Identification and characterization of a nuclear factor-κ B-p65 proteolytic fragment in nuclei of porcine hepatocytes in monolayer culture

Finite cell lines of turkey sperm storage tubule cells: ultrastructure and protein analysis

Cell lines of turkey sperm storage tubule (SST) epithelial cells were established. Turkey SSTs were dissected from freshly obtained uterovaginal junction (UVJ) tissue and placed in explant culture on various substrates and media. Primary cultures of SST epithelium only survived and grew from SST explants that were cultured on inactivated Sandoz inbred strain, thioguanine- and ouabain-resistance (STO) mouse feeder-cell layers in 12% fetal bovine serum-supplemented Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium mixed 1:1 with F12 nutrient mixture. Three independent primary colonies gave rise to 3 finite cell lines, SST-1, -2, and -3, which were continuously cultured for 8 to 16 passages at 1:3 passage ratios over a period of 3 to 4 mo. The cells were passaged by pretreatment with Y27632 and dissociation with Accutase. The SST cells grew as tightly knit monolayers on top of the feeder cells at a slow rate (approximately 96 h doubling time) at a medium pH of approximately 6.9. Lipid vacuoles were visible by light microscopy in the cells particularly at the periphery of growth. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the cells to be a polarized epithelium with apical microvilli and to have lateral tight-junction-like unions and associated desmosomes. Numerous secretory vesicles filled the upper portion of the cells’ cytoplasm, and nuclei and other major organelles such as mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus were distributed somewhat lower in the cytoplasm. The secretory vesicles resembled mucin secretory vesicles. Proteomic analysis by mass spectroscopy of the conditioned medium of the cells, and of the cells themselves, showed the cell lines did not secrete large amounts of any particular protein, and the analysis confirmed their epithelial character. In conclusion, the SST-derived cell lines resembled the mucus-secreting cells found in the epithelium lining the UVJ of the turkey's reproductive tract.

Regulation of fetuin A gene expression in the neonatal pig liver

Fetuin A (also known as α2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein) is a protein primarily expressed by the liver and secreted into the blood. Previous studies have suggested that plasma concentrations of fetuin A are elevated with impaired growth rate in swine. The present study was designed to examine the relationship of porcine fetuin A with growth rate in the pig and to also elucidate the regulation of fetuin A expression by examining the hormonal and cytokine regulation of fetuin A mRNA abundance in hepatocytes prepared from suckling piglets. Quantitative real-time PCR assay was used to quantify the number of fetuin A mRNA molecules/molecule cyclophilin mRNA. Total RNA was isolated from liver of three different groups of pigs to assess changes in mRNA abundance of fetuin A: normal piglets at day 1, day 7 day 21 or 6 months of age (n=6 for each age); runt and control piglets at day 1 of age (n=4); slow growing and normal growing piglets at 21 days of age (n=8). Following birth, fetuin A gene expression increased from day 1 and 7 of age (P<0.05), and then declined at 21 days of age (P<0.05), with a much greater decline to 6 months of age (P<0.01). Fetuin A mRNA abundance was higher in runt pigs v. their normal birth weight littermates (P<0.05). Similarly, fetuin A gene expression was higher in livers of pigs that were born at a normal weight but that grew much slower than littermates with the same birth weight (P<0.05). Hepatocytes were isolated from preweaned piglets and maintained in serum-free monolayer culture for up to 72 h to permit examination of the influences of hormones, cytokines and redox modifiers on fetuin A mRNA abundance. Fetuin A gene expression was enhanced by glucagon, T3 and resveratrol (P<0.05). Growth hormone, cytokines (interleukin6, tumor necrosis factor-α) and antioxidants (N-acetylcysteine, quercertin) reduced fetuin A mRNA abundance (P<0.05). A role for fetuin A in postnatal development is suggested by the differences in fetuin A mRNA abundance between runt piglets or slow growing piglets and their normal growing sized littermates. The hepatocyte experiments suggest multiple hormones and cytokines may contribute to the regulation of fetuin A during early growth of the pig.

