Primary Human Blood Cells Research Articles

IFIH1 (MDA5) is required for innate immune detection of intron-containing RNA expressed from the HIV-1 provirus

Intron-containing RNA expressed from the HIV-1 provirus activates type 1 interferon in primary human blood cells, including CD4+ T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. To identify the innate immune receptor required for detection of intron-containing RNA expressed from the HIV-1 provirus, a loss-of-function screen was performed with short hairpin RNA-expressing lentivectors targeting twenty-one candidate genes in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Among the candidate genes tested, only knockdown of XPO1 (CRM1), IFIH1 (MDA5), or MAVS prevented activation of the interferon-stimulated gene ISG15. The importance of IFIH1 protein was demonstrated by rescue of the knockdown with nontargetable IFIH1 coding sequence. Inhibition of HIV-1-induced ISG15 by the IFIH1-specific Nipah virus V protein, and by IFIH1-transdominant 2-CARD domain-deletion or phosphomimetic point mutations, indicates that IFIH1 (MDA5) filament formation, dephosphorylation, and association with MAVS are all required for innate immune activation in response to HIV-1 transduction. Since both IFIH1 (MDA5) and DDX58 (RIG-I) signal via MAVS, the specificity of HIV-1 RNA detection by IFIH1 was demonstrated by the fact that DDX58 knockdown had no effect on activation. RNA-Seq showed that IFIH1 knockdown in dendritic cells globally disrupted the induction of IFN-stimulated genes by HIV-1. Finally, specific enrichment of unspliced HIV-1 RNA by IFIH1 (MDA5), over two orders of magnitude, was revealed by formaldehyde cross-linking immunoprecipitation (f-CLIP). These results demonstrate that IFIH1 is the innate immune receptor for intron-containing RNA from the HIV-1 provirus and that IFIH1 potentially contributes to chronic inflammation in people living with HIV-1, even in the presence of effective antiretroviral therapy.

Aqueous sage leave extract attenuates inflammation and oxidant-induced genotoxicity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Traditional medicine has used sage (Salvia officinalis L.) preparations for centuries to prevent and treat various inflammatory and oxidative stress-induced conditions. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the bioactive properties of a sage leave extract obtained with environmentally friendly aqueous extraction and lyophilisation in primary human peripheral blood cells. To that end we measured the total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC, respectively) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Non-cytotoxic concentrations determined with the trypan blue assay were used to assess the antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, and PAB assay), antigenotoxic (CBMN assay), immunomodulatory (IL-1β and TNF-α), and neuroprotective effects (AChE inhibition). The extract contained high TPC (162 mg GAE/g of dry extract) and TFC (39.47 mg QE/g of dry extract) concentrations, while β-thujone content was unexpectedly low (below 0.9 %). Strong radical-scavenging activity combined with glutathione reductase activation led to a decrease in basal and H2O2-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage. A decrease in TNF-α and increase in IL-1β levels suggest complex immunomodulatory response that could contribute to antioxidant and, together with mild AChE inhibition, neuroprotective effects. Overall, this study has demonstrated that aqueous sage leave extract reduces the levels of thujone, 1,8-cineole, pinene, and terpene ketones that could be toxic in high concentrations, while maintaining high concentrations of biologically active protective compounds which have a potential to prevent and/or treat inflammatory and oxidative stress-related conditions.

A comprehensive battery of flow cytometric immunoassays for the in vitro testing of chemical effects in human blood cells.

