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Lau K, Reichheld S, Xian M, Sharpe SJ, Cerruti M. Directed Assembly of Elastic Fibers via Coacervate Droplet Deposition on Electrospun Templates. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:3519-3531. [PMID: 38742604 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Elastic fibers provide critical elasticity to the arteries, lungs, and other organs. Elastic fiber assembly is a process where soluble tropoelastin is coacervated into liquid droplets, cross-linked, and deposited onto and into microfibrils. While much progress has been made in understanding the biology of this process, questions remain regarding the timing of interactions during assembly. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent fibrous templates are needed to guide coacervate droplets into the correct architecture. The organization and shaping of coacervate droplets onto a fiber template have never been previously modeled or employed as a strategy for shaping elastin fiber materials. Using an in vitro system consisting of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), genipin cross-linker, electrospun polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) fibers, and tannic acid surface coatings for fibers, we explored ELP coacervation, cross-linking, and deposition onto fiber templates. We demonstrate that integration of coacervate droplets into a fibrous template is primarily influenced by two factors: (1) the balance of coacervation and cross-linking and (2) the surface energy of the fiber templates. The success of this integration affects the mechanical properties of the final fiber network. Our resulting membrane materials exhibit highly tunable morphologies and a range of elastic moduli (0.8-1.6 MPa) comparable to native elastic fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirklann Lau
- Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Wong Building 2250, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Sean Reichheld
- Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Room 20.9714, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Mingqian Xian
- Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Wong Building 2250, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Simon J Sharpe
- Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Room 20.9714, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Room 5207, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Marta Cerruti
- Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Wong Building 2250, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
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Depenveiller C, Baud S, Belloy N, Bochicchio B, Dandurand J, Dauchez M, Pepe A, Pomès R, Samouillan V, Debelle L. Structural and physical basis for the elasticity of elastin. Q Rev Biophys 2024; 57:e3. [PMID: 38501287 DOI: 10.1017/s0033583524000040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Elastin function is to endow vertebrate tissues with elasticity so that they can adapt to local mechanical constraints. The hydrophobicity and insolubility of the mature elastin polymer have hampered studies of its molecular organisation and structure-elasticity relationships. Nevertheless, a growing number of studies from a broad range of disciplines have provided invaluable insights, and several structural models of elastin have been proposed. However, many questions remain regarding how the primary sequence of elastin (and the soluble precursor tropoelastin) governs the molecular structure, its organisation into a polymeric network, and the mechanical properties of the resulting material. The elasticity of elastin is known to be largely entropic in origin, a property that is understood to arise from both its disordered molecular structure and its hydrophobic character. Despite a high degree of hydrophobicity, elastin does not form compact, water-excluding domains and remains highly disordered. However, elastin contains both stable and labile secondary structure elements. Current models of elastin structure and function are drawn from data collected on tropoelastin and on elastin-like peptides (ELPs) but at the tissue level, elasticity is only achieved after polymerisation of the mature elastin. In tissues, the reticulation of tropoelastin chains in water defines the polymer elastin that bears elasticity. Similarly, ELPs require polymerisation to become elastic. There is considerable interest in elastin especially in the biomaterials and cosmetic fields where ELPs are widely used. This review aims to provide an up-to-date survey of/perspective on current knowledge about the interplay between elastin structure, solvation, and entropic elasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Depenveiller
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire UMR 7025 CNRS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Stéphanie Baud
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Nicolas Belloy
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Brigida Bochicchio
- Laboratory of Bioinspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Jany Dandurand
- CIRIMAT UMR 5085, Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Manuel Dauchez
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Antonietta Pepe
- Laboratory of Bioinspired Materials, Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Régis Pomès
- Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Valérie Samouillan
- CIRIMAT UMR 5085, Université Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Laurent Debelle
- UMR URCA/CNRS 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, SFR CAP Santé, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
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White SE, Karbasion N, Snider JC, Florian-Rodriguez M, Bersi MR, Miller KS. Remodeling of murine vaginal smooth muscle function with reproductive age and elastic fiber disruption. Acta Biomater 2024; 175:186-198. [PMID: 38151068 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Advanced maternal age during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of vaginal tearing during delivery and maladaptive postpartum healing. Although the underlying mechanisms of age-related vaginal injuries are not fully elucidated, changes in vaginal microstructure may contribute. Smooth muscle cells promote the contractile nature of the vagina and contribute to pelvic floor stability. While menopause is associated with decreased vaginal smooth muscle content, whether contractile changes occur before the onset of menopause remains unknown. Therefore, the first objective of this study was to quantify the active mechanical behavior of the murine vagina with age. Further, aging is associated with decreased vaginal elastin content. As such, the second objective was to determine if elastic fiber disruption alters vaginal contractility. Vaginal samples from mice aged 2-14 months were used in maximum contractility experiments and biaxial extension-inflation protocols. To evaluate the role of elastic fibers with age, half of the vaginal samples were randomly allocated to enzymatic elastic fiber disruption. Contractile potential decreased and vaginal material stiffness increased with age. These age-related changes in smooth muscle function may be due, in part, to changes in microstructural composition or contractile gene expression. Furthermore, elastic fiber disruption had a diminished effect on smooth muscle contractility in older mice. This suggests a decreased functional role of elastic fibers with age. Quantifying the age-dependent mechanical contribution of smooth muscle cells and elastic fibers to vaginal properties provides a first step towards better understanding how age-related changes in vaginal structure may contribute to tissue integrity and healing. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Advanced maternal age at the time of pregnancy is linked to increased risks of vaginal tearing during delivery, postpartum hemorrhaging, and the development of pelvic floor disorders. While the underlying causes of increased vaginal injuries with age and associated pathologies remain unclear, changes in vaginal microstructure, such as elastic fibers and smooth muscle cells, may contribute. Menopause is associated with fragmented elastic fibers and decreased smooth muscle content; however, how reproductive aging affects changes in the vaginal composition and the mechanical properties remains unknown. Quantifying the mechanical contribution of smooth muscle cells and elastic fibers to vaginal properties with age will advance understanding of the potential structural causes of age-related changes to tissue integrity and healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby E White
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Niyousha Karbasion
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - J Caleb Snider
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Maria Florian-Rodriguez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Matthew R Bersi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kristin S Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
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Zhou J, Wu Y, Xu X, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Chen H, Zhuang J, Chen J, Teng Y. Identification and characterization of novel elastin gene mutations in eleven families with supravalvular aortic stenosis. Front Genet 2022; 13:1059640. [PMID: 36518217 PMCID: PMC9742416 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1059640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) is a rare congenital heart disease affecting approximately 1 in 25,000 live births. In some patients it is accompanied by pulmonary artery stenosis, particularly of pulmonary artery branches. Chronic stenosis can lead to cardiac hypertrophy and even circulatory failure. Familial autosomal dominant SVAS is frequently associated with elastin (ELN) gene mutations, whereas Williams-Beuren syndrome is a complex developmental disorder caused by heterozygous microdeletions of 26-28 genes at 7q11.23, including ELN. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed in 42 individuals from 11 Chinese families with SVAS to identify the pathogenic gene mutations involved. Aortic tissue was obtained for histological analyses, and quantitative reverse-transcription-PCR and western blotting were used to verify the expression of elastin molecules. Results: Five point mutations and six frameshift mutations in the ELN gene were detected in the peripheral blood of all investigated families. Nine were nonsense mutations that result in premature stop codons, and the other two were missense mutations. All variants were heterozygous. Nine of the variants were novel, and have not been included in databases or previously reported. One mutation occurred in individuals from two different families. Reduced elastin protein expression was evident in patients' aortic tissue. Conclusions: The novel mutations of ELN were found to be pathogenic, which confirmed by reduced elastin expression and leads to SVAS. Thus, detailed cardiac testing and genetic counseling are warranted for patients and asymptomatic individuals with these mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Zhou
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yueheng Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health, National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiong Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haisheng Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Zhuang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jimei Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun Teng
