Oxidatively modified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and Alzheimer's disease: many pathways to neurodegeneration

Critical roles of mitochondria in brain activities of torpid Myotis ricketti bats revealed by a proteomic approach

Bats are the only mammals that fly and hibernate. Little is known about their overall metabolism in the brain during hibernation. In this study, brain proteins of torpid and active Myotis ricketti bats were fractionated and compared using a proteomic approach. Results showed that 21% (23 proteins) of identified proteins with significant expression changes were associated with amino acid metabolism and proteostasis. The expression levels of proteins involved in energy metabolism (15 proteins), cytoskeletal structure (18 proteins), and stress response (13 proteins) were also significantly altered in torpid bats. Over 30% (34 proteins) of differentially expressed proteins were associated with mitochondrial functions. Various post-translational modifications (PTMs) on PDHB, DLD, and ARG1 were detected, suggesting that bats use PTMs to regulate protein functions during torpor. Antioxidation and stress responses in torpid bats were similar to those of hibernated squirrels, suggesting a common strategy adopted by small hibernators against brain dysfunction. Since many amino acids that metabolize in mitochondria modulate neuronal transmissions, results of this study reveal pivotal roles of mitochondria in neural communication, metabolic regulation, and brain cell survival during bat hibernation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study reveals the mechanisms used by bats to regulate brain activities during torpor. These mechanisms include post-translational modifications and differential expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial electron transport, anaerobic glycolysis, TCA cycle efflux, cytoskeletal plasticity, amino acid metabolism, vesicle structure, antioxidation defense, stress response, and proteostasis. Our study provides insights in metabolic regulation of flying mammals during torpor and common strategies used by small hibernators in response to hibernation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms.

Lymphocyte mitochondria: toward identification of peripheral biomarkers in the progression of Alzheimer disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative condition. AD is histopathologically characterized by the presence of three main hallmarks: senile plaques (rich in amyloid-β peptide), neuronal fibrillary tangles (rich in phosphorylated tau protein), and synapse loss. However, definitive biomarkers for this devastating disease in living people are still lacking. In this study, we show that levels of oxidative stress markers are significantly increased in the mitochondria isolated from lymphocytes of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to cognitively normal individuals. Further, an increase in mitochondrial oxidative stress in MCI is associated with MMSE score, vitamin E components, and β-carotene. Further, a proteomics approach showed that alterations in the levels of thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase, myosin light polypeptide 6, and ATP synthase subunit β might be important in the progression and pathogenesis of AD. Increased understanding of oxidative stress and protein alterations in easily obtainable peripheral tissues will be helpful in developing biomarkers to combat this devastating disorder.

Redox molecular machines involved in tumor progression

SIGNIFICANCE

We herein review recent advances on the role exerted by protein redox machines engaged in tumor progression, focusing on cell adhesion and migration, regulation of transcriptional response, and tumor metabolic reprogramming, all features belonging to the new hallmarks of cancer.

RECENT ADVANCES

Several recent insights have reported that oxidative stress, either due to intracellular sources of oxidants, which are frequently deregulated in cancers or to microenvironment factors as hypoxia or stromal cell contact, plays a key role in tumor malignancy, as well as in metabolic pathways control. Indeed, many proteins behave as sensors of intracellular oxidative stress, including protein tyrosine kinases and phosphatases, transcription factors as p53, forkhead box class-Os, nuclear respiratory factor-2, nuclear factor-kB, hypoxia inducible factor, enzymes involved in glycolysis or penthose phosphate pathway as pyruvate kinase-M2 and adenylate monophosphate kinase, or DNA repair enzymes as Ataxia Teleangectasia Mutated. All these proteins have been reported to play essential roles during cancer progression and their sensitivity to oxidative stress has added new levels of complexity to the cancer field.

CRITICAL ISSUES

Main significant issues that need to be addressed in redox cancer biology are (i) sensitivity to a different level of oxidative stress of sensors, that is, they can respond to different oxidative insults/signals, and (ii) the real susceptibility of cancer cells to redox-based therapies due to the acknowledged plasticity of cancer cells to develop adoptive strategies.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Definitely, redox machines have the potentiality to develop into novel biomarkers and related target therapies should attain the goal of personalized medicine in the fight against cancer.

Pyruvate remediation of cell stress and genotoxicity induced by haloacetic acid drinking water disinfection by-products

Monohaloacetic acids (monoHAAs) are a major class of drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) and are cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and teratogenic. We propose a model of toxic action based on monoHAA-mediated inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as a target cytosolic enzyme. This model predicts that GAPDH inhibition by the monoHAAs will lead to a severe reduction of cellular ATP levels and repress the generation of pyruvate. A loss of pyruvate will lead to mitochondrial stress and genomic DNA damage. We found a concentration-dependent reduction of ATP in Chinese hamster ovary cells after monoHAA treatment. ATP reduction per pmol monoHAA followed the pattern of iodoacetic acid (IAA) > bromoacetic acid (BAA) >> chloroacetic acid (CAA), which is the pattern of potency observed with many toxicological endpoints. Exogenous supplementation with pyruvate enhanced ATP levels and attenuated monoHAA-induced genomic DNA damage as measured with single cell gel electrophoresis. These data were highly correlated with the SN 2 alkylating potentials of the monoHAAs and with the induction of toxicity. The results from this study strongly support the hypothesis that GAPDH inhibition and the possible subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species is linked with the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, teratogenicity, and neurotoxicity of these DBPs.

Functional divergence and convergent evolution in the plastid-targeted glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases of diverse eukaryotic algae

Background

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a key enzyme of the glycolytic pathway, reversibly catalyzing the sixth step of glycolysis and concurrently reducing the coenzyme NAD⁺ to NADH. In photosynthetic organisms a GAPDH paralog (Gap2 in Cyanobacteria, GapA in most photosynthetic eukaryotes) functions in the Calvin cycle, performing the reverse of the glycolytic reaction and using the coenzyme NADPH preferentially. In a number of photosynthetic eukaryotes that acquired their plastid by the secondary endosymbiosis of a eukaryotic red alga (Alveolates, haptophytes, cryptomonads and stramenopiles) GapA has been apparently replaced with a paralog of the host’s own cytosolic GAPDH (GapC1). Plastid GapC1 and GapA therefore represent two independent cases of functional divergence and adaptations to the Calvin cycle entailing a shift in subcellular targeting and a shift in binding preference from NAD⁺ to NADPH.