There is a growing need for immunological assays to test toxic and modulatory effects of chemicals. The assays should be easy to use, reproducible and superior to cell line-based assays. We have therefore developed a comprehensive portfolio of assays based on primary human blood cells that are suitable for testing chemical effects. The flow cytometry-based assays were designed to target a wide range of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and whole blood, including T cells, NK cells, B cells, basophils and innate-like T cells such as γδT, MAIT and NKT cells. We have selected a set of activation markers for each immune cell, e.g: CD154 (T cells), CD137, CD107a (NK cells), CD63 (basophils), CD69, CD83 (B cells), CD69, IFN-γ (MAIT cells) and we selected cell specific stimuli: aCD3 antibodies (T cells); E. coli and cytokines IL-12/15/18 (MAIT cells); CpG ODN2006, R848 or aCD40 antibodies (B cells), fMLP or aFcϵR1 (basophils) or K562 cells (NK cells). By selecting immune cell-specific markers and cell-specific stimuli, we were able to induce particular immune responses from the targeted immune cells. For example, the response to stimulation with anti-CD3 antibodies was in 36.8% of CD107a+CD8+ cells. Cytokine stimulation induced the production of IFN-γ in 30% of MAIT cells. After stimulation with E. coli, around 50% of MAIT cells produced TNF. About 40% of basophils responded to aFcƐR1 stimulation. Similar activation ranges were achieved in K562-stimulated NK cells. Our test portfolio covers the most relevant immune cells present in human blood, providing a solid basis for in vitro toxicity and immunomodulatory testing of chemicals. By using human blood, the natural composition of cells found in the blood can be determined and the effects of chemicals can be detected at the cellular level.

Efficient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Generation Starting with Leukoreduction System Chambers of Thrombocyte Apheresis Sets

Introduction: Primary human blood cells represent an essential model system to study physiology and disease. However, human blood is a limited resource. During healthy donor plateletpheresis, the leukoreduction system chamber (LRSC) reduces the leukocyte amount within the subsequent platelet concentrate through saturated, fluidized, particle bed filtration technology. Normally, the LRSC is discarded after apheresis is completed. Compared to peripheral blood, LRSC yields 10-fold mononuclear cell concentration. Methods: To explore if those retained leukocytes are attractive for research purposes, we isolated CD3+ T cells from the usually discarded LRSCs via density gradient centrifugation in order to manufacture CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Results: Immunophenotypic characterization revealed viable and normal CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell populations within LRSC, with low CD19+ B cell counts. Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) purified CD3+ T cells were transduced with CD19 CAR-encoding lentiviral self-inactivating vectors using concentrated viral supernatants. Robust CD19 CAR cell surface expression on transduced T cells was confirmed by flow cytometry. CD19 CAR T cells were further enriched through anti-CAR MACS, yielding 80% CAR+ T-cell populations. In vitro CAR T cell expansion to clinically relevant numbers was achieved. To prove functionality, CAR T cells were co-incubated with the human CD19+ B cell precursor leukemia cell line Nalm6. Compared to unmodified T cells, CD19 CAR T cells effectively eradicated Nalm6 cells. Conclusion: Taken together, we can show that lymphocytes isolated from LRSCs of plateletpheresis sets can be efficiently used for the generation of functional CAR T cells for experimental purposes.

Dose-Dependent Effect of Phenothiazines as Dynamin II Inhibitors on the Uptake of PEGylated Liposomes by Endocytic Cells and In Vivo Pharmacokinetics of PEGylated Liposomal Doxorubicin in Rats.

Dynamin II (dynII) plays a significant role in the internalization pathways of endocytic cells, by allowing membrane invaginations to "bud off". An important class of dynII inhibitors that are used clinically are phenothiazines, such as prochlorperazine (PCZ). PCZ is an antipsychotic drug but is also currently in clinical trials at higher concentrations as an adjuvant in cancer patients that increases the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies at high intravenous doses. It is unknown, however, whether high-dose dynII inhibitors have the potential to alter the pharmacokinetics of co-administered chemotherapeutic nanomedicines that are largely cleared via the mononuclear phagocyte system. This work therefore sought to investigate the impact of clinically relevant concentrations of phenothiazines, PCZ and thioridazine, on in vitro liposome endocytosis and in vivo liposome pharmacokinetics after PCZ infusion in rats. The uptake of fluorescently labeled PEGylated liposomes into differentiated and undifferentiated THP-1 and RAW246.7 cells, and primary human peripheral white blood cells, was investigated via flow cytometry after co-incubation with dynII inhibitors. The IV pharmacokinetics of PEGylated liposomes were also investigated in rats after a 20 min infusion with PCZ. Phenothiazines and dyngo4a reduced the uptake of PEGylated liposomes by THP-1 and RAW264.7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. However, dynII inhibitors did not alter the mean uptake of liposomes by human peripheral white blood cells, but endocytic white cells from some donors exhibited sensitivity to phenothiazine exposure. When a clinically relevant dose of PCZ was co-administered with PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx/Doxil) in rats, the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of liposomes were unaltered. These data suggest that while clinically relevant doses of dynII inhibitors can inhibit the uptake of liposomes by endocytic cells in vitro, they are unlikely to significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of long-circulating, co-administered liposomes.

