Confocal laser scanning immunofluorescence microscopy of the pulmonary surfactant system. Association of surfactant protein A with the nucleus of the alveolar type II cell

BACKGROUND

Localization of surfactant protein A (SP-A) to nucleus of type II cells isolated from the lungs of rats has been reported. Data suggested that most SP-A was located within lamellar bodies of the type II cell; however, some SP-A was found in other cytoplasmic regions of the cell and in particular in the nucleus.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Type II cells and type II cell nuclei isolated from the lungs of rats were reacted with affinity-purified antibodies against SP-A. Location of SP-A was determined by using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled secondary antibodies and the distribution of fluorescence examined by using a laser scanning microscope fitted with a confocal aperture. Two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by Western blotting was used to separate and identify type II cell nuclear proteins.

RESULTS

Nuclei were isolated from type II cells obtained from elastase-digested rat lungs and examined for the presence of SP-A. The nuclei contained both focal and diffuse deposits of SP-A. Some regions within the nuclear matrix (in particular the nucleolus) appeared to be relatively devoid of SP-A. The perinuclear membrane stained intensely for SP-A where optical sectioning showed its presence as a patchwork of punctate deposits. Analysis of the SP-A associated with the nucleus by two-dimensional electrophoresis revealed that it consisted of a family of proteins with molecular masses of 26, 32, and 36 kDa and pI 5.1. Biosynthesis of nuclear SP-A in primary cultures of type II cells was sensitive to inhibitors of glycosylation resulting in the presence of only the lowest molecular weight unprocessed form.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that three basic forms of SP-A are associated with the nucleus of the type II cell and are especially concentrated on the perinuclear membrane.

ATP and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate stimulate the synthesis of surfactant protein A in rat lung

Synthesis and secretion of surfactant protein A (SP-A) were studied in the isolated perfused rat lung using Trans35S-label (approximately 85% methionine, 15% cysteine) in the perfusate with or without 1 mM ATP or 0.1 mM 8-bromoadenosine 3',5',-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcAMP) for up to 6 h of perfusion. By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the SP-A content was 36 +/- 0.3% of total protein in extracellular surfactant and 10.8 +/- 1.9% of total protein in lamellar bodies of control lungs; these relativr proportions were maintained in the presence of ATP or 8-BrcAMP. Incorporation of [35S]methionine (cysteine) into the surfactant and lamellar body protein fraction could be detected at 4 h of perfusion. At 6 h, specific activity of total protein [disintegrations per minute (dpm)/micrograms)] was significantly increased in both the surfactant (54%) and lamellar body fractions (30%) under the influence of either secretagogue compared with control conditions. In the presence of ATP, there was a significant increase in the SP-A immunoprecipitable counts of 61 and 72% in extra- and intracellular compartments, respectively. However, no significant change was observed in the relative abundance of SP-A mRNA between control and secretagogue-treated lungs. This dissociation of SP-A mRNA abundance and label incorporation into protein indicates that alteration in translational efficiency or posttranslational factors may be involved in the secretagogue-induced stimulation of SP-A synthesis.

Surfactant-producing rabbit pulmonary alveolar type II cells synthesize and secrete an antiinflammatory protein, uteroglobin

Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) caused by surfactant deficiency is a common disorder in premature infants. Exogenous surfactant therapy improves survival in infants with RDS. However, the phospholipid component of the surfactant has been suggested to be inactivated by a phospholipid hydrolyzing enzyme, phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Although alveolar type II cells produce the surfactant, it is not known whether these cells have any mechanism to protect surfactant from PLA2 hydrolysis. Since alveolar Clara cells express uteroglobin (UG), a PLA2 inhibitory and antiinflammatory protein, and since it has been suggested that alveolar type II cells are derived from Clara cells, we sought to elucidate whether type II cells are also capable of expressing UG gene. By using radioimmunoassay, immunoprecipitation and Western blotting techniques we demonstrate for the first time that type II cells, isolated from mature rabbit lungs, synthesize and secrete UG. The transcription of the UG gene was detected by in situ hybridization using rabbit UG cDNA probe. These results imply that UG, synthesized by type II cells, may protect both endogenous and exogenous surfactant from PLA2 hydrolysis. Moreover, the antiinflammatory properties of UG may prevent the development of chronic inflammatory lung disease, a frequent complication of RDS.