Methods

We used the programs FunDi, GroupSim, and Difference Evolutionary-Trace to detect sites involved in the functional divergence of these two groups of GAPDH sequences and to identify potential cases of convergent evolution in the Calvin-cycle adapted GapA and GapC1 families. Sites identified as being functionally divergent by all or some of these programs were then investigated with respect to their possible roles in the structure and function of both glycolytic and plastid-targeted GAPDH isoforms.

Conclusions

In this work we found substantial evidence for convergent evolution in GapA/B and GapC1. In many cases sites in GAPDHs of these groups converged on identical amino acid residues in specific positions of the protein known to play a role in the function and regulation of plastid-functioning enzymes relative to their cytosolic counterparts. In addition, we demonstrate that bioinformatic software like FunDi are important tools for the generation of meaningful biological hypotheses that can then be tested with direct experimental techniques.

Time-dependent changes in gene expression induced by secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha in the rat hippocampus

Background

Differential processing of the amyloid precursor protein liberates either amyloid-ß, a causative agent of Alzheimer’s disease, or secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha (sAPPα), which promotes neuroprotection, neurotrophism, neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. The underlying molecular mechanisms recruited by sAPPα that underpin these considerable cellular effects are not well elucidated. As these effects are enduring, we hypothesised that regulation of gene expression may be of importance and examined temporally specific gene networks and pathways induced by sAPPα in rat hippocampal organotypic slice cultures. Slices were exposed to 1 nM sAPPα or phosphate buffered saline for 15 min, 2 h or 24 h and sAPPα-associated gene expression profiles were produced for each time-point using Affymetrix Rat Gene 1.0 ST arrays (moderated t-test using Limma: p < 0.05, and fold change ± 1.15).

Results

Treatment of organotypic hippocampal slice cultures with 1 nM sAPPα induced temporally distinct gene expression profiles, including mRNA and microRNA associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Having demonstrated that treatment with human recombinant sAPPα was protective against N-methyl d-aspartate-induced toxicity, we next explored the sAPPα-induced gene expression profiles. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis predicted that short-term exposure to sAPPα elicited a multi-level transcriptional response, including upregulation of immediate early gene transcription factors (AP-1, Egr1), modulation of the chromatin environment, and apparent activation of the constitutive transcription factors CREB and NF-κB. Importantly, dynamic regulation of NF-κB appears to be integral to the transcriptional response across all time-points. In contrast, medium and long exposure to sAPPα resulted in an overall downregulation of gene expression. While these results suggest commonality between sAPPα and our previously reported analysis of plasticity-related gene expression, we found little crossover between these datasets. The gene networks formed following medium and long exposure to sAPPα were associated with inflammatory response, apoptosis, neurogenesis and cell survival; functions likely to be the basis of the neuroprotective effects of sAPPα.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that sAPPα rapidly and persistently regulates gene expression in rat hippocampus. This regulation is multi-level, temporally specific and is likely to underpin the neuroprotective effects of sAPPα.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) phosphorylation by protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) inhibits mitochondria elimination by lysosomal-like structures following ischemia and reoxygenation-induced injury

After cardiac ischemia and reperfusion or reoxygenation (I/R), damaged mitochondria propagate tissue injury by promoting cell death. One possible mechanism to protect from I/R-induced injury is the elimination of damaged mitochondria by mitophagy. Here we identify new molecular events that lead to mitophagy using a cell culture model and whole hearts subjected to I/R. We found that I/R induces glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) association with mitochondria and promotes direct uptake of damaged mitochondria into multiorganellar lysosomal-like (LL) structures for elimination independently of the macroautophagy pathway. We also found that protein kinase C δ (PKCδ) inhibits GAPDH-driven mitophagy by phosphorylating the mitochondrially associated GAPDH at threonine 246 following I/R. Phosphorylated GAPDH promotes the accumulation of mitochondria at the periphery of LL structures, which coincides with increased mitochondrial permeability. Either inhibition of PKCδ or expression of a phosphorylation-defective GAPDH mutant during I/R promotes a reduction in mitochondrial mass and apoptosis, thus indicating rescued mitophagy. Taken together, we identified a GAPDH/PKCδ signaling switch, which is activated during oxidative stress to regulate the balance between cell survival by mitophagy and cell death due to accumulation of damaged mitochondria.

From Drug Dosage Forms to Intelligent Drug-delivery Systems: a Change of Paradigm

The design of new drug-delivery systems (DDSs) able to regulate the moment and the rate at which the release should take place, and even to target the drug to specific tissues and cell compartments, has opened novel perspectives to improve the efficacy and safety of the therapeutic treatments. Ideally, the drug should only have access to its site of action and the release should follow the evolution of the disease or of certain biorhythms. The advances in the DDSs field are possible because of a better knowledge of the physiological functions and barriers to the drug access to the action site, but also due to the possibility of having “active” excipients that provide novel features. The joint work in a wide range of disciplines, comprising materials science, biomedical engineering and pharmaceutical technology, prompts the design and development of materials (lipids, polymers, hybrids) that can act as sensors of physiological parameters or external variables, and as actuators able to trigger or tune the release process. Such smart excipients lead to an advanced generation of DDSs designed as intelligent or stimuli-responsive. This chapter provides an overview of how the progress in DDSs is intimately linked to the evolution of the excipients, understood as a specific category of biomaterials. The phase transitions, the stimuli that can trigger them and the mechanisms behind the performance of the intelligent DDSs are analyzed as a whole, to serve as an introduction to the topics that are comprehensively discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. A look to the future is also provided.

