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PubMed2000

Caspases mediate C2-ceramide-induced apoptosis of the human oligodendroglial cell line, MO3.13.

The signalling molecule ceramide participates in the sphingomyelin pathway and accumulates intracellularly in response to inflammatory mediators. Here we show that membrane permeable C2-ceramide is apoptogenic in the immortalised human oligodendroglial cell line MO3.13. Apoptosis (defined by cell shrinkage and chromatin condensation) is accompanied by caspase enzyme activation. Immunoblotting analysis of extracts from differentiated MO3.13 cells revealed the presence of caspase-3 proenzyme, activation by cleavage of pro-caspase-3 in cells treated with C2-ceramide and cleavage of the caspase substrates fodrin and rabaptin. Lysates also showed cleavage of a fluorogenic peptide substrate. Addition of the general caspase inhibitor BAF markedly attenuated apoptosis of MO3.13 oligodendroglia. A role for caspase-3-like enzymes in ceramide-induced apoptosis of oligodendroglia may have important implications for approaches to treatment of demyelinating diseases.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed1996

A role for leptin and its cognate receptor in hematopoiesis.

BACKGROUND: Hematopoiesis entails the production of multiple blood cell lineages throughout the lifespan of the organism. This is accomplished by the regulated expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic precursors that originate from self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells. Studies of lineage commitment and proliferation have shown that the cytokine family of growth factors plays an important role in hematopoietic differentiation. However, in hematopoiesis, as in most self-renewing biological systems, the molecules that regulate the stem cells directly remain largely unknown. In this study, we have undertaken a search for novel cytokines that may influence the fate of hematopoietic stem cells. RESULTS: We have cloned three splice variants of a novel cytokine receptor from human hematopoietic stem cells expressing the CD34 antigen, one of which is identical to the leptin receptor. Expression analysis revealed that the leptin receptor is expressed in both human and murine hematopoietic stem cell populations, and that leptin is expressed by hematopoietic stroma. We show that leptin provides a proliferative signal in hematopoietic cells. Importantly, we demonstrate that leptin provides a proliferative signal in BAF-3 cells and increases the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cell populations. The proliferative effects of leptin seem to be at the level of a multilineage progenitor, as shown by increased myelopoiesis, erythropoiesis and lymphopoiesis. Analysis of db/db mice, in which the leptin receptor is truncated, revealed that the steady-state levels of peripheral blood B cells and CD4-expressing T cells were dramatically reduced, demonstrating that the leptin pathway plays an essential role in lymphopoiesis. Colony assays performed using marrow from db/db and wild-type mice indicated that db/db marrow has a deficit in lymphopoietic progenitors; furthermore, db/db mice are unable to fully recover the lymphopoietic population following irradiation insult, and although the levels of peripheral blood erythrocytes are normal in db/db mice, spleen erythrocyte production is severely compromized. CONCLUSIONS: We have discovered that leptin and its cognate receptor constitute a novel hematopoietic pathway that is required for normal lymphopoiesis. This pathway seems to act at the level of the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell, and may well also impact upon erythropoiesis, particularly in anemic states that may require output from the spleen. These findings offer a new perspective on the role of the fat cell in hematopoiesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Correlation between 19F environment and isotropic chemical shift in barium and calcium fluoroaluminates.

High-speed MAS (19)F NMR spectra are recorded and reconstructed for 10 compounds from BaF(2)-AlF(3) and CaF(2)-AlF(3) binary systems which leads to the determination of 77 isotropic (19)F chemical shifts in various environments. A first attribution of NMR lines is performed for 8 compounds using a superposition model as initially proposed by B. Bureau et al. The phenomenological parameters of this model are then refined to improve the NMR line assignment. A satisfactory reliability is reached with a root-mean-square (RMS) deviation between calculated and measured values equal to 6 ppm. The refined parameters are then successfully tested on alpha-BaCaAlF(7) whose structure was recently determined. Finally, the isotropic chemical shift ranges are defined for shared, unshared, and "free" fluorine atoms encountered in the investigated binary systems. So, the fluorine surroundings can be deduced from the NMR line positions in compounds whose structure is unknown. Such an approach can also be applied to fluoride glasses.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Resolving the different dynamics of the fluorine sublattices in the anionic conductor BaSnF(4) by using high-resolution MAS NMR techniques.

