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Roberts JD. Nitric oxide regulation of fetal and newborn lung development and function. Nitric Oxide 2024; 147:13-25. [PMID: 38588917 PMCID: PMC11148871 DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2024.04.005] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
In the developing lung, nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling are essential in regulating lung formation and vascular tone. Animal studies have linked many anatomical and pathophysiological features of newborn lung disease to abnormalities in the NO/cGMP signaling system. They have demonstrated that driving this system with agonists and antagonists alleviates many of them. This research has spurred the rapid clinical development, testing, and application of several NO/cGMP-targeting therapies with the hope of treating and potentially preventing significant pediatric lung diseases. However, there are instances when the therapeutic effectiveness of these agents is limited. Studies indicate that injury-induced disruption of several critical components within the signaling system may hinder the promise of some of these therapies. Recent research has identified basic mechanisms that suppress NO/cGMP signaling in the injured newborn lung. They have also pinpointed biomarkers that offer insight into the activation of these pathogenic mechanisms and their influence on the NO/cGMP signaling system's integrity in vivo. Together, these will guide the development of new therapies to protect NO/cGMP signaling and safeguard newborn lung development and function. This review summarizes the important role of the NO/cGMP signaling system in regulating pulmonary development and function and our evolving understanding of how it is disrupted by newborn lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D Roberts
- Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services and the Departments of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Pediatrics, and Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital - East, 149 13th St, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Kato S, Iwata O, Kato H, Fukaya S, Imai Y, Saitoh S. Furin Regulates the Alveolarization of Neonatal Lungs in a Mouse Model of Hyperoxic Lung Injury. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1656. [PMID: 38002338 PMCID: PMC10669361 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111656] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment options, such as corticosteroid administration and less invasive respiratory support, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains an important prognostic factor in preterm infants. We previously reported that furin regulates changes in lung smooth muscle cell phenotypes, suggesting that it plays a critical role in BPD pathogenesis. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate whether it regulates the alveolarization of immature lungs through activating alveolarization-driving proteins. We first examined furin expression levels, and its functions, using an established hyperoxia-induced BPD mouse model. Thereafter, we treated mice pups, as well as primary myofibroblast cell cultures, with furin inhibitors. Finally, we administered the hyperoxia-exposed mice pups with recombinant furin. Immunofluorescence revealed the co-expression of furin with alpha-smooth muscle actin. Hyperoxia exposure for 10 d decreased alveolar formation, as well as the expression of furin and its target, IGF-1R. Hexa-D-arginine administration also significantly inhibited alveolar formation. Another furin inhibitor, decanoyl-RVKR-chloromethylketone, accumulated pro-IGF-1R, and decreased IGF-1R phosphorylation in myofibroblast primary cultures. Finally, recombinant furin treatment significantly improved alveolarization in hyperoxia-exposed mice pups. Furin regulates alveolarization in immature lungs. Therefore, this study provides novel insights regarding the involvement of furin in BPD pathogenesis, and highlights a potential treatment target for ameliorating the impact of BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Kato
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-Cho, Mizuho-Ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (O.I.); (S.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Osuke Iwata
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-Cho, Mizuho-Ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (O.I.); (S.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Hiroyuki Kato
- Department of Experimental Pathology and Tumor Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan;
| | - Satoko Fukaya
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-Cho, Mizuho-Ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (O.I.); (S.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Yukari Imai
- Department of Pharmacy, Kinjo Gakuin University, Nagoya 463-8521, Japan
| | - Shinji Saitoh
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-Cho, Mizuho-Ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (O.I.); (S.F.); (S.S.)
