1
|
Wang J, Ji C, Ye W, Rong Y, Ge X, Wang Z, Tang P, Zhou Z, Luo Y, Cai W. Deubiquitinase UCHL1 promotes angiogenesis and blood-spinal cord barrier function recovery after spinal cord injury by stabilizing Sox17. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:137. [PMID: 38478109 PMCID: PMC10937794 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05186-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Improving the function of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) benefits the functional recovery of mice following spinal cord injury (SCI). The death of endothelial cells and disruption of the BSCB at the injury site contribute to secondary damage, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in regulating protein function. However, little is known about the regulation of deubiquitinated enzymes in endothelial cells and their effect on BSCB function after SCI. We observed that Sox17 is predominantly localized in endothelial cells and is significantly upregulated after SCI and in LPS-treated brain microvascular endothelial cells. In vitro Sox17 knockdown attenuated endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation, while in vivo Sox17 knockdown inhibited endothelial regeneration and barrier recovery, leading to poor functional recovery after SCI. Conversely, in vivo overexpression of Sox17 promoted angiogenesis and functional recovery after injury. Additionally, immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry revealed the interaction between the deubiquitinase UCHL1 and Sox17, which stabilized Sox17 and influenced angiogenesis and BSCB repair following injury. By generating UCHL1 conditional knockout mice and conducting rescue experiments, we further validated that the deubiquitinase UCHL1 promotes angiogenesis and restoration of BSCB function after injury by stabilizing Sox17. Collectively, our findings present a novel therapeutic target for treating SCI by revealing a potential mechanism for endothelial cell regeneration and BSCB repair after SCI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chengyue Ji
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wu Ye
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuluo Rong
- Department of Orthopaedics, Centre for Leading Medicine and Advanced Technologies of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, Anhui, China
| | - Xuhui Ge
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhuanghui Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Pengyu Tang
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zheng Zhou
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yongjun Luo
- Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Weihua Cai
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ryan FJ, Ma Y, Ashander LM, Kvopka M, Appukuttan B, Lynn DJ, Smith JR. Transcriptomic Responses of Human Retinal Vascular Endothelial Cells to Inflammatory Cytokines. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2022; 11:27. [PMID: 36018584 PMCID: PMC9428361 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.8.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Molecular profiling of human retinal endothelial cells provides opportunities to understand the roles of this cell population in maintenance of the blood-ocular barrier, and its involvements in diverse retinal vasculopathies. We aimed to generate a transcriptome of human retinal endothelial cells in the unstimulated state, and following treatment with inflammatory cytokines linked to cell dysfunction. Methods Endothelial cells were isolated from retinae of five human cadaveric donors, and treated for 60 minutes and 24 hours with interleukin-1β or tumor necrosis factor-α, or exposed to medium alone for the same intervals. Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was measured by RT-qPCR to confirm cytokine-induced activation of the cells. RNA was sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Reads were aligned to the human GRCh38 genome, and reads that aligned to Ensembl-annotated genes were counted. Quality control of sequencing was performed with FastQC, and sequences were classified by Kraken. Results A human retinal endothelial cell RNA-sequencing dataset with mean of 99% reads aligned to the human genome was produced as raw RNA sequence data (FASTQ files) and processed read data (XLSX files). Multidimensional scaling analysis showed a strong donor effect, which was readily controlled by ComBat. Conclusions Our dataset may be useful for human retinal endothelial cell transcriptomic assemblies, functional gene annotating and/or gene expression and enrichment analyses, as well as cross-dataset harmonization. Translational Relevance The molecular profile of the human retinal endothelium is a source of candidate biologic targets for retinal vasculopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feargal J Ryan
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia.,Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Yuefang Ma
- Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Liam M Ashander
- Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Michael Kvopka
- Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Binoy Appukuttan
- Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - David J Lynn
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia.,Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Justine R Smith
- Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Matuszczak E, Tylicka M, Komarowska MD, Debek W, Hermanowicz A. Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 - physiology and pathology. Cell Biochem Funct 2020; 38:533-540. [PMID: 32207552 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase 1 (UCHL1) is an enzyme unique for its multiple activity - both ligase and hydrolase. UCHL1 was first identified as an abundant protein found in the brain and testes, however its expression is not limited to the neuronal compartment. UCHL1 is also highly expressed in carcinomas of various tissue origins, including those from brain, lung, breast, kidney, colon, prostate, pancreas and mesenchymal tissues. Loss-of-function studies and an inhibitor for UCHL1 confirmed the importance of UCHL1 for cancer therapy. So far biological significance of UCHL1 was described in the following processes: spermatogenesis, oncogenesis, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and differentiation in skeletal muscle, inflammation, tissue injury, neuronal injury and neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Matuszczak
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Marzena Tylicka
- Biophysics Department, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | | | - Wojciech Debek
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Adam Hermanowicz
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Smith JR, David LL, Appukuttan B, Wilmarth PA. Angiogenic and Immunologic Proteins Identified by Deep Proteomic Profiling of Human Retinal and Choroidal Vascular Endothelial Cells: Potential Targets for New Biologic Drugs. Am J Ophthalmol 2018; 193:197-229. [PMID: 29559410 PMCID: PMC6109601 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2018.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Diseases that involve retinal or choroidal vascular endothelial cells are leading causes of vision loss: age-related macular degeneration, retinal ischemic vasculopathies, and noninfectious posterior uveitis. Proteins differentially expressed by these endothelial cell populations are potential drug targets. We used deep proteomic profiling to define the molecular phenotype of human retinal and choroidal endothelial cells at the protein level. METHODS Retinal and choroidal vascular endothelial cells were separately isolated from 5 human eye pairs by selection on CD31. Total protein was extracted and digested, and peptide fractions were analyzed by reverse-phase liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Peptide sequences were assigned to fragment ion spectra, and proteins were inferred from openly accessible protein databases. Protein abundance was determined by spectral counting. Publicly available software packages were used to identify proteins that were differentially expressed between human retinal and choroidal endothelial cells, and to classify proteins that were highly abundant in each endothelial cell population. RESULTS Human retinal and/or choroidal vascular endothelial cells expressed 5042 nonredundant proteins. Setting the differential expression false discovery rate at 0.05, 498 proteins of 3454 quantifiable proteins (14.4%) with minimum mean spectral counts of 2.5 were differentially abundant in the 2 cell populations. Retinal and choroidal endothelial cells were enriched in angiogenic proteins, and retinal endothelial cells were also enriched in immunologic proteins. CONCLUSIONS This work describes the different protein expression profiles of human retinal and choroidal vascular endothelial cells, and provides multiple candidates for further study as novel treatments or drug targets for posterior eye diseases. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justine R Smith
- Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
| | - Larry L David
- Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Binoy Appukuttan
- Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Phillip A Wilmarth
- Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhou YY, Chun RKM, Wang JC, Zuo B, Li KK, Lam TC, Liu Q, To CH. Proteomic analysis of chick retina during early recovery from lens‑induced myopia. Mol Med Rep 2018; 18:59-66. [PMID: 29749514 PMCID: PMC6059693 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2018.8954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myopia development has been extensively studied from different perspectives. Myopia recovery is also considered important for understanding the development of myopia. However, despite several previous studies, retinal proteomics during recovery from myopia is still relatively unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in protein profiles of chicken retinas during early recovery from lens-induced myopia to evaluate the signals involved in the adjustment of this refractive disorder. Three-day old chickens wore glasses for 7 days (−10D lens over the right eye and a plano lens as control over the left eye), followed by 24 h without lenses. Protein expression in the retina was measured by two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Pro-Q Diamond phosphoprotein staining 2D gel electrophoresis was used to analyze phosphoprotein profiles. Protein spots with significant differences (P<0.05) were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The minus lens-treated eye became myopic, however following 24 h recovery, less myopia was observed. 2D-DIGE proteomic analysis demonstrated that three identified protein spots were upregulated at least 1.2-fold in myopic recovery retinas compared with those of the controls, Ras related protein Rab-11B, S-antigen retina and pineal gland and 26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 14. Pro-Q Diamond images further revealed three protein spots with significant changes (at least 1.8-fold): β-tubulin was downregulated, while peroxiredoxin 4 and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase-L1 were upregulated in the recovery retinas compared with the control eye retinas. The present study detected previously unreported protein changes in recovering eyes, therefore revealing their potential involvement in retinal remodeling during eye ball reforge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Yun Zhou
- Refractive Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Rachel Ka Man Chun
