Cathepsin B, a cysteine protease implicated in metastatic progression, is also expressed during regression of the rat prostate and mammary glands

Expression of functional recombinant human procathepsin B in mammalian cells

Cathepsin B has been implicated in numerous pathobiological processes. In order to study its interactions with other proteins implicated in these processes, quantities of functional recombinant cathepsin B are needed. Therefore, we expressed recombinant human procathepsin B in mammalian cells (BSC-1 monkey kidney cells and HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells) using a vaccinia virus expression system. The recombinant human procathepsin B appeared to be authentic and expressed in its native conformation as indicated by: (1) N-terminal sequencing; (2) molecular size; (3) processing intracellularly to mature double-chain cathepsin B; (4) in vitro cleavage by pepsin to mature cathepsin B coincident with appearance of activity against a selective synthetic substrate; and (5) substrate/inhibitor profiles. This is the first report of the expression of functional recombinant human procathepsin B in mammalian cells. We also report a single-step immunoaffinity purification procedure for the isolation of electrophoretically pure proenzyme. By the methodologies described, human procathepsin B can now be obtained in high yield. This should facilitate studies of its interactions with protease inhibitors, other proteases, extracellular matrices, cell-surface proteins and biological substrates that may be of relevance to the pathobiological functions of this enzyme.

Native and oxidized low density lipoproteins modulate mesangial cell apoptosis

Hyperlipidemia has been demonstrated to contribute to hypercellularity of the mesangium in experimental animal models of glomerulosclerosis. We studied whether it also has the potential to convert a hypercellular mesangium into a hypocellular one by inducing mesangial cell (MC) apoptosis. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) enhanced (P < 0.001) mouse mesangial cell (MMC) proliferation at lower concentrations (control, 10.3 +/- 0.3 vs. LDL 100 micrograms/ml, 24.2 +/- 0.3 x 10(4) cells/ml) but augmented (P < 0.001) apoptosis at higher concentrations (control, 5.6 +/- 0.5% vs. LDL, 500 micrograms/ml 26.2 +/- 3.4% apoptotic cells/field). Oxidized (OX) LDL enhanced MMC apoptosis in concentrations of 50 to 200 micrograms/dl. There was a direct relationship between MMC apoptosis and oxidation of LDL as judged by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS). Since superoxide dismutase (SOD) attenuated (P < 0.001) LDL-induced MMC apoptosis, it seems to be mediated through the generation of free radicals by mesangial cells (control, 4.3 +/- 1.5%; LDL, 200 micrograms/ml, 19.4 +/- 0.5%; LDL + SOD, 8.1 +/- 1.3% apoptotic cells/field). LDL also induced a similar effect on human mesangial cells. These studies were further confirmed by DNA fragment assays and ELISA for programmed cell death. LDL treated cells also showed enhanced mRNA expression for RSG-2, a marker for active cell death. These in vitro results provide a basis for the speculation that LDL has the potential to cause an initial hypercellular and subsequent hypocellular mesangium in the course of the development of glomerulosclerosis.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 induces morphological and biochemical markers of apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2(D)3], the active metabolite of vitamin D, is a potent inhibitor of breast cancer cell growth both in vivo and in vitro. To complement data which documents the anti-proliferative effects of 1,25(OH)2(D)3, we assessed the role of apoptosis in vitamin D-mediated growth arrest of MCF-7 cells. Time course studies indicated that 100 nM 1,25(OH)2(D)3 significantly reduces MCF-7 cell numbers within 48 h of treatment. Morphological assessment demonstrated that MCF-7 cells treated with 1,25(OH)2(D)3 for 48 h exhibit characteristic apoptotic features, including cytoplasmic condensation, pyknotic nuclei, condensed chromatin and nuclear matrix re-organization. In situ end labelling with terminal transferase indicated that cells exhibiting apoptotic morphology in 1,25(OH)2(D)3-treated cultures were positive for DNA strand breaks. These morphological features of apoptosis were accompanied by an increase in the cell death rate assessed as soluble DNA-histone complexes indicative of DNA fragmentation. To complement the morphological data, we assessed the temporal expression of two proteins which have been associated with apoptosis in mammary cells and tumors. The steady state mRNA levels for TRPM-2/clusterin and cathepsin B mRNA were significantly up-regulated in MCF-7 cells treated with 1,25(OH)2(D)3 compared to control cells. Time-dependent increases in the expression of TRPM-2/clusterin and cathepsin B proteins were detected by Western blotting in 1,25(OH)2(D)3-treated cells. These findings indicate that, in addition to its anti-proliferative effects, 1,25(OH)2(D)3 activates the apoptotic cell death pathway in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Apoptosis: molecular regulation of cell death

