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Rasmussen M, Jin JP. Mechanoregulation and function of calponin and transgelin. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2024; 5:011302. [PMID: 38515654 PMCID: PMC10954348 DOI: 10.1063/5.0176784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
It is well known that chemical energy can be converted to mechanical force in biological systems by motor proteins such as myosin ATPase. It is also broadly observed that constant/static mechanical signals potently induce cellular responses. However, the mechanisms that cells sense and convert the mechanical force into biochemical signals are not well understood. Calponin and transgelin are a family of homologous proteins that participate in the regulation of actin-activated myosin motor activity. An isoform of calponin, calponin 2, has been shown to regulate cytoskeleton-based cell motility functions under mechanical signaling. The expression of the calponin 2 gene and the turnover of calponin 2 protein are both under mechanoregulation. The regulation and function of calponin 2 has physiological and pathological significance, as shown in platelet adhesion, inflammatory arthritis, arterial atherosclerosis, calcific aortic valve disease, post-surgical fibrotic peritoneal adhesion, chronic proteinuria, ovarian insufficiency, and tumor metastasis. The levels of calponin 2 vary in different cell types, reflecting adaptations to specific tissue environments and functional states. The present review focuses on the mechanoregulation of calponin and transgelin family proteins to explore how cells sense steady tension and convert the force signal to biochemical activities. Our objective is to present a current knowledge basis for further investigations to establish the function and mechanisms of calponin and transgelin in cellular mechanoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Rasmussen
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101, USA
| | - J.-P. Jin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
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2
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Weiner L, Brissette JL. Finding meaning in chaos: a selection signature for functional interactions and its use in molecular biology. FEBS J 2023; 290:3914-3927. [PMID: 35653424 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A primary goal of biomedical research is to elucidate molecular mechanisms, particularly those responsible for human traits, either normal or pathological. Yet achieving this goal is difficult if not impossible when the traits of interest lack tractable models and so cannot be dissected through time-honoured approaches like forward genetics or reconstitution. Arguably, no biological problem has hindered scientific progress more than this: the inability to dissect a trait's mechanism without a tractable likeness of the trait. At root, forward genetics and reconstitution are powerful approaches because they assay for specific molecular functions. Here, we discuss an alternative way to uncover important mechanistic interactions, namely, to assay for positive natural selection. If an interaction has been selected for, then it must perform an important function, a function that significantly promotes reproductive success. Accordingly, selection is a consequence and indicator of function, and uncovering multimolecular selection will reveal important functional interactions. We propose a selection signature for interactions and review recent selection-based approaches through which to dissect traits that are not inherently tractable. The review includes proof-of-principle studies in which important interactions were uncovered by screening for selection. In sum, screens for selection appear feasible when screens for specific functions are not. Selection screens thus constitute a novel tool through which to reveal the mechanisms that shape the fates of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorin Weiner
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Janice L Brissette
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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3
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Hsieh TB, Jin JP. Evolution and function of calponin and transgelin. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1206147. [PMID: 37363722 PMCID: PMC10285543 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1206147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Calponin and transgelin (originally named SM22) are homologous cytoskeleton proteins that regulate actin-activated myosin motor functions in smooth muscle contraction and non-muscle cell motility during adhesion, migration, proliferation, phagocytosis, wound healing, and inflammatory responses. They are abundant cytoskeleton proteins present in multiple cell types whereas their physiological functions remain to be fully established. This focused review summarizes the evolution of genes encoding calponin and transgelin and their isoforms and discusses the structural similarity and divergence in vertebrate and invertebrate species in the context of functions in regulating cell motility. As the first literature review focusing on the evolution of the calponin-transgelin family of proteins in relevance to their structure-function relationship, the goal is to outline a foundation of current knowledge for continued investigations to understand the biological functions of calponin and transgelin in various cell types during physiological and pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Bou Hsieh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - J.-P. Jin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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4
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Assessment of antiplatelet therapy response in pediatric patients following cardiac surgery by microfluidic assay. PROGRESS IN PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ppedcard.2019.101191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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5
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Plazyo O, Hao W, Jin JP. The Absence of Calponin 2 in Rabbits Suggests Caution in Choosing Animal Models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:42. [PMID: 32185166 PMCID: PMC7058930 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