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Procknow SS, Kozel BA. Emerging mechanisms of elastin transcriptional regulation. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2022; 323:C666-C677. [PMID: 35816641 PMCID: PMC9448287 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00228.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Elastin provides recoil to tissues that stretch such as the lung, blood vessels, and skin. It is deposited in a brief window starting in the prenatal period and extending to adolescence in vertebrates, and then slowly turns over. Elastin insufficiency is seen in conditions such as Williams-Beuren syndrome and elastin-related supravalvar aortic stenosis, which are associated with a range of vascular and connective tissue manifestations. Regulation of the elastin (ELN) gene occurs at multiple levels including promoter activation/inhibition, mRNA stability, interaction with microRNAs, and alternative splicing. However, these mechanisms are incompletely understood. Better understanding of the processes controlling ELN gene expression may improve medicine's ability to intervene in these rare conditions, as well as to replace age-associated losses by re-initiating elastin production. This review describes what is known about the ELN gene promoter structure, transcriptional regulation by cytokines and transcription factors, and posttranscriptional regulation via mRNA stability and micro-RNA and highlights new approaches that may influence regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara S Procknow
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Beth A Kozel
- Translational Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Neelakantan S, Xin Y, Gaver DP, Cereda M, Rizi R, Smith BJ, Avazmohammadi R. Computational lung modelling in respiratory medicine. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220062. [PMID: 35673857 PMCID: PMC9174712 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational modelling of the lungs is an active field of study that integrates computational advances with lung biophysics, biomechanics, physiology and medical imaging to promote individualized diagnosis, prognosis and therapy evaluation in lung diseases. The complex and hierarchical architecture of the lung offers a rich, but also challenging, research area demanding a cross-scale understanding of lung mechanics and advanced computational tools to effectively model lung biomechanics in both health and disease. Various approaches have been proposed to study different aspects of respiration, ranging from compartmental to discrete micromechanical and continuum representations of the lungs. This article reviews several developments in computational lung modelling and how they are integrated with preclinical and clinical data. We begin with a description of lung anatomy and how different tissue components across multiple length scales affect lung mechanics at the organ level. We then review common physiological and imaging data acquisition methods used to inform modelling efforts. Building on these reviews, we next present a selection of model-based paradigms that integrate data acquisitions with modelling to understand, simulate and predict lung dynamics in health and disease. Finally, we highlight possible future directions where computational modelling can improve our understanding of the structure–function relationship in the lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunder Neelakantan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Yi Xin
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Donald P. Gaver
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Maurizio Cereda
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rahim Rizi
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bradford J. Smith
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver
- Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Reza Avazmohammadi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Houston, TX, USA
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Yang C, Weiss AS, Tarakanova A. Changes in elastin structure and extensibility induced by hypercalcemia and hyperglycemia. Acta Biomater 2022; 163:131-145. [PMID: 35364318 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Elastin is a key elastomeric protein responsible for the elasticity of many organs, including heart, skin, and blood vessels. Due to its intrinsic long life and low turnover rate, damage in elastin induced by pathophysiological conditions, such as hypercalcemia and hyperglycemia, accumulates during biological aging and in aging-associated diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. Prior studies have shown that calcification induced by hypercalcemia deteriorates the function of aortic tissues. Glycation of elastin is triggered by hyperglycemia and associated with elastic tissue damage and loss of mechanical functions via the accumulation of advanced glycation end products. To evaluate the effects on elastin's structural conformations and elasticity by hypercalcemia and hyperglycemia at the molecular scale, we perform classical atomistic and steered molecular dynamics simulations on tropoelastin, the soluble precursor of elastin, under different conditions. We characterize the interaction sites of glucose and calcium and associated structural conformational changes. Additionally, we find that elevated levels of calcium ions and glucose hinder the extensibility of tropoelastin by rearranging structural domains and altering hydrogen bonding patterns, respectively. Overall, our investigation helps to reveal the behavior of tropoelastin and the biomechanics of elastin biomaterials in these physiological environments. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Elastin is a key component of elastic fibers which endow many important tissues and organs, from arteries and veins, to skin and heart, with strength and elasticity. During aging and aging-associated diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis, physicochemical stressors, including hypercalcemia and hyperglycemia, induce accumulated irreversible damage in elastin, and consequently alter mechanical function. Yet, molecular mechanisms associated with these processes are still poorly understood. Here, we present the first study on how these changes in elastin structure and extensibility are induced by hypercalcemia and hyperglycemia at the molecular scale, revealing the essential roles that calcium and glucose play in triggering structural alterations and mechanical stiffness. Our findings yield critical insights into the first steps of hypercalcemia- and hyperglycemia-mediated aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengeng Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Anthony S Weiss
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Nano Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Tarakanova
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
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Zhong Y, Mahoney RC, Khatun Z, Chen HH, Nguyen CT, Caravan P, Roberts JD. Lysyl oxidase regulation and protein aldehydes in the injured newborn lung. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2022; 322:L204-L223. [PMID: 34878944 PMCID: PMC8794022 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00158.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During newborn lung injury, excessive activity of lysyl oxidases (LOXs) disrupts extracellular matrix (ECM) formation. Previous studies indicate that TGFβ activation in the O2-injured mouse pup lung increases lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression. But how TGFβ regulates this, and whether the LOXs generate excess pulmonary aldehydes are unknown. First, we determined that O2-mediated lung injury increases LOX protein expression in TGFβ-stimulated pup lung interstitial fibroblasts. This regulation appeared to be direct; this is because TGFβ treatment also increased LOX protein expression in isolated pup lung fibroblasts. Then using a fibroblast cell line, we determined that TGFβ stimulates LOX expression at a transcriptional level via Smad2/3-dependent signaling. LOX is translated as a pro-protein that requires secretion and extracellular cleavage before assuming amine oxidase activity and, in some cells, reuptake with nuclear localization. We found that pro-LOX is processed in the newborn mouse pup lung. Also, O2-mediated injury was determined to increase pro-LOX secretion and nuclear LOX immunoreactivity particularly in areas populated with interstitial fibroblasts and exhibiting malformed ECM. Then, using molecular probes, we detected increased aldehyde levels in vivo in O2-injured pup lungs, which mapped to areas of increased pro-LOX secretion in lung sections. Increased activity of LOXs plays a critical role in the aldehyde generation; an inhibitor of LOXs prevented the elevation of aldehydes in the O2-injured pup lung. These results reveal new mechanisms of TGFβ and LOX in newborn lung disease and suggest that aldehyde-reactive probes might have utility in sensing the activation of LOXs in vivo during lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhong
- 1Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,4Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Rose C. Mahoney
- 1Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zehedina Khatun
- 4Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts,5Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,6Division of Health Science Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Howard H. Chen
- 4Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts,5Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,6Division of Health Science Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Christopher T. Nguyen
- 1Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,4Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts,5Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter Caravan
- 4Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts,5Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,6Division of Health Science Technology, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts,7The Institute for Innovation in Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jesse D. Roberts
- 1Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,2Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,3Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,4Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Boraldi F, Lofaro FD, Cossarizza A, Quaglino D. The "Elastic Perspective" of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and the Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031559. [PMID: 35163482 PMCID: PMC8835950 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastin represents the structural component of the extracellular matrix providing elastic recoil to tissues such as skin, blood vessels and lungs. Elastogenic cells secrete soluble tropoelastin monomers into the extracellular space where these monomers associate with other matrix proteins (e.g., microfibrils and glycoproteins) and are crosslinked by lysyl oxidase to form insoluble fibres. Once elastic fibres are formed, they are very stable, highly resistant to degradation and have an almost negligible turnover. However, there are circumstances, mainly related to inflammatory conditions, where increased proteolytic degradation of elastic fibres may lead to consequences of major clinical relevance. In severely affected COVID-19 patients, for instance, the massive recruitment and activation of neutrophils is responsible for the profuse release of elastases and other proteolytic enzymes which cause the irreversible degradation of elastic fibres. Within the lungs, destruction of the elastic network may lead to the permanent impairment of pulmonary function, thus suggesting that elastases can be a promising target to preserve the elastic component in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, intrinsic and extrinsic factors additionally contributing to damaging the elastic component and to increasing the spread and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Boraldi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; (F.B.); (F.D.L.)
| | - Francesco Demetrio Lofaro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; (F.B.); (F.D.L.)