Molecular cloning of a rat liver cDNA encoding the 16 kDa subunit of vacuolar H(+)-ATPases: organellar and tissue distribution of 16 kDa proteolipids

A cDNA (T3-L) encoding the 16 kDa subunit of vacuolar H(+)-ATPase was cloned from a cDNA library of rat liver. A polypeptide of 155 amino acids with a molecular mass of 15,807 Da (pI = 9.5) having four hydrophobic stretches was predicted. T3-L polypeptide was 92% and 100% identical with the 16 kDa proteolipid of bovine chromaffin granule and that of mouse, respectively. Antisera raised against the NH2-terminal of the T3-L polypeptide reacted positively with the membrane ghosts of rat liver tritosomes and the partially purified H(+)-ATPase thereof. Western blotting of subcellular fractions with the antisera showed high abundance of 16 kDa protein in the lysosomes, although a significant amount was also detected in the Golgi apparatus. Western blotting of rat tissues revealed high levels of 16 kDa proteolipid in the brain and the kidney. Northern blots with T3-L similarly showed considerably high expression of T3-L mRNA in the brain and the kidney. Southern hybridization of rat genomic DNA with T3-L showed at most three distinct bands, regardless of the stringency of hybridization and whether hybridization was performed with its subfragments. This suggests the possibility of multiple (at least three) homologous/identical genes encoding 16 kDa proteolipid. The possible presence and significance of isoforms of 16 kDa proteolipid in rats are discussed.

Delayed hydrophobic surfactant protein (SP-B, SP-C) expression in fetuses of streptozotocin-treated rats

Tissues from fetuses and neonates of control and streptozotocin (STZ)-treated Sprague-Dawley rats were used to study the content and distribution of the hydrophobic surfactant protein B (SP-B) and the mRNAs for SP-B and SP-C using immunohistochemistry, RNA blotting, and tissue in situ hybridization. A dose of 50 mg/kg STZ was used to treat female rats before mating. The fetuses were sacrificed at fetal days 18 through 21 and neonates were obtained on neonatal days 1 and 2 (day of birth = end of day 22). At fetal day 18, SP-B was barely detectable by immunohistochemistry in control animals but the levels were progressively increased through gestation and easily detected by fetal day 21. At all fetal ages, SP-B was decreased in the STZ group compared with control animals. Both SP-B and SP-C mRNA were detectable at fetal day 18 in the control group and increased with advancing gestational age. In fetal lungs from the STZ group, SP-B and SP-C mRNA also showed an increase with advancing gestational age, but the levels were decreased compared with controls at fetal days 18, 20, and 21 (P less than 0.05). At fetal day 19, this difference did not achieve statistical significance. Differences between the two groups were no longer detected by neonatal days 1 and 2. The difference between the STZ and control groups, in both protein (SP-B) and mRNA (SP-B and SP-C), diminished with advancing fetal age but remained significant up to fetal day 21.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

cDNA sequence and alternative mRNA splicing of surfactant-associated protein C (SP-C) in rabbit lung