While the rapid development of CRISPR/CAS9 technology has allowed for readily performing site-specific genomic editing in non-rodent species, an emerging challenge is to select the most suitable species to generate animal models for the study of human biology and diseases. Improving CRISPR/CAS9 methodology for more effective and precise editing in the rabbit genome to replicate human disease is an active area of biomedical research. Although rabbits are more closely related to humans than mice (based on DNA sequence analysis), our whole-genome protein database search revealed that rabbits have more missing human protein sequences than mice. Hence, precisely replicating human diseases in rabbits requires further consideration, especially in studies involving essential functions of the missing proteins. For example, rabbits lack calponin 2, an actin-associated cytoskeletal protein that is important in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis, atherosclerosis, and calcific aortic valve disease. The justification of using rabbits as models for human biomedical research is based on their larger size and their closer phylogenetic distance to humans (based on sequence similarity of conserved genes), but this may be misleading. Our findings, which consider whole-genome protein profiling together with actual protein expressions, serve as a warning to the scientific community to consider overall conservation as well as the conservation of specific proteins when choosing an animal model to study a particular aspect of human biology prior to investing in genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olesya Plazyo
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Weilong Hao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Jian-Ping Jin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
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6
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Plazyo O, Sheng JJ, Jin JP. Downregulation of calponin 2 contributes to the quiescence of lung macrophages. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2019; 317:C749-C761. [PMID: 31365293 PMCID: PMC6850996 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00036.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Calponin 2 is an actin cytoskeleton-associated regulatory protein that inhibits the activity of myosin-ATPase and cytoskeleton dynamics. Recent studies have demonstrated that deletion of calponin 2 restricts the proinflammatory activation of macrophages in atherosclerosis and arthritis to attenuate the disease progression in mice. Here we demonstrate that the levels of calponin 2 vary among different macrophage populations, which may reflect their adaptation to specific tissue microenvironment corresponding to specific functional states. Interestingly, lung resident macrophages express significantly lower calponin 2 than peritoneal resident macrophages, which correlates with decreased substrate adhesion and reduced expression of proinflammatory cytokines and a proresolution phenotype. Deletion of calponin 2 in peritoneal macrophages also decreased substrate adhesion and downregulated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Providing the first line of defense against microbial invasion while receiving constant exposure to extrinsic antigens, lung macrophages need to maintain a necessary level of activity while limiting exaggerated inflammatory reaction. Therefore, their low level of calponin 2 may reflect an important physiological adaption. Downregulation of calponin 2 in macrophages may be targeted as a cytoskeleton-based novel mechanism, possibly via endoplasmic reticulum stress altering the processing and secretion of cytokines, to regulate immune response and promote quiescence for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olesya Plazyo
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Juan-Juan Sheng
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - J-P Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
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7
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Nadareishvili Z, Kelley D, Luby M, Simpkins AN, Leigh R, Lynch JK, Hsia AW, Benson RT, Johnson KR, Hallenbeck JM, Latour LL. Molecular signature of penumbra in acute ischemic stroke: a pilot transcriptomics study. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019; 6:817-820. [PMID: 31020007 PMCID: PMC6469246 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to characterize peripheral blood gene expression profile of penumbra defined as MRI perfusion–diffusion mismatch (PD MM) in peripheral blood of patients with acute ischemic stroke. We studied 23 patients. Perfusion–diffusion mismatch volume was observed to be associated and significantly correlated with the expression of 34 genes including those related to inflammation, SUMOylation, and coagulation; while lipopolysaccharide inhibition was identified to be a candidate upstream regulator of these processes (z‐score −2.38, P = 0.04). Penumbral volume is correlated with a specific gene expression profile in the peripheral blood characterized by overlap of inflammatory and neuroprotective pathways that are regulated by lipopolysaccharide inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zurab Nadareishvili
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland.,Department of Neurology George Washington University Washington District of Columbia
| | - Devon Kelley
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
| | - Marie Luby
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
| | - Alexis N Simpkins
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
| | - Richard Leigh
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
| | - John K Lynch
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
| | - Amie W Hsia
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland.,Medstar Washington Hospital Center Stroke Center Washington District of Columbia
| | - Richard T Benson
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland.,Medstar Washington Hospital Center Stroke Center Washington District of Columbia
| | - Kory R Johnson
- Bioinformatics Section Information Technology Program Division of Intramural Research NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
