Mitochondrial Dok-4 Recruits Src Kinase and Regulates NF-κB Activation in Endothelial Cells

Dok5 is substrate of TrkB and TrkC receptors and involved in neurotrophin induced MAPK activation

Tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) family receptors are a group of high affinity receptors for neurotrophin growth factors, which have pivotal functions in many physiological processes of nervous system. Trk receptors can dimerize and autophosphorylate upon neurotrophin stimulation, then recruit multiple adaptor proteins to transduct signal. In this report, we identified Dok5, a member of Dok family, as a new substrate of TrkB/C receptors. In yeast two-hybrid assay, Dok5 can interact with intracellular domain of TrkB and TrkC receptor through its PTB domain, but not with that of TrkA receptor. The interaction was then confirmed by GST pull-down assay and Co-IP experiment. Dok5 co-localized with TrkB and TrkC in differentiated PC12 cells, providing another evidence for their interaction. By using mutational analysis, we characterized that Dok5 PTB domain bound to Trk receptor NPQY motif in a kinase-activity-dependent manner. Furthermore, competition experiment indicated that Dok5 competed with N-shc for binding to the receptors at the same site. Finally, we showed that Dok5 was involved in the activation of MAPK pathway induced by neurotrophin stimulation. Taken together, these results suggest that Dok5 acts as substrate of TrkB/C receptors and is involved in neurotrophin induced MAPK signal pathway activation.

Glutamate induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in cerebral vascular endothelial cells: contributions of HO-1 and HO-2 to cytoprotection

In cerebral circulation, epileptic seizures associated with excessive release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate cause endothelial injury. Heme oxygenase (HO), which metabolizes heme to a vasodilator, carbon monoxide (CO), and antioxidants, biliverdin/bilirubin, is highly expressed in cerebral microvessels as a constitutive isoform, HO-2, whereas the inducible form, HO-1, is not detectable. Using cerebral vascular endothelial cells from newborn pigs and HO-2-knockout mice, we addressed the hypotheses that 1) glutamate induces oxidative stress-related endothelial death by apoptosis, and 2) HO-1 and HO-2 are protective against glutamate cytotoxicity. In cerebral endothelial cells, glutamate (0.1–2.0 mM) increased formation of reactive oxygen species, including superoxide radicals, and induced major keystone events of apoptosis, such as NF-κB nuclear translocation, caspase-3 activation, DNA fragmentation, and cell detachment. Glutamate-induced apoptosis was greatly exacerbated in HO-2 gene-deleted murine cerebrovascular endothelial cells and in porcine cells with pharmacologically inhibited HO-2 activity. Glutamate toxicity was prevented by superoxide dismutase, suggesting apoptotic changes are oxidative stress related. When HO-1 was pharmacologically upregulated by cobalt protoporphyrin, apoptotic effects of glutamate in cerebral endothelial cells were completely prevented. Glutamate-induced reactive oxygen species production and apoptosis were blocked by a CO-releasing compound, CORM-A1 (50 μM), and by bilirubin (1 μM), consistent with the antioxidant and cytoprotective roles of the end products of HO activity. We conclude that both HO-1 and HO-2 have anti-apoptotic effects against oxidative stress-related glutamate toxicity in cerebral vascular endothelium. Although HO-1, when induced, provides powerful protection, HO-2 is an essential endogenous anti-apoptotic factor against glutamate toxicity in the cerebral vascular endothelium.

Reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondria-to-nucleus signaling: a key to aging and radical-caused diseases

Mitochondria-generated reactive oxygen species have been implicated as a common feature that connects aging of organisms and age-related diseases. Efficient elimination of these radicals by antioxidants correlates with increased life span. Understanding how the mitochondrion signals to the nucleus to regulate antioxidant proteins might be a key to aging processes and treatment of human diseases.

Lipopolysaccharide signaling in endothelial cells

Sepsis is the systemic immune response to severe bacterial infection. The innate immune recognition of bacterial and viral products is mediated by a family of transmembrane receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs). In endothelial cells, exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major cell wall constituent of Gram-negative bacteria, results in endothelial activation through a receptor complex consisting of TLR4, CD14 and MD2. Recruitment of the adaptor protein myeloid differentiation factor (MyD88) initiates an MyD88-dependent pathway that culminates in the early activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and the mitogen-activated protein kinases. In parallel, a MyD88-independent pathway results in a late-phase activation of NF-kappaB. The outcome is the production of various proinflammatory mediators and ultimately cellular injury, leading to the various vascular sequelae of sepsis. This review will focus on the signaling pathways initiated by LPS binding to the TLR4 receptor in endothelial cells and the coordinated regulation of this pathway.