PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Rocchi

Publications and source records attributed to S Rocchi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A unique PPARgamma ligand with potent insulin-sensitizing yet weak adipogenic activity.

FMOC-L-Leucine (F-L-Leu) is a chemically distinct PPARgamma ligand. Two molecules of F-L-Leu bind to the ligand binding domain of a single PPARgamma molecule, making its mode of receptor interaction distinct from that of other nuclear receptor ligands. F-L-Leu induces a particular allosteric configuration of PPARgamma, resulting in differential cofactor recruitment and translating in distinct pharmacological properties. F-L-Leu activates PPARgamma with a lower potency, but a similar maximal efficacy, than rosiglitazone. The particular PPARgamma configuration induced by F-L-Leu leads to a modified pattern of target gene activation. F-L-Leu improves insulin sensitivity in normal, diet-induced glucose-intolerant, and in diabetic db/db mice, yet it has a lower adipogenic activity. These biological effects suggest that F-L-Leu is a selective PPARgamma modulator that activates some (insulin sensitization), but not all (adipogenesis), PPARgamma-signaling pathways.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed2001

Surfing the insulin signaling web.

The diverse biological actions of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) are initiated by binding of the polypeptides to their respective cell surface tyrosine kinase receptors. These activated receptors phosphorylate a series of endogenous substrates on tyrosine, amongst which the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins are the best characterized. Their phosphotyrosine-containing motifs become binding sites for Src homology 2 (SH2) domains on proteins such as SH2 domain-containing protein-tyrosine-phosphatase (SHP)-2/Syp, growth factor receptor bound-2 protein, (Grb-2), and phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase (PI3 kinase), which participate in activation of specific signaling cascades. However, the IRS molecules are not only platforms for signaling molecules, they also orchestrate the generation of signal specificity, integration of signals induced by several extracellular stimuli, and signal termination and modulation. An extensive review is beyond the scope of the present article, which will be centered on our own contribution and reflect our biases.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2000

Adrenocorticotrophic hormone stimulates phosphotyrosine phosphatase SHP2 in bovine adrenocortical cells: phosphorylation and activation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

During activation of adrenocortical cells by adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), tyrosine dephosphorylation of paxillin is stimulated and this correlates with protrusion of filopodial structures and a decreased number of focal adhesions. These effects are inhibited by Na(3)VO(4), a phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor [Vilgrain, Chinn, Gaillard, Chambaz and Feige (1998) Biochem. J. 332, 533-540]. However, the tyrosine phosphatases involved in these processes remain to be identified. In this study, we provide evidence that the Src homology domain (SH)2-containing phosphotyrosine phosphatase (SHP)2, but not SHP1, is expressed in adrenocortical cells and is phosphorylated upon ACTH challenge. ACTH (10(-8) M) treatment of (32)P-labelled adrenocortical cells resulted in an increase in phosphorylated SHP2. By probing SHP2-containing immunoprecipitates with an antibody to phosphoserine we found that SHP2 was phosphorylated on serine in ACTH-treated cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, using an in vitro kinase assay, we showed that SHP2 was a target for cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Serine was identified as the only target amino acid phosphorylated in SHP2. Phosphorylation of SHP2 by PKA resulted in a dramatic stimulation of phosphatase activity measured either with insulin receptor substrate-1 or with the synthetic peptide [(32)P]poly(Glu/Tyr) as substrate. In an in-gel assay of SHP2-containing immunoprecipitates, phosphorylated in vitro by PKA or isolated from adrenocortical cells treated with 10 nM ACTH, a pronounced activation of SHP2 activity was shown. These observations clearly support the idea that a PKA-mediated signal transduction pathway contributes to SHP2 regulation in adrenocortical cells and point to SHP2 as a possible mediator of the effects of ACTH.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed2000

Sustained recruitment of phospholipase C-gamma to Gab1 is required for HGF-induced branching tubulogenesis.