19F and (119)Sn MAS NMR spectroscopy have been used to investigate the fluoride ion conductor, BaSnF(4), a member of the MSnF(4) family of fluorite-related anionic conductors containing double layers of Sn(2+) and M(2+) cations. Two fluorine sublattices were observed by (19)F MAS NMR, which could be assigned to specific sites in the lattice. The first sublattice is due to fluorine atoms located in Ba(2+) double layers and is rigid on the MAS NMR time scale at room temperature. The second sublattice comprises the fluoride ions between the Ba(2+) and Sn(2+) layers, and the few fluorine atoms that inhabit the Sn(2+)-Sn(2+) double layers. These ions are in rapid exchange with each other, and an extremely short correlation time tau(C) for the motion of these ions of <3 x 10(-)(5) s is obtained at -100 degrees C. T(1) measurements indicate that tau(C) approaches 10(-)(8) s at room temperature. (19)F-to-(119)Sn cross-polarization (CP) experiments confirmed the assignments of the resonances, and that the fluorine atoms located next to the tin atoms are extremely mobile at room temperature (and thus do not contribute to the CP process). Two-dimensional (19)F exchange experiments showed that exchange between the rigid and mobile lattice does occur, but at a much slower rate (tau(C) approximately 10 ms at 250 degrees C). Low-temperature (19)F MAS and (19)F-to-(119)Sn CP NMR spectra demonstrate that the motion of the fluoride ions has almost completely frozen out by -150 degrees C. The results are consistent with rapid two-dimensional (anisotropic) conductivity involving the fluoride ions between the Ba and Sn layers. Conductivity in three dimensions requires hops between the ions in the BaF(2)-like layers and the mobile ions. This process does occur, but with exchange rates that are at least 6-7 orders of magnitude slower.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Cluster models and ab initio calculations of (19)F NMR isotropic chemical shifts for inorganic fluorides.

(19)F NMR isotropic chemical shift (delta(iso)) calculations are performed in crystallized compounds using the GIAO method with the B3LYP hybrid functional at DFT level. Clusters centered on the studied fluorine atoms mimic the crystalline structures. The 6-311+G(d) basis set is chosen for the central fluorine atom, and the LanL2DZ basis set for the others. The metal atoms are described by the 3-21G(2d) basis set or, when not available, by the CRENBL basis set with the corresponding ECP, and augmented with 2d polarization functions when existing. First, for high-symmetry systems (MF, MF(2), and MF(3) compounds), a systematization of the cluster building up from coordination spheres is proposed, generalized to fluoroperovskites and fluoroaluminates KAlF(4) and RbAlF(4). When applied to rather low symmetry systems such as barium fluorometalates BaMgF(4), BaZnF(4), and Ba(2)ZnF(6), the definition of the coordination spheres is far from easy. Then, for structures built up from a MF(6) octahedron network, we may define different "starting clusters": [FM(2)F(8)] for the shared fluorine atoms, [FMF(4)] for the unshared ones, and [FBa(4)](7+) for the "free" ones. Analogous "starting clusters" are then tested on compounds from the NaF-AlF(3), BaF(2)-AlF(3), and CaF(2)-AlF(3) binary systems and for alpha-BaCaAlF(7) that are also built up from a MF(6) octahedron network. For each of these corresponding fluorine sites, delta(iso) values are calculated with the "starting clusters" and several larger clusters and compared to the experimental delta(iso) values. For the barium-containing clusters, the RMS deviation is equal to 51 ppm. It is suggested that this result may be related to the poor quality of the barium basis sets for which no polarization functions are available for the moment. In total, chemical shifts were calculated for 122 fluorine sites, in a various range of compounds. For the clusters without barium, the ab initio method leads to a RMS equal to 22 ppm, which is a quite nice result keeping in mind that the (19)F chemical shift range is larger than 200 ppm.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

The inner-nuclear-envelope protein emerin regulates HIV-1 infectivity.

Primate lentiviruses such as human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) have the capacity to infect non-dividing cells such as tissue macrophages. In the process, viral complementary DNA traverses the nuclear envelope to integrate within chromatin. Given the intimate association between chromatin and the nuclear envelope, we examined whether HIV-1 appropriates nuclear envelope components during infection. Here we show that emerin, an integral inner-nuclear-envelope protein, is necessary for HIV-1 infection. Infection of primary macrophages lacking emerin was abortive in that viral cDNA localized to the nucleus but integration into chromatin was inefficient, and conversion of viral cDNA to non-functional episomal cDNA increased. HIV-1 cDNA associated with emerin in vivo, and the interaction of viral cDNA with chromatin was dependent on emerin. Barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF), the LEM (LAP, emerin, MAN) binding partner of emerin, was required for the association of viral cDNA with emerin and for the ability of emerin to support virus infection. Therefore emerin, which bridges the interface between the inner nuclear envelope and chromatin, may be necessary for chromatin engagement by viral cDNA before integration.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed2017

Rapid and reversible epigenome editing by endogenous chromatin regulators.

