PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Corda

Publications and source records attributed to D Corda.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Release of the mitogen lysophosphatidylinositol from H-Ras-transformed fibroblasts; a possible mechanism of autocrine control of cell proliferation.

Lysophosphatidylinositol (LysoPtdIns) is formed by a constitutively-active phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase A2 in Ras-transformed cells and can stimulate cell proliferation. To evaluate whether LysoPtdIns could function as an autocrine modulator of cell growth, we examined whether LysoPtdIns can be released in the medium of Ras-transformed FRT-Fibro fibroblasts and thyroid cells. Here, we report that LysoPtdIns accumulates in the extracellular space of these lines and reaches levels up to tenfold higher than in the case of normal cells. Moreover, the ionophore A23187 increased the levels of the lysolipid in the extracellular medium. Extracellular LysoPtdIns was rapidly hydrolyzed to inositol 1:2-cyclic phosphate. LysoPtdIns induced thymidine incorporation in FRT-Fibro Ha-Ras fibroblasts, whereas inositol cyclic 1:2-cyclic phosphate did not affect cell growth per se, nor did it interfere with the LysoPtdIns mitogenic activity. We hypothesize that in Ras-transformed fibroblasts the formation and release of LysoPtdIns may function as an autocrine mechanism that participates in the Ras-dependent stimulation of cell growth.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Role of NAD+ and ADP-ribosylation in the maintenance of the Golgi structure.

We have investigated the role of the ADP- ribosylation induced by brefeldin A (BFA) in the mechanisms controlling the architecture of the Golgi complex. BFA causes the rapid disassembly of this organelle into a network of tubules, prevents the association of coatomer and other proteins to Golgi membranes, and stimulates the ADP-ribosylation of two cytosolic proteins of 38 and 50 kD (GAPDH and BARS-50; De Matteis, M.A., M. DiGirolamo, A. Colanzi, M. Pallas, G. Di Tullio, L.J. McDonald, J. Moss, G. Santini, S. Bannykh, D. Corda, and A. Luini. 1994. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 91:1114-1118; Di Girolamo, M., M.G. Silletta, M.A. De Matteis, A. Braca, A. Colanzi, D. Pawlak, M.M. Rasenick, A. Luini, and D. Corda. 1995. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 92:7065-7069). To study the role of ADP-ribosylation, this reaction was inhibited by depletion of NAD+ (the ADP-ribose donor) or by using selective pharmacological blockers in permeabilized cells. In NAD+-depleted cells and in the presence of dialized cytosol, BFA detached coat proteins from Golgi membranes with normal potency but failed to alter the organelle's structure. Readdition of NAD+ triggered Golgi disassembly by BFA. This effect of NAD+ was mimicked by the use of pre-ADP- ribosylated cytosol. The further addition of extracts enriched in native BARS-50 abolished the ability of ADP-ribosylated cytosol to support the effect of BFA. Pharmacological blockers of the BFA-dependent ADP-ribosylation (Weigert, R., A. Colanzi, A. Mironov, R. Buccione, C. Cericola, M.G. Sciulli, G. Santini, S. Flati, A. Fusella, J. Donaldson, M. DiGirolamo, D. Corda, M.A. De Matteis, and A. Luini. 1997. J. Biol. Chem. 272:14200-14207) prevented Golgi disassembly by BFA in permeabilized cells. These inhibitors became inactive in the presence of pre-ADP-ribosylated cytosol, and their activity was rescued by supplementing the cytosol with a native BARS-50-enriched fraction. These results indicate that ADP-ribosylation plays a role in the Golgi disassembling activity of BFA, and suggest that the ADP-ribosylated substrates are components of the machinery controlling the structure of the Golgi apparatus.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1997

Characterization of chemical inhibitors of brefeldin A-activated mono-ADP-ribosylation.

