RNeasy Mini Kit Research Articles

The Gne M712T Mouse as a Model for Human Glomerulopathy

Pathological glomerular hyposialylation has been implicated in certain unexplained glomerulopathies, including minimal change nephrosis, membranous glomerulonephritis, and IgA nephropathy. We studied our previously established mouse model carrying a homozygous mutation in the key enzyme of sialic acid biosynthesis, N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase. Mutant mice died before postnatal day 3 (P3) from severe glomerulopathy with podocyte effacement and segmental glomerular basement membrane splitting due to hyposialylation. Administration of the sialic acid precursor N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) led to improved sialylation and survival of mutant pups beyond P3. We determined the onset of the glomerulopathy in the embryonic stage. A lectin panel, distinguishing normally sialylated from hyposialylated glycans, used WGA, SNA, PNA, Jacalin, HPA, and VVA, indicating glomerular hyposialylation of predominantly O-linked glycoproteins in mutant mice. The glomerular glycoproteins nephrin and podocalyxin were hyposialylated in this unique murine model. ManNAc treatment appeared to ameliorate the hyposialylation status of mutant mice, indicated by a lectin histochemistry pattern similar to that of wild-type mice, with improved sialylation of both nephrin and podocalyxin, as well as reduced albuminuria compared with untreated mutant mice. These findings suggest application of our lectin panel for categorizing human kidney specimens based on glomerular sialylation status. Moreover, the partial restoration of glomerular architecture in ManNAc-treated mice highlights ManNAc as a potential treatment for humans affected with disorders of glomerular hyposialylation.

A functional role for the histone demethylase UTX in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells

Ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat, X chromosome (UTX), an H3K27Me2/3 demethylase, has been implicated in development, self-renewal, and differentiation of various organs and embryonic stem cells through chromatin modifications and transcriptional regulation of important developmentally related genes, such as Hox genes. However, the function of UTX in hematopoiesis is not well understood. To study the role of UTX in the mammalian hematopoietic system, we used lentiviral short hairpin RNA constructs to knockdown UTX in the murine hematopoietic progenitor cell line EML, in primary murine bone marrow cells and in leukemic cell lines. We report that Utx is highly expressed in the hematopoietic compartment and that it plays an important role in cell proliferation and homeostasis of hematopoietic cells in vitro. Knockdown of UTX in EML and primary murine bone marrow cells impairs their colony-forming ability. Moreover, knockdown of UTX affects expression of key genes that regulate hematopoietic differentiation such as Mll1, Runx1, and Scl in primary murine bone marrow cells. And we further demonstrate that UTX directly associates with the promoters of the Mll1, Runx1, and Scl genes and modulate their transcription by controlling H3K27me3 marks on respective promoter regions. In addition, UTX depletion severely impaired proliferation of several human leukemia cell lines. Together, these data demonstrate a functional role for UTX in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.

Production of large numbers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells with functional activities from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells: Use of interleukin-3

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC), a subset of dendritic cells characterized by a rapid and massive type-I interferon secretion through the Toll-like receptor pathway in response to viral infection, play important roles in the pathogenesis of several diseases, such as chronic viral infections (e.g., hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus), autoimmunity (e.g., psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus), and cancer. As pDC represent a rare cell type in the peripheral blood, the goal of this study was to develop a new method to efficiently generate large numbers of cells from a limited number of CD34(+) cord blood progenitors to provide a tool to resolve important questions about how pDC mediate tolerance, autoimmunity, and cancer. Human CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells isolated from cord blood were cultured with a combination of Flt3-ligand (Flt3L), thrombopoietin (TPO), and one of the following cytokine: interleukin (IL)-3, interferon-β(IFN-β), or prostaglandin E2(PGE(2)). Cells obtained in the different culture conditions were analyzed for their phenotype and functional characteristics. The addition of IL-3 cooperates with Flt3L and TPO in the induction of pDC from CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells. Indeed, Flt3L/TPO alone or supplemented with prostaglandin E2 or interferon-β produced smaller amounts of pDC from hematopoietic progenitor cells. In addition, pDC generated in Flt3L/TPO/IL-3 cultures exhibited morphological, immunohistochemical, and functional features of peripheral blood pDC. We showed that IL-3, in association with Flt3L and TPO, provides an advantageous tool for large-scale generation of pDC. This culture condition generated, starting from 2 × 10(5) CD34(+) cells, up to 2.6 × 10(6) pDC presenting features of blood pDC.