An 784 base pair (bp) copy DNA (cDNA) for the low molecular weight hydrophobic surfactant-associated protein C (SP-C) has been isolated from a lambda gt11 cDNA library constructed from fetal rabbit lung mRNA. The cDNA, which coded for a 193 amino-acid proprotein with 6 bp 5' and 193 bp 3' untranslated segments, possesses considerable nucleic acid and predicted amino-acid homology with previously reported SP-C cDNAs. The predicted amino-acid sequence of the 35 amino-acid mature polypeptide shares 94-97% identity with human, rat and mouse SP-C and is 88-91% homologous to the mature proteins from bovine, porcine and canine lung. The last 12 amino acids of mature SP-C are highly hydrophobic and invariant. Alignment of the rabbit and human nucleic acid sequences required introduction of a 27 bp gap in the rabbit sequence at a site corresponding to the exon-intron junction of the 5th exon of the human genomic sequence. Since previous studies have identified differential splicing at the 5' and 3' ends of the human 5th exon, we investigated the potential existence of alternative splicing of rabbit SP-C mRNA. Reverse transcription (RT) of total RNA followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to establish the relative abundance of alternative splicing products from fetal and adult lung and from rabbit kidney, placenta and liver. The relative abundance of the 250, 280 and 350 bp bands observed was the same in lung and other tissues. PCR amplification of genomic rabbit DNA indicated that the 350 bp fragment corresponds to the unspliced nascent transcript. The lack of developmental or tissue-specific abundance patterns implies the absence of secondary influences on SP-C mRNA polymorphism. Indeed, free energy of formation calculations predicted the presence of hairpin structures favouring formation of the more abundant 250 bp form. These observations plus the absence of any effect of alternative splicing on SP-C protein structure led us to conclude a physiological role is unlikely.

Surfactant protein A metabolism in preterm ventilated lambs

Surfactant protein A (SP-A) metabolism was studied in vivo in 33 preterm ventilated lambs at 138 +/- 1 days gestational age by measuring recoveries of exogenously administered surfactant containing both radiolabeled SP-A and labeled saturated phosphatidylcholine (Sat PC) given via the trachea at birth. Endogenously secreted SP-A was also labeled with [35S]methionine and followed over 24 h. The exogenously labeled SP-A left the alveolar pool more rapidly than did Sat PC over the first 5 h of life (P less than 0.05), and both exogenously labeled SP-A and Sat PC were detected within lamellar bodies by 2 h, indicating uptake from the airspaces. The quantity of SP-A in alveolar washes increased about twofold from birth to 5 h of age, whereas alveolar Sat PC pools were constant over 24 h. The SP-A endogenously labeled with [35S]methionine was recovered at highest specific activities in the alveolar washes at 10 and 45 min after birth with no labeled SP-A detectable in lamellar body fractions until 2 h. The curve for endogenous SP-A labeling of lamellar bodies was similar to that for exogenous labeling, indicating that SP-A was initially secreted by a pathway independent of lamellar bodies with subsequent SP-A labeling of lamellar bodies. The kinetics of SP-A metabolism were very different than for Sat PC in preterm lambs.

Axons modulate the expression of proteolipid protein in the CNS

We examined the expression of mRNA encoding proteolipid protein (PLP), the major myelin protein in the CNS, in developing rat cerebrum, and in normal and degenerating optic nerves. PLP transcripts were initiated at two clusters of start sites that were separated by about 30 base pairs. During the peak of PLP mRNA expression in developing cerebrum, a higher proportion of PLP transcripts were initiated from the distal start site, furthest from the open reading frame, than in mature cerebrum. We enucleated one eye of immature rats to cause Wallerian degeneration in the optic nerve. In these degenerating optic nerves, the steady state levels of PLP mRNA fell markedly, and the proportion of distally initiated PLP transcripts declined to the same proportion found in normal adult nerves. Changes in myelin gene expression were not limited to PLP mRNA, as the steady-state levels of myelin basic protein (MBP) mRNA paralleled those of PLP mRNA in the developing cerebrum and in degenerating optic nerves. Thus, oligodendrocytes require axons to maintain their normal levels of PLP and MBP transcripts and the high proportion of distally initiated PLP transcripts that characterize early myelination.