FcγRIIA-specific DARPins as novel tools in blood cell analysis and platelet aggregation

Fc receptors are involved in a variety of physiologically and disease-relevant responses. Among them, FcγRIIA (CD32a) is known for its activating functions in pathogen recognition and platelet biology, and, as potential marker of T lymphocytes latently infected with HIV-1. The latter has not been without controversy due to technical challenges complicated by T-B cell conjugates and trogocytosis as well as a lack of antibodies distinguishing between the closely related isoforms of FcγRII. To generate high-affinity binders specific for FcγRIIA, libraries of designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) were screened for binding to its extracellular domains by ribosomal display. Counterselection against FcγRIIB eliminated binders cross-reacting with both isoforms. The identified DARPins bound FcγRIIA with no detectable binding for FcγRIIB. Their affinities for FcγRIIA were in the low nanomolar range and could be enhanced by cleavage of the His-tag and dimerization. Interestingly, complex formation between DARPin and FcγRIIA followed a two-state reaction model, and discrimination from FcγRIIB was based on a single amino acid residue. In flow cytometry, DARPin F11 detected FcγRIIA+ cells even when they made up less than 1% of the cell population. Image stream analysis of primary human blood cells confirmed that F11 caused dim but reliable cell surface staining of a small subpopulation of T lymphocytes. When incubated with platelets, F11 inhibited their aggregation equally efficient as antibodies unable to discriminate between both FcγRII isoforms. The selected DARPins are unique novel tools for platelet aggregation studies as well as the role of FcγRIIA for the latent HIV-1 reservoir.

Small RNA-sequencing reveals the involvement of microRNA-132 in benzo[a]pyrene-induced toxicity in primary human blood cells

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely distributed environmental contaminants, triggering deleterious effects such as carcinogenicity and immunosuppression, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are among the main cell types targeted by these pollutants. In the present study, we sought to identify the expression profiles and function of miRNAs, gene regulators involved in major cellular processes recently linked to environmental pollutants, in PBMC-exposed to the prototypical PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Using small RNA deep sequencing, we identified several B[a]P-responsive miRNAs. Bioinformatics analyses showed that their predicted targets could modulate biological processes relevant to cell death and survival. Further studies of the most highly induced miRNA, miR-132, showed that its up-regulation by B[a]P was time- and dose-dependent and required aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation. By evaluating the role of miR-132 in B[a]P-induced cell death, we propose a mechanism linking B[a]P-induced miR-132 expression and cytochromes P-450 (CYPs) 1A1 and 1B1 mRNA levels, which could contribute to the apoptotic response of PBMCs. Altogether, this study increases our understanding of the roles of miRNAs induced by B[a]P and provides the basis for further investigations into the mechanisms of gene expression regulation by PAHs.

Development of SFC-MS Method for Quantification of Eicosanoids Biosynthesized in Primary Human Blood Cells.

Eicosanoids are lipid mediators generated from arachidonic acid with pro- and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite these lipid mediators being known for decades, quantitative determination in biological samples is still challenging due to low abundance, instability, the existence of regio- and stereoisomers, and a wide polarity range that hampers chromatographic separation. In this study, we developed a supercritical fluid chromatography mass spectrometry (SFC-MS) platform for the quantification of relevant eicosanoids. Application of a chiral amylose-based column and modifier combination of 2-propanol/acetonitrile offered separation and sufficient resolution of 11 eicosanoids (5-, 12-, 15-HETE, PGB1, LTB4, t-LTB4, 20-OH-LTB4, PGE2, PGD2, PGF2α, TxB2) with baseline separation of isobaric analytes within 12 min. The method was validated in terms of range (78-2500 ng/mL), linearity, accuracy, precision, and recovery according to EMA guidelines. Finally, we confirmed the method's applicability by quantifying eicosanoid levels in human primary blood cells. In conclusion, we present a validated SFC-MS method for the determination of relevant eicosanoids in biological samples with a wide range of polarity while maintaining baseline separation of isobars, which allows coupling to a single quadrupole mass detector.

