Biomedical subjects

Tiansheng Shen

Publications and source records attributed to Tiansheng Shen.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Regulation of the nuclear export of the transcription factor NFATc1 by protein kinases after slow fibre type electrical stimulation of adult mouse skeletal muscle fibres.

The transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c1 has been shown to be involved in turning on slow skeletal muscle fibre gene expression. Previous studies from our laboratory have characterized the stimulation pattern-dependent nuclear import and resting shuttling of NFATc1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) in flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle fibres from adult mouse. In this study, we use viral expression of the transcription factor NFATc1-GFP fusion protein to investigate the mechanisms underlying the nuclear export of the NFATc1-GFP that accumulated in the nuclei of cultured dissociated adult mouse FDB muscle fibres during slow-twitch fibre type electrical stimulation. In these studies, we found that inhibition of either glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) or casein kinase 1 or 2 (CK1/2) markedly slowed the decay of nuclear NFATc1-GFP after cessation of muscle fibre electrical stimulation, whereas inhibition of casein kinase 1delta, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase and protein kinase A had little effect. Simultaneous inhibition of GSK3beta and CK1/2 completely blocked the nuclear export of NFATc1-GFP after muscle activity. We also developed a simplified model of NFATc1 phosphorylation/dephosphorylation and nuclear fluxes, and used this model to simulate the observed time courses of nuclear NFATc1-GFP with and without NFATc1 kinase inhibition. Our results suggest that GSK3beta and CK1/2 are the major protein kinases that contribute to the removal of NFATc1 that accumulates in muscle fibre nuclei during muscle activity, and that GSK3beta and CK1/2 are responsible for phosphorylating NFATc1 in muscle nuclei in a complementary or synergistic fashion.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2006

Parallel mechanisms for resting nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling and activity dependent translocation provide dual control of transcriptional regulators HDAC and NFAT in skeletal muscle fiber type plasticity.

Skeletal muscle fibers exhibit plasticity of their physiological and biochemical properties in response to the firing pattern from the innervating motor neuron. In particular, the gene expression pattern generally characteristic of a slow twitch fiber can be induced in a fast twitch fiber by chronic slow fiber type electrical stimulation. We have studied the nucleo-cytoplasmic distribution of two transcriptional regulators of slow fiber type genes, HDAC4 and NFATc1, both in response to slow fiber type stimulation and in resting conditions using cultured fast twitch skeletal muscle fibers. HDAC4 is present in both cytoplasm and nuclei of resting fibers, and moves out of the nuclei in response to slow fiber type stimulation. The stimulation-dependent nuclear efflux of HDAC4 requires activation of nuclear CaMKII, which phosphorylates nuclear HDAC4 and thus allows its exit of the nucleus. In unstimulated resting fibers, a balance of nuclear efflux and influx of HDAC4 establishes the resting level of nuclear HDAC4. However, the nuclear efflux of HDAC4 in resting fibers does not involve CaMKII. Slow fiber type stimulation also causes NFATc1 translocation from the cytoplasm into muscle fiber nuclei following dephosphorylation by calcineurin (CaN) activated by the elevated cytosolic Ca2+ accompanying fiber stimulation. In resting fibers, NFATc1 exhibits balanced shuttling between cytoplasm and nucleus, but during this shuttling NFATc1 influx does not require CaN and NFATc1 efflux does not require the kinases involved in removing nuclear NFATc1 following prior activity. Thus different enzymes are responsible for HDAC4 nuclear efflux in resting and active fibers, and different pathways mediate NFATc1 nuclear influx and efflux in resting and active fibers. Such dual mechanisms for resting shuttling and active movements provide the potential for the resting level and the rate of translocation during fiber stimulation to be controlled independently for both of the transcriptional regulators HDAC4 and NFATc1.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Activity- and calcineurin-independent nuclear shuttling of NFATc1, but not NFATc3, in adult skeletal muscle fibers.

