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Prothymosin α Plays Role as a Brain Guardian through Ecto-F 1 ATPase-P2Y 12 Complex and TLR4/MD2. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030496. [PMID: 36766838 PMCID: PMC9914670 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) was discovered to be a necrosis inhibitor from the conditioned medium of a primary culture of rat cortical neurons under starved conditions. This protein carries out a neuronal cell-death-mode switch from necrosis to apoptosis, which is, in turn, suppressed by a variety of neurotrophic factors (NTFs). This type of NTF-assisted survival action of ProTα is reproduced in cerebral and retinal ischemia-reperfusion models. Further studies that used a retinal ischemia-reperfusion model revealed that ProTα protects retinal cells via ecto-F1 ATPase coupled with the Gi-coupled P2Y12 receptor and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD2 coupled with a Toll-IL-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing IFN-β (TRIF). In cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models, ProTα has additional survival mechanisms via an inhibition of matrix metalloproteases in microglia and vascular endothelial cells. Heterozygous or conditional ProTα knockout mice show phenotypes of anxiety, memory learning impairment, and a loss of neurogenesis. There are many reports that ProTα has multiple intracellular functions for cell survival and proliferation through a variety of protein-protein interactions. Overall, it is suggested that ProTα plays a key role as a brain guardian against ischemia stress through a cell-death-mode switch assisted by NTFs and a role of neurogenesis.
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Immunogenic Cell Death, DAMPs and Prothymosin α as a Putative Anticancer Immune Response Biomarker. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091415. [PMID: 35563721 PMCID: PMC9102069 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The new and increasingly studied concept of immunogenic cell death (ICD) revealed a previously unknown perspective of the various regulated cell death (RCD) modalities, elucidating their immunogenic properties and rendering obsolete the notion that immune stimulation is solely the outcome of necrosis. A distinct characteristic of ICD is the release of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) by dying and/or dead cells. Thus, several members of the DAMP family, such as the well-characterized heat shock proteins (HSPs) HSP70 and HSP90, the high-mobility group box 1 protein and calreticulin, and the thymic polypeptide prothymosin α (proTα) and its immunoreactive fragment proTα(100–109), are being studied as potential diagnostic tools and/or possible therapeutic agents. Here, we present the basic aspects and mechanisms of both ICD and other immunogenic RCD forms; denote the role of DAMPs in ICD; and further exploit the relevance of human proTα and proTα(100–109) in ICD, highlighting their possible clinical applications. Furthermore, we present the preliminary results of our in vitro studies, which show a direct correlation between the concentration of proTα/proTα(100–109) and the levels of cancer cell apoptosis, induced by anticancer agents and γ-radiation.
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Lian Y, Gòdia M, Castello A, Rodriguez-Gil JE, Balasch S, Sanchez A, Clop A. Characterization of the Impact of Density Gradient Centrifugation on the Profile of the Pig Sperm Transcriptome by RNA-Seq. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:668158. [PMID: 34350225 PMCID: PMC8326511 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.668158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-Seq data from human semen suggests that the study of the sperm transcriptome requires the previous elimination from the ejaculates of somatic cells carrying a larger load of RNA. Semen purification is also carried to study the sperm transcriptome in other species including swine and it is often done by density gradient centrifugation to obtain viable spermatozoa from fresh ejaculates or artificial insemination doses, thereby limiting the throughput and remoteness of the samples that can be processed in one study. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of purification with density gradient centrifugation by BoviPureTM on porcine sperm. Four boar ejaculates were purified with BoviPureTM and their transcriptome sequenced by RNA-Seq was compared with the RNA-Seq profiles of their paired non-purified sample. Seven thousand five hundred and nineteen protein coding genes were identified. Correlation, cluster, and principal component analysis indicated high—although not complete—similarity between the purified and the paired non-purified ejaculates. 372 genes displayed differentially abundant RNA levels between treatments. Most of these genes had lower abundances after purification and were mostly related to translation, transcription and metabolic processes. We detected a significant change in the proportion of genes of epididymal origin within the differentially abundant genes (1.3%) when compared with the catalog of unaltered genes (0.2%). In contrast, the proportion of testis-specific genes was higher in the group of unaltered genes (4%) when compared to the list of differentially abundant genes (0%). No proportion differences were identified for prostate, white blood, lymph node, tonsil, duodenum, skeletal muscle, liver, and mammary gland. Altogether, these results suggest that the purification impacts on the RNA levels of a small number of genes which are most likely caused by the removal of epididymal epithelial cells but also premature germinal cells, immature or abnormal spermatozoa or seminal exosomes with a distinct load of RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lian