Expression of surfactant associated protein-A and Clara cell 10 kilodalton mRNA in neoplastic and non-neoplastic human lung tissue as detected by in situ hybridization

Two markers for the progenitor cells of peripheral airways and their tumors are the 10 kilodalton (kd) Clara cell protein and the major surfactant associated protein-A (SP-A). We used the RNA-RNA in situ hybridization technique to study expression of the genes encoding these proteins at the cellular level in 19 pairs of non-neoplastic and neoplastic tissues from resected human lungs. Our results show that in non-neoplastic lung tissue, the Clara 10 kd protein gene was expressed in nonciliated cells of both bronchial and bronchiolar epithelium, indicating that, in contrast to previous assumptions, cells with Clara cell-like differentiation in humans may not be restricted to bronchiolar cells. The incidence of Clara 10 kd protein gene expression, as detected in lung carcinomas (1 out of 19 cases positive) was less than expected based on previous ultrastructural reports. The SP-A gene was strongly expressed in normal alveolar type II cells in non-neoplastic lung and, at higher levels, in hyperplastic cells. In addition, SP-A mRNA expression was observed in scattered bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells in 40% of the airways examined. Five out of 17 lung tumors, all of which were adenocarcinomas, were positive for SP-A expression, albeit generally less intense than type II cells. This expression was seen in carcinomas with papillolepidic as well as solid and glandular growth patterns. Our findings provide new insights into the peripheral airway cell differentiation.

Cyclic AMP-induced upregulation of proteolipid protein and myelin associated glycoprotein gene expression in C6 cells

A model culture system of C6 rat glioma cells was used to test the involvement of cAMP in the regulation of the myelin PLP and MAG genes. The treatment of cells with isoproterenol (10(-5) to 10(-8) M) upregulated the expression of the PLP and MAG genes in a concentration-dependent manner. The mRNA for PLP reached a maximum (sevenfold higher than in control cells) after about 12-24 hr, then declined to approximately fourfold over the control level. The response of MAG gene was delayed by at least 36 hr, and the level of MAG mRNA reached a maximum of approximately 48-fold over the control level on the fourth day in culture. The co-administration of propranolol blocked the effect of isoproterenol, whereas 10(-5) M forskolin simulated the effect of isoproterenol, indicating a role of cAMP in the signal transduction cascades leading to upregulation of the myelin genes. However, the dissimilarity in the timing and the extent of upregulation of the PLP and MAG genes by cAMP-stimulating agents indicate the existence of different intracellular mechanisms for the activation of these two genes. Cycloheximide blocked the stimulatory effect of isoproterenol on both the PLP and MAG genes, indicating that the effect of cAMP on the myelin genes is mediated by protein product(s) of other cAMP-response gene(s).

Transforming growth factor-beta inhibits surfactant protein A expression in vitro

Effects of members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family on expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) were determined in human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells. TGF-beta decreased SP-A content in two distinct pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell lines with bronchiolar (NCI-H441-4) and alveolar (NCI-H820) cell characteristics. TGF-beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3 were equally effective in decreasing SP-A. Effects of the TGF-beta's on SP-A content were dose dependent, EC50 approximately 20-30 pg/ml for each form of TGF-beta. TGF-beta decreased cellular SP-A content in association with decreased levels of SP-A mRNA. Inhibitory effects of TGF-beta 1 on SP-A mRNA was time dependent, reaching maximal effects within 12-24 h, after which SP-A mRNA was approximately 10% of that present in untreated cells. Maximal inhibition of SP-A mRNA was observed at 250 pg/ml TGF-beta 1. TGF-beta-dependent inhibition of SP-A expression was not associated with altered cell morphology, growth, or viability. TGF-beta family members act directly on pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells to inhibit SP-A expression by mechanisms which are mediated, at least in part, at a pretranslational level.