Factors Affecting Aggregate Formation in Cell Models of Huntington's Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Most neurodegenerative pathologies stem from the formation of aggregates of mutant proteins, causing dysfunction and ultimately neuronal death. This study was aimed at elucidating the role of the protein factors that promote aggregate formation or prevent the process, respectively, glyceraldehyde-3-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and Hsp70 molecular chaperone. The siRNA technology was used to show that the inhibition of GAPDH expression leads to a 45-50% reduction in the aggregation of mutant huntingtin, with a repeat of 103 glutamine residues in a model of Huntington's disease (HD). Similarly, the blockage of GAPDH synthesis was found for the first time to reduce the degree of aggregation of mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (G93A) in a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The treatment of cells that imitate HD and ALS with a pharmacological GAPDH inhibitor, hydroxynonenal, was also shown to reduce the amount of the aggregating material in both disease models. Tissue transglutaminase is another factor that promotes the aggregation of mutant proteins; the inhibition of its activity with cystamine was found to prevent aggregate formation of mutant huntingtin and SOD1. In order to explore the protective function of Hsp70 in the control of the aggregation of mutant huntingtin, a cell model with inducible expression of the chaperone was used. The amount and size of polyglutamine aggregates were reduced by increasing the intracellular content of Hsp70. Thus, pharmacological regulation of the function of three proteins, GAPDH, tTG, and Hsp70, can affect the pathogenesis of two significant neurodegenerative diseases.

Cloning and heterologous overexpression of three gap genes encoding different glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases from the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000

The gammaproteobacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 is the causal agent of bacterial speck, a common disease of tomato. The mode of infection of this pathogen is not well understood, but according to molecular biological, genomic and proteomic data it produces a number of proteins that may promote infection and draw nutrients from the plant. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a major enzyme of carbon metabolism that was reported to be a surface antigen and virulence factor in other pathogenic microorganisms, but its possible role in the infection process of P. syringae has so far not been studied. Whole-genome sequence analyses revealed the occurrence in this phytopathogenic bacterium of three paralogous gap genes encoding distinct GAPDHs, namely two class I enzymes having different molecular mass subunits and one class III bifunctional D-erythrose-4-phosphate dehydrogenase/GAPDH enzyme. By using genome bioinformatics data, as well as alignments of both DNA and deduced protein sequences, the three gap genes of P. syringae were one-step cloned with a His-Tag in pET21a vector using a PCR-based strategy, and its expression optimized in Escherichia coli BL21 to achieve high yield of the heterologous proteins. In accordance with their distinct molecular phylogenies, these bacterial gap genes encode functional GAPDHs of diverse molecular masses and nicotinamide-coenzyme specificities, suggesting specific metabolic and/or cellular roles.

Early mitochondrial dysfunction leads to altered redox chemistry underlying pathogenesis of TPI deficiency

Triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) is responsible for the interconversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate in glycolysis. Point mutations in this gene are associated with a glycolytic enzymopathy called TPI deficiency. This study utilizes a Drosophila melanogaster model of TPI deficiency; TPI(sugarkill) is a mutant allele with a missense mutation (M80T) that causes phenotypes similar to human TPI deficiency. In this study, the redox status of TPI(sugarkill) flies was examined and manipulated to provide insight into the pathogenesis of this disease. Our data show that TPI(sugarkill) animals exhibit higher levels of the oxidized forms of NAD(+), NADP(+) and glutathione in an age-dependent manner. Additionally, we demonstrate that mitochondrial redox state is significantly more oxidized in TPI(sugarkill) animals. We hypothesized that TPI(sugarkill) animals may be more sensitive to oxidative stress and that this may underlie the progressive nature of disease pathogenesis. The effect of oxidizing and reducing stressors on behavioral phenotypes of the TPI(sugarkill) animals was tested. As predicted, oxidative stress worsened these phenotypes. Importantly, we discovered that reducing stress improved the behavioral and longevity phenotypes of the mutant organism without having an effect on TPI(sugarkill) protein levels. Overall, these data suggest that reduced activity of TPI leads to an oxidized redox state in these mutants and that the alleviation of this stress using reducing compounds can improve the mutant phenotypes.

Multiple binding partners

GAPDH interacts with a plethora of diverse cellular proteins. The network of interacting partners, or interactome, is presented for GAPDH with the interacting molecules grouped into specific functional and structural categories. By organizing the binding partners in this way, certain common structural features are beginning to surface, such as acidic dipeptide sequences that are found in several of these binding proteins. Additionally, the consensus sequences for target polynucleotides are being brought to light. The categories, which are presented according to function, offer an opportunity for research into the corresponding structural correlates to these interactions. Recent discoveries of interacting proteins have revealed novel relationships that are generating emerging mechanisms. Proteins that are associated with age-related neurodegenerative diseases appear to be particularly prone to binding GAPDH, suggesting that GAPDH may be playing a role in these diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases that are discussed are the conformational diseases of aging, suggesting that GAPDH may be a global sensor for cellular conformational stress. In addition to GAPDH's oxidoreductase activity, several other enzymatic functions have been discovered, including peroxidase, nitrosylase, mono-ADP-ribosylase and kinase activities.

Redox proteomics in selected neurodegenerative disorders: from its infancy to future applications

Several studies demonstrated that oxidative damage is a characteristic feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. The accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins may disrupt cellular functions by affecting protein expression, protein turnover, cell signaling, and induction of apoptosis and necrosis, suggesting that protein oxidation could have both physiological and pathological significance. For nearly two decades, our laboratory focused particular attention on studying oxidative damage of proteins and how their chemical modifications induced by reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species correlate with pathology, biochemical alterations, and clinical presentations of Alzheimer's disease. This comprehensive article outlines basic knowledge of oxidative modification of proteins and lipids, followed by the principles of redox proteomics analysis, which also involve recent advances of mass spectrometry technology, and its application to selected age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Redox proteomics results obtained in different diseases and animal models thereof may provide new insights into the main mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and progression of oxidative-stress-related neurodegenerative disorders. Redox proteomics can be considered a multifaceted approach that has the potential to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of a disease, to find disease markers, as well as to identify potential targets for drug therapy. Considering the importance of a better understanding of the cause/effect of protein dysfunction in the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, this article provides an overview of the intrinsic power of the redox proteomics approach together with the most significant results obtained by our laboratory and others during almost 10 years of research on neurodegenerative disorders since we initiated the field of redox proteomics.