Growth Defects and Impaired Cognitive–Behavioral Abilities in Mice with Knockout for Eif4h, a Gene Located in the Mouse Homolog of the Williams-Beuren Syndrome Critical Region

Protein synthesis is a tightly regulated, energy-consuming process. The control of mRNA translation into protein is fundamentally important for the fine-tuning of gene expression; additionally, precise translational control plays a critical role in many cellular processes, including development, cellular growth, proliferation, differentiation, synaptic plasticity, memory, and learning. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4h (Eif4h) encodes a protein involved in the process of protein synthesis, at the level of initiation phase. Its human homolog, WBSCR1, maps on 7q11.23, inside the 1.6 Mb region that is commonly deleted in patients affected by the Williams-Beuren syndrome, which is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by cardiovascular defects, cerebral dysplasias and a peculiar cognitive-behavioral profile. In this study, we generated knockout mice deficient in Eif4h. These mice displayed growth retardation with a significant reduction of body weight that began from the first week of postnatal development. Neuroanatomical profiling results generated by magnetic resonance imaging analysis revealed a smaller brain volume in null mice compared with controls as well as altered brain morphology, where anterior and posterior brain regions were differentially affected. The inactivation of Eif4h also led to a reduction in both the number and complexity of neurons. Behavioral studies revealed severe impairments of fear-related associative learning and memory formation. These alterations suggest that Eif4h might contribute to certain deficits associated with Williams-Beuren syndrome.

P47phox Directs Murine Macrophage Cell Fate Decisions

Macrophage differentiation and function are pivotal for cell survival from infection and involve the processing of microenvironmental signals that determine macrophage cell fate decisions to establish appropriate inflammatory balance. NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2)-deficient chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) mice that lack the gp91(phox) (gp91(phox-/-)) catalytic subunit show high mortality rates compared with wild-type mice when challenged by infection with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), whereas p47(phox)-deficient (p47(phox-/-)) CGD mice show survival rates that are similar to those of wild-type mice. We demonstrate that such survival results from a skewed macrophage differentiation program in p47(phox-/-) mice that favors the production of higher levels of alternatively activated macrophages (AAMacs) compared with levels of either wild-type or gp91(phox-/-) mice. Furthermore, the adoptive transfer of AAMacs from p47(phox-/-) mice can rescue gp91(phox-/-) mice during primary Lm infection. Key features of the protective function provided by p47(phox-/-) AAMacs against Lm infection are enhanced production of IL-1α and killing of Lm. Molecular analysis of this process indicates that p47(phox-/-) macrophages are hyperresponsive to IL-4 and show higher Stat6 phosphorylation levels and signaling coupled to downstream activation of AAMac transcripts in response to IL-4 stimulation. Notably, restoring p47(phox) protein expression levels reverts the p47(phox)-dependent AAMac phenotype. Our results indicate that p47(phox) is a previously unrecognized regulator for IL-4 signaling pathways that are important for macrophage cell fate choice.