Understanding the causal link between epigenetic marks and gene regulation remains a central question in chromatin biology. To edit the epigenome we developed the FIRE-Cas9 system for rapid and reversible recruitment of endogenous chromatin regulators to specific genomic loci. We enhanced the dCas9-MS2 anchor for genome targeting with Fkbp/Frb dimerizing fusion proteins to allow chemical-induced proximity of a desired chromatin regulator. We find that mSWI/SNF (BAF) complex recruitment is sufficient to oppose Polycomb within minutes, leading to activation of bivalent gene transcription in mouse embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, Hp1/Suv39h1 heterochromatin complex recruitment to active promoters deposits H3K9me3 domains, resulting in gene silencing that can be reversed upon washout of the chemical dimerizer. This inducible recruitment strategy provides precise kinetic information to model epigenetic memory and plasticity. It is broadly applicable to mechanistic studies of chromatin in mammalian cells and is particularly suited to the analysis of endogenous multi-subunit chromatin regulator complexes.Understanding the link between epigenetic marks and gene regulation requires the development of new tools to directly manipulate chromatin. Here the authors demonstrate a Cas9-based system to recruit chromatin remodelers to loci of interest, allowing rapid, reversible manipulation of epigenetic states.

CRISPR-Cas Systems↗

PubMed2002

MEK/ERK pathway protects ionizing radiation-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and cell death in lymphocytic leukemia cells.

MEK/ERK-mediated signals have recently been found to inhibit Fas-mediated cell death through inhibition of caspase-8 activity. It remains unknown whether MEK/ERK-mediated signals affect ionizing radiation (IR)-induced cell death. Here we demonstrate that MEK/ERK-mediated signals selectively inhibit IR-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) and subsequent cell death. In Jurkat cells, TPA strongly activated ERK and inhibited the IR-induced caspase-8/Bid cleavage and the loss of DeltaPsi(m). The inhibitory effect of TPA was mostly abrogated by pretreatment of a specific MEK inhibitor PD98059, indicating that the effect depends upon MEK/ERK-mediated signals. Moreover, BAF-B03 transfectants expressing IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) beta(c) chain lacking the acidic region, which is responsible for MEK/ERK-mediated signals, revealed higher sensitivity to IR than the transfectants expressing wild-type IL-2R. Interestingly, the signals could neither protect the DeltaPsi(m) loss nor cell death in UV-irradiated cells. These data imply that the anti-apoptotic effect of MEK/ERK-mediated signals appears to selectively inhibit the IR-induced cell death through protection of the DeltaPsi(m) loss. Our data enlighten an anti-apoptotic function of MEK/ERK pathway against IR-induced apoptosis, thereby implying its contribution to radioresistance.

BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein↗

PubMed1999

A peptide leptin antagonist reduces food intake in rodents.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the continuing validity of the hypothesis that leptin is a physiologically important regulator of food intake, using the human leptin mutant R128Q leptin. DESIGN: In a cellular proliferation assay, based on BAF-3 cells transfected with the murine ObRb receptor, R128Q leptin was shown to be devoid of agonistic activity and to competitively inhibit the proliferative effects of leptin. To determine whether R128Q leptin was also an antagonist of leptin in vivo, the leptin mutant was injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) into rats in the absence and presence of leptin. R128Q was also injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into ob/ob and into db/db mice expressing, respectively, either normal or defective ObRb receptors. RESULTS: R128Q was shown to be a competitive antagonist of leptin induced cellular proliferation in vitro. Surprisingly, in vivo R128Q leptin produced a strong dose-dependent decrease in food intake, and was only slightly less potent than leptin itself. In fasted rats, the inhibitory effects of leptin and R128Q leptin (i.c.v.) on post-fast refeeding were additive. Finally, R128Q leptin produced the same inhibition of food intake as leptin when injected i.p. in ob/ob mice and, like leptin, was inactive after i.p. injection to db/db mice. CONCLUSION: R128Q leptin is a leptin agonist in vivo, but behaves as an antagonist against leptin induced proliferation in vitro. The data demonstrate that the human leptin mutant R128Q leptin is not a suitable tool for investigating the physiological actions of leptin.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Increase of fat oxidation and weight loss in obese mice caused by chronic treatment with human growth hormone or a modified C-terminal fragment.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the chronic effects of human growth hormone (hGH) and AOD9604 (a C-terminal fragment of hGH) on body weight, energy balance, and substrate oxidation rates in obese (ob/ob) and lean C57BL/6Jmice. In vitro assays were used to confirm whether the effects of AOD9604 are mediated through the hGH receptor, and if this peptide is capable of cell proliferation via the hGH receptor. METHOD: Obese and lean mice were treated with hGH, AOD or saline for 14 days using mini-osmotic pumps. Body weight, caloric intake, resting energy expenditure, fat oxidation, glucose oxidation, and plasma glucose, insulin and glycerol were measured before and after treatment. BaF-BO3 cells transfected with the hGH receptor were used to measure in vitro 125I-hGH receptor binding and cell proliferation. RESULTS: Both hGH and AOD significantly reduced body weight gain in obese mice. This was associated with increased in vivo fat oxidation and increased plasma glycerol levels (an index of lipolysis). Unlike hGH, however, AOD9604 did not induce hyperglycaemia or reduce insulin secretion. AOD9604 does not compete for the hGH receptor and nor does it induce cell proliferation, unlike hGH. CONCLUSIONS: Both hGH and its C-terminal fragment reduce body weight gain, increase fat oxidation, and stimulate lipolysis in obese mice, yet AOD9604 does not interact with the hGH receptor. Thus, the concept of hGH behaving as a pro-hormone is further confirmed. This data shows that fragments of hGH can act in a manner novel to traditional hGH-stimulated pathways.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2006

Overexpression of Sp1 transcription factor induces apoptosis.

Transcription factor Sp1 has recently been shown to be overexpressed in a number of human cancers and its overexpression contributes to malignant transformation. Sp1 regulates the expression of a number of genes participating in multiple aspects of tumorigenesis such as angiogenesis, cell growth and apoptosis resistance. To better understand the role of increased Sp1 levels on apoptosis regulation we have used retroviruses to overexpress this protein in haematopoietic Baf-3 cells and in 3T3 fibroblasts. We have also used inducible expression systems to control ectopic Sp1 levels in different cell types. Surprisingly, Sp1 overexpression on its own induces apoptosis in all the cellular models tested. The apoptotic pathways induced by Sp1 overexpression are cell type specific. Finally, using a truncated form of Sp1, we show that Sp1-induced apoptosis requires its DNA-binding domain. Our results highlight that Sp1 levels in untransformed cells must be tightly regulated as Sp1 overexpression leads to the induction of apoptosis. Our results also suggest that cancer cells overexpressing Sp1 can avoid Sp1-induced apoptosis.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein induces calpain-dependent cell death and ubiquitination of caspase 3 in HMEC-1 endothelial cells.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is known to induce apoptosis in endothelial cells, and this is believed to contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis. In the present study we made the novel observation that oxLDL-induced death of HMEC-1 cells is accompanied by activation of calpain. The mu-calpain inhibitor PD 151746 decreased oxLDL-induced cytotoxicity, whereas the general caspase inhibitor BAF (t-butoxycarbonyl-Asp-methoxyfluoromethylketone) had no effect. Also, oxLDL provoked calpain-dependent proteolysis of cytoskeletal alpha-fodrin in the HMEC-1 cells. Our observation of an autoproteolytic cleavage of the 80 kDa subunit of mu-calpain provided further evidence for an oxLDL-induced stimulation of calpain activity. The Bcl-2 protein Bid was also cleaved during oxLDL-elicited cell death, and this was prevented by calpain inhibitors, but not by inhibitors of cathepsin B and caspases. Treating the HMEC-1 cells with oxLDL did not result in detectable activation of procaspase 3 or cleavage of PARP [poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase], but it did cause polyubiquitination of caspase 3, indicating inactivation and possible degradation of this protease. Despite the lack of caspase 3 activation, oxLDL treatment led to the formation of nucleosomal DNA fragments characteristic of apoptosis. These novel results show that oxLDL initiates a calpain-mediated death-signalling pathway in endothelial cells.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed2005

Modulation of the p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway through Bcr/Abl: implications in the cellular response to Ara-C.

