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Zhang Y, Lin T, Leung HM, Zhang C, Wilson-Mifsud B, Feldman MB, Puel A, Lanternier F, Couderc LJ, Danion F, Catherinot E, Salvator H, Tcherkian C, Givel C, Xu J, Tearney GJ, Vyas JM, Li H, Hurley BP, Mou H. STAT3 mutation-associated airway epithelial defects in Job syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:538-550. [PMID: 36638921 PMCID: PMC10330947 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.12.821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Job syndrome is a disease of autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome (AD-HIES). Patients harboring STAT3 mutation are particularly prone to airway remodeling and airway infections. OBJECTIVES Airway epithelial cells play a central role as the first line of defense against pathogenic infection and express high levels of STAT3. This study thus interrogates how AD-HIES STAT3 mutations impact the physiological functions of airway epithelial cells. METHODS This study created human airway basal cells expressing 4 common AD-HIES STAT3 mutants (R382W, V463del, V637M, and Y657S). In addition, primary airway epithelial cells were isolated from a patient with Job syndrome who was harboring a STAT3-S560del mutation and from mice harboring a STAT3-V463del mutation. Cell proliferation, differentiation, barrier function, bacterial elimination, and innate immune responses to pathogenic infection were quantitatively analyzed. RESULTS STAT3 mutations reduce STAT3 protein phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, transcription activity, and protein stability in airway basal cells. As a consequence, STAT3-mutated airway basal cells give rise to airway epithelial cells with abnormal cellular composition and loss of coordinated mucociliary clearance. Notably, AD-HIES STAT3 airway epithelial cells are defective in bacterial killing and fail to initiate vigorous proinflammatory responses and neutrophil transepithelial migration in response to an experimental model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. CONCLUSIONS AD-HIES STAT3 mutations confer numerous abnormalities to airway epithelial cells in cell differentiation and host innate immunity, emphasizing their involvement in the pathogenesis of lung complications in Job syndrome. Therefore, therapies must address the epithelial defects as well as the previously noted immune cell defects to alleviate chronic infections in patients with Job syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Zhang
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass; Departments of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Mass
| | - Tian Lin
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass; Departments of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Mass
| | - Hui Min Leung
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Departments of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
| | - Brittany Wilson-Mifsud
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass; Departments of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Mass
| | - Michael B Feldman
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherché (INSERM) U1163, Paris, France; Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Anne Puel
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherché (INSERM) U1163, Paris, France; University of Paris, Imagine Institute, Paris, France; St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Fanny Lanternier
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de Référence des Mycoses Invasives et Antifongiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unite Mixté de Recherche (UMR) 2000, Paris, France; Service de Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpital Necker, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Louis-Jean Couderc
- Respiratory Diseases Department, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France; Laboratoire Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Suresnes, UMR 0892 Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France
| | - Francois Danion
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Laboratoire d'ImmunoRhumatologie Moléculaire, INSERM UMR_S 1109, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Hélène Salvator
- Respiratory Diseases Department, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France; Laboratoire Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Suresnes, UMR 0892 Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France
| | - Colas Tcherkian
- Respiratory Diseases Department, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France
| | - Claire Givel
- Respiratory Diseases Department, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France; Laboratoire Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Suresnes, UMR 0892 Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France
| | - Jie Xu
- Center for Advanced Models for Translational Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Michigan Medical Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Guillermo J Tearney
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Departments of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Jatin M Vyas
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass; Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Hu Li
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
| | - Bryan P Hurley
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass; Departments of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Mass
| | - Hongmei Mou
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass; Departments of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Mass.
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2
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The Role of BPIFA1 in Upper Airway Microbial Infections and Correlated Diseases. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:2021890. [PMID: 30255091 PMCID: PMC6140130 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2021890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The mucosa is part of the first line of immune defense against pathogen exposure in humans and prevents viral and bacterial infection of the soft palate, lungs, uvula, and nasal cavity that comprise the ear-nose-throat (ENT) region. Bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold containing family A, member 1 (BPIFA1) is a secretory protein found in human upper aerodigestive tract mucosa. This innate material is secreted in mucosal fluid or found in submucosal tissue in the human soft palate, lung, uvula, and nasal cavity. BPIFA1 is a critical component of the innate immune response that prevents upper airway diseases. This review will provide a brief introduction of the roles of BPIFA1 in the upper airway (with a focus on the nasal cavity, sinus, and middle ear), specifically its history, identification, distribution in various human tissues, function, and diagnostic value in various upper airway infectious diseases.
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3
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Mulay A, Hood DW, Williams D, Russell C, Brown SDM, Bingle L, Cheeseman M, Bingle CD. Loss of the homeostatic protein BPIFA1, leads to exacerbation of otitis media severity in the Junbo mouse model. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3128. [PMID: 29449589 PMCID: PMC5814562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21166-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Otitis Media (OM) is characterized by epithelial abnormalities and defects in innate immunity in the middle ear (ME). Although, BPIFA1, a member of the BPI fold containing family of putative innate defence proteins is abundantly expressed by the ME epithelium and SNPs in Bpifa1 have been associated with OM susceptibility, its role in the ME is not well characterized. We investigated the role of BPIFA1 in protection of the ME and the development of OM using murine models. Loss of Bpifa1 did not lead to OM development. However, deletion of Bpifa1 in Evi1Jbo/+ mice, a model of chronic OM, caused significant exacerbation of OM severity, thickening of the ME mucosa and increased collagen deposition, without a significant increase in pro-inflammatory gene expression. Our data suggests that BPIFA1 is involved in maintaining homeostasis within the ME under steady state conditions and its loss in the presence of inflammation, exacerbates epithelial remodelling leading to more severe OM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apoorva Mulay
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Derek W Hood
- MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Didcot, UK
| | - Debbie Williams
- MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Didcot, UK
| | - Catherine Russell
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Steve D M Brown
- MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Didcot, UK
| | - Lynne Bingle
- Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Michael Cheeseman
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Division of Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin D Bingle
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. .,Florey Institute for Host Pathogen Interactions, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
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4
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Mundhenk L, Erickson NA, Klymiuk N, Gruber AD. Interspecies diversity of chloride channel regulators, calcium-activated 3 genes. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191512. [PMID: 29346439 PMCID: PMC5773202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the chloride channel regulators, calcium-activated (CLCA) family, have been implicated in diverse biomedical conditions, including chronic inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis, the activation of macrophages, and the growth and metastatic spread of tumor cells. Several observations, however, could not be repeated across species boundaries and increasing evidence suggests that select CLCA genes are particularly prone to dynamic species-specific evolvements. Here, we systematically characterized structural and expressional differences of the CLCA3 gene across mammalian species, revealing a spectrum of gene duplications, e.g., in mice and cows, and of gene silencing via diverse chromosomal modifications in pigs and many primates, including humans. In contrast, expression of a canonical CLCA3 protein from a single functional gene seems to be evolutionarily retained in carnivores, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses. As an accepted asthma model, we chose the cat to establish the tissue and cellular expression pattern of the CLCA3 protein which was primarily found in mucin-producing cells of the respiratory tract and in stratified epithelia of the esophagus. Our results suggest that, among developmental differences in other CLCA genes, the CLCA3 gene possesses a particularly high dynamic evolutionary diversity with pivotal consequences for humans and other primates that seem to lack a CLCA3 protein. Our data also help to explain previous contradictory results on CLCA3 obtained from different species and warrant caution in extrapolating data from animal models in conditions where CLCA3 may be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Mundhenk
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Nancy A. Erickson
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolai Klymiuk
- Institute of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Achim D. Gruber
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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5
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An innate defense peptide BPIFA1/SPLUNC1 restricts influenza A virus infection. Mucosal Immunol 2018; 11:71-81. [PMID: 28513596 DOI: 10.1038/mi.2017.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The airway epithelium secretes proteins that function in innate defense against infection. Bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold-containing family member A1 (BPIFA1) is secreted into airways and has a protective role during bacterial infections, but it is not known whether it also has an antiviral role. To determine a role in host defense against influenza A virus (IAV) infection and to find the underlying defense mechanism, we developed transgenic mouse models that are deficient in BPIFA1 and used these, in combination with in vitro three-dimensional mouse tracheal epithelial cell (mTEC) cultures, to investigate its antiviral properties. We show that BPIFA1 has a significant role in mucosal defense against IAV infection. BPIFA1 secretion was highly modulated after IAV infection. Mice deficient in BPIFA1 lost more weight after infection, supported a higher viral load and virus reached the peripheral lung earlier, indicative of a defect in the control of infection. Further analysis using mTEC cultures showed that BPIFA1-deficient cells bound more virus particles, displayed increased nuclear import of IAV ribonucleoprotein complexes, and supported higher levels of viral replication. Our results identify a critical role of BPIFA1 in the initial phase of infection by inhibiting the binding and entry of IAV into airway epithelial cells.
