Tsuneo Kameyama

A neuropathological study of paraparetic rats injected with HTLV-I-producing T cells

In order to clarify the pathogenesis of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy or tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), we injected HTLV-I-producing rabbit or human T cells intravenously into WKA and F344 rats. Infection was confirmed from increase in the anti-HTLV-I antibody titer and from the presence of HTLV-I proviral DNA. Only WKA rats developed hindlimb paraparesis 78-124 weeks after the injection. Neuropathological examination of 5 rats showed degeneration of the anterolateral and posterior funiculi as well as the peripheral nerves, and this degeneration was characterized by prominent vacuolation and macrophage infiltration. The myelopathy and neuropathy were grossly similar to those in human HAM/TSP. Although pathological changes of the spinal cord were very mild in 2 paretic rats, and similar lesions were found in the spinal cords and peripheral nerves of 2 control WKA rats, the myelopathy, radiculoneuropathy, or both in the paretic rats showed greater severity than in the controls. The contribution of the aging process to the lesions of the spinal cord and peripheral nerve is discussed. It appears possible that HTLV-I may accelerate the aging process and give rise to paraparesis. The precise role of HTLV-I in the pathogenesis of rat paraparesis remains to be elucidated taking the role of the aging process of the spinal cord and peripheral nerve into account.

Effect of calcium and F-actin on the rate of SH2 modification in skeletal myosin

The rate constant of modification of a specific thiol group, SH2, with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) has been used to estimate the conformational change in the local area containing SH2 (SH2 region) of skeletal myosin as a structural probe. The rate of Mg2+-ATP-induced SH2 modification of subfragment-1 (S-l) isozymes was regulated by Ca2+ in the pCa range below 6.4 and was not regulated in the pCa range above 6.4. No substantial difference between S-1 containing alkali light chain, A1, (S-1(A1)) and S-1 containing alkali light chain, A2, (S-1(A2)) was observed in the Ca2+-dependent rate of SH2 modification. Due to the presence of this Ca2+ regulation in myosin (absence in S-1 isozymes) in the pCa range above 6.4, absence of 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) light chain in S-1 isozymes, and high affinity of Ca2+ for DTNB light chain, this Ca2+ regulation in the pCa range above 6.4 is possibly related to the Ca2+ binding to DTNB light chain. F-Actin, which is entirely free from tropomyosin and troponin, enhanced the rate of Mg2+-ATP-induced SH2 modification of S-1 isozymes equally and of myosin, and reduced the Ca2+ sensitivity with an increase in F-actin concentration.

Calcium Dependent Regulation of Conformational Change in the SH2 Region of Skeletal Myosin

Due to the finding of troponin,1,2 actin-linked Ca2+-dependent regulatory mechanism of muscle contraction was established.