1
|
Yang ML, Lin CL, Chen YC, Lu IA, Su BH, Chen YH, Liu KT, Wu CL, Shiau AL. Prothymosin α accelerates dengue virus-induced thrombocytopenia. iScience 2024; 27:108422. [PMID: 38213625 PMCID: PMC10783621 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Thrombocytopenia is the hallmark finding in dengue virus (DENV) infection. Prothymosin α (ProT) has both intracellular and extracellular functions involved in cell cycle progression, cell differentiation, gene regulation, oxidative stress response, and immunomodulation. In this study, we found that ProT levels were elevated in dengue patient sera as well as DENV-infected megakaryoblasts and their culture supernatants. ProT transgenic mice had reduced platelet counts with prolonged bleeding times. Upon treatment with DENV plus anti-CD41 antibody, they exhibited severe skin hemorrhage. Furthermore, overexpression of ProT suppressed megakaryocyte differentiation. Infection with DENV inhibited miR-126 expression, upregulated DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), downregulated GATA-1, and increased ProT expression. Upregulation of ProT led to Nrf2 activation and reduced reactive oxygen species production, thereby suppressing megakaryopoiesis. We report the pathophysiological role of ProT in DENV infection and propose an involvement of the miR-126-DNMT1-GATA-1-ProT-Nrf2 signaling axis in DENV-induced thrombocytopenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Lin Yang
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ling Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Cheng Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - I-An Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Hua Su
- School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Hsu Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Sepsis Research Center, Center of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ting Liu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Liang Wu
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Li Shiau
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Li G, Wang J, Wu W, Wang M, Han X, Zhang Z, Tang C. Proteomic Analysis of the Supernatant from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells under High Glucose Conditions. J Proteome Res 2024; 23:344-355. [PMID: 38113133 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00588] [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] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus hinders the process of bone regeneration by inhibiting the function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through elevated glucose levels, thereby impeding osteointegration. The stem cell niche (SCN) plays a crucial role in determining the fate of stem cells by integrating various signals. However, the precise mechanism by which high glucose levels affect the SCN and subsequently influence the function of MSCs remains unclear. In this study, we employed proteomic analysis to identify proteins with altered expression in the extracellular matrix (ECM), aiming to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Three cell supernatants were collected from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) or BMSCs stimulated with high glucose (BMSCs+Hg). A total of 590 differentially expressed proteins were identified, which were found to be associated with the ECM, including aging, autophagy, and osteogenic differentiation. The findings of our study indicate that elevated glucose levels exert an influence on the molecular aspects of the SCN, potentially contributing to a better comprehension of the underlying mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guoqing Li
- Department of Dental Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jiaohong Wang
- Department of Dental Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Dental Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Mingxi Wang
- Department of Dental Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhewei Zhang
- Department of Dental Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Chunbo Tang
- Department of Dental Implantology, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing 210029, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Stomatological Translational Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
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.
Collapse
|
4
|
Venditti M, Arcaniolo D, De Sio M, Minucci S. First Evidence of the Expression and Localization of Prothymosin α in Human Testis and Its Involvement in Testicular Cancers. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091210. [PMID: 36139050 PMCID: PMC9496091 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prothymosin α (PTMA) is a phylogenetically conserved polypeptide in male gonads of Vertebrates. In Mammals, it is a ubiquitous protein, and, possessing a random-coil structure, it interacts with many other partners, in both cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. PTMA has been widely studied during cell progression in different types of cancer because of its anti-apoptotic and proliferative properties. Here, we provided the first evidence of PTMA expression and localization in human testis and in two testicular cancers (TC): classic seminoma (CS) and Leydig cell tumor (LCT). Data showed that its protein level, together with that of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a cell cycle progression marker, increased in both CS and LCT samples, as compared to non-pathological (NP) tissue. Moreover, in the two-cancer tissue, a decreased apoptotic rate and an increased autophagic flux was also evidenced. Results confirmed the anti-apoptotic action of PTMA, also suggesting that it can act as a switcher from apoptosis to autophagy, to favor the survival of testicular cancer cells when they develop in adverse environments. Finally, the combined data, even if they need to be further validated, add new insight into the role of PTMA in human normal and pathological testicular tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Venditti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sez. Fisiologia Umana e Funzioni Biologiche Integrate “F. Bottazzi”, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Costantinopoli, 16-80138 Napoli, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Davide Arcaniolo
- Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia Generale e Specialistica, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Luigi De Crecchio, 02-80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco De Sio
- Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia Generale e Specialistica, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Luigi De Crecchio, 02-80138 Napoli, Italy
| | - Sergio Minucci
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sez. Fisiologia Umana e Funzioni Biologiche Integrate “F. Bottazzi”, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Costantinopoli, 16-80138 Napoli, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bjarnason S, Ruidiaz SF, McIvor J, Mercadante D, Heidarsson PO. Protein intrinsic disorder on a dynamic nucleosomal landscape. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 183:295-354. [PMID: 34656332 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The complex nucleoprotein landscape of the eukaryotic cell nucleus is rich in dynamic proteins that lack a stable three-dimensional structure. Many of these intrinsically disordered proteins operate directly on the first fundamental level of genome compaction: the nucleosome. Here we give an overview of how disordered interactions with and within nucleosomes shape the dynamics, architecture, and epigenetic regulation of the genetic material, controlling cellular transcription patterns. We highlight experimental and computational challenges in the study of protein disorder and illustrate how integrative approaches are increasingly unveiling the fine details of nuclear interaction networks. We finally dissect sequence properties encoded in disordered regions and assess common features of disordered nucleosome-binding proteins. As drivers of many critical biological processes, disordered proteins are integral to a comprehensive molecular view of the dynamic nuclear milieu.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sveinn Bjarnason
- Department of Biochemistry, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Sarah F Ruidiaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Jordan McIvor
- School of Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Davide Mercadante
- School of Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Pétur O Heidarsson
- Department of Biochemistry, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Prothymosin α activates type I collagen to develop a fibrotic placenta in gestational diabetes. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 134:2435-2445. [PMID: 32909608 DOI: 10.1042/cs20200147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
High-risk pregnancies, such as pregnancies with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), are becoming more common and as such, have become important public health issues worldwide. GDM increases the risks of macrosomia, premature infants, and preeclampsia. Although placental dysfunction, including fibrosis is associated with the development of GDM, factors that link these observations remain unknown. Prothymosin α (ProTα) is expressed in the placenta and is involved in cell proliferation and immunomodulation. It also plays an important role in insulin resistance and fibrosis. However, the role of ProTα in GDM is still unclear. In the present study, we found that fibrosis-related protein expressions, such as type I collagen (Col-1) were significantly increased in the placentae of ProTα transgenic mice. With elevated fibrosis-related protein expressions, placental weights significantly increased in GDM group. In addition, placental and circulating ProTα levels were significantly higher in patients with GDM (n=39), compared with the healthy group (n=102), and were positively correlated with Col-1 expression. Mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced GDM had increased ProTα, fasting blood glucose, Col-1, and placental weight, whereas plasma insulin levels were decreased. ProTα overexpression enhanced nuclear factor κB (NFκB) activation to increase fibrosis-related protein expressions in 3A-Sub-E trophoblasts, while treatment with an NFκB inhibitor reversed the effect of ProTα on fibrosis-related protein expressions. We further investigated whether ProTα is regulated by hyperglycemia-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). In conclusion, ProTα increases the amount of placental connective tissue and thus contributes to the pathogenesis of placental fibrosis in GDM. Therefore, ProTα may be a novel therapeutic target for GDM.
Collapse
|
7
|
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TL Downregulates the Ileal Expression of Genes Involved in Immune Responses in Broiler Chickens to Improve Growth Performance. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020382. [PMID: 33668643 PMCID: PMC7918048 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TL promotes broiler chicken performance by improving nutrient absorption and utilization and reducing intestinal inflammation. In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq)-based transcriptomes of ileal tissues collected from probiotic-fed and control broiler chickens were analyzed to elucidate the effects of the probiotic B. amyloliquefaciens TL, as a feed additive, on the gut immune function. In total, 475 genes were significantly differentially expressed between the ileum of probiotic-fed and control birds. The expression of genes encoding pyruvate kinase, prothymosin-α, and heat stress proteins was high in the ileum of probiotic-fed birds (FPKM > 500), but not in the control group. The gene ontology functional enrichment and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the uniquely expressed genes in the control group were mostly involved in immune responses, whereas those in the probiotic group were involved in fibroblast growth factor receptor signaling pathways and positive regulation of cell proliferation. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TL downregulated the expression of certain proinflammatory factors and affected the cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction pathway. Furthermore, B. amyloliquefaciens TL in broiler diets altered the expression of genes involved in immune functions in the ileum. Thus, it might contribute to improved broiler growth by regulating the immune system and reducing intestinal damage in broilers.