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6
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Alves DBM, Bingle L, Bingle CD, Lourenço SV, Silva AA, Pereira DL, Vargas PA. BPI-fold (BPIF) containing/plunc protein expression in human fetal major and minor salivary glands. Braz Oral Res 2017; 31:e6. [PMID: 28099576 DOI: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2017.vol31.0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine expression, not previously described, of PLUNC (palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone) (BPI-fold containing) proteins in major and minor salivary glands from very early fetal tissue to the end of the second trimester and thus gain further insight into the function of these proteins. Early fetal heads, and major and minor salivary glands were collected retrospectively and glands were classified according to morphodifferentiation stage. Expression of BPI-fold containing proteins was localized through immunohistochemistry. BPIFA2, the major BPI-fold containing protein in adult salivary glands, was detected only in the laryngeal pharynx; the lack of staining in salivary glands suggested salivary expression is either very late in development or is only in adult tissues. Early expression of BPIFA1 was seen in the trachea and nasal cavity with salivary gland expression only seen in late morphodifferentiation stages. BPIFB1 was seen in early neural tissue and at later stages in submandibular and sublingual glands. BPIFA1 is significantly expressed in early fetal oral tissue but BPIFB1 has extremely limited expression and the major salivary BPIF protein (BPIFA2) is not produced in fetal development. Further studies, with more sensitive techniques, will confirm the expression pattern and enable a better understanding of embryonic BPIF protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Berretta Moreira Alves
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Lynne Bingle
- University of Sheffield, School of Clinical Dentistry, Academic Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Sheffield, UK
| | - Colin David Bingle
- University of Sheffield, Medical School, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Sheffield, UK
| | - Silvia Vanessa Lourenço
- Universidade de São Paulo - USP, School of Dentistry, Department of General Pathology, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
| | - Andréia Aparecida Silva
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Débora Lima Pereira
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Pablo Agustin Vargas
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp, Piracicaba Dental School, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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7
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Julián MT, Alonso N, Colobran R, Sánchez A, Miñarro A, Pujol-Autonell I, Carrascal J, Rodríguez-Fernández S, Ampudia RM, Vives-Pi M, Puig-Domingo M. CD26/DPPIV inhibition alters the expression of immune response-related genes in the thymi of NOD mice. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 426:101-12. [PMID: 26911933 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The transmembrane glycoprotein CD26 or dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) is a multifunctional protein. In immune system, CD26 plays a role in T-cell function and is also involved in thymic maturation and emigration patterns. In preclinical studies, treatment with DPPIV inhibitors reduces insulitis and delays or even reverses the new -onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. However, the specific mechanisms involved in these effects remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate how DPPIV inhibition modifies the expression of genes in the thymus of NOD mice by microarray analysis. Changes in the gene expression of β-cell autoantigens and Aire in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) were also evaluated by using qRT-PCR. A DPPIV inhibitor, MK626, was orally administered in the diet for 4 and 6 weeks starting at 6-8 weeks of age. Thymic glands from treated and control mice were obtained for each study checkpoint. Thymus transcriptome analysis revealed that 58 genes were significantly over-expressed in MK626-treated mice after 6 weeks of treatment. Changes in gene expression in the thymus were confined mainly to the immune system, including innate immunity, chemotaxis, antigen presentation and immunoregulation. Most of the genes are implicated in central tolerance mechanisms through several pathways. No differences were observed in the expression of Aire and β-cell autoantigens in TECs. In the current study, we demonstrate that treatment with the DPPIV inhibitor MK626 in NOD mice alters the expression of the immune response-related genes in the thymus, especially those related to immunological central tolerance, and may contribute to the prevention of T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Julián
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute and Hospital, 08916, Badalona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Alonso
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute and Hospital, 08916, Badalona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roger Colobran
- Immunology Division, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Sánchez
- Statistics Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Statistics and Bioinformatics Unit, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoni Miñarro
- Statistics Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irma Pujol-Autonell
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Carrascal
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Rodríguez-Fernández
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa María Ampudia
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Vives-Pi
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manel Puig-Domingo
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute and Hospital, 08916, Badalona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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8
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Britto CJ, Cohn L. Bactericidal/Permeability-increasing protein fold-containing family member A1 in airway host protection and respiratory disease. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2015; 52:525-34. [PMID: 25265466 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2014-0297rt] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein fold-containing family member A1 (BPIFA1), formerly known as SPLUNC1, is one of the most abundant proteins in respiratory secretions and has been identified with increasing frequency in studies of pulmonary disease. Its expression is largely restricted to the respiratory tract, being highly concentrated in the upper airways and proximal trachea. BPIFA1 is highly responsive to airborne pathogens, allergens, and irritants. BPIFA1 actively participates in host protection through antimicrobial, surfactant, airway surface liquid regulation, and immunomodulatory properties. Its expression is modulated in multiple lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory malignancies, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, the role of BPIFA1 in pulmonary pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. This review highlights the versatile properties of BPIFA1 in antimicrobial protection and its roles as a sensor of environmental exposure and regulator of immune cell function. A greater understanding of the contribution of BPIFA1 to disease pathogenesis and activity may clarify if BPIFA1 is a biomarker and potential drug target in pulmonary disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemente J Britto
- Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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9
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Leeming GH, Kipar A, Hughes DJ, Bingle L, Bennett E, Moyo NA, Tripp RA, Bigley AL, Bingle CD, Sample JT, Stewart JP. Gammaherpesvirus infection modulates the temporal and spatial expression of SCGB1A1 (CCSP) and BPIFA1 (SPLUNC1) in the respiratory tract. J Transl Med 2015; 95:610-24. [PMID: 25531566 PMCID: PMC4450743 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2014.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Murine γ-herpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) infection of Mus musculus-derived strains of mice is an established model of γ-herpesvirus infection. We have previously developed an alternative system using a natural host, the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), and shown that the MHV-68 M3 chemokine-binding protein contributes significantly to MHV-68 pathogenesis. Here we demonstrate in A. sylvaticus using high-density micro-arrays that M3 influences the expression of genes involved in the host response including Scgb1a1 and Bpifa1 that encode potential innate defense proteins secreted into the respiratory tract. Further analysis of MHV-68-infected animals showed that the levels of both protein and RNA for SCGB1A1 and BPIFA1 were decreased at day 7 post infection (p.i.) but increased at day 14 p.i. as compared with M3-deficient and mock-infected animals. The modulation of expression was most pronounced in bronchioles but was also present in the bronchi and trachea. Double staining using RNA in situ hybridization and immunohistology demonstrated that much of the BPIFA1 expression occurs in club cells along with SCGB1A1 and that BPIFA1 is stored within granules in these cells. The increase in SCGB1A1 and BPIFA1 expression at day 14 p.i. was associated with the differentiation of club cells into mucus-secreting cells. Our data highlight the role of club cells and the potential of SCGB1A1 and BPIFA1 as innate defense mediators during respiratory virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail H Leeming
- Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anja Kipar
- Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David J Hughes
- Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lynne Bingle
- Academic Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Elaine Bennett
- Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nathifa A Moyo
- Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ralph A Tripp
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Alison L Bigley
- Investigative and Translational Pathology, AstraZeneca, R&D Innovative Medicines, Global Safety Assessment, Macclesfield, UK
| | - Colin D Bingle
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Infection and Immunity, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jeffery T Sample
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - James P Stewart
- Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK. E-mail:
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10