- Laboratory of Experimental Optometry, Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, SAR, P.R. China
| | - Jian Chao Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, P.R. China
| | - Bing Zuo
- Laboratory of Experimental Optometry, Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, SAR, P.R. China
| | - King Kit Li
- Laboratory of Experimental Optometry, Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, SAR, P.R. China
| | - Thomas Chuen Lam
- Laboratory of Experimental Optometry, Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, SAR, P.R. China
| | - Quan Liu
- Refractive Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Chi-Ho To
- Refractive Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Appukuttan B, Ashander LM, Ma Y, Smith JR. Selection of Reference Genes for Studies of Human Retinal Endothelial Cell Gene Expression by Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. GENE REPORTS 2017; 10:123-134. [PMID: 29881787 DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Background Human retinal endothelial cells are employed increasingly for investigations of retinal vascular diseases. Analysis of gene expression response to disease-associated stimuli by reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is common. However, most reported work does not follow the minimum information for publication of qPCR experiments (MIQE) recommendation that multiple, stably expressed reference genes be used for normalization. Methods Two human retinal endothelial cell lines were treated with medium alone or containing stimuli that included: glucose at supraphysiological concentration, dimethyloxalyl-glycine, vascular endothelial growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-α, lipopolysaccharide and Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Biological response of cells was confirmed by measuring significant increase in a stimulus-relevant transcript. Total RNA was reverse transcribed and analyzed by commercial PCR arrays designed to detect 28 reference genes. Stability of reference gene expression, for each and both cell lines, and for each and all conditions, was judged on gene-stability measure (M-value) less than 0.2 and coefficient of variation (CV-value) less than 0.1. Results Reference gene expression varied substantially across stimulations and between cell lines. Of 27 detectable reference genes, 11-21 (41-78%) maintained expression stability across stimuli and cell lines. Ranking indicated substantial diversity in the most stable reference genes under different conditions, and no reference gene was expressed stably under all conditions of stimulation and for both cell lines. Four reference genes were expressed stably under 5 conditions: HSP90AB1, IPO8, PSMC4 and RPLPO. Conclusions We observed variation in stability of reference gene expression with different stimuli and between human retinal endothelial cell lines. Our findings support adherence to MIQE recommendations regarding normalization in RT-qPCR studies of human retinal endothelial cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Binoy Appukuttan
- Eye & Vision Health, Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Liam M Ashander
- Eye & Vision Health, Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Yuefang Ma
- Eye & Vision Health, Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Justine R Smith
- Eye & Vision Health, Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Matuszczak E, Tylicka M, Dębek W, Sankiewicz A, Gorodkiewicz E, Hermanowicz A. Overexpression of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) in serum of children after thermal injury. Adv Med Sci 2017; 62:83-86. [PMID: 28193576 DOI: 10.1016/j.advms.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study aims to determinate concentrations of ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase 1 (UCHL1), which hydrolyzes amino acids from ubiquitin and cleave di-ubiquitins, in serum of children after thermal injury. PATIENTS/METHODS 42 children scalded by hot water, managed at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, with burns in 4-20% TBSA were included into the study (age 9 months up to 14 years, mean age 2.5±1 years). Blood plasma UCHL1 concentration was assessed in 2-6h, 12-16h, 3d, 5d, and 7d after injury using surface plasmon resonance imaging biosensor. 18 healthy subjects admitted for planned surgeries served as controls. RESULTS The UCHL1 concentration in the blood plasma of patients with thermal injuries reached its peak 12-16h after thermal injury and slowly decreased over time, and still did not reach the normal range on the 7th day after thermal injury. Mean concentrations of UCHL1 after thermal injury were above the range measured in controls (0.12ng/ml): 2-6h after injury - 5.59ng/dl, 12-16h after injury - 9.16ng/dl, 3 days after injury - 6.94ng/dl, 5 days after 5.41ng/dl, 7 days after injury - 4.09ng/dl. CONCLUSIONS We observed sudden increase in the concentration of UCHL1 2-16h after thermal injury with the slow decrease in the UCHL1 concentration over the time. UCHL1 concentration was proportional to the severity of the burn. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms by which UCHL1 contributes to metabolic response following thermal injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Matuszczak
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
| | - Marzena Tylicka
- Department of Biophysics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Wojciech Dębek
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Anna Sankiewicz
- Department of Electrochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Ewa Gorodkiewicz
- Department of Electrochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Adam Hermanowicz
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| |
Collapse
|