Proteome Analysis of UV-B–Induced Anti-apoptotic Regulatory Factors¶

Effect of glutathione reductase knockdown in response to UVB-induced oxidative stress in human lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Glutathione reductase (GR) plays a critical role in the maintenance of physiological redox status in cells. However, the comprehensive investigations of GR-modulated oxidative stress have not been reported.

Methods

In the present study, we cultured a human lung adenocarcinoma line CL1-0 and its GR-knockdown derivative CL1-0ΔGR to evaluate their differential responses to UVB-irradiation.

Results

We identified 18 proteins that showed significant changes under UVB-irradiation in CL1-0ΔGR cells rather than in CL1-0 cells. Several proteins involving protein folding, metabolism, protein biosynthesis and redox regulation showed significant changes in expression.

Conclusions

In summary, the current study used a comprehensive lung adenocarcinoma-based proteomic approach for the identification of GR-modulated protein expression in response to UVB-irradiation. To our knowledge, this is the first global proteomic analysis to investigate the role of GR under UVB-irradiation in mammalian cell model.

Proteomic identification of cathepsin B and nucleophosmin as novel UVA-targets in human skin fibroblasts

Solar UVA exposure plays a causative role in skin photoaging and photocarcinogenesis. Here, we describe the proteomic identification of novel UVA-targets in human dermal fibroblasts following a two-dimensional-difference-gel-electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) approach. Fibroblasts were exposed to noncytotoxic doses of UVA or left untreated, and total protein extracts underwent CyDye-labeling followed by 2D-DIGE/mass-spectrometric identification of differentially expressed proteins, confirmed independently by immunodetection. The protein displaying the most pronounced UVA-induced upregulation was identified as the nucleolar protein nucleophosmin. The protein undergoing the most pronounced UVA-induced downregulation was identified as cathepsin B, a lysosomal cysteine-protease displaying loss of enzymatic activity and altered maturation after cellular UVA exposure. Extensive lysosomal accumulation of lipofuscin-like autofluorescence and osmiophilic material occurred in UVA-exposed fibroblasts as detected by confocal fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Array analysis indicated UVA-induced upregulation of oxidative stress response gene expression, and UVA-induced loss of cathepsin B enzymatic activity in fibroblasts was suppressed by antioxidant intervention. Pharmacological cathepsin B inhibition using CA074Me mimicked UVA-induced accumulation of lysosomal autofluorescence and deficient cathepsin B maturation. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that cathepsin B is a crucial target of UVA-induced photo-oxidative stress causatively involved in dermal photodamage through the impairment of lysosomal removal of lipofuscin.

Proteomic analysis of growth phase-dependent expression of Legionella pneumophila proteins which involves regulation of bacterial virulence traits

Legionella pneumophila, which is a causative pathogen of Legionnaires' disease, expresses its virulent traits in response to growth conditions. In particular, it is known to become virulent at a post-exponential phase in vitro culture. In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis of differences in expression between the exponential phase and post-exponential phase to identify candidates associated with L. pneumophila virulence using 2-Dimentional Fluorescence Difference Gel Electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) combined with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization–Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Of 68 identified proteins that significantly differed in expression between the two growth phases, 64 were up-regulated at a post-exponential phase. The up-regulated proteins included enzymes related to glycolysis, ketone body biogenesis and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) biogenesis, suggesting that L. pneumophila may utilize sugars and lipids as energy sources, when amino acids become scarce. Proteins related to motility (flagella components and twitching motility-associated proteins) were also up-regulated, predicting that they enhance infectivity of the bacteria in host cells under certain conditions. Furthermore, 9 up-regulated proteins of unknown function were found. Two of them were identified as novel bacterial factors associated with hemolysis of sheep red blood cells (SRBCs). Another 2 were found to be translocated into macrophages via the Icm/Dot type IV secretion apparatus as effector candidates in a reporter assay with Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase. The study will be helpful for virulent analysis of L. pneumophila from the viewpoint of physiological or metabolic modulation dependent on growth phase.

Proteomic characterization of angiogenic endothelial cells stimulated with cancer cell-conditioned medium

To characterize the protein expression profiles and identify the molecules associated with tumor angiogenesis, the cellular proteins of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in response to cancer cell-conditioned medium (CM) prepared from HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells were analyzed using fluorescence-labeled 2D gel-based proteomics. Most differentially expressed proteins in HT1080-CM-stimulated cells were found to be downregulated (88%) rather than upregulated (12%) based on statistical analysis of protein spot signals. Additionally, we examined the effects of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF), a proangiogenic factor, on cellular protein expression. In contrast, most differentially expressed proteins were found to be upregulated (59%) rather than downregulated (41%) in VEGF-stimulated HUVECs. Comparative analyses of 29 and 35 protein species identified in CM-stimulated and VEGF-stimulated HUVECs, respectively, revealed the remarkable differences between these two stimulations. Only four proteins were differentially expressed by both treatments: annexin A2, enolase 1, and T-plastin (downregulated by CM but upregulated by VEGF), and RAN (downregulated by both CM and VEGF). These findings provide new information regarding the regulation of protein expression associated with tumor angiogenesis.

Proteomic investigation of human burn wounds by 2D-difference gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

BACKGROUND

In humans, thermal cutaneous injury represents a serious traumatic event that induces a host of dynamic alterations. Unfortunately the molecular mechanisms that underlie these serious perturbations remain poorly understood. We applied a global analysis method to identify dynamically changing proteins within the burn environment, which could eventually become biomarkers or targets for treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Protein extracts of normal/unwounded skin and burn wounds were assayed by 2D-difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE), a proteomic technology by which abundance levels of intact proteins (including isoforms) were simultaneously quantified from multiple samples with statistical confidence. Through unsupervised multivariate principal component analysis, protein expression patterns from individual samples were appropriately clustered into their correct temporal healing periods grouped into postburn periods of 1-3 days, 4-6 days, or 7-10 days after injury. Forty-six proteins were subsequently selected for identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

Proteins identified with differential temporal patterns of expression included predictable cytoskeletal proteins such as vimentin, and keratins 1, 5, 6, 16, and 17. Other candidate proteins with potential involvement in healing included heat shock protein 90, members of the serpin family (Serpin B1, SCCA1 and -2), haptoglobin, gelsolin, eIF4A1, IQGAP1, and translationally controlled tumor protein.

CONCLUSIONS

We have used the combined technique, DIGE/mass spectrometry, to capture new insights into cutaneous responses to burn trauma and subsequent processes of early wound healing in humans. This pilot study provides a proteomic snapshot of temporal events that can be used to weave together the interconnected processes that define the response to serious cutaneous injury.