Biomedical subjects

Jiming Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Jiming Zhou.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

c-Jun N-terminal kinase regulates CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase.

CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCTalpha) is a rate-regulatory enzyme required for phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) synthesis. CCTalpha is also a phosphoenzyme, but the physiologic role of kinases on enzyme function remains unclear. We report high-level expression of two major isoforms of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase family (JNK1 and JNK2) in murine lung epithelia. Further, JNK1 and JNK2 phosphorylated purified CCTalpha in vitro, and this was associated with a dose-dependent decrease (approximately 40%) in CCT activity. To evaluate JNK in vivo, lung epithelial cells were infected with a replication defective adenoviral vector encoding murine JNK2 (Adv-JNK2) or an empty vector. Adv-JNK2 infection, unlike the empty vector, markedly increased JNK2 expression concomitant with increased incorporation of [32P]orthophosphate into endogenous CCTalpha. Although Adv-JNK2 infection only modestly reduced CCT activity, it reduced PtdCho synthesis by approximately 30% in cells. These observations suggest a role for JNK kinases as negative regulators of phospholipid synthesis in murine lung epithelia.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Oxysterols inhibit phosphatidylcholine synthesis via ERK docking and phosphorylation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase.

Surfactant deficiency contributes to acute lung injury and may result from the elaboration of bioactive lipids such as oxysterols. We observed that the oxysterol 22-hydroxycholesterol (22-HC) in combination with its obligate partner, 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), decreased surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) synthesis by increasing phosphorylation of the regulatory enzyme CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase-alpha (CCTalpha). Phosphorylation of CCTalpha decreased its activity. 22-HC/9-cis-RA inhibition of PtdCho synthesis was blocked by PD98059 or dominant-negative ERK (p42 kinase). Overexpression of constitutively active MEK1, the kinase upstream of p42 kinase, increased CCTalpha phosphorylation. Expression of truncated CCTalpha mutants lacking proline-directed sites within the C-terminal phosphorylation domain partially blocked oxysterol-mediated inhibition of PtdCho synthesis. Mutagenesis of Ser315 within CCTalpha was both required and sufficient to confer significant resistance to 22-HC/9-cis-RA inhibition of PtdCho synthesis. A novel putative ERK-docking domain N-terminal to this phosphoacceptor site was mapped within the CCTalpha membrane-binding domain (residues 287-300). The results are the first demonstration of a physiologically relevant phosphorylation site and docking domain within CCTalpha that serve as targets for ERKs, resulting in inhibition of surfactant synthesis.

Alitretinoin↗

PubMed2005

LASS5 is the predominant ceramide synthase isoform involved in de novo sphingolipid synthesis in lung epithelia.

Ceramide is a key bioactive mediator that inhibits surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) synthesis in lung epithelia. Ceramide availability is governed by sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis, but less is known regarding its de novo synthesis. In this study, we observed that ceramide synthesis within murine lung epithelia was associated with high-level ceramide synthase (dihydroceramide synthase) activity. Longevity assurance homolog 5 (LASS5) was the predominant ceramide synthase isoform detected in lung epithelia, whereas relatively lower level expression was detected for the other five mammalian homologs. Pulmonary LASS5 was developmentally regulated, but its expression was spatially and gender nonspecific. Exogenously expressed LASS5 in lung epithelia was membrane-associated, triggering increased ceramide synthesis, whereas knockdown studies using fumonisin B1 or LASS5 small, interfering RNA reduced ceramide synthase activity by 78% or 45%, respectively. Overexpression of LASS5 also reduced PtdCho synthesis, but maximal inhibition was achieved when LASS5 was coexpressed with a plasmid encoding a neutral sphingomyelinase involved in SM hydrolysis. These results demonstrate that LASS5 is the major ceramide synthase gene product involved in sphingolipid production that may also regulate PtdCho metabolism in pulmonary epithelia.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Upregulation of surfactant synthesis triggers ABCA1-mediated basolateral phospholipid efflux.

Alveolar type II lung epithelia produce surfactant, an essential surface-active material highly enriched with disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC), which requires a key regulatory enzyme, CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha (CCTalpha), for its synthesis before its export apically into the alveolus. In this study, we examined whether surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis and export are physiologically linked. Stable overexpression of CCTalpha in lung epithelial cell lines increased rates of PC synthesis and cellular DSPC mass without altering total cellular PC content. Overexpression of CCTalpha was associated with i) increased basolateral, rather than apical, PC export catalyzed by ABCA1; ii) basolateral export of significant levels of unsaturated (nonsurfactant) PC; and iii) transcriptional activation of the ABCA1 gene via a liver X receptor/retinoic acid receptor-independent pathway. Cells exposed to PC vesicles exhibited a dose-dependent increase in ABCA1 transcriptional activity. These data provide the first evidence that surfactant PC synthesis is linked to its export via a basolateral lipid efflux pathway. This pathway is mediated, in part, by a phospholipid sensor, ABCA1, that appears to partake in the autoregulation of both cellular content and composition of PC, thereby providing a potentially novel exit route for a newly synthesized pool of PC distinct from surfactant.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1↗

PubMed2004

Oxysterols trigger ABCA1-mediated basolateral surfactant efflux.