Brefeldin A, a toxin inhibitor of vesicular traffic, induces the selective mono-ADP-ribosylation of two cytosolic proteins, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the novel GTP-binding protein BARS-50. Here, we have used a new quantitative assay for the characterization of this reaction and the development of specific pharmacological inhibitors. Mono-ADP-ribosylation is activated by brefeldin A with an EC50 of 17.0 +/- 3.1 microg/ml, but not by biologically inactive analogs including a brefeldin A stereoisomer. Brefeldin A acts by increasing the Vmax of the reaction, whereas it does not influence the Km of the enzyme for NAD+ (154 +/- 13 microM). The enzyme is an integral membrane protein present in most tissues and is modulated by Zn2+, Cu2+, ATP (but not by other nucleotides), pH, temperature, and ionic strength. To identify inhibitors of the reaction, a large number of drugs previously tested as blockers of bacterial ADP-ribosyltransferases were screened. Two classes of molecules, one belonging to the coumarin group (dicumarol, coumermycin A1, and novobiocin) and the other to the quinone group (ilimaquinone, benzoquinone, and naphthoquinone), rather potently and specifically inhibited brefeldin A-dependent mono-ADP-ribosylation. When tested in living cells, these molecules antagonized the tubular reticular redistribution of the Golgi complex caused by brefeldin A at concentrations similar to those active in the mono-ADP-ribosylation assay in vitro, suggesting a role for mono-ADP-ribosylation in the cellular actions of brefeldin A.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1997

Protein kinase C is required for the disappearance of MPF upon artificial activation in mouse eggs.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the implication of protein kinase C (PKC) in the mouse egg activation process. We used OAG (1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol) as a PKC activator, calphostin C as a specific PKC inhibitor, and the calcium ionophore A23187 as a standard parthenogenetic agent. The exposure of zona-free eggs to 150 microM or 50 microM OAG for 10 min resulted in meiosis II completion in approximately 80% of instances. By contrast, at a lower concentration (25 microM), the PKC stimulator was ineffective as parthenogenetic agent. Shortly after the application of 150 microM OAG, the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) increased transiently in all the eggs examined, whereas after the addition of 50 microM OAG, [Ca2+]i remained unchanged for at least 20 min. During this period, the activity of M-phase promoting factor (MPF) dramatically decreased and most of the eggs entered anaphase except when the PKC was inhibited by calphostin C. Similarly, MPF inactivation and meiosis resumption were prevented in calphostin C-loaded eggs following treatment with A23187, even though the ionophore-induced Ca2+ signalling was not affected. Taken together, our results indicate that stimulation of PKC is a sufficient and necessary event to induce meiosis resumption in mouse eggs and strongly suggest that, in this species, the mechanism by which a transient calcium burst triggers MPF inactivation involves a PKC-dependent pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Possible role of BARS-50, a substrate of brefeldin A-dependent mono-ADP-ribosylation, in intracellular transport.

Brefeldin A (BFA), a fungal metabolite that inhibits membrane transport, potently stimulates an endogenous ADP-ribosylation reaction that selectively modifies two cytosolic proteins of 38 and 50 kDa on an amino acid residue different from those used by all known mADPRTs. The 38-kDa substrate was identified as the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), whereas the 50-kDa substrate (BARS-50) was characterized as a novel guanine nucleotide binding protein. Thus, BARS-50 is able to bind GTP and its ADP-ribosylation is inhibited by the beta gamma subunit of GTP-binding (G) proteins. Moreover, BARS-50 was demonstrated to be a group of closely related proteins that appear to be different from all the known G proteins. A partially purified BARS-50 was obtained from rat brain cytosol, which was then used for microsequencing and in functional studies. A similar procedure led to the purification of native (non-ADP-ribosylated) BARS-50. The possible role of the BFA-dependent ADP-ribosylation and of BARS-50 in the maintenance of Golgi structure and function was addressed by examining which of the effects of BFA may be modified by inhibiting this reaction. We find that the BFA-dependent transformation of the Golgi stacks into a tubular reticular network is prevented when the BFA-dependent ADP-ribosylation activity was blocked by specific inhibitors thus indicating that BFA-dependent ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic proteins participate in the dynamic regulation of intracellular transport.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1997

Brefeldin A-induced ADP-ribosylation in the structure and function of the Golgi complex.

Brefeldin A (BFA) is a fungal metabolite that exerts generally inhibitory actions on membrane transport and induces the disappearance of the Golgi complex. Previously we have shown that BFA stimulates the ADP-ribosylation of two cytosolic proteins of 38 and 50 KD. The BFA-binding components mediating the BFA-sensitive ADP-ribosylation (BAR) and the effect of BFA on ARF binding to Golgi membranes have similar specificities and affinities for BFA and its analogues, suggesting that BAR may have a role in the cellular effects of BFA. To investigate this we used the approach to impair BAR activity by the use of BAR inhibitors. A series of BAR inhibitors was developed and their effects were studied in RBL cells treated with BFA. In addition to the common ADP-ribosylation inhibitors (nicotinamide and aminobenzamide), compounds belonging to the cumarin (novobiocin, cumermycin, dicumarol) class were active BAR inhibitors. All BAR inhibitors were able to prevent the BFA-induced redistribution of a Golgi marker (Helix pomatia lectin) into the endoplasmic reticulum, as assessed in immunofluorescence experiments. At the ultrastructural level, BAR inhibitors prevented the tubular-vesicular transformation of the Golgi complex caused by BFA. The potencies of these compounds in preventing the BFA effects on the Golgi complex were similar to those at which they inhibited BAR. Altogether these data support the hypothesis that BAR mediates at least some of the effects of BFA on the Golgi structure and function.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1997

Characterization of the endogenous mono-ADP-ribosylation stimulated by brefeldin A.

