Rat NRK Cells Research Articles

Bioengineered Exosomes Bearing Adenosine A2a Receptor for the Treatment of Neuroinflammation

Brain injury is a very common but severe complication in preterm birth, and neuroinflammation caused by activated microglial cells is the main contributor. The interaction between extracellular adenosine and the adenosine A2a receptor (ADORA2A) is of great significance in microglial cell activation. Here we designed and generated ADORA2A-loaded exosomes and investigated their inhibitory effect on microglial activation in vitro. A construct expressing ADORA2A fused to an exosome marker CD9 was designed and expressed in rat NRK cells. Purified ADORA2A-CD9 exosomes were first characterized and then their ability on inhibition of microglial cell activation was investigated on an in vitro ibotenate-induced microglial cell activation model. The cytotoxicity of ADORA2A-CD9 exosomes was determined by LDH assay. Our data showed that ADORA2A was actively loaded onto exosomes by fusing it to the exosome marker CD9. ADROA2A-CD9 exosomes inhibited ibotenate-induced microglial cell activation, as evidenced by the reduction of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Furthermore, ADORA2A-CD9 exosomes inhibited microglial cell activation through competitively binding to extracellular adenosine. Very low cytotoxicity of ADORA2A-CD9 exosomes was observed. Collectively, our findings reveal that ADORA2A-CD9 exosomes inhibit microglial cell activation and subsequent neuroinflammation, representing a promising treatment for preterm brain injury.

Calpain 1 knockdown improves tissue sparing and functional outcomes after spinal cord injury in rats.

To evaluate the hypothesis that calpain 1 knockdown would reduce pathological damage and functional deficits after spinal cord injury (SCI), we developed lentiviral vectors encoding calpain 1 shRNA and eGFP as a reporter (LV-CAPN1 shRNA). The ability of LV-CAPN1 shRNA to knockdown calpain 1 was confirmed in rat NRK cells using Northern and Western blot analysis. To investigate the effects on spinal cord injury, LV-CAPN1shRNA or LV-mismatch control shRNA (LV-control shRNA) were administered by convection enhanced diffusion at spinal cord level T10 in Long-Evans female rats (200-250 g) 1 week before contusion SCI, 180 kdyn force, or sham surgery at the same thoracic level. Intraspinal administration of the lentiviral particles resulted in transgene expression, visualized by eGFP, in spinal tissue at 2 weeks after infection. Calpain 1 protein levels were reduced by 54% at T10 2 weeks after shRNA-mediated knockdown (p<0.05, compared with the LV-control group, n=3 per group) while calpain 2 levels were unchanged. Intraspinal administration of LV-CAPN1shRNA 1 week before contusion SCI resulted in a significant improvement in locomotor function over 6 weeks postinjury, compared with LV-control administration (p<0.05, n=10 per group). Histological analysis of spinal cord sections indicated that pre-injury intraspinal administration of LV-CAPN1shRNA significantly reduced spinal lesion volume and improved total tissue sparing, white matter sparing, and gray matter sparing (p<0.05, n=10 per group). Together, results support the hypothesis that calpain 1 activation contributes to the tissue damage and impaired locomotor function after SCI, and that calpain1 represents a potential therapeutic target.

MiR-200a is involved in rat epididymal development by targeting &amp;lt;italic&amp;gt;&amp;beta;-catenin&amp;lt;/italic&amp;gt; mRNA

The expression of 350 microRNAs (miRNAs) in epididymis of rat from postnatal development to adult (from postnatal days 7-70) was profiled with home-made miRNA microarray. Among them, 48 miRNAs changed significantly, in which the expression of miR-200a increased obviously with time, in a good agreement with that obtained from northern blot analysis. The real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction result indicated that temporal expression of rat β-catenin was exactly inversed to that of miR-200a during rat epididymal development, implying that miR-200a might also target β-catenin mRNA in rat epididymis as reported by Saydam et al. in humans. The bioinformatic analysis indicated that 3' untranslated region of rat β-catenin mRNA did contain a putative binding site for miR-200a. Meanwhile, it was found that the sequence of this binding site was different from that of human β-catenin mRNA with a deletion of two adjacent nucleotides (U and C). But the results of luciferase targeting assay in HEK 293T cells and the overexpression of miR-200a in rat NRK cells demonstrated that miR-200a did target rat β-catenin mRNA and cause the suppression of its expression. All these results show that miR-200a should be involved in rat epididymal development by targeting β-catenin mRNA of rat and suppressing its expression.