The chimaeric protein Bcr/Abl, the hallmark of chronic myeloid leukaemia, has been connected with several signalling pathways, such as those involving protein kinase B/Akt, JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) or ERKs (extracellular-signal-regulated kinases) 1 and 2. However, no data about the p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) have been reported. Here, we present evidence showing that Bcr/Abl is able to modulate this signalling pathway. Transient transfection experiments indicated that overexpression of Bcr/Abl in 293T cells is able to activate p38 MAPK or induce p73 stabilization, suggesting that c-Abl and Bcr/Abl share some biological substrates. Interestingly, the control exerted by Bcr/Abl on the p38 MAPK pathway was not only mediated by the tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr/Abl, as the use of STI571 demonstrated. In fact, Bcr alone was able to induce p38 MAPK activation specifically through MKK3 (MAP kinase kinase 3). Supporting these observations, chronic myeloid leukaemia-derived K562 cells or BaF 3 cells stably transfected with Bcr/Abl showed higher levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK compared with Bcr/Abl-negative cells. While Bcr/Abl-negative cells activated p38 MAPK in response to Ara-C (1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine), Bcr/Abl-positive cells were unable to activate p38 MAPK, suggesting that the p38 MAPK pathway is not sensitive to Abl-dependent stimuli in Bcr/Abl-positive cells. Our results demonstrate that the involvement of Bcr/Abl in the p38 MAPK pathway is a key mechanism for explaining resistance to Ara-C, and could provide a clue for new therapeutic approaches based on the use of specific Abl inhibitors.

Benzamides↗

PubMed1996

Mediation of interleukin-11-dependent biological responses by a soluble form of the interleukin-11 receptor.

Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is a polyfunctional cytokine whose biological actions require a specific IL-11 receptor (IL-11R) and the transmembrane transducer gp130. Here we report the production of a soluble form of the murine IL-11R and demonstrate that it interacts with IL-11 ligand with high affinity. The affinity of IL-11 alone for gp130 is below the level of detection, but a complex of IL-11 and soluble IL-11R interacts with gp130 with high affinity. The addition of soluble IL-11R potentiates the effects of exogenous IL-11 in cells that are normally responsive to IL-11. A biological response to IL-11 can be reconstituted in BAF cells transfected with gp130 by addition of IL-11 and soluble IL-11R. These findings show that the cytoplasmic domain of the IL-11R is not required for the biological effects of IL-11 and that a complex of IL-11 and IL-11R mediates signalling by association with gp130.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

A novel bioassay for human somatogenic activity in serum samples supports the clinical reliability of immunoassays.

OBJECTIVE: Because there is discordance between different immunoassay values for serum hGH, and because clinical state may not correlate with immunoreactive hGH, we have developed an assay to accurately measure serum hGH somatogenic bioactivity. The results of this assay were compared with the Elegance two-site ELISA assay across 135 patient samples in a variety of clinical states. DESIGN: The somatogenic assay was based on stable expression of hGH receptor in the murine BaF line, allowing these cells to proliferate in response to hGH. To eliminate interference by other growth factors in serum, we created a specific antagonist of the hGH receptor (similar to Trovert or Pegvisomant) which allowed us to obtain a true measure of hGH somatogenic activity by subtraction of the activity in the presence of the antagonist. The assay was carried out in microtiter plates over 24 h, with oxidation of a chromogenic tetrazolium salt (MTT) as the endpoint. PATIENTS: These encompassed a number of different clinical conditions related to short stature, including idiopathic short stature, neurosecretory dysfunction and renal failure, as well as obese patients on dietary restriction and normal volunteers. MEASUREMENTS: In addition to the colourimetric (MTT) response to hGH, we measured free hGH by stripping out GHBP-bound hGH using beads coupled to a monoclonal antibody to the GHBP (GH binding protein). All samples were measured in both bioassay and ELISA assay. RESULTS: This bioassay was sensitive (5 mU/l or 2 microg/l) and precise, and not subject to interference by the GHBP. There was a good correlation (r = 0.95) between bioactivity and immunoactivity across clinical states. There was, however, an increased bioactivity during secretory peaks (over 25 mU/l), which has been reported previously for the Nb2 bioassay. Free hGH did not correlate with clinical state. CONCLUSIONS: Because the results of the Elegance ELISA and the bioassay correlate well, even though there is greater bioactivity at higher hormone concentrations, it is evident that an appropriate immunoassay is able to act as a reliable indicator for clinical assessment. In those rare cases where bio-inactive GH exists, our bioassay should provide an appropriate means to demonstrate this.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Differential response of neuronal cells to a fusion protein of ciliary neurotrophic factor/soluble CNTF-receptor and leukemia inhibitory factor.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) displays neurotrophic activities on motor neurons and neural cell populations both in vivo and in vitro. On target cells lacking intrinsic expression of specific receptor alpha subunits cytokines of the IL-6 family only act in the presence of their specific agonistic soluble receptors. Here, we report the construction and expression of a CNTF/soluble CNTF-receptor (sCNTF-R) fusion protein (Hyper-CNTF) with enhanced biological activity on cells expressing gp130 and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIF-R), but not membrane-bound CNTF-R. At the cDNA level, the C-terminus of the extracellular domain of human CNTF-R (amino acids 1-346) was linked via a single glycine residue to the N-terminus of human CNTF (amino acids 1-186). Recombinant Hyper-CNTF protein was expressed in COS-7 cells. Hyper-CNTF efficiently induced dose-dependent STAT3 phosphorylation and proliferation of BAF-3 cells stably transfected with gp130 and LIF-R cDNAs. While on BAF3/gp130/LIF-R cells, Hyper-CNTF and LIF exhibited similar biological responses, the activity of Hyper-CNTF on pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells) was quite distinct from that of LIF. In contrast to LIF, Hyper-CNTF stimulated neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner correlating with the ability to phosphorylate MAP kinases. These data indicate that although LIF and Hyper-CNTF use the same heterodimeric receptor complex of gp130 and LIFR, only Hyper-CNTF induces neuronal differentiation. The therapeutic potential of Hyper-CNTF as a superagonistic neurotrophin is discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Expression of an active p110 catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase alters the proliferative capacity of interleukin-2 receptor signals.

Activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is an early and essential step in interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) signalling, and plays an important role in regulating both cell survival and cellular proliferation. In the present study, we utilized Baf-B03 cells expressing mutated IL-2R to examine the contribution of PI3K to proliferative capacity. In this model IL-2-mediated induction of the downstream PI3K-dependent signalling molecule p70 S6 kinase was detected, but there was no proliferative response. Increasing the level of PI3K activity by transfection of an active form of the catalytic subunit, p110*, enabled the proliferative capacity of the mutated receptor. Whereas, in cells without p110*, IL-2 lacked the capacity to induce c-myc and to overcome an S-phase checkpoint, S-phase transition was restored by transfection of p110*, and this was accompanied by an increase in the c-myc response. Despite the presence of p110*, activity cells still required IL-2R-derived signals for proliferation, and IL-2Rbeta truncated at amino acid 350 were sufficient to provide this signalling activity. The data support a model in which the level of available PI3K can determine the cellular response to IL-2.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Dopaminergic cell death induced by MPP(+), oxidant and specific neurotoxicants shares the common molecular mechanism.

Recent etiological study in twins (Tanner et al. 1999) strongly suggests that environmental factors play an important role in typical, non-familial Parkinson's disease (PD), beginning after age 50. Epidemiological risk factor analyses of typical PD cases have identified several neurotoxicants, including MPP(+) (the active metabolite of MPTP), paraquat, dieldrin, manganese and salsolinol. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these neurotoxic agents might induce cell death in our nigral dopaminergic cell line, SN4741 (Son et al. 1999) through a common molecular mechanism. Our initial experiments revealed that treatment with both MPP(+) and the other PD-related neurotoxicants induced apoptotic cell death in SN4741 cells, following initial increases of H(2)O(2)-related ROS activity and subsequent activation of JNK1/2 MAP kinases. Moreover, we have demonstrated that during dopaminergic cell death cascades, MPP(+), the neurotoxicants and an oxidant, H(2)O(2) equally induce the ROS-dependent events. Remarkably, the oxidant treatment alone induced similar sequential molecular events: ROS increase, activation of JNK MAP kinases, activation of the PITSLRE kinase, p110, by both Caspase-1 and Caspase-3-like activities and apoptotic cell death. Pharmacological intervention using the combination of the antioxidant Trolox and a pan-caspase inhibitor Boc-(Asp)-fmk (BAF) exerted significant neuroprotection against ROS-induced dopaminergic cell death. Finally, the high throughput cDNA microarray screening using the current model identified downstream response genes, such as heme oxygenase-1, a constituent of Lewy bodies, that can be the useful biomarkers to monitor the pathological conditions of dopaminergic neurons under neurotoxic insult.

1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium↗