| | - Andrea Cossarizza
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy;
| | - Daniela Quaglino
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; (F.B.); (F.D.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Schmelzer CEH, Duca L. Elastic fibers: formation, function, and fate during aging and disease. FEBS J 2021; 289:3704-3730. [PMID: 33896108 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Elastic fibers are extracellular components of higher vertebrates and confer elasticity and resilience to numerous tissues and organs such as large blood vessels, lungs, and skin. Their formation and maturation take place in a complex multistage process called elastogenesis. It requires interactions between very different proteins but also other molecules and leads to the deposition and crosslinking of elastin's precursor on a scaffold of fibrillin-rich microfibrils. Mature fibers are exceptionally resistant to most influences and, under healthy conditions, retain their biomechanical function over the life of the organism. However, due to their longevity, they accumulate damages during aging. These are caused by proteolytic degradation, formation of advanced glycation end products, calcification, oxidative damage, aspartic acid racemization, lipid accumulation, carbamylation, and mechanical fatigue. The resulting changes can lead to diminution or complete loss of elastic fiber function and ultimately affect morbidity and mortality. Particularly, the production of elastokines has been clearly shown to influence several life-threatening diseases. Moreover, the structure, distribution, and abundance of elastic fibers are directly or indirectly influenced by a variety of inherited pathological conditions, which mainly affect organs and tissues such as skin, lungs, or the cardiovascular system. A distinction can be made between microfibril-related inherited diseases that are the result of mutations in diverse microfibril genes and indirectly affect elastogenesis, and elastinopathies that are linked to changes in the elastin gene. This review gives an overview on the formation, structure, and function of elastic fibers and their fate over the human lifespan in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian E H Schmelzer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Laurent Duca
- UMR CNRS 7369 MEDyC, SFR CAP-Sante, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France
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11
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Ozsvar J, Yang C, Cain SA, Baldock C, Tarakanova A, Weiss AS. Tropoelastin and Elastin Assembly. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:643110. [PMID: 33718344 PMCID: PMC7947355 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.643110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Elastic fibers are an important component of the extracellular matrix, providing stretch, resilience, and cell interactivity to a broad range of elastic tissues. Elastin makes up the majority of elastic fibers and is formed by the hierarchical assembly of its monomer, tropoelastin. Our understanding of key aspects of the assembly process have been unclear due to the intrinsic properties of elastin and tropoelastin that render them difficult to study. This review focuses on recent developments that have shaped our current knowledge of elastin assembly through understanding the relationship between tropoelastin’s structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazmin Ozsvar
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chengeng Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Stuart A Cain
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Clair Baldock
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Tarakanova
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Anthony S Weiss
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Nano Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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12
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Feneck EM, Lewis PN, Meek KM. Identification of a Primary Stroma and Novel Endothelial Cell Projections in the Developing Human Cornea. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 61:5. [PMID: 32492106 PMCID: PMC7415898 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.6.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To investigate the initial events in the development of the human cornea, focusing on cell migration, and extracellular matrix synthesis and organization. To determine whether elastic fibers are present in the extracellular matrix during early human corneal development. Methods Human corneas were collected from week 7 to week 17 of development. An elastic fiber-enhancing stain, tannic acid–uranyl acetate, was applied to all tissue. Three-dimensional serial block-face scanning electron microscopy combined with conventional transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze the corneal stroma. Results An acellular collagenous primary stroma with an orthogonal arrangement of fibrils was identified in the central cornea from week 7 of corneal development. At week 7.5, mesenchymal cells migrated toward the central cornea and associated with the acellular collagenous matrix. Novel cell extensions from the endothelium were identified. Elastic fibers were found concentrated in the posterior peripheral corneal stroma from week 12 of corneal development. Conclusions This study provides novel evidence of an acellular primary stroma in the early development of the embryonic human cornea. Cell extensions exist as part of a communication system and are hypothesized to assist in the migration of the mesenchymal cells and the development of the mature cornea. Elastic fibers identified in early corneal development may play an important role in establishing corneal shape.
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13
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O'Neill Moore S, Grubb TJ, Kothapalli CR. Insights into the biophysical forces between proteins involved in elastic fiber assembly. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:9239-9250. [PMID: 32966543 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb01591a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Elastogenesis is a complex process beginning with transcription, translation, and extracellular release of precursor proteins leading to crosslinking, deposition, and assembly of ubiquitous elastic fibers. While the biochemical pathways by which elastic fibers are assembled are known, the biophysical forces mediating the interactions between the constituent proteins are unknown. Using atomic force microscopy, we quantified the adhesive forces among the elastic fiber components, primarily between tropoelastin, elastin binding protein (EBP), fibrillin-1, fibulin-5, and lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2). The adhesive forces between tropoelastin and other tissue-derived proteins such as insoluble elastin, laminin, and type I collagens were also assessed. The adhesive forces between tropoelastin and laminin were strong (1767 ± 126 pN; p < 10-5vs. all others), followed by forces (≥200 pN) between tropoelastin and human collagen, mature elastin, or tropoelastin. The adhesive forces between tropoelastin and rat collagen, EBP, fibrillin-1, fibulin-5, and LOXL2 coated on fibrillin-1 were in the range of 100-200 pN. The forces between tropoelastin and LOXL2, LOXL2 and fibrillin-1, LOXL2 and fibulin-5, and fibrillin-1 and fibulin-5 were less than 100 pN. Introducing LOXL2 decreased the adhesive forces between the tropoelastin monomers by ∼100 pN. The retraction phase of force-deflection curves was fitted to the worm-like chain model to calculate the rigidity and flexibility of these proteins as they unfolded. The results provided insights into how each constituent's stretching under deformation contributes to structural and mechanical characteristics of these fibers and to elastic fiber assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean O'Neill Moore
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FH 460, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
| | - Tyler Jacob Grubb
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FH 460, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
| | - Chandrasekhar R Kothapalli
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FH 460, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
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14
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Heinz A. Elastases and elastokines: elastin degradation and its significance in health and disease. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 55:252-273. [PMID: 32530323 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2020.1768208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Elastin is an important protein of the extracellular matrix of higher vertebrates, which confers elasticity and resilience to various tissues and organs including lungs, skin, large blood vessels and ligaments. Owing to its unique structure, extensive cross-linking and durability, it does not undergo significant turnover in healthy tissues and has a half-life of more than 70 years. Elastin is not only a structural protein, influencing the architecture and biomechanical properties of the extracellular matrix, but also plays a vital role in various physiological processes. Bioactive elastin peptides termed elastokines - in particular those of the GXXPG motif - occur as a result of proteolytic degradation of elastin and its non-cross-linked precursor tropoelastin and display several biological activities. For instance, they promote angiogenesis or stimulate cell adhesion, chemotaxis, proliferation, protease activation and apoptosis. Elastin-degrading enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases, serine proteases and cysteine proteases slowly damage elastin over the lifetime of an organism. The destruction of elastin and the biological processes triggered by elastokines favor the development and progression of various pathological conditions including emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome and cancer. This review gives an overview on types of human elastases and their action on human elastin, including the formation, structure and biological activities of elastokines and their role in common biological processes and severe pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Heinz
- Department of Pharmacy, LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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15
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Schmelzer CEH, Hedtke T, Heinz A. Unique molecular networks: Formation and role of elastin cross-links. IUBMB Life 2019; 72:842-854. [PMID: 31834666 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Elastic fibers are essential assemblies of vertebrates and confer elasticity and resilience to various organs including blood vessels, lungs, skin, and ligaments. Mature fibers, which comprise a dense and insoluble elastin core and a microfibrillar mantle, are extremely resistant toward intrinsic and extrinsic influences and maintain elastic function over the human lifespan in healthy conditions. The oxidative deamination of peptidyl lysine to peptidyl allysine in elastin's precursor tropoelastin is a crucial posttranslational step in their formation. The modification is catalyzed by members of the family of lysyl oxidases and the starting point for subsequent manifold condensation reactions that eventually lead to the highly cross-linked elastomer. This review summarizes the current understanding of the formation of cross-links within and between the monomer molecules, the molecular sites, and cross-link types involved and the pathological consequences of abnormalities in the cross-linking process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian E H Schmelzer
- Department of Biological and Macromolecular Materials, Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Tobias Hedtke
- Department of Biological and Macromolecular Materials, Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Andrea Heinz
- Department of Pharmacy, LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Sequence variants of human tropoelastin affecting assembly, structural characteristics and functional properties of polymeric elastin in health and disease. Matrix Biol 2019; 84:68-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2019.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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17