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Vasquez OE, Allen AM, So AKC, Nguyen QH, Krause HM, Levine JD, Sokolowski MB. Characterizing the Protein Isoforms of foraging ( for), the PKGI Ortholog in Drosophila melanogaster. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10219. [PMID: 37373366 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The foraging (for) gene of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), which is a major effector of the cGMP signaling pathway involved in the regulation of behaviour and metabolic traits. Despite being well studied at the transcript level, little is known about the for gene at the protein level. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of the for gene protein (FOR) products and present new tools for their study, including five isoform-specific antibodies and a transgenic strain that carries an HA-labelled for allele (forBAC::HA). Our results showed that multiple FOR isoforms were expressed in the larval and adult stages of D. melanogaster and that the majority of whole-body FOR expression arises from three (P1, P1α, and P3) of eight putative protein isoforms. We found that FOR expression differed between the larval and adult stages and between the dissected larval organs we analyzed, which included the central nervous system (CNS), fat body, carcass, and intestine. Moreover, we showed that the FOR expression differed between two allelic variants of the for gene, namely, fors (sitter) and forR (rover), that are known to differ in many food-related traits. Together, our in vivo identification of FOR isoforms and the existence of temporal, spatial, and genetic differences in their expression lay the groundwork for determining their functional significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar E Vasquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Aaron M Allen
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Anthony K-C So
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Quynh H Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Henry M Krause
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Joel D Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
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Zhong Y, Bry K, Roberts JD. IL-1β dysregulates cGMP signaling in the newborn lung. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2020; 319:L21-L34. [PMID: 32374672 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00382.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling is an important regulator of newborn lung function and development. Although cGMP signaling is decreased in many models of newborn lung injury, the mechanisms are poorly understood. We determined how IL-1β regulates the expression of the α1-subunit of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGCα1), a prime effector of pulmonary cGMP signaling. Physiologic levels of IL-1β were discovered to rapidly decrease sGCα1 mRNA expression in a human fetal lung fibroblast cell line (IMR-90 cells) and protein levels in primary mouse pup lung fibroblasts. This sGCα1 expression inhibition appeared to be at a transcriptional level; IL-1β treatment did not alter sGCα1 mRNA stability although it reduced sGCα1 promoter activity. TGFβ-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) was determined to be required for IL-1β's regulation of sGCα1 expression; TAK1 knockdown protected sGCα1 mRNA expression in IL-1β-treated IMR-90 cells. Moreover, heterologously expressed TAK1 was sufficient to decrease sGCα1 mRNA levels in those cells. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling played a critical role in the IL-1β-TAK1-sGCα1 regulatory pathway; chromatin immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated enhanced activated NF-kB subunit (RelA) binding to the sGCα1 promoter after IL-1β treatment unless were treated with an IκB kinase2 inhibitor. Also, this NF-kB signaling inhibition protected sGCα1 expression in IL-1β-treated fibroblasts. Lastly, using transgenic mice in which active IL-1β was conditionally expressed in lung epithelial cells, we established that IL-1β expression is sufficient to stimulate TAK1 and decrease sGCα1 protein expression in the newborn lung. Together these results detail the role and mechanisms by which IL-1β inhibits cGMP signaling in the newborn lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhong
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
| | - Kristina Bry
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Gothenburg and Divison of Neonatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden
| | - Jesse D Roberts
- CVRC - MGH East, Massachusetts General Hospital, United States
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Shvedova M, Litvak MM, Roberts JD, Fukumura D, Suzuki T, Şencan İ, Li G, Reventun P, Buys ES, Kim HH, Sakadžić S, Ayata C, Huang PL, Feil R, Atochin DN. cGMP-dependent protein kinase I in vascular smooth muscle cells improves ischemic stroke outcome in mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2019; 39:2379-2391. [PMID: 31423931 PMCID: PMC6893979 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x19870583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent works highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent pathways in the context of brain ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Although cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI) has emerged as a key mediator of the protective effects of nitric oxide (NO) and cGMP, the mechanisms by which cGKI attenuates IRI remain poorly understood. We used a novel, conditional cGKI knockout mouse model to study its role in cerebral IRI. We assessed neurological deficit, infarct volume, and cerebral perfusion in tamoxifen-inducible vascular smooth muscle cell-specific cGKI knockout mice and control animals. Stroke experiments revealed greater cerebral infarct volume in smooth muscle cell specific cGKI knockout mice (males: 96 ± 16 mm3; females: 93 ± 12 mm3, mean±SD) than in all control groups: wild type (males: 66 ± 19; females: 64 ± 14), cGKI control (males: 65 ± 18; females: 62 ± 14), cGKI control with tamoxifen (males: 70 ± 8; females: 68 ± 10). Our results identify, for the first time, a protective role of cGKI in vascular smooth muscle cells during ischemic stroke injury. Moreover, this protective effect of cGKI was found to be independent of gender and was mediated via improved reperfusion. These results suggest that cGKI in vascular smooth muscle cells should be targeted by therapies designed to protect brain tissue against ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Shvedova