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Bartlett JA, Meyerholz DK, Wohlford-Lenane CL, Naumann PW, Salzman NH, McCray PB. Increased susceptibility to otitis media in a Splunc1-deficient mouse model. Dis Model Mech 2015; 8:501-8. [PMID: 25765466 PMCID: PMC4415896 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.019646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear) is one of the most common diseases of early childhood. Susceptibility to otitis is influenced by a number of factors, including the actions of innate immune molecules secreted by the epithelia lining the nasopharynx, middle ear and Eustachian tube. The SPLUNC1 (short palate, lung, nasal epithelial clone 1) protein is a highly abundant secretory product of the mammalian nasal, oral and respiratory mucosa that is thought to play a multifunctional role in host defense. In this study we investigated Splunc1 expression in the ear of the mouse, and examined whether this protein contributes to overall host defense in the middle ear and/or Eustachian tube. We found that Splunc1 is highly expressed in both the surface epithelium and in submucosal glands in these regions in wild-type mice. In mice lacking Splunc1, we noted histologically an increased frequency of otitis media, characterized by the accumulation of leukocytes (neutrophils with scattered macrophages), proteinaceous fluid and mucus in the middle ear lumens. Furthermore, many of these mice had extensive remodeling of the middle ear wall, suggesting a chronic course of disease. From these observations, we conclude that loss of Splunc1 predisposes mice to the development of otitis media. The Splunc1−/− mouse model should help investigators to better understand both the biological role of Splunc1 as well as host defense mechanisms in the middle ear. Summary: We document expression of the innate immune factor Splunc1 in the murine middle ear and Eustachian tube, and describe spontaneous development of otitis media in mice lacking functional Splunc1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Bartlett
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - David K Meyerholz
- Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | | | - Paul W Naumann
- Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Nita H Salzman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Paul B McCray
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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Rausch F, Schicht M, Paulsen F, Ngueya I, Bräuer L, Brandt W. "SP-G", a putative new surfactant protein--tissue localization and 3D structure. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47789. [PMID: 23094088 PMCID: PMC3475697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Surfactant proteins (SP) are well known from human lung. These proteins assist the formation of a monolayer of surface-active phospholipids at the liquid-air interface of the alveolar lining, play a major role in lowering the surface tension of interfaces, and have functions in innate and adaptive immune defense. During recent years it became obvious that SPs are also part of other tissues and fluids such as tear fluid, gingiva, saliva, the nasolacrimal system, and kidney. Recently, a putative new surfactant protein (SFTA2 or SP-G) was identified, which has no sequence or structural identity to the already know surfactant proteins. In this work, computational chemistry and molecular-biological methods were combined to localize and characterize SP-G. With the help of a protein structure model, specific antibodies were obtained which allowed the detection of SP-G not only on mRNA but also on protein level. The localization of this protein in different human tissues, sequence based prediction tools for posttranslational modifications and molecular dynamic simulations reveal that SP-G has physicochemical properties similar to the already known surfactant proteins B and C. This includes also the possibility of interactions with lipid systems and with that, a potential surface-regulatory feature of SP-G. In conclusion, the results indicate SP-G as a new surfactant protein which represents an until now unknown surfactant protein class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Rausch
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin Schicht
- Institute of Anatomy, Department II, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Friedrich Paulsen
- Institute of Anatomy, Department II, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ivan Ngueya
- Institute of Anatomy, Department II, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Lars Bräuer
- Institute of Anatomy, Department II, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Brandt
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle, Germany
- * E-mail:
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12
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Musa M, Wilson K, Sun L, Mulay A, Bingle L, Marriott HM, LeClair EE, Bingle CD. Differential localisation of BPIFA1 (SPLUNC1) and BPIFB1 (LPLUNC1) in the nasal and oral cavities of mice. Cell Tissue Res 2012; 350:455-64. [PMID: 22986921 PMCID: PMC3505551 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-012-1490-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite being initially identified in mice, little is known about the sites of production of members of the BPI fold (BPIF) containing (PLUNC) family of putative innate defence proteins in this species. These proteins have largely been considered to be specificaly expressed in the respiratory tract, and we have recently shown that they exhibit differential expression in the epithelium of the proximal airways. In this study, we have used species-specific antibodies to systematically localize two members of this protein family; BPIFA1 (PLUNC/SPLUNC1) and BPIFB1 (LPLUNC1) in adult mice. In general, these proteins exhibit distinct and only partially overlapping localization. BPIFA1 is highly expressed in the respiratory epithelium and Bowman’s glands of the nasal passages, whereas BPIFB1 is present in small subset of goblet cells in the nasal passage and pharynx. BPIFB1 is also present in the serous glands in the proximal tongue where is co-localised with the salivary gland specific family member, BPIFA2E (parotid secretory protein) and also in glands of the soft palate. Both proteins exhibit limited expression outside of these regions. These results are consistent with the localization of the proteins seen in man. Knowledge of the complex expression patterns of BPIF proteins in these regions will allow the use of tractable mouse models of disease to dissect their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maslinda Musa
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Infection and Immunity, University of Sheffield, UK
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13
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Abstract
Although the biology the PLUNC (recently renamed BPI fold, BPIF) family of secreted proteins is poorly understood, multiple array based studies have suggested that some are differentially expressed in lung diseases. We have examined the expression of BPIFB1 (LPLUNC1), the prototypic two-domain containing family member, in lungs from CF patients and in mouse models of CF lung disease. BPIFB1 was localized in CF lung samples along with BPIFA1, MUC5AC, CD68 and NE and directly compared to histologically normal lung tissues and that of bacterial pneumonia. We generated novel antibodies to mouse BPIF proteins to conduct similar studies on ENaC transgenic (ENaC-Tg) mice, a model for CF-like lung disease. Small airways in CF demonstrated marked epithelial staining of BPIFB1 in goblet cells but staining was absent from alveolar regions. BPIFA1 and BPIFB1 were not co-localised in the diseased lungs. In ENaC-Tg mice there was strong staining of both proteins in the airways and luminal contents. This was most marked for BPIFB1 and was noted within 2 weeks of birth. The two proteins were present in distinct cells within epithelium. BPIFB1 was readily detected in BAL from ENaC-Tg mice but was absent from wild-type mice. Alterations in the expression of BPIF proteins is associated with CF lung disease in humans and mice. It is unclear if this elevation of protein production, which results from phenotypic alteration of the cells within the diseased epithelium, plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
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14
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González-Arriagada WA, Santos-Silva AR, Ito FA, Vargas PA, Speight PM, Bingle L, Lopes MA. Expression pattern of PLUNC proteins as an auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary gland. J Oral Pathol Med 2012; 41:589-97. [PMID: 22487508 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0714.2012.01145.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mucoepidermoid carcinomas are the most frequent malignant neoplasia of the salivary glands and are histologically classified as low, intermediate, and high grade. At present, histochemical stains such as periodic acid-Schiff or mucicarmine are useful tools in making a diagnosis. Recently, expression of the PLUNC proteins has been described in mucin-producing salivary gland tumors, with the suggestion that they could provide a powerful tool for the diagnosis of difficult cases. METHODS This study evaluates the expression of PLUNC proteins in 30 cases of salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinomas. Tumors were reviewed and classified according to histological grade. Periodic acid-Schiff, mucicarmine, and immunohistochemical staining for SPLUNC1, LPLUNC1, SPLUNC2, and LPLUNC2 were carried out. Immunostaining was classified as positive or negative. RESULTS The majority of the tumors (63%) were classified as low grade, 13% were intermediate grade, and 23% were high grade. SPLUNC1 (90%) and LPLUNC1 (93%) were positive in the majority of cases, mainly in mucous cells, mucin plugs, and intermediate cells. SPLUNC2 and LPLUNC2 did not present significative expression within the tumors; however, LPLUNC2 was found to stain positively in mast cells in 83% of the samples. CONCLUSIONS SPLUNC1 and LPLUNC1 showed a similar pattern of expression and could prove useful in the diagnosis of high-grade cases because of the differential staining in intermediate and epidermoid cells. The expression of LPLUNC2 in mast cells has not previously been reported, but further studies are necessary to validate this finding and to determine its significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilfredo A González-Arriagada
- Oral Diagnosis Department, Semiology and Oral Pathology, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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15
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Distant cousins: genomic and sequence diversity within the BPI fold-containing (BPIF)/PLUNC protein family. Biochem Soc Trans 2011; 39:961-5. [PMID: 21787330 DOI: 10.1042/bst0390961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone) proteins make up the largest branch of the BPI (bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein)/LBP (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein) family of lipid-transfer proteins. PLUNCs make up one of the most rapidly evolving mammalian protein families and exhibit low levels of sequence similarity coupled with multiple examples of species-specific gene acquisition and gene loss. Vertebrate genomes contain multiple examples of genes that do not meet our original definition of what is required to be a member of the PLUNC family, namely conservation of exon numbers/sizes, overall protein size, genomic location and the presence of a conserved disulfide bond. This suggests that evolutionary forces have continued to act on the structure of this conserved domain in what are likely to be functionally important ways.
