DNA replication in higher eukaryotes initiates at thousands of origins according to a spatio-temporal program. The ATR/Chk1 dependent replication checkpoint inhibits the activation of later firing origins. In the Xenopus in vitro system initiations are not sequence dependent and 2-5 origins are grouped in clusters that fire at different times despite a very short S phase. We have shown that the temporal program is stochastic at the level of single origins and replication clusters. It is unclear how the replication checkpoint inhibits late origins but permits origin activation in early clusters. Here, we analyze the role of Chk1 in the replication program in sperm nuclei replicating in Xenopus egg extracts by a combination of experimental and modelling approaches. After Chk1 inhibition or immunodepletion, we observed an increase of the replication extent and fork density in the presence or absence of external stress. However, overexpression of Chk1 in the absence of external replication stress inhibited DNA replication by decreasing fork densities due to lower Cdk2 kinase activity. Thus, Chk1 levels need to be tightly controlled in order to properly regulate the replication program even during normal S phase. DNA combing experiments showed that Chk1 inhibits origins outside, but not inside, already active clusters. Numerical simulations of initiation frequencies in the absence and presence of Chk1 activity are consistent with a global inhibition of origins by Chk1 at the level of clusters but need to be combined with a local repression of Chk1 action close to activated origins to fit our data.

Recebido em 20/7/99; aceito em 8/1/00 TRITERPENES FROM THE RESIN OF PROTIUM HEPTAPHYLLUM MARCH (BURSERACEAE):CHARACTERIZATION IN BINARY MIXTURES. Eight triterpenes, maniladiol, breine, ursa-9(11):12-dien-3β-ol, oleana-9(11):12-dien-3β-ol, 3α-hydroxy-tirucalla-8,24-dien-21-oic acid, 3α-hydroxy-tirucalla-7,24-dien-21-oic, α and β amyrines were isolated as binary mixtures obtained from the chloroform extract of the oil-resin of Protium heptaphyllum March. The identification of the compounds was based mainly in 13 C NMR data and mass spectra. The diene and the tetracyclic acid triterpenes were not reported before in the literature as constituents of the studied resin.Keywords: Protium heptaphyllum; triterpenes; Burseraceae. ARTIGO INTRODUÇÃOMuitas espécies vegetais se notabilizam pela gama variada de substâncias triterpenoídicas, presentes nos seus órgãos, onde devem desempenhar diferentes papéis.1 Alguns gêneros da família Burseraceae (Elaphrium, Icica, Canarium e Protium) são produtores de resinas oleosas. Estas resinas são conhecidas genericamente como elemi e são constituidas de triterpenos tetracíclicos, como os ácidos elemadienólico e elemadienônico, e pentacíclicos, como α e β amirinas, maniladiol e breína entre outros 2 . A espécie Protium heptaphyllum é largamente encontrada na região amazônica e produz uma resina oleosa também conhecida como breu branco, almécega do Brasil, goma-limão, etc. Sua utilização é amplamente difundida, sendo usada na medicina popular, como analgésico, cicatrizante e expectorante; na indústria de verniz; na calafetagem de embarcações e em rituais religiosos (incenso). Isto torna, sobremodo, importante o conhecimento de sua constituição química para contribuir com o aproveitamento e controle na medicina e na indústria. A literatura revela a presença de α e β amirinas, taraxastano-3, 20-diol, taraxastan-3-oxo-20-ol, bem como de sitostenona na resina de Protium heptaphyllum March, coletada na reserva da Campina (Manaus-AM) 3 . Triterpenos são facilmente encontrados na natureza e quando utilizam-se as técnicas cromatográficas usuais, raramente consegue-se o isolamento destes triterpenos puros, sendo estes portanto obtidos, quase sempre, em misturas de difícil resolução. Esta dificuldade pode às vezes ser superada empregandose as técnicas cromatográficas especiais, como CLAE e CG de alta resolução. Na ausência destas, é possível utilizar-se méto-dos físicos de análise e identificar-se triterpenos em misturas. Um exemplo é a metodologia desenvolvida por Gallegos Olea e Roque 4 . O emprego desta metodologia, coadjuvada por dados espectrais de RMN de 1 H, UV, IVTF e EM, tornou possí-vel a identificação de oito triterpenos presentes na resina de P. heptaphyllum (Burseraceae), descrita neste trabalho. PARTE EXPERIMENTALProcedimentos Experimentais: nas separações em coluna foi utilizada a técnica de empacotamento a seco tendo como adsorvente gel de silica 60 (0,063-0,200) da Merck. Nas cromatografias em camada delgada (0,3 mm) analíticas, a fase estacionária utilizada foi gel de silica GF-25...

