Formulation and evaluation of a folic acid receptor-targeted oral vancomycin liposomal dosage form

PURPOSE

To demonstrate utility of folic acid-coated liposomes for enhancing the delivery of a poorly absorbed glycopeptide, vancomycin. via the oral route.

METHODS

Liposomes prepared as dehydration-rehydration vesicles (DRVs) containing vancomycin were optimized for encapsulation efficiency and stability. A folic acid-poly(ethylene oxide)-cholesterol construct was synthesized for adsorption at DRV surfaces. Liposomes were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and assessed in vitro in the Caco-2 cell model and in vivo in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis of vancomycin was conducted after intravenous and oral administration of solution or liposome-encapsulated vancomycin with or without 0.05 mole ratio FA-PEO-Chol adsorbed at liposome surfaces.

RESULTS

Optimal loading of vancomycin (32%) was achieved in DRVs of DSPC:Chol:DCP, 3:1:0.25 mole ratio (m.r.) after liposome extrusion. Liposomes released less than 40% of the entrapped drug after 2 hours incubation in simulated gastrointestinal (GI) fluid and simulated intestinal fluid containing a 10 mM bile salt cocktail. Incorporation of FA-PEO-Chol in liposomes increased drug leakage by 20% but resulted in a 5.7-fold increase in Caco-2 cell uptake of vancomycin. Liposomal delivery significantly increased the area under the curve of oral vancomycin resulting in a mean 3.9-fold and 12.5-fold increase in relative bioavailability for uncoated and FA-PEO-Chol-coated liposomes, respectively, compared with an oral solution.

CONCLUSIONS

The design of FA-PEO-Chol-coated liposomes resulted in a dramatic increase in the oral delivery of a moderate-size glycopeptide in the rat compared with uncoated liposomes or oral solution. It is speculated that the cause of the observed effect was due to binding of liposome-surface folic acid to receptors in the GI tract with subsequent receptor-mediated endocytosis of entrapped vancomycin by enterocytes.

Exogenous expression of the amino-terminal half of the tight junction protein ZO-3 perturbs junctional complex assembly

The functional characteristics of the tight junction protein ZO-3 were explored through exogenous expression of mutant protein constructs in MDCK cells. Expression of the amino-terminal, PSD95/dlg/ZO-1 domain-containing half of the molecule (NZO-3) delayed the assembly of both tight and adherens junctions induced by calcium switch treatment or brief exposure to the actin-disrupting drug cytochalasin D. Junction formation was monitored by transepithelial resistance measurements and localization of junction-specific proteins by immunofluorescence. The tight junction components ZO-1, ZO-2, endogenous ZO-3, and occludin were mislocalized during the early stages of tight junction assembly. Similarly, the adherens junction proteins E-cadherin and beta-catenin were also delayed in their recruitment to the cell membrane, and NZO-3 expression had striking effects on actin cytoskeleton dynamics. NZO-3 expression did not alter expression levels of ZO-1, ZO-2, endogenous ZO-3, occludin, or E-cadherin; however, the amount of Triton X-100-soluble, signaling-active beta-catenin was increased in NZO-3-expressing cells during junction assembly. In vitro binding experiments showed that ZO-1 and actin preferentially bind to NZO-3, whereas both NZO-3 and the carboxy-terminal half of the molecule (CZO-3) contain binding sites for occludin and cingulin. We hypothesize that NZO-3 exerts its dominant-negative effects via a mechanism involving the actin cytoskeleton, ZO-1, and/or beta-catenin.

Protein interactions at the tight junction. Actin has multiple binding partners, and ZO-1 forms independent complexes with ZO-2 and ZO-3

Defining how the molecular constituents of the tight junction interact is a prerequisite to understanding tight junction physiology. We utilized in vitro binding assays with purified recombinant proteins and immunoprecipitation analyses to define interactions between ZO-1, ZO-2, ZO-3, occludin, and the actin cytoskeleton. Actin cosedimentation studies showed that ZO-2, ZO-3, and occludin all interact directly with F-actin in vitro, indicating that actin is engaged in multiple interactions at the tight junction. Low speed sedimentation analyses demonstrated that neither ZO-2, ZO-3, nor occludin act as F-actin cross-linking proteins, and further evidence indicates that these proteins do not bind to actin filament ends. The binding interactions of ZO-2, ZO-3, and occludin were corroborated in vivo by immunofluorescence colocalization experiments which showed that all three proteins colocalized with actin aggregates at cell borders in cytochalasin D-treated Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Exploration of other tight junction protein interactions demonstrated that ZO-2 binds directly to both ZO-1 and occludin. Contrary to previous beliefs, our immunoprecipitation results indicate that ZO-1, ZO-2, and ZO-3 exist in situ primarily as independent ZO-1.ZO-2 and ZO-1.ZO-3 complexes rather than a trimeric ZO-1.ZO-2.ZO-3 grouping. These studies elucidate direct binding interactions among tight junction-associated proteins, giving insight into their organization as a multimolecular structure.

Folic acid-PEO-labeled liposomes to improve gastrointestinal absorption of encapsulated agents

The design of targeted oral liposomes is anticipated to improve the systemic delivery of poorly absorbed agents, such as proteins and peptides. A poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-folic acid (FA) derivative was prepared and evaluated for improving liposome transport across a model gastrointestinal cell line (Caco-2). FA-PEO-cholesterol (Chol) derivatives were synthesized and adsorbed at liposome surfaces encapsulating Texas Red((R))-Dextran 3000 (TR-dex), a poorly-absorbed, neutral, hydrophilic, large molecular weight (M(w)) marker. Apparent permeabilities (P(app)) of Caco-2 cells to FA-PEO conjugates, TR-dex, uncoated TR-dex liposomes, and FA-coated TR-dex liposomes were compared at 2 h post-administration. Intracellular delivery of TR-dex was detected by fluorescence microscopy. An increase in intracellular accumulation of TR-dex associated with FA-PEO-coated liposomes, but not other formulations, was evidence of the potential of FA-targeted liposomes in the oral delivery of poorly absorbed, large M(w) agents.