Subcellular dynamics of multifunctional protein regulation: mechanisms of GAPDH intracellular translocation

Multidimensional proteins such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) exhibit distinct activities unrelated to their originally identified functions. Apart from glycolysis, GAPDH participates in iron metabolism, membrane trafficking, histone biosynthesis, the maintenance of DNA integrity and receptor mediated cell signaling. Further, multifunctional proteins exhibit distinct changes in their subcellular localization reflecting their new activities. As such, GAPDH is not only a cytosolic protein but is localized in the membrane, the nucleus, polysomes, the ER and the Golgi. In addition, although the initial subcellular localizations of multifunctional proteins may be of significance, dynamic changes in intracellular distribution may occur as a consequence of those new activities. As such, regulatory mechanisms may exist through which cells control multifunctional protein expression as a function of their subcellular localization. The temporal sequence through which subcellular translocation and the acquisition of new GAPDH functions is considered as well as post-translational modification as a basis for its intracellular transport.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular metabolic deficiency in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder. The pathology of AD includes amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits in neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, as well as neuronal loss in specific brain regions. Increasing epidemiological and functional neuroimaging evidence indicates that global and regional disruptions in brain metabolism are involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. Aβ precursor protein is cleaved to produce both extracellular and intracellular Aβ, accumulation of which might interfere with the homeostasis of cellular metabolism. Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that not only supply the main energy to the cell but also regulate apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction might contribute to Aβ neurotoxicity. In this review, we summarize the pathways of Aβ generation and its potential neurotoxic effects on cellular metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Enzyme-responsive nanoparticles for drug release and diagnostics

Enzymes are key components of the bionanotechnology toolbox that possess exceptional biorecognition capabilities and outstanding catalytic properties. When combined with the unique physical properties of nanomaterials, the resulting enzyme-responsive nanoparticles can be designed to perform functions efficiently and with high specificity for the triggering stimulus. This powerful concept has been successfully applied to the fabrication of drug delivery schemes where the tissue of interest is targeted via release of cargo triggered by the biocatalytic action of an enzyme. Moreover, the chemical transformation of the carrier by the enzyme can also generate therapeutic molecules, therefore paving the way to design multimodal nanomedicines with synergistic effects. Dysregulation of enzymatic activity has been observed in a number of severe pathological conditions, and this observation is useful not only to program drug delivery in vivo but also to fabricate ultrasensitive sensors for diagnosing these diseases. In this review, several enzyme-responsive nanomaterials such as polymer-based nanoparticles, liposomes, gold nanoparticles and quantum dots are introduced, and the modulation of their physicochemical properties by enzymatic activity emphasized. When known, toxicological issues related to the utilization nanomaterials are highlighted. Key examples of enzyme-responsive nanomaterials for drug delivery and diagnostics are presented, classified by the type of effector biomolecule, including hydrolases such as proteases, lipases and glycosidases, and oxidoreductases.

Measurement of altered AβPP isoform expression in frontal cortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease by absolute quantification real-time PCR

Enzymatic cleavage of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) produces amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides which form the insoluble cortical plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AβPP is post-transcriptionally processed into three major isoforms with differential cellular and tissue expression patterns. Changes in AβPP isoform expression may be indicative of disease pathogenesis in AD, but accurately measuring AβPP gene isoforms has been difficult to standardize, reproduce, and interpret. In light of this, we developed a set of isoform specific absolute quantification real time PCR standards that allow for quantification of transcript copy numbers for total AβPP and all three major isoforms (AβPP695, AβPP751, and AβPP770) in addition to glyceraldehyde-3-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and examined expression patterns in superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and cerebellar samples from patients with (n = 12) and without AD (n = 10). Both total AβPP and AβPP695 transcripts were significantly decreased in SFG of patients with AD compared to control (p = 0.037 and p = 0.034, respectively). AβPP751 and AβPP770 transcripts numbers were not significantly different between AD and control (p > 0.15). There was trend for decreased percentage AβPP695 (p = 0.051) and increased percentage AβPP770 (p = 0.013) expression in SFG of patients with AD. GAPDH transcripts levels were also decreased significantly in the SFG of patients with AD compared to control (p = 0.005). Decreasing total AβPP and AβPP695 copy number was associated with increased plaque burden and decreased cognitive function. In this study we describe a simple procedure for measuring AβPP isoform transcripts by real-time PCR and confirm previous studies showing altered AβPP isoform expression patterns in AD.

p53 is not necessary for nuclear translocation of GAPDH during NO-induced apoptosis

Aberrant GAPDH expression following S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) treatment was compared in HepG2 cells, which express functional p53, and Hep3B cells, which lack functional p53. The results of Western blotting and fluorescent immunocytochemistry revealed that nuclear translocation and accumulation of GAPDH occur in both HepG2 and Hep3B cells. This finding suggests that p53 may not be necessary for the GSNO-induced translocation of GAPDH to the nucleus during apoptotic cell death in hepatoma cells.

A genome-wide detection of copy number variations using SNP genotyping arrays in swine

Background

Copy Number Variations (CNVs) have been shown important in both normal phenotypic variability and disease susceptibility, and are increasingly accepted as another important source of genetic variation complementary to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Comprehensive identification and cataloging of pig CNVs would be of benefit to the functional analyses of genome variation.