A sandwich ELISA for porcine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (pAGP, ORM-1) and further demonstration of its use to evaluate growth potential in newborn pigs

A simple, reproducible sandwich, ELISA was developed to measure porcine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (pAGP, ORM-1) in pig plasma. Porcine AGP isolated from serum was purchased and a polyclonal antisera was prepared in rabbits using the whole pAGP molecule as immunogen. The antiserum was affinity purified, and a portion of the purified antibody fraction was labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Porcine AGP protein was used as a standard, whereas commercially available buffers and reagents were utilized throughout the assay. The assay was specific for pAGP, had a lower limit of detection of 3.2 ng/mL, and could be used to quantify pAGP in plasma or serum. Using this ELISA, we corroborated our previous findings obtained by RID assay, which demonstrated that the AGP concentration in newborn piglets is negatively associated with preweaning growth rate. The current data were obtained using piglets from a different geographical location and genetic background and showed that elevated AGP at birth was associated with reduced preweaning growth rate (P < 0.001, r = 0.433, n = 19 litters). In addition, litters with a greater average AGP at birth were at a growth disadvantage compared with litters with reduced average AGP plasma concentrations (P < 0.001, r = 0.708, n = 19 litters). Litter average plasma AGP was a better predictor of litter preweaning growth rate than average litter birth weight. The data represent further support for using perinatal AGP concentrations as a tool to identify potential slower growing pigs and as a plasma biomarker for predicting litter growth rate.

Derivation and Characterization of a Pig Embryonic-Stem-Cell-Derived Exocrine Pancreatic Cell Line

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to identify an epithelial cell line isolated from the spontaneous differentiation of totipotent pig epiblast cells.

METHODS

PICM-31 and its colony-cloned derivative cell line, PICM-31A, were established from the culture and differentiation of an epiblast mass isolated from an 8-day-old pig blastocyst. The cell lines were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, marker gene expression, and mass spectroscopy-based proteomics.

RESULTS

The PICM-31 cell lines were continuously cultured and could be successively colony cloned. They spontaneously self-organized into acinarlike structures. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the cell lines' cells were epithelial and filled with secretory granules. Candidate gene expression analysis of the cells showed an exocrine pancreatic profile that included digestive enzyme expression, for example, carboxypeptidase A1, and expression of the fetal marker, α-fetoprotein. Pancreatic progenitor marker expression included pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1, NK6 homeobox 1, and pancreas-specific transcription factor 1a, but not neurogenin 3. Proteomic analysis of cellular proteins confirmed the cells' production of digestive enzymes and showed that the cells expressed cytokeratins 8 and 18.

CONCLUSIONS

The PICM-31 cell lines provide in vitro models of fetal pig pancreatic exocrine cells. They are the first demonstration of continuous cultures, that is, cell lines, of nontransformed pig pancreas cells.

Proteomic Investigation of Rhizoctonia solani AG 4 Identifies Secretome and Mycelial Proteins with Roles in Plant Cell Wall Degradation and Virulence

Rhizoctonia solani AG 4 is a soilborne necrotrophic fungal plant pathogen that causes economically important diseases on agronomic crops worldwide. This study used a proteomics approach to characterize both intracellular proteins and the secretome of R. solani AG 4 isolate Rs23A under several growth conditions, the secretome being highly important in pathogenesis. From over 500 total secretome and soluble intracellular protein spots from 2-D gels, 457 protein spots were analyzed and 318 proteins positively matched with fungal proteins of known function by comparison with available R. solani genome databases specific for anastomosis groups 1-IA, 1-IB, and 3. These proteins were categorized to possible cellular locations and functional groups and for some proteins their putative roles in plant cell wall degradation and virulence. The majority of the secreted proteins were grouped to extracellular regions and contain hydrolase activity.