The tight junction: morphology to molecules

The tight junction forms a regulated barrier in the paracellular pathway between epithelial and endothelial cells. This intercellular junction also demarcates the compositionally distinct apical and basolateral membranes. While the existence of a paracellular barrier in epithelia was hypothesized by physiologists over a century ago, the molecular characterization of the tight junction is a relatively new and rapidly expanding area of research. It is now recognized that the tight junction is comprised of at least nine peripheral and one integral membrane proteins. This complex includes members of a protein family related to tumor suppression and signal transduction, a rab protein, and a Ras target protein. The characteristics of, interactions between, and potential physiological roles of these proteins at the tight junction are discussed.

ZO-3, a novel member of the MAGUK protein family found at the tight junction, interacts with ZO-1 and occludin

A 130-kD protein that coimmunoprecipitates with the tight junction protein ZO-1 was bulk purified from Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and subjected to partial endopeptidase digestion and amino acid sequencing. A resulting 19-amino acid sequence provided the basis for screening canine cDNA libraries. Five overlapping clones contained a single open reading frame of 2,694 bp coding for a protein of 898 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 98,414 daltons. Sequence analysis showed that this protein contains three PSD-95/SAP90, discs-large, ZO-1 (PDZ) domains, a src homology (SH3) domain, and a region similar to guanylate kinase, making it homologous to ZO-1, ZO-2, the discs large tumor suppressor gene product of Drosophila, and other members of the MAGUK family of proteins. Like ZO-1 and ZO-2, the novel protein contains a COOH-terminal acidic domain and a basic region between the first and second PDZ domains. Unlike ZO-1 and ZO-2, this protein displays a proline-rich region between PDZ2 and PDZ3 and apparently contains no alternatively spliced domain. MDCK cells stably transfected with an epitope-tagged construct expressed the exogenous polypeptide at an apparent molecular mass of approximately 130 kD. Moreover, this protein colocalized with ZO-1 at tight junctions by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. In vitro affinity analyses demonstrated that recombinant 130-kD protein directly interacts with ZO-1 and the cytoplasmic domain of occludin, but not with ZO-2. We propose that this protein be named ZO-3.

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation influences adhesive junction assembly and follicular organization of cultured thyroid epithelial cells

The follicular histoarchitecture of the thyroid forms the anatomical basis for thyroid physiology and is commonly disturbed in diseases of the thyroid. We have used cultured porcine thyroid cells to study thyroid epithelial morphogenesis and its regulation. When cultured in the presence of TSH, freshly isolated thyroid cells reorganize to form follicles within three-dimensional cell aggregates. However, when established follicles are washed into TSH-free medium, thyroid cells spread and migrate to convert follicles into confluent epithelioid monolayers, activating morphogenetic mechanisms, such as cell locomotility, that may be relevant to thyroid inflammation and tumor invasiveness. The phenomenon of follicle to monolayer conversion, therefore, provides an opportunity to identify morphogenetic mechanisms that 1) must be tonically inhibited to maintain follicular organization and 2) may contribute to pathogenetic disturbances of follicular architecture when functioning aberrantly. In this study we found that follicle to monolayer conversion is associated with an increase in cellular phosphotyrosine. This was particularly evident at nascent focal adhesions (cell-substrate adhesive junctions) and later at cell-cell junctions. Focal adhesion assembly was accompanied by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, with the appearance of prominent stress fibers. Genistein, a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, inhibited the accumulation of phosphotyrosine, focal adhesion assembly, and follicle to monolayer conversion. We conclude that tyrosine phosphorylation exerts an important influence on thyroid epithelial organization in culture, at least partly mediated through regulation of focal adhesion assembly.

Different size limitations for increased transepithelial paracellular solute flux across phorbol ester and tumor necrosis factor-treated epithelial cell sheets

By observing increases in the transepithelial paracellular permeability of a range of radiolabeled solutes and electron dense dyes, changes in molecular sieving caused by the cytokine, TNF (tumor necrosis factor), and the phorbol ester, TPA (12-0-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate), were characterized. Using 14C-labeled mannitol (mw 182), raffinose (mw 504), PEG (polyethylene glycol; mw 4000), and dextran (mw 10,000, 70,000 and 2,000,000), the transepithelial flux rates of these compounds were determined at the peak of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) changes caused by these two agents. TNF treatment resulted in increased permeability across LLC-PK1 epithelial cell sheets only to relatively small solutes, with an upper limit of approximately 4,000 mw. The low molecular weight "ceiling" for the TNF-treated epithelium is further evidence against TNF increasing transepithelial permeability by means of inducing nonspecific, microscopic "holes" in the epithelium, for which a "ceiling" would not exist. TPA treatment increases transepithelial paracellular permeability to a much broader range of solutes, extending well beyond 2 million mw. Transmission electron micrographs provide evidence that even the electron-dense dye complex, ruthenium red, can cross tight junctions of TPA-treated cell sheets. However, cationic ferritin cannot cross tight junctions of TPA-treated cell sheets. This shows that there is an upper limit to solutes able to cross TPA-treated cell sheets, but that this upper limit will include most proteins, which would then be able to cross tumor promoter-exposed (protein kinase C-activated) epithelial layers at accelerated rates. The biomedical implications for a high molecular weight cutoff in tumor promoter action in epithelial carcinogenesis, and for a low molecular weight cutoff in cytokine-induced epithelial apoptosis in inflammation, are discussed.