Collapse
|
8
|
Involvement of SNARE Protein Interaction for Non-classical Release of DAMPs/Alarmins Proteins, Prothymosin Alpha and S100A13. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 41:1817-1828. [PMID: 32856232 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00950-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is involved in multiple cellular processes. Upon serum-free stress, ProTα lacking a signal peptide sequence is non-classically released from C6 glioma cells as a complex with Ca2+-binding cargo protein S100A13. Thus, ProTα and S100A13 are conceived to be members of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)/alarmins. However, it remains to be determined whether stress-induced release of ProTα and S100A13 involves SNARE proteins in the mechanisms underlying membrane tethering of the multiprotein complex. In the present study, we used C6 glioma cells as a model of ProTα release. In pull-down assay, p40 synaptotagmin-1 (Syt-1), a vesicular SNARE, formed a hetero-oligomeric complex with homodimeric S100A13 in a Ca2+-dependent manner. The interaction between p40 Syt-1 and S100A13 was also Ca2+-dependent in surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Immunoprecipitation using conditioned medium (CM) revealed that p40 Syt-1 was co-released with ProTα and S100A13 upon serum-free stress. In in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA), Syt-1 interacted with S100A13 upon serum-free stress in C6 glioma cells. The intracellular delivery of anti-Syt-1 IgG blocked serum free-induced release of ProTα and S100A13. Serum free-induced ProTα-EGFP release was significantly blocked by botulinum neurotoxin/C1 (BoNT/C1), which cleaves target SNARE syntaxin-1 (Stx-1). In immunocytochemistry, the cellular loss of ProTα-EGFP, S100A13, and Syt-1 was also blocked by BoNT/C1. Furthermore, the intracellular delivery of anti-Stx-1 IgG or Stx-1 siRNA treatment blocked Syt-1, S100A13 and ProTα release from C6 glioma cells. All these findings suggest that SNARE proteins play roles in stress-induced non-classical release of DAMPs/alarmins proteins, ProTα and S100A13 from C6 glioma cells.
Collapse
|
9
|
Torigoe K, Obata Y, Torigoe M, Oka S, Yamamoto K, Koji T, Ueda H, Mukae H, Nishino T. Hexapeptide derived from prothymosin alpha attenuates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury. Clin Exp Nephrol 2020; 24:411-419. [PMID: 31912273 DOI: 10.1007/s10157-019-01843-1] [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: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is a nuclear protein expressed in virtually all mammalian tissues. Previous studies have shown that ProTα exhibits protective effects against ischemia-induced cell death in various cell types. Recently, the 6-residue peptide P6Q (NEVDQE), the modified form of the active 6-residue core (51-56) in ProTα, has also been shown to have protective effects against retinal ischemia. However, it remains to be elucidated whether P6Q is effective against acute kidney injury (AKI). Therefore, we investigated the renoprotective effect of P6Q on cisplatin-induced AKI. METHODS Cultured HK-2 cells were treated with cisplatin for 24 h and pretreatment with ProTα or P6Q was carried out 30 min before cisplatin treatment. Cell viability was evaluated using the MTT assay. In an in vivo study, 8-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into control, cisplatin treated, and cisplatin treated with P6Q injection groups. In the last of these, P6Q was injected intravenously before cisplatin treatment. Then, we evaluated the renoprotective effect of P6Q. RESULTS In the study on cultured cells, pretreatment with ProTα or P6Q prevented cisplatin-induced cell death. In the in vivo study, pretreatment with P6Q significantly attenuated cisplatin-induced increase in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels, renal tubular cell injury, and apoptosis. Moreover, P6Q attenuated the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and accelerated Akt phosphorylation after cisplatin-induced renal damage. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings indicate that P6Q can attenuate cisplatin-induced AKI and suppress the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway via Akt phosphorylation. These data suggest that P6Q has potential as a preventative drug for cisplatin-induced AKI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Torigoe
- Department of Nephrology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan
| | - Yoko Obata
- Department of Nephrology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.
- Medical Educational Development Center, Nagasaki University Hospital, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.
