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Jacome Sanz D, Saralahti AK, Pekkarinen M, Kesseli J, Nykter M, Rämet M, Ojanen MJT, Pesu M. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 regulates the production of acute-phase reactants from the liver. Liver Int 2021; 41:2511-2522. [PMID: 34174143 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) controls blood cholesterol levels by fostering the LDL receptor (LDLR) degradation in hepatocytes. Additionally, PCSK9 has been suggested to participate in immunoregulation by modulating cytokine production. We studied the immunological role of PCSK9 in Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteraemia in vivo and in a human hepatocyte cell line. METHODS CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis was utilized to create pcsk9 knock-out (KO) zebrafish, which were infected with S pneumoniae to assess the role of PCSK9 for the survival of the fish and in the transcriptomic response of the liver. The direct effects of PCSK9 on the expression of acute-phase reaction (APR) genes were studied in HepG2 cells. RESULTS The pcsk9 KO zebrafish lines (pcsk9tpu-13 and pcsk9tpu-2,+15 ) did not show developmental defects or gross phenotypical differences. In the S pneumoniae infected zebrafish, the mortality of pcsk9 KOs was similar to the controls. A liver-specific gene expression analysis revealed that a pneumococcal challenge upregulated pcsk9, and that the pcsk9 deletion reduced the expression of APR genes, including hepcidin antimicrobial peptide (hamp) and complement component 7b (c7b). Accordingly, silencing PCSK9 in vitro in HepG2 cells using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) decreased HAMP expression. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that PCSK9 is not critical for zebrafish survival in a systemic pneumococcal infection. However, PCSK9 deficiency was associated with the lower expression of APR genes in zebrafish and altered the expression of innate immunity genes in a human hepatocyte cell line. Overall, our data suggest an evolutionarily conserved function for PCSK9 in APR in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafne Jacome Sanz
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Anni K Saralahti
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Meeri Pekkarinen
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Juha Kesseli
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Matti Nykter
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mika Rämet
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Vaccine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,PEDEGO Research Unit, Medical Research Center, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Children and Adolescents, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Markus J T Ojanen
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Marko Pesu
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Fimlab laboratories Ltd, Tampere, Finland
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2
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FAM20C Overview: Classic and Novel Targets, Pathogenic Variants and Raine Syndrome Phenotypes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158039. [PMID: 34360805 PMCID: PMC8348777 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
FAM20C is a gene coding for a protein kinase that targets S-X-E/pS motifs on different phosphoproteins belonging to diverse tissues. Pathogenic variants of FAM20C are responsible for Raine syndrome (RS), initially described as a lethal and congenital osteosclerotic dysplasia characterized by generalized atherosclerosis with periosteal bone formation, characteristic facial dysmorphisms and intracerebral calcifications. The aim of this review is to give an overview of targets and variants of FAM20C as well as RS aspects. We performed a wide phenotypic review focusing on clinical aspects and differences between all lethal (LRS) and non-lethal (NLRS) reported cases, besides the FAM20C pathogenic variant description for each. As new targets of FAM20C kinase have been identified, we reviewed FAM20C targets and their functions in bone and other tissues, with emphasis on novel targets not previously considered. We found the classic lethal and milder non-lethal phenotypes. The milder phenotype is defined by a large spectrum ranging from osteonecrosis to osteosclerosis with additional congenital defects or intellectual disability in some cases. We discuss our current understanding of FAM20C deficiency, its mechanism in RS through classic FAM20C targets in bone tissue and its potential biological relevance through novel targets in non-bone tissues.