Surfactant is an apically-secreted surface-active material containing primarily disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPtdCho) that is released from alveolar epithelia into the alveolus. Surfactant deficiency is an important aspect of inflammatory lung disease and may result from extravasation of serum lipoproteins into the alveolus. We investigated whether one bioactive component of modified lipoproteins, oxysterols, might reduce surfactant PtdCho availability by altering its trafficking. The oxysterol, 22-hydroxycholesterol (22HC), in combination with its obligate partner, 9 cis-retinoic acid (RA), decreased surfactant PtdCho levels, in part, by stimulating basolateral phospholipid export in murine lung epithelia. 22HC/RA stimulated basolateral PtdCho efflux in cells via transcriptional activation of the ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1) gene. This effect was mediated by a DR-4 locus within the ABCA1 promoter. ABCA1 knockdown studies using ABCA1 siRNA or the ABCA1 inhibitor, glyburide, selectively attenuated 22HC/RA-driven basolateral PtdCho efflux. 22HC/RA significantly increased export of PtdCho molecular species containing saturated (16:0) fatty-acyl species typical of DSPtdCho. Overexpression of ABCA1 mimicked 22HC/RA effects by increasing cellular PtdCho efflux, whereas mutagenesis of ABCA1 at Trp590 attenuated PtdCho release. The results indicate the existence of an oxysterol-activated basolateral exit pathway for surfactant that might impact the availability of phospholipid destined for apical secretion.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1↗

PubMed2003

Oxidized lipoproteins inhibit surfactant phosphatidylcholine synthesis via calpain-mediated cleavage of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase.

We investigated effects of pro-atherogenic oxidized lipoproteins on phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) biosynthesis in murine lung epithelial cells (MLE-12). Cells surface-bound, internalized, and degraded oxidized low density lipoproteins (Ox-LDL). Ox-LDL significantly reduced [3H]choline incorporation into PtdCho in cells by selectively inhibiting the activity of the rate-regulatory enzyme, CTP:phosphocholine cytdylyltransferase (CCT). Ox-LDL coordinately increased the cellular turnover of CCTalpha protein as determined by [35S]methionine pulse-chase studies by inducing the calcium-activated proteinase, calpain. Forced expression of calpain or exposure of cells to the calcium ionophore, A23187, increased CCTalpha degradation, whereas overexpression of the endogenous calpain inhibitor, calpastatin, attenuated Ox-LDL-induced CCTalpha degradation. The effects of Ox-LDL on CCTalpha breakdown were attenuated in calpain-deficient cells. In vitro calpain digestion of CCTalpha isolated from cells transfected with truncated or internal deletion mutants indicated multiple cleavage sites within the CCTalpha primary structure, leading to the generation of a 26-kDa (p26) fragment. Calpain hydrolysis of purified CCTalpha generated p26, which upon NH2-terminal sequencing localized a calpain attack site within the CCTalpha amino terminus. Expression of a CCTalpha mutant where the amino-terminal cleavage site and a putative carboxyl-terminal hydrolysis region were modified resulted in an enzyme that was significantly less sensitive to proteolytic cleavage and restored the ability of cells to synthesize surfactant PtdCho after Ox-LDL treatment. Thus, these results provide a critical link between proatherogenic lipoproteins and their metabolic target, CCTalpha, resulting in impaired surfactant metabolism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

The CCT promoter directs high-level transgene expression in distal lung epithelial cell lines.