| | - Miki Torigoe
- Department of Nephrology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan
| | - Satoru Oka
- Department of Nephrology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan
| | - Kazuo Yamamoto
- Biomedical Research Support Center, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Takehiko Koji
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ueda
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Innovation, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mukae
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan
| | - Tomoya Nishino
- Department of Nephrology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Schuler B, Borgia A, Borgia MB, Heidarsson PO, Holmstrom ED, Nettels D, Sottini A. Binding without folding - the biomolecular function of disordered polyelectrolyte complexes. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 60:66-76. [PMID: 31874413 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence shows that oppositely charged intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) can form high-affinity complexes that involve neither the formation of secondary or tertiary structure nor site-specific interactions between individual residues. Similar electrostatically dominated interactions have also been identified for positively charged IDPs binding to nucleic acids. These highly disordered polyelectrolyte complexes constitute an extreme case within the spectrum of biomolecular interactions involving disorder. Such interactions are likely to be widespread, since sequence analysis predicts proteins with highly charged disordered regions to be surprisingly numerous. Here, we summarize the insights that have emerged from the highly disordered polyelectrolyte complexes identified so far, and we highlight recent developments and future challenges in (i) establishing models for the underlying highly dynamic structural ensembles, (ii) understanding the novel binding mechanisms associated with them, and (iii) identifying the functional consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Alessandro Borgia
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Madeleine B Borgia
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Pétur O Heidarsson
- Department of Biochemistry, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 3, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Erik D Holmstrom
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Daniel Nettels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Sottini
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Neira JL, Palomino-Schätzlein M, Ricci C, Ortore MG, Rizzuti B, Iovanna JL. Dynamics of the intrinsically disordered protein NUPR1 in isolation and in its fuzzy complexes with DNA and prothymosin α. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2019; 1867:140252. [PMID: 31325636 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) explore diverse conformations in their free states and, a few of them, also in their molecular complexes. This functional plasticity is essential for the function of IDPs, although their dynamics in both free and bound states is poorly understood. NUPR1 is a protumoral multifunctional IDP, activated during the acute phases of pancreatitis. It interacts with DNA and other IDPs, such as prothymosin α (ProTα), with dissociation constants of ~0.5 μM, and a 1:1 stoichiometry. We studied the structure and picosecond-to-nanosecond (ps-ns) dynamics by using both NMR and SAXS in: (i) isolated NUPR1; (ii) the NUPR1/ProTα complex; and (iii) the NUPR1/double stranded (ds) GGGCGCGCCC complex. Our SAXS findings show that NUPR1 remained disordered when bound to either partner, adopting a worm-like conformation; the fuzziness of bound NUPR1 was also pinpointed by NMR. Residues with the largest values of the relaxation rates (R1, R1ρ, R2 and ηxy), in the free and bound species, were mainly clustered around the 30s region of the sequence, which agree with one of the protein hot-spots already identified by site-directed mutagenesis. Not only residues in this region had larger relaxation rates, but they also moved slower than the rest of the molecule, as indicated by the reduced spectral density approach (RSDA). Upon binding, the energy landscape of NUPR1 was not funneled down to a specific, well-folded conformation, but rather its backbone flexibility was kept, with distinct motions occurring at the hot-spot region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José L Neira
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche (Alicante), Spain; Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Joint Units IQFR-CSIC-BIFI, and GBsC-CSIC-BIFI, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | | | - Caterina Ricci
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ortore
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Bruno Rizzuti
- CNR-NANOTEC, Licryl-UOS Cosenza and CEMIF.Cal, Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 31 C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Juan L Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Severa M, Zhang J, Giacomini E, Rizzo F, Etna MP, Cruciani M, Garaci E, Chopp M, Coccia EM. Thymosins in multiple sclerosis and its experimental models: moving from basic to clinical application. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019; 27:52-60. [PMID: 30317071 PMCID: PMC7104151 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2018.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) afflicts more than 2.5 million individuals worldwide and this number is increasing over time. Within the past years, a great number of disease-modifying treatments have emerged; however, efficacious treatments and a cure for MS await discovery. Thymosins, soluble hormone-like peptides produced by the thymus gland, can mediate immune and non-immune physiological processes and have gained interest in recent years as therapeutics in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. METHODS Pubmed was searched with no time constraints for articles using a combination of the keywords "thymosin/s" or "thymus factor/s" AND "multiple sclerosis", mesh terms with no language restriction. RESULTS Here, we review the state-of-the-art on the effects of thymosins on MS and its experimental models. In particular, we describe what is known in this field on the roles of thymosin-α1 (Tα1) and -β4 (Tβ4) as potential anti-inflammatory as well as neuroprotective and remyelinating molecules and their mechanisms of action. CONCLUSION Based on the data that Tα1 and Tβ4 act as anti-inflammatory molecules and as inducers of myelin repair and neuronal protection, respectively, a possible therapeutic application in MS for Tα1 and Tβ4 alone or combined with other approved drugs may be envisaged. This approach is reasonable in light of the current clinical usage of Tα1 and data demonstrating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of Tβ4 in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Severa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Elena Giacomini
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabiana Rizzo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marilena Paola Etna
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Melania Cruciani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Garaci
- University San Raffaele and IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael Chopp