Structure and expression of proteolipid protein in the peripheral nervous system

Proteolipid protein (PLP), the major myelin protein in the central nervous system (CNS), is also made by Schwann cells (SC) in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) but is not incorporated into the SC myelin sheath. We analyzed several PLP cDNA clones isolated from a rat sciatic nerve cDNA library and found that their coding sequences were identical to PLP cDNAs previously isolated from the CNS. In addition, we have discovered an unusual form of PLP message, present in both brain and sciatic nerve RNA, that is likely formed by alternative splicing within the 3' untranslated region of the primary PLP transcript. The absence of PLP from the SC myelin sheath thus cannot be explained by an alteration in its amino acid sequence. Steady-state levels of PLP mRNA in SC cultures treated with the cAMP analogue dibutyryl cAMP (dBcAMP) were not increased, whereas dBcAMP increased steady-state levels of mRNA encoding the major myelin protein, P0. We have also shown that expression of PLP, unlike that of P0, is regulated in SC in vitro at a posttranscriptional level. Finally, the steady-state levels of P0 mRNA are much more dramatically reduced than those of PLP mRNA during Wallerian degeneration of the peripheral nerve. Thus PLP expression in the PNS is probably controlled by different molecular mechanisms from P0, and may not be part of the coordinate program of myelin gene expression. In contrast to its expression in the PNS, transcription of PLP in the CNS is coordinately regulated along with the other myelin protein genes, suggesting there may be differences in the cis-acting elements and transacting factors involved in the regulation of PLP transcription in SC and oligodendrocytes (OC). Consistent with this notion, we have found that most PLP transcripts are initiated at the more proximal of two start sites in the PNS, while in the CNS proportionally more PLP transcripts are initiated from the distal start site. We propose that the proximal site, utilized predominantly in SC, is responsible for maintenance expression of PLP and is not inducible, while the distal site is responsible for the rapid, inducible increase of PLP message during brain development.

Glucocorticoid effects on rabbit fetal lung maturation in vivo: an ultrastructural morphometric study

Maternal administration of glucocorticoids is known to stimulate fetal lung maturation. In the present study, we used microscopy and stereology to evaluate the morphological effects of maternal glucocorticoid treatment on rabbit fetal lung tissue. Betamethasone was administered to pregnant rabbits on days 25 and 26 of gestation at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg body weight. The animals were sacrificed on day 27 of gestation. Glucocorticoid treatment significantly increased the presumptive airspace in the fetal lung tissue but did not alter the relative proportion of epithelium, connective tissue, or vasculature in the tissue. In addition, glucocorticoid treatment significantly increased the proportion of type II cells in the prealveolar epithelium, increased the rate of phosphatidylcholine synthesis, and increased the content of the major surfactant-associated protein, SP-A, in the fetal lung tissue. We could detect no effect of betamethasone on lamellar body cross-sectional area, numerical density, or volume density within fetal lung type II cells. Glucocorticoid treatment of the pregnant doe caused a decrease in the volume density of intracellular glycogen and an increase in the volume density of mitochondria in fetal lung type II cells. Betamethasone treatment did not alter the distance between fetal lung epithelial cells and subadjacent connective tissue cells. However, glucocorticoid treatment increased the number of connective tissue foot processes that pierced the epithelial basal lamina. Thus, glucocorticoid treatment of the pregnant doe results in structural changes in the fetal lung tissue, an acceleration of some aspects of type II cell differentiation, and a concomitant increase in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.

Myelin deficiency in female rats due to a mutation in the PLP gene

Myelin deficiency (md) in female rats due to a mutation in the X-linked proteolipid protein (PLP) gene is caused by X-chromosome monosomy. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a single X karyotype [41,X(md/0)]. An immunocytochemical, electron microscopic, and biochemical study was performed on male and female md rats. The central nervous system (CNS) of the female md rat [41,X(md/0)] revealed the same total lack of PLP as the CNS of the affected male littermate [42,XY(md/Y)]. Immunocytochemistry for myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) revealed "islands" of myelin sheath-like reaction product in both. Electron microscopy showed great paucity of compact myelin sheaths in 41,X(md/0) and 42,XY(md/Y). Reduced levels of MPB, MAG, and CNP were confirmed for both sexes but MAG and CNP were substantially higher in 41,X(md/0). Sexual differentiation of the brain may account for the observed differences since normal female reproductive organs are present in the md female rat.