The transcription factor NFATc1 may be involved in slow skeletal muscle gene expression. NFATc1 translocates from cytoplasm to nuclei during slow fiber type electrical stimulation of skeletal muscle fibers because of activation of the Ca(2+)-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, resulting in nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) dephosphorylation and consequent exposure of its nuclear localization signal. Here, we find that unstimulated adult skeletal muscle fibers exhibit a previously unanticipated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of NFATc1 without appreciable nuclear accumulation. In resting fibers, the nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B caused nuclear accumulation of NFATc1 (but not of isoform NFATc3) and formation of NFATc1 intranuclear bodies independent of calcineurin. The rate of nuclear uptake of NFATc1 was 4.6 times lower in resting fibers exposed to leptomycin B than during electrical stimulation. Inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase and protein kinase A or of casein kinase 1 slowed the decay of nuclear NFATc1 after electrical stimulation, but they did not cause NFATc1 nuclear uptake in unstimulated fibers. We propose that two nuclear translocation pathways, one pathway mediated by calcineurin activation and NFAT dephosphorylation and the other pathway independent of calcineurin and possibly independent of NFAT dephosphorylation, determine the distribution of NFATc1 between cytoplasm and nuclei in adult skeletal muscle.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Signaling pathways in activity-dependent fiber type plasticity in adult skeletal muscle.

Adult fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibers exhibit characteristic differences in functional properties due to differences in the isoforms and quantities of expression of most muscle proteins. However, these differences may be reversed by chronic electrical stimulation of denervated muscle with the pattern typical of the other fiber type. Here, we review three possible signaling pathways that may contribute to fast to slow fiber type transformation. The first pathway involves cytosolic activation of the Ca(2+) sensitive posphatase calcineurin (CaN) due to elevated cytosolic [Ca(2+)], resulting in dephosphorylation of cytoplasmic NFATc, translocation of dephosphorylated NFATc from cytoplasm into the nucleus and activation of slow fiber gene expression by NFATc in the nucleus. The second pathway involves elevated intranuclear [Ca(2+)] causing the activation of nuclear calmodulin dependent protein kinase, which phosphorylates HDAC within the nucleus and thereby permits nuclear efflux of HDAC, thus decreasing the HDAC suppression of MEF2 activation of slow fiber gene expression. The third possible pathway involves nuclear entry of CaN, dephosphorylation of intranuclear MEF2 and consequent increased activation of slow fiber type gene expression by dephosphorylated MEF2. Evidence for the first two pathways from our studies on adult fast twitch skeletal muscle fibers is briefly reviewed.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Expression, physiological action, and coexpression patterns of neuropeptide Y in rat taste-bud cells.

Recent studies have suggested that neuropeptides could play previously unrecognized functional roles in peripheral gustation. To date, two peptides, cholecystokinin and vasoactive intestinal peptide, have been localized to subsets of taste-bud (TB) cells (TBC) and one, cholecystokinin, has been demonstrated to produce excitatory physiological actions. This study extends our knowledge of neuropeptides in TBC in three significant ways. First, using techniques of immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR, evidence is presented for the expression of a third peptide, neuropeptide Y (NPY). Like other peptide expression patterns, NPY expression is circumscribed to a subset of cells within the taste bud. Second, using physiological studies, we demonstrate that NPY specifically enhances an inwardly rectifying potassium current via NPY-Y1 receptors. This action is antagonistic to the previously demonstrated inhibitory effect exerted by cholecystokinin on the same current, thus providing important clues to their signaling roles in the TB. Third, using the technique of double-labeled fluorescent immunocytochemistry, the relationship of three subsets of neuropeptide-expressing TB cells to one another was examined. Remarkably, NPY expressions, although fewer in number than either the cholecystokinin or vasoactive intestinal peptide subsets, overlapped 100% with either peptide. Collectively, these three observations transform previously suggestive roles of neuromodulation by peptides in TB cells to more concrete signaling pathways. The extensive colocalization of these peptides suggests they may be subject to similar presynaptic influences of release yet have antagonistic postsynaptic actions. The convergence or divergence of these postsynaptic actions awaits further investigation.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Cellular uptake and intracellular levels of the bcl-2 antisense g3139 in cultured cells and treated patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

PURPOSE: Down-regulation of Bcl-2 by the antisense G3139, currently under clinical evaluations, could restore chemosensitivity in otherwise resistant malignant cells. To date, the mechanism of intracellular accumulation of G3139 following in vivo administration remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to assess whether detectable intracellular concentrations of G3139 are achievable in vivo and how these relate to Bcl-2 down-regulation. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Cellular uptake of G3139 was studied in leukemia myeloid cell lines and blasts collected from treated patients using a newly developed, novel, and highly sensitive ELISA-based assay. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR was used to quantify Bcl-2 mRNA changes in treated cells. RESULTS: The assay was fully validated and showed a limit of quantification of 50 pmol/L. When exposed to 0.33 to 10 mumol/L G3139, K562 cells exhibited intracellular concentrations in the range of 2.1 to 11.4 pmol/mg protein. When G3139 was delivered with cationic lipids, a 10- to 25-fold increase of the intracellular concentrations was observed. There was an accumulation of G3139 in the nuclei, and the ratio of nucleus to cytoplasm was increased 7-fold by cationic lipids. Intracellular concentrations of G3139 were correlated with Bcl-2 mRNA down-regulation. Robust intracellular concentrations of G3139 were achieved in vivo in bone marrow (range, 3.4-40.6 pmol/mg protein) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (range, 0.47-19.4 pmol/mg protein) from acute myeloid leukemia patients treated with G3139. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first evidence that measurable intracellular levels of G3139 are achievable in vivo in acute myeloid leukemia patients and that Bcl-2 down-regulation is likely to depend on the achievable intracellular concentrations rather than on plasma concentrations.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2005