吸烟者肺癌组织T7噬菌体cDNA文库构建

目的：为筛选吸烟人群中早期肺癌肿瘤标志物，构建吸烟者肺癌组织T7噬菌体展示cDNA文库。方法：用RNeasy Mini Kit提取吸烟者肺癌组织总RNA，分离纯化mRNA，逆转录合成双链cDNA，经末端修饰、定向EcoRI/HindIII接头连接、接头消化，使其两端分别带有EcoRI和HindIII粘性末端。用Mini Column分离cDNA片段，收集300 bp以上的双链cDNA，与T7Select 10-3b载体连接，体外包装后，以BLT5615为受体菌得到吸烟者肺癌组织T7噬菌体展示cDNA文库。结果：经测定，库容为1.35 × 106 pfu，扩增后文库滴度为4.4 × 1010 pfu/ml。PCR鉴定从原始文库中随机挑取的100个噬菌斑，重组率为97%，重组体中91%的插入片段长度>300 bp。结论：成功构建了吸烟者肺癌组织T7噬菌体cDNA文库，为下一步筛选吸烟人群中早期肺癌肿瘤标志物奠定基础。 Objective: To screen tumor markers of smokers, the T7 phage display cDNA library from the lung cancer of smokers was constructed. Methods: The mRNA was isolated from total RNA extracted from the lung cancer of smokers by RNeasy Mini Kit, and was used to synthesize double strain (ds) cDNA by the reverse transcription. Then the directional EcoRI/HindIII linkers were liquated into the ends of ds cDNA and the ds cDNA was further digested with EcoRI and HindIII, which resulted in ds cDNA with EcoRI and HindIII ends. The digested ds cDNA fragments longer than 300 bp in length were fractionated by Mini Column, and then liquated into the T7 Select 10-3b vertor with EcoRI and HindIII ends. After packaging in vitro, the T7 Select 10-3b vertor was tansformed into BLT5615 to construct the T7 phage display cDNA library. Results: Analysis showed that the library contained 1.35 × 106 clones and the titer of the applied library was 4.4 × 1010 pfu/ml. The PCR identification results of 100 clones picked at random showed that 97% clones were recombinant and 91% of recombinant clones contained cDNA fragments longer than 300 bp in length. Conclusion: A T7 phage display cDNA library from the lung cancer of smokers is successfully constructed.

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks, Southwestern Europe, 2010

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks, Southwestern Europe, 2010

Improved method for the isolation of RNA from bacteria refractory to disruption, including S. aureus producing biofilm

The development of fast, reliable and inexpensive phenol protocol is described for the isolation of RNA from bacterial biofilm producers. The method was tested on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and other biofilm-producing gram-negative microorganisms and provided the highest integrity of RNA recovery in comparison to other methods reported here. In parallel experiments, bacterial lysis with Qiagen, NucleoSpin RNAII, InnuREP RNA Mini, Trizol and MasterPure RNA extraction Kits using standard protocols consistently gave low RNA yields with an absence of integrity. The boiling method presented here yielded high concentration of RNA that was free from 16S and 23S rRNA, contained 5S RNA. Higher yields due to improved biofilm bacterial cell lysis were achieved with an added hot phenol incubation step without the need for a bead mill or the enzyme. This method when used in conjunction with the Qiagen RNeasy Mini kit, RNA isolation was a success with greater integrity and contained undegraded 16S and 23S rRNA and did not require further purification. Contaminating DNA was a problem with the RNA processing samples; we used quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) to measure the recovery of RNA from bacterial biofilm cells using the method described here.

Probiotic Bacteria Induce Maturation of Intestinal Claudin 3 Expression and Barrier Function

An immature intestinal epithelial barrier may predispose infants and children to many intestinal inflammatory diseases, such as infectious enteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Understanding the factors that regulate gut barrier maturation may yield insight into strategies to prevent these intestinal diseases. The claudin family of tight junction proteins plays an important role in regulating epithelial paracellular permeability. Previous reports demonstrate that rodent intestinal barrier function matures during the first 3 weeks of life. We show that murine paracellular permeability markedly decreases during postnatal maturation, with the most significant change occurring between 2 and 3 weeks. Here we report for the first time that commensal bacterial colonization induces intestinal barrier function maturation by promoting claudin 3 expression. Neonatal mice raised on antibiotics or lacking the toll-like receptor adaptor protein MyD88 exhibit impaired barrier function and decreased claudin 3 expression. Furthermore, enteral administration of either live or heat-killed preparations of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG accelerates intestinal barrier maturation and induces claudin 3 expression. However, live Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG increases mortality. Taken together, these results support a vital role for intestinal flora in the maturation of intestinal barrier function. Probiotics may prevent intestinal inflammatory diseases by regulating intestinal tight junction protein expression and barrier function. The use of heat-killed probiotics may provide therapeutic benefit while minimizing adverse effects.