Results

In this study, we performed a genome-wide CNV detection based on the Porcine SNP60 genotyping data of 474 pigs from three pure breed populations (Yorkshire, Landrace and Songliao Black) and one Duroc × Erhualian crossbred population. A total of 382 CNV regions (CNVRs) across genome were identified, which cover 95.76Mb of the pig genome and correspond to 4.23% of the autosomal genome sequence. The length of these CNVRs ranged from 5.03 to 2,702.7kb with an average of 250.7kb, and the frequencies of them varied from 0.42 to 20.87%. These CNVRs contains 1468 annotated genes, which possess a great variety of molecular functions, making them a promising resource for exploring the genetic basis of phenotypic variation within and among breeds. To confirmation of these findings, 18 CNVRs representing different predicted status and frequencies were chosen for validation via quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). Accordingly, 12 (66.67%) of them was successfully confirmed.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that currently available Porcine SNP60 BeadChip can be used to capture CNVs efficiently. Our study firstly provides a comprehensive map of copy number variation in the pig genome, which would be of help for understanding the pig genome and provide preliminary foundation for investigating the association between various phenotypes and CNVs.

Strategic role for mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease and cancer

SIGNIFICANCE

Detailed knowledge about cell death and cell survival mechanisms and how these pathways are impaired in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer forms the basis for future drug development for these diseases that affect millions of people around the world.

RECENT ADVANCES

In neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), cell death pathways are inappropriately activated, resulting in neuronal cell death. In contrast, cancer cells develop resistance to apoptosis by regulating anti-apoptotic proteins signaling via mitochondria. Mounting evidence shows that mitochondrial function is central in both cancer and AD. Cancer cells typically shut down oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in mitochondria and switch to glycolysis for ATP production, making them resistant to hypoxia. In AD, for example, amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and reactive oxygen species impair mitochondrial function. Neurons therefore also switch to glycolysis to maintain ATP production and to produce molecules involved in antioxidant metabolism in an attempt to survive.

CRITICAL ISSUES

One critical difference between cancer cells and neurons is that cancer cells can survive without OXPHOS, while neurons are dependent on OXPHOS for long-term survival.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

This review will focus on these abnormalities of mitochondrial function shared in AD and cancer and discuss the potential mechanisms underlying links that may be key steps in the development of therapeutic strategies.

Hippocampus neuronal metabolic gene expression outperforms whole tissue data in accurately predicting Alzheimer's disease progression

Numerous metabolic alterations are associated with the impairment of brain cells in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we use gene expression microarrays of both whole hippocampus tissue and hippocampal neurons of AD patients to investigate the ability of metabolic gene expression to predict AD progression and its cognitive decline. We find that the prediction accuracy of different AD stages is markedly higher when using neuronal expression data (0.9) than when using whole tissue expression (0.76). Furthermore, the metabolic genes' expression is shown to be as effective in predicting AD severity as the entire gene list. Remarkably, a regression model from hippocampal metabolic gene expression leads to a marked correlation of 0.57 with the Mini-Mental State Examination cognitive score. Notably, the expression of top predictive neuronal genes in AD is significantly higher than that of other metabolic genes in the brains of healthy subjects. All together, the analyses point to a subset of metabolic genes that is strongly associated with normal brain functioning and whose disruption plays a major role in AD.

Effect of glycolysis inhibition on mitochondrial function in rat brain

Inhibition of the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase enhances the neural vulnerability to excitotoxicity both in vivo and in vitro through an unknown mechanism possibly related to mitochondrial failure. However, as the effect of glycolysis inhibition on mitochondrial function in brain has not been studied, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of glycolysis inhibition induced by iodoacetate on mitochondrial function and oxidative stress in brain. Mitochondria were isolated from brain cortex, striatum and cerebellum of rats treated systemically with iodoacetate (25 mg/kg/day for 3 days). Oxygen consumption, ATP synthesis, transmembrane potential, reactive oxygen species production, lipoperoxidation, glutathione levels, and aconitase activity were assessed. Oxygen consumption and aconitase activity decreased in the brain cortex and striatum, showing that glycolysis inhibition did not trigger severe mitochondrial impairment, but a slight mitochondrial malfunction and oxidative stress were present.

Oxidative stress in HPV-driven viral carcinogenesis: redox proteomics analysis of HPV-16 dysplastic and neoplastic tissues

Genital infection by high risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV), although recognized as the main etio-pathogenetic factor of cervical cancer, is not per se sufficient to induce tumour development. Oxidative stress (OS) represents an interesting and under-explored candidate as a promoting factor in HPV-initiated carcinogenesis. To gain insight into the role of OS in cervical cancer, HPV-16 positive tissues were collected from patients with invasive squamous cervical carcinoma, from patients with High Grade dysplastic HPV lesions and from patients with no clinical evidence of HPV lesions. After virological characterization, modulation of proteins involved in the redox status regulation was investigated. ERp57 and GST were sharply elevated in dysplastic and neoplastic tissues. TrxR2 peaked in dysplastic samples while iNOS was progressively reduced in dysplastic and neoplastic samples. By redox proteomic approach, five proteins were found to have increased levels of carbonyls in dysplastic samples respect to controls namely: cytokeratin 6, actin, cornulin, retinal dehydrogenase and GAPDH. In carcinoma samples the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A, ERp57, serpin B3, Annexin 2 and GAPDH were found less oxidized than in dysplastic tissues. HPV16 neoplastic progression seems associated with increased oxidant environment. In dysplastic tissues the oxidative modification of DNA and proteins involved in cell morphogenesis and terminal differentiation may provide the conditions for the neoplastic progression. Conversely cancer tissues seem to attain an improved control on oxidative damage as shown by the selective reduction of carbonyl adducts on key detoxifying/pro-survival proteins.

Sex differences in brain proteomes of neuron-specific STAT3-null mice after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion

Signal transduction and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) plays an important role in neuronal survival, regeneration and repair after brain injury. We previously demonstrated that STAT3 is activated in brain after cerebral ischemia specifically in neurons. The effect was sex-specific and modulated by sex steroids, with higher activation in females than males. In the current study, we used a proteomics approach to identify downstream proteins affected by ischemia in male and female wild-type (WT) and neuron-specific STAT3 knockout (KO) mice. We established four comparison groups based on the transgenic condition and the hemisphere analyzed, respectively. Moreover, the sexual variable was taken into account and male and female animals were analyzed independently. Results support a role for STAT3 in metabolic, synaptic, structural and transcriptional responses to cerebral ischemia, indeed the adaptive response to ischemia/reperfusion injury is delayed in neuronal-specific STAT3 KO mice. The differences observed between males and females emphasize the importance of sex-specific neuronal survival and repair mechanisms, especially those involving antioxidant and energy-related activities, often caused by sex hormones.