Development of l-Dopa-containing diketopiperazines as blood-brain barrier shuttle

In our overall goal to develop anti-Parkinson drugs, we designed novel diketopiperazines (DKP1-6) aiming to both reach the blood-brain barrier and counteract the oxidative stress related to Parkinson's Disease (PD).The anti-Parkinson properties of DKP 1–6 were evaluated using neurotoxin-treated PC12 cells, as in vitro model of PD, while their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity potentials were investigated in newborn rat cerebral cortex (RCC) and primary human whole blood (PHWB) cell cultures. The response against free radicals was evaluated by the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assay. Comet assay was used to detect DNA damage while the content of 8-hydroxyl-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) was determined as a marker of oxidative DNA damage. PAMPA-BBB and Caco-2 assays were employed to evaluate the capability of DKP1-6 to cross the membranes. Stability studies were conducted in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids and human plasma.Results showed that DKP5-6 attenuate the MPP + -induced cell death on a nanomolar scale, but a remarkable effect was observed for DKP6 on Nrf2 activation that leads to the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress response thus increasing glutathione biosynthesis and ROS buffering. DKP5-6 resulted in no toxicity for RCC neurons and PHWB cells exposed to 10–500 nM concentrations during 24 h as determined by MTT and LDH assays and TAC levels were not altered in both cultured cell types. No significant difference in the induction of DNA damage was observed for DKP5-6. Both DKPs resulted stable in simulated gastric fluids (t1/2 > 22h). In simulated intestinal fluids, DKP5 underwent immediate hydrolysis while DKP6 showed a half-life higher than 3 h. In human plasma, DKP6 resulted quite stable. DKP6 displayed both high BBB and Caco-2 permeability confirming that the DKP scaffold represents a useful tool to improve the crossing of drugs through the biological membranes.

A Comparative Study on the Viability of Normal and Cancerous Cells upon Irradiation with a Steady Beam of THz Rays

Terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation is commonly used in astronomy, security screening, imaging, and biomedicine, among other applications. Such approach has raised the question of the influence of THz irradiation on biological objects, especially the human body. However, the results obtained to date are quite controversial. Therefore, we performed a comparative study on the viability of normal cells and cancer cells upon irradiation with a steady beam of THz rays. We used human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cancer cell lines. Primary human mononuclear blood cells (monocytes, and B-, and T-cells) showed an increased death rate, determined by cell counting and fluorescence microscopy, upon 0.14 THz irradiation. The effect of THz radiation was different among malignant cells of B- and T-cell origin (Ramos and Jurkat cells) and epithelial cancer cells (MCF7 and LNCaP). This was demonstrated by cell counting and by the alamarBlue assay. In conclusion, THz radiation can result in the death of human primary and malignant cells. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon is largely unknown. Hence, more work should be done to shed some light on the mechanism of action of THz irradiation in living organisms to enhance technologic developments.

A red-letter day for RBC research

Hematology The study of primary human red blood cell (huRBC) disorders such as sickle cell disease (SCD) and infectious diseases such as malaria has been hampered by a lack of in vivo models of human erythropoiesis. Song et al. transferred human fetal liver cells into MISTRG mice, which are immunodeficient and are genetically engineered with several human genes involved in hematopoiesis. This approach was unsuccessful because mature huRBCs are rapidly destroyed in the mouse liver. They then used CRISPR-Cas9 to mutate these mice into a fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase–deficient strain, allowing them to replace the mouse liver with engrafted human hepatocytes. These mice exhibited enhanced human erythropoiesis and circulating huRBC survival and could recapitulate SCD pathology when reconstituted with SCD-derived HSCs. Science , this issue p. [1019][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abe2485

Insight into the Biological Activity of Hennosides-Glucosides Isolated from Lawsonia inermis (henna): Could They Be Regarded as Active Constituents Instead.