Incidence of the JAK2V617F Mutation In Mexican Patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)

Abstract 5180 Introduction:The V617F mutation in JAK2 gene has been described in approximately 50–90% of patients with ET, MF AND PV [essential trombocythaemia, idiopathic myelofibrosis and policithemia vera]; but has also been reported, albeit at a lower frequency, in patients with other myeloid malignancies such as atypical CML, CMML, AML, MDS, JMML and CNL. A single G>T base substitution in exon 12 results in the conversion of valine to a phenylalanine aminoacid at position 617 of the JAK2 gene. The identification in this study were using techniques such as allele-specific PCR, RFLP-PCR and direct sequencing; for to determine the incidence in Mexican patients with MPNs. Patients and Methods:The JAK2V617F mutation was determined in 88 patients and 5 normal blood samples for healthy individuals as controls. About the patients, 60 were cataloged like MPNs and 28 patients with features suggestive of MPNs vs CML. Samples for bone marrow or peripherical blood were taken either at time of diagnosis of MPNs or during treatment with cytoreductive or anti-thrombotic agents. DNA and RNA were extracted using the QIAamp DNA and RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen) and amplified by the three techniques mentioned for JAK2V617F and by nested RT-PCR for BCR/ABL. Results:The five normal blood samples for controls were negative for JAK2V617F mutation and to BCR/ABL. Patients had median age 65 years (47–85 years old), 46% male and 54% female. In de overall patients: 60 patients with MPNs all were BCR/ABL negative and 20 (33%) had JAK2V617F. In the 28 patients with likely MPNs vs CML, 23 were BCR/ABL positive/JAK2 negative, two had the coexistence of both genetics defects [BCR/ABL+ and JAK2V617F+] and 3 BCR/ABL and JAK2 negative. Finally the patiens with JAK2V617F+, were 12 ET, PV 1, MF 2, CML 2, and 5 continued like MPNs. Discussion:The incidence of the JAK2V617F in this study for MPNs patiens were 33% and the incidence varied between MPNs subtype. Less than ten cases of BCR/ABL+ CML with JAK2V617F have been published; we report two patients with the coexistence and we agree with previous reports that screening for JAK2V617F mutation should be considered in any BCR/ABL+ CML patients and the clinical outcome will be define in long period. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Homeostasis of hematopoietic stem cells regulated by the myeloproliferative disease associated-gene product Lnk/Sh2b3 via Bcl-xL

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are maintained at a very low frequency in adult bone marrow under steady-state conditions. However, it is not fully understood how homeostasis of bone marrow HSCs is maintained. We attempted to identify a key molecule involved in the regulation of HSC numbers, a factor that, in the absence of Lnk, leads to HSC expansion. Here, we demonstrate that upon stimulation with thrombopoietin, expression of Bcl-xL, an antiapoptotic protein, was highly enhanced in Lnk-deficient HSCs compared to normal HSCs. As a result, Lnk-deficient HSCs underwent reduced apoptosis following exposure to lethal radiation. Downregulation of Bcl-xL expression in Lnk-deficient HSCs by short-hairpin RNA resulted in a great reduction of their capacity for reconstitution. These findings suggest that Lnk/Sh2b3 constrains the expression of Bcl-xL and that the loss of Lnk/Sh2b3 function enhances survival of HSCs by inhibiting apoptosis. Furthermore, our observations indicate that HSCs in patients with an Lnk/Sh2b3 mutation might become resistant to apoptosis due to thrombopoietin-mediated enhanced expression of Bcl-xL. Consequently, reduced apoptosis could facilitate accumulation of HSCs with oncogenic mutations leading to development of myeloproliferative disorders.

