Biomedical subjects

Jiuru Sun

Publications and source records attributed to Jiuru Sun.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

The major human and mouse granzymes are structurally and functionally divergent.

Approximately 2% of mammalian genes encode proteases. Comparative genomics reveals that those involved in immunity and reproduction show the most interspecies diversity and evidence of positive selection during evolution. This is particularly true of granzymes, the cytotoxic proteases of natural killer cells and CD8+ T cells. There are 5 granzyme genes in humans and 10 in mice, and it is suggested that granzymes evolve to meet species-specific immune challenge through gene duplication and more subtle alterations to substrate specificity. We show that mouse and human granzyme B have distinct structural and functional characteristics. Specifically, mouse granzyme B is 30 times less cytotoxic than human granzyme B and does not require Bid for killing but regains cytotoxicity on engineering of its active site cleft. We also show that mouse granzyme A is considerably more cytotoxic than human granzyme A. These results demonstrate that even "orthologous" granzymes have species-specific functions, having evolved in distinct environments that pose different challenges.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Extracellular matrix remodeling by human granzyme B via cleavage of vitronectin, fibronectin, and laminin.

Human granzyme B (GrB) released from cytotoxic lymphocytes plays a key role in the induction of target cell apoptosis when internalized in the presence of perforin. Here we demonstrate that GrB also possesses a potent extracellular matrix remodeling activity. Both native and recombinant GrB caused detachment of immortalized and transformed cell lines, primary endothelial cells, and chondrocytes. Cell detachment by GrB induced endothelial cell death (anoikis). GrB also inhibited tumor cell spreading, migration, and invasion in vitro. Investigation into the underlying mechanism revealed that GrB efficiently cleaves three proteins involved in extracellular matrix structure and function: vitronectin, fibronectin, and laminin. In vitronectin, GrB cleaves after an Arg-Lys-Asp (RGD) motif, which is part of the integrin-binding site found in matrix proteins. We propose that targeting of the integrin-extracellular matrix interface by GrB may allow perforin-independent killing of target cells via anoikis, restrict motility of tumor cells, facilitate lymphocyte migration, or directly reduce virus infectivity. It may also contribute to tissue destruction in diseases in which extracellular GrB is evident, such as rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis.

Arteriosclerosis↗

PubMed2005

Cationic sites on granzyme B contribute to cytotoxicity by promoting its uptake into target cells.

Granzyme B (GrB) is a key effector of cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated cell death. It is delivered to target cells bound to the proteoglycan serglycin, but how it crosses the plasma membrane and accesses substrates in the cytoplasm is poorly understood. Here we identify two cationic sequences on GrB that facilitate its binding and uptake. Mutation of cationic sequence 1 (cs1) prevents accumulation of GrB in a distinctive intracellular compartment and reduces cytotoxicity 20-fold. Mutation of cs2 reduces accumulation in this intracellular compartment and cytotoxicity two- to threefold. We also show that GrB-mediated cytotoxicity is abrogated by heparin and that target cells deficient in cell surface sulfate or glycosaminoglycans resist GrB. However, heparin does not completely prevent GrB internalization and chondroitin 4-sulfate does not inhibit cytotoxicity, suggesting that glycosaminoglycans are not essential GrB receptors. We propose that GrB enters cells by nonselective adsorptive pinocytosis, exchanging from chondroitin sulfate on serglycin to anionic components of the cell surface. In this electrostatic "exchange-adsorption" model, cs1 and cs2 participate in binding of GrB to the cell surface, thereby promoting its uptake and eventual release into the cytoplasm.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Granzyme B encoded by the commonly occurring human RAH allele retains pro-apoptotic activity.

A key function of human granzyme B (GrB) is to induce apoptosis of target cells in conjunction with perforin. The RAH allele is the first documented variant of the human GrB gene, occurs at a frequency of 25-30%, and encodes three amino acid substitutions (Q48R, P88A, and Y245H). It was initially reported that RAH GrB is incapable of inducing apoptosis, but here we show that it has essentially identical proteolytic and cytotoxic properties to wild type GrB. Recombinant RAH and wild type GrB cleave peptide substrates with similar kinetics, are both capable of cleaving Bid and procaspase 3, and are equally inhibited by proteinase inhibitor 9, an endogenous regulator of GrB. Furthermore, cytotoxic lymphocytes from RAH heterozygotes and homozygotes have no defect in target cell killing, and in vitro RAH GrB and wild type GrB kill cells equally well in the presence of perforin. We conclude that the RAH allele represents a neutral polymorphism in the GrB gene.