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Gòdia
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Castello
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain.,Unit of Animal Science, Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Enric Rodriguez-Gil
- Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Armand Sanchez
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain.,Unit of Animal Science, Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Clop
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain.,Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona, Spain
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Halder SK, Sasaki K, Ueda H. Gγ7-specific prothymosin alpha deletion causes stress- and age-dependent motor dysfunction and anxiety. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 522:264-269. [PMID: 31759625 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.11.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We previously showed that prothymosin alpha (ProTα) improves cerebral ischemia-induced motor dysfunction. Our recent study also demonstrated that heterozygous ProTα deletion exhibited an enhanced anxiety-like behavior in mice. However, it remains elusive which brain regions or cells are related to these phenotypes. Here we generated conditional Gγ7-specific ProTα knockout mice using G protein γ7 subunit gene (Gng7)-cre promoter to see the brain robustness roles of ProTα in the striatum and hippocampus. The younger conditional ProTα (Gng7) knockout mice at the age of 10 weeks showed no significant phenotypes in motor dysfunction in the Rotarod test and locomotor activity in the open-field test, whereas significant motor dysfunction was obtained by 15 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO)-induced cerebral ischemia. The aged conditional ProTα (Gng7) knockout mice at the age of 20 weeks showed hypolocomotor activity with less center time in the open-field test and impaired motor coordination in the Rotarod test without ischemia. Thus, this study suggests that ProTα has important roles in the maintenance of motor coordination and anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebok Kumar Halder
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
| | - Keita Sasaki
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ueda
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan.
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Birmpilis AI, Karachaliou CE, Samara P, Ioannou K, Selemenakis P, Kostopoulos IV, Kavrochorianou N, Kalbacher H, Livaniou E, Haralambous S, Kotsinas A, Farzaneh F, Trougakos IP, Voelter W, Dimopoulos MA, Bamias A, Tsitsilonis O. Antitumor Reactive T-Cell Responses Are Enhanced In Vivo by DAMP Prothymosin Alpha and Its C-Terminal Decapeptide. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11111764. [PMID: 31717548 PMCID: PMC6896021 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11111764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prothymosin α (proTα) and its C-terminal decapeptide proTα(100-109) were shown to pleiotropically enhance innate and adaptive immune responses. Their activities have been broadly studied in vitro, focusing primarily on the restoration of the deficient immunoreactivity of cancer patients' leukocytes. Previously, we showed that proTα and proTα(100-109) act as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), ligate Toll-like receptor-4, signal through TRIF- and MyD88-dependent pathways, promote the maturation of dendritic cells and elicit T-helper type 1 (Th1) immune responses in vitro, leading to the optimal priming of tumor antigen-reactive T-cell functions. Herein, we assessed their activity in a preclinical melanoma model. Immunocompetent mice bearing B16.F1 tumors were treated with two cycles of proTα or proTα(100-109) together with a B16.F1-derived peptide vaccine. Coadministration of proTα or proTα(100-109) and the peptide vaccine suppressed melanoma-cell proliferation, as evidenced by reduced tumor-growth rates. Higher melanoma infiltration by CD3+ T cells was observed, whereas ex vivo analysis of mouse total spleen cells verified the in vivo induction of melanoma-reactive cytotoxic responses. Additionally, increased levels of proinflammatory and Th1-type cytokines were detected in mouse serum. We propose that, in the presence of tumor antigens, DAMPs proTα and proTα(100-109) induce Th1-biased immune responses in vivo. Their adjuvant ability to orchestrate antitumor immunoreactivities can eventually be exploited therapeutically in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios I. Birmpilis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.I.B.); (P.S.); (K.I.); (I.V.K.); (I.P.T.)
| | - Chrysoula-Evangelia Karachaliou
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety, NCSR “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece; (C.-E.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Pinelopi Samara
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.I.B.); (P.S.); (K.I.); (I.V.K.); (I.P.T.)
| | - Kyriaki Ioannou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.I.B.); (P.S.); (K.I.); (I.V.K.); (I.P.T.)