Abstract B183: Nkd2 expression and survival in lung adenocarcinoma.

Abstract Objectives: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States and worldwide, and Wnt signaling pathway abnormalities have been implicated in its development. We planned to study the expression of Naked cuticle 2 (Nkd2), a Wnt signaling pathway antagonist, in lung adenocarcinoma tissue specimens. Methods: Two hundred patients with lung adenocarcinoma underwent surgical resection. Tumor and adjacent normal specimens were collected at the time of the procedure and stored in liquid nitrogen until analysis. Clinical data, including patient age, sex, vital status, smoking status, as well as tumor histology and stage, were obtained by review of electronic medical records. RNA was extracted using the Qiagen RNeasy Mini Kit, and cDNA was synthesized using the Bio-Rad iScript Kit. Nkd2 expression was measured using a microarray in 110 patients and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in 90 patients. We looked for differences in Nkd2 expression between patients of different sex, histologic subtype, or vital status; and among patients with different smoking status or stage. We described the distribution of Nkd2 expression in both the microarray and qPCR cohorts. We analyzed the relation between Nkd2 expression and survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There was no difference in Nkd2 expression between patients of different sex, histologic subtype, or vital status; nor among patients with different smoking status or stage. Nkd2 expression in the tumor was upregulated in the microarray cohort, but downregulated in the qpCR cohort, compared to the adjacent normal. In the microarray cohort, Nkd2 expression was not significantly related to survival (p=0.71). In the qPCR cohort, after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, bronchoalveolar carcinoma status, and stage, lower Nkd2 expression was significantly associated with longer survival (p=0.03). Stage was the only other significant predictor of survival (Wald test, p = 0.0002). Conclusion: In one cohort in our study, lower Nkd2 expression was significantly associated with longer survival. It is unclear why lower expression of Wnt signaling pathway antagonist would be associated with longer survival, when higher Wnt signaling has been associated with carcinogenesis. One hypothesis is that there is a negative feedback mechanism, in which upregulation of Wnt signaling leads to upregulation of Nkd2. Molecular markers have a growing role in cancer research, and further studies on Nkd2 may lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B183.

Prevalence of piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV) in marine fish species

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is an inflammatory disease of the heart primarily affecting farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. (Ferguson, Poppe & Speare 1990). The disease mainly appears in fish 12–15 months after transfer to sea water, and pathological signs include inflammation of the endocardium and spongiosum of the atrium and ventricle. Highest mortality rates are seen in fish weighing 2–5 kg, and the cause of death is generally rupturing of the atrium or sinus venosus. The disease has been reported from locations all along the Norwegian coastline since the 1980s (Amin & Trasti 1988) and has also been observed in Scotland (Rodger & Turnbull 2000), the Faroe Islands (Sande & Poppe 1995) and Canada (Brocklebank & Raverty 2002). CMS causes substantial financial losses for the fish farming industry (Brun, Poppe, Skrudland & Jarp 2003), and CMS-like lesions have also been observed in wild Atlantic salmon (Poppe & Seierstad 2003). The causative agent is most likely a naked, double-stranded RNA virus related to the Totiviridae group, provisionally named piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV) (Lovoll, Wiik-Nielsen, Grove, WiikNielsen, Kristoffersen, Faller et al. 2010; Haugland, Mikalsen, Nilsen, Lindmo, Thu, Eliassen et al. 2011), and thus far, the virus has been found exclusively in farmed Atlantic salmon sampled from pens with CMS. Using a PMCV-specific real-time PCR assay (Lovoll et al. 2010), we have screened for the presence of PMCV in more than 30 species of marine fish (Table 1) sampled off the central, western coastline of Norway from Trondheim to the Varanger fjord. The set of samples was a representative subset of the catch from a single trawling expedition. Sampling was performed and financed by the project Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) in wild and farmed fish in Norway (NFR-190245), and more details on the sampling will be published later along with other results from this project. Organ samples of spleen, kidney and brain were pooled and directly frozen in transport medium (Leibovitz culture medium supplemented with 4 mm l-glutamine and 100 ng mL gentamicin; all from Sigma-Aldrich). Each pool consisted of material from 1 to 5 individuals of the same fish species sampled at the same time and place. For some of the samples included in the pools, kidney tissue from individual fish was also stored on RNAlater (Qiagen AB). Nucleic acids from the organ pools were extracted from 100 uL of tissue homogenate using the NucliSENS easyMAG nucleic acid extraction system (bioMerieux, Inc.) according to the manufacturer s recommendations. RNA from individual fish kidneys was extracted using an RNeasy Mini kit (Qiagen AB). A total of 342 pools (1501 individuals) representing 32 species were screened. The majority of the samples were negative, but 11 of 38 pools from Argentina silus gave a positive PCR result (Table 1). Journal of Fish Diseases 2011, 34, 955–957 doi:10.1111/j.1365-2761.2011.01315.x