Interplay of RUNX1/MTG8 and DNA methyltransferase 1 in acute myeloid leukemia.

The translocation t(8;21)(q22;q22) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) results in the expression of the fusion protein RUNX1/MTG8, which in turn recruits histone deacetylases (HDAC) to silence RUNX1 target genes [e.g., interleukin-3 (IL-3)]. We previously reported that expression of the RUNX1/MTG8 target gene IL-3 is synergistically restored by the combination of inhibitors of HDACs (i.e., depsipeptide) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMT; i.e., decitabine) in RUNX1/MTG8-positive Kasumi-1 cells. Thus, we hypothesized that DNMT1 is also part of the transcriptional repressor complex recruited by RUNX1/MTG8. By a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we identified a RUNX1/MTG8-DNMT1 complex on the IL-3 promoter in Kasumi-1 cells and in primary RUNX1/MTG8-positive AML blasts. The physical association of RUNX1/MTG8 with DNMT1 was shown by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. Furthermore, RUNX1/MTG8 and DNMT1 were concurrently released from the IL-3 promoter by exposure to depsipeptide or stabilized on the promoter by decitabine treatment. Finally, we proved that RUNX1/MTG8 and DNMT1 were functionally interrelated by showing an enhanced repression of IL-3 after coexpression in 293T cells. These results suggest a novel mechanism for gene silencing mediated by RUNX1/MTG8 and support the combination of HDAC and DNMT inhibitors as a novel therapeutic approach for t(8;21) AML.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2004

A paracrine signaling role for serotonin in rat taste buds: expression and localization of serotonin receptor subtypes.

Recent advances in peripheral taste physiology now suggest that the classic linear view of information processing within the taste bud is inadequate and that paracrine processing, although undemonstrated, may be an essential feature of peripheral gustatory transduction. Taste receptor cells (TRCs) express multiple neurotransmitters of unknown function that could potentially participate in a paracrine role. Serotonin is expressed in a subset of TRCs with afferent synapses; additionally, TRCs respond physiologically to serotonin. This study explored the expression and cellular localization of serotonin receptor subtypes in TRCs as a possible route of paracrine communication. RT-PCR was performed on RNA extracted from rat posterior taste buds with 14 prime sets representing 5-HT(1) through 5-HT(7) receptor subtype families. Data suggest that 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(3) receptors are expressed in taste buds. Immunocytochemistry with a 5-HT(1A)-specific antibody demonstrated that subsets of TRCs were immunopositive for 5-HT(1A). With the use of double-labeling, serotonin- and 5-HT(1A)-immunopositive cells were observed exclusively in nonoverlapping populations. On the other hand, 5-HT(3)-immunopositive taste receptor cells were not observed. This observation, combined with other data, suggests 5-HT(3) is expressed in postsynaptic neural elements within the bud. We hypothesize that 5-HT release from TRCs activates postsynaptic 5-HT(3) receptors on afferent nerve fibers and, via a paracrine route, inhibits neighboring TRCs via 5-HT(1A) receptors. The ole of the 5-HT(1A)-expressing TRC within the taste bud remains to be explored.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Characterization of leukemia-associated Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (LARG) expression during murine development.

LARG (leukemia-associated Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor, ARHGEF12) was originally identified as a fusion partner of the MLL gene at 11q23 in human acute myeloid leukemia. We have previously demonstrated that the LARG protein activates RhoA, a member of the Rho family of small GTPases, by catalyzing the exchange of GTP for GDP. Experiments in Drosophila melanogaster have implicated RhoA and its regulators in a spectrum of developmental processes-including gastrulation, neurite outgrowth, and epidermal morphogenesis; however, the role of these genes during mammalian development is incompletely understood. Herein, we investigate the expression of the murine LARG homologue during embryogenesis and in adult animals, by a combination of mRNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical detection of the LARG protein. We observe that LARG transcript and protein are undetectable prior to embryonic day 14. Beginning at this stage, LARG is expressed in the skin, intestinal epithelium, and smooth muscle layers of the intestine, bronchi, and vasculature. This specific distribution is maintained at later stages of development and into adulthood. Finally, we demonstrate colocalization of the LARG protein with the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) receptor, suggesting a potential physiologic role for LARG as an activator of RhoA in response to IGF-1.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Depsipeptide (FR901228) induces histone acetylation and inhibition of histone deacetylase in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells concurrent with activation of caspase 8-mediated apoptosis and down-regulation of c-FLIP protein.