Different size limitations for increased transepithelial paracellular solute flux across phorbol ester and tumor necrosis factor-treated epithelial cell sheets

By observing increases in the transepithelial paracellular permeability of a range of radiolabeled solutes and electron dense dyes, changes in molecular sieving caused by the cytokine, TNF (tumor necrosis factor), and the phorbol ester, TPA (12-0-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate), were characterized. Using 14C-labeled mannitol (mw 182), raffinose (mw 504), PEG (polyethylene glycol; mw 4000), and dextran (mw 10,000, 70,000 and 2,000,000), the transepithelial flux rates of these compounds were determined at the peak of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) changes caused by these two agents. TNF treatment resulted in increased permeability across LLC-PK1 epithelial cell sheets only to relatively small solutes, with an upper limit of approximately 4,000 mw. The low molecular weight "ceiling" for the TNF-treated epithelium is further evidence against TNF increasing transepithelial permeability by means of inducing nonspecific, microscopic "holes" in the epithelium, for which a "ceiling" would not exist. TPA treatment increases transepithelial paracellular permeability to a much broader range of solutes, extending well beyond 2 million mw. Transmission electron micrographs provide evidence that even the electron-dense dye complex, ruthenium red, can cross tight junctions of TPA-treated cell sheets. However, cationic ferritin cannot cross tight junctions of TPA-treated cell sheets. This shows that there is an upper limit to solutes able to cross TPA-treated cell sheets, but that this upper limit will include most proteins, which would then be able to cross tumor promoter-exposed (protein kinase C-activated) epithelial layers at accelerated rates. The biomedical implications for a high molecular weight cutoff in tumor promoter action in epithelial carcinogenesis, and for a low molecular weight cutoff in cytokine-induced epithelial apoptosis in inflammation, are discussed.

The tight junction protein ZO-2 contains three PDZ (PSD-95/Discs-Large/ZO-1) domains and an alternatively spliced region

The complete cDNA sequence for canine ZO-2, a tight junction-specific protein, is presented. A single open reading frame encodes a polypeptide of 1,174 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 132,085 daltons. As noted previously (), ZO-2 is a member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase-containing (MAGUK) protein family, a family which includes an additional tight junction-associated protein, ZO-1. These proteins contain a region homologous to guanylate kinase, an SH3 domain, and variable numbers of PSD-95/discs-large/ZO-1 (PDZ) domains, shown to be involved in protein-protein interactions. ZO-2 and ZO-1 contain three PDZ domains in the N-terminal half of the molecule. Between the first and second PDZ domains, ZO-2 displays a basic region (pI = 10.27) containing 22% arginine residues. Both ZO-1 and ZO-2 have proline-rich C-terminal regions that are not homologous to other MAGUK family members. Sequence analysis of multiple ZO-2 cDNAs reveals a 36-amino acid domain in this C-terminal region present in only some of the cDNAs. Overall, ZO-2 is highly homologous to ZO-1, showing 51% amino acid identity; however, the C-terminal ends of the molecules show only 25% amino acid identity. This suggests that the C-terminal ends of ZO-1 and ZO-2 have different functions.

Increased permeability occurs in rat ileum following induction of pan-colitis

Acetic acid-induced pan colitis in rats leads not only to colonic injury but also to a bystander ileal injury, characterized by decreased fluid and electrolyte absorption without associated histological injury or infiltration of inflammatory cells. To examine the nature of this decreased ileal fluid and electrolyte absorption, we measured effect of acetic acid-induced pancolitis on ileal transmural sodium and chloride transport, as well as on ileal permeability to mannitol and inulin on mucosal sheets mounted in Ussing chambers. In addition, ileal tight junctional morphology was assessed by electron microscopy. In colitic animals, ileal serosal-to-mucosal sodium and chloride transmural fluxes were increased (P<0.05); compatible with the observed decrease in net fluid absorption. Mannitol and inulin ileal serosal-to-mucosal and mucosal-to-serosal ileal fluxes were similarly increased (P<0.05), suggesting that an increase in ileal permeability occurred during acetic acid-induced pancolitis. This increase in ileal permeability was not accompanied by changes in tight junctional ultrastructure. These results suggest that: (1) the decrease in ileal fluid and electrolyte absorption seen during acetic acid-induced rat pancolitis occurred in parallel with a rise in both transcellular and paracellular permeability, and (2) the ileal permeability changes were not accompanied by structural changes.

Cadherin-mediated adhesion and apical membrane assembly define distinct steps during thyroid epithelial polarization and lumen formation

The biogenesis of follicles from aggregates of precursor cells is an important morphogenetic process in thyroid embryology. It necessitates the creation of a polarized cell phenotype, assembly of specialized cell-cell junctions, and generation of follicular lumena. In this study we sought to investigate the relationship between cell polarization and lumen formation by studying the cell surface events that occurred when freshly isolated adult porcine thyroid cells reorganized to form follicles in primary culture. Follicular reorganization entailed the initial formation of solid three-dimensional cell aggregates and the subsequent appearance of lumena within aggregates. During the initial stage of cell aggregation, the adhesion molecule, E-cadherin, became expressed at all surfaces involved in cell-cell contact. Aggregation was inhibited by monoclonal antibodies that block cadherin function, indicating directly that E-cadherin is a dominant initial cell-cell adhesion molecule. Cell aggregation was also associated with the recruitment to the cell surface of ZO-1, a tight junction-associated protein, and Na+/K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase. These proteins were initially found throughout regions of cell-cell contact and only subsequently redistributed to their mature locations in tight junctions and the basolateral cell surface, respectively. In contrast, components associated with the apical membrane were first detected within large intracellular vacuoles, which subsequently fused with the cell surface between maturing tight junctions to yield the apical membrane domain and nascent follicular lumena. Follicle formation occurred independently of basal lamina assembly and TSH, although maintenance of follicular architecture required the presence of this hormone. These findings indicate that cultured follicles form in two distinct stages: 1) initial aggregation mediated by E-cadherin and associated with recruitment of components of both tight junctions and the basolateral membrane domain, and 2) subsequent formation of a specialized apical membrane domain by coordinated fusion of intracellular vacuoles at sites of the cell surface where tight junctions are maturing. We propose that follicular morphogenesis may arise as a consequence of epithelial cell polarization within coherent three-dimensional cell aggregates.