- King’s College London, Rayne Institute, 123 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NU London, UK;
| | - Platon Selemenakis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str, 11527 Athens, Greece; (P.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Ioannis V. Kostopoulos
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.I.B.); (P.S.); (K.I.); (I.V.K.); (I.P.T.)
| | - Nadia Kavrochorianou
- Inflammation Research Group, Transgenic Technology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (N.K.); (S.H.)
| | - Hubert Kalbacher
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen. Germany; (H.K.); (W.V.)
| | - Evangelia Livaniou
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety, NCSR “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece; (C.-E.K.); (E.L.)
| | - Sylva Haralambous
- Inflammation Research Group, Transgenic Technology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (N.K.); (S.H.)
| | - Athanasios Kotsinas
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str, 11527 Athens, Greece; (P.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Farzin Farzaneh
- King’s College London, Rayne Institute, 123 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NU London, UK;
| | - Ioannis P. Trougakos
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.I.B.); (P.S.); (K.I.); (I.V.K.); (I.P.T.)
| | - Wolfgang Voelter
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen. Germany; (H.K.); (W.V.)
| | - Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece; (M.-A.D.); (A.B.)
| | - Aristotelis Bamias
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece; (M.-A.D.); (A.B.)
| | - Ourania Tsitsilonis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.I.B.); (P.S.); (K.I.); (I.V.K.); (I.P.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-210-727-4215; Fax: +30-210-727-4635
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Halder SK, Matsunaga H, Ueda H. Prothymosin alpha and its mimetic hexapeptide improve delayed tissue plasminogen activator-induced brain damage following cerebral ischemia. J Neurochem 2019; 153:772-789. [PMID: 31454420 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administration beyond 4.5 h of stroke symptoms is beneficial for patients but has an increased risk of cerebral hemorrhage. Thus, increasing the therapeutic window of tPA is important for stroke recovery. We previously showed that prothymosin alpha (ProTα) or its mimetic hexapeptide (P6Q) has anti-ischemic activity. Here, we examined the beneficial effects of ProTα or P6Q against delayed tPA-induced brain damage following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) or photochemically induced thrombosis in mice. Brain hemorrhage was observed by tPA administration during reperfusion at 4.5 and 6 h after MCAO. Co-administration of ProTα with tPA at 4.5 h inhibited hemorrhage and motor dysfunction 2-4 days, but not 7 days after MCAO. ProTα administration at 2 and 4.5 h after MCAO significantly inhibited tPA (4.5 h)-induced motor dysfunction and death more than 7 days. Administration of tPA caused the loss of tight junction proteins, zona occulden-1 and occludin, and up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2/9, in a ProTα-reversible manner. P6Q administration abolished tPA (4.5 h)-induced hemorrhage and reversed tPA (6 h)-induced vascular damage and matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 up-regulation. Twice administrations of P6Q at 2 h alone and 6 h with tPA significantly improved motor dysfunction more than 7 days. In photochemically induced thrombosis ischemia, similar vascular leakage and neuronal damage (infarction and motor dysfunction) by late tPA (4.5 or 6 h) were also inhibited by P6Q. Thus, these studies suggest that co-administration with ProTα or P6Q would be beneficial to inhibit delayed tPA-induced hemorrhagic mechanisms in acute ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebok Kumar Halder
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hayato Matsunaga
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ueda
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Datta Chaudhuri A, Dasgheyb RM, DeVine LR, Bi H, Cole RN, Haughey NJ. Stimulus‐dependent modifications in astrocyte‐derived extracellular vesicle cargo regulate neuronal excitability. Glia 2019; 68:128-144. [DOI: 10.1002/glia.23708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Datta Chaudhuri
- Department of Neurology, Richard T Johnson Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological InfectionsJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
| | - Raha M. Dasgheyb
- Department of Neurology, Richard T Johnson Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological InfectionsJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
| | - Lauren R. DeVine
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics FacilityJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
| | - Honghao Bi
- Department of Neurology, Richard T Johnson Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological InfectionsJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
| | - Robert N. Cole
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics FacilityJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
| | - Norman J. Haughey
- Department of Neurology, Richard T Johnson Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological InfectionsJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
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Antiproliferative Activity of (-)-Rabdosiin Isolated from Ocimum sanctum L. MEDICINES 2019; 6:medicines6010037. [PMID: 30870993 PMCID: PMC6473744 DOI: 10.3390/medicines6010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background:Ocimum sanctum L. (holy basil; Tulsi in Hindi) is an important medicinal plant, traditionally used in India. Methods: The phytochemical study of the nonpolar (dichloromethane 100%) and polar (methanol:water; 7:3) extracts yielded fourteen compounds. Compounds 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 13, along with the methanol:water extract were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against the human cancer cell lines MCF-7, SKBR3, and HCT-116, and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results: Five terpenoids, namely, ursolic acid (1), oleanolic acid (2), betulinic acid (3), stigmasterol (4), and β-caryophyllene oxide (5); two lignans, i.e., (-)-rabdosiin (6) and shimobashiric acid C (7); three flavonoids, luteolin (8), its 7-O-β-D-glucuronide (9), apigenin 7-O-β-D-glucuronide (10); and four phenolics, (E)-p-coumaroyl 4-O-β-D-glucoside (11), 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) lactic acid (12), protocatechuic acid (13), and vanillic acid (14) were isolated. Compound 6 was the most cytotoxic against the human cancer lines assessed and showed very low cytotoxicity against PBMCs. Conclusions: Based on these results, the structure of compound 6 shows some promise as a selective anticancer drug scaffold.