We have recently described a novel enzymatic mono-ADP-ribosyl transfer reaction induced by brefeldin A, a well characterized inhibitor of vesicular traffic, which selectively modifies two cytosolic proteins of 38 kDa (p38) and 50 kDa (BARS-50). p38 was identified as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), a glycolytic enzyme and a multifunctional protein involved in several cellular processes; BARS-50 might be a novel G protein, since it is able to bind GTP and the beta gamma subunit of G proteins. We have characterized this enzymatic activity and screened in vitro the effects of different drugs belonging to the coumarine (dicumarol, coumermicin A1 and novobiocin) and quinone (ilimaquinones, benzoquinones and naphtoquinones) class. These drugs blocked the BFA-dependent mono-ADP-ribosylation, showed remarkable effects on Golgi morphology in control cells, and antagonized the tubular reticular redistribution of the Golgi complex in brefeldin A treated cells (see papers of Corda and Colanzi in this issue) suggesting a possible role for ADP-ribosylation in both the cellular effects of brefeldin A and the maintenance of the structure/function of the Golgi complex.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1997

Modulatory role of GTP-binding proteins in the endogenous ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic proteins.

The endogenous ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic proteins and the pattern of NAD degradation were analyzed in subcellular fractions of rat liver in order to investigate the modulation of these reactions by GTP-binding (G) proteins. We could show that intracellular membranes from rat liver have a guanine nucleotide- and divalent cation-dependent pyrophosphatase activity able to rapidly degrade NAD to AMP. This enzymatic activity was investigated by two different approaches: the degradation of [32P]-NAD in the presence of intracellular membranes and the mono-ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic proteins. Divalent cations, preferentially Zn2+ and Mn2+, were required for the pyrophosphatase activity, since in the presence of the Zn2+ chelator TPEN (N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridyl-methyl)ethylenediamine) or EDTA, the NAD degradation was inhibited by about 50%. Accordingly, in the presence of TPEN the endogenous ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic proteins was enhanced, whereas Zn2+ caused a significant inhibition of this reaction. GDP beta S was able to strongly activate the mono-ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic proteins. This effect was abolished by GTP gamma S, suggesting that a G protein, or rather one of the subunits of a heterotrimeric G protein, is involved in the modulation of the pyrophosphatase and consequently, of endogenous ADP-ribosylation. We propose that a regulatory pathway involving a heterotrimeric G protein modulates enzymes affecting the NAD turnover and availability of NAD for endogenous mADPRTs.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1997

Fast receptor-induced formation of glycerophosphoinositol-4-phosphate, a putative novel intracellular messenger in the Ras pathway.

Glycerophosphoinositols are phosphoinositide metabolites whose levels are constitutively elevated in Ras-transformed cells. Here, we show that one of these compounds, glycerophosphoinositol-4-phosphate (GroPIns-4-P) responds acutely to the stimulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor, with a fast, massive and transient increase. The mechanism leading to GroPIns-4-P formation involves the activation of phosphoinositide-3 kinase and the small GTP-binding protein Rac, since GroPIns-4-P was neither formed in cells expressing the dominant negative form of Rac nor in cells treated with the phosphoinositide-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin. GroPIns-4-P has been previously shown to inhibit adenylyl cyclase. Accordingly, epidermal growth factor also decreased the basal, cholera toxin-stimulated, and forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP levels with kinetics similar to those of GroPIns-4-P formation, suggesting that GroPIns-4-P mediates this inhibitory effect. The hormone-induced formation of GroPIns-4-P was detected in several cell lines of various origin, suggesting that GroPIns-4-P is a novel intracellular messenger of the Ras pathway, possibly able to convey information from tyrosine kinase receptors to the cyclic AMP cascade.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1997

Cyclooxygenase-dependent thyroid cell proliferation induced by immunoglobulins from patients with Graves' disease.