Kinetics of aggregation of UV-irradiated glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit skeletal muscle. Effect of agents possessing chaperone-like activity

An aggregation test system based on the aggregation of UV-irradiated glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) from rabbit skeletal muscle has been proposed. On the basis of the measurements of the enzyme activity and differential scanning calorimetry data a conclusion has been made that UV radiation results in formation of damaged protein molecules with lower thermostability. It was shown that the order of aggregation rate for UV-irradiated GAPDH with respect to the protein was close to 2. This means that such a test system allows detecting the effect of various agents exclusively on the stage of aggregation of unfolded protein molecules. The influence of α-crystallin and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) on aggregation of UV-irradiated GAPDH was studied. Despite the fact that HP-β-CD accelerates thermal aggregation of non-irradiated GAPDH, in the case of aggregation of UV-irradiated GAPDH HP-β-CD reveals a purely protective effect.

Preconditioning with Ginkgo biloba (EGb 761®) provides neuroprotection through HO1 and CRMP2

Ginkgo biloba/EGb 761® (EGb 761) is a popular and standardized natural extract used worldwide for the treatment of many ailments. Although EGb 761 is purported to have a plethora of benefits, here, we were interested to study the neuroprotective properties of EGb 761 and its components and determine whether nuclear factor E2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) induction of the collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) pathway contributes to neuroprotection. Mice were pretreated with EGb 761 or one of its constituents (bilobalide, ginkgolide A, ginkgolide B, and terpene free material [TFM]) for 7days and then subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) and 48 h of reperfusion. All components except TFM significantly reduced infarct volumes and neurologic deficits. Next, we examined the antioxidant and neuritogenic properties of EGb 761 in primary neurons. Compared with vehicle-treated cells, pretreatment with EGb 761 significantly enhanced the survival of neurons exposed to tertiary butylhydroperoxide (t-BuOOH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Bilobalide and ginkgolide A also protected cells against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis showed that EGb 761 pretreatment significantly increased the protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO1, GAPDH, β-actin, CRMP2, and histone H3 during t-BuOOH-induced oxidative stress. These findings suggest that EGb 761 not only has antioxidant activity but also neuritogenic potential. Demonstrating such effects for possible drug discovery may prove beneficial in stroke and ischemic brain injury.

Neuromodulatory propensity of Bacopa monnieri leaf extract against 3-nitropropionic acid-induced oxidative stress: in vitro and in vivo evidences

We previously reported the propensity of Bacopa monnieri (BM) leaf powder to modulate endogenous levels of oxidative stress markers in the brain of prepubertal mice. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that pretreatment with an alcoholic extract of BM (BME) could provide neuroprotection against 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA)-induced oxidative stress under in vitro and in vivo conditions. In chemical systems, BME exhibited multiple free radical scavenging ability. Further, BME pretreatment completely abolished 3-NPA-induced oxidative stress response in brain (striatum, St) mitochondria in vitro. Likewise, pretreatment of dopaminergic (N27 cell lines) cells with BME not only abrogated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, but also offered marked protection against 3-NPA-mediated cytotoxicity. These findings were further validated employing a 3-NPA mice model in vivo. We determined the degree of oxidative stress induction, redox status, enzymic antioxidants, protein oxidation, and cholinergic function in various brain regions of male mice provided with BME for 10 days (prophylaxis) followed by 3-NPA challenge (75 mg/kg bw/day, i.p.). BME prophylaxis completely prevented 3-NPA-induced oxidative dysfunctions in St and other brain regions. 3-NPA-induced robust elevation of oxidative markers (malondialdehyde levels, ROS generation, hydroperoxide levels and protein carbonyls) in cytosol of brain regions was predominantly abolished among mice given BME prophylaxis. Interestingly, BME prophylaxis also prevented the depletion of reduced glutathione, thiol levels, and perturbations in antioxidant enzymes caused by 3-NPA. Collectively these findings provide evidence on the significant prophylactic neuroprotective efficacy of BME in prepubertal mice brain. Based on these data, it is hypothesized that BME can serve as a useful adjuvant in protecting brain against oxidative-mediated neurodegenerative disorders involving oxidative stress conditions.

Nuclear transport: a switch for the oxidative stress-signaling circuit?

Imbalances in the formation and clearance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to oxidative stress and subsequent changes that affect all aspects of physiology. To limit and repair the damage generated by ROS, cells have developed a multitude of responses. A hallmark of these responses is the activation of signaling pathways that modulate the function of downstream targets in different cellular locations. To this end, critical steps of the stress response that occur in the nucleus and cytoplasm have to be coordinated, which makes the proper communication between both compartments mandatory. Here, we discuss the interdependence of ROS-mediated signaling and the transport of macromolecules across the nuclear envelope. We highlight examples of oxidant-dependent nuclear trafficking and describe the impact of oxidative stress on the transport apparatus. Our paper concludes by proposing a cellular circuit of ROS-induced signaling, nuclear transport and repair.

Elevation of glutathione as a therapeutic strategy in Alzheimer disease

Oxidative stress has been associated with the onset and progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD). AD and MCI brain and plasma display extensive oxidative stress as indexed by protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, free radical formation, DNA oxidation, and decreased antioxidants. The most abundant endogenous antioxidant, glutathione, plays a significant role in combating oxidative stress. The ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione is utilized as a measure of intensity of oxidative stress. Antioxidants have long been considered as an approach to slow down AD progression. In this review, we focus on the elevation on glutathione through N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and γ-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester (GCEE) as a potential therapeutic approach for Alzheimer disease. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Antioxidants and Antioxidant Treatment in Disease.