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Tsai YS, Jou YC, Tsai HT, Shiau AL, Wu CL, Tzai TS. Prothymosin-α enhances phosphatase and tensin homolog expression and binds with tripartite motif-containing protein 21 to regulate Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling in human bladder cancer. Cancer Sci 2019; 110:1208-1219. [PMID: 30719818 PMCID: PMC6447842 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prothymosin‐α (PTMA) is a small, acidic protein that is usually transported into the nucleus and involves many cellular and immunological functions. Previous studies demonstrated that aberrant location of PTMA expression exists in human bladder cancer, but the role of PTMA protein expression remains elusive. In this study, we created ectopic nuclear or cytoplasmic PTMA expression in human bladder cancer cells by infecting lentiviruses carrying wild type or deleted nuclear localization signal of the PTMA gene. The in vivo tumorigenesis assay showed PTMA protein with deleted nuclear localization signal promotes J82 xenograft tumor growth in mice and shortens their survival more so than the wild type. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that wild‐type PTMA protein binds to the PTEN promoter and enhances phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression. Through immunoblot proteomics and in vivo ubiquitination studies, PTMA protein can bind with tripartite motif‐containing protein 21 (TRIM21) and block its ubiquitination. Also, TRIM21 can downregulate both forms of PTMA protein. In human bladder tumors, loss of nuclear PTMA expression was an unfavorable prognostic indicator for shorter disease‐free survival (hazard ratio, 1.54; P = 0.009). Our data support that nuclear PTMA protein serves as a tumor suppressor in bladder cancer through upregulating PTEN and orchestrating TRIM21 for the regulation of Nrf2 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuh-Shyan Tsai
- Department of Urology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yeong-Chin Jou
- Department of Urology, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Tzu Tsai
- Department of Urology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Li Shiau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Liang Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tzong-Shin Tzai
- Department of Urology, An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Hameury S, Borderie L, Monneuse JM, Skorski G, Pradines D. Prediction of skin anti-aging clinical benefits of an association of ingredients from marine and maritime origins: Ex vivo evaluation using a label-free quantitative proteomic and customized data processing approach. J Cosmet Dermatol 2019; 18:355-370. [PMID: 29797450 DOI: 10.1111/jocd.12528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The application of ingredients from marine and maritime origins is increasingly common in skin care products, driven by consumer expectations for natural ingredients. However, these ingredients are typically studied for a few isolated in vitro activities. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the activity on the skin of an association of ingredients from marine and maritime origins using label-free quantitative proteomic analysis, in order to predict the clinical benefits if used in a skin care product. METHODS An aqueous gel containing 6.1% of ingredients from marine and maritime origins (amino acid-enriched giant kelp extract, trace element-enriched seawater, dedifferentiated sea fennel cells) was topically applied on human skin explants. The skin explants' proteome was analyzed in a label-free manner by high-performance liquid nano-chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. A specific data processing pipeline (CORAVALID) providing an objective and comprehensive interpretation of the statistically relevant biological activities processed the results. RESULTS Compared to untreated skin explants, 64 proteins were significantly regulated by the gel treatment (q-value ≤ 0.05). Computer data processing revealed an activity of the ingredients on the epidermis and the dermis. These significantly regulated proteins are involved in gene expression, cell survival and metabolism, inflammatory processes, dermal extracellular matrix synthesis, melanogenesis and keratinocyte proliferation, migration, and differentiation. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the tested ingredients could help to preserve a healthy epidermis and dermis, and possibly to prevent the visible signs of skin aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Hameury
- Research & Development Department, Laboratoires B.L.C. Thalgo Cosmetic S.A., Roquebrune-sur-Argens, France
| | | | | | | | - Dominique Pradines
- Research & Development Department, Laboratoires B.L.C. Thalgo Cosmetic S.A., Roquebrune-sur-Argens, France