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16
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Old and new findings on lipopolysaccharide-binding protein: a soluble pattern-recognition molecule. Biochem Soc Trans 2011; 39:989-93. [PMID: 21787335 DOI: 10.1042/bst0390989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
LBP [LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-binding protein] was discovered approximately 25 years ago. Since then, substantial progress has been made towards our understanding of its function in health and disease. Furthermore, the discovery of a large protein family sharing functional and structural attributes has helped in our knowledge. Still, key questions are unresolved, and here an overview on the old and new findings on LBP is given. LBP is an acute-phase protein of the liver, but is also synthesized in other cells of the organism. While LBP is named after the ability to bind to LPS of Gram-negative bacteria, it also can recognize other bacterial compounds, such as lipopeptides. It has been shown that LBP is needed to combat infections; however, the main mechanism of action is still not clear. New findings on natural genetic variations of LBP leading to functional consequences may help in further elucidating the mechanism of LBP and its role in innate immunity and disease.
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17
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Functional roles of SPLUNC1 in the innate immune response against Gram-negative bacteria. Biochem Soc Trans 2011; 39:1051-5. [PMID: 21787346 DOI: 10.1042/bst0391051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone)-associated gene originally referred to one gene, but now has been extended to represent a gene family that consists of a number of genes with peptide sequence homologies and predicted structural similarities. PLUNC-like proteins display sequence homology with BPI (bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein), a 456-residue cationic protein produced by precursors of polymorphonuclear leucocytes that have been shown to possess both bactericidal and LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-binding activities. The human PLUNC is also known as LUNX (lung-specific X protein), NASG (nasopharyngeal carcinoma-related protein) and SPURT (secretory protein in upper respiratory tract). The gene originally named PLUNC is now recognized as SPLUNC1. Its gene product SPLUNC1 is a secretory protein that is abundantly expressed in cells of the surface epithelium in the upper respiratory tracts and secretory glands in lung, and in the head and the neck region. The functional role of SPLUNC1 in innate immunity has been suggested but not clearly defined. The present review describes recent findings that support antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory functions of SPLUNC1 in Gram-negative bacteria-induced respiratory infection.
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18
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Gally F, Di YP, Smith SK, Minor MN, Liu Y, Bratton DL, Frasch SC, Michels NM, Case SR, Chu HW. SPLUNC1 promotes lung innate defense against Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in mice. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 178:2159-67. [PMID: 21514430 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2010] [Revised: 12/17/2010] [Accepted: 01/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Short palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone 1 (SPLUNC1) protein is highly expressed in normal airways, but is dramatically decreased in allergic and cigarette smoke exposure settings. We have previously demonstrated SPLUNC1 in vitro antibacterial property against Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp). However, its in vivo biological functions remain unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine the in vivo functions of SPLUNC1 following bacterial (eg, Mp) infection, and to examine the underlying mechanisms. We generated SPLUNC1-deficient mice and utilized transgenic mice overexpressing human SPLUNC1 exclusively within the airway epithelium. These mice were infected with Mp and, twenty-four hours post infection, their host defense responses were compared to littermate controls. Mp levels and inflammatory cells increased in the lungs of SPLUNC1(-/-) mice as compared to wild type controls. SPLUNC1 deficiency was shown to contribute to impaired neutrophil activation. In contrast, mice overexpressing hSPLUNC1 exclusively in airway epithelial cells demonstrated lower Mp levels. Furthermore, neutrophil elastase activity was significantly increased in mice overexpressing hSPLUNC1. Lastly, we demonstrated that SPLUNC1 enhanced Mp-induced human neutrophil elastase (HNE) activity, and HNE directly inhibited the growth of Mp. Our findings demonstrate a critical in vivo role of SPLUNC1 in host defense against bacterial infection, and likely provide a novel therapeutic approach to restore impaired lung innate immune responses to bacteria in patients with chronic lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Gally
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
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19
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Abstract
Members of the protein family having similarity to BPI (bactericidal/permeability increasing protein) (the BPI-like proteins), also known as the PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone) family, have been found in a range of mammals; however, those in species other than human or mouse have been relatively little characterized. Analysis of the BPI-like proteins in cattle presents unique opportunities to investigate the function of these proteins, as well as address their evolution and contribution to the distinct physiology of ruminants. The present review summarizes the current understanding of the nature of the BPI-like locus in cattle, including the duplications giving rise to the multiple BSP30 (bovine salivary protein 30 kDa) genes from an ancestral gene in common with the single PSP (parotid secretory protein) gene found in monogastric species. Current knowledge of the expression of the BPI-like proteins in cattle is also presented, including their pattern of expression among tissues, which illustrate their independent regulation at sites of high pathogen exposure, and the abundance of the BSP30 proteins in saliva and salivary tissues. Finally, investigations of the function of the BSP30 proteins are presented, including their antimicrobial, lipopolysaccharide-binding and bacterial aggregation activities. These results are discussed in relation to hypotheses regarding the physiological role of the BPI-like proteins in cattle, including the role they may play in host defence and the unique aspects of digestion in ruminants.