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3
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Abstract
The kexin-like proprotein convertases perform the initial proteolytic cleavages that ultimately generate a variety of different mature peptide and proteins, ranging from brain neuropeptides to endocrine peptide hormones, to structural proteins, among others. In this review, we present a general introduction to proprotein convertase structure and biochemistry, followed by a comprehensive discussion of each member of the kexin-like subfamily of proprotein convertases. We summarize current knowledge of human proprotein convertase insufficiency syndromes, including genome-wide analyses of convertase polymorphisms, and compare these to convertase null and mutant mouse models. These mouse models have illuminated our understanding of the roles specific convertases play in human disease and have led to the identification of convertase-specific substrates; for example, the identification of procorin as a specific PACE4 substrate in the heart. We also discuss the limitations of mouse null models in interpreting human disease, such as differential precursor cleavage due to species-specific sequence differences, and the challenges presented by functional redundancy among convertases in attempting to assign specific cleavages and/or physiological roles. However, in most cases, knockout mouse models have added substantively both to our knowledge of diseases caused by human proprotein convertase insufficiency and to our appreciation of their normal physiological roles, as clearly seen in the case of the furin, proprotein convertase 1/3, and proprotein convertase 5/6 mouse models. The creation of more sophisticated mouse models with tissue- or temporally-restricted expression of specific convertases will improve our understanding of human proprotein convertase insufficiency and potentially provide support for the emerging concept of therapeutic inhibition of convertases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manita Shakya
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Iris Lindberg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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4
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Durand L, Duval S, Evagelidis A, Guillemot J, Dianati V, Sikorska E, Schu P, Day R, Seidah NG. The motif E XE XXXL in the cytosolic tail of the secretory human proprotein convertase PC7 regulates its trafficking and cleavage activity. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:2068-2083. [PMID: 31915245 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Many secretory proteins are activated by cleavage at specific sites. The proprotein convertases (PCs) form a family of nine secretory subtilisin-like serine proteases, seven of which cleave at specific basic residues within the trans-Golgi network, granules, or at the cell surface/endosomes. The seventh member, PC7, is a type-I transmembrane (TM) protein with a 97-residue-long cytosolic tail (CT). PC7 sheds human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1) into soluble shTfR1 in endosomes. To better understand the physiological roles of PC7, here we focused on the relationship between the CT-regulated trafficking of PC7 and its ability to shed hTfR1. Deletion of the TMCT resulted in soluble PC7 and loss of its hTfR1 shedding activity. Extensive CT deletions and mutagenesis analyses helped us zoom in on three residues in the CT, namely Glu-719, Glu-721, and Leu-725, that are part of a novel motif, EXEXXXL725, critical for PC7 activity on hTfR1. NMR studies of two 14-mer peptides mimicking this region of the CT and its Ala variants revealed that the three exposed residues are on the same side of the molecule. This led to the identification of adaptor protein 2 (AP-2) as a protein that recognizes the EXEXXXL725 motif, thus representing a potentially new regulator of PC7 trafficking and cleavage activity. Immunocytochemistry of the subcellular localization of PC7 and its Ala variants of Leu-725 and Glu-719 and Glu-721 revealed that Leu-725 enhances PC7 localization to early endosomes and that, together with Glu-719 and Glu-721, it increases the endosomal activity of PC7 on hTfR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreleï Durand
- Laboratory of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology, Clinical Research of Montreal, affiliated with Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Duval
- Laboratory of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology, Clinical Research of Montreal, affiliated with Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Alexandra Evagelidis
- Laboratory of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology, Clinical Research of Montreal, affiliated with Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Johann Guillemot
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Pathogenesis of Legionella, INSERM U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5308, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, Villeurbanne, 69100 France
| | - Vahid Dianati
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Department of Surgery/Urology Division, and Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Sherbrooke, Quebec J 1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, 80-233 Poland
| | - Peter Schu
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Robert Day
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Department of Surgery/Urology Division, and Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Sherbrooke, Quebec J 1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Nabil G Seidah
- Laboratory of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology, Clinical Research of Montreal, affiliated with Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1R7, Canada.
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5
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Dongiovanni P, Meroni M, Baselli G, Mancina RM, Ruscica M, Longo M, Rametta R, Cespiati A, Pelusi S, Ferri N, Ranzani V, Nobili V, Pihlajamaki J, Fracanzani AL, Badiali S, Petta S, Fargion S, Romeo S, Kozlitina J, Valenti L. PCSK7 gene variation bridges atherogenic dyslipidemia with hepatic inflammation in NAFLD patients. J Lipid Res 2019; 60:1144-1153. [PMID: 30918065 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.p090449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyslipidemia and altered iron metabolism are typical features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 7 (PCSK7) gene variation has been associated with circulating lipids and liver damage during iron overload. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the PCSK7 rs236918 variant on NAFLD-related traits in 1,801 individuals from the Liver Biopsy Cohort (LBC), 500,000 from the UK Biobank Cohort (UKBBC), and 4,580 from the Dallas Heart Study (DHS). The minor PCSK7 rs236918 C allele was associated with higher triglycerides, aminotransferases, and hepatic inflammation in the LBC (P < 0.05) and with hypercholesterolemia and liver disease in the UKBBC. In the DHS, PCSK7 missense variants were associated with circulating lipids. PCSK7 was expressed in hepatocytes and its hepatic expression correlated with that of lipogenic genes (P < 0.05). The rs236918 C allele was associated with upregulation of a new "intra-PCSK7" long noncoding RNA predicted to interact with the protein, higher hepatic and circulating PCSK7 protein (P < 0.01), which correlated with triglycerides (P = 0.04). In HepG2 cells, PCSK7 deletion reduced lipogenesis, fat accumulation, inflammation, transforming growth factor β pathway activation, and fibrogenesis. In conclusion, PCSK7 gene variation is associated with dyslipidemia and more severe liver disease in high risk individuals, likely by modulating PCSK7 expression/activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Dongiovanni