| | - John M Hallenbeck
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
| | - Lawrence L Latour
- Section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics NINDS NIH Bethesda Maryland
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8
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Ciuba K, Hawkes W, Tojkander S, Kogan K, Engel U, Iskratsch T, Lappalainen P. Calponin-3 is critical for coordinated contractility of actin stress fibers. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17670. [PMID: 30518778 PMCID: PMC6281606 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35948-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Contractile actomyosin bundles, stress fibers, contribute to morphogenesis, migration, and mechanosensing of non-muscle cells. In addition to actin and non-muscle myosin II (NMII), stress fibers contain a large array of proteins that control their assembly, turnover, and contractility. Calponin-3 (Cnn3) is an actin-binding protein that associates with stress fibers. However, whether Cnn3 promotes stress fiber assembly, or serves as either a positive or negative regulator of their contractility has remained obscure. Here, we applied U2OS osteosarcoma cells as a model system to study the function of Cnn3. We show that Cnn3 localizes to both NMII-containing contractile ventral stress fibers and transverse arcs, as well as to non-contractile dorsal stress fibers that do not contain NMII. Fluorescence-recovery-after-photobleaching experiments revealed that Cnn3 is a dynamic component of stress fibers. Importantly, CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and RNAi knockdown studies demonstrated that Cnn3 is not essential for stress fiber assembly. However, Cnn3 depletion resulted in increased and uncoordinated contractility of stress fibers that often led to breakage of individual actomyosin bundles within the stress fiber network. Collectively these results provide evidence that Cnn3 is dispensable for the assembly of actomyosin bundles, but that it is required for controlling proper contractility of the stress fiber network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Ciuba
- Insitute of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 56, 0014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - William Hawkes
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS, London, UK
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, SE1 1UL, London, UK
| | - Sari Tojkander
- Section of Pathology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Konstantin Kogan
- Insitute of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 56, 0014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulrike Engel
- Nikon Imaging Center at Heidelberg University and Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Thomas Iskratsch
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS, London, UK
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, SE1 1UL, London, UK
| | - Pekka Lappalainen
- Insitute of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 56, 0014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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9
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Hossain MM, Zhao G, Woo MS, Wang JHC, Jin JP. Deletion of Calponin 2 in Mouse Fibroblasts Increases Myosin II-Dependent Cell Traction Force. Biochemistry 2016; 55:6046-6055. [PMID: 27733037 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cell traction force (CTF) plays a critical role in controlling cell shape, permitting cell motility, and maintaining cellular homeostasis in many biological processes such as angiogenesis, development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. Calponin is an actin filament-associated cytoskeletal protein in smooth muscles and multiple types of non-muscle cells. An established biochemical function of calponin is the inhibition of myosin ATPase in smooth muscle cells. Vertebrates have three calponin isoforms. Among them, calponin 2 is expressed in epithelial cells, endothelial cells, macrophages, myoblasts, and fibroblasts and plays a role in regulating cytoskeleton activities such as cell adhesion, migration, and cytokinesis. Knockout (KO) of the gene encoding calponin 2 (Cnn2) in mice increased cell motility, suggesting a function of calponin 2 in modulating CTF. In this study, we examined fibroblasts isolated from Cnn2 KO and wild-type (WT) mice using CTF microscopy. Primary mouse fibroblasts were cultured on polyacrylamide gel substrates embedded with fluorescent beads to measure root-mean-square traction, total strain energy, and net contractile movement. The results showed that calponin 2-null fibroblasts exhibit traction force greater than that of WT cells. Adherent calponin 2-null fibroblasts de-adhered faster than the WT control during mild trypsin treatment, consistent with an increased CTF. Blebbistatin, an inhibitor of myosin II ATPase, is more effective upon an alteration in cell morphology when calponin 2 is present in WT fibroblasts than that on Cnn2 KO cells, indicating their additive effects in inhibiting myosin motor activity. The novel finding that calponin 2 regulates myosin-dependent CTF in non-muscle cells demonstrates a mechanism for controlling cell motility-based functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Moazzem Hossain
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, Michigan 48201, United States
| | - Guangyi Zhao
- Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Moon-Sook Woo
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, Michigan 48201, United States
| | - James H-C Wang
- Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Jian-Ping Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine , Detroit, Michigan 48201, United States
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10