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20
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McDonald RE, Fleming RI, Beeley JG, Bovell DL, Lu JR, Zhao X, Cooper A, Kennedy MW. Latherin: a surfactant protein of horse sweat and saliva. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5726. [PMID: 19478940 PMCID: PMC2684629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2009] [Accepted: 04/20/2009] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Horses are unusual in producing protein-rich sweat for thermoregulation, a major component of which is latherin, a highly surface-active, non-glycosylated protein. The amino acid sequence of latherin, determined from cDNA analysis, is highly conserved across four geographically dispersed equid species (horse, zebra, onager, ass), and is similar to a family of proteins only found previously in the oral cavity and associated tissues of mammals. Latherin produces a significant reduction in water surface tension at low concentrations (≤1 mg ml−1), and therefore probably acts as a wetting agent to facilitate evaporative cooling through a waterproofed pelt. Neutron reflection experiments indicate that this detergent-like activity is associated with the formation of a dense protein layer, about 10 Å thick, at the air-water interface. However, biophysical characterization (circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry) in solution shows that latherin behaves like a typical globular protein, although with unusual intrinsic fluorescence characteristics, suggesting that significant conformational change or unfolding of the protein is required for assembly of the air-water interfacial layer. RT-PCR screening revealed latherin transcripts in horse skin and salivary gland but in no other tissues. Recombinant latherin produced in bacteria was also found to be the target of IgE antibody from horse-allergic subjects. Equids therefore may have adapted an oral/salivary mucosal protein for two purposes peculiar to their lifestyle, namely their need for rapid and efficient heat dissipation and their specialisation for masticating and processing large quantities of dry food material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhona E. McDonald
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel I. Fleming
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - John G. Beeley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas L. Bovell
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Jian R. Lu
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Cooper
- WestChem Department of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm W. Kennedy
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Bartlett JA, Hicks BJ, Schlomann JM, Ramachandran S, Nauseef WM, McCray PB. PLUNC is a secreted product of neutrophil granules. J Leukoc Biol 2008; 83:1201-6. [PMID: 18245229 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.0507302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Airway epithelia and neutrophils are frequently recruited to release host defense factors in response to a variety of pulmonary pathogens. One abundant product of airway epithelia is palate, lung, nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC), a proposed innate immune protein expressed in submucosal glands and surface airway epithelia. In this study, we report the expression of PLUNC in human neutrophils, a previously unrecognized source of this protein. Immunoblots performed on polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) lysates and PMN subcellular fractions indicated that PLUNC was present in the specific granules of the neutrophil. Furthermore, secretion assays demonstrated that PLUNC protein was released by neutrophils upon stimulation with secretogogues, including formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine and the calcium ionophore A23187. Although recombinant PLUNC protein failed to exhibit antibacterial activity in our studies, its storage and secretion by a professional phagocytic cell support the hypothesis that PLUNC participates in an aspect of the inflammatory response that contributes to host defense. These studies suggest that PLUNC expression is less restricted than previously believed, and highlight new avenues of research for the study of PLUNC function.
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22
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Bingle L, Barnes FA, Cross SS, Rassl D, Wallace WA, Campos MA, Bingle CD. Differential epithelial expression of the putative innate immune molecule SPLUNC1 in cystic fibrosis. Respir Res 2007; 8:79. [PMID: 17988392 PMCID: PMC2203987 DOI: 10.1186/1465-9921-8-79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2007] [Accepted: 11/07/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Short PLUNC1 (SPLUNC1) is the founding member of a family of proteins (PLUNCS) expressed in the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity, which may function in host defence. It is one of the most highly expressed genes in the upper airways and the protein has been detected in sputum and nasal secretions. The biology of the PLUNC family is poorly understood but in keeping with the putative function of the protein as an immune defence protein, a number of RNA and protein studies have indicated that SPLUNC1 is increased in inflammatory/infectious conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF), COPD and allergic rhinitis. METHODS We used immunohistochemistry to localise SPLUNC1 in lung tissue from patients with CF and a range of other lung diseases. We used a range of additional markers for distinct cell types to try to establish the exact site of secretion of SPLUNC1. We have complemented these studies with a molecular analysis of SPLUNC1 gene expression in primary human lung cell cultures and isolated inflammatory cell populations. RESULTS In CF, expression of SPLUNC1 is significantly elevated in diseased airways and positive staining was noted in some of the inflammatory infiltrates. The epithelium of small airways of CF lung exhibit significantly increased SPLUNC1 staining compared to similar sized airways in non-CF lungs where staining is absent. Strong staining was also seen in mucous plugs in the airways, these included many inflammatory cells. No alveolar epithelial staining was noted in CF tissue. Airway epithelial staining did not co-localise with MUC5AC suggesting that the protein was not produced by goblet cells. Using serial sections stained with neutrophil elastase and CD68 we could not demonstrate co-localisation of SPLUNC1 with either neutrophils or macrophages/monocytes, indicating that these cells were not a source of SPLUNC1 in the airways of CF lungs. No change in staining pattern was noted in the small airways or lung parenchyma of other lung diseases studied including, COPD, emphysema or pneumonia where significant NE and CD68 staining was noted. Cultures of primary tracheobronchial epithelial cells were analysed by RT-PCR and showed that pro-inflammatory mediators did not induce expression of SPLUNC1. We have also shown that SPLUNC1 gene expression was not seen in isolated human mononuclear cells, macrophages or neutrophils. CONCLUSION These studies show that SPLUNC1 is specifically and significantly increased in the small airways of lungs from patients with CF. They further suggest that it is the airway epithelium that is responsible for the increased levels of SPLUNC1 in CF and not inflammatory cells; this could be a defensive response to the infectious component of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Bingle
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK
| | - Frances A Barnes
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK
| | - Simon S Cross
- Academic Unit of Pathology, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK
| | - Doris Rassl
- Department of Pathology, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Michael A Campos
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Colin D Bingle
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK
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Wheeler TT, Hood KA, Maqbool NJ, McEwan JC, Bingle CD, Zhao S. Expansion of the Bactericidal/Permeability Increasing-like (BPI-like) protein locus in cattle. BMC Genomics 2007; 8:75. [PMID: 17362520 PMCID: PMC1839098 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-8-75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2006] [Accepted: 03/15/2007] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cattle and other ruminants have evolved the ability to derive most of their metabolic energy requirement from otherwise indigestible plant matter through a symbiotic relationship with plant fibre degrading microbes within a specialised fermentation chamber, the rumen. The genetic changes underlying the evolution of the ruminant lifestyle are poorly understood. The BPI-like locus encodes several putative innate immune proteins, expressed predominantly in the oral cavity and airways, which are structurally related to Bactericidal/Permeability Increasing protein (BPI). We have previously reported the expression of variant BPI-like proteins in cattle (Biochim Biophys Acta 2002, 1579, 92–100). Characterisation of the BPI-like locus in cattle would lead to a better understanding of the role of the BPI-like proteins in cattle physiology Results We have sequenced and characterised a 722 kbp segment of BTA13 containing the bovine BPI-like protein locus. Nine of the 13 contiguous BPI-like genes in the locus in cattle are orthologous to genes in the human and mouse locus, and are thought to play a role in host defence. Phylogenetic analysis indicates the remaining four genes, which we have named BSP30A, BSP30B, BSP30C and BSP30D, appear to have arisen in cattle through a series of duplications. The transcripts of the four BSP30 genes are most abundant in tissues associated with the oral cavity and airways. BSP30C transcripts are also found in the abomasum. This, as well as the ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous differences between pairs of the BSP30 genes, is consistent with at least BSP30C having acquired a distinct function from the other BSP30 proteins and from its paralog in human and mouse, parotid secretory protein (PSP). Conclusion The BPI-like locus in mammals appears to have evolved rapidly through multiple gene duplication events, and is thus a hot spot for genome evolution. It is possible that BSP30 gene duplication is a characteristic feature of ruminants and that the BSP30 proteins contribute to an aspect of ruminant-specific physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas T Wheeler
- Dairy Science and Technology Section, AgResearch Ruakura, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Kylie A Hood
- Dairy Science and Technology Section, AgResearch Ruakura, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Wakefield Gastroenterology Centre, Wakefield Hospital, Private Bag 7909 Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Nauman J Maqbool