IgG associated with Graves' disease bind to the TSH receptor and alter thyroid growth and function, mainly through the stimulation of adenylyl cyclase. In addition, Graves' IgG are able to interact with the phospholipase C (PLC)/Ca2+ and phospholipase A2 (PLA2)/arachidonic acid (AA) cascades. The activation of this latter pathway leads to thyroid cell growth in vitro. The elucidation of additional mechanisms of action of Graves' IgG has made possible the identification of four subgroups of patients, characterized by IgG with different biochemical activities (extent of cAMP and AA release stimulation in in vitro assays). On the basis of these results, a novel therapeutic approach could be proposed based on the inhibition of PLA2 and AA metabolism. To test this hypothesis, the ability of IgG from 56 Graves' patients to stimulate [3H]thymidine incorporation in FRTL5 thyroid cells in the presence and absence of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (2.5 x 10(-6) mol/L) was measured. A significant reduction in [3H]thymidine incorporation was found (33% inhibition; P < 0.0001) upon pretreatment with indomethacin, suggesting that in vitro thyroid cell growth is regulated by cyclooxygenase metabolites. This strengthens the argument for involvement of the PLA2/AA cascade in the pathophysiology of Graves' disease and the proposal for novel selective pharmacological treatments of these patients.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Changes in the levels of glycerophosphoinositols during differentiation of hepatic and neuronal cells.

Glycerophosphoinositols are metabolites formed by a phosholipase A2 and a lysolipase specifically acting on membrane phosphoinositol lipids. High levels of these compounds characterize epithelial cells and fibroblasts transformed by ras and other cellular oncogenes. Here we have analyzed the glycerophosphoinositol levels in cells that are considered models of cell differentiation. Using rat hepatocytes at different stages of liver development we have shown that the glycerophosphoinositol basal levels of fetal cells were up to fourfold higher than in adult hepatocytes. No changes in glycerophosphoinositol were observed in regenerating rat liver, a model of differentiated cells proliferating in a synchronous manner, where only glycerophosphoinositol 4-phosphate increased by 80%. Similarly to fetal hepatocytes, a modest but significant increase (30%) in the levels of glycerophosphoinositols was observed in undifferentiated NG-108-15 cells as compared to the same cells induced to differentiate by cAMP. In a different neuronal cell line, PC12 cells, increased glycerophosphoinositol levels characterized the differentiated cells. Based on these observations we suggest that high glycerophosphoinositol levels characterize cellular phenomena associated with the activation of ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Regulation of intracellular magnesium in ascites cells: involvement of different regulatory pathways.

Extracellular ATP causes 40% stimulation of Mg2+ efflux from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (EATC) incubated under 0-trans conditions. ATP also causes a threefold increase of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolite release from [3H]AA-preloaded EATC, indicating that, under these experimental conditions, it induces phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activation. ATP-induced Mg2+ efflux can be prevented by cyclooxygenase inhibition with indomethacin or lysine acetylsalicylate, but not by 5-lipooxygenase inhibition with BWA4C. Mg2+ efflux is also directly stimulated by exogenous AA in a concentration-dependent manner. This phenomenon involves PKA as it is virtually abolished by the specific inhibitor 8-bromoadenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate. While stimulating Mg2+ efflux, exogenous AA also increases cAMP content of EATC and this effect can be prevented by cyclooxygenase inhibition. Measurements in mag-fura-2-loaded EATC reveal that stimulation of Mg2+ efflux does not correlate with significant fluctuations of [Mg2+]i. This suggests that Mg2+ efflux is compensated for by mobilization of bound Mg2+, leaving [Mg2+]i unaltered. Altogether these data indicate that Mg2+ efflux can be modulated by extracellular stimuli capable of activating PLA2. This modulation is triggered by cyclooxygenase products which, by activating adenylcyclase, determine an elevation of cAMP. This intracellular messenger upregulates Na-dependent Mg2+ efflux.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Evidence that the 50-kDa substrate of brefeldin A-dependent ADP-ribosylation binds GTP and is modulated by the G-protein beta gamma subunit complex.

Brefeldin A, a fungal metabolite that inhibits membrane transport, induces the mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation of two cytosolic proteins of 38 and 50 kDa as judged by SDS/PAGE. The 38-kDa substrate has been previously identified as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). We report that the 50-kDa BFA-induced ADP-ribosylated substrate (BARS-50) has native forms of 170 and 130 kDa, as determined by gel filtration of rat brain cytosol, indicating that BARS-50 might exist as a multimeric complex. BARS-50 can bind GTP, as indicated by blot-overlay studies with [alpha-32P]GTP and by photoaffinity labeling with guanosine 5'-[gamma-32P] [beta,gamma-(4-azidoanilido)]triphosphate. Moreover, ADP-ribosylation of BARS-50 was completely inhibited by the beta gamma subunit complex of G proteins, while the ADP-ribosylation of GAPDH was unmodified, indicating that this effect was due to an interaction of the beta gamma complex with BARS-50, rather than with the ADP-ribosylating enzyme. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis shows that BARS-50 is a group of closely related proteins that appear to be different from all the known GTP-binding proteins.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1995

Signalling pathways involved in the mitogenic action of lysophosphatidylinositol.