The field of apoptosis is unusual in several respects. Firstly, its general importance has been widely recognised only in the past few years and its surprising significance is still being evaluated in a number of areas of biology. Secondly, although apoptosis is now accepted as a critical element in the repertoire of potential cellular responses, the picture of the intra-cellular processes involved is probably still incomplete, not just in its details, but also in the basic outline of the process as a whole. It is therefore a very interesting and active area at present and is likely to progress rapidly in the next two or three years. This review emphasises recent work on the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis and, in particular, on the intracellular interactions which control this process. This latter area is of crucial importance since dysfunction of the normal control machinery is likely to have serious pathological consequences, probably including oncogenesis, autoimmunity and degenerative disease. The genetic analysis of programmed cell death during the development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has proved very useful in identifying important events in the cell death programme. Recently defined genetic connections between C. elegans cell death and mammalian apoptosis have emphasised the value of this system as a model for cell death in mammalian cells, which, inevitably, is more complex. The signals inducing apoptosis are very varied and the same signals can induce differentiation and proliferation in other situations. However, some pathways appear to be of particular significance in the control of cell death; recent analysis of the apoptosis induced through the cell-surface Fas receptor has been especially important for immunology. Two gene families are dealt with in particular detail because of their likely importance in apoptosis control. These are, first, the genes encoding the interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme family of cysteine proteases and, second, those related to the proto-oncogene bcl-2. Both of these families are homologous to cell death genes in C. elegans. In mammalian cells the number of members of both families which have been identified is growing rapidly and considerable effort is being directed towards establishing the roles played by each member and the ways in which they interact to regulate apoptosis. Other genes with established roles in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation are also important in controlling apoptosis. Several of these are known proto-oncogenes, e.g. c-myc, or tumour suppressors, e.g. p53, an observation which is consistent with the importance of defective apoptosis in the development of cancer. Viral manipulation of the apoptosis of host cells frequently involves interactions with these cellular proteins. Finally, the biochemistry of the closely controlled cellular self-destruction which ensues when the apoptosis programme has been engaged is also very important. The biochemical changes involved in inducing phagocytosis of the apoptotic cell, for example, allow the process to be neatly integrated within the tissues, under physiological conditions. Molecular defects in this area too may have important pathological consequences.

Glycosaminoglycans in the three lobes of the rat prostate following castration and testosterone treatment

Androgen dependence of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the prostate was studied using tissue from intact (sham control), castrated, and androgen-treated castrated rats. GAGs from the ventral, dorsal, and lateral lobes of the prostate were isolated and characterized by cellulose electrophoresis using appropriate GAG standards and enzymatic digestion or nitrous acid hydrolysis. Androgen deprivation was initiated by castration and rats were sacrificed at various time intervals after 7 days castration. After castration, the total GAG content decreased in three prostate lobes. At day 7 after castration, the total hyaluronic acid (HA) content decreased by 74% (ventral lobe) and 34% (lateral lobe) compared with the sham control. No effect was observed for HA content in the dorsal lobe. Castration decreased the total heparan sulphate (HS), dermatan sulphate (DS), and chondroitin sulphate (CS) contents in the three prostate lobes at 0 days of treatment, except for the CS content in the dorsal and lateral lobes. Androgen replacement increased the total GAG contents in the three prostate lobes. At 14 days of testosterone propionate treatment, there were 9-, 6.8-, 4.1- and 3.7-fold increases in HA, HS, DS, and CS, respectively, in the ventral lobe. These increases were more rapid and profound in the ventral than in the dorsal and lateral lobes. These findings indicate that all GAGs are regulated by androgen and there may be lobe-specific differences in their regulation. This could be a function of the heterogeneous populations of cells in each lobe.

Degradation of nuclear matrix and DNA cleavage in apoptotic thymocytes

In dexamethasone-treated thymocyte cultures an increase in nuclear proteolytic activity paralleled chromatin fragmentation and the appearance of small apoptotic cells. The elevation of nuclear proteolytic activity was accompanied by site-specific degradation of nuclear mitotic apparatus protein and lamin B, two essential components of the nuclear matrix. Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein phosphorylation and cleavage into 200 and 48 kDa fragments occurred within 30 minutes of dexamethasone treatment. Cleavage of lamin B, which generated a fragment of 46 kDa consistent with the central rod domain of the protein, was also detected after 30 minutes of exposure to the steroid hormone. The level of lamin B phosphorylation did not change as a result of the dexamethasone treatment and the lamina did not solubilize until the later stages of apoptosis. Initial DNA breaks, detected by the terminal transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay, occurred throughout the nuclei and solubilization of lamina was not required for this process to commence. The data presented in this paper support a model of apoptotic nuclear destruction brought about by the site-specific proteolysis of key structural proteins. Both the nuclear mitotic apparatus protein and lamin B were specifically targeted by protease(s) at early stages of the cell death pathway, which possibly initiate the cascade of degradative events in apoptosis.