Henna is the current name of the dye prepared from the dry leaf powder of Lawsonia inermis (Lythraceae). Several studies have focused on the chemistry and pharmacology of the henna dyeing active compound, lawsone, obtained from the main constituents of leaves, hennosides, during the processing of plant material. However, knowledge regarding the biological activity of hennosides is largely lacking. In this paper, the redox activity of three hennoside isomers is reported. The pro-oxidative activity was confirmed by their ability to induce mild lysis of erythrocytes and to increase the level of methemoglobin at the concentration ≥ 500 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity of hennosides (concentration ≥100 μg/mL) was determined by FRAP and ABTS assays. At concentration of 500 μg/mL, antioxidant activity of hennoside isomers was equivalent to 0.46 ± 0.08, 0.62 ± 0.28 and 0.35 ± 0.03 mM FeSO4 × 7H2O, and 0.15 ± 0.01, 0.30 ± 0.01 and 0.09 ± 0.01 mM Trolox. Hennosides at 100 μg/mL concentration did not influence viability of human breast cancer cell lines MDA231 and MCF-7 and primary human peripheral blood and periodontal ligament-mesenchymal stem cells, but produced a modest increase in concentration of antioxidants in the cell culture supernatants. The evidenced antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities indicate their potential to act as redox balance regulator, which opens up the possibility of using hennosides in commercial phytomedicines.

Spatial patterns of CTCF sites define the anatomy of TADs and their boundaries

BackgroundTopologically associating domains (TADs) are genomic regions of self-interaction. Additionally, it is known that TAD boundaries are enriched in CTCF binding sites. In turn, CTCF sites are known to be asymmetric, whereby the convergent configuration of a pair of CTCF sites leads to the formation of a chromatin loop in vivo. However, to date, it has been unclear how to reconcile TAD structure with CTCF-based chromatin loops.ResultsWe approach this problem by analysing CTCF binding site strengths and classifying clusters of CTCF sites along the genome on the basis of their relative orientation. Analysis of CTCF site orientation classes as a function of their spatial distribution along the human genome reveals that convergent CTCF site clusters are depleted while divergent CTCF clusters are enriched in the 5- to 100-kb range. We then analyse the distribution of CTCF binding sites as a function of TAD boundary conservation across seven primary human blood cell types. This reveals divergent CTCF site enrichment at TAD boundaries. Furthermore, convergent arrays of CTCF sites separate the left and right sections of TADs that harbour internal CTCF sites, resulting in unequal TAD ‘halves’.ConclusionsThe orientation-based CTCF binding site cluster classification that we present reconciles TAD boundaries and CTCF site clusters in a mechanistically elegant fashion. This model suggests that the emergent structure of nuclear chromatin in the form of TADs relies on the obligate alternation of divergent and convergent CTCF site clusters that occur at different length scales along the genome.Graphical abstract

MO068A KIDNEY-ON-THE-CHIP APPROACH USING PRIMARY HUMAN TUBULAR CELLS IN A 3D CO-CULTURE SYSTEM

Abstract Background and Aims Conventional 2D mono-culture in vitro models using immortalized cell lines are still widely used in experimental nephrology, although their value is limited by poor translatability and predictive value for the in vivo or even human situation. The implementation of more sophisticated in vitro assays as routine cell culture systems is often limited by complex protocols and long lasting procedures. We aimed to establish and validate a relatively easy-to-use but yet (patho-) physiologically relevant cell culture assay that mimics key aspects of the in vivo situation of renal tubules, including a leak-thight epithelium with a luminal and baso-lateral side, interstitial matrix, a peri-tubular capillary and circulating blood cells inside its lumen. Method We utilized the 3-lane OrganoPlate® system (Mimetas, Leiden, Netherlands) as a scaffold. After infusing a collagen I matrix in the middle channel (C2), primary human renal progenitor cells are seeded into the upper channel (C1), adhering to the C2-matrix. The plate is put on a perfusion rocker (Mimetas), that facilitates continuous gravity-triggered bi-directional perfusion of C1. Within 48h the cells form a leak-tight tubular structure with a continuous lumen. Next, human endothelial cells are seeded into the bottom channel (C3), which adhered to the opposite site of the C2-matrix and – upon continuous perfusion – formed a vessel-like structure with a continuous lumen, as well. Finally, primary human white blood cells were isolated and seeded into C3 (see figure). Results Establishing the whole tubule-on-the-chip as described above takes on average three days. We investigated its operational life span by monitoring the barrier integrity of the tubular structure in C1 using a fluorescence-labeled dextran (150 kDa). Over a course of 5 days the tubular integrity did not decline, suggesting that the co-culture system remains stable and functional for at least 5 days. In accordance with other studies, the primary human tubular cells constituting the 3D tubule-on-the-chip expressed higher levels of functionally relevant proteins, e..g the tight-junction protein ZO-1 and the sodium-potassium-pump Na-K-ATPase, compared to standard 2D settings without perfusion. This emphasizes, that even primary cells show a physiologically reduced phenotype in standard 2D settings, which possibly impedes the identification and representative quantification of physiologically and hence also patho-physiologically relevant mechanisms in vitro. To study the interaction of cells in the tubule-on-the-chip, we investigated the recruitment of immune cells from C3 (vessel) across C2 (interstitium) to C1 (renal tubule), which - in vivo - represents a detrimental mechanism of action in intrarenal forms of AKI. Under baseline conditions the immune cells inserted into C3 did not leave their compartment. Upon damaging the tubular cells in C1 with extracellular histones, neutrophils and monocytes left C3 (extravasation), migrated through C2 and could be found in close contact with epithelial cells of C1. This serves as a proof of principle, that the tubule-on-the-chip is applicable to study complex cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions, such as chemokine-mediate immune cell homing. Measuring lactate dehydrogenase release for a number of known nephrotoxic agents revealed, that tubular cells forming a 3D-structure while kept under perfusion show significantly different responses to the same dose compared to standard 2D conditions, suggesting that dose-response studies using target cells out of their tissues context can be misleading when extrapolating results from in vitro to in vivo. Conclusion The results of this study suggest, that sophisticated 3D co-culture models of a renal tubule including an interstitial compartment, a peri-tubluar capillary and circulating immune cells are feasible and potentially suited to allow for in depth mechanistic studies in vitro.