Regulation of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein synthesis by porcine hepatocytes in monolayer culture

Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP, orosomucoid, ORM-1) is a highly glycosylated mammalian acute-phase protein, which is synthesized primarily in the liver and represents the major serum protein in newborn pigs. Recent data have suggested that the pig is unique in that AGP is a negative acute-phase protein in this species, and its circulating concentration appears to be associated with growth rate. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the regulation of AGP synthesis in hepatocytes prepared from suckling piglets and to provide a framework to compare its regulation with that of haptoglobin (HP), a positive acute-phase protein. Hepatocytes were isolated from preweaned piglets and maintained in serum-free monolayer culture for up to 72 h. The influences of hormones, cytokines, and redox modifiers on the expression and secretion of AGP and HP were determined by relative polymerase chain reaction and by measuring the concentration of each protein secreted into culture medium. The messenger RNA abundance and/or secretion of AGP protein was enhanced by interleukin (IL)-17a, IL-1, and resveratrol and inhibited by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), oncostatin M, and thyroid hormone (P < 0.05). HP expression and synthesis were upregulated by oncostatin M, IL-6, and dexamethasone and downregulated by TNF (P < 0.01). The overall messenger RNA expression at 24 h was in agreement with the secreted protein patterns confirming that control of these proteins in hepatocytes is largely transcriptional. Moreover, these data support the consideration that AGP is a negative acute-phase reactant and appears to be regulated by cytokines (with the exception of TNF) and hormones primarily in a manner opposite to that of the positive acute-phase protein, HP.

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from domestic goats

The creation of genetically modified goats provides a powerful approach for improving animal health, enhancing production traits, animal pharming, and for ensuring food safety all of which are high-priority goals for animal agriculture. The availability of goat embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that are characteristically immortal in culture would be of enormous benefit for developing genetically modified animals. As an alternative to long-sought goat ESCs, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) by forced expression of bovine POU5F1, SOX2, MYC, KLF4, LIN-28, and NANOG reprogramming factors in combination with a MIR302/367 cluster, delivered by lentiviral vectors. In order to minimize integrations, the reprogramming factor coding sequences were assembled with porcine teschovirus-1 2A (P2A) self-cleaving peptides that allowed for tri-cistronic expression from each vector. The lentiviral-transduced cells were cultured on irradiated mouse feeder cells in a semi-defined, serum-free medium containing fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and/or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). The resulting goat iPSC exhibit cell and colony morphology typical of human and mouse ESCs-that is, well-defined borders, a high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, a short cell-cycle interval, alkaline phosphatase expression, and the ability to generate teratomas in vivo. Additionally, these goat iPSC demonstrated the ability to differentiate into directed lineages in vitro. These results constitute the first steps in establishing integration and footprint-free iPSC from ruminants. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 82: 709-721, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Magnetic cell labeling of primary and stem cell-derived pig hepatocytes for MRI-based cell tracking of hepatocyte transplantation

Pig hepatocytes are an important investigational tool for optimizing hepatocyte transplantation schemes in both allogeneic and xenogeneic transplant scenarios. MRI can be used to serially monitor the transplanted cells, but only if the hepatocytes can be labeled with a magnetic particle. In this work, we describe culture conditions for magnetic cell labeling of cells from two different pig hepatocyte cell sources; primary pig hepatocytes (ppHEP) and stem cell-derived hepatocytes (PICM-19FF). The magnetic particle is a micron-sized iron oxide particle (MPIO) that has been extensively studied for magnetic cell labeling for MRI-based cell tracking. ppHEP could endocytose MPIO with labeling percentages as high as 70%, achieving iron content as high as ~55 pg/cell, with >75% viability. PICM-19FF had labeling >97%, achieving iron content ~38 pg/cell, with viability >99%. Extensive morphological and functional assays indicated that magnetic cell labeling was benign to the cells. The results encourage the use of MRI-based cell tracking for the development and clinical use of hepatocyte transplantation methodologies. Further, these results generally highlight the importance of functional cell assays in the evaluation of contrast agent biocompatibility.