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA,Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Cappelli K, Capomaccio S, Viglino A, Silvestrelli M, Beccati F, Moscati L, Chiaradia E. Circulating miRNAs as Putative Biomarkers of Exercise Adaptation in Endurance Horses. Front Physiol 2018; 9:429. [PMID: 29740341 PMCID: PMC5928201 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endurance exercise induces metabolic adaptations and has recently been reported associated with the modulation of a particular class of small noncoding RNAs, microRNAs, that act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Released into body fluids, they termed circulating miRNAs, and they have been recognized as more effective and accurate biomarkers than classical serum markers. This study examined serum profile of miRNAs through massive parallel sequencing in response to prolonged endurance exercise in samples obtained from four competitive Arabian horses before and 2 h after the end of competition. MicroRNA identification, differential gene expression (DGE) analysis and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network showing significantly enriched pathways of target gene clusters, were assessed and explored. Our results show modulation of more than 100 miRNAs probably arising from tissues involved in exercise responses and indicating the modulation of correlated processes as muscle remodeling, immune and inflammatory responses. Circulating miRNA high-throughput sequencing is a promising approach for sports medicine for the discovery of putative biomarkers for predicting risks related to prolonged activity and monitoring metabolic adaptations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katia Cappelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Centro di Studio del Cavallo Sportivo, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Stefano Capomaccio
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Centro di Studio del Cavallo Sportivo, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Viglino
- Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Istituto di Zootecnica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Maurizio Silvestrelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Centro di Studio del Cavallo Sportivo, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Beccati
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Centro di Studio del Cavallo Sportivo, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Livia Moscati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Perugia, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Chiaradia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Centro di Studio del Cavallo Sportivo, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Borgia A, Borgia MB, Bugge K, Kissling VM, Heidarsson PO, Fernandes CB, Sottini A, Soranno A, Buholzer KJ, Nettels D, Kragelund BB, Best RB, Schuler B. Extreme disorder in an ultrahigh-affinity protein complex. Nature 2018; 555:61-66. [PMID: 29466338 DOI: 10.1038/nature25762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 440] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Molecular communication in biology is mediated by protein interactions. According to the current paradigm, the specificity and affinity required for these interactions are encoded in the precise complementarity of binding interfaces. Even proteins that are disordered under physiological conditions or that contain large unstructured regions commonly interact with well-structured binding sites on other biomolecules. Here we demonstrate the existence of an unexpected interaction mechanism: the two intrinsically disordered human proteins histone H1 and its nuclear chaperone prothymosin-α associate in a complex with picomolar affinity, but fully retain their structural disorder, long-range flexibility and highly dynamic character. On the basis of closely integrated experiments and molecular simulations, we show that the interaction can be explained by the large opposite net charge of the two proteins, without requiring defined binding sites or interactions between specific individual residues. Proteome-wide sequence analysis suggests that this interaction mechanism may be abundant in eukaryotes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Borgia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Madeleine B Borgia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katrine Bugge
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, The Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science and Integrative Structural Biology at University of Copenhagen (ISBUC), Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Vera M Kissling
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pétur O Heidarsson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Catarina B Fernandes
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, The Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science and Integrative Structural Biology at University of Copenhagen (ISBUC), Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Andrea Sottini
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Soranno
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Karin J Buholzer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Nettels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Birthe B Kragelund
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, The Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science and Integrative Structural Biology at University of Copenhagen (ISBUC), Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, USA
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Physics, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
SummaryProthymosin alpha (PTMA) is a highly acidic, intrinsically disordered protein that was first extracted from rat thymus and characterized as an immunogenic factor but soon detected in a variety of mammalian tissues. The presence of a nuclear localization signal and the adoption of a peculiar random-coil conformation are among the reasons behind its interaction with several molecular partners, hence at this time PTMA is known to be a very conserved and widely expressed molecule, involved in numerous and diverse biological processes. Only few studies have tried to weigh its possible involvement in reproduction, specifically in male gametogenesis: first reports have suggested that PTMA might be associated with the proliferative and early-meiotic phases of mammal spermatogenesis. Some years later, a comparative project on vertebrate spermatogenesis reported the isolation, for the first time, of prothymosin in a non-mammalian species, the amphibian Pelophylax esculentus. PTMA transcript and protein are localized in the germinal compartment, from spermatocytes to spermatozoa. A congruent pattern has been highlighted in studies on the fish Torpedo marmorata and Danio rerio, and in the mammal Rattus norvegicus, in which the expression of PTMA has been found in meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells inside testicular cysts and tubules. Moreover, its presence has been confirmed in rat and human spermatozoa (associated with the acrosome); its retention in the apical region of the head after the acrosome reaction revealed a striking conservation of the pattern during phylogenesis and suggested a possible role for the protein in gametogenesis and in fertilization.