Expression of plasmolipin in the developing rat brain

Plasmolipin is an hydrophobic plasma membrane proteolipid present in both kidney and brain. The protein consists of two subunits of 17-18.5 kD, which together form K+ selective voltage-dependent channels. In this report, we define the embryonic and postnatal expression of plasmolipin in the developing rat brain. Plasmolipin was found to be essentially restricted to the postnatal period increasing eight-fold between the first to fourth week after birth. A fetal plasmolipin immunoreactive protein (FPIP) was identified in embryonic brain and also during the early postnatal development of the cerebellum. The expression of FPIP was biphasic with an initial transient increase between E15-E20 followed by a decrease in its levels. FPIP was not detected in the developed rat CNS. FPIP was found in a variety of dividing and immature cells including cultured astrocytes and embryonic neurons, neuroblastoma cells, and rat thymus. In contrast, plasmolipin was restricted to oligodendrocytes of the neural cells tested and to renal tubular epithelial cells.

An immunohistochemical study of bronchial cells producing surfactant protein A in the developing human fetal lung

A study on immunohistochemical localization of pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A) in the developing human fetal lung was performed using a monoclonal antibody, PE10, against human SP-A. At 21 weeks of gestation, a few bronchial cells positive to PE10 were observed to be scattered in the main and segmental bronchi. The number of these cells appears to increase until the 32nd week of gestation, and then decrease thereafter, almost disappearing by 39 weeks. On the other hand, alveolar type II cells and Clara cells positive to PE10 began to appear at 29 weeks, increase in number until around 39 weeks, and remain constant throughout adulthood. A few bronchial glandular cells positive to PE10 were still noticed in the fetal lung. This is the first report of the presence of SP-A-containing cells in the fetal lung. This is the first report of the presence of SP-A-containing cells in the human fetal bronchial epithelium (not Clara cells in the terminal bronchiolus), proving the regularity of the sequential distribution of SP-A-containing cells in the bronchoalveolar system during pulmonary development.

Hormonal effects on the surfactant protein B (SP-B) mRNA in cultured fetal rat lung

Glucocorticoids, triiodothyronine (T3), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) have been shown previously to modulate phosphatidylcholine and surfactant protein A (SP-A) synthesis in fetal rat lung explant cultures. In this report, we have examined the hormonal regulation of the rat surfactant protein B (SP-B) mRNA to determine whether SP-B expression is coordinately regulated with the surfactant phospholipids or with SP-A. Dexamethasone (1 to 200 nM) and cAMP (200 microM) had a stimulatory effect on SP-B mRNA levels, whereas T3 tended to inhibit the accumulation of SP-B mRNA. In combination experiments, treatment with dibutyryl-cAMP (200 microM) and dexamethasone (100 nM) resulted in about a 22-fold increase, whereas dexamethasone or dibutyryl-cAMP alone produced 18- and 2-fold increases, respectively. When the cAMP analogue 8-bromo-cAMP (200 microM) was used in combination with dexamethasone, there was no significant difference between the combined effect and that of dexamethasone alone. T3 treatment, however, resulted in a significant reduction of the dexamethasone-induced stimulation from about a 22-fold to a 14-fold increase. Tissue in situ hybridization showed that dexamethasone stimulated the levels of SP-B mRNA in cells from both the alveolar and bronchiolar epithelium. These data indicate that there are differences in the hormonal regulation of the components of surfactant, suggesting that they are independently regulated.

