifugation of whole blood at 2500g, 20 minutes and 24ºC) and by the assessment of kinetics of clot formation using Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM® Gamma, Tem Innovations GmbH, Spain) using whole blood and activation by recalcification (naTEM® test, Tem Innovations GmbH, Spain).The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 9.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). Statistical significance was established at p <0.05.Results: No significant differences in age or sex were found between groups. Patients presented anxiety-depressive disorder (15%), ischemic cardiomyopathy (8%), dyslipidemias (38%), arterial hypertension (69%) and lower minimum oxygen pressures during sleep (mean±SD; patients: 76±8 % vs controls: 89±1 %; p< 0.001) indicating hypoxia. In basal conditions, an increase of CD42a subunit of the von Willebrand factor receptor was observed in patients with OSA but no differences were found in the exposure of fibrinogen receptor either at basal condition or after activation with TRAP or ADP (Table 1 and Figure 1). Platelet PS exposure before and after TRAP stimulation was higher in the patient group (Figure 1) but no differences between groups were observed in caspase activities (Table 2). Clotting time (CT), maximum clot firmness (MCF) and MP-associated thrombin generation were higher in patients with OSA (Figure 2).Conclusion: Mechanisms related to the mobilization of P-selectin to platelet surface and with the maintenance of phospholipids distribution in platelet membrane might be altered in OSA. The increment of P-selectin exposure may favor the interaction between white cells and platelets through PSGL-1 ligand from lymphocytes which in turn may produce endothelial damage explaining part of OSA's pathophysiology. A lower CT and higher MCF reflected a hypercoagulable state in patients, perhaps related to their higher MP-associated thrombin generation and, at least in part, due to the enhanced platelet-PS exposure. Our results also suggest that both ROTEM and CAT are useful tools for characterizing prothrombotic states in OSA patients.Work supported by grant from FIS-FEDER PI15/01457. NB holds a Miguel Servet II (FIS-FEDER CP14/00024). DisclosuresÁlvarez-Roman:Shire: Consultancy; NovoNordisk: Consultancy; SOBI: Consultancy. Jimenez-Yuste:Grifols: Consultancy, Research Funding; Octapharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; CSL Behring: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Shire: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; NovoNordisk: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sobi: Consultancy, Research Funding. Butta:FIS-Fondos FEDER: Research Funding.

Structural and interfacial characteristics of oil bodies in coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.)

This study investigated the structural characteristics of oil bodies from mature coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) fruit. The ultrastructure and the distribution of oil bodies in coconut endosperm were investigated using cryo-scanning electron microscopy. The interfacial characteristics of the oil bodies in suspensions isolated using two different protocols were studied using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and the oleosins stabilizing the oil bodies were characterized using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis. The oil bodies were found to be preferentially accumulated in endosperm tissues away from the inner endosperm and had a polydisperse size distribution, both intracellularly and in suspensions. The CLSM of oil bodies revealed uniform distribution of proteins and phospholipids at the interface along with glycolipids. Six different proteins were found to be associated with oil bodies some of which were disulfide-linked. This work provides new insights into the structure of coconut oil bodies and mechanisms for their stabilization.

The association of lipophilic phospholipids with native bovine casein micelles in skim milk: Effect of lactation stage and casein micelle size

A known biological role of casein micelles is to transport calcium from mother to young and provide amino acids for growth and development. Previous reports demonstrated that modified casein micelles can be used to transport and deliver hydrophobic probes. In this study, the distribution of lipid-soluble phospholipids, including sphingomyelins (SM) and phosphatidylcholines (PC), was quantified in whole raw milk, skim raw milk, and casein micelles of various sizes during early, mid, and late lactation stages. Low-pressure size exclusion chromatography was used to separate casein micelles by size, followed by hydrophobic extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for the quantification of PC and SM. Results showed that the SM d18:1/23:0, d18:1/22:0, d18:1/16:0, d16:1/22:0, d16:1/23:0, and d18:1/24:0 and the PC 16:0/18:1, 18:0/18:2, and 16:0/16:0 were dominating candidates appearing in maximum concentration in whole raw milk obtained from late lactation, with 21 to 50% of total SM and 16 to 35% of total PC appearing in skim milk. Of the total SM and PC found in skim milk, 35 to 46% of SM and 22 to 29% of PC were associated with the casein micelle fraction. The highest concentrations of SM d18:1/22:0 (341 ± 17 µg/g of casein protein) and PC 16:0/18:1 (180 ± 20 µg/g of casein protein) were found to be associated with the largest casein micelles (diameter = 149 nm) isolated in milk from late lactation, followed by a decrease in concentration as the casein micelle size decreased.