Lysophosphatidylinositol has been previously shown to stimulate cell proliferation in differentiated and in K-ras transformed thyroid cells. Increased levels of lysophosphatidylinositol, but not lysophosphatidylcholine or lysophosphatidylethanolamine, are present in thyroid as well as in other ras-transformed cell lines. We have now investigated the mechanism of action of this lysolipid by analysing its effects in a differentiated thyroid cell line. Lysophosphatidylinositol did not increase the levels of cAMP, the main stimulator of cell proliferation in the thyroid, whereas it stimulated phosphoinositide breakdown, mobilization of cytosolic Ca2+ and arachidonic acid release, suggesting that it activates both phospholipases C and A2. None of the effects of lysophosphatidylinositol were prevented by pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin. Instead, the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, tyrphostins AG18 and AG561, completely blocked its mitogenic action. The effects of lysophosphatidylinositol were distinguishable from those of the well known mitogen lysophosphatidic acid, which affected differently the signalling pathways analysed and was not mitogenic in ras-transformed cells. These results suggest that the mitogenic activity of lysophosphatidylinositol is associated with the activation of phospholipase C and phospholipase A2 and is relatively specific for ras-transformed cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Physiological concentrations of thyrotropin increase cytosolic calcium levels in primary cultures of human thyroid cells.

The activity of TSH, the main regulator of growth and differentiation in the thyroid, has been mainly related to the activation of the adenylyl cyclase cascade. TSH also activates phospholipase-C and -A2; these effects, however, have been reported to require concentrations of the hormone up to 1000-fold higher than those effective on adenylyl cyclase, suggesting that the main physiological mechanism involved in the action of TSH is the activation of this enzyme. Using primary cultures of human thyroids, we here show that physiological concentrations of TSH (0.01-10 mU/L) are also able to increase intracellular Ca2+ levels. Cells were loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ probe fura-2 and analyzed by single cell Ca2+ recording. The basal Ca2+ level was 105 +/- 30 nmol/L, and physiological concentrations of TSH increased it by 2- to 7-fold. The Ca2+ increase was transient and lasted up to 10 min. It is also shown that the TSH-dependent Ca2+ increase involves both the activation of phospholipase-C and the entry of extracellular Ca2+. TSH (100-10000 mU/L) increased cAMP levels by up to 20-fold in parallel experiments performed on the same cell preparations. These data demonstrate that physiological concentrations of TSH are able to increase cytosolic Ca2+ levels, indicating that this second messenger might directly mediate the action of this hormone in the thyroid.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Subgroups of Graves' patients identified on the basis of the biochemical activities of their immunoglobulins.

Graves' patient immunoglobulins (IgG) are known to activate adenylyl cyclase. Recently, we have shown that they also stimulate phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Here we analyze the relationship of these biochemical activities of Graves' IgG to thyroid growth in vitro ([3H]thymidine incorporation) and in vivo (patient goiter size) as well as to clinical indicators of severity of the disease, such as ophthalmopathy, T3 levels, T3/T4 molar ratio, and TSH binding-inhibiting IgG activity. A cluster analysis of the biochemical parameters referring to the whole population (158 subjects) led to the identification of 4 subgroups of Graves' patients based on the different capabilities of IgG to stimulate adenylyl cyclase, PLA2, and [3H]thymidine incorporation. Importantly, a trend of increasing severity of the disease from group 1 to group 4 could be identified. In particular, patients in group 4 (characterized by elevated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, PLA2, and [3H]thymidine incorporation) had the largest goiter, highest serum concentration of T3, highest T3/T4 molar ratio, and highest prevalence of ophthalmopathy. These results indicate that Graves' IgG induce thyroid growth by stimulating both adenylyl cyclase and PLA2, and suggest a method for the subclassification of Graves' patients that identifies four groups with different degrees of severity of the disease. Moreover, this classification might lead to the targeted use of a novel therapeutic approach based on the inhibition of PLA2 and arachidonic acid metabolism.

Adult↗