Purinergic signalling mobilizes mitochondrial Ca2+ in mouse Sertoli cells

Intimate bidirectional communication between Sertoli cells and developing germ cells ensures the integrity and efficiency of spermatogenesis. Yet, a conceptual mechanistic understanding of the physiological principles that underlie Sertoli cell autocrine and paracrine signalling is lacking. Here, we characterize a purinergic Ca(2+) signalling network in immature mouse Sertoli cells that consists of both P2X2 and P2Y2 purinoceptor subtypes, the endoplasmic reticulum and, notably, mitochondria. By combining a transgenic mouse model with a dedicated bioluminescence imaging device, we describe a novel method to monitor mitochondrial Ca(2+) mobilization in Sertoli cells at subcellular spatial and millisecond temporal resolution. Our data identify mitochondria as essential components of the Sertoli cell signalling 'toolkit' that control the shape of purinergic Ca(2+) responses, and probably several other paracrine Ca(2+)-dependent signals.

Bortezomib-resistant nuclear factor κB expression in stem-like cells in mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a subtype of B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) and accounts for approximately 6% of all lymphomas. Unlike small lymphocytic lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic lymphoma, which are relatively sensitive to chemotherapy, MCL is highly refractory to most chemotherapy, and has the worst survival rate among NHL patients. Stem-like cells in MCL, which we have termed mantle cell lymphoma-initiating cells (MCL-ICs), enriched in the population that are lack of prototypic B-cell marker CD19. These cells were able to self-renew upon serial transplantation and are highly tumorigenic. Importantly, these stem-like cells confer chemotherapeutic resistance to MCL. In this report, we show that stem-like MCL-ICs are resistant to bortezomib, as well as chemotherapeutic regimens containing bortezomib, despite constitutive nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression. Interestingly, bortezomib treatment induced MCL-IC differentiation in plasma-like cells with upregulated expression of CD38 and CD138. This process was accompanied by expression of plasma cell differentiation transcriptional factors, BLIMP-1 and IRF4. This article is the first to show that stem-like MCL cells utilize constitutive NF-κB expression for survival. Given that the NF-κB expression in MCL-ICs is resistant to bortezomib, it will be important to find alternative therapeutic strategies to inhibit NF-κB expression.