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Liu R, Jin JP. Deletion of calponin 2 in macrophages alters cytoskeleton-based functions and attenuates the development of atherosclerosis. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2016; 99:87-99. [PMID: 27575021 PMCID: PMC5325694 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2016.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Arterial atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Macrophages play a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Modulation of macrophage function is a therapeutic target for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Calponin is an actin-filament-associated regulatory protein that inhibits the activity of myosin-ATPase and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. Encoded by the gene Cnn2, calponin isoform 2 is expressed at significant levels in macrophages. Deletion of calponin 2 increases macrophage migration and phagocytosis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of deletion of calponin 2 in macrophages on the pathogenesis and development of atherosclerosis. The results showed that macrophages isolated from Cnn2 knockout mice ingested a similar level of acetylated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to that of wild type (WT) macrophages but the resulting foam cells had significantly less hindered velocity of migration. Systemic or myeloid cell-specific Cnn2 knockouts effectively attenuated the development of arterial atherosclerosis lesions with less macrophage infiltration in apolipoprotein E knockout mice. Consistently, calponin 2-null macrophages produced less pro-inflammatory cytokines than that of WT macrophages, and the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in foam cells was also attenuated by the deletion of calponin 2. Calponin 2-null macrophages and foam cells have significantly weakened cell adhesion, indicating a role of cytoskeleton regulation in macrophage functions and inflammatory responses, and a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of arterial atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Liu
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - J-P Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
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11
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Huang QQ, Hossain MM, Sun W, Xing L, Pope RM, Jin JP. Deletion of calponin 2 in macrophages attenuates the severity of inflammatory arthritis in mice. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2016; 311:C673-C685. [PMID: 27488671 PMCID: PMC5129749 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00331.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Calponin is an actin cytoskeleton-associated protein that regulates motility-based cellular functions. Three isoforms of calponin are present in vertebrates, among which calponin 2 encoded by the Cnn2 gene is expressed in multiple types of cells, including blood cells from the myeloid lineage. Our previous studies demonstrated that macrophages from Cnn2 knockout (KO) mice exhibit increased migration and phagocytosis. Intrigued by an observation that monocytes and macrophages from patients with rheumatoid arthritis had increased calponin 2, we investigated anti-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase serum-induced arthritis in Cnn2-KO mice for the effect of calponin 2 deletion on the pathogenesis and pathology of inflammatory arthritis. The results showed that the development of arthritis was attenuated in systemic Cnn2-KO mice with significantly reduced inflammation and bone erosion than that in age- and stain background-matched C57BL/6 wild-type mice. In vitro differentiation of calponin 2-null mouse bone marrow cells produced fewer osteoclasts with decreased bone resorption. The attenuation of inflammatory arthritis was confirmed in conditional myeloid cell-specific Cnn2-KO mice. The increased phagocytotic activity of calponin 2-null macrophages may facilitate the clearance of autoimmune complexes and the resolution of inflammation, whereas the decreased substrate adhesion may reduce osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. The data suggest that calponin 2 regulation of cytoskeleton function plays a novel role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis, implicating a potentially therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Quan Huang
- Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - M Moazzem Hossain
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Wen Sun
- Department of Pathology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Lianping Xing
- Department of Pathology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Richard M Pope
- Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - J-P Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan;
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Liu R, Jin JP. Calponin isoforms CNN1, CNN2 and CNN3: Regulators for actin cytoskeleton functions in smooth muscle and non-muscle cells. Gene 2016; 585:143-153. [PMID: 26970176 PMCID: PMC5325697 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2015] [Revised: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Calponin is an actin filament-associated regulatory protein expressed in smooth muscle and many types of non-muscle cells. Three homologous genes, CNN1, CNN2 and CNN3, encoding calponin isoforms 1, 2, and 3, respectively, are present in vertebrate species. All three calponin isoforms are actin-binding proteins with functions in inhibiting actin-activated myosin ATPase and stabilizing the actin cytoskeleton, while each isoform executes different physiological roles based on their cell type-specific expressions. Calponin 1 is specifically expressed in smooth muscle cells and plays a role in fine-tuning smooth muscle contractility. Calponin 2 is expressed in both smooth muscle and non-muscle cells and regulates multiple actin cytoskeleton-based functions. Calponin 3 participates in actin cytoskeleton-based activities in embryonic development and myogenesis. Phosphorylation has been extensively studied for the regulation of calponin functions. Cytoskeleton tension regulates the transcription of CNN2 gene and the degradation of calponin 2 protein. This review summarizes our knowledge learned from studies over the past three decades, focusing on the evolutionary lineage of calponin isoform genes, their tissue- and cell type-specific expressions, structure-function relationships, and mechanoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Liu
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E. Canfield Street, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - J-P Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E. Canfield Street, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
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