From DESI to the MasSpec Pen: Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Tissue Analysis and Intrasurgical Cancer Diagnosis.

With the increasing prevalence of cancer, there is strong motivation to accurately assess and diagnose tissue during cancer surgery. Assessment of the negative margin for the maximum possible tumor excision is critical for achieving remission and improving overall patient survival. To that end, the MasSpec Pen is the latest iteration of ambient ionization mass spectrometry (MS)3 for the purposes of tissue diagnosis that allows direct, real-time tissue sampling and molecular analysis (1). This development occurs at a time when molecular analysis is rapidly emerging as an important aspect of cancer tissue diagnosis and substantial efforts are made to develop technology that is automated, biocompatible, nondestructive, handheld, and available at the bedside. While the gold standard for cancer diagnosis continues to be histopathology augmented by immunohistochemistry, molecular analysis holds great promise for several reasons: ( a ) small molecules provide information on the phenotype that may be unavailable from examination of the genotype; ( b ) complex and dynamic interactions between biomolecules influence biological functions and so signify the health state of an entity; and ( c ) rapid and accurate pattern recognition of tissue types is possible with multiple spectroscopic/spectrometric methods. With pathology providing a gold standard reference, it has become clear that both MS and Raman spectroscopy have potential value for cancer diagnostics. A minimum requirement for surgical relevance is that a technique provides reliable molecular data very rapidly while using unprocessed samples. Ambient ionization MS is a suite of methods that does exactly that, allowing chemical information to be obtained for a variety of analytes at atmospheric pressure, thereby eliminating the usual requirement for ionization to be performed under suction or for prior sample purification and pretreatment. The first tissue measurements completed with ambient ionization, reported in 2005, were based on phospholipid distributions, and they served to demarcate tissue type and disease state. …

Interorganellar Phosphatidylserine Transfer by Sec14 Family Protein Sfh1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Interorganellar phospholipid transfer is critical for the generation and maintenance of uneven distribution of phospholipids in membranes and for the phospholipid synthesis through CDP‐DAG pathway in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. While involvement of lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) in directional lipid transport has been actively discussed, the precise mechanisms of interorganellar phospholipid transfer remain unsolved. We carried out a screening to identify genes involved in aminophospholipid transfer in Psd2 branch of the CDP‐DAG pathway and obtained SFH1, a SEC14 homolog. Overexpression of SFH1 recovered the growth of psd1Δ on non‐fermenting carbon sources without ethanolamine supplementation, and partially restored the mitochondrial and cellular PE levels. Sfh1 was able to transfer fluorescence‐labeled phosphatidylserine (PS) between liposomes in vitro. In addition, binding of Sfh1 to PS in vivo was suggested by the analysis of phospholipid species copurified with Sfh1 from yeast cells by ESI‐MS/MS. Subcellular fractionation suggested that a portion of Sfh1 is localized in the endosome and the Golgi where Psd2 is reported to be localized. Together with the results that overexpression of SFH1 did not affect the protein abundance of Pss1 and Psd2, or the in vitro Psd2 activity, it is conceivable that Sfh1 enhance PE synthesis by PS transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum to the endosome. Our findings propose a novel function for Sec14‐family proteins in yeast.Support or Funding InformationThis work was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 17K07710 and 15J10871.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.