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Samara P, Miriagou V, Zachariadis M, Mavrofrydi O, Promponas VJ, Dedos SG, Papazafiri P, Kalbacher H, Voelter W, Tsitsilonis O. A fragment of the alarmin prothymosin α as a novel biomarker in murine models of bacteria-induced sepsis. Oncotarget 2018; 8:48635-48649. [PMID: 28611290 PMCID: PMC5564713 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that requires urgent care. Thus, the identification of specific and sensitive biomarkers for its early diagnosis and management are of clinical importance. The alarmin prothymosin alpha (proTα) and its decapeptide proTα(100-109) are immunostimulatory peptides related to cell death. In this study, we generated bacterial models of sepsis in mice using two Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (L-78 and ATCC 43816) and monitored sepsis progression using proTα(100-109) as a biomarker. Serum concentration of proTα(100-109) gradually increased as sepsis progressed in mice infected with L-78, a strain which, unlike ATCC 43816, was phagocytosed by monocytes/macrophages. Analysis of splenocytes from L-78-infected animals revealed that post-infection spleen monocytes/macrophages were gradually driven to caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. These results were verified in vitro in L-78-infected human monocytes/macrophages. Efficient phagocytosis of L-78 by monocytes stimulated their apoptosis and the concentration of proTα(100-109) in culture supernatants increased. Human macrophages strongly phagocytosed L-78, but resisted cell death. This is the first report suggesting that high levels of proTα(100-109) correlate, both in vitro and in vivo, with increased percentages of cell apoptosis. Moreover, we showed that low levels of proTα(100-109) early post-infection likely correlate with sepsis resolution and thus, the decapeptide could eventually serve as an early surrogate biomarker for predicting bacteria-induced sepsis outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinelopi Samara
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vivi Miriagou
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Michael Zachariadis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
| | - Olga Mavrofrydi
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasilis J Promponas
- Bioinformatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Skarlatos G Dedos
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Papazafiri
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Hubert Kalbacher
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Voelter
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ourania Tsitsilonis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Liljedahl L, Norlin J, McGuire JN, James P. Effects of insulin and the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist liraglutide on the kidney proteome in db/db mice. Physiol Rep 2017; 5:5/6/e13187. [PMID: 28330952 PMCID: PMC5371560 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a worldwide disease that affects 9% of the adult world population and type 2 DM accounts for 90% of those. A common consequence of DM is kidney complications, which could lead to kidney failure. We studied the potential effects of treatment with insulin and the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist liraglutide on the diabetic kidney proteome through the use of the db/db mouse model system and mass spectrometry (MS). Multivariate analyses revealed distinct effects of insulin and liraglutide on the db/db kidney proteome, which was seen on the protein levels of, for example, pterin-4 α-carbinolamine dehydratase/dimerization cofactor of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α (PCBD1), neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated-8 (NEDD8), transcription elongation factor-B polypeptide-1 (ELOC) and hepcidin (HEPC). Furthermore, the separation of the insulin, liraglutide and vehicle db/db mouse groups in multivariate analyses was not mainly related to the albumin excretion rate (AER) or the level of glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c%) in the mice. In summary, we show that insulin and liraglutide give rise to separate protein profiles in the db/db mouse kidney.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Liljedahl
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - Peter James
- Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Ueda H, Sasaki K, Halder SK, Deguchi Y, Takao K, Miyakawa T, Tajima A. Prothymosin alpha-deficiency enhances anxiety-like behaviors and impairs learning/memory functions and neurogenesis. J Neurochem 2017; 141:124-136. [PMID: 28122138 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is expressed in various mammalian organs including the neuronal nuclei in the brain, and is involved in multiple functions, such as chromatin remodeling, transcriptional regulation, cell proliferation, and survival. ProTα has beneficial actions against ischemia-induced necrosis and apoptosis in the brain and retina. However, characterizing the physiological roles of endogenous ProTα in the brain without stress remains elusive. Here, we generated ProTα-deficiency mice to explore whether endogenous ProTα is involved in normal brain functions. We successfully generated heterozygous ProTα knockout (ProTα+/- ) mice, while all homozygous ProTα knockout (ProTα-/- ) offspring died at early embryonic stage, suggesting that ProTα has crucial roles in embryonic development. In the evaluation of different behavioral tests, ProTα+/- mice exhibited hypolocomotor activity in the open-field test and enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in the light/dark transition test and the novelty induced hypophagia test. ProTα+/- mice also showed impaired learning and memory in the step-through passive avoidance test and the KUROBOX test. Depression-like behaviors in ProTα+/- mice in the forced swim and tail suspension tests were comparable with that of wild-type mice. Furthermore, adult hippocampal neurogenesis was significantly decreased in ProTα+/- mice. ProTα+/- mice showed an impaired long-term potentiation induction in the evaluation of electrophysiological recordings from acute hippocampal slices. Microarray analysis revealed that the candidate genes related to anxiety, learning/memory-functions, and neurogenesis were down-regulated in ProTα+/- mice. Thus, this study suggests that ProTα has crucial physiological roles in the robustness of brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ueda