The in vitro cytotoxic, genotoxic, and oxidative damage potentials of the oral artificial sweetener aspartame on cultured human blood cells

Background/aimAspartame (APM, L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methylester) is a low-calorie, nonsaccharide artificial sweetener widely used in foods and beverages. When metabolized by the body, APM is broken down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine amino acids, and a third substance, methanol. Since the amino acid phenylalanine serves as a neurotransmitter building block affecting the brain, and methanol is converted into toxic formaldehyde, APM has deleterious effects on the body and brain. Thus, its safety and, toxicity have been the subjects of concern ever since it was first discovered. Although many studies have been performed on it, due to the presence of conflicting data in the literature, there are still numerous question marks concerning APM. Therefore, the safety of aspartame was tested using in vitro methods.Materials and methodsWe aimed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic effects by using 3-(4,5-dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase release tests, genotoxic damage potential by using chromosome aberration (CA) assay, and antioxidant/oxidant activity by using total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative stress (TOS) analysis in primary human whole blood cell cultures.ResultsThe results of the MTT test showed that APM led to significant decreases in cell viability in a clear concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, an increase in CA frequency was found in the cells treated with APM. However, APM treatments did not cause any significant changes in TAC and TOS levels in whole blood cultures.ConclusionOverall, the obtained results showed that APM had genotoxicity potential and a concentration-dependent cytotoxic activity in human blood cells.

The Ubiquitin Ligase DTX2 Promotes Nuclear Export of RUNX1 and Inhibits RUNX1-Dependent Leukemogenesis