- General Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Marica Meroni
- General Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Departments of Pathophysiology and Transplantation Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Baselli
- Departments of Pathophysiology and Transplantation Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Rosellina M Mancina
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Massimiliano Ruscica
- Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Miriam Longo
- General Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaela Rametta
- General Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Cespiati
- Departments of Pathophysiology and Transplantation Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Pelusi
- Departments of Pathophysiology and Transplantation Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Translational Medicine, Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferri
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valeria Ranzani
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Valerio Nobili
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ospedale Bambin Gesù, Roma, Italy
| | - Jussi Pihlajamaki
- Departments of Medicine and Public Health and Clinical Nutrition University of Eastern Finland, and Clinical Nutrition and Obesity Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anna Ludovica Fracanzani
- General Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Departments of Pathophysiology and Transplantation Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Badiali
- Surgery Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Salvatore Petta
- Department of Gastroenterology Universita di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvia Fargion
- General Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Departments of Pathophysiology and Transplantation Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Romeo
- Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Cardiology Department Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden and Clinical Nutrition Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Julia Kozlitina
- McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Luca Valenti
- Departments of Pathophysiology and Transplantation Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy .,Translational Medicine, Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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6
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Intelectin 3 is dispensable for resistance against a mycobacterial infection in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Sci Rep 2019; 9:995. [PMID: 30700796 PMCID: PMC6353920 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37678-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis is a multifactorial bacterial disease, which can be modeled in the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Abdominal cavity infection with Mycobacterium marinum, a close relative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, leads to a granulomatous disease in adult zebrafish, which replicates the different phases of human tuberculosis, including primary infection, latency and spontaneous reactivation. Here, we have carried out a transcriptional analysis of zebrafish challenged with low-dose of M. marinum, and identified intelectin 3 (itln3) among the highly up-regulated genes. In order to clarify the in vivo significance of Itln3 in immunity, we created nonsense itln3 mutant zebrafish by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis and analyzed the outcome of M. marinum infection in both zebrafish embryos and adult fish. The lack of functional itln3 did not affect survival or the mycobacterial burden in the zebrafish. Furthermore, embryonic survival was not affected when another mycobacterial challenge responsive intelectin, itln1, was silenced using morpholinos either in the WT or itln3 mutant fish. In addition, M. marinum infection in dexamethasone-treated adult zebrafish, which have lowered lymphocyte counts, resulted in similar bacterial burden in both WT fish and homozygous itln3 mutants. Collectively, although itln3 expression is induced upon M. marinum infection in zebrafish, it is dispensable for protective mycobacterial immune response.
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7
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Böttcher-Friebertshäuser E, Garten W, Klenk HD. Characterization of Proprotein Convertases and Their Involvement in Virus Propagation. ACTIVATION OF VIRUSES BY HOST PROTEASES 2018. [PMCID: PMC7122180 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75474-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wolfgang Garten
- Institut für Virologie, Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany
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8
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Cordova ZM, Grönholm A, Kytölä V, Taverniti V, Hämäläinen S, Aittomäki S, Niininen W, Junttila I, Ylipää A, Nykter M, Pesu M. Myeloid cell expressed proprotein convertase FURIN attenuates inflammation. Oncotarget 2018; 7:54392-54404. [PMID: 27527873 PMCID: PMC5342350 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The proprotein convertase enzyme FURIN processes immature pro-proteins into functional end- products. FURIN is upregulated in activated immune cells and it regulates T-cell dependent peripheral tolerance and the Th1/Th2 balance. FURIN also promotes the infectivity of pathogens by activating bacterial toxins and by processing viral proteins. Here, we evaluated the role of FURIN in LysM+ myeloid cells in vivo. Mice with a conditional deletion of FURIN in their myeloid cells (LysMCre-fur(fl/fl)) were healthy and showed unchanged proportions of neutrophils and macrophages. Instead, LysMCre-fur(fl/fl) mice had elevated serum IL-1β levels and reduced numbers of splenocytes. An LPS injection resulted in accelerated mortality, elevated serum pro-inflammatory cytokines and upregulated numbers of pro-inflammatory macrophages. A genome-wide gene expression analysis revealed the overexpression of several pro-inflammatory genes in resting FURIN-deficient macrophages. Moreover, FURIN inhibited Nos2 and promoted the expression of Arg1, which implies that FURIN regulates the M1/M2-type macrophage balance. FURIN was required for the normal production of the bioactive TGF-β1 cytokine, but it inhibited the maturation of the inflammation-provoking TACE and Caspase-1 enzymes. In conclusion, FURIN has an anti-inflammatory function in LysM+ myeloid cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzet Martinez Cordova