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Vindin H, Mithieux SM, Weiss AS. Elastin architecture. Matrix Biol 2019; 84:4-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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18
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Kozel BA, Mecham RP. Elastic fiber ultrastructure and assembly. Matrix Biol 2019; 84:31-40. [PMID: 31669522 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2019.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Studies over the years have described a filamentous structure to mature elastin that suggests a complicated packing arrangement of tropoelastin subunits. The currently accepted mechanism for tropoelastin assembly requires microfibrils to serve as a physical extracellular scaffold for alignment of tropoelastin monomers during and before crosslinking. However, recent evidence suggests that the initial stages of tropoelastin assembly occur within the cell or at unique assembly sites on the plasma membrane where tropoelastin self assembles to form elastin aggregates. Outside the cell, elastin aggregates transfer to growing elastic fibers in the extracellular matrix where tensional forces on microfibrils generated through cell movement help shape the growing fiber. Overall, these observations challenge the widely held idea that interaction between monomeric tropoelastin and microfibrils is a requirement for elastin assembly, and point to self-assembly of tropoelastin as a driving force in elastin maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A Kozel
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert P Mecham
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8228, 660 South Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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19
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Hedtke T, Schräder CU, Heinz A, Hoehenwarter W, Brinckmann J, Groth T, Schmelzer CEH. A comprehensive map of human elastin cross-linking during elastogenesis. FEBS J 2019; 286:3594-3610. [PMID: 31102572 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Elastin is an essential structural protein in the extracellular matrix of vertebrates. It is the core component of elastic fibers, which enable connective tissues such as those of the skin, lungs or blood vessels to stretch and recoil. This function is provided by elastin's exceptional properties, which mainly derive from a unique covalent cross-linking between hydrophilic lysine-rich motifs of units of the monomeric precursor tropoelastin. To date, elastin's cross-linking is poorly investigated. Here, we purified elastin from human tissue and cleaved it into soluble peptides using proteases with different specificities. We then analyzed elastin's molecular structure by identifying unmodified residues, post-translational modifications and cross-linked peptides by high-resolution mass spectrometry and amino acid analysis. The data revealed the presence of multiple isoforms in parallel and a complex and heterogeneous molecular interconnection. We discovered that the same lysine residues in different monomers were simultaneously involved in various cross-link types or remained unmodified. Furthermore, both types of cross-linking domains, Lys-Pro and Lys-Ala domains, participate not only in bifunctional inter- but also in intra-domain cross-links. We elucidated the sequences of several desmosine-containing peptides and the contribution of distinct domains such as 6, 14 and 25. In contrast to earlier assumptions proposing that desmosine cross-links are formed solely between two domains, we elucidated the structure of a peptide that proves a desmosine formation with participation of three Lys-Ala domains. In summary, these results provide new and detailed insights into the cross-linking process, which takes place within and between human tropoelastin units in a stochastic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Hedtke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Biomedical Materials Group, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Christoph U Schräder
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Andrea Heinz
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wolfgang Hoehenwarter
- Proteome Analytics Research Group, Leibniz Institute for Plant Biochemistry, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jürgen Brinckmann
- Institute of Virology and Cell Biology & Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Thomas Groth
- Biomedical Materials Group, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Christian E H Schmelzer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.,Institute of Applied Dermatopharmacy at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (IADP), Germany
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20
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Schmelzer CEH, Heinz A, Troilo H, Lockhart-Cairns MP, Jowitt TA, Marchand MF, Bidault L, Bignon M, Hedtke T, Barret A, McConnell JC, Sherratt MJ, Germain S, Hulmes DJS, Baldock C, Muller L. Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2)-mediated cross-linking of tropoelastin. FASEB J 2019; 33:5468-5481. [PMID: 30676771 PMCID: PMC6629125 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201801860rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Lysyl oxidases (LOXs) play a central role in extracellular matrix remodeling during development and tumor growth and fibrosis through cross-linking of collagens and elastin. We have limited knowledge of the structure and substrate specificity of these secreted enzymes. LOXs share a conserved C-terminal catalytic domain but differ in their N-terminal region, which is composed of 4 repeats of scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domains in LOX-like (LOXL) 2. We investigated by X-ray scattering and electron microscopy the low-resolution structure of the full-length enzyme and the structure of a shorter form lacking the catalytic domain. Our data demonstrate that LOXL2 has a rod-like structure with a stalk composed of the SRCR domains and the catalytic domain at its tip. We detected direct interaction between LOXL2 and tropoelastin (TE) and also LOXL2-mediated deamination of TE. Using proteomics, we identified several allysines together with cross-linked TE peptides. The elastin-like material generated was resistant to trypsin proteolysis and displayed mechanical properties similar to mature elastin. Finally, we detected the codistribution of LOXL2 and elastin in the vascular wall. Altogether, these data suggest that LOXL2 could participate in elastogenesis in vivo and could be used as a means of cross-linking TE in vitro for biomimetic and cell-compatible tissue engineering purposes.-Schmelzer, C. E. H., Heinz, A., Troilo, H., Lockhart-Cairns, M.-P., Jowitt, T. A., Marchand, M. F., Bidault, L., Bignon, M., Hedtke, T., Barret, A., McConnell, J. C., Sherratt, M. J., Germain, S., Hulmes, D. J. S., Baldock, C., Muller, L. Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2)-mediated cross-linking of tropoelastin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian E H Schmelzer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS), Halle (Saale), Germany.,Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Andrea Heinz
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helen Troilo
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P Lockhart-Cairns
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A Jowitt
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Marion F Marchand
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,Collège Doctoral, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Bidault
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Marine Bignon
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Tobias Hedtke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS), Halle (Saale), Germany.,Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Alain Barret
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - James C McConnell
- Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Sherratt
- Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stéphane Germain
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - David J S Hulmes
- UMR 5305, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et Ingénierie Thérapeutique (LBTI), Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Clair Baldock
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Cell-Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Laurent Muller
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
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21
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Muiznieks LD, Sharpe S, Pomès R, Keeley FW. Role of Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation in Assembly of Elastin and Other Extracellular Matrix Proteins. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:4741-4753. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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22
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Schräder CU, Heinz A, Majovsky P, Karaman Mayack B, Brinckmann J, Sippl W, Schmelzer CEH. Elastin is heterogeneously cross-linked. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:15107-15119. [PMID: 30108173 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Elastin is an essential vertebrate protein responsible for the elasticity of force-bearing tissues such as those of the lungs, blood vessels, and skin. One of the key features required for the exceptional properties of this durable biopolymer is the extensive covalent cross-linking between domains of its monomer molecule tropoelastin. To date, elastin's exact molecular assembly and mechanical properties are poorly understood. Here, using bovine elastin, we investigated the different types of cross-links in mature elastin to gain insight into its structure. We purified and proteolytically cleaved elastin from a single tissue sample into soluble cross-linked and noncross-linked peptides that we studied by high-resolution MS. This analysis enabled the elucidation of cross-links and other elastin modifications. We found that the lysine residues within the tropoelastin sequence were simultaneously unmodified and involved in various types of cross-links with different other domains. The Lys-Pro domains were almost exclusively linked via lysinonorleucine, whereas Lys-Ala domains were found to be cross-linked via lysinonorleucine, allysine aldol, and desmosine. Unexpectedly, we identified a high number of intramolecular cross-links between lysine residues in close proximity. In summary, we show on the molecular level that elastin formation involves random cross-linking of tropoelastin monomers resulting in an unordered network, an unexpected finding compared with previous assumptions of an overall beaded structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph U Schräder
- From the Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Andrea Heinz
- From the Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany.,the Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Petra Majovsky
- the Proteome Analytics Research Group, Leibniz Institute for Plant Biochemistry, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Berin Karaman Mayack
- From the Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Jürgen Brinckmann
- the Institute of Virology and Cell Biology, Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck 23538, Germany, and
| | - Wolfgang Sippl
- From the Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Christian E H Schmelzer
- From the Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany, .,the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
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23
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Duque Lasio ML, Kozel BA. Elastin-driven genetic diseases. Matrix Biol 2018; 71-72:144-160. [PMID: 29501665 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2018.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Elastic fibers provide recoil to tissues that undergo repeated deformation, such as blood vessels, lungs and skin. Composed of elastin and its accessory proteins, the fibers are produced within a restricted developmental window and are stable for decades. Their eventual breakdown is associated with a loss of tissue resiliency and aging. Rare alteration of the elastin (ELN) gene produces disease by impacting protein dosage (supravalvar aortic stenosis, Williams Beuren syndrome and Williams Beuren region duplication syndrome) and protein function (autosomal dominant cutis laxa). This review highlights aspects of the elastin molecule and its assembly process that contribute to human disease and also discusses potential therapies aimed at treating diseases of elastin insufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beth A Kozel