Microtubule integrity is necessary for the epithelial barrier function of cultured thyroid cell monolayers

Vectorial transport in the thyroid epithelium requires an efficient barrier against passive paracellular flux, a role which is principally performed by the tight junction (zonula occludens). There is increasing evidence that tight junction integrity is determined by integral and peripheral membrane proteins which interact with the cell cytoskeleton. Although the contribution of the actin cytoskeleton to tight junction physiology has been intensively studied, less is known about possible interactions with microtubules. In the present study we used electrophysiological and immunohistochemical approaches to investigate the contribution of microtubules to the paracellular barrier in cultured thyroid cell monolayers which displayed a high transepithelial electrical resistance (6000-9000 ohm.cm2). Colchicine (1 microM) caused a progressive fall in electrical resistance to < 10% of baseline after 6 h and depolarization of the transepithelial electrical potential difference consistent with a significant increase in paracellular permeability. The effect of colchicine on TER was not affected by agents which inhibit the major apical conductances of thyroid cells but was reversed upon removal of the drug. Immunofluorescent staining for tubulin combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that thyroid cells possessed a dense microtubule network extending throughout the cytoplasm which was destroyed by colchicine. Colchicine also produced changes in the localization of the tight junction-associated protein, ZO-1: its normally continuous junctional distribution was disrupted by striking discontinuities and the appearance of many fine strands which extended into the cytoplasm. A similar disruption in E-cadherin staining was also observed, but colchicine did not affect the distribution of vinculin associated with adherens junctions nor the integrity of the perijunctional actin ring. We conclude that microtubules are necessary for the functional and structural integrity of tight junctions in this electrically tight, transporting epithelium.

Vinculin localization and actin stress fibers differ in thyroid cells organized as monolayers or follicles

In epithelial cells interactions between the actin cytoskeleton and cell-cell junctions regulate paracellular permeability and participate in morphogenesis. We have studied the relationship between supracellular morphology and actin-junction interactions using primary cultures of porcine thyroid cells grown either as three-dimensional follicles or as open monolayers. Regardless of morphology, thyroid cells assembled occluding and adhesive junctions containing ZO-1 and E-cadherin, respectively, and showed F-actin staining in apical microvilli and a perijunctional ring. In monolayers, actin stress fibers were also observed in the apical and basal poles of cells, where they terminated in the vinculin-rich zonula adherens and in cell-substrate focal adhesions, respectively. Surprisingly, we were unable to detect vinculin localization in follicular cells, which also did not form stress fibers. Immunoblotting confirmed significantly greater vinculin in triton-insoluble fractions from monolayer cells compared with follicular cells. Incubation of monolayers with 8 chloro(phenylthio)-cyclic AMP decreased the level of immunodetectable vinculin in the zonula adherens, indicating that junctional incorporation of vinculin was regulated by cyclic AMP. In monolayer cultures, cytochalasin D (1 microM) cause actin filaments to aggregate associated with retraction of cells from one another and the disruption of cell junctions. Despite morphologically similar perturbations of actin organization in follicular cultures treated with cytochalasin D, junctional staining of ZO-1 and E-cadherin was preserved and cells remained adherent to one another. We conclude that in cultured thyroid cells structural and functional associations between actin filaments and cellular junctions differ depending upon the supracellular morphology in which cells are grown. One important underlying mechanism appears to be regulation of vinculin incorporation into adhesive junctions by cyclic AMP.

Molecular environment of ZO-1 in epithelial and non-epithelial cells

We previously reported the expression of ZO-1 in cell types that do not form tight junctions. Here we compare the molecular environments of ZO-1 in epithelial cells, primary cultures of astrocytes and in the non-epithelial S180 sarcoma cell line. ZO-1 co-localizes with a subset of actin filaments in all cell types. In astrocytes, ZO-1 is found concentrated in discrete bands at points of cell-cell contact. Indirect immunofluorescent microscopy shows that these bands of ZO-1 co-localize with the adherens junction proteins vinculin and alpha-actinin, and with the antigen recognized by a pan-cadherin antibody. In contrast, ZO-1 in S180 cells, which exhibit limited cell-cell interactions, is diffusely distributed over the plasma membrane, with concentrations in lamellipodia where actin filaments accumulate. ZO-1 does not co-localize with vinculin at focal adhesions in this cell type. Analysis of ZO-1 immunoprecipitation profiles from different cell types, performed under conditions previously demonstrated to maintain interactions between ZO-1, ZO-2 and p130 from the MDCK epithelial cell line, show that the proteins which co-precipitate with ZO-1 vary with cell type. Precipitation of polypeptides at 165 kDa, potentially ZO-2, and 65 kDa occurs in both a mouse kidney tubule epithelial cell line and the non-epithelial S180 cells. No proteins specifically associate with ZO-1 immunoprecipitated from astrocytes. Spectrin, alpha-actinin, vinculin and cadherin are not detected in immunoblots of ZO-1 immunoprecipitates from any cell type.