A novel adenoviral vector which mediates hypoxia-inducible gene expression selectively in neurons

Selective gene expression in neurons is still a challenge. We have developed several expression vectors using a combination of neuron restrictive silencer elements (NRSEs), hypoxia responsive elements (HREs) and CMV minimal promoter (CMVmp). These elements were packaged into replication defective adenovirus to target gene expression selectively in neurons in a hypoxia-regulated manner. Neuronal selectivity and responsiveness to hypoxia of these novel constructs were determined empirically in both neural cell lines and primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). The construct p5HRE-3NRSE exhibited not only the highest level of reporter gene expression in neuronal cells but also in an oxygen concentration-dependent manner when compared with all other constructs. As expected, this construct did not elicit reporter gene expression in non-neuronal cells including human HEK293A and HT29 cells, rat NRK cells, mouse 3T6 cells and 3T3 L1 cells. This construct was packaged into a replication defective adenoviral vector (Ad/5HRE-3NRSE) to determine neuron-selective and hypoxia-inducible gene expression in cultured mouse postmitotic primary CGNs and differentiated human NT2 neurons (NT2/Ns). Remarkably, in response to hypoxia, Ad/5HRE-3NRSE showed strong hypoxia-inducible gene expression selectively in neurons (12-fold induction in CGNs and 22-fold in NT2/Ns), but not in glial cells. Taken together, this vector with restricted gene expression to neurons under the regulation of hypoxia will be a useful tool for investigations of mechanisms of neuronal damage caused by ischemic insult.

TMF is a golgin that binds Rab6 and influences Golgi morphology

BackgroundGolgins are coiled-coil proteins associated with the Golgi apparatus, that are believed to be involved in the tethering of vesicles and the stacking of cisternae, as well as other functions such as cytoskeletal association. Many are peripheral membrane proteins recruited by GTPases. Several have been described in animal cells, and some in yeast, but the relationships between golgins from different species can be hard to define because although they share structural features, their sequences are not well conserved.ResultsWe show here that the yeast protein Sgm1, previously shown to be recruited to the Golgi by the GTPase Ypt6, binds to Ypt6:GTP via a conserved 100-residue coiled-coil motif that can be identified in a wide range of eukaryotes. The mammalian equivalent of Sgm1 is TMF/ARA160, a protein previously identified in various screens as a putative transcription or chromatin remodelling factor. We show that it is a Golgi protein, and that it binds to the three known isoforms of the Ypt6 homologue Rab6. Depletion of the protein by RNA interference in rat NRK cells results in a modest dispersal of Golgi membranes around the cell, suggesting a role for TMF in the movement or adherence of Golgi stacks.ConclusionWe have identified TMF as an evolutionarily conserved golgin that binds Rab6 and contributes to Golgi organisation in animal cells.

PKCζII, a small molecule of protein kinase C ζ, specifically expressed in the mouse brain

Protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ) plays critical roles in neural development. In the brain, many PKCζ-related transcripts are expressed but they do not code the native 75 kDa PKCζ molecule. We examined the significance of such transcripts in intact cells. A PKCζ-related (PKCζII) cDNA, whose mRNA was specifically expressed in the brain, was obtained. When PKCζII cDNA was introduced to rat NRK cells using an adenovirus vector, a 50 kDa protein was detected as a truncated form of PKCζ lacking the regulatory domain. The PKCζII protein was also detected in the brain, cerebellar granule neurons and neuroblastoma cells, but not in astrocytes and glioma cells. An alternative promoter for PKCζII was localized in intron 4 of the PKCζ gene. The specificity of PKCζII expression can be regulated at the transcription level in a cell-type-specific manner.

Okadaic acid treatment leads to a fragmentation of the trans-Golgi network and an increase in expression of TGN38 at the cell surface

Okadaic acid (OA) is a protein phosphatase inhibitor which has, among other properties, previously been shown to induce a fragmentation of the cisternae of the Golgi stack [for review, see Lucocq (1992) J. Cell Sci. 103, 875-880]. The effects of OA an reversible and mimic intracellular events which occur during mitosis. To date, due to a lack of endogenous marker proteins, the effects of OA on the trans-Golgi network (TGN) has not been studied. Certain drugs, e.g. Brefeldin A (BFA), have different effects on the morphology of the Golgi stack and the TGN; it is therefore relevant to ask what effect(s) OA has on the TGN. We now present data from a study in which we have used antibodies to TGN38, an integral membrane protein predominantly localized to the TGN of rat NRK cells [Luzio, Brake, Banting, Howell, Braghetta and Stanley (1990) Biochem. J. 270, 97-102], to investigate the effects of OA on this organelle. OA induces a reversible fragmentation of the TGN. This fragmentation occurs with similar kinetics to that observed within the Golgi stack, and is independent of protein synthesis. The sensitivity of the TGN to OA is similar to that of the Golgi stack. The fragmentation of the TGN induced by OA also leads to a 10-fold increase in the level of TGN38 expressed at the plasma membrane.