Alleles↗

PubMed2004

The human serpin proteinase inhibitor-9 self-associates at physiological temperatures.

The metastable serpin architecture is perturbed by extremes of temperature, pH, or changes in primary sequence resulting in the formation of inactive, polymeric conformations. Polymerization of a number of human serpins in vivo leads to diseases such as emphysema, thrombosis, and dementia, and in these cases mutations are present within the gene encoding the aggregating protein. Here we show that aggregation of the human serpin, proteinase inhibitor-9 (PI-9), occurs under physiological conditions, and forms aggregates that are morphologically distinct from previously characterized serpin polymers. Incubation of monomeric PI-9 at 37 degrees C leads to the rapid formation of aggregated PI-9. Using a variety of spectroscopic methods we analyzed the nature of the structures formed after incubation at 37 degrees C. Electron microscopy showed that PI-9 forms ordered circular and elongated-type aggregates, which also bind the fluorescent dye Thioflavin T. Our data show that in vitro wild-type PI-9 forms aggregates at physiological temperatures. The biological implications of PI-9 aggregates at physiological temperatures are discussed.

Benzothiazoles↗

PubMed2003

Hurpin is a selective inhibitor of lysosomal cathepsin L and protects keratinocytes from ultraviolet-induced apoptosis.

Hurpin (headpin/PI13/serpinB13) is an intracellular, differentially spliced member of the serpin superfamily that has been linked to differentiation and apoptosis of human keratinocytes. It is transiently downregulated by UV light and overexpressed in psoriatic skin lesions. Although it has all of the features of an inhibitory serpin, a productive interaction between hurpin and a proteinase has not yet been reported. Here we demonstrate that hurpin is a potent and selective inhibitor of the archetypal lysosomal cysteine proteinase cathepsin L (catL). Recombinant hurpin inhibits human catL with a stoichiometry of inhibition (SI) of 1.7 and a rate constant k(assoc) of (4.6 +/- 0.14) x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1). It inefficiently inhibits catV and does not inhibit papain, catB, or catK. To investigate the inhibitory mechanism, we determined the P1-P1' bond in the reactive center loop cleaved by catL ((356)Thr-(357)Ser) and expressed variants in which the proximal hinge, P1 residue, or differentially spliced CD loop was mutated. The results of assays using these proteins suggest that inhibition of catL by hurpin occurs via the conventional serpin inhibitory mechanism and that the CD loop plays no role in the process. Finally, it was found that the majority of hurpin is cytosolic and that its overexpression in human keratinocytes confers resistance to UV-induced apoptosis. Given that lysosomal disruption, release of catL, and catL-mediated caspase activation are known to occur in response to cellular stress, we propose that a physiological role of hurpin is to protect epithelial cells from ectopic catL.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

A retained selection cassette increases reporter gene expression without affecting tissue distribution in SPI3 knockout/GFP knock-in mice.

The human serpin, proteinase inhibitor 6 (PI-6/SERPINB6), is a protease inhibitor expressed in many tissues. It inhibits a large number of proteases, including cathepsin G in granulocytes and monocytes. To determine the temporal and spatial distribution of PI-6, mice were generated in which exon 2 of the PI-6 ortholog SPI3 (Serpinb6) was replaced with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene. This placed GFP under the control of the regulatory elements and initiation codon of the SPI3 gene. The neomycin selection cassette was flanked by loxP sites to allow excision from the targeted allele. GFP expression in heterozygous and SPI3-deficient mice accurately reflected the tissue distribution of SPI3 in all organs tested and allowed precise comparisons of expression levels. Interestingly, retention of the neomycin cassette in targeted mice resulted in 2-10-fold increases of GFP in leukocytes, but without affecting tissue-specific expression patterns. This is the first example of selection cassette retention specifically increasing reporter gene expression in targeted mice and reinforces the view that selection cassettes must be removed to avoid confounding effects on reporter gene expression patterns.

Animals↗