Biomedical subjects

K Chul Kim

Publications and source records attributed to K Chul Kim.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Neutrophil elastase induces IL-8 gene transcription and protein release through p38/NF-{kappa}B activation via EGFR transactivation in a lung epithelial cell line.

In this study, we investigated the regulation and mechanism of IL-8 expression by A549 human lung carcinoma cells treated with neutrophil elastase (NE). NE-treated cells exhibited significantly higher IL-8 protein levels in culture media compared with cells treated with vehicle alone. Blocking of gene transcription with actinomycin D suggested that NE stimulated IL-8 synthesis via increased mRNA expression, which was verified by real-time RT-PCR. NE activated the IL-8 promoter but did not alter the stability of its mRNA, confirming that the protease induced IL-8 synthesis through increased gene transcription. The results from the use of chemical inhibitors and mutant gene constructs against various signal transduction components seem to suggest the linear signaling pathway involving the activation of PKC-delta --> dual oxidase 1 --> reactive oxygen species --> TNF-alpha-converting enzyme --> EGF receptor --> p38 --> NF-kappaB for NE-activated IL-8 gene expression. A NF-kappaB potential binding site, located between nucleotides -82 and -69 of the IL-8 promoter, was identified as necessary for NE-induced IL-8 transcription. We conclude that NE increases IL-8 transcription through p38/NF-kappaB activation via EGFR transactivation.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2006

Cutting edge: enhanced pulmonary clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Muc1 knockout mice.

MUC1 (MUC1 in human and Muc1 in nonhumans) is a membrane-tethered mucin that interacts with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) through flagellin. In this study, we compared PA pulmonary clearance and proinflammatory responses by Muc1(-/-) mice with Muc1(+/+) littermates following intranasal instillation of PA or flagellin. Compared with Muc1(+/+) mice, Muc1(-/-) mice showed increased PA clearance, greater airway recruitment of neutrophils, higher levels of TNF-alpha and KC in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, higher levels of TNF-alpha in media of flagellin-stimulated alveolar macrophages, and higher levels of KC in media of tracheal epithelial cells. Knockdown of MUC1 enhanced flagellin-induced IL-8 production by primary human bronchial epithelial cells. Expression of MUC1 in HEK293T cells attenuated TLR5-dependent IL-8 release in response to flagellin, which was completely ablated when its cytoplasmic tail was deleted. We conclude that MUC1/Muc1 suppresses pulmonary innate immunity and speculate its anti-inflammatory activity may play an important modulatory role during microbial infection.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Neutrophil elastase stimulates MUC1 gene expression through increased Sp1 binding to the MUC1 promoter.

We previously reported MUC1 was a cell surface receptor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and binding of bacteria to cells was significantly reduced by pretreatment with neutrophil elastase (NE) (Lillehoj EP, Hyun SW, Kim BT, Zhang XG, Lee DI, Rowland S, and Kim KC. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 280: L181-L187, 2001). The current study was conducted to ascertain NE effects on MUC1 gene transcription, and MUC1 protein synthesis and degradation. A549 human lung carcinoma cells treated with NE exhibited significantly higher MUC1 protein levels in detergent lysates compared with cells treated with vehicle alone. Also, MUC1 protein shed into cell-conditioned medium was rapidly and completely degraded by NE. Actinomycin D blocked NE-stimulated increase in MUC1 protein expression, suggesting a mechanism of increased gene transcription that was confirmed by measurement of quantitatively greater MUC1 mRNA levels in NE-treated cells compared with controls. However, NE did not alter MUC1 mRNA stability, implying increased de novo transcription induced by the protease. NE increased promoter activity in A549 cells transfected with MUC1 gene promoter-luciferase reporter plasmid. This effect of NE was completely blocked by mithramycin A, an inhibitor of Sp1, as well as mutation of one of the putative Sp1 binding sites in MUC1 promoter located at -99/-90 relative to transcription initiation site. EMSA revealed NE enhanced binding of Sp1 to this 10-bp segment in a time-dependent manner. These results indicate the increase in MUC1 gene transcription by NE is mediated through increase in Sp1 binding to -99/-90 segment of MUC1 promoter.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2005

Augmentation of Fas ligand-induced apoptosis by MUC1 mucin.