cAMP increases synthesis of surfactant-associated protein A by perfused rat lung

Synthesis and secretion of surfactant-associated protein were studied in isolated rat lungs perfused with [3H]phenylalanine or [35S]methionine in synthetic medium. Surfactant was isolated by lung lavage and density-gradient centrifugation followed by dialysis to remove unincorporated amino acid and extraction with ethanol-ether to yield a delipidated protein fraction. Incorporation of [3H]phenylalanine into the delipidated surfactant protein fraction showed a lag phase of approximately 3 h followed by progressive increase over the next 3 h at a rate of 1.6 nmol.mg protein-1.h-1. With 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcAMP, 0.1 mM) added to the perfusate, the incorporation rate between 3 and 6 h was increased by 75%. 3H specific activity in a delipidated lamellar body-rich fraction isolated from lung homogenates was unchanged by 8-BrcAMP at 3 h but was increased by 45% at 6 h. The major peak of radioactivity on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of surfactant and lamellar bodies corresponded to proteins of 27-36 kDa that were identified as surfactant protein A (SP-A) by immunoblot. In the presence of 8-BrcAMP during 6 h of perfusion, specific activity of 35S-labeled SP-A in immunoprecipitated protein was increased by 93% and the SP-A mRNA content of lung was increased 145%. These results show that isolated perfused lungs synthesize and secrete surfactant-associated proteins and that the presence of a permeable cAMP analogue in the lung perfusate leads to increased secretion followed by induction of synthesis for SP-A.

Effects of maternal dexamethasone on expression of SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C in the fetal rat lung

Prenatal administration of glucocorticoids has been shown to enhance surfactant production in the fetus. Since the surfactant proteins play an important role in surfactant function and secretion, we wished to determine the effects of maternal glucocorticoid administration on their fetal expression and appearance. Daily dexamethasone (DEX) (1 mg/kg/day) or 0.9% saline was administered to timed-pregnant rats on gestational days 14 through 16 or on day 16 with sacrifice on day 17 (term day 22), and on gestational days 14 through 18, or days 16 through 18, or day 18 with sacrifice on day 19. SP-A content was determined in lung homogenates from treated and control male and female fetal rats by an enzyme-linked in lung homogenates from treated and control male and female fetal rats by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The abundance of mRNAs for SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C per fixed amount of total cellular RNA was also determined in lungs from treated and control male and female fetal rats by Northern blot analysis. In litters sacrificed on day 17, DEX administered on days 14 through 16 and on day 16 resulted in significant increases in SP-A content. Expression of SP-A mRNA, which was not detectable in control fetuses on day 17, became clearly apparent after either 1 or 3 d of DEX treatment. The abundance of mRNAs for SP-B and SP-C also increased in day-17 fetuses after either 1 or 3 d of DEX treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Posttranscriptional regulation of surfactant protein-A messenger RNA in human fetal lung in vitro by glucocorticoids

Surfactant protein-A (SP-A), the major pulmonary surfactant-associated protein, is a developmentally and hormonally regulated sialoglycoprotein of about 35,000 mol wt. In previous studies we observed that dexamethasone has dose-dependent biphasic effects on the levels of SP-A and its mRNA in human fetal lung in vitro. At concentrations of 10(-10)-10(-9) M, dexamethasone increased the levels of SP-A and its mRNA over those of control tissues, whereas at concentrations greater than or equal to 10(-8) M, the steroid was markedly inhibitory. Our findings suggest that the inhibitory action of dexamethasone (greater than 10(-8) M) on SP-A mRNA levels was mediated by an effect to reduce SP-A mRNA stability, since the steroid caused a dose-dependent increase in the rate of transcription; however, an effect to increase transcription with premature termination leading to instability of mRNA transcripts could not be ruled out. In the present investigation we have studied in detail the mechanisms underlying the biphasic effects of glucocorticoids on SP-A mRNA levels in human fetal lung tissues in vitro. Our findings indicate that dexamethasone (10(-7) M) has no adverse effect on the elongation of nascent mRNA transcripts throughout the SP-A gene; elongation of SP-A mRNA transcripts in dexamethasone-treated tissue explants was similar to that observed in tissues incubated in control medium or medium containing (Bu)2cAMP. Therefore, premature termination of SP-A mRNA transcription leading to the instability of SP-A mRNA can be ruled out. On the other hand, we found that dexamethasone (10(-7) M) had a pronounced effect to reduce the apparent half-life of SP-A mRNA; in control explants maintained in the presence of actinomycin-D to block gene transcription, the SP-A mRNA half-life was estimated to be 11.4 h, whereas in tissues also treated with dexamethasone, the SP-A mRNA half-life was reduced by more than 60% to 5.0 h. Dexamethasone also was found to have dose-dependent effects on the degradation of SP-A mRNA. After 12 h of incubation in the presence of actinomycin-D and dexamethasone at 10(-9) and 10(-7) M, the levels of SP-A mRNA were reduced by 50% and 80%, respectively, compared to those in tissue incubated with actinomycin-D alone. The inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids on SP-A mRNA levels were completely reversible and were blocked by the glucocorticoid antagonist RU486.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Expression of plasmolipin in oligodendrocytes