- National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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24
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Yeo G, Baldock C, Wise SG, Weiss AS. Targeted Modulation of Tropoelastin Structure and Assembly. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 3:2832-2844. [PMID: 29152561 PMCID: PMC5686564 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tropoelastin, as the monomer unit of elastin, assembles into elastic fibers that impart strength and resilience to elastic tissues. Tropoelastin is also widely used to manufacture versatile materials with specific mechanical and biological properties. The assembly of tropoelastin into elastic fibers or biomaterials is crucially influenced by key submolecular regions and specific residues within these domains. In this work, we identify the functional contributions of two rarely occurring negatively charged residues, glutamate 345 in domain 19 and glutamate 414 in domain 21, in jointly maintaining the native conformation of the tropoelastin hinge, bridge and foot regions. Alanine substitution of E345 and/or E414 variably alters the positioning and interactive accessibility of these regions, as illustrated by nanostructural studies and detected by antibody and cell probes. These structural changes are associated with a lower propensity for monomer coacervation, cross-linking into morphologically and functionally atypical hydrogels, and markedly impaired and abnormal elastic fiber formation. Our work indicates the crucial significance of both E345 and E414 residues in modulating specific local structure and higher-order assembly of human tropoelastin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle
C. Yeo
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and
Environmental Sciences, School of Physics, Sydney Medical School, and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Clair Baldock
- Wellcome
Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine
and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Steven G. Wise
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and
Environmental Sciences, School of Physics, Sydney Medical School, and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The
Heart Research Institute, 7 Eliza Street, Newtown, New South Wales 2050, Australia
| | - Anthony S. Weiss
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and
Environmental Sciences, School of Physics, Sydney Medical School, and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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25
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Single nucleotide polymorphisms and domain/splice variants modulate assembly and elastomeric properties of human elastin. Implications for tissue specificity and durability of elastic tissue. Biopolymers 2017; 107. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.23007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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26
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Sato F, Seino-Sudo R, Okada M, Sakai H, Yumoto T, Wachi H. Lysyl Oxidase Enhances the Deposition of Tropoelastin through the Catalysis of Tropoelastin Molecules on the Cell Surface. Biol Pharm Bull 2017; 40:1646-1653. [DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b17-00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fumiaki Sato
- Department of Analytical Pathophysiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | - Ryo Seino-Sudo
- Department of Tissue Regeneration, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | - Mami Okada
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | - Hiroyasu Sakai
- Department of Analytical Pathophysiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | - Tetsuro Yumoto
- Department of Analytical Pathophysiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | - Hiroshi Wachi
- Department of Tissue Regeneration, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
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Muiznieks LD, Miao M, Sitarz EE, Keeley FW. Contribution of domain 30 of tropoelastin to elastic fiber formation and material elasticity. Biopolymers 2016; 105:267-75. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D. Muiznieks
- Molecular Structure and Function Program; Hospital for Sick Children; 555 University Ave. Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
| | - Ming Miao
- Molecular Structure and Function Program; Hospital for Sick Children; 555 University Ave. Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
| | - Eva E. Sitarz
- Molecular Structure and Function Program; Hospital for Sick Children; 555 University Ave. Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
| | - Fred W. Keeley
- Molecular Structure and Function Program; Hospital for Sick Children; 555 University Ave. Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, 1 King's College Circle; University of Toronto; Toronto ON M5S1A8 Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 1 King's College Circle; University of Toronto; Toronto ON M5S1A8 Canada
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Yeo GC, Aghaei-Ghareh-Bolagh B, Brackenreg EP, Hiob MA, Lee P, Weiss AS. Fabricated Elastin. Adv Healthc Mater 2015; 4:2530-2556. [PMID: 25771993 PMCID: PMC4568180 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201400781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Revised: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The mechanical stability, elasticity, inherent bioactivity, and self-assembly properties of elastin make it a highly attractive candidate for the fabrication of versatile biomaterials. The ability to engineer specific peptide sequences derived from elastin allows the precise control of these physicochemical and organizational characteristics, and further broadens the diversity of elastin-based applications. Elastin and elastin-like peptides can also be modified or blended with other natural or synthetic moieties, including peptides, proteins, polysaccharides, and polymers, to augment existing capabilities or confer additional architectural and biofunctional features to compositionally pure materials. Elastin and elastin-based composites have been subjected to diverse fabrication processes, including heating, electrospinning, wet spinning, solvent casting, freeze-drying, and cross-linking, for the manufacture of particles, fibers, gels, tubes, sheets and films. The resulting materials can be tailored to possess specific strength, elasticity, morphology, topography, porosity, wettability, surface charge, and bioactivity. This extraordinary tunability of elastin-based constructs enables their use in a range of biomedical and tissue engineering applications such as targeted drug delivery, cell encapsulation, vascular repair, nerve regeneration, wound healing, and dermal, cartilage, bone, and dental replacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle C. Yeo
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Behnaz Aghaei-Ghareh-Bolagh
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Edwin P. Brackenreg
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Matti A. Hiob
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Pearl Lee
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Anthony S. Weiss
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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29
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Muiznieks LD, Reichheld SE, Sitarz EE, Miao M, Keeley FW. Proline-poor hydrophobic domains modulate the assembly and material properties of polymeric elastin. Biopolymers 2015; 103:563-73. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D. Muiznieks
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, Hospital For Sick Children; 555 University Ave Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
| | - Sean E. Reichheld
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, Hospital For Sick Children; 555 University Ave Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
| | - Eva E. Sitarz
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, Hospital For Sick Children; 555 University Ave Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
| | - Ming Miao
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, Hospital For Sick Children; 555 University Ave Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
| | - Fred W. Keeley
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, Hospital For Sick Children; 555 University Ave Toronto ON M5G1X8 Canada
- Department of Biochemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto ON M5S1A8 Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology; University of Toronto; Toronto ON M5S1A8 Canada
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30
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Schräder CU, Heinz A, Majovsky P, Schmelzer CEH. Fingerprinting desmosine-containing elastin peptides. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2015; 26:762-773. [PMID: 25604393 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-014-1075-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Elastin is a vital protein of the extracellular matrix of jawed vertebrates and provides elasticity to numerous tissues. It is secreted in the form of its soluble precursor tropoelastin, which is subsequently cross-linked in the course of the elastic fiber assembly. The process involves the formation of the two tetrafunctional amino acids desmosine (DES) and isodesmosine (IDES), which are unique to elastin. The resulting high degree of cross-linking confers remarkable properties, including mechanical integrity, insolubility, and long-term stability to the protein. These characteristics hinder the structural elucidation of mature elastin. However, MS(2) data of linear and cross-linked peptides released by proteolysis can provide indirect insights into the structure of elastin. In this study, we performed energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation experiments of DES, IDES, their derivatives, and DES-/IDES-containing peptides to determine characteristic product ions. It was found that all investigated compounds yielded the same product ion clusters at elevated collision energies. Elemental composition determination using the exact masses of these ions revealed molecular formulas of the type CxHyN, suggesting that the pyridinium core of DES/IDES remains intact even at relatively high collision energies. The finding of these specific product ions enabled the development of a similarity-based scoring algorithm that was successfully applied on LC-MS/MS data of bovine elastin digests for the identification of DES-/IDES-cross-linked peptides. This approach facilitates the straightforward investigation of native cross-links in elastin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph U Schräder
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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31
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Yeo GC, Baldock C, Wise SG, Weiss AS. A negatively charged residue stabilizes the tropoelastin N-terminal region for elastic fiber assembly. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:34815-26. [PMID: 25342751 PMCID: PMC4263881 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.606772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropoelastin is an extracellular matrix protein that assembles into elastic fibers that provide elasticity and strength to vertebrate tissues. Although the contributions of specific tropoelastin regions during each stage of elastogenesis are still not fully understood, studies predominantly recognize the central hinge/bridge and C-terminal foot as the major participants in tropoelastin assembly, with a number of interactions mediated by the abundant positively charged residues within these regions. However, much less is known about the importance of the rarely occurring negatively charged residues and the N-terminal coil region in tropoelastin assembly. The sole negatively charged residue in the first half of human tropoelastin is aspartate 72. In contrast, the same region comprises 17 positively charged residues. We mutated this aspartate residue to alanine and assessed the elastogenic capacity of this novel construct. We found that D72A tropoelastin has a decreased propensity for initial self-association, and it cross-links aberrantly into denser, less porous hydrogels with reduced swelling properties. Although the mutant can bind cells normally, it does not form elastic fibers with human dermal fibroblasts and forms fewer atypical fibers with human retinal pigmented epithelial cells. This impaired functionality is associated with conformational changes in the N-terminal region. Our results strongly point to the role of the Asp-72 site in stabilizing the N-terminal segment of human tropoelastin and the importance of this region in facilitating elastic fiber assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle C Yeo