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Maxim M Litvak
- Tomsk Polytechnic University, RASA Center, Tomsk, Russian Federation
| | - Jesse D Roberts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dai Fukumura
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tomoaki Suzuki
- Department of Radiology, Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - İkbal Şencan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Ge Li
- Department of Radiology, Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Paula Reventun
- Department of Biology Systems, School of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emmanuel S Buys
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hyung-Hwan Kim
- Department of Radiology, Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Sava Sakadžić
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Cenk Ayata
- Department of Radiology, Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Paul L Huang
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Robert Feil
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dmitriy N Atochin
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
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Stewart AN, Tan SY, Clark DJ, Zhang H, Wong GW. N-Linked Glycosylation-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms Regulating CTRP12 Cleavage, Secretion, and Stability. Biochemistry 2019; 58:727-741. [PMID: 30566828 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
C1q/TNF-related protein 12 (CTRP12) is a secreted regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism. It circulates in plasma as a full-length protein or as a cleaved isoform generated by furin/PCSK3 cleavage. These isoforms preferentially activate different signaling pathways, and their ratio in plasma is altered in obesity and diabetes. Here, we show that three conserved asparagine residues (Asn-39, Asn-287, and Asn-297) play important roles in modulating CTRP12 cleavage, secretion, and stability. Mass spectrometry analysis provided direct evidence of Asn-39 glycosylation. When N-linked glycosylation was inhibited by tunicamycin or abolished by the N39Q, N39A, or T41A mutation, CTRP12 cleavage was enhanced. Complex-type N-glycans on CTRP12 blocked cleavage by the Golgi-localized furin. In N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnTI)-deficient cells that could not form hybrid and complex-type N-glycans in the Golgi, CTRP12 cleavage was enhanced, and re-expressing GnTI reduced cleavage. Replacing the nonglycosylated Asn-297 with glutamine or alanine also increased CTRP12 cleavage. Both Asn-39 and Asn-297 contributed independently to CTRP12 cleavage: maximum cleavage was observed in the double mutant. In addition, CTRP12 cleavage was abolished in furin-deficient cells and restored by furin re-expression. Replacing the nonglycosylated Asn-287 with glutamine or alanine resulted in protein misfolding and aggregation, leading to retention in the endoplasmic reticulum. Cycloheximide chase analyses indicated reduced protein stability for N39Q, T41A, and N297Q mutants. Lastly, we show that increasing the flux through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway by exogenous glucosamine, known to disrupt protein glycosylation, also promoted CTRP12 cleavage. Combined, these data highlight glycosylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms regulating CTRP12 cleavage, secretion, and protein stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Stewart
- Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Stefanie Y Tan
- Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - David J Clark
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - G William Wong
- Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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Du L, Roberts JD. Transforming growth factor-β downregulates sGC subunit expression in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells via MEK and ERK signaling. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2018; 316:L20-L34. [PMID: 30260287 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00319.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
TGFβ activation during newborn lung injury decreases the expression of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC)-soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), a critical mediator of nitric oxide signaling. Using a rat PASMC line (CS54 cells), we determined how TGFβ downregulates sGC expression. We found that TGFβ decreases sGC expression through stimulating its type I receptor; TGFβ type I receptor (TGFβR1) inhibitors prevented TGFβ-1-mediated decrease in sGCα1 subunit mRNA levels in the cells. However, TGFβR1-Smad mechanisms do not regulate sGC; effective knockdown of Smad2 and Smad3 expression and function did not protect sGCα1 mRNA levels during TGFβ-1 exposure. A targeted small-molecule kinase inhibitor screen suggested that MEK signaling regulates sGC expression in TGFβ-stimulated PASMC. TGFβ activates PASMC MEK/ERK signaling; CS54 cell treatment with TGFβ-1 increased MEK and ERK phosphorylation in a biphasic, time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, MEK/ERK activity appears to be required for TGFβ-mediated sGC expression inhibition in PASMC; MEK and ERK inhibitors protected sGCα1 mRNA expression in TGFβ-1-treated CS54 cells. Nuclear ERK activity is sufficient for sGC regulation; heterologous expression of a nucleus-retained, constitutively active ERK2-MEK1 fusion protein decreased CS54 cell sGCα1 mRNA levels. The in vivo relevance of this TGFβ-MEK/ERK-sGC downregulation pathway is suggested by the detection of ERK activation and sGCα1 protein expression downregulation in TGFβ-associated mouse pup hyperoxic lung injury, and the determination that ERK decreases sGCα1 protein expression in TGFβ-1-treated primary PASMC obtained from mouse pups. These studies identify MEK/ERK signaling as an important pathway by which TGFβ regulates sGC expression in PASMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Du
- Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jesse D Roberts
- Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Kato S, Chen J, Cornog KH, Zhang H, Roberts JD. The Golgi apparatus regulates cGMP-dependent protein kinase I compartmentation and proteolysis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2015; 308:C944-58. [PMID: 25855081 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00199.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (PKGI) is an important effector of cGMP signaling that regulates vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype and proliferation. PKGI has been detected in the perinuclear region of cells, and recent data indicate that proprotein convertases (PCs) typically resident in the Golgi apparatus (GA) can stimulate PKGI proteolysis and generate a kinase fragment that localizes to the nucleus and regulates gene expression. However, the role of the endomembrane system in PKGI compartmentation and processing is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that PKGI colocalizes with endoplasmic reticulum (ER), ER-Golgi intermediate compartment, GA cisterna, and trans-Golgi network proteins in pulmonary artery SMC and cell lines. Moreover, PKGI localizes with furin, a trans-Golgi network-resident PC known to cleave PKGI. ER protein transport influences PKGI localization because overexpression of a constitutively inactive Sar1 transgene caused PKGI retention in the ER. Additionally, PKGI appears to reside within the GA because PKGI immunoreactivity was determined to be resistant to cytosolic proteinase K treatment in live cells. The GA appears to play a role in PKGI proteolysis because overexpression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-associated cGMP kinase substrate, not only tethered heterologous PKGI-β to the ER and decreased its localization to the GA, but also diminished PKGI proteolysis and nuclear translocation. Also, inhibiting intra-GA protein transport with monensin was observed to decrease PKGI cleavage. These studies detail a role for the endomembrane system in regulating PKGI compartmentation and proteolysis. Moreover, they support the investigation of mechanisms regulating PKGI-dependent nuclear cGMP signaling in the pulmonary vasculature with Golgi dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Kato
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jingsi Chen
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Huili Zhang
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jesse D Roberts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Departments of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts;
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Chen J, Roberts JD. cGMP-dependent protein kinase I gamma encodes a nuclear localization signal that regulates nuclear compartmentation and function. Cell Signal 2014; 26:2633-44. [PMID: 25172423 PMCID: PMC4254301 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (PKGI) plays an important role in regulating how cGMP specifies vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype. Although studies indicate that PKGI nuclear localization controls how cGMP regulates gene expression in SMC, information about the mechanisms that regulate PKGI nuclear compartmentation and its role in directly regulating cell phenotype is limited. Here we characterize a nuclear localization signal sequence (NLS) in PKGIγ, a proteolytically cleaved PKGI kinase fragment that translocates to the nucleus of SMC. Immuno-localization studies using cells expressing native and NLS-mutant PKGIγ, and treated with a small molecule nuclear transport inhibitor, indicated that PKGIγ encodes a constitutively active NLS that requires importin α and β for regulation of its compartmentation. Moreover, studies utilizing a genetically encoded nuclear phospho-CREB biosensor probe and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy demonstrated that this NLS controls PKGIγ nuclear function. In addition, although cytosolic PKGIγ-activity was observed to stimulate MAPK/ERK-mediated nuclear CREB signaling in SMC, NLS-mediated PKGIγ nuclear activity alone was determined to increase the expression of differentiation marker proteins in these cells. These results indicate that NLS-mediated nuclear PKGIγ localization plays an important role in how PKGI regulates vascular SMC phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingsi Chen
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jesse D Roberts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA; Departments of Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Bachiller PR, Cornog KH, Kato R, Buys ES, Roberts JD. Soluble guanylate cyclase modulates alveolarization in the newborn lung. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2013; 305:L569-81. [PMID: 23934926 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00401.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) regulates lung development through incompletely understood mechanisms. NO controls pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation largely through stimulating soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) to produce cGMP and increase cGMP-mediated signaling. To examine the role of sGC in regulating pulmonary development, we tested whether decreased sGC activity reduces alveolarization in the normal and injured newborn lung. For these studies, mouse pups with gene-targeted sGC-α1 subunit truncation were used because we determined that they have decreased pulmonary sGC enzyme activity. sGC-α1 knockout (KO) mouse pups were observed to have decreased numbers of small airway structures and lung volume compared with wild-type (WT) mice although lung septation and body weights were not different. However, following mild lung injury caused by breathing 70% O2, the sGC-α1 KO mouse pups had pronounced inhibition of alveolarization, as evidenced by an increase in airway mean linear intercept, reduction in terminal airway units, and decrease in lung septation and alveolar openings, as well as reduced somatic growth. Because cGMP regulates SMC phenotype, we also tested whether decreased sGC activity reduces lung myofibroblast differentiation. Cellular markers revealed that vascular SMC differentiation decreased, whereas myofibroblast activation increased in the hyperoxic sGC-α1 KO pup lung. These results indicate that lung development, particularly during hyperoxic injury, is impaired in mouse pups with diminished sGC activity. These studies support the investigation of sGC-targeting agents as therapies directed at improving development in the newborn lung exposed to injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia R Bachiller
- Jr., Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital - East, 149 13 St., Charlestown, MA 02129.
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