Cysteine Cathepsins S and L Modulate Anti-angiogenic Activities of Human Endostatin

Human endostatin, a potent anti-angiogenic protein, is generated by release of the C terminus of collagen XVIII. Here, we propose that cysteine cathepsins are involved in both the liberation and activation of bioactive endostatin fragments, thus regulating their anti-angiogenic properties. Cathepsins B, S, and L efficiently cleaved in vitro FRET peptides that encompass the hinge region corresponding to the N terminus of endostatin. However, in human umbilical vein endothelial cell-based assays, silencing of cathepsins S and L, but not cathepsin B, impaired the generation of the ∼22-kDa endostatin species. Moreover, cathepsins L and S released two peptides from endostatin with increased angiostatic properties and both encompassing the NGR sequence, a vasculature homing motif. The G10T peptide (residues 1455-1464: collagen XVIII numbering) displayed compelling anti-proliferative (EC(50) = 0.23 nm) and proapoptotic properties. G10T inhibited aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) and reduced tube formation of endothelial cells in a manner similar to bestatin. Combination of G10T with bestatin resulted in no further increase in anti-angiogenic activity. Taken together, these data suggest that endostatin-derived peptides may represent novel molecular links between cathepsins and APN/CD13 in the regulation of angiogenesis.

Liver-specific Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase Expression Is Sufficient to Cause Hepatic Insulin Resistance and Mild Hyperglycemia in Mice

Inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS), a major mediator of inflammation, plays an important role in obesity-induced insulin resistance. Inhibition of iNOS by gene disruption or pharmacological inhibitors reverses or ameliorates obesity-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and liver in mice. It is unknown, however, whether increased expression of iNOS is sufficient to cause insulin resistance in vivo. To address this issue, we generated liver-specific iNOS transgenic (L-iNOS-Tg) mice, where expression of the transgene, iNOS, is regulated under mouse albumin promoter. L-iNOS-Tg mice exhibited mild hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and impaired insulin-induced suppression of hepatic glucose output, as compared with wild type (WT) littermates. Insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and -2, and Akt was significantly attenuated in liver, but not in skeletal muscle, of L-iNOS-Tg mice relative to WT mice without changes in insulin receptor phosphorylation. Moreover, liver-specific iNOS expression abrogated insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β, forkhead box O1, and mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), endogenous substrates of Akt, along with increased S-nitrosylation of Akt relative to WT mice. However, the expression of insulin receptor, IRS-1, IRS-2, Akt, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, forkhead box O1, protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1B, PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog), and p85 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase was not altered by iNOS transgene. Hyperglycemia was associated with elevated glycogen phosphorylase activity and decreased glycogen synthase activity in the liver of L-iNOS-Tg mice, whereas phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α expression were not altered. These results clearly indicate that selective expression of iNOS in liver causes hepatic insulin resistance along with deranged insulin signaling, leading to hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Our data highlight a critical role for iNOS in the development of hepatic insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.

Early Murine T-lymphocyte Activation Is Accompanied by a Switch from N-Glycolyl- to N-Acetyl-neuraminic Acid and Generation of Ligands for Siglec-E

It is well established that murine T-lymphocyte activation is accompanied by major changes in cell-surface sialylation, potentially influencing interactions with sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins (siglecs). In the present study, we analyzed early activation of murine CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes at 24 h. We observed a striking and selective up-regulation in the binding of a recombinant soluble form of siglec-E, an inhibitory siglec, which is expressed on several myeloid cell types including antigen-presenting dendritic cells. In contrast, much lower levels of T cell binding were observed with other siglecs, including sialoadhesin, CD22, and siglec-F and the plant lectins Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin and Sambucus nigra agglutinin. By mass spectrometry, the sialic acid content of 24-h-activated CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes exhibited an increased proportion of N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (NeuAc) to N-glycolyl-neuraminic acid (NeuGc) in N-glycans. Reduced levels of NeuGc on the surface of activated T cells were demonstrated using an antibody specific for NeuGc and the expression levels of the gene encoding NeuAc- to NeuGc-converting enzyme, CMP-NeuAc hydroxylase, were also reduced. Siglec-E bound a wide range of sialylated structures in glycan arrays, had a preference for NeuAc versus NeuGc-terminated sequences and could recognize a set of sialoglycoproteins that included CD45, in lysates from activated T-lymphocytes. Collectively, these results show that early in T cell activation, glycan remodelling involves a switch from NeuGc- to NeuAc-terminating oligosaccharides on cell surface glycoproteins. This is associated with a strong up-regulation of siglec-E ligands, which may be important in promoting cellular interactions between early activated T-lymphocytes and myeloid cells expressing this inhibitory receptor.