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Keita Sasaki
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Sebok Kumar Halder
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yuichi Deguchi
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Keizo Takao
- Section of Behavior Patterns, Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, NINS, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Section of Behavior Patterns, Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, NINS, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.,Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Atsushi Tajima
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Graduate School of Advanced Preventive Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
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14
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Karachaliou CE, Triantis C, Liolios C, Palamaris L, Zikos C, Tsitsilonis OE, Kalbacher H, Voelter W, Loudos G, Papadopoulos M, Pirmettis I, Livaniou E. In vivo biodistribution and imaging studies with a 99mTc-radiolabeled derivative of the C-terminus of prothymosin alpha in mice bearing experimentally-induced inflammation. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2017; 113:188-197. [PMID: 28087377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2016.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is a highly conserved mammalian polypeptide (109 amino acids in man) exerting in vitro and in vivo immunoenhancing activities. Recently, our team has developed a 99mTc-radiolabeled derivative of the C-terminal bioactive decapeptide of ProTα ([99mTc]C1) and employed it in in vitro studies, the results of which support the existence of binding sites on human neutrophils that recognize [99mTc]C1, intact ProTα as well as the C-terminal decapeptide of ProTα and presumably involve Toll-like receptor 4. In the present work, [99mTc]C1 was administered to Swiss albino mice with experimentally-induced inflammation for in vivo biodistribution and imaging studies, in parallel with a suitable negative control, which differs from [99mTc]C1 only in bearing a scrambled version of the ProTα decapeptide. The biodistribution data obtained with [99mTc]C1 demonstrated fast clearance of radioactivity from blood, heart, lungs, normal muscle, and predominantly urinary excretion. Most importantly, slow clearance of radioactivity from the inflammation focus was observed, resulting in a high ratio of inflamed/normal muscle tissue (9.15 at 30min post injection, which remained practically stable up to 2h). The inflammation-targeting capacity of [99mTc]C1 was confirmed by imaging studies and might be attributed to neutrophils, which are recruited at the inflamed areas and bear binding sites for [99mTc]C1. In this respect, apart from being a valuable tool for further studies on ProTα in in vitro and in vivo systems, [99mTc]C1 merits further evaluation as a radiopharmaceutical for specific imaging of inflammation foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula-Evangelia Karachaliou
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSR "Demokritos"), Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Charalampos Triantis
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSR "Demokritos"), Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Christos Liolios
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSR "Demokritos"), Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Lazaros Palamaris
- Department of Medical Instruments Technology, Technological Educational Institute, Athens 12243, Greece
| | - Christos Zikos
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSR "Demokritos"), Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Ourania E Tsitsilonis
- Division of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Athens 15784, Greece
| | - Hubert Kalbacher
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Voelter
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
| | - George Loudos
- Department of Medical Instruments Technology, Technological Educational Institute, Athens 12243, Greece
| | - Minas Papadopoulos
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSR "Demokritos"), Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Ioannis Pirmettis
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSR "Demokritos"), Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Evangelia Livaniou
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy and Safety (INRASTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSR "Demokritos"), Athens 15310, Greece.