A distinctive property of Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) is its ability to induce differentiation of tubular structures from epithelial and endothelial cells (branching tubulogenesis). The HGF receptor directly activates PI3 kinase, Ras and STAT signalling pathways and phosphorylates the adaptator GRB2 Associated Binder-1 (Gab1). Gab1 is also phosphorylated in response to Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) but is unable to induce tubule formation. Comparison of 32P-peptide maps of Gab1 from EGF- versus HGF-treated cells, demonstrates that the same sites are phosphorylated in vivo. However, while both EGF and HGF induce rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1 with a peak at 15 min, the phosphorylation persists for over 1 h, only in response to HGF. Nine tyrosines are phosphorylated by both receptors. Three of them (Y307, Y373, Y407) bind phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma). Interestingly, the overexpression of a Gab1 mutant unable to bind PLC-gamma (Gab1 Y307/373/407F) did not alter HGF-stimulated cell scattering, only partially reduced the growth stimulation but completely abolished HGF-mediated tubulogenesis. It is concluded that sustained recruitment of PLCgamma to Gab1 plays an important role in branching tubulogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, the ultimate liaison between fat and transcription.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is nuclear receptor that controls the expression of a large number of genes involved in adipocyte differentiation, lipid storage and insulin sensitization. PPARgamma is bound and activated by fatty acid derivatives and prostaglandin J2. In addition, thiazolidinediones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are synthetic ligands and agonists of this receptor. This review addresses the role of PPARgamma in obesity and diabetes.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2000

Potential involvement of FRS2 in insulin signaling.

Shp-2 is implicated in several tyrosine kinase receptor signaling pathways. This phosphotyrosine phosphatase is composed of a catalytic domain in its C-terminus and two SH2 domains in its N-terminus. Shp-2 becomes activated upon binding through one or both SH2 domains to tyrosine phosphorylated molecules such as Shc or insulin receptor substrates. We were interested in finding a new molecule(s), tyrosine phosphorylated by the insulin receptor (IR), that could interact with Shp-2. To do so, we screened a human placenta complementary DNA (cDNA) library with the SH2 domain-containing part of Shp-2 using a modified yeast two-hybrid system. In this system we induce or repress the expression of a constitutive active IR beta-subunit. When expressed, IR phosphorylates proteins produced from the library that can then associate with Shp-2. Using this approach, we isolated FRS2 as a potential target for tyrosine phosphorylation by the IR. After cloning the entire cDNA, we found that 1) in the yeast two-hybrid system, FRS2 interacts with Shp-2 in a fashion dependent on the presence of the IR; and 2) in the PC12/IR cell-line, insulin leads to an increase in FRS2 association with the phosphatase. We next wanted to determine whether FRS2 could be a direct substrate for IR. In an in vitro kinase assay we found that wheat-germ agglutinin-purified IR phosphorylates glutathione-S-transferase-FRS2 fusion protein. Finally, in intact cells we show that insulin stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous FRS2. In summary, by screening a two-hybrid cDNA library, we have isolated FRS2 as a possible substrate for IR. We found that IR can directly phosphorylate FRS2. Moreover, in intact cells insulin stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of FRS2 and its subsequent association with Shp-2. Taken together these results suggest that FRS2 could participate in insulin signaling by recruiting Shp-2 and, hence, could function as a docking molecule similar to insulin receptor substrate proteins.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1999

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma: a versatile metabolic regulator.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) is a nuclear receptor that controls the expression of a large array of genes involved in adipocyte differentiation, lipid storage and insulin sensitization. PPARgamma is bound and activated by prostaglandin J2 and fatty acid derivatives, which are its natural ligands. In addition, thiazolidinediones and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are synthetic ligands and agonists of this receptor. Several studies have recently shown that this nuclear receptor has a role expanding beyond metabolism (diabetes and obesity) with functions in cell cycle control, carcinogenesis, inflammation and atherosclerosis. This review addresses the role of PPARgamma in these processes.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed1998

Determination of Gab1 (Grb2-associated binder-1) interaction with insulin receptor-signaling molecules.