Plasmolipin is a plasma membrane proteolipid which has recently been described as a component of myelin (Cochary et al.: Journal of Neurochemistry 55:602-610, 1990). The present study reports the expression and localization of plasmolipin in primary glial cultures and secondary oligodendrocyte cultures. Double-label immunofluorescence showed that plasmolipin was expressed by galactocerebroside (GC)-positive oligodendrocytes, but was absent from astrocytes, characterized by their positive staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). At 1 week in culture plasmolipin staining was relatively weak in the cell body of some of the GC-positive cells. During the following 3 weeks in culture plasmolipin staining of oligodendrocytes gradually increased and was present in the cell body, its plasma membrane, and all the processes. However, the plasmolipin antibodies did not stain regions of the flat membrane sheets. Western blot analysis of homogenates from primary glial cultures showed that plasmolipin levels gradually increased during the first 5 weeks in culture. We conclude that the presence of plasmolipin in myelin is a result of its expression by oligodendrocytes.

Degrees of cooperativity between triiodothyronine and hydrocortisone in their regulation of the expression of myelin basic protein and proteolipid protein during brain development

Cultures of cells dissociated from embryonic mouse cerebra were used to demonstrate: (1) that the developmental expression of the mRNA of proteolipid protein is dependent on thyroid hormone; (2) that the expression of the mRNA of proteolipid protein is stimulated not only by triiodothyronine but also by hydrocortisone, which achieve their respective stimulations by an additive and uncompetitive mechanism; (3) the stimulation of the net accumulation of the mRNA of myelin basic protein by hydrocortisone and triiodothyronine is also cooperative, additive, and uncompetitive, and (4) the stimulation of the net accumulation of myelin basic protein, during development by hydrocortisone, is completely dependent on the presence of thyroid hormone. These results suggest that the regulation of the synthesis of myelin basic protein by hydrocortisone requires the presence of triiodothyronine at a posttranscriptional event, but not for transcription itself.

Phorbol ester inhibits surfactant protein SP-A and SP-B expression

Effects of the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), on expression of pulmonary surfactant proteins, SP-A and SP-B, were determined in a human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line (H441-4). TPA decreased cellular SP-A content in association with decreased de novo synthesis of SP-A as assessed by [35S]methionine incorporation. Effects of TPA were time (0-72 h) and dose (IC50 0.5-1.0 nM)-dependent. Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), and adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol also decreased SP-A content in these cells. Characteristics of inhibition of SP-A content by PDBu were similar to those of [3H]PDBu binding to H441-4 cells. Inhibitory effects of TPA on SP-A synthesis were associated with concomitant decreases in SP-A mRNA. Expression of a distinct surfactant protein, SP-B, was also markedly decreased after exposure to TPA. SP-A and SP-B mRNA contents decreased more rapidly after treatment with TPA than after actinomycin D. Actinomycin D completely blocked the rapid decrease in SP-A and SP-B mRNAs caused by the phorbol ester, consistent with the concept that the inhibitory effect of TPA on the surfactant protein mRNAs required continued gene transcription and was not mediated solely by changes in SP-A or SP-B transcription. Inhibitory effects of phorbol esters on SP-A and SP-B synthesis support the concept that protein kinase C modulates surfactant protein expression in this cell.