Biomedical subjects

Eva Cernuda-Morollón

Publications and source records attributed to Eva Cernuda-Morollón.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Galectin-1: a key effector of regulation mediated by CD4+CD25+ T cells.

The naturally occurring population of dedicated regulatory T cells that coexpress CD4 and CD25 is known to play a key role in the maintenance of peripheral T-cell tolerance; however, their mechanism of action has remained obscure. Here we report that a member of the family of beta-galactoside-binding proteins, galectin-1, is overexpressed in regulatory T cells, and that expression is increased after activation. Most importantly, blockade of galectin-1 binding significantly reduced the inhibitory effects of human and mouse CD4+CD25+ T cells. Reduced regulatory activity was observed in CD4+CD25+ T cells obtained from galectin-1-homozygous null mutant mice. These results suggest that galectin-1 is a key effector of the regulation mediated by these cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Rho GTPases and leukocyte adhesion receptor expression and function in endothelial cells.

Rho family GTPases are key signal transducers that regulate cell adhesion and migration and a variety of other cellular responses, including changes in gene expression. In this review, we discuss how Rho GTPases regulate signaling by endothelial cell receptors involved in leukocyte extravasation. First, Rho GTPases affect the expression of some leukocyte adhesion molecules on endothelial cells, such as intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin, that can be induced by proinflammatory mediators, hypoxia, or shear stress. Second, Rho GTPases are activated by engagement of several leukocyte adhesion receptors and contribute to both early morphological changes and subsequent alterations in gene expression. Rho GTPases are therefore candidate targets for inhibiting leukocyte transendothelial migration in heart disease and chronic inflammatory disorders.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Protein thiol modification by 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 addition in mesangial cells: role in the inhibition of pro-inflammatory genes.

The cyclopentenone prostaglandin and PPARgamma agonist 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) (15d-PGJ(2)) displays anti-inflammatory effects in several experimental models. Direct modification of protein thiols is arising as an important mechanism of cyclopentenone prostaglandin action. However, little is known about the extent or specificity of this process. Mesangial cells (MC) play a key role in glomerulonephritis. In this work, we have studied the selectivity of protein modification by 15d-PGJ(2) in MC, and the correlation with the modulation of several proinflammatory genes. MC incubation with biotinylated 15d-PGJ(2) results in the labeling of a distinct set of proteins as evidenced by two-dimensional electrophoresis. 15d-PGJ(2) binds to nuclear and cytosolic targets as detected by fluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation. The pattern of biotinylated 15d-PGJ(2)-modified polypeptides is readily distinguishable from that of total protein staining or labeling with biotinylated iodoacetamide. 15d-PGJ(2) addition requires the double bond in the cyclopentane ring. 9,10-Dihydro-15d-PGJ(2), a 15d-PGJ(2) analog that shows the same potency as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonist in MC but lacks the cyclopentenone moiety, displays reduced ability to modify proteins and to block 15d-PGJ(2) binding. Micromolar concentrations of 15d-PGJ(2) inhibit cytokine-elicited levels of inducible nitricoxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in MC. In contrast, 9,10-dihydro-15d-PGJ(2) does not reproduce this inhibition. 15d-PGJ(2) effect is not blocked by the PPARgamma antagonist 2-chloro-5-nitro-N-phenylbenzamide (GW9662). Moreover, compounds possessing an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group, like 2-cyclopenten-1-one and 2-cyclohexen-1-one, reduce pro-inflammatory gene expression. These observations indicate that covalent modification of cellular thiols by 15d-PGJ(2) is a selective process that plays an important role in the inhibition of MC responses to pro-inflammatory stimuli.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Molecular basis for the direct inhibition of AP-1 DNA binding by 15-deoxy-Delta 12,14-prostaglandin J2.

Cyclopentenone prostaglandins may interfere with cellular functions by multiple mechanisms. The cyclopentenone 15-deoxy-Delta 12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) has been reported to inhibit the activity of the transcription factor AP-1 in several experimental settings. We have explored the possibility of a direct interaction of 15d-PGJ2 with AP-1 proteins. Here we show that 15d-PGJ2 covalently modifies c-Jun and directly inhibits the DNA binding activity of AP-1. The modification of c-Jun occurs both in vitro and in intact cells as detected by labeling with biotinylated 15d-PGJ2 and mass spectrometry analysis. Attachment of the cyclopentenone prostaglandin occurs at cysteine 269, which is located in the c-Jun DNA binding domain. In addition, 15d-PGJ2 can promote the oligomerization of a fraction of c-Jun through the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds or 15d-PGJ2-bonded dimers. Our results identify a novel site of interaction of 15d-PGJ2 with the AP-1 activation pathway that may contribute to the complex effects of cyclopentenone prostaglandins on the cellular response to pro-inflammatory agents. They also show the first evidence for the induction of protein cross-linking by 15d-PGJ2.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2002

Isoprenylation of RhoB is necessary for its degradation. A novel determinant in the complex regulation of RhoB expression by the mevalonate pathway.