Heightened Induction of Proapoptotic Signals in Response to Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Primary Fibroblasts from a Mouse Model of Longevity

Previous work from our laboratory has shown that primary fibroblasts from long-lived Snell dwarf mice display a higher sensitivity to the lethal effects of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stressors, such as thapsigargin, than cells from normal mice. Here we show that thapsigargin induces higher expression of CHOP, enhanced cleavage of caspase-12, higher caspase-3 activity, and increased phosphorylation of c-JUN, all indicators of enhanced apoptosis, in dwarf fibroblasts. Dwarf and normal fibroblasts show no genotypic difference in up-regulating BiP, GRP94, and ERp72 proteins after exposure to thapsigargin. However, dwarf fibroblasts express lower basal levels of a number of putative XBP1 target genes including Armet, Edem1, Erdj3, p58(IPK) and Sec61a1, as well as Ire1α itself. Furthermore, when exposed to thapsigargin, dwarf fibroblasts display attenuated splicing of Xbp1, but similar phosphorylation of eIF2α, in comparison to normal fibroblasts. These data support the notion that IRE1/XBP1 signaling is set at a lower level in dwarf fibroblasts. Diminished Xbp1 splicing in dwarf-derived fibroblasts may tilt the balance between prosurvival and proapoptotic signals in favor of apoptosis, thereby leading to higher induction of proapoptotic signals in these cells and ultimately their increased sensitivity to ER stressors. These results, together with recent findings in Caenorhabditis elegans daf-2 mutants, point to a potential interplay between insulin/IGF-1 signals and unfolded protein response signaling.

Peripheral Blood Monocyte-expressed ANXA2 Gene is Involved in Pathogenesis of Osteoporosis in Humans

Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a risk factor of osteoporosis and has strong genetic determination. Genes influencing BMD and fundamental mechanisms leading to osteoporosis have yet to be fully determined. Peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) are potential osteoclast precursors, which could access to bone resorption surfaces and differentiate into osteoclasts to resorb bone. Herein, we attempted to identify osteoporosis susceptibility gene(s) and characterize their function(s), through an initial proteomics discovery study on PBM in vivo, and multiscale validation studies in vivo and in vitro. Utilizing the quantitative proteomics methodology LC-nano-ESI-MS(E), we discovered that a novel protein, i.e. ANXA2, was up-regulated twofold in PBM in vivo in Caucasians with extremely low BMD (cases) versus those with extremely high BMD (controls) (n = 28, p < 0.05). ANXA2 gene up-regulation in low BMD subjects was replicated at the mRNA level in PBM in vivo in a second and independent case-control sample (n = 80, p < 0.05). At the DNA level, we found that SNPs in the ANXA2 gene were associated with BMD variation in a 3(rd) and independent case-control sample (n = 44, p < 0.05), as well as in a random population sample (n = 997, p < 0.05). The above integrative evidence strongly supports the concept that ANXA2 is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in humans. Through a follow-up cellular functional study, we found that ANXA2 protein significantly promoted monocyte migration across an endothelial barrier in vitro (p < 0.001). Thus, elevated ANXA2 protein expression level, as detected in low BMD subjects, probably stimulates more PBM migration through the blood vessel walls to bone resorption surfaces in vivo, where they differentiate into higher number of osteoclasts and resorb bone at higher rates, thereby decreasing BMD. In conclusion, this study identified a novel osteoporosis susceptibility gene ANXA2, and suggested a novel pathophysiological mechanism, mediated by ANXA2, for osteoporosis in humans.