Repair of ionizing radiation damage in primate alpha DNA transfected into rat cells.

The time-course of repair of irradiated primate alpha DNA was studied after transfection and recovery from rat NRK cells. Rat cells were chosen for transfection because they have no alpha DNA. Plasmid pBUC4 alpha 10, containing 10 tandem 172 bp alpha DNA subunits in its 5 kbp DNA, was irradiated and introduced into the rat cells by electroporation. The transfected alpha DNA was then recovered from NRK nuclei free of extraneous rat DNA, permitting study of the fate of the transfected alpha DNA in time-course experiments. alpha DNA continuously entered nuclei for processing in the first 2.5 h after transfection. The pool of damaged bases in alpha DNA in NRK nuclei was detectable 2.5 h after transfection. Radiation-induced alpha DNA fragments of electrophoretic mobility intermediate between those of unit nucleotide length were prominent in sequencing gel analyses of alpha DNA for 5-150 min after transfection. These intermediate mobility fragments initially disappeared with T 1/2 of 6-20 min. The alpha DNAs of intermediate mobility are presumed to be intermediates in DNA repair. Residual DNA base damage which had not been processed in the transfected cells could later be unmasked in vitro by conversion to strand breaks by beta-elimination using heat and piperidine or endonuclease III of E. coli. Irradiation of the recipient NRK cells with 5 Gy 4 hours before transfection prolonged the time during which intermediate mobility species could be found, consistent with the increased frequency of intermediate mobility species observed in DNA of monkey CV-1 cells pretreated with small doses of radiation before 300 Gy (Bases et al. 1990).

Isolation and Characterization of TGF-β2 and TGF-β5 from Medium Conditioned by Xenopus XTC Cells

TGF-beta 2 and -beta 5 have been purified from medium conditioned by Xenopus cultured cells (XTC) and identified based on their N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis and biological activity. When applied in high concentrations, Xenopus TGF-beta 2, like porcine TGF-beta 2, induces expression of mesodermal markers from cultured Xenopus ectodermal explants, whereas TGF-beta 5 is inactive in this assay. However, the TGF-beta 's could be separated from the major mesoderm-inducing activity present in XTC medium. Xenopus TGF-beta 2 and -beta 5 are approximately equivalent to TGF-beta 1 in their abilities to inhibit the growth of mink lung CCL-64 cells, induce anchorage-independent growth of rat NRK cells, inhibit the proliferation and antibody secretion of human B-lymphocytes, and stimulate chemotaxis of human monocytes. These data establish the functional activity of TGF-beta 5 and suggest that more complex multicellular systems, in contrast to most isolated cells, discriminate between the different TGF-beta s.

Someras-transformed cells have increased radiosensitivity and decreased repair of sublethal radiation damage

We examined the effect of 60Co irradiation on the clonogenic survival of rat NRK cells, NRK cells carrying a temperature-sensitive viral K-ras oncogene (tsK-NRK), mouse NIH 3T3 cells, and NIH 3T3 cells transformed with the human bladder cancer (T24) H-ras oncogene (PAP2). We tested the hypothesis that ras oncogene expression renders cells more resistant to radiation, but found in both systems that ras-transformed cells were more, not less, sensitive to radiation. We also found indications of altered repair of sublethal radiation damage. PAP2 cells were more sensitive to radiation than NIH 3T3 cells. Increased sensitivity was reflected in a decreased shoulder region of the survival curve with little effect on its slope (D0). TsK-NRK cells were also slightly more sensitive to radiation than NRK and exhibited decreased repair of sublethal damage at both the permissive and nonpermissive temperatures. Thus, we found that expression of ras oncogenes is not always associated with increased radiation resistance. In summary, our results suggest that (1) ras oncogene expression in some cells may be associated with increased, rather than decreased, radiation sensitivity, and (2) ras oncogene expression may alter the shoulder region of the dose response curve, suggesting changes in the repair of sublethal radiation damage.

