Abstract5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) is an oxidation product of 5-methylcytosine (mC) present in DNA of most mammalian cells. Reduction of hmC levels in DNA is a hallmark of cancers. Elucidating the dynamics of this oxidation reaction and the lifetime of hmC in DNA is fundamental to understanding hmC function. Using stable isotope labeling of cytosine derivatives in the DNA of mammalian cells and ultrasensitive tandem liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS), we show that the majority of hmC is a stable modification, as opposed to a transient intermediate. In contrast with DNA methylation, which occurs immediately during replication, hmC forms slowly over the first 30 h following DNA synthesis. Isotopic labeling of DNA in mouse tissues confirmed the stability of hmC in vivo and demonstrated a relationship between global levels of hmC and cell proliferation. These insights have important implications for understanding the states of chemically modified DNA bases in health and disease.Methylation of cytosine (C) at C-5 to form 5-methylcytosine (mC), by DNA methyltransferase enzymes, is an important epigenetic DNA modification that is essential for development, normal function and disease in all mammals 1 . In 2009, it was robustly demonstrated that 5mC could be enzymatically oxidized to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) 2,3 . The initial discoveries were made in genomic DNA isolated from mouse brain and embryonic stem (mES) cell DNA, but hmC has subsequently been detected in all mammalian tissues 4 . In contrast with global DNA methylation levels which are stable across tissues, the levels of hmC are highly tissue-specific, ranging between 0.03 % of all cytosines in the spleen and 0.7 % in the brain 4 , and are reduced up to 8-fold in cancer tissues relative

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) regulates serum LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) by interacting with the LDL receptor (LDLR) and is an attractive therapeutic target for LDL-C lowering. We have generated a neutralizing anti-PCSK9 antibody, mAb1, that binds to an epitope on PCSK9 adjacent to the region required for LDLR interaction. In vitro, mAb1 inhibits PCSK9 binding to the LDLR and attenuates PCSK9-mediated reduction in LDLR protein levels, thereby increasing LDL uptake. A combination of mAb1 with a statin increases LDLR levels in HepG2 cells more than either treatment alone. In wild-type mice, mAb1 increases hepatic LDLR protein levels Ϸ2-fold and lowers total serum cholesterol by up to 36%: this effect is not observed in LDLR ؊/؊ mice. In cynomolgus monkeys, a single injection of mAb1 reduces serum LDL-C by 80%, and a significant decrease is maintained for 10 days. We conclude that anti-PCSK9 antibodies may be effective therapeutics for treating hypercholesterolemia.antibody ͉ LDL-C ͉ LDLR ͉ PCSK9 ͉ hypercholesterolemia P roprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has been implicated as an important regulator of LDL metabolism (1, 2). Human genetic studies provide strong validation for the role of PCSK9 in modulating LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in man. Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in the PCSK9 gene are associated with elevated serum LDL-C levels (Ͼ300 mg/dL) and premature CHD (3), whereas loss-of-function (LOF) mutations are associated with low serum LDL-C (Յ100 mg/dL) (4). Strikingly, subjects harboring the heterozygous LOF mutations exhibited an 88% reduction in the incidence of CHD over a 15-year period relative to noncarriers of the mutations (5). Moreover, despite a complete loss of PCSK9 and serum LDL-C of Ͻ20 mg/dL, the 2 subjects carrying compound heterozygote LOF mutations appear healthy (6, 7).PCSK9 belongs to the subtilisin family of serine proteases and consists of a prodomain, catalytic domain, and C-terminal V domain (8). Expressed highly in the liver, PCSK9 is secreted after autocatalytic cleavage of its zymogen form (1). The prodomain remains noncovalently associated with the catalytic domain and seems to inhibit further proteolytic enzyme activity (8, 9). Secreted PCSK9 modulates LDL-C levels by posttranslational downregulation of hepatic LDL receptor (LDLR) protein (1). The precise mechanism is unknown, but a direct interaction between repeat A of the LDLR EGF homology domain and the PCSK9 catalytic domain is required (10, 11). Proteolytic cleavage of the LDLR by PCSK9 does not occur (12, 13); rather, the PCSK9:LDLR complex is endocytosed and directed to the endosome/lysosome compartment for degradation (14, 15). Current understanding of the LDLR pathway asserts that apolipoprotein B (apoB) and E (apoE) containing lipoprotein particles endocytosed with the LDLR are transported to the acidic environment of the endosome, where they dissociate from the receptor and are subsequently catabolized in lysosomes, while t...

5-Formylcytosine (5fC) is a rare base found in mammalian DNA and thought to be involved in active DNA demethylation. Here, we show that developmental dynamics of 5fC levels in mouse DNA differ from those of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), and using stable isotope labeling in vivo, we show that 5fC can be a stable DNA modification. These results suggest that 5fC has functional roles in DNA that go beyond being a demethylation intermediate.

A glucose sensor comprising a reflection hologram incorporated into a thin, acrylamide hydrogel film bearing the cis-diol binding ligand, 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid (3-APB), is described. The diffraction wavelength (color) of the hologram changes as the polymer swells upon binding cis-diols. The effect of various concentrations of glucose, a variety of mono- and disaccharides, and the alpha-hydroxy acid, lactate, on the holographic response was investigated. The sensor displayed reversible changes in diffraction wavelength as a function of cis-diol concentration, with the sensitivity of the system being dependent on the cis-diol tested. The effect of varying 3-APB concentration in the hydrogel on the holographic response to glucose was investigated, and maximum sensitivity was observed at a functional monomer concentration of 20 mol %. The potential for using this holographic sensor to detect real-time changes in bacterial cell metabolism was demonstrated by monitoring the germination and subsequent vegetative growth of Bacillus subtilis spores.

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In this study, 2-acrylamidophenylboronate (2-APB) was synthesised and its ability to bind with glucose was investigated both in solution and when integrated into a holographic sensor. Multiple forms of 2-APB, resulting from the neighbouring effect of the amido group with the boronic acid through an intramolecular B--O-coordinated interaction, were shown to exist in solution by using multinuclear NMR spectrometry. It was found that 2-APB predominantly adopts a zwitterionic tetrahedral form at physiological pH values. The complex formation of 2-APB with glucose and lactate was investigated in DMSO; 2-APB favours binding with glucose rather than lactate and generates a five-membered-ring complex. Furthermore, a 2-APB-based holographic sensor displayed a significant response to glucose with little interference from lactate, and with no dependence on pH in the physiological pH range. These features suggest that the new ligand 2-APB is a potential candidate for the development of glucose-selective sensors.

Prion diseases are caused by conversion of a normally folded, non-pathogenic isoform of the prion protein (PrPC) to a misfolded, pathogenic isoform (PrPSc). Prion inoculation experiments in mice expressing homologous PrPC molecules on different genetic backgrounds displayed different incubation times, indicating that the conversion reaction may be influenced by other gene products. To identify genes that contribute to prion pathogenesis, we analysed incubation times of prions in mice in which the gene product was inactivated, knocked out or overexpressed. We tested 20 candidate genes, because their products either colocalize with PrP, are associated with Alzheimer's disease, are elevated during prion disease, or function in PrP-mediated signalling, PrP glycosylation, or protein maintenance. Whereas some of the candidates tested may have a role in the normal function of PrPC, our data show that many genes previously implicated in prion replication have no discernible effect on the pathogenesis of prion disease. While most genes tested did not significantly affect survival times, ablation of the amyloid beta (A4) precursor protein (App) or interleukin-1 receptor, type I (Il1r1), and transgenic overexpression of human superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) prolonged incubation times by 13, 16 and 19 %, respectively.