Depsipeptide is in clinical trials for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) on the basis of earlier observations demonstrating selective in vitro activity in CLL. We sought to determine the relationship of histone H3 and H4 acetylation, inhibition of histone deacetylase, and apoptosis observed in CLL cells to justify a pharmacodynamic end point in these clinical trials. We demonstrate that in vitro depsipeptide induces histone H3 and H4 acetylation and histone deacetylase enzyme inhibition at concentrations corresponding to the LC50 (concentration producing 50% cell death) for cultured CLL cells (0.038 microM depsipeptide). The changes in histone acetylation are lysine specific, involving H4 K5, H4 K12, and H3 K9, and to a lesser extent H4 K8, but not H4 K16 or H3 K14. Depsipeptide-induced apoptosis is caspase dependent, selectively involving the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor (extrinsic pathway) initiating caspase 8 and effector caspase 3. Activation of caspase 8 was accompanied by the down-regulation of cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP, I-FLICE) without evidence of Fas (CD95) up-regulation. Changes in other apoptotic proteins, including Bcl-2, Bax, Mcl-1, and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), were not observed. Our results demonstrate a relationship between target enzyme inhibition of histone deacetylase, histone H3 and H4 acetylation, and apoptosis involving the TNF-receptor pathway of apoptosis that is not used by other therapeutic agents in CLL. These data suggest use of histone H3 and H4 acetylation, inhibition of histone deacetylase, and down-regulation of FLIP as pharmacodynamic end points for further evaluation of this drug in patients.

Acetylation↗

PubMed2002

Expression and physiological actions of cholecystokinin in rat taste receptor cells.

Gustatory perception arises not only from intracellular transduction cascades within taste receptor cells but also from cell-to-cell communication among the cells of the taste bud. This study presents novel data demonstrating that the brain-gut peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) is expressed in subsets of taste receptor cells, and that it may play a signaling role unknown previously within the taste bud. Immunocytochemistry revealed positively stained subsets of cells within taste buds throughout the oral cavity. These cells typically displayed round nuclei with full processes, similar to those classified as light cells. Peptide expression was verified using nested PCR on template cDNA derived from mRNA extracted from isolated posterior taste buds. Multiple physiological actions of cholecystokinin on taste receptor cells were observed. An outward potassium current, recorded with the patch-clamp technique, was inhibited by exogenous application of sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide in a reversible and concentration-dependent manner. Pharmacological analysis suggests that this inhibition is mediated by CCK-A receptors and involves PKC phosphorylation. An inwardly rectifying potassium current, typically invariant to stimulation, was also inhibited by cholecystokinin. Additionally, exogenous cholecystokinin was effective in elevating intracellular calcium as measured by ratiometric techniques with the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2. Pharmacology similarly demonstrated that these calcium elevations were mediated by CCK-A receptors and were dependent on intracellular calcium stores. Collectively, these observations suggest a newly discovered role for peptide neuromodulation in the peripheral processing of taste information.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Adrenergic signalling between rat taste receptor cells.

In taste buds, synaptic transmission is traditionally thought to occur from taste receptor cells to the afferent nerve. This communication reports the novel observation that taste receptor cells respond to adrenergic stimulation. Noradrenaline application inhibited outward potassium currents in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition was mimicked by the beta agonist isoproterenol and blocked by the beta antagonist propranolol. The alpha agonists clonidine and phenylephrine both inhibited the potassium currents and elevated intracellular calcium levels. Inwardly rectifying potassium currents were unaffected by adrenergic stimulation. Experiments using the RT-PCR technique demonstrate that lingual epithelium expresses multiple alpha (alpha1a, alpha1b, alpha1c, alpha1d, alpha2a, alpha2b, alpha2c) and beta (beta1, beta2) subtypes of adrenergic receptors, and immunocytochemistry localized noradrenaline to a subset of taste receptor cells. Collectively, these data imply strongly that adrenergic transmission within the taste bud may play a paracrine role in taste physiology.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