Multiple phosphorylation sites of Drp1 have been characterized for their functional importance. However, the functional consequence of GSK3beta-mediated phosphorylation of Drp1 remains unclear. In this report, we pinpointed 11 Serine/Threonine sites spanning from residue 634∼736 of the GED domain and robustly confirmed Drp1 Ser693 as a novel GSK3beta phosphorylation site. Our results suggest that GSK3beta-mediated phosphorylation at Ser693 does cause a dramatic decrease of GTPase activity; in contrast, GSK3beta-mediated phosphorylation at Ser693 appears not to affect Drp1 inter-/intra-molecular interactions. After identifying Ser693 as a GSK3beta phosphorylation site, we also determined that K679 is crucial for GSK3beta-binding, which strongly suggests that Drp1 is a novel substrate for GSK3beta. Thereafter, we found that overexpressed S693D, but not S693A mutant, caused an elongated mitochondrial morphology which is similar to that of K38A, S637D and K679A mutants. Interestedly, using H89 and LiCl to inhibit PKA and GSK3beta signaling, respectively, it appears that a portion of the elongated mitochondria switched to a fragmented phenotype. In investigating the biofunctionality of phosphorylation sites within the GED domain, cells overexpressing Drp1 S693D and S637D, but not S693A, showed an acquired resistance to H2O2-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and ensuing apoptosis, which affected cytochrome c, capase-3, -7, and PARP, but not LC3B, Atg-5, Beclin-1 and Bcl2 expressions. These results also showed that the S693D group is more effective in protecting both non-neuronal and neuronal cells from apoptotic death than the S637D group. Altogether, our data suggest that GSK3beta-mediated phosphorylation at Ser693 of Drp1 may be associated with mitochondrial elongation via down-regulating apoptosis, but not autophagy upon H2O2 insult.

The speed of sound in high-purity water has been measured in the temperature range (253 to 473) K at pressures up to 400 MPa. The experimental technique used was based on a double-path pulse-echo method with a single 5-MHz ultrasound transducer placed between two unequally spaced reflectors. The cell was calibrated in water at T = 298.15 K and p = 1 MPa against the speed of sound given by the 1995 equation-of-state formulation of the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS-95) which, for that state point, has an uncertainty of 0.005%. Corrections for the effects of temperature and pressure on the path length difference are considered in detail. The estimated expanded relative uncertainty of the speed of sound determined in this work is shown to be between 0.03% and 0.04% at a confidence level of 95%. The density and isobaric specific heat capacity of water have been obtained in the temperature range (253.15 to 473.15) K at pressure up to 400 MPa by thermodynamic integration of the sound-speed data subject to initial values computed from IAPWS-95 on the isobar at p = 0.1 MPa. The speed of sound, density, and isobaric specific heat capacity were compared with IAPWS-95 with corresponding absolute relative deviations within 0.3%, 0.03%, and 1%, respectively at T ≥ 273.15 K and p ≤ 400 MPa; larger deviations, especially for heat capacity, were found at lower temperatures. The results imply that the uncertainties of properties computed from IAPWS-95 may be significantly reduced over the major part of the region investigated in this work.

Pectin, a major component of the primary cell wall, is synthesized in the Golgi apparatus and exported to the cell wall in a highly methylesterified form, then is partially demethylesterified by pectin methylesterases (PMEs; EC 3.1.1.11). PME activity on the status of pectin methylesterification profoundly affects the properties of pectin and, thereby, is critical for plant development and the plant defense response, although the roles of PMEs under heat stress (HS) are poorly understood. Functional genome annotation predicts that at least 66 potential PME genes are contained in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Thermotolerance assays of PME gene T-DNA insertion lines revealed two null mutant alleles of PME34 (At3g49220) that both consistently showed reduced thermotolerance. Nevertheless, their impairment was independently associated with the expression of HS-responsive genes. It was also observed that PME34 transcription was induced by abscisic acid and highly expressed in guard cells. We showed that the PME34 mutation has a defect in the control of stomatal movement and greatly altered PME and polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15) activity, resulting in a heat-sensitive phenotype. PME34 has a role in the regulation of transpiration through the control of the stomatal aperture due to its cell wall-modifying enzyme activity during the HS response. Hence, PME34 is required for regulating guard cell wall flexibility to mediate the heat response in Arabidopsis.

Background/aimsThe genome-wide association study has shown that MHC class I chain-related A (MICA) genetic variants were associated with hepatitis C virus (HCC) related hepatocellular carcinoma. The impact of the genetic variants and its serum levels on post-treatment cohort is elusive.MethodsMICA rs2596542 genotype and serum MICA (sMICA) levels were evaluated in 705 patients receiving antiviral therapy.ResultsFifty-eight (8·2%) patients developed HCC, with a median follow-up period of 48·2 months (range: 6–129 months). The MICA A allele was associated with a significantly increased risk of HCC development in cirrhotic non-SVR patients but not in patients of non-cirrhotic and/or with SVR. For cirrhotic non-SVR patients, high sMICA levels (HR/CI: 5·93/1·86–26.38·61, P = 0·002) and the MICA rs2596542 A allele (HR/CI: 4·37/1·52–12·07, P = 0·002) were independently associated with HCC development. The risk A allele or GG genotype with sMICA > 175 ng/mL provided the best accuracy (79%) and a negative predictive value of 100% in predicting HCC.ConclusionsCirrhotic patients who carry MICA risk alleles and those without risk alleles but with high sMICA levels possessed the highest risk of HCC development once they failed antiviral therapy.