Diversity in autoimmunity against retinal, neuronal, and axonal antigens in acquired neuro-retinopathy

PURPOSE

Autoimmune retinopathies and optic neuropathies are complex disorders of the retina and the optic nerve, in which patients develop autoantibodies (AAbs) against retinal and optic nerve proteins. Autoimmunity might significantly influence the outcome of retinal and optic nerve degenerative process but the pathogenic process is not fully elucidated. To better understand the role of AAbs in pathogenicity of these suspected autoimmune visual disorders, we focused on unique AAbs specificities associated with the syndrome to identify their antigenic targets in the optic nerve and retina.

METHODS

Serum samples were obtained from patients, whose visual disorders were potentially autoimmune in nature, including patients with cancer with possible paraneoplastic syndrome. Autoantibodies were tested against human optic nerve and retinal antigens for specificity by Western blotting and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

Out of 209 tested for anti-optic nerve autoantibodies, 55% showed specific neuronal autoantibodies. The repertoire of anti-optic nerve autoantibodies often differed from anti-retinal antibodies. The major antigenic targets for these antibodies could be divided into four groups. Autoantibodies specific to classical glycolytic enzymes involved in energy production (α and γ enolases, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) also reacted with retinal antigens. Autoantibodies targeted neuronal-specific myelin proteins (MBP, MOG), aquaporin 4, and collapsing response mediator protein 5 reacted with optic nerve antigens. They showed immunostaining of axons and myelin in the optic nerve as determined by double immunofluorescence.

CONCLUSION

We identified novel neuronal autoantigens not previously known to be associated with acquired autoimmune retinopathy and optic neuropathy. Knowledge of the full autoantibody repertoire perpetuating this syndrome is an important first requirement in increasing our understanding of the autoimmune process to facilitate better diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Protein S-nitrosylation: role for nitric oxide signaling in neuronal death

BACKGROUND

One of the signaling mechanisms mediated by nitric oxide (NO) is through S-nitrosylation, the reversible redox-based modification of cysteine residues, on target proteins that regulate a myriad of physiological and pathophysiological processes. In particular, an increasing number of studies have identified important roles for S-nitrosylation in regulating cell death.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

The present review focuses on different targets and functional consequences associated with nitric oxide and protein S-nitrosylation during neuronal cell death.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

S-Nitrosylation exhibits double-edged effects dependent on the levels, spatiotemporal distribution, and origins of NO in the brain: in general Snitrosylation resulting from the basal low level of NO in cells exerts anti-cell death effects, whereas S-nitrosylation elicited by induced NO upon stressed conditions is implicated in pro-cell death effects.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Dysregulated protein S-nitrosylation is implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases including degenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Elucidating specific targets of S-nitrosylation as well as their regulatory mechanisms may aid in the development of therapeutic intervention in a wide range of brain diseases.

Novel mechanism of Hsp70 chaperone-mediated prevention of polyglutamine aggregates in a cellular model of huntington disease

The key feature of polyglutamine aggregates accumulating in the course of Huntington disease (HD) is their resistance to protein denaturants, and to date only chaperones are proved to prevent mutant protein aggregation. It was suggested that expanded polyglutamine chains (polyQ) of mutant huntingtin are cross-linked to other proteins such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Here we clarify the roles of GAPDH and molecular chaperone Hsp70 in the formation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-insoluble polyQ aggregates. First, the addition of pure GAPDH was found to enhance the aggregation of polyQ in a cell-free model of HD. Secondly, the immunodepletion of GAPDH dose-dependently decreased polyQ aggregation. Finally, siRNA-mediated inhibition of GAPDH protein in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells has also reduced the aggregation of cellular polyQ. Regulated over-expression of Hsp70 decreased the amount of GAPDH associated with SDS-insoluble polyQ aggregates. Physical association of Hsp70 and GAPDH in SK-N-SH cells was shown by reciprocal immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy. Pure Hsp70 dose-dependently inhibited the formation of polyQ aggregates in cell-free model of HD by sequestering both GAPDH and polyQ. We demonstrated that Hsp70 binds to polyQ in adenosine triphosphate-dependent manner, which suggests that Hsp70 exerts a chaperoning activity in the course of this interaction. Binding of Hsp70 to GAPDH was nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent suggesting another type of association. Based on our findings, we conclude that Hsp70 protects cells in HD by removing/sequestering two intrinsic components of protein aggregates: the polyQ itself and GAPDH. We propose that GAPDH might be an important target for pharmacological treatment of HD and other polyglutamine expansion-related diseases.

Testis-specific glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: origin and evolution

Background

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPD) catalyses one of the glycolytic reactions and is also involved in a number of non-glycolytic processes, such as endocytosis, DNA excision repair, and induction of apoptosis. Mammals are known to possess two homologous GAPD isoenzymes: GAPD-1, a well-studied protein found in all somatic cells, and GAPD-2, which is expressed solely in testis. GAPD-2 supplies energy required for the movement of spermatozoa and is tightly bound to the sperm tail cytoskeleton by the additional N-terminal proline-rich domain absent in GAPD-1. In this study we investigate the evolutionary history of GAPD and gain some insights into specialization of GAPD-2 as a testis-specific protein.

Results

A dataset of GAPD sequences was assembled from public databases and used for phylogeny reconstruction by means of the Bayesian method. Since resolution in some clades of the obtained tree was too low, syntenic analysis was carried out to define the evolutionary history of GAPD more precisely. The performed selection tests showed that selective pressure varies across lineages and isoenzymes, as well as across different regions of the same sequences.

Conclusions

The obtained results suggest that GAPD-1 and GAPD-2 emerged after duplication during the early evolution of chordates. GAPD-2 was subsequently lost by most lineages except lizards, mammals, as well as cartilaginous and bony fishes. In reptilians and mammals, GAPD-2 specialized to a testis-specific protein and acquired the novel N-terminal proline-rich domain anchoring the protein in the sperm tail cytoskeleton. This domain is likely to have originated by exonization of a microsatellite genomic region. Recognition of the proline-rich domain by cytoskeletal proteins seems to be unspecific. Besides testis, GAPD-2 of lizards was also found in some regenerating tissues, but it lacks the proline-rich domain due to tissue-specific alternative splicing.