- Immunoregulation, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Anna Grönholm
- Immunoregulation, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ville Kytölä
- Computational Biology, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Valentina Taverniti
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Division of Food Microbiology and Bioprocessing, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sanna Hämäläinen
- Immunoregulation, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Saara Aittomäki
- Immunoregulation, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Wilhelmiina Niininen
- Immunoregulation, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ilkka Junttila
- School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.,Fimlab Laboratories, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland
| | - Antti Ylipää
- Computational Biology, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Matti Nykter
- Computational Biology, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Marko Pesu
- Immunoregulation, Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology (BioMediTech), University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Dermatology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
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9
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Pelucchi S, Galimberti S, Greni F, Rametta R, Mariani R, Pelloni I, Girelli D, Busti F, Ravasi G, Valsecchi MG, Valenti L, Piperno A. Proprotein convertase 7 rs236918 associated with liver fibrosis in Italian patients with HFE-related hemochromatosis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016; 31:1342-8. [PMID: 26868056 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM p.Cys282Tyr homozygosity is the prevalent genotype in (HFE)-related Hereditary Hemochromatosis with low penetrance and variable expression. However, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma remain the main causes of mortality in these patients. Detection of genetic modifiers identifying patients at risk for liver damage would be relevant for their clinical management. We evaluated proprotein convertase 7 (PCSK7) rs236918 as genetic marker of risk of liver fibrosis in an Italian cohort of p.Cys282Tyr homozygotes. METHODS Liver fibrosis was histologically assessed by Ishak score. We evaluated PCSK7 alleles and genotypes frequencies according to single or grouped staging scores: absent/mild fibrosis (stage: 0-2), moderate (stage: 3-4), and severe fibrosis/cirrhosis (stage: 5-6). Single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism or Taqman 5'-nuclease assays. RESULTS The rs236918 allele C frequency increased from stages 0-2 to 5-6 (7.1% vs 13.6%, vs 21.9%, P = 0.003). The wild-type genotype was significantly more frequent in the absent/mild fibrosis group (54.2%) compared with only 17% in patients with severe fibrosis/cirrhosis. At univariate proportional odds model, patients with GC + CC genotypes were 2.77 times (P = 0.0018) more likely to have worse liver staging scores than wild-type patients. In the adjusted analysis, odds ratio was 2.37 (P = 0.0218), and 2.56 (P = 0.0233) when the analysis was restricted to males. An exploratory mediation analysis suggested a direct effect of genotype on severe fibrosis/cirrhosis (odds ratio = 3.11, P = 0.0157), and a mild non-significant indirect effect mediated through iron accounting for 28%. CONCLUSIONS These findings confirm that PCSK7 rs236918 C allele is a risk factor for cirrhosis development in Italian patients with HFE-Hemochromatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pelucchi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Stefania Galimberti
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,Centre of Biostatistics for Clinical Epidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Federico Greni
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Raffaela Rametta
- Department of Medicine, Second Division of Gastroenterology, IRCCS, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Raffaella Mariani
- Centre for disorder of iron metabolism, S.Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Irene Pelloni
- Centre for disorder of iron metabolism, S.Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Domenico Girelli
- Department of Medicine Policlinico GB Rossi, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Fabiana Busti
- Department of Medicine Policlinico GB Rossi, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Giulia Ravasi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Valsecchi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,Centre of Biostatistics for Clinical Epidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Luca Valenti
- Department of Medicine, Second Division of Gastroenterology, IRCCS, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Piperno
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,Centre for disorder of iron metabolism, S.Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.,Consortium of Human Molecular Genetics, Monza, Italy
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10
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The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin furinA regulates zebrafish host response against Mycobacterium marinum. Infect Immun 2015; 83:1431-42. [PMID: 25624351 DOI: 10.1128/iai.03135-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease with a complex pathogenesis. An effective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires both the innate and adaptive immune responses, including proper T helper (Th) type 1 cell function. FURIN is a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin (PCSK) enzyme, which is highly expressed in Th1 type cells. FURIN expression in T cells is essential for maintaining peripheral immune tolerance, but its role in the innate immunity and infections has remained elusive. Here, we utilized Mycobacterium marinum infection models in zebrafish (Danio rerio) to investigate how furin regulates host responses against mycobacteria. In steady-state furinAtd204e/+ fish reduced furinA mRNA levels associated with low granulocyte counts and elevated Th cell transcription factor expressions. Silencing furin genes reduced the survival of M. marinum-infected zebrafish embryos. A mycobacterial infection upregulated furinA in adult zebrafish, and infected furinAtd204e/+ mutants exhibited a proinflammatory phenotype characterized by elevated tumor necrosis factor a (tnfa), lymphotoxin alpha (lta) and interleukin 17a/f3 (il17a/f3) expression levels. The enhanced innate immune response in the furinAtd204e/+ mutants correlated with a significantly decreased bacterial burden in a chronic M. marinum infection model. Our data show that upregulated furinA expression can serve as a marker for mycobacterial disease, since it inhibits early host responses and consequently promotes bacterial growth in a chronic infection.