Collapse
|
17
|
Fan Y, Zhang Q, Li H, Cheng Z, Li X, Chen Y, Shen Y, Wang L, Song G, Qian L. Peptidomics Analysis of Transient Regeneration in the Neonatal Mouse Heart. J Cell Biochem 2017; 118:2828-2840. [PMID: 28198139 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal mouse hearts have completely regenerative capability after birth, but the ability to regenerate rapidly lost after 7 days, the mechanism has not been clarified. Previous studies have shown that mRNA profile of adult mouse changed greatly compared to neonatal mouse. So far, there is no research of peptidomics related to heart regeneration. In order to explore the changes of proteins, enzymes, and peptides related to the transient regeneration, we used comparative petidomics technique to compare the endogenous peptides in the mouse heart of postnatal 1 and 7 days. In final, we identified 236 differentially expressed peptides, 169 of which were upregulated and 67 were downregulated in the postnatal 1 day heart, and also predicted 36 functional peptides associated with transient regeneration. The predicted 36 candidate peptides are located in the important domains of precursor proteins and/or contain the post-transcriptional modification (PTM) sites, which are involved in the biological processes of cardiac development, cardiac muscle disease, cell proliferation, necrosis, and apoptosis. In conclusion, for the first time, we compared the peptidomics profiles of neonatal heart between postnatal 1 day and postnatal 7 day. This study provides a new direction and an important basis for the mechanism research of transient regeneration in neonatal heart. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2828-2840, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Fan
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Qijun Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zijie Cheng
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xing Li
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yumei Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yahui Shen
- Departments of Cardiology, Taizhou People's Hospital, Taizhou 225300, China
| | - Liansheng Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Guixian Song
- Departments of Cardiology, Taizhou People's Hospital, Taizhou 225300, China
| | - Lingmei Qian
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Radulovic M, Baqader NO, Stoeber K, Godovac-Zimmermann J. Spatial Cross-Talk between Oxidative Stress and DNA Replication in Human Fibroblasts. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:1907-38. [PMID: 27142241 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
MS-based proteomics has been applied to a differential network analysis of the nuclear-cytoplasmic subcellular distribution of proteins between cell-cycle arrest: (a) at the origin activation checkpoint for DNA replication, or (b) in response to oxidative stress. Significant changes were identified for 401 proteins. Cellular response combines changes in trafficking and in total abundance to vary the local compartmental abundances that are the basis of cellular response. Appreciable changes for both perturbations were observed for 245 proteins, but cross-talk between oxidative stress and DNA replication is dominated by 49 proteins that show strong changes for both. Many nuclear processes are influenced by a spatial switch involving the proteins {KPNA2, KPNB1, PCNA, PTMA, SET} and heme/iron proteins HMOX1 and FTH1. Dynamic spatial distribution data are presented for proteins involved in caveolae, extracellular matrix remodelling, TGFβ signaling, IGF pathways, emerin complexes, mitochondrial protein import complexes, spliceosomes, proteasomes, and so on. The data indicate that for spatially heterogeneous cells cross-compartmental communication is integral to their system biology, that coordinated spatial redistribution for crucial protein networks underlies many functional changes, and that information on dynamic spatial redistribution of proteins is essential to obtain comprehensive pictures of cellular function. We describe how spatial data of the type presented here can provide priorities for further investigation of crucial features of high-level spatial coordination across cells. We suggest that the present data are related to increasing indications that much of subcellular protein transport is constitutive and that perturbation of these constitutive transport processes may be related to cancer and other diseases. A quantitative, spatially resolved nucleus-cytoplasm interaction network is provided for further investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marko Radulovic
- Division of Medicine, University College London, Center for Nephrology , Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom.,Insitute of Oncology and Radiology , Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Noor O Baqader
- Division of Medicine, University College London, Center for Nephrology , Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom
| | - Kai Stoeber
- Research Department of Pathology and UCL Cancer Institute, Rockefeller Building, University College London , University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Jasminka Godovac-Zimmermann