The newly identified insulin receptor (IR) substrate, Gab1 [growth factor receptor bound 2 (Grb2)-associated binder-1] is rapidly phosphorylated on several tyrosine residues by the activated IR. Phosphorylated Gab1 acts as a docking protein for Src homology-2 (SH2) domain-containing proteins. These include the regulatory subunit p85 of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and phosphotyrosine phosphatase, SHP-2. In this report, using a modified version of the yeast two-hybrid system, we localized which Gab1 phospho-tyrosine residues are required for its interaction with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and with SHP-2. Our results demonstrate that to interact with p85 or SHP-2 SH2 domains, Gab1 must be tyrosine phosphorylated by IR. Further, we found that Gab1 tyrosine 472 is the major site for association with p85, while tyrosines 447 and 589 are participating in this process. Concerning Gab1/SHP-2 interaction, only mutation of tyrosine 627 prevents binding of Gab1 to SHP-2 SH2 domains, suggesting the occurrence of a monovalent binding event. Finally, we examined the role of Gab1 PH (Pleckstrin homology) domain in Gab1/IR interaction and in Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation by IR. Using the modified two-hybrid system and in vitro experiments, we found that the Gab1 PH domain is not important for IR/ Gab1 interaction and for Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation. In contrast, in intact mammalian cells, Gab1 PH domain appears to be crucial for its tyrosine phosphorylation and association with SHP-2 after insulin stimulation.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1997

Recursive autoregressive spectral maps for ocular pathology detection.

This article presents a new approach to the problem of obtaining topological maps for tissue characterization, based on spectral parameters extracted from radio frequency (RF) backscattered ultrasonic signals. The spectral parameter we deal with is the power spectral density centroid, since it is an efficient indicator of the tissue microstructure characteristics as far as the particle dimensions are concerned. The spectral analysis of RF ultrasonic echoes is performed using a recursive least-squares scheme with a variable forgetting factor, based on low-order autoregressive models. The proposed technique is particularly tailored to the differentiation of ocular pathologies; moreover, it is capable of tracking the spatial high-varying signal characteristics. The proposed approach was tested on simulated signals and on a gel suspension of calibrated latex spheres; finally, it was applied to signals scattered by in vitro eye specimens, giving satisfactory results in terms of frequency resolution and computational efficiency. The reduced computational burden allows an on-line implementation of the procedure. Topological spectral maps, combined with the conventional B-mode display, may offer a complete and integrated diagnostic tool, able to locally characterize the investigated tissue region in terms of amplitude and frequency shift of the corresponding echoes.

Eye Diseases↗
PubMed1996

Nearly real-time visualization of arbitrary two-dimensional sections from three-dimensional acquisition.

This work presents a system for the reconstruction of cross-sections with arbitrary orientations derived from three-dimensional (3D) echographic scanners. The interest for this powerful diagnostic tool has prompted us to develop a low-cost processing board that inserts easily into a stand-alone echograph. The proposed system is able to reconstruct high-resolution cross-sections at one frame per second with a time lag of about 60 s due the 3D acquisition process. The board, based on three pipelined DSP devices, has been designed to process volumetric data collected with a commercial echograph by means a rotating probe synchronized with the ECG signal. The resolution of the reconstruction algorithm implemented on the processing unit has been evaluated both with synthetic 3D data and with experimental data from a phantom.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Interaction of SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 with the insulin receptor and the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor: studies of the domains involved using the yeast two-hybrid system.

Activated insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptors transmit downstream signals via the insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1 and IRS-2) and a series of proteins containing Src homology-2 (SH2) domains, including SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP-2). In the present study, we analyzed in the yeast two-hybrid system the interaction between both receptors and SHP-2. We found that a catalytically inactive SHP-2 is able to bind to tyrosine-phosphorylated IR beta-subunit and IGF-I R beta-subunit. However, with wild-type SHP-2, we were unable to detect an interaction with these receptors, which is likely to be due to dephosphorylation of the receptors by the phosphatase. Further, our results demonstrate that tyrosine 1322 of the IR, and the corresponding tyrosine 1316 of the IGF-I R are implicated in the interaction with the SHP-2 SH2 domain. At the level of SHP-2, it would appear that both SH2 domains of SHP-2 are necessary for optimal association with either receptor. Finally, using several insulin and IGF-I receptor mutants, we found that the kinase regulatory autophosphorylation sites play an important role in the interaction of these receptors with the SHP-2 SH2 domain. These sites are also necessary for the interaction with full-length IRS-1. We conclude that 1) the IR and IGF-I R directly interact with SHP-2; 2) the C-terminus autophosphorylation of these receptors sites are involved in this process; and 3) the receptors' kinase autophosphorylation sites are necessary for the interaction with SHP-2 and also with IRS-1.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1995

Adaptive SVD-based AR model order determination for time-frequency analysis of Doppler ultrasound signals.