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11
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Oksanen A, Aittomäki S, Jankovic D, Ortutay Z, Pulkkinen K, Hämäläinen S, Rokka A, Corthals GL, Watford WT, Junttila I, O'Shea JJ, Pesu M. Proprotein convertase FURIN constrains Th2 differentiation and is critical for host resistance against Toxoplasma gondii. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 193:5470-9. [PMID: 25355923 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1401629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin enzymes proteolytically convert immature proproteins into bioactive molecules, and thereby they serve as key regulators of cellular homeostasis. The archetype proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin, FURIN, is a direct target gene of the IL-12/STAT4 pathway and it is upregulated in Th1 cells. We have previously demonstrated that FURIN expression in T cells critically regulates the maintenance of peripheral immune tolerance and the functional maturation of pro-TGF-β1 in vivo, but FURIN's role in cell-mediated immunity and Th polarization has remained elusive. In this article, we show that T cell-expressed FURIN is essential for host resistance against a prototypic Th1 pathogen, Toxoplasma gondii, and for the generation of pathogen-specific Th1 lymphocytes, including Th1-IL-10 cells. FURIN-deficient Th cells instead show elevated expression of IL-4R subunit α on cell surface, sensitized IL-4/STAT6 signaling, and a propensity to polarize toward the Th2 phenotype. By exploring FURIN-interacting proteins in Jurkat T cells with Strep-Tag purification and mass spectrometry, we further identify an association with a cytoskeleton modifying Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate/dedicator of cytokinesis 2 protein complex and unravel that FURIN promotes F-actin polymerization, which has previously been shown to downregulate IL-4R subunit α cell surface expression and promote Th1 responses. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that in addition to peripheral immune tolerance, T cell-expressed FURIN is also a central regulator of cell-mediated immunity and Th1/2 cell balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oksanen
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Saara Aittomäki
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Dragana Jankovic
- Immunobiology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Zsuzsanna Ortutay
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Kati Pulkkinen
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Sanna Hämäläinen
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Anne Rokka
- Turku Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Garry L Corthals
- Turku Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland; Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GD Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wendy T Watford
- Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Ilkka Junttila
- Fimlab Laboratories, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, 33101 Tampere, Finland; School of Medicine, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland; and
| | - John J O'Shea
- Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Marko Pesu
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland; Fimlab Laboratories, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, 33101 Tampere, Finland; Department of Dermatology, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, 33101 Tampere, Finland
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12
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Stickel F, Buch S, Zoller H, Hultcrantz R, Gallati S, Osterreicher C, Finkenstedt A, Stadlmayr A, Aigner E, Sahinbegovic E, Sarrazin C, Schafmayer C, Braun F, Erhart W, Nothnagel M, Lerch MM, Mayerle J, Volzke H, Schaller A, Kratzer W, Boehm BO, Sipos B, D'Amato M, Torkvist L, Stal P, Arlt A, Franke A, Becker T, Krawczak M, Zwerina J, Berg T, Hinrichsen H, Krones E, Dejaco C, Strasser M, Datz C, Hampe J. Evaluation of genome-wide loci of iron metabolism in hereditary hemochromatosis identifies PCSK7 as a host risk factor of liver cirrhosis. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 23:3883-90. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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