- From the School of Molecular Bioscience and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Clair Baldock
- the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Steven G Wise
- the Heart Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales 2042, Australia, and the Sydney Medical School and
| | - Anthony S Weiss
- From the School of Molecular Bioscience and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia, Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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32
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Heinz A, Schräder CU, Baud S, Keeley FW, Mithieux SM, Weiss AS, Neubert RHH, Schmelzer CEH. Molecular-level characterization of elastin-like constructs and human aortic elastin. Matrix Biol 2014; 38:12-21. [PMID: 25068896 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2014.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize the structures of two elastin-like constructs, one composed of a cross-linked elastin-like polypeptide and the other one of cross-linked tropoelastin, and native aortic elastin. The structures of the insoluble materials and human aortic elastin were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, all samples were digested with enzymes of different specificities, and the resultant peptide mixtures were characterized by ESI mass spectrometry and MALDI mass spectrometry. The MS(2) data was used to sequence linear peptides, and cross-linked species were analyzed with the recently developed software PolyLinX. This enabled the identification of two intramolecularly cross-linked peptides containing allysine aldols in the two constructs. The presence of the tetrafunctional cross-link desmosine was shown for all analyzed materials and its quantification revealed that the cross-linking degree of the two in vitro cross-linked materials was significantly lower than that of native elastin. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed, based on molecular species identified in the samples, to follow the formation of elastin cross-links. The results provide evidence for the significance of the GVGTP hinge region of domain 23 for the formation of elastin cross-links. Overall, this work provides important insight into structural similarities and differences between elastin-like constructs and native elastin. Furthermore, it represents a step toward the elucidation of the complex cross-linking pattern of mature elastin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Heinz
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Christoph U Schräder
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stéphanie Baud
- Laboratoire SiRMa, FRE CNRS/URCA 3481, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France; Plateforme de Modélisation Moléculaire Multi-échelle, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Fred W Keeley
- Molecular Structure and Function, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Anthony S Weiss
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Reinhard H H Neubert
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Christian E H Schmelzer
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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33
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Muiznieks LD, Cirulis JT, van der Horst A, Reinhardt DP, Wuite GJ, Pomès R, Keeley FW. Modulated growth, stability and interactions of liquid-like coacervate assemblies of elastin. Matrix Biol 2014; 36:39-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Wise SG, Yeo GC, Hiob MA, Rnjak-Kovacina J, Kaplan DL, Ng MKC, Weiss AS. Tropoelastin: a versatile, bioactive assembly module. Acta Biomater 2014; 10:1532-41. [PMID: 23938199 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Revised: 07/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Elastin provides structural integrity, biological cues and persistent elasticity to a range of important tissues, including the vasculature and lungs. Its critical importance to normal physiology makes it a desirable component of biomaterials that seek to repair or replace these tissues. The recent availability of large quantities of the highly purified elastin monomer, tropoelastin, has allowed for a thorough characterization of the mechanical and biological mechanisms underpinning the benefits of mature elastin. While tropoelastin is a flexible molecule, a combination of optical and structural analyses has defined key regions of the molecule that directly contribute to the elastomeric properties and control the cell interactions of the protein. Insights into the structure and behavior of tropoelastin have translated into increasingly sophisticated elastin-like biomaterials, evolving from classically manufactured hydrogels and fibers to new forms, stabilized in the absence of incorporated cross-linkers. Tropoelastin is also compatible with synthetic and natural co-polymers, expanding the applications of its potential use beyond traditional elastin-rich tissues and facilitating finer control of biomaterial properties and the design of next-generation tailored bioactive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven G Wise
- The Heart Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Giselle C Yeo
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Matti A Hiob
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; The Heart Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia
| | - Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Martin K C Ng
- The Heart Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Anthony S Weiss
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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35
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DeMarsilis AJ, Walji TA, Maedeker JA, Stoka KV, Kozel BA, Mecham RP, Wagenseil JE, Craft CS. Elastin Insufficiency Predisposes Mice to Impaired Glucose Metabolism. J Mol Genet Med 2014; 8. [PMID: 26167199 PMCID: PMC4497575 DOI: 10.4172/1747-0862.1000129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Williams-Beuren syndrome is the consequence of a large contiguous-gene deletion on the seventh human chromosome that includes the elastin gene. Elastin is an extracellular matrix protein responsible for the cardiovascular abnormalities associated with Williams’s syndrome, including hypertension and aortic stenosis. A high percentage of individuals with Williams’s syndrome also have impaired glucose tolerance, independent of traditional risk factors for diabetes. Here, we show that murine adipose tissue does assemble elastic fibers; however, isolated elastin insufficiency (Eln+/−) in mice does not independently influence glucose metabolism or tissue lipid accumulation. Similarly, isolated ApoE deficiency (ApoE−/−), a model of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis, does not impair insulin sensitivity. However, Eln+/−; ApoE−/− double mutant mice exhibit notable hyperglycemia, adipocyte hypertrophy, inflammation of adipose tissue, and ectopic lipid accumulation in liver tissue. Further, Eln+/−; ApoE−/− mutants have significant impairment of insulin sensitivity by insulin tolerance testing, independent of body weight or diet, suggesting that elastin insufficiency predisposes to metabolic disease in susceptible individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antea J DeMarsilis
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tezin A Walji
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Justine A Maedeker
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kellie V Stoka
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Beth A Kozel
- Department of Pediatrics,, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Robert P Mecham
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jessica E Wagenseil
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Clarissa S Craft
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
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Castellano J, Badimon L, Llorente-Cortés V. Amyloid-β increases metallo- and cysteine protease activities in human macrophages. J Vasc Res 2013; 51:58-67. [PMID: 24335416 DOI: 10.1159/000356334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Amyloid-β (Aβ) plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. Macrophages are a source of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), cysteine proteases and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in the vascular wall. The aims of this study were to analyze the capacity of Aβ peptide (1-40) (Aβ40), Aβ peptide (1-42) (Aβ42) and fibrillar Aβ42 (fAβ42) to modulate the expression and activity of MMP-9, MMP-2 and tissue inhibitor of MMP-1 (TIMP-1) in human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM). Additionally, we analyzed whether Aβ internalization alters the secretion of cathepsin S (CatS) and TGF-β1 by macrophages. METHODS HMDM were exposed to native and fibrillar Aβ. MMPs and TIMP-1 expression was analyzed by real-time PCR, and MMP abundance by zymography. Protein levels of precursor and active forms of CatS were analyzed by Western blot and TGF-β1 levels by ELISA. RESULTS Aβ40, Aβ42 and especially fAβ42 strongly induced MMP-9/MMP-2 levels. Moreover, we showed enhanced active CatS and reduced TGF-β1 protein levels in the secretome of Aβ42 and fAβ42-exposed macrophages. CONCLUSIONS Aβ can regulate the proinflammatory state of human macrophages by inducing metallo- and cysteine protease levels and by reducing TGF-β1 secretion. These effects may be crucial in atherosclerosis progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Castellano
- Cardiovascular Research Center CSIC-ICCC, IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
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37
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Urban Z, Davis EC. Cutis laxa: intersection of elastic fiber biogenesis, TGFβ signaling, the secretory pathway and metabolism. Matrix Biol 2013; 33:16-22. [PMID: 23954411 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2013.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cutis laxa (CL), a disease characterized by redundant and inelastic skin, displays extensive locus heterogeneity. Together with geroderma osteodysplasticum and arterial tortuosity syndrome, which show phenotypic overlap with CL, eleven CL-related genes have been identified to date, which encode proteins within 3 groups. Elastin, fibulin-4, fibulin-5 and latent transforming growth factor-β-binding protein 4 are secreted proteins which form elastic fibers and are involved in the sequestration and subsequent activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ). Proteins within the second group, localized to the secretory pathway, perform transport and membrane trafficking functions necessary for the modification and secretion of elastic fiber components. Key proteins include a subunit of the vacuolar-type proton pump, which ensures the efficient secretion of tropoelastin, the precursor or elastin. A copper transporter is required for the activity of lysyl oxidases, which crosslink collagen and elastin. A Rab6-interacting goglin recruits kinesin motors to Golgi-vesicles facilitating the transport from the Golgi to the plasma membrane. The Rab and Ras interactor 2 regulates the activity of Rab5, a small guanosine triphosphatase essential for the endocytosis of various cell surface receptors, including integrins. Proteins of the third group related to CL perform metabolic functions within the mitochondria, inhibiting the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Two of these proteins catalyze subsequent steps in the conversion of glutamate to proline. The third transports dehydroascorbate into mitochondria. Recent studies on CL-related proteins highlight the intricate connections among membrane trafficking, metabolism, extracellular matrix assembly, and TGFβ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Urban
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States.