- Bioinformatics, Mathematics & Statistics Section, Invermay, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
| | - John C McEwan
- Animal Genomics Section, AgResearch, Invermay, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
| | - Colin D Bingle
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, The University of Sheffield Medical School, M117, Royal Hallamshire Hospital Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
| | - Shaying Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Kim CH, Kim K, Jik Kim H, Kook Kim J, Lee JG, Yoon JH. Expression and regulation of PLUNC in human nasal epithelium. Acta Otolaryngol 2006; 126:1073-8. [PMID: 16923713 DOI: 10.1080/00016480600606749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that PLUNC (palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone) is secreted from nasal epithelial cells and is not influenced by differentiation or proinflammatory mediators. The functional role of PLUNC in the human airway has yet to be elucidated. OBJECTIVES The localization and regulation of PLUNC protein in human nasal epithelium was investigated. First, we located epithelial cells expressing PLUNC protein in human nasal mucosa. Secondly, we sought to identify PLUNC protein in either human nasal secretions from healthy volunteers or apical secretions from cultured human nasal epithelial cells. Lastly, we investigated whether epithelial differentiation and proinflammatory cytokines influence the expression of PLUNC in human nasal epithelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Immunohistochemical staining for PLUNC was conducted on nasal turbinate specimens. Western blot analysis was conducted on nasal secretions from healthy volunteers, apical secretion from cultured human nasal epithelium, and on normal-appearing posterior ethmoid mucosa, inferior turbinate, and nasal polyp specimens. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) of PLUNC was performed with mRNA from cultured human nasal epithelium cells treated with either interleukin-1beta or tumor necrosis factor-alpha. RESULTS PLUNC was expressed in ciliated cells of surface epithelium and serous cells of the submucosal gland in the human nasal mucosa, and was also found in the nasal secretions of healthy volunteers and apical secretions of cultured human nasal epithelial cells. The degree of mucociliary differentiation and proinflammatory mediators did not influence the expression of PLUNC gene and protein in nasal epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Hoon Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Airway Mucus Institute, Biomolecule Secretion Research Center, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Jenkinson WE, Rossi SW, Jenkinson EJ, Anderson G. Development of functional thymic epithelial cells occurs independently of lymphostromal interactions. Mech Dev 2005; 122:1294-9. [PMID: 16274965 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2005.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2005] [Revised: 08/03/2005] [Accepted: 08/05/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The thymus provides a specialised microenvironment for the development of T-cell precursors. This developmental programme depends upon interactions with stromal cells such as thymic epithelial cells, which provide signals for proliferation, survival and differentiation. In turn, it has been proposed that development of thymic epithelial cells themselves is regulated by signals produced by developing thymocytes. Evidence in support of this symbiotic relationship, termed thymic crosstalk, comes from studies analysing the thymus of adult mice harbouring blocks at specific stages of thymocyte development, where it is difficult to separate mechanisms regulating the initial development of thymic epithelial cells from those regulating their maintenance. To distinguish between these processes, we have analysed the initial developmental programme of thymic epithelial cells within the embryonic thymus, in either the presence or absence of normal T-cell development. We show that keratin 5+8+ precursor epithelial cells present in the early thymic rudiment differentiate into discrete cortical and medullary epithelial subsets displaying normal gene expression profiles, and acquire functional competence, independently of signals from T-cell precursors. Thus, our findings redefine current models of thymus development and argue against a role for thymocyte-epithelial cell crosstalk in the development of thymic epithelial progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- William E Jenkinson
- Department of Anatomy, MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute of Biomedical Research, Medical School, University of Birmingham B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK
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Dooley J, Erickson M, Farr AG. An Organized Medullary Epithelial Structure in the Normal Thymus Expresses Molecules of Respiratory Epithelium and Resembles the Epithelial Thymic Rudiment of Nude Mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2005; 175:4331-7. [PMID: 16177073 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.175.7.4331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The expression of tissue-specific Ags (TSA) within the thymic environment has emerged as an important contribution to the establishment of self-tolerance. The mechanistic basis for this property is poorly understood. One model has proposed stochastic derepression of gene expression by mature medullary epithelial cells, whereas another model has suggested that this property of thymic epithelial cells reflects transcriptional activity during their differentiation. Most of the analyses of thymic TSA expression have been done with populations of dissociated thymic epithelial cells; therefore, there is little information regarding the spatial pattern of TSA expression within the thymus. We have evaluated a subset of thymic epithelial cells in the murine thymus that display several unique features. First, within the normal thymus, they form cysts that express several TSA of respiratory epithelium and exhibit some morphological features consistent with respiratory epithelium. These cells also display a phenotypic profile that has been proposed for immature thymic epithelium. The cystic epithelia in the normal thymus and in the nude thymic rudiment are phenotypically very similar, suggesting that they may have a similar developmental program. The coordinated expression of respiratory TSA by an organized subset of thymic epithelial cells and the phenotypic resemblance of these cells to progenitor cells seem consistent with a developmental basis for TSA expression by thymic epithelial cells. Finally, epitopes that define thymic epithelial heterogeneity are reciprocally expressed by respiratory epithelium, which raises interesting questions regarding the developmental relationship of different endodermal derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Dooley
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA
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27
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Larsen K, Madsen LB, Bendixen C. Porcine SPLUNC1: molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 1727:220-6. [PMID: 15777615 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbaexp.2005.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2004] [Revised: 01/11/2005] [Accepted: 01/20/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
SPLUNC1, originally named PLUNC for palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone, is a small protein which is secreted from the epithelial cells of the nasal cavity and the upper respiratory tract in humans, mice, rats and cows. SPLUNC1 is structurally homologous to the two key mediators of host defense against Gram-negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) and bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI). SPLUNC1 is therefore believed to play a role in the innate immune system. This work reports the cloning and analysis of the porcine (Sus scrofa) homologue of SPLUNC1. The SPLUNC1 cDNA was amplified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using oligonucleotide primers derived from in silico sequences. The porcine cDNA codes for a protein of 249 amino acids which shows a high similarity to bovine (74%) and to human (69%) SPLUNC1. The predicted S. scrofa SPLUNC1, SsSPLUNC1, polypeptide contains a putative signal peptide of 19 residues. A similar signal sequence is also found in all other members of the PLUNC family. Expression analysis by RT-PCR demonstrated a very high expression level of the porcine SPLUNC1 homologue in trachea and lung tissue only. This airway-specific expression might be of particular interest in the study of airborne diseases in pig.
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Affiliation(s)
- Knud Larsen
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
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28
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Bingle CD, Gorr SU. Host defense in oral and airway epithelia: chromosome 20 contributes a new protein family. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2005; 36:2144-52. [PMID: 15313462 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2004.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2004] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The innate immune response is of pivotal importance in defending the mucosal barriers of the body against pathogenic attack. The list of proteins that contribute to this defense mechanism is constantly being updated. In this review we introduce a novel family of secreted proteins, palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clones (PLUNCs), that are expressed in the mouth, nose and upper airways of humans, mice, rats and cows. In humans, PLUNC genes are located in a compact cluster on chromosome 20, with similar loci being found in synteneic locations in other species. The protein products of this gene cluster are predicted to be structural homologues of the human lipopolysaccharide binding proteins, lipopolysaccharide binding-protein (LBP) and bacterial permeability-increasing protein (BPI), which are known mediators of host defense against Gram-negative bacteria. On the basis of these observations we outline why we believe PLUNC proteins mediate host defense functions in the oral, nasal and respiratory epithelia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin D Bingle
- 3Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Division Genomic Medicine, The University of Sheffield Medical School, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, M128, Floor M, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK.