Thyroid epithelial morphogenesis in vitro: a role for bumetanide-sensitive Cl- secretion during follicular lumen development

The structural and functional unit of the thyroid gland is the follicle, consisting of a closed lumen surrounded by a single layer of polarized epithelial cells. In this paper we have attempted to characterize the process of lumenal development when primary cultures of porcine thyroid cells reorganized to form follicles. Cells incubated with the loop diuretic, bumetanide, an inhibitor of NaK2Cl cotransport, aggregated but failed to form normal follicles. Laser scanning confocal microscopy combined with immunohistochemical markers of thyroid cell-surface proteins demonstrated that in the presence of bumetanide cells polarized and assembled ZO-1-containing tight junctions separating their apical and basolateral membrane domains. Cultures formed small lumena but their subsequent growth was inhibited by bumetanide. Electrophysiological studies confirmed that bumetanide-sensitive Cl- transport was the major contributor to the transepithelial electrical potential difference across the follicular wall after 48 h incubation. Other potential mechanisms did not contribute significantly to follicular lumenal growth. In particular, bumetanide did not affect cell proliferation and, in contrast to tissue follicles, thyroglobulin could not be detected within the lumena of cultured follicles. We conclude that thyroid follicular reorganization involves two distinct and separate phases of lumenal development: initial lumen formation which probably reflects the assembly of a specialized apical membrane domain; and subsequent lumenal growth which is mediated by the inward transport of Cl- by polarized epithelial cells.

Relationship of serine/threonine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation signaling to glucocorticoid regulation of tight junction permeability and ZO-1 distribution in nontransformed mammary epithelial cells

The synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone regulates tight junction permeability resulting in an increased transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) of cultured 31EG4 mammary epithelial cells. Inhibition of cellular type 1 and type 2A protein phosphatase activity by okadaic acid reduced the TER of dexamethasone-treated monolayers of 31EG4 cells to basal levels within 24 h. Coincident with the increase in tight junction permeability, immunofluorescence revealed that okadaic acid caused a partial cellular redistribution of the ZO-1 tight junction-associated protein. The potent glucocorticoid antagonist RU486 had no effect on TER or ZO-1 distribution, indicating that the effects of okadaic acid are not a result of disrupting glucocorticoid receptor function. Immunoprecipitation of 32P-labeled cells and V8 protease peptide mapping demonstrated that dexamethasone did not alter ZO-1 phosphorylation. However, consistent with the changes in TER, dexamethasone induced a 2.3-fold stimulation in ZO-1 protein levels which was reduced to 73% of basal levels by okadaic acid. No effects on ZO-1 transcript levels were observed. Monolayers grown in the presence of glucocorticoids had only 28% less junction density and 16.5% more linear junction/cell, which cannot account for the observed increases of TER and ZO-1 protein levels. Taken together, our results have shown that a disruption of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation activity overrides the glucocorticoid regulation of tight junction permeability in 31EG4 mammary cells.

Concentration-dependent effects of cytochalasin D on tight junctions and actin filaments in MDCK epithelial cells

The effects of different concentrations of the actin-disrupting drug cytochalasin D on tight junction permeability and distribution of actin filaments in MDCK epithelial cells were examined. Consistent with previous studies, 2 micrograms/ml cytochalasin D caused a significant decrease in transepithelial resistance, indicative of an increase in tight junction permeability. Surprisingly, increasing concentrations of cytochalasin D caused progressively smaller decreases in transepithelial resistance. The effects of cytochalasin D were reversible. Light microscopic analysis utilizing rhodamine-conjugated phalloidin demonstrated two distinct populations of actin filaments in MDCK cells: an apical peripheral ring of actin, presumably associated with the zonula adherens, and larger actin bundles more basally situated. When treated with 2 micrograms/ml cytochalasin D, both actin populations were severely disrupted and cells became flattened. Actin in the apical ring aggregated along cell boundaries, and these aggregates co-localized with similarly disrupted focal accumulations of the tight junction-associated protein ZO-1. The basal actin filament bundles also reorganized into focal aggregates. Increasing concentrations of cytochalasin D caused gradually less perturbation of the apical actin ring, consistent with the transepithelial resistance observations. However, the basal actin bundles were disrupted at all concentrations of cytochalasin D tested, demonstrating that the two actin populations are differentially sensitive to cytochalasin D and that apical actin filaments are more important in the regulation of tight junction permeability. Finally, treatment of cells with cytochalasin D inhibited the decrease in transepithelial resistance induced by the chelation of extracellular Ca2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Quantitative immunoblot detection of rare proteins in whole cell extracts using biotin-strepavidin reagents

A novel immunoblotting method designed for quantitative detection of low copy-number proteins in crude cell extracts is presented. This technique can be used with either mono- or poly-clonal antibodies and utilizes the sensitivity and amplification of the high affinity interaction between biotin and strepavidin. Radioactive iodination of the strepavidin moiety allows for rapid and accurate quantification of proteins bound to nitrocellulose. This biotin/125I-strepavidin technique is highly reproducible and can detect as little as 1 ng of protein. In addition, use of biotinylated secondary antibodies directed against a specific type of primary antibody avoids the problem of low affinity recognition of immunoglobulins from certain species by protein A. Finally, the methodology is simple and convenient, and secondary and tertiary reagents are commercially available. The application of this technique is illustrated in the determination of relative quantities of the tight junction-associated protein ZO-1, present in very small amounts in epithelial cells. This same technique can also be used for the quantitative analysis of relatively more abundant cellular constituents or purified protein.