| | - Elaine C Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C7 Canada
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38
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Zhang P, Huang A, Morales-Ruiz M, Starcher BC, Huang Y, Sessa WC, Niklason LE, Giordano FJ. Engineered zinc-finger proteins can compensate genetic haploinsufficiency by transcriptional activation of the wild-type allele: application to Willams-Beuren syndrome and supravalvular aortic stenosis. Hum Gene Ther 2013; 23:1186-99. [PMID: 22891920 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2011.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) and supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) are genetic syndromes marked by the propensity to develop severe vascular stenoses. Vascular lesions in both syndromes are caused by haploinsufficiency of the elastin gene. We used these distinct genetic syndromes as models to evaluate the feasibility of using engineered zinc-finger protein transcription factors (ZFPs) to achieve compensatory expression of haploinsufficient genes by inducing augmented expression from the remaining wild-type allele. For complex genes with multiple splice variants, this approach could have distinct advantages over cDNA-based gene replacement strategies. Targeting the elastin gene, we show that transcriptional activation by engineered ZFPs can induce compensatory expression from the wild-type allele in the setting of classic WBS and SVAS genetic mutations, increase elastin expression in wild-type cells, induce expression of the major elastin splice variants, and recapitulate their natural stoichiometry. Further, we establish that transcriptional activation of the mutant allele in SVAS does not overcome nonsense-mediated decay, and thus ZFP-mediated transcriptional activation is not likely to induce production of a mutant protein, a crucial consideration. Finally, we show in bioengineered blood vessels that ZFP-mediated induction of elastin expression is capable of stimulating functional elastogenesis. Haploinsufficiency is a common mechanism of genetic disease. These findings have significant implications for WBS and SVAS, and establish that haploinsufficiency can be overcome by targeted transcriptional activation without inducing protein expression from the mutant allele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Zhang
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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39
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40
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Muiznieks LD, Keeley FW. Molecular assembly and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix: A fibrous protein perspective. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2012; 1832:866-75. [PMID: 23220448 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2012.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2012] [Revised: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix is an integral and dynamic component of all tissues. Macromolecular compositions and structural architectures of the matrix are tissue-specific and typically are strongly influenced by the magnitude and direction of biomechanical forces experienced as part of normal tissue function. Fibrous extracellular networks of collagen and elastin provide the dominant response to tissue mechanical forces. These matrix proteins enable tissues to withstand high tensile and repetitive stresses without plastic deformation or rupture. Here we provide an overview of the hierarchical molecular and supramolecular assembly of collagens and elastic fibers, and review their capacity for mechanical behavior in response to force. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Fibrosis: Translation of basic research to human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D Muiznieks
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, The Hospital For Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, Canada
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41
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Wagenseil JE, Mecham RP. Elastin in large artery stiffness and hypertension. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2012; 5:264-73. [PMID: 22290157 PMCID: PMC3383658 DOI: 10.1007/s12265-012-9349-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Large artery stiffness, as measured by pulse wave velocity, is correlated with high blood pressure and may be a causative factor in essential hypertension. The extracellular matrix components, specifically the mix of elastin and collagen in the vessel wall, determine the passive mechanical properties of the large arteries. Elastin is organized into elastic fibers in the wall during arterial development in a complex process that requires spatial and temporal coordination of numerous proteins. The elastic fibers last the lifetime of the organism but are subject to proteolytic degradation and chemical alterations that change their mechanical properties. This review discusses how alterations in the amount, assembly, organization, or chemical properties of the elastic fibers affect arterial stiffness and blood pressure. Strategies for encouraging or reversing alterations to the elastic fibers are addressed. Methods for determining the efficacy of these strategies, by measuring elastin amounts and arterial stiffness, are summarized. Therapies that have a direct effect on arterial stiffness through alterations to the elastic fibers in the wall may be an effective treatment for essential hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Wagenseil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, 3507 Lindell Blvd, St Louis, MO 63103, USA.
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Sugitani H, Hirano E, Knutsen RH, Shifren A, Wagenseil JE, Ciliberto C, Kozel BA, Urban Z, Davis EC, Broekelmann TJ, Mecham RP. Alternative splicing and tissue-specific elastin misassembly act as biological modifiers of human elastin gene frameshift mutations associated with dominant cutis laxa. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:22055-67. [PMID: 22573328 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.327940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Elastin is the extracellular matrix protein in vertebrates that provides elastic recoil to blood vessels, the lung, and skin. Because the elastin gene has undergone significant changes in the primate lineage, modeling elastin diseases in non-human animals can be problematic. To investigate the pathophysiology underlying a class of elastin gene mutations leading to autosomal dominant cutis laxa, we engineered a cutis laxa mutation (single base deletion) into the human elastin gene contained in a bacterial artificial chromosome. When expressed as a transgene in mice, mutant elastin was incorporated into elastic fibers in the skin and lung with adverse effects on tissue function. In contrast, only low levels of mutant protein incorporated into aortic elastin, which explains why the vasculature is relatively unaffected in this disease. RNA stability studies found that alternative exon splicing acts as a modifier of disease severity by influencing the spectrum of mutant transcripts that survive nonsense-mediated decay. Our results confirm the critical role of the C-terminal region of tropoelastin in elastic fiber assembly and suggest tissue-specific differences in the elastin assembly pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Sugitani
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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Bochicchio B, Pepe A. Role of polyproline II conformation in human tropoelastin structure. Chirality 2012; 23:694-702. [PMID: 22135799 DOI: 10.1002/chir.20979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the molecular studies on human tropoelastin domains accomplished by Tamburro and co-workers in the last decade. The used approach is the reductionist approach applied to human tropoelastin and is based on the observation that the tropoelastin gene exhibits a cassette-like organization, with a regular alternation of cross-linking and hydrophobic domains putatively responsible for the elasticity of the protein. The peculiar structure of human tropoelastin gene prompted us to study the isolated domains encoded by the exons of tropoelastin, with the perspective to get deep insights into the structural properties of the whole protein. At the molecular level, the results clearly evidence large flexibility of the polypeptide chains in the hydrophobic domains, which oscillate between rather extended and folded conformations. An important role was assigned to poly-proline II conformation considered as the hinge structure in the dynamic conformational equilibrium suggested for the hydrophobic domains. For the lysine-rich cross-linking domains, the structural studies exactly localized α-helix along the polypeptide sequence. Furthermore, at supramolecular level, these studies showed that several domains are able to self-assemble in two different aggregation patterns, the fibrous elastin-like structure for some proline-rich hydrophobic domains and the amyloid-like for some glycine-rich hydrophobic domains. Accordingly, the studies suggest that the reductionist approach was a valid tool for studying a complex protein, such as elastin, elucidating not only the structure but also the specific role played by its constituent domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigida Bochicchio
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry, Department of Chemistry A. M. Tamburro, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy.