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29
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Dooley J, Erickson M, Roelink H, Farr AG. Nude thymic rudiment lacking functional foxn1 resembles respiratory epithelium. Dev Dyn 2005; 233:1605-12. [PMID: 15986478 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The epithelial compartment of the thymus arises from endoderm of the 3rd pharyngeal pouch. As it moves from a cervical to a mediastinal position during development, this epithelium becomes populated by lymphoid progenitor cells from the blood and begins to support their differentiation along the T cell lineage. Productive differentiation of thymic epithelium is strictly dependent on the foxn1 transcription factor, as evidenced by the lack of functional thymic tissue in nude mice that carry a spontaneous loss-of-function mutation of foxn1. Evaluation of the thymic rudiment epithelium from nude mice revealed phenotypic properties and tissue organization that was strongly reminiscent of respiratory epithelium. These data suggest that foxn1 may be involved in directing lineage choices of multi-potential progenitor epithelial cells rather than simply affecting the terminal differentiation program of epithelial cells specified to a thymic fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Dooley
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7420, USA
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30
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Bingle L, Cross SS, High AS, Wallace WA, Devine DA, Havard S, Campos MA, Bingle CD. SPLUNC1 (PLUNC) is expressed in glandular tissues of the respiratory tract and in lung tumours with a glandular phenotype. J Pathol 2005; 205:491-7. [PMID: 15685591 DOI: 10.1002/path.1726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Short PLUNC1 (SPLUNC1) is the founding member of a novel family of proteins (PLUNC) expressed in the upper respiratory tract that may function in host defence. It is one of the most highly expressed genes in the upper airways and the protein has been detected in sputum and nasal secretions. This study describes, for the first time, the precise cellular localization of SPLUNC1 in human tissues from the respiratory tract. Although SPLUNC1 is found in some epithelial cells of the upper airways and coats the surface epithelial cell lining of the major airways, the most significant site of protein localization is in mucous cells and ducts of submucosal glands. Intense staining is also seen in minor glands of the nose, sinuses, posterior tongue and tonsil, suggesting that the protein is secreted into mucoid secretions of these tissues, where it probably functions in host defence. No staining was seen in peripheral lung tissue. As SPLUNC1 has been suggested to be a novel lung cancer marker, a limited panel of lung cancers was also studied. The findings suggest that SPLUNC1 is commonly expressed in adenocarcinomas, muco-epidermoid carcinoma, and bronchio-alveloar carcinoma, and is absent from small-cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This expression pattern is consistent with the presumed phenotypic origin of these tumours and suggests that SPLUNC1 may be a useful marker for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Bingle
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK.
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31
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Da Lee R, Rhee GS, An SM, Kim SS, Kwack SJ, Seok JH, Chae SY, Park CH, Yoon HJ, Cho DH, Kim HS, Park KL. Differential gene profiles in developing embryo and fetus after in utero exposure to ethanol. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2004; 67:2073-2084. [PMID: 15513904 DOI: 10.1080/15287390490515001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy results in morphological abnormalities in the fetuses of humans and experimental animals, and is referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). However, the molecular mechanism underlying FAS has not been completely elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms of ethanol-induced FAS in the developing embryo and fetus. cDNA microarray analysis was used to screen for altered gene profiles. Ethanol at a teratogenic dosage (3.8 g/kg, twice a day) was administered intraperitoneally to pregnant C57Bl/6J mice from gestation day (GD) 6 to 8. Morphologic observations showed excessive malformations of the craniofacial regions (reduction of the face, the absence of eyes, nose, jaw, and mandible, underdevelopment of vibrissae areas, cleft lip, and palate) in ethanol-exposed embryos (GD 10) and fetusus (GD 15). cDNA microarray analysis showed alterations in several gene profiles, including the "palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (plunc), "neurofilament, " and "pale ear. " Of these genes, the expressions of plunc were confirmed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and whole-mount in situ hybridization. The plunc was highly expressed in the craniofacial region, specifically in upper airways and nasopharyngeal epithelium. RT-PCR analysis revealed that normal plunc mRNA expression levels were present in GD 15 fetuses, but not in GD 10 embryos. Interestingly, ethanol significantly downregulated the plunc expression in GD 15 fetuses. Our results suggest that ethanol-induced FAS is due in part to the downregulation of plunc expression in the fetus, and this gene may be a candidate biological marker for FAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhee Da Lee
- Department of Toxicology, National Institute of Toxicological Research, Korea Food and Drug Administration, Seoul, Korea
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32
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LeClair EE, Nomellini V, Bahena M, Singleton V, Bingle L, Craven CJ, Bingle CD. Cloning and expression of a mouse member of the PLUNC protein family exclusively expressed in tongue epithelium. Genomics 2004; 83:658-66. [PMID: 15028288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2003.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2003] [Accepted: 09/12/2003] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (Plunc, now renamed Splunc1) is a small secreted protein expressed in the oropharynx and upper airways of humans, mice, rats, and cows. This protein is structurally homologous to known mediators of host defense against gram-negative bacteria. We have characterized the genomic sequence and expression of a novel but closely related gene from rodents, which we call splunc5. Mouse Splunc5 sequence is 60% identical to mouse Splunc1. The genes also share highly conserved genomic elements including intron-exon structure and intronic sequence. Strikingly, splunc5 is expressed exclusively in the interpapillary epithelium of the tongue's dorsal surface. By comparing the expression profiles of splunc5, splunc1, and a third related sequence, lplunc1, in mice, we show that these genes are expressed in unique domains along a continuous corridor of oral, lingual, pharyngeal, and respiratory epithelia. This expression pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that these proteins protect epithelial surfaces colonized by potentially pathogenic microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- E E LeClair
- Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
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33
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Bingle CD, LeClair EE, Havard S, Bingle L, Gillingham P, Craven CJ. Phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis of the PLUNC gene family. Protein Sci 2004; 13:422-30. [PMID: 14739326 PMCID: PMC2286710 DOI: 10.1110/ps.03332704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The PLUNC family of human proteins are candidate host defense proteins expressed in the upper airways. The family subdivides into short (SPLUNC) and long (LPLUNC) proteins, which contain domains predicted to be structurally similar to one or both of the domains of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), respectively. In this article we use analysis of the human, mouse, and rat genomes and other sequence data to examine the relationships between the PLUNC family proteins from humans and other species, and between these proteins and members of the BPI family. We show that PLUNC family clusters exist in the mouse and rat, with the most significant diversification in the locus occurring for the short PLUNC family proteins. Clear orthologous relationships are established for the majority of the proteins, and ambiguities are identified. Completion of the prediction of the LPLUNC4 proteins reveals that these proteins contain approximately a 150-residue insertion encoded by an additional exon. This insertion, which is predicted to be largely unstructured, replaces the structure homologous to the 40s hairpin of BPI. We show that the exon encoding this region is anomalously variable in size across the LPLUNC proteins, suggesting that this region is key to functional specificity. We further show that the mouse and human PLUNC family orthologs are evolving rapidly, which supports the hypothesis that these proteins are involved in host defense. Intriguingly, this rapid evolution between the human and mouse sequences is replaced by intense purifying selection in a large portion of the N-terminal domain of LPLUNC4. Our data provide a basis for future functional studies of this novel protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin D Bingle
- Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Division of Genomic Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, S10 2JF, UK.