Apoptosis is a physiological mechanism responsible for a wide range of cellular processes during growth, development, carcinogenesis, and inflammation. In this study, we determined whether MUC1 affects Fas ligand (FasL)-induced apoptosis using MUC1 expressing (MUC1(+)) and MUC1(-) cells. Following treatment with 50 nM FasL, apoptosis, caspase-8 activity, and cell surface Fas receptor were measured by cytosolic nucleosome ELISA, colorimetric enzyme assay, and immunofluorescence analysis, respectively. Our results showed that (i) treatment with FasL increased caspase-8 activity (maximum at 4 h) and apoptosis (maximum at 8 h) in both MUC1(+) and MUC1(-) cells, (ii) FasL-induced caspase-8 activity and apoptosis were significantly greater in MUC1(+) cells compared with MUC1(-) cells, (iii) FasL treatment increased cell surface expression of Fas receptor in MUC1(+) cells to a greater extent compared with MUC1(-) cells, (iv) increased cell surface expression of Fas in MUC1(+) cells was not blocked by an inhibitor of protein synthesis (cycloheximide), but was completely abrogated by brefeldin A, an inhibitor of post-translational protein trafficking to the cell surface, and (v) brefeldin A inhibited the increased sensitivity of MUC1(+) cells to FasL-induced apoptosis. We conclude that MUC1(+) cells were more sensitive to FasL-induced apoptosis compared with MUC1(-) cells due to up-regulation of Fas receptor on the cell surface by a mechanism involving increased intracellular trafficking.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Effects of dexamethasone on Muc5ac mucin production by primary airway goblet cells.

Mucus hypersecretion associated with airway inflammation is reduced by glucocorticoids. Two mechanisms of glucocorticoid-mediated inhibition of mucus production have been proposed, direct inhibition of mucus production by airway epithelial cells and indirectly through inhibition of proinflammatory mediators that stimulate mucus production. In this study, we examined the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on mRNA expression and synthesis of MUC5AC by A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells as well as Muc5ac and total high-molecular-weight (HMW) mucins by primary rat tracheal surface epithelial (RTSE) cells. Our results showed that in primary RTSE cells, DEX 1) dose dependently suppressed Muc5ac mRNA levels, but the levels of cellular Muc5ac protein and HMW mucins were unaffected; 2) did not affect constitutive or UTP-stimulated mucin secretion; 3) enhanced the translation of Muc5ac; and 4) increased the stability of intracellular Muc5ac protein by a mechanism other than the inhibition of the proteasomal degradation. In A549 cells, however, DEX suppressed both MUC5AC mRNA levels and MUC5AC protein secretion in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that whereas DEX inhibits the levels of Muc5ac mRNA in primary RTSE cells, the levels of Muc5ac protein remain unchanged as a consequence of increases in both translation and protein stability. Interestingly, some of the effects of DEX were opposite in a cell line.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

MUC1 tyrosine phosphorylation activates the extracellular signal-regulated kinase.

MUC1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on the apical surface of epithelial cells and exhibiting structural features characteristic of receptors for cytokines and growth factors. Its intracellular cytoplasmic tail (CT) contains multiple amino acid sequence motifs that, once phosphorylated, serve as docking sites for SH2 domain-containing proteins mediating signal transduction. Most studies examining MUC1 signaling have focused on cancer cells where MUC1 is overexpressed, aberrantly glycosylated, and constitutively phosphorylated. No studies have determined the signaling pathways activated in response to stimulation of its ectodomain. To better understand the signaling mechanisms of MUC1, we stably transfected HEK293 cells with an expression plasmid encoding a chimeric protein consisting of the extracellular and transmembrane domains of CD8 and the MUC1 CT (CD8/MUC1). Extracellular treatment of HEK293-CD8/MUC1 cells with CD8 antibody induced intracellular Tyr phosphorylation of the MUC1 CT and activated ERK1/2, but not the p38, SAPK/JNK, or ERK5 MAP kinases. Moreover, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was completely blocked using a CT deletion mutant or a mutant construct in which all Tyr residues in the CT were changed to Phe. These results establish that Tyr phosphorylation of the MUC1 CT is required for activation of a downstream ERK1/2 pathway.