Mesoderm Induction in Xenopus laevis Distinguishes Between the Various TGF-β Isoforms

Induction of mesoderm in ectodermal explants of Xenopus laevis blastula embryos had previously been shown to respond selectively to TGF-beta 2, with TGF-beta s 1 and 5 having no activity in this assay. As TGF-beta s 1, 2, and 3 are frequently coexpressed in tissues, we wished to examine the activity of TGF-beta 3 relative to that of TGF-beta s 1 and 2 in this assay as well as in other in vitro assays. We report here that when the activity of recombinant TGF-beta 3 is normalized to that of TGF-beta 1 in the assay for growth inhibition in CCL-64 cells, it is also equal to that of TGF-beta 1 in assays for stimulation of both anchorage-independent growth of rat NRK cells and chemotaxis of human monocytes. In contrast, in the assay for mesoderm induction, recombinant TGF-beta 3 is 10-fold more active than TGF-beta 2, inducing expression of muscle specific alpha-actin at concentrations as low as 1 ng/ml. These results suggest that more complex systems, in contrast to individual cell types, may respond selectively to the various TGF-beta isoforms and that there might be biological consequences of TGF-beta isoform switching in vivo.

Characterization of rodent epidermal growth factor receptor transcripts using a mouse genomic probe

Two genomic DNA clones encoding part of the mouse epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor were isolated: an 8.0 kb insert that hybridized with the human EGF receptor kinase domain; and a 2.4 kb insert that mapped between the kinase and 3' autophosphorylation domains of the human EGF receptor gene. The 2.4 kb insert was further digested to a 2.0 kb fragment and a 0.4 kb fragment containing 49 residues that were almost identical to the corresponding human EGF receptor sequence. Ribonuclease protection studies with mouse RNA identified three exons of 170 kb, 105 kb, and 50 kb in the 2.0 kb probe that were less homologous to the corresponding human or rat mRNAs. Northern blot hybridizations identified two EGF receptor transcripts of 10 kb and 6 kb in normal, but not EGF-nonresponsive, mouse cell lines, and a single 9.5 kb transcript in rat cells. An additional 6.5 kb transcript from rat NRK cells was identified that is related to but not transcribed from the EGF receptor gene.

Serum contains a platelet-derived transforming growth factor.

High concentrations of fetal bovine serum induced colony formation in soft agar by anchorage-dependent, nontransformed mouse AKR-2B and rat NRK cells. The colony-stimulating activity in fetal bovine serum was precipitated by 45% saturated ammonium sulfate and migrated in molecular sieve chromatography as a single peak of activity in the 10,000-15,000 molecular weight range. The colony-stimulating activity was heat and acid stable and was destroyed by trypsin and dithiothreitol, indicating the activity is due to a polypeptide that requires disulfide bonds for biological activity. No competition for binding to the epidermal growth factor receptor was associated with the colony-stimulating activity. Isoelectric focusing revealed activity in the pI 4-5 range. The colony-stimulating activity in serum appeared to be of platelet origin because platelet-poor plasma and platelet-poor plasma-derived serum contained little activity, whereas acid/ethanol extracts of bovine and human platelets had potent colony-stimulating activity. Chromatography of platelet extracts on Bio-Gel P-60 revealed peaks of AKR-2B colony-stimulating activity in the 12,000 and 20,000 molecular weight ranges. The other biological and chemical properties of the platelet colony-stimulating activity were the same as those for the serum activity. The data indicate the presence in serum of a platelet-derived growth factor(s) with properties similar to those of the transforming growth factors.

Intracellular Restriction of Ecotropic Murine Leukemia Virus in Rat NRK Cells and Its Abolishment by Adaptation

Ecotropic murine leukemia viruses, both N-tropic FN-2 (purified helper component of Friend leukemia virus) and B-tropic WNB-2 (purified WN1802B BALB/c-derived endogenous virus), were partially restricted in rat NRK cells. In NRK cells, they produced obscure small plaques at reduced efficiencies relative to their plaque-producing efficiencies in mouse SC-1 cells (10-fold for FN-2 and 100-fold for WNB-2). After three or four passages in NRK cells, the plaquing efficiencies of the viruses in NRK cells increased to levels close to their efficiencies in mouse cells, and the plaques in NRK cells became larger and clearer. The adaptation was more complete with FN-2 than with WNB-2. The adaptation was not due to simple selection of a virus in the FN-2 stock, but was host induced, as the viruses had been submitted to successive limiting dilutions in SC-1 cells before propagation in NRK cells. Possible commitment of xenotropic virus in the adaptation was excluded. The change was stable, even if the adapted viruses were propagated back into SC-1 cells. The NRK-adapted viruses were restricted in other rat cell lines of different origins, and the virus adapted in another rat cell line, RFL, was still restricted in NRK cells. The adaptation was mainly brought about by increased viral growth within the rat cells and not by an increased efficiency of viral penetration into the rat cells. This inversely suggests that the restriction of the ecotropic murine leukemia viruses in NRK cells was a mainly intracellular event. The mobilities of gp69/71 and p30 in sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis remained unchanged after adaptation of FN-2 in NRK cells.