Transcription factor RUNX1 plays important roles in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. As a master regulator for hematopoiesis, RUNX1function is tightly controlled through posttranslational modifications, including ubiquitination. We and others have identified multiple E3 ubiquitin ligases that promote RUNX1 ubiquitination, such as STUB1, RNF38 and APC complex. However, mechanisms for ubiquitination-mediated regulation of RUNX1 function, especially the proteasome-independent roles of ubiquitination, have not been fully understood. We previously established a high-throughput AlphaScreen assayto measure the interaction between RUNX1 and E3 ubiquitin ligases.In this assay, biotinylated full-length RUNX1 was captured by streptavidin-coated donor beads and FLAG-tagged E3 ligases were bound by protein A-conjugated acceptor beads. The binding of RUNX1 to each E3 ligase brings the donor and acceptor beads in close proximity, enabling energy transfer between them, resulting in a chemiluminescence signal. This cell-free AlphaScreen assay allows for the efficient detection of RUNX1-interacting E3 ligases with high sensitivity, and have revealed several E3 ligases, including DTX2, that interact with RUNX1. DTX2 is a mammalian homolog of Drosophila deltex and functions as a RING-finger E3 ubiquitin ligase. Interestingly, a RUNX1 fusion gene connected to reversed DTX2 was identified in acute myeloid leukemia with t(7;21). Given that the reversed sequence of DTX2could inhibit activities of wild-type DTX2, the presence of RUNX1-DTX2 (reversed-sequence) chimera in AML indicates the functional association between RUNX1 and DTX2 in hematopoietic cells. To test this possibility, we first examined whether DTX2 physically interacts with RUNX1 to promote its ubiquitination. Immunoprecipitation assays revealed that DTX2 in fact interacted with RUNX1 in 293T cells. We also found that DTX2, but not a DTX2 mutant lacking Ring finger domain (DTX2-DR), induced ubiquitination of RUNX1 in both nucleus and cytoplasm. However, DTX2-induced RUNX1 ubiquitination did not result in degradation of RUNX1 protein, suggesting that DTX2 modifies RUNX1 function mainly through a proteasome-independent mechanism. We therefore examined if DTX2 alters subcellular localization of RUNX1 using immunofluorescence analysis. Strikingly, ectopic expression of DTX2 altered RUNX1 distribution from nuclear towards cytoplasm in 293T cells (Figure 1). Furthermore, we observed similar cytoplasmic localization of endogenous RUNX1 in DTX2-transduced K562 cells. We then assessed whether DTX2 is involved in RUNX1-mediated transcriptional regulation using the MCSFR luciferase reporter, and found that RUNX1-induced reporter activation was inhibited by ectopic expression of DTX2. Taken together, these data suggest that DTX2 promotes nuclear export of RUNX1, thereby inhibits its transcriptional activity. Next, we assessed the effect of DTX2 on RUNX1 function in primary human cord blood cells. In agreement with previous reports, RUNX1 overexpression promoted myeloid differentiation and downregulated a stem cell marker CD34 in cord blood cells. This RUNX1-induced CD34 downregulation was attenuated by DTX2 coexpression, suggesting the inhibitory effect of DTX2 on RUNX1 activity. We then examined the effect of DTX2 expression in several leukemia cell lines: Jurkat, TF-1, Kasumi-1, SKNO-1 and K562 cells. Previous studies have shown that Jurkat, TF-1, Kasumi-1 and SKNO-1 cells are dependent on RUNX1 activity for their growth. In contrast, K562 cells were shown to be relatively resistant to RUNX1 depletion. Consistent with our earlier results, expression of DTX2 promoted cytoplasmic localization of RUNX1 in all these leukemia cell lines. Functionally, DTX2 overexpression inhibited the growth of RUNX1-dependent leukemia cell lines (Jurkat, TF-1, Kasumi-1, and SKNO-1) by inducing apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest, while it showed only modest effect in K562 cells. Thus, these results indicate again that DTX2 inhibit RUNX1 function by promoting its cytoplasmic localization in hematopoietic and leukemia cells. In summary, we identified DTX2 as an E3 ligase to promote RUNX1 ubiquitination. DTX2 does not induce RUNX1 degradation, but instead promotes nuclear export of RUNX1 to inhibit its function. Activation of DTX2 could be a therapeutic approach to treat RUNX1-dependent leukemias. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Cyclophilin A protects HIV-1 from restriction by human TRIM5α.

The HIV-1 capsid (CA) protein lattice encases viral genomic RNA and regulates steps essential to target cell invasion1. Cyclophilin A (CypA) has interacted with the CA of lentiviruses related to HIV-1 for millions of years2–7. Disruption of the CA-CypA interaction decreases HIV-1 infectivity in human cells8–12, but stimulates infectivity in non-human primate cells13–15. Genetic and biochemical data suggest that CypA protects HIV-1 from a CA-specific restriction factor in human cells16–20. Discovery of the CA-specific restriction factor tripartite-containing motif 5α (TRIM5α)21, and of multiple, independently-derived, TRIM5-CypA fusion genes4,5,15,22–26, pointed to human TRIM5α as the CypA-sensitive restriction factor. However, HIV-1 restriction by human TRIM5α in tumor cell lines is minimal21, and inhibition of such activity by CypA has not been detected27. Here, exploiting reverse genetic tools optimized for primary human blood cells, we demonstrate that disruption of the CA-CypA interaction renders HIV-1 susceptible to potent restriction by human TRIM5α, with the block occurring before reverse transcription. Endogenous TRIM5α associated with virion cores as they entered the cytoplasm, but only when the CA-CypA interaction was disrupted. These experiments resolve the long-standing mystery of the role of CypA in HIV-1 replication by demonstrating that this ubiquitous cellular protein shields HIV-1 from previously inapparent restriction by human TRIM5α.