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Gusella GL, Teixeira A, Aberg J, Uversky VN, Mosoian A. Prothymosin-α Variants Elicit Anti-HIV-1 Response via TLR4 Dependent and Independent Pathways. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156486. [PMID: 27310139 PMCID: PMC4910978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prothymosin α (ProTα) (isoform 2: iso2) is a widely distributed, small acidic protein with intracellular and extracellular-associated functions. Recently, we identified two new ProTα variants with potent anti-HIV activity from CD8+ T cells and cervicovaginal lavage. The first is a splice variant of the ProTα gene known as isoB and the second is the product of ProTα pseudogene 7 (p7). Similarly to iso2, the anti-HIV activity of both variants is mediated by type I IFN. Here we tested whether the immunomodulatory activity of isoB and p7 are also TLR4 dependent and determined their kinetic of release in response to HIV-1 infection. METHODS Type I, type III, TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA inducing activity was determined in macrophages from wild type and TLR4 knockout mice treated with recombinant ProTα variants. Supernatants from mock and HIV infected cells were analyzed by mass spectrometry in positive and negative modes for the presence of ProTα variants. In silico structural and functional analysis of ProTα variants were performed. RESULTS We show that both isoB and p7 upregulate IFN-β, IFN-λ1, IL-6, TNF-α and RANTES mRNAs in primary human macrophages. The potent stimulation of IFN-β by the recombinant ProTα variants in human macrophages is dependent on the TLR4 pathway, whereas the induction of TNF-α and IL-6 may also occur independently of TLR4, suggesting the interaction of ProTα variants with other signaling molecules/receptors. In silico analyses confirmed that the novel isoB and p7 variants are intrinsically disordered proteins, which lack the NLS and mass spectrometry showed release of ProTα variants within minutes post HIV-1 infection. These features are consistent with the function of ProTα variants as damage associate molecular patterns (DAMPs). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that ProTα variants strongly inhibit viral replication mainly, but not exclusively, through TLR4 signaling and that they are released within minutes of viral infection suggesting that they may function as DAMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Luca Gusella
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Avelino Teixeira
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Judith Aberg
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Arevik Mosoian
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
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Papaioannou NE, Voutsas IF, Samara P, Tsitsilonis OE. A flow cytometric approach for studying alterations in the cytoplasmic concentration of calcium ions in immune cells following stimulation with thymic peptides. Cell Immunol 2016; 302:32-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ueda H, Halder SK, Matsunaga H, Sasaki K, Maeda S. Neuroprotective impact of prothymosin alpha-derived hexapeptide against retinal ischemia-reperfusion. Neuroscience 2016; 318:206-18. [PMID: 26779836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) has robustness roles against brain and retinal ischemia or serum-starvation stress. In the ProTα sequence, the active core 30-amino acid peptide/P30 (a.a.49-78) is necessary for the original neuroprotective actions against ischemia. Moreover, the 9-amino acid peptide sequence/P9 (a.a.52-60) in P30 still shows neuroprotective activity against brain and retinal ischemia, though P9 is less potent than P30. As the previous structure-activity relationship study for ProTα may not be enough, the possibility still exists that any sequence smaller than P9 retains potent neuroprotective activity. When different P9- and P30-related peptides were intravitreally injected 24h after retinal ischemia in mice, the 6-amino acid peptide/P6 (NEVDEE, a.a.51-56) showed potent protective effects against ischemia-induced retinal functional deficits, which are equipotent to the level of P30 peptide in electroretinography (ERG) and histological damage in Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining. Further studies using ERG and HE staining suggested that intravitreal or intravenous (i.v.) injection with modified P6 peptide/P6Q (NEVDQE) potently inhibited retinal ischemia-induced functional and histological damage. In an immunohistochemical analysis, the ischemia-induced loss of retinal ganglion, bipolar, amacrine and photoreceptor cells were inhibited by a systemic administration with P6Q peptide 24h after the ischemic stress. In addition, systemic post-treatment with P6Q peptide significantly inhibited retinal ischemia-induced microglia and astrocyte activation in terms of increased ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) intensity, respectively, as well as their morphological changes, increased number and migration. Thus, this study demonstrates the therapeutic significance of modified P6 peptide P6Q (NEVDQE) derived from 6-amino acid peptide (P6) in ProTα against ischemic damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Ueda
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan.
| | - S K Halder
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - H Matsunaga
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - K Sasaki
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - S Maeda
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
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18
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Prothymosin Alpha and Immune Responses: Are We Close to Potential Clinical Applications? VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2016; 102:179-207. [PMID: 27450735 PMCID: PMC7126549 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The thymus gland produces soluble molecules, which mediate significant immune functions. The first biologically active thymic extract was thymosin fraction V, the fractionation of which led to the isolation of a series of immunoactive polypeptides, including prothymosin alpha (proTα). ProTα displays a dual role, intracellularly as a survival and proliferation mediator and extracellularly as a biological response modifier. Accordingly, inside the cell, proTα is implicated in crucial intracellular circuits and may serve as a surrogate tumor biomarker, but when found outside the cell, it could be used as a therapeutic agent for treating immune system deficiencies. In fact, proTα possesses pleiotropic adjuvant activity and a series of immunomodulatory effects (eg, anticancer, antiviral, neuroprotective, cardioprotective). Moreover, several reports suggest that the variable activity of proTα might be exerted through different parts of the molecule. We first reported that the main immunoactive region of proTα is the carboxy-terminal decapeptide proTα(100-109). In conjunction with data from others, we also revealed that proTα and proTα(100-109) signal through Toll-like receptor 4. Although their precise molecular mechanism of action is yet not fully elucidated, proTα and proTα(100-109) are viewed as candidate adjuvants for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we present a historical overview on the discovery and isolation of thymosins with emphasis on proTα and data on some immune-related new activities of the polypeptide and smaller immunostimulatory peptides thereof. Finally, we propose a compiled scenario on proTα's mode of action, which could eventually contribute to its clinical application.