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34
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LeClair EE. Four reasons to consider a novel class of innate immune molecules in the oral epithelium. J Dent Res 2004; 82:944-50. [PMID: 14630892 DOI: 10.1177/154405910308201202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
An expanding number of innate immune molecules occupy the "epithelial frontier". This review introduces a recently recognized class of mammalian proteins with similarity to PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone), which is itself related to the host defense protein BPI (bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein). Four emerging lines of evidence unite the PLUNC-like proteins: conserved genetic structure, epithelial expression, three-dimensional protein similarity, and a physiological response to injury or inflammation. By analogy to known proteins of the innate immune system, an emerging hypothesis for this family is that they act as sensors of Gram-negative bacteria in the oral cavity, among other areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- E E LeClair
- Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, 2325 N. Clifton Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
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35
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Campos MA, Abreu AR, Nlend MC, Cobas MA, Conner GE, Whitney PL. Purification and characterization of PLUNC from human tracheobronchial secretions. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2004; 30:184-92. [PMID: 12920053 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2003-0142oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
To study proteins secreted into the airway, we used secretions from primary human airway epithelial cells, re-differentiated at the air-liquid interface, and from patients intubated during surgery. A major protein of the cultured cell secretions was ethanol soluble. This protein was purified, analyzed by Edman degradation, matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy of tryptic digests, and Western blots of two-dimensional electrophoresis gels using antisera against the purified preparation. The protein was identified as palate, lung, nasal epithelium clone protein (PLUNC). The protein had multiple truncated molecules, a pattern also seen in tracheal aspirates. PLUNC was poorly soluble in water (50 microg/ml) or in 50 mM NaCl but was more soluble in 75% ethanol (> 380 microg/ml). PLUNC secretion dramatically increased during the second week in air-liquid interface culture and continued to increase over time. Immunohistochemistry showed that PLUNC was expressed in human airway epithelium and submucosal glands. Although PLUNC is in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein family of antibacterial host defense proteins, purified PLUNC failed to compete with LBP for the binding of LPS, whereas polymyxin B, a known inhibitor of LPS-LBP binding, did interfere with binding. This study showed that plunc gene product is expressed both in vivo and in vitro, detailed a method for its purification and provided basic information on its biochemical properties in secretions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Campos
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
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36
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Zhang B, Nie X, Xiao B, Xiang J, Shen S, Gong J, Zhou M, Zhu S, Zhou J, Qian J, Lu H, He X, Li X, Hu G, Li G. Identification of tissue-specific genes in nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue and differentially expressed genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by suppression subtractive hybridization and cDNA microarray. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2003; 38:80-90. [PMID: 12874788 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.10247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was performed for isolation of tissue-specific genes in nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue, by use of cDNAs from human adult nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue as tester and mixed cDNAs from esophagus, lung, liver, heart, stomach, spleen, skeletal muscle, kidney, and skin as drivers. Fourteen differentially expressed genes in nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue were obtained. Among these genes, LPLUNC1 and SPLUNC1 were confirmed to be specifically expressed in nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue and the trachea. A novel transcript of SPLUNC1, which we designate NASG, was found. We also combined SSH and cDNA microarray hybridization to identify genes whose expressions were altered in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We used NPC cell line HNE1 and primary human embryo nasopharyngeal epithelial cells in one SSH experiment, and NPC biopsies and normal adult nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue in another. Some 1,200 SSH inserts from four subtractive cDNA libraries were arrayed onto nylon membranes by use of robotic printing. Differential gene expression was verified by hybridizing of the membranes with radioactively labeled first-strand cDNA from NPC cell line HNE1, primary human embryo nasopharyngeal epithelial cells, NPC biopsies, and normal adult nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue. Seventeen differentially expressed genes in NPC were obtained. Among these genes, we identified SPLUNC1 and LPLUNC1 to be down-expressed in NPC biopsies (34/48, 33/48).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhang
- Cancer Research Institute, Xiang-Ya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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37
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Jenkinson WE, Jenkinson EJ, Anderson G. Differential requirement for mesenchyme in the proliferation and maturation of thymic epithelial progenitors. J Exp Med 2003; 198:325-32. [PMID: 12860931 PMCID: PMC2194072 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20022135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of a mature thymic epithelial microenvironment is an essential prerequisite for the generation of a functionally competent T cell pool. It is likely that recently identified thymic epithelial precursors undergo phases of proliferation and differentiation to generate mature cortical and medullary thymic microenvironments. The mechanisms regulating development of immature thymic epithelial cells are unknown. Here we provide evidence that expansion of embryonic thymic epithelium is regulated by the continued presence of mesenchyme. In particular, mesenchymal cells are shown to mediate thymic epithelial cell proliferation through their provision of fibroblast growth factors 7 and 10. In contrast, differentiation of immature thymic epithelial cells, including acquisition of markers of mature cortical and medullary epithelium, occurs in the absence of ongoing mesenchymal support. Collectively, our data define a role for mesenchymal cells in thymus development, and indicate distinct mechanisms regulate proliferation and differentiation of immature thymic epithelial cells. In addition, our findings may aid in studies aimed at developing strategies to enhance thymus reconstitution and functioning in clinical certain contexts where thymic epithelial cell function is perturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- William E Jenkinson
- Department of Anatomy, Division of Immunity and Infection, MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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38
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Di YP, Harper R, Zhao Y, Pahlavan N, Finkbeiner W, Wu R. Molecular cloning and characterization of spurt, a human novel gene that is retinoic acid-inducible and encodes a secretory protein specific in upper respiratory tracts. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:1165-73. [PMID: 12409287 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m210523200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinoids, such as all-trans-retinoic acid, play an essential role in the regulation of airway epithelial cell growth, differentiation, and gene expression. Using cDNA microarray, we identified a clone, DD4, that contains the cDNA of a novel gene, spurt (secretory protein in upper respiratory tracts) that was significantly induced by all-trans-retinoic acid in primary cultured human tracheobroncheal epithelia. Two alternatively spliced spurt transcripts of 1090 and 1035 base pairs exist that contain the same open reading frame expressing a 256-amino acid peptide. The full-length spurt cDNA sequence spans a genomic DNA fragment of 7,313 bp, and the gene is located on chromosome 20q11.21. spurt mRNA is notably expressed at high levels in human nasal, tracheal, and lung tissues. In situ hybridization demonstrated that spurt message is often present in secretory cell types. The human spurt gene product is a secretory protein that contains a distinct signal peptide sequence in its first 19 amino acids. Mono-specific antibodies were generated to characterize spurt expression. Our data demonstrate that spurt is secreted onto the apical side of primary human airway epithelial cultures and is present in clinical sputum samples. spurt gene expression is higher in sputum and tissue samples obtained from patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Our results provide the cloning and characterization of this tissue-specific novel gene and its possible relationship with airway diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Pu Di
- Center for Comparative Respiratory Biology and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Medical Center of the University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
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39
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Farr AG, Dooley JL, Erickson M. Organization of thymic medullary epithelial heterogeneity: implications for mechanisms of epithelial differentiation. Immunol Rev 2002; 189:20-7. [PMID: 12445262 DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-065x.2002.18903.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There are accumulating data to show that thymic epithelium expresses a remarkable array of molecules previously considered to be tissue-specific antigens, such as parathyroid hormone, thyroglobulin, insulin, and C-reactive protein. From an immunological perspective, this property of thymic epithelium would provide an ideal mechanism to effect central tolerance of epithelial-restricted antigens. However, from a mechanistic perspective, this phenomenon remains mysterious. Two explanations have been proposed. One invokes promiscuous gene expression by medullary thymic epithelial cells that would allow transient derepression of selected gene expression. The other proposes that the expression of tissue-restricted genes by thymic epithelium reflects alternate pathways of epithelial development by small numbers of cells to form a mosaic of different epithelial types within the thymus. Here we show thymic expression of lung-associated gene products by an organized epithelial 'organoid' with ultrastructural features of respiratory epithelium and present data suggesting that the thymus also contains structures that ultrastructurally and phenotypically resemble solitary thyroid follicles. Based on these data, it is proposed that some thymic epithelial progenitor cells resemble pharyngeal endoderm in terms of their developmental potential and that alternative differentiation fates taken by these cells serve to maintain the spectrum of epithelial 'self' in the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Farr
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7429, USA.
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