Distribution of the tight junction-associated protein ZO-1 in circumventricular organs of the CNS

The immunofluorescent distribution of ZO-1, a tight junction-associated protein, was studied in murine circumventricular organs. These regions generally express a less restrictive blood-brain barrier than is found in other areas of the CNS. In the remaining brain parenchyma, where a characteristic blood-brain barrier exists, ZO-1 was localized in discrete, continuous lines along blood vessels, presumably in association with endothelial cell tight junctions. The ependymal cells in the ventricular walls displayed a more punctate pattern of ZO-1 distribution, indicative of discontinuous tight junctions. In two of the circumventricular organs examined, the median eminence and the subfornical organ, many capillaries lacked detectable ZO-1 immunoreactivity while the apical aspects of the specialized ependymal cells (tanycytes) revealed an unbroken ZO-1 distribution. Scant labelling of ZO-1 in blood vessels was found in the area postrema, and only weak and discontinuous ZO-1 labelling was present in the ventricular wall. Capillaries of the organum vasculosum laminae terminalis expressed ZO-1 immunoreactivity which was comparable to the pattern observed in CNS regions with typical blood-brain barrier. The subcommissural organ, known to contain a blood-brain barrier, also displayed continuous ZO-1 staining in blood vessels. Unbroken ZO-1 distribution was observed in the specialized ependymal cells adjacent to both the organum vasculosum laminae terminalis and subcommissural organ. These immunocytochemical data demonstrate a distribution of ZO-1 in CNS parenchyma outside the circumventricular organs that is consistent with an organization of tight junctions which prevent free paracellular exchange of substances between blood and neuropil but which allow for continuity between CSF and the neuronal environment. The ZO-1 staining pattern in blood vessels and ventricular walls of the circumventricular organs is heterogeneous despite the prevalent absence of a functional blood-brain barrier.

Analysis of the distribution and phosphorylation state of ZO-1 in MDCK and nonepithelial cells

We have examined the distribution and extent of phosphorylation of the tight junction-associated protein ZO-1 in the epithelial MDCK cell line, and in three cell types that do not form tight junctions: S180 (sarcoma) cells, S180 cells transfected with E-cadherin (S180L), and primary cultures of astrocytes. In short-term calcium chelation experiments on MDCK cells, removal of extracellular calcium caused cells to pull apart. However, ZO-1 remained concentrated at the plasma membrane and no change in ZO-1 phosphorylation was observed. Maintenance of MDCK cells in low calcium medium, conditions where no tight junctions are found, resulted in altered ZO-1 distribution and lower total phosphorylation of the protein. In S180 cells, ZO-1 was diffusely distributed along the entire cell surface, with concentration of the antigen in motile regions of the cell. Cell-cell contact was not a prerequisite for ZO-1 localization at the plasma membrane in this cell type, and the phosphate content of ZO-1 was found to be lower in S180 cells relative to MDCK cells. Expression of E-cadherin in S180L cells did not alter either the distribution or phosphorylation of ZO-1. In contrast to S180 cells, ZO-1 in primary cultures of astrocytes was concentrated at sites of cell-cell contact, and the phosphorylation state was the same as that in control MDCK cells. Comparison of one-dimensional proteolytic digests of 32P-labeled ZO-1 revealed the phosphorylation of two peptides in control MDCK cells that was absent in both MDCK cells grown in low calcium and in S180 cells.

Detection of the tight junction-associated protein ZO-1 in astrocytes and other nonepithelial cell types

ZO-1 is a high molecular mass phosphoprotein peripherally associated with the cytoplasmic surface of tight junctions in epithelial and endothelial cells. We report here that ZO-1 is also present in several nonepithelial cell types in vitro that are not believed to form tight junctions, including primary cultures of astrocytes, Schwann cells, and dermal fibroblasts and the C6 glioma, S-180 (sarcoma), and P3 myeloma cell lines. Immunoblots of cell extracts probed with a ZO-1-specific monoclonal antibody reveal a single band that comigrates with ZO-1 from rodent epithelial cells at 225 kDa. In addition, these cells contain a single mRNA species of identical size to that previously reported for ZO-1 in epithelial tissues, as determined by Northern blots probed with a partial ZO-1 cDNA. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrates diverse ZO-1 distributions in these cells. In astrocytes, identified by the presence of glial fibrillary acidic protein, ZO-1 is localized at discrete sites of cell-cell contact as well as within the cell cytoplasm. In contrast, S-180 cells display diffuse staining at the cell periphery and within the cytoplasm. Dermal fibroblasts show no staining above background, although ZO-1 was detected on immunoblots of fibroblast cell extracts. Immunofluorescence staining of frozen sections of mouse brain demonstrates no detectable ZO-1 immunoreactivity outside blood vessels where endothelial cell tight junctions of the blood-brain barrier are located. These studies suggest that, although ZO-1 is found to be associated with the tight junction, it has a broader distribution than previously recognized.

Phosphorylation of the tight-junction protein ZO-1 in two strains of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells which differ in transepithelial resistance

A comparison was made of the phosphate content of the tight-junction-specific protein ZO-1 in two strains of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells which differ in transepithelial resistance, a parameter reflective of tight-junctional permeability. Analysis revealed that the ZO-1 from the low-resistance strain contained approximately twice as much phosphate as that from the high-resistance strain.

ZO-1 and cingulin: tight junction proteins with distinct identities and localizations

The relative localization of ZO-1 and cingulin, the only two known components of the tight junction, was compared in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, chicken small intestine, rat kidney distal convoluted tubule, and a hepatoma cell line. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that cingulin and ZO-1 are immunologically unrelated and that, in the colon, cingulin is a single polypeptide with a molecular mass of 140 kDa. Immunofluorescent localization of cingulin and ZO-1 in confluent monolayers of MDCK cells showed identical staining patterns. However, subconfluent MDCK cells showed distinct localizations of the two proteins. Both cingulin and ZO-1 were found at the plasma membrane only at areas of cell-cell contact, but cingulin was diffusely distributed within the cytoplasm, whereas ZO-1 showed a more clustered internal arrangement. Cingulin and ZO-1 were identically localized at the plasma membrane of hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells at sites of cell-cell contact. In chicken intestine examined at the ultrastructural level, immunogold particles associated with cingulin were found approximately three times farther from the junctional membrane than those affiliated with ZO-1.