Statins improve vascular functions by mechanisms independent from their cholesterol-lowering effect. Rho GTPases are emerging as key targets for the vascular effects of statins. RhoB is a short-lived, early-response inducible protein involved in receptor endocytosis, apoptosis, and gene expression. Here we show that statins regulate RhoB expression by acting at multiple levels. Simvastatin increased RhoB protein levels by 8- to 10-fold. This effect was related to a depletion of isoprenoid intermediates, as deduced from the observation that several metabolites of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, namely, mevalonate and geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate, attenuated simvastatin-induced RhoB up-regulation. Moreover, prenyltransferase inhibitors mimicked simvastatin effect. Cholesterol supplementation did not prevent simvastatin-elicited up-regulation but increased RhoB levels per se. Simvastatin moderately augmented RhoB transcript levels, but markedly impaired the degradation of RhoB protein, which accumulated in the cytosol in its non-isoprenylated form. Inhibition of RhoB isoprenylation was apparently required for simvastatin-induced up-regulation, because levels of an isoprenylation-deficient RhoB mutant were not affected by simvastatin. Moreover, this mutant was found to be markedly more stable than the wild-type protein. These results show that RhoB isoprenylation is necessary for rapid turnover of this protein and identify a novel link between the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and the regulation of G-protein expression.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2002

PPAR agonists amplify iNOS expression while inhibiting NF-kappaB: implications for mesangial cell activation by cytokines.

In acute inflammation, the transcription factor NF-kappaB is activated and increases the expression of multiple pro-inflammatory genes. Agonists of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR) have been reported to exert antiinflammatory effects in various systems. In keeping with such an antiinflammatory role, it was found that several PPAR agonists, including Wy14,643, clofibrate, carbaprostacyclin, and ciglitazone inhibited NF-kappaB activity and increased IkappaBalpha levels in cytokine-stimulated mesangial cells (MC). Activation of NF-kappaB has been found to be crucial to the cytokine-elicited expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Despite the inhibitory effect of PPAR agonists on NF-kappaB activity, this study provides experimental data demonstrating that these agonists amplify cytokine-elicited NO generation in MC, potentiating iNOS protein expression approximately threefold. The upregulation of iNOS expression occurred at the mRNA level and apparently did not result from iNOS mRNA stabilization. Clofibrate and ciglitazone amplified the cytokine-elicited stimulation of a 16-Kb human iNOS promoter construct in stably transfected MC, suggesting that PPAR agonists potentiate iNOS induction through transcriptional mechanisms. MC express all three PPAR proteins. However, iNOS potentiation did not correlate with increased PPAR activity. In addition, Wy14,643-induced amplification of cytokine-elicited iNOS levels also occurred in RAW264.7 macrophages and in human epithelial Caco-2 and HT-29 cells. The observation that these epithelial cell lines express an inactive, truncated PPARalpha variant suggests that a classical PPARalpha agonist, such as Wy14,643, may act through PPARalpha-independent mechanisms. In conclusion, these results show that, despite reducing NF-kappaB activity, PPAR agonists may amplify the expression of certain NF-kappaB-dependent genes that are relevant to the inflammatory process, like iNOS.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Contribution of covalent protein modification to the antiinflammatory effects of cyclopentenone prostaglandins.

Cyclopentenone prostaglandins, which are produced during inflammatory processes, may exert a negative feedback on inflammation. These reactive compounds may form covalent adducts with thiol groups in glutathione or in proteins. The transcription factor NF-kappaB is key for the expression of numerous proinflammatory genes. We have observed that treatment of mesangial cells with 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) (15d-PGJ(2)) inhibits the cytokine-elicited DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB, both in intact cells and in isolated nuclear extracts, thus suggesting a direct effect on DNA binding. By using a biotinylated 15d-PGJ(2) derivative, we have observed that 15d-PGJ(2) forms an adduct with the p50 subunit of NF-kappaB, as shown by Western blot and detection with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated streptavidin. In contrast, a p50 construct that bears a mutation in the cysteine residue involved in DNA binding (Cys62Ser) and is not susceptible to inhibition by 15d-PGJ(2) does not incorporate biotinylated 15d-PGJ(2). The labeling of several polypeptides after incubation of cells with biotinylated 15d-PGJ(2) suggests that there may be multiple targets for modification by 15d-PGJ(2). We propose that the covalent modification of NF-kappaB (and potentially other proteins) by 15d-PGJ(2) may contribute to the antiinflammatory effects of this prostaglandin.

Animals↗