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19
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Zhang BC, Sun L. Tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) prothymosin alpha: Cytokine-like activities associated with the intact protein and the C-terminal region that lead to antiviral immunity via Myd88-dependent and -independent pathways respectively. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 53:96-104. [PMID: 26162512 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is a small protein that in mammals is known to participate in diverse biological processes including immunomodulation. In teleost, the immunological function of ProTα is unknown. In the current study, we investigated the expression and function of the ProTα (named CsProTα) from the teleost fish tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). We found that CsProTα expression was abundant in immune relevant tissues and upregulated by megalocytivirus infection. Immunoblot detected secretion of CsProTα by peripheral blood leukocytes. Recombinant CsProTα (rCsProTα) as well as the C-terminal 11-residue (Ct11) were able to bind head kidney monocytes (HKM) and induce immune gene expression; however, the induction patterns caused by rCsProTα and Ct11 differed considerably. When introduced in vivo, rCsProTα and Ct11 significantly reduced megalocytivirus infection in fish tissues, whereas rCsProTα antibody significantly promoted viral replication. Blocking of Myd88 activity abolished the virus-inhibitory effect of rCsProTα but not Ct11. Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time that both the intact protein and the C-terminal segment of a teleost ProTα can act like cytokines and induce antiviral immunity via, however, distinct signaling pathways that differ in the requirement of Myd88.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao-cun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Li Sun
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
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20
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Karachaliou CE, Liolios C, Triantis C, Zikos C, Samara P, Tsitsilonis OE, Kalbacher H, Voelter W, Papadopoulos M, Pirmettis I, Livaniou E. Specific in vitro binding of a new (99m)Tc-radiolabeled derivative of the C-terminal decapeptide of prothymosin alpha on human neutrophils. Int J Pharm 2015; 486:1-12. [PMID: 25796124 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is a conserved mammalian polypeptide with intracellular functions associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis and an extracellular role associated with immunopotentiation. The N-terminal fragment [1-28], which is identical with the immunostimulating peptide thymosin α1 (Tα1), was earlier considered as the immunoactive region of the polypeptide; however, recent data suggest that ProTα may exert a discrete immunomodulating action through its central or C-terminal region, via targeting Toll-like receptor- 4 (TLR4). In this work, a derivative of the C-terminal fragment ProTα[100-109] (ProTα-D1) that can be radiolabeled with (99m)Tc was developed. The biological activity of the non-radioactive (185/187)rhenium-complex of this derivative ([(185/187)Re]ProTα-D1, structurally similar with [(99m)Tc]ProTα-D1) was verified through suitable in vitro bioassays on human neutrophils. Subsequent cell-binding studies revealed specific, time-dependent and saturable binding of [(99m)Tc]ProTα-D1 on neutrophils, which was inhibited by intact ProTα and ProTα[100-109], as well as by a "prototype" TLR4-ligand (lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli). Overall, our results support the existence of ProTα-binding sites on human neutrophils, recognizing [(99m)Tc]ProTα-D1, which might involve TLR4. [(99m)Tc]ProTα-D1 may be a useful tool for conducting further in vitro and in vivo studies, aiming to elucidate the extracellular mode of action of ProTα and, eventually, develop ProTα-based immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysoula-Evangelia Karachaliou
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy and Safety (INRaSTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Christos Liolios
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy and Safety (INRaSTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Charalampos Triantis
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy and Safety (INRaSTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Christos Zikos
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy and Safety (INRaSTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Pinelopi Samara
- Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens 15784, Greece
| | | | - Hubert Kalbacher
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Voelter
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
| | - Minas Papadopoulos
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy and Safety (INRaSTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Ioannis Pirmettis
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy and Safety (INRaSTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens 15310, Greece
| | - Evangelia Livaniou
- Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy and Safety (INRaSTES), National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens 15310, Greece.
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