ZO-1 mRNA and protein expression during tight junction assembly in Caco-2 cells

We previously identified and characterized ZO-1 as a peripheral membrane protein specifically associated with the cytoplasmic surface of tight junctions. Here we describe the identification of partial cDNA sequences encoding rat and human ZO-1 and their use to study the assembly of tight junctions in the Caco-2 human intestinal epithelial cell line. A rat cDNA was isolated from a lambda-gtll expression library by screening with mAbs. Polyclonal antibodies were raised to cDNA-encoded fusion protein; several properties of these antibodies support this cDNA as encoding ZO-1. Expression of ZO-1 mRNA occurs in the rat and Caco-2 cells with a major transcript of approximately 7.5 kb. To disrupt tight junctions and study the subsequent process of assembly, Caco-2 cells were grown in suspension for 48 h in Ca++/Mg++-free spinner medium during which time they lose cell-cell contacts, become round, and by immunofluorescence microscopy show diffuse and speckled localization of ZO-1. Within hours of replating at confluent density in Ca++/Mg++-containing media, attached cells show discrete localization of ZO-1 at cell-cell contacts. Within 2 d, fully confluent monolayers form, and ZO-1 localizes in a continuous gasket-like fashion circumscribing all cells. ZO-1 mRNA levels are highest in cells in spinner culture, and upon replating rapidly fall and plateau at approximately 10% of initial levels after 2-3 wk in culture. ZO-1 protein levels are lowest in contact-free cells and rise five- to eightfold over the same period. In contrast, mRNA levels for sucrase-isomaltase, an apical membrane hydrolase, increase only after a confluent monolayer forms. Thus, in this model of contact-dependent assembly of the tight junction, there is both a rapid assembly beginning upon cell-cell contact, as well as a long-term modulation involving changes in expression of ZO-1 mRNA and protein levels.

Hepatic immunohistochemical localization of the tight junction protein ZO-1 in rat models of cholestasis

Structural alterations in hepatocyte tight junctions accompanying cholestasis were investigated using immunolocalization of ZO-1, the first known protein component of the tight junction. Disruption in the paracellular barrier function of the tight junction has been proposed to allow reflux of bile into the blood. Cholestasis was induced in 210 to 235 g male Sprague-Dawley rats either by five consecutive daily subcutaneous injections of 17-alpha-ethinyl estradiol (0.5 mg/kg/d in propylene glycol) or ligation of the common bile duct for 72 hours. The structural organization of the tight junction was assessed in each model by indirect immunofluorescent and immunoperoxidase staining for ZO-1 on frozen sections of liver and compared with controls. In control, sham-operated, and estradiol-injected animals, ZO-1 localizes in a uniform continuous manner along the margins of the canaliculi. In contrast, bile duct ligation results in the appearance of numerous discontinuities in ZO-1 staining accompanied by dilation or collapse of the lumenal space. Tissue content of the ZO-1 protein, as determined by quantitative immunoblotting, was unaffected in either cholestatic model compared with controls. These findings indicate that the molecular organization of the tight junction can be assessed from immunostaining patterns of ZO-1 in frozen sections of cholestatic livers. Under these experimental conditions, the organization of the tight junction at the level of the ZO-1 protein is altered by bile duct obstruction but not by ethinyl estradiol.

Development of tight junctions de novo in the mouse early embryo: control of assembly of the tight junction-specific protein, ZO-1

Tight junction development during trophectoderm biogenesis in the mouse preimplantation embryo has been examined using monoclonal antibodies recognizing the tight junction-specific peripheral membrane protein, ZO-1. In immunoblots, mouse embryo ZO-1 had a molecular mass (225 kD) equivalent to that in mouse liver, was barely detectable in four-cell embryos although later stages exhibited increasing levels. ZO-1 was first detected immunocytochemically at the compacting eight-cell stage, coincident with or just after the expression of basolateral cell adhesion and apical microvillous polarity. Initially, ZO-1 was present as a series of spots along the boundary between free and apposed cell surfaces in intact embryos or cell couplets, but subsequently staining became more linear with blastocyst trophectoderm cells being bordered by a continuous ZO-1 belt. Inhibition of cell adhesion at the 8-cell stage delayed ZO-1 appearance and randomized its surface distribution in a reversible manner. Microfilament disruption, but not microtubule depolymerization, produced major disturbances in ZO-1 distribution. ZO-1 assembly de novo appeared to be independent of proximate DNA and RNA synthesis but was inhibited substantially in the absence of protein synthesis during the eight-cell stage, a treatment that did not prevent intercellular adhesion and polarization. ZO-1 surface assembly, but not adhesion and polarization, was also perturbed when single eight-cells were combined with single four-cells. The results suggest that tight junction development in mouse embryos is a secondary event in epithelial biogenesis, being dependent upon cell adhesion and cytoskeletal activity for normal expression, and can be disrupted without disturbing the generation of a stably polarized phenotype.