- Division of Medicine, University College London, Center for Nephrology , Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Kumar S, Stokes J, Singh UP, Scissum Gunn K, Acharya A, Manne U, Mishra M. Targeting Hsp70: A possible therapy for cancer. Cancer Lett 2016; 374:156-166. [PMID: 26898980 PMCID: PMC5553548 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In all organisms, heat-shock proteins (HSPs) provide an ancient defense system. These proteins act as molecular chaperones by assisting proper folding and refolding of misfolded proteins and aid in the elimination of old and damaged cells. HSPs include Hsp100, Hsp90, Hsp70, Hsp40, and small HSPs. Through its substrate-binding domains, Hsp70 interacts with wide spectrum of molecules, ranging from unfolded to natively folded and aggregated proteins, and provides cytoprotective role against various cellular stresses. Under pathophysiological conditions, the high expression of Hsp70 allows cells to survive with lethal injuries. Increased Hsp70, by interacting at several points on apoptotic signaling pathways, leads to inhibition of apoptosis. Elevated expression of Hsp70 in cancer cells may be responsible for tumorigenesis and for tumor progression by providing resistance to chemotherapy. In contrast, inhibition or knockdown of Hsp70 reduces the size of tumors and can cause their complete regression. Moreover, extracellular Hsp70 acts as an immunogen that participates in cross presentation of MHC-I molecules. The goals of this review are to examine the roles of Hsp70 in cancer and to present strategies targeting Hsp70 in the development of cancer therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar
- Cancer Biology Research and Training Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, AL 36101, USA
| | - James Stokes
- Cancer Biology Research and Training Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, AL 36101, USA
| | - Udai P Singh
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Karyn Scissum Gunn
- Cancer Biology Research and Training Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, AL 36101, USA
| | - Arbind Acharya
- Centre of Advance Study in Zoology, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India
| | - Upender Manne
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Manoj Mishra
- Cancer Biology Research and Training Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, AL 36101, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Wang LC, Wu CL, Cheng YY, Tsai KJ. Deletion of Nuclear Localizing Signal Attenuates Proinflammatory Activity of Prothymosin-Alpha and Enhances Its Neuroprotective Effect on Transient Ischemic Stroke. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:582-593. [PMID: 26746667 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9671-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Post-ischemic inflammation plays an important role in the progression of ischemia/reperfusion injuries. Prothymosin-α (ProT) can protect cells from necrotic death following ischemia; however, its immunostimulatory actions may counteract the neuroprotective effect. We proposed that ProTΔNLS, synthesized by deleting its nuclear localizing signal (NLS) at the C-terminal of ProT, can attenuate the immunostimulatory activity and has more salient neuroprotective effect. In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of ProT and ProTΔNLS in a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model of rats. Rats that had sustained 90 min of tMCAO were treated with GST-vehicle, ProT, or ProTΔNLS. Therapeutic outcomes were evaluated by infarction volume assay and behavioral assessment. Changes to inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Activated matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) and 9 (MMP-9) levels were evaluated by gelatin zymography. Microglial activation was identified by double-immunostaining for Iba-1 and CD68. Our results showed that while both ProT and ProTΔNLS reduce infarction volume and improve functional outcome, ProTΔNLS provides the best therapeutic outcome. ProT increases TNF-α but decreases IL-10 secretion after ischemic injury, reflecting its pro-inflammatory activity. ProTΔNLS suppresses expression of TNF-α, MPO, and activity of MMPs in ischemic brain tissue. It also suppresses activation of microglia in penumbral cortex. These data demonstrate the immunesuppressive activities of ProTΔNLS. In conclusion, ProT has pro-inflammatory effect that may counteract its neuroprotective effect. Deletion of NLS from ProT may attenuate post-ischemic inflammation and enhance the neuroprotective effects of ProT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Chao Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, 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
| | - Ya-Yun Cheng
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Jer Tsai
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. .,Center of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
SummaryProthymosin α (PTMA) is a highly acidic, intrinsically disordered protein, which is widely expressed and conserved throughout evolution; its uncommon features are reflected by its involvement in a variety of processes, including chromatin remodelling, transcriptional regulation, cell proliferation and death, immunity. PTMA has also been implicated in spermatogenesis: during vertebrate germ cell progression in the testis the protein is expressed in meiotic and post-meiotic stages, and it is associated with the acrosome system of the differentiating spermatids in mammals. Then, it finally localizes on the inner acrosomal membrane of the mature spermatozoa, suggesting its possible role in both the maturation and function of the gametes. In the present work we studied PTMA expression during the spermatogenesis of the adult zebrafish, a species in which two paralogs have been described. Our data show thatptmatranscripts are expressed in the testis, and localize in meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells, namely spermatocytes and spermatids. Consistently, the protein is expressed in spermatocytes, spermatids, and spermatozoa: its initial perinuclear distribution is extended to the chromatin region during cell division and, in haploid phases, to the cytoplasm of the developing and final gametes. The nuclear localization in the acrosome-lacking spermatozoa suggests a role for PTMA in chromatin remodelling during gamete differentiation. These data further provide a compelling starting point for the study of PTMA functions during vertebrate fertilization.