The in vitro cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative damage potential of dapagliflozin, on cultured human blood cells

Abstract Objectives Dapagliflozin (DAPA), is a potent SGLT-2 inhibitor for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. DAPA has a good clinical and biological tolerance profile. However little information is available on its potential effects on cultured human blood cells. The evaluation of the in vitro cytotoxicity, genotoxicity potential and antioxidant/oxidant activity of DAPA in primary human whole blood cell cultures was aimed in this study. Materials and methods Cell viability was measured by the MTT [3,(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage assays. The antioxidant/oxidant activity was determined by measuring the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative stress (TOS) levels. To assess the genotoxicity of DAPA, chromosomal aberration (CA) frequencies were determined. Results MTT and LDH release assay exhibited that exposure to different doses of DAPA did not changed significantly the proliferation of cells. The results of TAC and TOS assays were showed that TAC level was elevated while TOS level did not altered in DAPA-treated cells. Moreover, any increase in the frequency of CA did not found on cultures blood cells. Conclusion These data indicate that DAPA has not cytotoxic and genotoxic potential in cultured human blood cells, also, induces the increasing antioxidant activity.

Toxicity evaluation of monodisperse PEGylated magnetic nanoparticles for nanomedicine

Innovative nanotechnology aims to develop particles that are small, monodisperse, smart, and do not cause unintentional side effects. Uniform magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (12 nm in size) were prepared by thermal decomposition of iron(III) oleate. To make them colloidally stable and dispersible in water and cell culture medium, they were modified with phosphonic acid- (PA) and hydroxamic acid (HA)-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) yielding PA-PEG@Fe3O4 and HA-PEG@Fe3O4 nanoparticles; conventional γ-Fe2O3 particles were prepared as a control. Advanced techniques were used to evaluate the properties and safety of the particles. Completeness of the nanoparticle coating was tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Interaction of the particles with primary human peripheral blood cells, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and immunotoxicity were also investigated. Amount of internalized iron in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was 72, 38, and 25 pg Fe/cell for HA-PEG@Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3, and PA-PEG@Fe3O4, respectively. Nanoparticles were localized within the cytoplasm and in the extracellular space. No cytotoxic effect of both PEGylated nanoparticles was observed (0.12–75 μg/cm2) after 24 and 72-h incubation. Moreover, no suppressive effect was found on the proliferative activity of T-lymphocytes and T-dependent B-cell response, phagocytic activity of monocytes and granulocytes, and respiratory burst of phagocytes. Similarly, no cytotoxic effect of γ-Fe2O3 particles was observed. However, they suppressed the proliferative activity of T-lymphocytes (75 μg/cm2, 72 h) and also decreased the phagocytic activity of monocytes (15 μg/cm2, 24 h; 3–75 μg/cm2, 72 h). We thus show that newly developed particles have great potential especially in cancer diagnostics and therapy.

Targeting individual cells by barcode in pooled sequence libraries.

Transcriptional profiling of thousands of single cells in parallel by RNA-seq is now routine. However, due to reliance on pooled library preparation, targeting analysis to particular cells of interest is difficult. Here, we present a multiplexed PCR method for targeted sequencing of select cells from pooled single-cell sequence libraries. We demonstrated this molecular enrichment method on multiple cell types within pooled single-cell RNA-seq libraries produced from primary human blood cells. We show how molecular enrichment can be combined with FACS to efficiently target ultra-rare cell types, such as the recently identified AXL+SIGLEC6+ dendritic cell (AS DC) subset, in order to reduce the required sequencing effort to profile single cells by 100-fold. Our results demonstrate that DNA barcodes identifying cells within pooled sequencing libraries can be used as targets to enrich for specific molecules of interest, for example reads from a set of target cells.