Tight junction structure and ZO-1 content are identical in two strains of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells which differ in transepithelial resistance

The relationship of tight junction permeability to junction structure and composition was examined using two strains of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (I and II) which differ greater than 30-fold in transepithelial resistance. This parameter is largely determined by paracellular, and hence junctional, permeability under most conditions. When these two strains of cells were grown on permeable filter supports, they formed monolayers with equivalent linear amounts of junction/area of monolayer. Ultrastructural analysis of these monolayers by thin section EM revealed no differences in overall cellular morphology or in tight junction organization. Morphometric analysis of freeze-fractured preparations indicated that the tight junctions of these two cell strains were similar in both number and density of junctional fibrils. Prediction of transepithelial resistance for the two strains from this freeze-fracture data and a published structure-function formulation (Claude, P. 1978, J. Memb. Biol. 39:219-232) yielded values (I = 26.5 omega/cm2, II = 35.7 omega/cm2) that were significantly lower than those observed (I = 2,500-5,000 omega/cm2, II = 50-70 omega/cm2). Consistent with these structural studies, a comparison of the distribution and cellular content of ZO-1, a polypeptide localized exclusively to the tight junction, revealed no significant differences in either the localization of ZO-1 or the amount of ZO-1 per micron of junction (I = 1,415 +/- 101 molecules/micron, II = 1,514 +/- 215 molecules/micron).

The epithelial tight junction: structure, function and preliminary biochemical characterization

The tight junction, or zonula occludens (ZO), forms a semi-permeable barrier in the paracellular pathway in most vertebrate epithelia. The ZO is the apical-most member of a series of intercellular junctions, collectively known as the junctional complex, found at the interface of the apical and lateral cell surface. This structure not only restricts movement of substances around the cells, but may also serve as a 'fence' acting to maintain the cell surface compositional polarity characteristic of epithelial cells. The morphology and physiology of the ZO have been well documented and are briefly reviewed here. The biochemistry of this important intercellular junction remains largely unknown, although a tight junction-specific polypeptide called 'ZO-1' has recently been identified. Preliminary observations regarding the role of this peripheral phosphoprotein in the biology of the ZO are presented.

Characterization of ZO-1, a protein component of the tight junction from mouse liver and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells

ZO-1, originally identified by mAb techniques, is the first protein shown to be specifically associated with the tight junction. Here we describe and compare the physical characteristics of ZO-1 from mouse liver and the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cell line. The ZO-1 polypeptide has an apparent size of 225 kD in mouse tissues and 210 kD in canine-derived MDCK cells as determined by SDS-PAGE/immunoblot analysis. ZO-1 from both sources is optimally solubilized from isolated plasma membranes by either 6 M urea or high pH conditions; partial solubilization occurs with 0.3 M KCl. The nonionic detergents, Triton X-100 and octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, do not solubilize ZO-1. These solubility properties indicate that ZO-1 is a peripherally associated membrane protein. ZO-1 was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from [35S]methionine metabolically labeled MDCK cells by a combination of gel filtration and immunoaffinity chromatography. Purified ZO-1 has an s20,w of 5.3 and Stokes radius of 8.6 nm. These values suggest that purified ZO-1 is an asymmetric monomeric molecule. Corresponding values for mouse liver ZO-1, characterized in impure protein extracts, were 6 s20,w and 9 nm. ZO-1 was shown to be a phosphoprotein in MDCK cells metabolically labeled with [32P]orthophosphate; analysis of phosphoamino acids from purified ZO-1 revealed only phosphoserine. ZO-1 epitope number was determined by Scatchard analysis of competitive and saturable binding of two different 125I-mAbs to SDS-solubilized proteins from liver and MDCK cells immobilized on nitrocellulose. Saturation binding occurs at 26 ng mAb/mg liver and 63 ng/mg of MDCK cell protein. This is equivalent to 30,000 ZO-1 molecules per MDCK cell assuming a single epitope/ZO-1 molecule.

Identification of ZO-1: a high molecular weight polypeptide associated with the tight junction (zonula occludens) in a variety of epithelia

A tight junction-enriched membrane fraction has been used as immunogen to generate a monoclonal antiserum specific for this intercellular junction. Hybridomas were screened for their ability to both react on an immunoblot and localize to the junctional complex region on frozen sections of unfixed mouse liver. A stable hybridoma line has been isolated that secretes an antibody (R26.4C) that localizes in thin section images of isolated mouse liver plasma membranes to the points of membrane contact at the tight junction. This antibody recognizes a polypeptide of approximately 225,000 D, detectable in whole liver homogenates as well as in the tight junction-enriched membrane fraction. R26.4C localizes to the junctional complex region of a number of other epithelia, including colon, kidney, and testis, and to arterial endothelium, as assayed by immunofluorescent staining of cryostat sections of whole tissue. This antibody also stains the junctional complex region in confluent monolayers of the Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cell line. Immunoblot analysis of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells demonstrates the presence of a polypeptide similar in molecular weight to that detected in liver, suggesting that this protein is potentially a ubiquitous component of all mammalian tight junctions. The 225-kD tight junction-associated polypeptide is termed "ZO-1."

Zonulae occludentes in junctional complex-enriched fractions from mouse liver: preliminary morphological and biochemical characterization

A bile canaliculus-derived preparation containing junctional complexes has been obtained from mouse livers using subcellular fractionation techniques. The junctional complexes include structurally intact zonulae occludentes (ZOs). Extraction of this preparation with the anionic detergent sodium deoxycholate (DOC) left junctional ribbons, the detergent-insoluble zonular remnants of the junctional complexes. When visualized in negative stain electron microscopy, each of these ribbons contained a branching and anastomosing network of fibrils which appears similar to that of ZOs in freeze-fractured whole liver. Comparative measurements of freeze-fracture and negative stain fibril diameters and network densities support this relationship. SDS polyacrylamide gel analysis shows the DOC-insoluble junctional ribbons to be characterized by major polypeptides at 37,000 and at 48,000, with minor bands at 34,000, 41,000, 71,000, 86,000, 92,000, and 102,000. The ZO-containing membrane fractions have been isolated in the presence of EGTA in concentrations and under conditions shown by others to disrupt normal ZO morphology and physiology in whole living epithelia. The network of fibrils visualized in these fractions by negative staining is structurally resistant to treatment with DOC, but is either solubilized or disrupted by N-lauroylsarcosine.