Antibodies↗

PubMed2004

Pseudomonas aeruginosa stimulates phosphorylation of the airway epithelial membrane glycoprotein Muc1 and activates MAP kinase.

We reported previously that Muc1 on the surface of epithelial cells was a receptor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Lillehoj EP, Kim BT, and Kim KC. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 282: L751-L756, 2002). Other studies showed that the Muc1 cytoplasmic tail (CT) contains multiple phosphorylation sites, some of which are phosphorylated constitutively and associated with signaling proteins. However, the relationship between extracellular P. aeruginosa binding and intracellular signaling is unknown. To investigate the signaling mechanism of Muc1, this study examined phosphorylation of its CT and activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in response to stimulation by P. aeruginosa or purified flagellin. Our results showed 1) the Muc1 CT was phosphorylated constitutively on serine and tyrosine, 2) serine phosphorylation was stimulated by bacterial cells or flagellin, and 3) binding of P. aeruginosa or flagellin to Muc1 induced phosphorylation of ERK. These results are the first to demonstrate Muc1 CT phosphorylation and ERK activation in response to a clinically important airway pathogen.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Identification of four sites of stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation in the MUC1 cytoplasmic tail.

MUC1 is an integral membrane protein expressed on the apical surface of epithelial cells where it acts as a signaling receptor. Its cytoplasmic tail (CT) contains seven, highly conserved tyrosine residues, some of which are constitutively phosphorylated and serve as recognition sites for SH2 domain proteins involved in intracellular signal transduction. However, no studies have determined which MUC1 tyrosines are phosphorylated or which signaling pathways are activated in response to stimulation of its ectodomain. In this report, we used our previously characterized CD8/MUC1 chimeric protein that is tyrosine phosphorylated on the MUC1 CT in response to extracellular treatment with CD8 antibody and performed site-directed mutagenesis of all seven tyrosines, both individually and in multiple combinations, to identify the particular sites of stimulated phosphorylation. We observed four phosphorylation sites, three present in sequence motifs with known signaling potential (Y(20), Y(46), and Y(60)) and one previously uncharacterized (Y(29)). These results are discussed in the context of the role of MUC1 in signal transduction.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Mutagenesis of a Gly-Ser cleavage site in MUC1 inhibits ectodomain shedding.

MUC1 mucin is a type 1 transmembrane glycoprotein dimer of extracellular and membrane-bound subunits. The two non-covalently associated subunits are produced from a single polypeptide chain by proteolysis at a Gly-Ser peptide bond in the endoplasmic reticulum prior to localization on the cell surface. However, once expressed on the surface, the extracellular subunit is shed from cells in the absence of the membrane-associated subunit. Previous studies implicated a cellular metalloproteinase mediating MUC1 ectodomain shedding, but no reports have delineated the site of metalloproteinase cleavage or directly assessed the role of the Gly-Ser bond in shedding. Therefore, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of the Gly-Ser site and determined the effects on MUC1 proteolysis and shedding. Ser-->Ala substitution blocked MUC1 cleavage and inhibited shedding. Equal amounts of wild type and mutant MUC1 were expressed on the cell surface, indicating that lack of shedding of the mutant molecule was not due to reduced surface localization. We conclude that the Gly-Ser peptide bond is required for MUC1 shedding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Transcriptional regulation of the hamster Muc1 gene: identification of a putative negative regulatory element.