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Yeo GC, Baldock C, Tuukkanen A, Roessle M, Dyksterhuis LB, Wise SG, Matthews J, Mithieux SM, Weiss AS. Tropoelastin bridge region positions the cell-interactive C terminus and contributes to elastic fiber assembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:2878-83. [PMID: 22328151 PMCID: PMC3286909 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1111615108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The tropoelastin monomer undergoes stages of association by coacervation, deposition onto microfibrils, and cross-linking to form elastic fibers. Tropoelastin consists of an elastic N-terminal coil region and a cell-interactive C-terminal foot region linked together by a highly exposed bridge region. The bridge region is conveniently positioned to modulate elastic fiber assembly through association by coacervation and its proximity to dominant cross-linking domains. Tropoelastin constructs that either modify or remove the entire bridge and downstream regions were assessed for elastogenesis. These constructs focused on a single alanine substitution (R515A) and a truncation (M155n) at the highly conserved arginine 515 site that borders the bridge. Each form displayed less efficient coacervation, impaired hydrogel formation, and decreased dermal fibroblast attachment compared to wild-type tropoelastin. The R515A mutant protein additionally showed reduced elastic fiber formation upon addition to human retinal pigmented epithelium cells and dermal fibroblasts. The small-angle X-ray scattering nanostructure of the R515A mutant protein revealed greater conformational flexibility around the bridge and C-terminal regions. This increased flexibility of the R515A mutant suggests that the tropoelastin R515 residue stabilizes the structure of the bridge region, which is critical for elastic fiber assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giselle C Yeo
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Le Brun AP, Chow J, Bax DV, Nelson A, Weiss AS, James M. Molecular Orientation of Tropoelastin is Determined by Surface Hydrophobicity. Biomacromolecules 2012; 13:379-86. [DOI: 10.1021/bm201404x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton P. Le Brun
- Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation, Locked
Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
| | - John Chow
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Daniel V. Bax
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Andrew Nelson
- Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation, Locked
Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
| | - Anthony S. Weiss
- School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael James
- Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation, Locked
Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052,
Australia
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46
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Heinz A, Jung MC, Jahreis G, Rusciani A, Duca L, Debelle L, Weiss AS, Neubert RHH, Schmelzer CEH. The action of neutrophil serine proteases on elastin and its precursor. Biochimie 2011; 94:192-202. [PMID: 22030899 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2011.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2011] [Accepted: 10/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the degradation of the natural substrates tropoelastin and elastin by the neutrophil-derived serine proteases human leukocyte elastase (HLE), proteinase 3 (PR3) and cathepsin G (CG). Focus was placed on determining their cleavage site specificities using mass spectrometric techniques. Moreover, the release of bioactive peptides from elastin by the three proteases was studied. Tropoelastin was comprehensively degraded by all three proteases, whereas less cleavage occurred in mature cross-linked elastin. An analysis of the cleavage site specificities of the three proteases in tropoelastin and elastin revealed that HLE and PR3 similarly tolerate hydrophobic and/or aliphatic amino acids such as Ala, Gly and Val at P(1), which are also preferred by CG. In addition, CG prefers the bulky hydrophobic amino acid Leu and accepts the bulky aromatic amino acids Phe and Tyr. CG shows a strong preference for the charged amino acid Lys at P(1) in tropoelastin, whereas Lys was not identified at P(1) in CG digests of elastin due to extensive cross-linking at Lys residues in mature elastin. All three serine proteases showed a clear preference for Pro at P(2) and P(4)'. With respect to the liberation of potentially bioactive peptides from elastin, the study revealed that all three serine proteases have a similar ability to release bioactive sequences, with CG producing the highest number of these peptides. In bioactivity studies, potentially bioactive peptides that have not been investigated on their bioactivity to date, were tested. Three new bioactive GxxPG motifs were identified; GVYPG, GFGPG and GVLPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Heinz
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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Abstract
The lung parenchyma comprises a large number of thin-walled alveoli, forming an enormous surface area, which serves to maintain proper gas exchange. The alveoli are held open by the transpulmonary pressure, or prestress, which is balanced by tissues forces and alveolar surface film forces. Gas exchange efficiency is thus inextricably linked to three fundamental features of the lung: parenchymal architecture, prestress, and the mechanical properties of the parenchyma. The prestress is a key determinant of lung deformability that influences many phenomena including local ventilation, regional blood flow, tissue stiffness, smooth muscle contractility, and alveolar stability. The main pathway for stress transmission is through the extracellular matrix. Thus, the mechanical properties of the matrix play a key role both in lung function and biology. These mechanical properties in turn are determined by the constituents of the tissue, including elastin, collagen, and proteoglycans. In addition, the macroscopic mechanical properties are also influenced by the surface tension and, to some extent, the contractile state of the adherent cells. This chapter focuses on the biomechanical properties of the main constituents of the parenchyma in the presence of prestress and how these properties define normal function or change in disease. An integrated view of lung mechanics is presented and the utility of parenchymal mechanics at the bedside as well as its possible future role in lung physiology and medicine are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béla Suki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Liberation of desmosine and isodesmosine as amino acids from insoluble elastin by elastolytic proteases. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011; 411:281-6. [PMID: 21726534 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.06.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The development of atherosclerotic lesions and abdominal aortic aneurysms involves degradation and loss of extracellular matrix components, such as collagen and elastin. Releases of the elastin cross-links desmosine (DES) and isodesmosine (IDE) may reflect elastin degradation in cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated the production of soluble elastin cross-linking structures by proteinases implicated in arterial diseases. Recombinant MMP-12 and neutrophil elastase liberated DES and IDE as amino acids from insoluble elastin. DES and IDE were also released from insoluble elastin exposed to monocyte/macrophage cell lines or human primary macrophages derived from peripheral blood monocytes. Elastin oxidized by reactive oxygen species (ROS) liberated more unconjugated DES and IDE than did non-oxidized elastin when incubated with MMP-12 or neutrophil elastase. These results support the exploration of free DES and IDE as biomarkers of elastin degradation.
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Akhtar K, Broekelmann TJ, Song H, Turk J, Brett TJ, Mecham RP, Adair-Kirk TL. Oxidative modifications of the C-terminal domain of tropoelastin prevent cell binding. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:13574-82. [PMID: 21321118 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.192088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropoelastin (TE), the soluble monomer of elastin, is synthesized by elastogenic cells, such as chondrocytes, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The C-terminal domain of TE interacts with cell receptors, and these interactions play critical roles in elastic fiber assembly. We recently found that oxidation of TE prevents elastic fiber assembly. Here, we examined the effects of oxidation of TE on cell interactions. We found that SMCs bind to TE through heparan sulfate (HS), whereas fetal lung fibroblasts (WI-38 cells) bind through integrin α(v)β(3) and HS. In addition, we found that oxidation of TE by peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) prevented binding of SMCs and WI-38 cells and other elastogenic cells, human dermal fibroblasts and fetal bovine chondrocytes. Because the C-terminal domain of TE has binding sites for both HS and integrin, we examined the effects of oxidation of a synthetic peptide derived from the C-terminal 25 amino acids of TE (CT-25) on cell binding. The CT-25 peptide contains the only two Cys residues in TE juxtaposed to a cluster of positively charged residues (RKRK) that are important for cell binding. ONOO(-) treatment of the CT-25 peptide prevented cell binding, whereas reduction of the CT-25 peptide had no effect. Mass spectrometric and circular dichroism spectroscopic analyses showed that ONOO(-) treatment modified both Cys residues in the CT-25 peptide to sulfonic acid derivatives, without altering the secondary structure. These data suggest that the mechanism by which ONOO(-) prevents cell binding to TE is by introducing negatively charged sulfonic acid residues near the positively charged cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal Akhtar
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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50
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Wachi
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
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