Gene therapy requires the presence of a robust and yet small promoter to drive high-level expression of desired proteins. In comparative analysis, we investigated the promoter strength of the CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase promoter (CCT alpha) with other commonly used promoters, which were all cloned into a similar background vector (PGL3 basic). Transient promoter-reporter assays in murine lung epithelial (MLE-12) cells revealed that the core CCT alpha promoter (240 bp) was observed to exhibit a 40-fold, 8-fold, and 3-fold higher level of activity compared with the simian virus 40, human cytomegalovirus, and Rous sarcoma virus promoters, respectively. The CCT alpha promoter was significantly more active than the Clara cell 10, thymidine kinase, and phosphoglycerate kinase promoters. This pattern of high-level expression for CCT alpha was detected primarily in cell lines of distal lung epithelial origin (MLE-12, RLE, H441) and was reduced in other cell lines (A549, CHO, HepG 2). CCT alpha promoter-reporter activity, CCT alpha transcript levels, and immunoreactive protein levels increased significantly in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid. The CCT alpha promoter, in a retinoic acid-inducible manner, efficiently directed expression of murine erythropoietin in MLE-12 cells. Collectively, these observations suggest that the CCT alpha construct might be useful to drive high-level, regulatable expression of heterologous proteins in alveolar epithelia.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Genetic analysis of four novel peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma splice variants in monkey macrophages.

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) is abundantly expressed in atherosclerotic lesions and is implicated in atherogenesis. The existence of three splice variants, PPAR-gamma 1, PPAR-gamma 2, and PPAR-gamma 3 has been established. Using monocyte-derived macrophages from cynomolgus monkeys, we demonstrate here the identification of two new PPAR-gamma exons, exon C and exon D, which splice together with already established exons A1, A2, and B in the 5(') terminal region to generate four novel PPAR-gamma subtypes, PPAR-gamma 4, -gamma 5, -gamma 6, and -gamma 7. PPAR-gamma 4 and gamma 5 were detected only in macrophages whereas gamma 6 and gamma 7 were expressed both in macrophages and adipose tissues. None of these novel isoforms were detected in muscle, kidney, and spleen from monkeys. We found sequences identical to exons C and D in the human genome database. These and all PPAR-gamma exons known to date are encoded by a single gene, located from region 10498 K to 10384 K on human chromosome 3. We cloned and expressed PPAR-gamma 1, PPAR-gamma 4, and PPAR-gamma 5 proteins in yeast using the expression vector pPICZB. As expected, all recombinant proteins showed a molecular weight of approximately 50 kDa. We also investigated the effect of a high-fat diet on the level of macrophage PPAR-gamma expression in monkeys. RT-PCR showed a significant increase in total PPAR-gamma and ABCA1 mRNA levels in macrophages of fat-fed monkeys (n=7) compared to those maintained on a normal diet (n=2). However, none of the novel isoforms seemed to be induced by fat-feeding. We used tetracycline-responsive expression vectors to obtain moderate expression of PPAR-gamma 4 and -gamma 5 in CHO cells. In these cells, expression of PPAR-gamma 5 but not -gamma 4 repressed the expression of ABCA1. Neither isoform modulated the expression of lipoprotein lipase. Our results suggest that individual PPAR-gamma isoforms may be responsible for unique tissue-specific biological effects and that PPAR-gamma 4 and -gamma 5 may modulate macrophage function and atherogenesis.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed2002

Investigation of the microheterogeneity and aglycone specificity-conferring residues of black cherry prunasin hydrolases.

In black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) seed homogenates, (R)-amygdalin is degraded to HCN, benzaldehyde, and glucose by the sequential action of amygdalin hydrolase (AH), prunasin hydrolase (PH), and mandelonitrile lyase. Leaves are also highly cyanogenic because they possess (R)-prunasin, PH, and mandelonitrile lyase. Taking both enzymological and molecular approaches, we demonstrate here that black cherry PH is encoded by a putative multigene family of at least five members. Their respective cDNAs (designated Ph1, Ph2, Ph3, Ph4, and Ph5) predict isoforms that share 49% to 92% amino acid identity with members of glycoside hydrolase family 1, including their catalytic asparagine-glutamate-proline and isoleucine-threonine-glutamate-asparagine-glycine motifs. Furthermore, consistent with the vacuolar/protein body location and glycoprotein character of these hydrolases, their open reading frames predict N-terminal signal sequences and multiple potential N-glycosylation sites. Genomic sequences corresponding to the open reading frames of these PHs and of the previously isolated AH1 isoform are interrupted at identical positions by 12 introns. Earlier studies established that native AH and PH display strict specificities toward their respective glucosidic substrates. Such behavior was also shown by recombinant AH1, PH2, and PH4 proteins after expression in Pichia pastoris. Three amino acid moieties that may play a role in conferring such aglycone specificities were predicted by structural modeling and comparative sequence analysis and tested by introducing single and multiple mutations into isoform AH1 by site-directed mutagenesis. The double mutant AH ID (Y200I and G394D) hydrolyzed prunasin at approximately 150% of the rate of amygdalin hydrolysis, whereas the other mutations failed to engender PH activity.

Aldehyde-Lyases↗