The mucin gene Muc1 is expressed in glandular epithelial cells and is involved in lubricative and protective functions. It is also overexpressed in many carcinomas including breast and lung cancer cells. To study the transcriptional regulation of Muc1, we cloned a 2.4-kb fragment containing the promoter region of the hamster Muc1 gene and analyzed it for its ability to mediate transcription. Transcriptional initiation was localized to 22 base pairs downstream of the TATA box. We performed functional analysis of the Muc1 promoter in hamster (HP-1 and Chinese hamster ovary) and human cells (MCF-7, A549, and BEAS-2B) using deletion/reporter constructs. A positive regulatory region between bases -555 and -252 and a putative negative regulatory element (P-NRE) between nucleotides -1,652 and -1,614 were found to be active in transfected cells. The P-NRE contains a yin yang 1 (YY1) transcription factor binding site, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays with HP-1 cell nuclear extract revealed the binding of YY1 to this site. Our data suggest that YY1 may play an inhibitory role in the transcription of the Muc1 gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Airway mucus: its components and function.

The airway surface liquid (ASL), often referred to as mucus, is a thin layer of fluid covering the luminal surface of the airway. The major function of mucus is to protect the lung through mucociliary clearance against foreign particles and chemicals entering the lung. The mucus is comprised of water, ions, and various kinds of macromolecules some of which possess the protective functions such as anti-microbial, anti-protease, and anti-oxidant activity. Mucus glycoproteins or mucins are mainly responsible for the viscoelastic property of mucus, which is crucial for the effective mucociliary clearance. There are at least eight mucin genes identified in the human airways, which will potentially generate various kinds of mucin molecules. At present, neither the exact structures of mucin proteins nor their regulation are understood although it seems likely that different types of mucins are involved in different functions and might also be associated with certain airway diseases. The fact that mucins are tightly associated with various macromolecules present in ASL seems to suggest that the defensive role of ASL is determined not only by these individual components but rather by a combination of these components. Collectively, mucins in ASL may be compared to aircraft carriers carrying various types of weapons in defense of airbome enemies.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa flagellin as an adhesin for Muc1 mucin.

We reported previously that Muc1 mucin on the epithelial cell surface is an adhesion site for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Lillehoj EP, Hyun SW, Kim BT, Zhang XG, Lee DI, Rowland S, and Kim KC. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 280: L181-L187, 2001). The present study was designed to identify the adhesin(s) responsible for bacterial binding to Muc1 mucin using genetic and biochemical approaches. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably transfected with a Muc1 cDNA (CHO-Muc1) or empty plasmid (CHO-X) were compared for adhesion of P. aeruginosa strain PAK. Our results showed that 1) wild-type PAK and isogenic mutant strains lacking pili (PAK/NP) or flagella cap protein (PAK/fliD) demonstrated significantly increased binding to CHO-Muc1 cells, whereas flagellin-deficient (PAK/fliC) bacteria were no more adherent to CHO-Muc1 than CHO-X cells, and 2) P. aeruginosa adhesion was blocked by pretreatment of bacteria with antibody to flagellin or pretreatment of CHO-Muc1 cells with purified flagellin. We conclude that flagellin is an adhesin of P. aeruginosa responsible for its binding to Muc1 mucin on the epithelial cell surface.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

YY1 transcription factor is not responsible for the negative regulation of hamster Muc1 transcription.

Muc1 is the cell surface glycoprotein abundantly expressed in cancer cells and has been shown to be involved in tumor metastasis and promotion. Recently, we identified a 37 bp segment on the hamster Muc1 promoter with the ability to suppress Muc1 transcription. This 37 bp putative negative regulatory element (NRE) binds to a transcriptional regulator Yin Yang 1 (YY1). In the present study, we examined whether binding of YY1 is responsible for the negative regulatory effect by the 37 bp segment using a hamster pancreatic cancer cell line, HP-1 cells, transfected with various expression plasmid constructs. Our results showed that: (1) overexpression of YY1 up-regulated the transcriptional activity of the full-length hamster Muc1 promoter in a dose-dependent manner; (2) the mutation of the YY1 binding site did not affect either the basal transcriptional activity or the increased transcriptional activity by YY1; and (3) even the deletion of the 37 bp NRE segment could not abrogate the increased transcriptional activity by YY1. We conclude that the NRE acts in a YY1-independent manner and that YY1 instead enhances Muc1 transcriptional activity. Further study of the precise mechanism by which YY1 augments Muc1 gene expression should be worthwhile.

Animals↗