VEGF and TGF-β1 are cytokines that stimulate tissue invasion and angiogenesis. These factors are considered as molecular targets for the therapy of glioblastoma. Bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody developed against VEGF, inhibits endothelial cell proliferation and vessel formation. Flavonoids obtained from Dimorphandra mollis and Croton betulaster have been described as proliferation inhibitors of a human glioblastoma derived cell line. VEGF and TGF-β1 levels were dosed by ELISA in a GL-15 cell line treated with bevacizumab and also with the flavonoids rutin, 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone, casticin, apigenin and penduletin. Rutin reduced the VEGF and TGF-β1 levels after 24 h but not after 72 h. The other flavonoids significantly reduced TGF-β1 production. Bevacizumab reduced only the VEGF levels in the supernatant from GL-15 cultures. These results suggest that the flavonoids studied, and commonly used in popular medicine, present an interesting subject of study due to their potential effect as angiogenic factor inhibitors.

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Highlights d BRCT0 and BRCT1 promote ECT2 activation during cytokinesis d BRCT2 limits ECT2 GEF activity during metaphase and anaphase d BRCT2 binding to the GEF domain and RACGAP1 facilitates a narrow RhoA zone formation d Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) phosphorylates BRCT0 and binds each BRCT domain

Neurodegenerative diseases are a major constraint on the social and economic development of many countries. Evidence has suggested that phytochemicals have an impact on brain pathology; however, both their mechanisms of action and their cell targets are incompletely known. Here, we investigated the effects of the flavonoid casticin, extracted from Croton betulaster, a common plant in the state of Bahia in Brazil, on rat cerebral cortex neurons in vitro. Treatment of neural progenitors with 10 microM casticin increased the neuronal population positive for the neuronal marker beta-tubulin III and the neuronal transcriptional factor Tbr2 by approximately 20%. This event was followed by a 50% decrease in neuronal death. Pools of astrocyte (GFAP and S100beta), neural (nestin), and oligodendrocyte (Olig2 and NG2) progenitors were not affected by casticin. Neither neuronal commitment nor proliferation of progenitors was affected by casticin, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of this compound. Culture of neural progenitors on casticin-treated astrocyte monolayers increased the neuronal population by 40%. This effect was reproduced by conditioned medium derived from casticin-treated astrocytes, suggesting the involvement of a soluble factor. ELISA assays of the conditioned medium revealed a 20% increase in interleukin-6 level in response to casticin. In contrast to the direct effect, neuronal death was unaffected, but a 52% decrease in the death of nestin-positive progenitors was observed. Together our data suggest that casticin influences the neuronal population by two mechanisms: 1) directly, by decreasing neuronal death, and 2) indirectly, via astrocytes, by modulating the pool of neuronal progenitors.

The flavonoid apigenin, extracted from the Brazilian plant Croton betulaster Müll. has demonstrated the ability to inhibit proliferation, induce differentiation, and modify the inflammatory profile of glioma cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of apigenin on chemotaxis and regulation of inflammatory cytokines of microglia cells and these impacts on glioma cell growth. In cultures of isolated rat microglia, it was observed that apigenin induced changes in Iba1‐positive cells to an ameboid phenotype, associated to an increase in the expression of the activated M1 profile marker OX‐42 and iNOS and a reduction in the expression of the M2 profile marker CD206. Besides, apigenin modulated the tumor necrosis factor and IL‐10 release by microglia. Treatment of C6 glioma cells with conditioned medium of microglia treated with apigenin‐induced reduction of tumor migration and viability, associated with significant reduction in IL‐6 levels. On the other hand, treatment of C6 cells with apigenin‐induced microglia chemotaxis to glioma in vitro. Moreover, apigenin treatment of microglia/C6 co‐cultures induced preferentially reduction in the viability of C6 cells and increased microglia‐activated phenotype, associated with a change in the balance of TNF/IL‐10 levels. Together, these results demonstrated that the flavonoid apigenin restores the immune profile of microglia against glioma cells.

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