Collapse
|
27
|
Teixeira A, Yen B, Gusella GL, Thomas AG, Mullen MP, Aberg J, Chen X, Hoshida Y, van Bakel H, Schadt E, Basler CF, García-Sastre A, Mosoian A. Prothymosin α variants isolated from CD8+ T cells and cervicovaginal fluid suppress HIV-1 replication through type I interferon induction. J Infect Dis 2015; 211:1467-75. [PMID: 25404520 PMCID: PMC4425839 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble factors from CD8(+) T cells and cervicovaginal mucosa of women are recognized as important in controlling human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and transmission. Previously, we have shown the strong anti-HIV-1 activity of prothymosin α (ProTα) derived from CD8(+) T cells. ProTα is a small acidic protein with wide cell distribution, to which several functions have been ascribed, depending on its intracellular or extracellular localization. To date, activities of ProTα have been attributed to a single protein known as isoform 2. Here we report the isolation and identification of 2 new ProTα variants from CD8(+) T cells and cervicovaginal lavage with potent anti-HIV-1 activity. The first is a splice variant of the ProTα gene, known as isoform CRA_b, and the second is the product of a ProTα gene, thus far classified as a pseudogene 7. Native or recombinant ProTα variants potently restrict HIV-1 replication in macrophages through the induction of type I interferon. The baseline expression of interferon-responsive genes in primary human cervical tissues positively correlate with high levels of intracellular ProTα, and the knockdown of ProTα variants by small interfering RNA leads to downregulation of interferon target genes. Overall, these findings suggest that ProTα variants are innate immune mediators involved in immune surveillance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Harm van Bakel
- Department of Genetics and Genomics Sciences
- Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology
| | - Eric Schadt
- Department of Genetics and Genomics Sciences
- Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology
| | | | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Medicine
- Department of Microbiology
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Su BH, Tseng YL, Shieh GS, Chen YC, Shiang YC, Wu P, Li KJ, Yen TH, Shiau AL, Wu CL. Prothymosin α overexpression contributes to the development of pulmonary emphysema. Nat Commun 2013; 4:1906. [PMID: 23695700 PMCID: PMC3674284 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Emphysema is one of the disease conditions that comprise chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Prothymosin α transgenic mice exhibit an emphysema phenotype, but the pathophysiological role of prothymosin α in emphysema remains unclear. Here we show that prothymosin α contributes to the pathogenesis of emphysema by increasing acetylation of histones and nuclear factor-kappaB, particularly upon cigarette smoke exposure. We find a positive correlation between prothymosin α levels and the severity of emphysema in prothymosin α transgenic mice and emphysema patients. Prothymosin α overexpression increases susceptibility to cigarette smoke-induced emphysema, and cigarette smoke exposure further enhances prothymosin α expression. We show that prothymosin α inhibits the association of histone deacetylases with histones and nuclear factor-kappaB, and that prothymosin α overexpression increases expression of nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9, which are found in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These results demonstrate the clinical relevance of prothymosin α in regulating acetylation events during the pathogenesis of emphysema. Pulmonary emphysema obstruct airflow in the lung and often develop in smokers. Here Su et al. show that prothymosin α contributes to emphysema development through alterations in the acetylation of histones and the transcription factor NF-κB, and that exposure to cigarette smoke increases prothymosin α expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Hua Su
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ferrara D, Pariante P, Di Matteo L, Serino I, Oko R, Minucci S. First evidence of prothymosin alpha localization in the acrosome of mammalian male gametes. J Cell Physiol 2013; 228:1629-37. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
31
|
Ueda H, Matsunaga H, Halder SK. Prothymosin α plays multifunctional cell robustness roles in genomic, epigenetic, and nongenomic mechanisms. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2012; 1269:34-43. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06675.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
|
32
|
Ioannou K, Samara P, Livaniou E, Derhovanessian E, Tsitsilonis OE. Prothymosin alpha: a ubiquitous polypeptide with potential use in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2012; 61:599-614. [PMID: 22366887 PMCID: PMC11029552 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-012-1222-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is a central lymphoid organ with crucial role in generating T cells and maintaining homeostasis of the immune system. More than 30 peptides, initially referred to as "thymic hormones," are produced by this gland. Although the majority of them have not been proven to be thymus-specific, thymic peptides comprise an effective group of regulators, mediating important immune functions. Thymosin fraction five (TFV) was the first thymic extract shown to stimulate lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation. Subsequent fractionation of TFV led to the isolation and characterization of a series of immunoactive peptides/polypeptides, members of the thymosin family. Extensive research on prothymosin α (proTα) and thymosin α1 (Tα1) showed that they are of clinical significance and potential medical use. They may serve as molecular markers for cancer prognosis and/or as therapeutic agents for treating immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases and malignancies. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying their effect are yet not fully elucidated, proTα and Tα1 could be considered as candidates for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we will focus in principle on the eventual clinical utility of proTα, both as a tumor biomarker and in triggering anticancer immune responses. Considering the experience acquired via the use of Tα1 to treat cancer patients, we will also discuss potential approaches for the future introduction of proTα into the clinical setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyriaki Ioannou
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Pinelopi Samara
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia Livaniou
- Immunopeptide Chemistry Lab, Institute of Radioisotopes and Radiodiagnostic Products, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Patriarchou Gregoriou and Neapoleos, Aghia Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Evelyna Derhovanessian
- Tübingen Ageing and Tumour Immunology Group, Center for Medical Research, University of Tübingen Medical School, Waldhörnlestr. 22, 72072 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ourania E. Tsitsilonis
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|