The short-time Fourier transform provides a picture of the spectral components temporal location in time-varying signals, but its performance is limited by the intrinsic trade-off between time and frequency resolutions. In the present study, this problem is addressed using a spectral estimator based on a combination of the autoregressive (AR) modeling technique and a new automatic model order selection method. The order estimation is achieved by means of the singular value decomposition (SVD) of an appropriate data matrix in conjunction with a new criterion (dynamic mean evaluation, DME). The latter is used to decide which singular values correspond to the signal and which to the noise subspaces, avoiding an a priori threshold definition, thus giving the variable AR model order on consecutive short-time segments. Combination of the AR high frequency resolution capabilities and the SVD plus DME robustness and simplicity make the overall method reliable in many practical applications, mainly in the analysis of time-varying signals corrupted by noise. The proposed procedure has been applied to benchmark as well as to Doppler signal analysis. Some examples are reported confirming the above-mentioned properties.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Identification by mutation of the tyrosine residues in the insulin receptor substrate-1 affecting association with the tyrosine phosphatase 2C and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.

The insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is rapidly phosphorylated on several tyrosine residues by the activated insulin receptor. Phosphorylated IRS-1 acts as a docking protein for Src homology-2 (SH2) domain-containing proteins involved in insulin signaling. These include in vivo the regulatory subunit p85 of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) and the phosphotyrosine phosphatase-2C (PTP2C). In this report, we examined which tyrosine residues of IRS-1 are required for the interactions of IRS-1 with PI3-K and PTP2C. To address this issue, we constructed different rat IRS-1 mutants containing mutations in the tyrosine residues that interact with the SH2 domains of PI3-K and PTP2C in vitro. Each of the IRS-1 mutants obtained have been transiently expressed in 293 EBNA cells to study their ability to interact with PI3-K and PTP2C in vivo. Our results demonstrate that mutation of tyrosine 608 affects the PI3-K activity associated with IRS-1, suggesting that this tyrosine is likely to be a principal site of interaction with the SH2 domains of p85 in response to insulin. Furthermore, we found that mutation of tyrosines 1172 and 1222 totally prevents the insulin-induced association of IRS-1 with the SH2 domains of PTP2C, demonstrating that both tyrosines 1172 and 1222 are key elements in the binding sites for the SH2 domains of PTP2C. Finally, we found that the ability of purified PTP2C to dephosphorylate IRS-1 is dependent on the association of PTP2C with phosphorylated IRS-1.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Non-conventional ultrasonography (power spectrum analysis) in the management of retinoblastoma.

The differential diagnosis among the diseases that may simulate retinoblastoma is supported by several techniques; however, none of them can give an undeniable answer. In the authors' opinion the tissue characterization by power spectrum analysis of the radiofrequency ultrasound data may play an important role in the backscattered signal spectrum while being sensitive to the spectral shift trend. In order to evaluate the patterns of regression of quiescence of retinoblastoma foci after conservative treatment the authors try to create a model of tissue characterization that provides information not available in conventional A & B scan ultrasonography about cell type, vascularization and necrosis.

Choroid Neoplasms↗
PubMed1982

Flexure and residual astigmatism with cellulose acetate buterate (CAB) contact lenses on toric corneas.

Thin contact lenses flex on toric corneas, thus changing the residual astigmatism. Our study evaluated the flexure and induced astigmatism of CABCURVE cellulose acetate buterate (CAB) contact lenses on toric corneas and compared the results with those found for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and Polycon lenses. Ten subjects (20 eyes) with corneal toricities ranging from 1.12 to 3.12 D wore six CABCURVE lenses with center thicknesses from 0.10 to 0.20 mm. Flexure and induced residual astigmatism were measured on all corneas with all lenses in a double-masked fashion. We found that all the CABCURVE lenses flexed on the toric corneas and altered residual astigmatism. Both flexure and induced residual astigmatism increased as center thickness decreased, and were greater than with PMMA or Polycon lenses of similar dimensions. These findings should be considered when deciding which lens type to fit on patients with toric corneas.

Adult↗