On the functional diversity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: biochemical mechanisms and regulatory control

BACKGROUND

New studies provide evidence that glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is not simply a classical glycolytic protein of little interest. Instead, it is a multifunctional protein with significant activity in a number of fundamental cell pathways. GAPDH is a highly conserved gene and protein, with a single mRNA transcribed from a unique gene. Control mechanisms must exist which regulate its functional diversity.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

This review focuses on new, timely studies defining not only its diverse activities but also those which define the regulatory mechanisms through which those functions may be controlled. The reader is referred to the author's prior review for the consideration of past reports which first indicated GAPDH multiple activities (Sirover, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1432 (1999) 159-184.)

CONCLUSIONS

These investigations demonstrate fundamental roles of GAPDH in vivo, dynamic changes in its subcellular localization, and the importance of posttranslational modifications as well as protein:protein interactions as regulatory control mechanisms.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

GAPDH is the prototype "moonlighting" protein which exhibits activities distinct from their classically identified functions. Their participation in diverse cell pathways is essential. Regulatory mechanisms exist which control those diverse activities as well as changes in their subcellular localization as a consequence of those new functions.

Quantitative proteomics analysis of phosphorylated proteins in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease subjects

Phosphorylation on tyrosine, threonine and serine residues represents one of the most important post-translational modifications and is a key regulator of cellular signaling of multiple biological processes that require a strict control by protein kinases and protein phosphatases. Abnormal protein phosphorylation has been associated with several human diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). One of the characteristic hallmarks of AD is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles, composed of microtubule-associated, abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau protein. However, several others proteins showed altered phosphorylation levels in AD suggesting that deregulated phosphorylation may contribute to AD pathogenesis. Phosphoproteomics has recently gained attention as a valuable approach to analyze protein phosphorylation, both in a quantitative and a qualitative way. We used the fluorescent phosphospecific Pro-Q Diamond dye to identify proteins that showed alterations in their overall phosphorylation in the hippocampus of AD vs. control (CTR) subjects. Significant changes were found for 17 proteins involved in crucial neuronal process such as energy metabolism or signal transduction. These phosphoproteome data may provide new clues to better understand molecular pathways that are deregulated in the pathogenesis and progression of AD.

4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is degraded by cathepsin G in rat neutrophils

Degradation of oxidized or oxidatively modified proteins is an essential part of the antioxidant defenses of cells. 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal, a major reactive aldehyde formed by lipid peroxidation, causes many types of cellular damage. It has been reported that 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified proteins are degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway or, in some cases, by the lysosomal pathway. However, our previous studies using U937 cells showed that 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is degraded by cathepsin G. In the present study, we isolated the 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-degrading enzyme from rat neutrophils to an active protein fraction of 28 kDa. Using the specific antibody, the 28 kDa protein was identified as cathepsin G. Moreover, the degradation activity was inhibited by cathepsin G inhibitors. These results suggest that cathepsin G plays a crucial role in the degradation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Cysteine-based redox switches in enzymes

The enzymes involved in metabolism and signaling are regulated by posttranslational modifications that influence their catalytic activity, rates of turnover, and targeting to subcellular locations. Most prominent among these has been phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, but now a distinct class of modification coming to the fore is a set of versatile redox modifications of key cysteine residues. Here we review the chemical, structural, and regulatory aspects of such redox regulation of enzymes and discuss examples of how these regulatory modifications often work in concert with phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events, making redox dependence an integral part of many cell signaling processes. Included are the emerging roles played by peroxiredoxins, a family of cysteine-based peroxidases that now appear to be major players in both antioxidant defense and cell signaling.

Interactions of glutathione transferases with 4-hydroxynonenal

Electrophilic products of lipid peroxidation are important contributors to the progression of several pathological states. The prototypical α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), triggers cellular events associated with oxidative stress, which can be curtailed by the glutathione-dependent elimination of HNE. The glutathione transferases (GSTs) are a major determinate of the intracellular concentration of HNE and can influence susceptibility to toxic effects, particularly when HNE and GST levels are altered in disease states. In this article, we provide a brief summary of the cellular effects of HNE, followed by a review of its GST-catalyzed detoxification, with an emphasis on the structural attributes that play an important role in the interactions with alpha-class GSTs. Some of the key determining characteristics that impart high alkenal activity reside in the unique C-terminal interactions of the GSTA4-4 enzyme. Studies encompassing both kinetic and structural analyses of related isoforms will be highlighted, with additional attention to stereochemical aspects that demonstrate the capacity of GSTA4-4 to detoxify both enantiomers of the biologically relevant racemic mixture while generating a select set of diastereomeric products with subsequent implications. A summary of the literature that examines the interplay between GSTs and HNE in model systems relevant to oxidative stress will also be discussed to demonstrate the magnitude of importance of GSTs in the overall detoxification scheme.

Involvement of Stat3 in mouse brain development and sexual dimorphism: a proteomics approach

Although the role of STAT3 in cell physiology and tissue development has been largely investigated, its involvement in the development and maintenance of nervous tissue and in the mechanisms of neuroprotection is not yet known. The potentially wide range of STAT3 activities raises the question of tissue- and gender-specificity as putative mechanisms of regulation. To explore the function of STAT3 in the brain and the hypothesis of a gender-linked modulation of STAT3, we analyzed a neuron-specific STAT3 knockout mouse model investigating the influence of STAT3 activity in brain protein expression pattern in both males and females in the absence of neurological insult. We performed a proteomic study aimed to reveal the molecular pathways directly or indirectly controlled by STAT3 underscoring its role in brain development and maintenance. We identified several proteins, belonging to different neuronal pathways such as energy metabolism or synaptic transmission, controlled by STAT3 that confirm its crucial role in brain development and maintenance. Moreover, we investigated the different processes that could contribute to the sexual dimorphic behavior observed in the incidence of neurological and mental disease. Interestingly both STAT3 KO and gender factors influence the expression of several mitochondrial proteins conferring to mitochondrial activity high importance in the regulation of brain physiology and conceivable relevance as therapeutic target.