NOX1 NADPH oxidase regulation by the NOXA1 SH3 domain

We investigated the role of the single SH3 domain of NOXA1 in NOX1 NADPH oxidase function using wild-type and mutated NOXA1 and the products of two variant NOXA1 transcripts isolated from CaCo2 cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The first variant, NOXA1(trunc), contained a number of point mutations, including A51T, T261A, and a nonsense mutation at position 274. On transfection into K562 cells stably expressing NOX1 and NOXO1, both NOXA1(trunc) and an equivalent truncated wild-type NOXA1(1-273) were expressed as approximately 29-kDa truncated NOXA1 proteins lacking both PB1 and SH3 domains, yet both were as active as wild-type NOXA1 in phorbol-stimulated superoxide generation. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that truncated NOXA1 activated the NOX1 system at an accelerated rate compared with NOXA1. Deletion studies showed that the slower kinetics of wild-type NOXA1 depended primarily on its SH3 domain, suggesting SH3-dependent delay in forming the active NOX1/NOXO1/NOXA1 complex. The second variant, NOXA1(inhib), encoded a protein lacking the activation domain due to absence of exons 5 and 6 but including a heptapeptide (EPDVPLA) SH3 domain insertion resulting from alternative splicing in exon 14. NOXA1(inhib) failed to support superoxide-generating activity and exhibited transdominant inhibition of NOXA1. Insertion of the heptapeptide into the corresponding site in wild-type NOXA1 inhibited its activity by approximately 90%, rendered it a transdominant inhibitor of wild-type NOXA1, and abrogated binding of its SH3 domain to NOXO1 and p47(phox). These studies demonstrate that, in reconstituted NOX1/NOXO1/NOXA1 systems, the NOXA1 SH3 domain is not required for function but, when present, can critically modulate the activity of the enzyme system.

Mechanisms of activation of NADPH oxidases

The members of the NOX family of enzymes are expressed in a variety of tissues and serve a number of functions. There is a high level of conservation of primary protein sequence, as well as functional features, although specialized responses are beginning to emerge. In this context, our data demonstrate that the NOX1 cytoplasmic domains interact efficiently with the cytoplasmic subunits of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase and identify the second cytoplasmic loop of NOX electron transporters as a crucial domain for enzyme function. Studies of cytosolic co-factors showed that the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of NOX1 was absolutely required for activation with NOXO1 and NOXA1 and that this activity required interaction of the putative NADPH-binding region of this domain with NOXA1. Finally, we have provided the first example of how alternative splicing of a NOX co-factor may be involved in the regulation of NADPH oxidase function.

A role for NOX NADPH oxidases in Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia?

Because of population ageing, dementias are likely to become a major scourge of the 21st century. Causes of dementia include Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lesser known entities such as frontotemporal dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies. Neuroinflammation is likely to play an important role in the pathogenesis of dementia by the killing of neurons through inflammatory mechanisms. Such a role of neuroinflammation is well documented for Alzheimer's disease, and it is likely to play a role in other types of dementia as well. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in inflammatory tissue destruction. The phagocyte NADPH oxidase NOX2 is the best studied ROS-generating system. In the central nervous system, it is expressed in microglia and--to a lesser extent--in neurons. Indeed, there is emerging experimental evidence for a role of NOX2 in Alzheimer's and cerebrovascular disease. Recently, six novel ROS-generating NADPH oxidases with homology to NOX2 have been discovered. Several of them are also expressed in the central nervous system. In this article, we hypothesize a role of NOX-type NADPH oxidases in inflammatory neuronal loss. We review presently available evidence and suggest that NOX-type NADPH oxidases may become promising pharmacological targets for the treatment and prevention of dementia.

Dimerization of a selectin and its ligand stabilizes cell rolling and enhances tether strength in shear flow

Selectins mediate rolling of leukocytes by rapid formation and dissociation of selectin-ligand bonds, which are assumed to require high mechanical strength to prevent premature dissociation by the forces applied in shear flow. This assumption is based largely on the observation that increasing wall shear stress increases only modestly the dissociation of transient leukocyte tethers on very low selectin densities. P-selectin binds to the N-terminal region of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), a mucin on leukocytes. Both PSGL-1 and P-selectin are extended homodimers. We perfused transfected cells expressing wild-type dimeric PSGL-1 or a chimeric monomeric form of PSGL-1 on immobilized dimeric or monomeric forms of P-selectin. Cells expressing dimeric or monomeric PSGL-1 tethered to P-selectin at equivalent rates. However, cells expressing dimeric PSGL-1 established more stable rolling adhesions, which were more shear resistant and exhibited less fluctuation in rolling velocities. On low densities of dimeric P-selectin, increasing wall shear stress more rapidly increased transient tether dissociation of cells expressing monomeric PSGL-1 than dimeric PSGL-1. Tether dissociation on low densities of monomeric P-selectin was even more shear sensitive. We conclude that dimerization of both PSGL-1 and P-selectin stabilizes tethering and rolling, probably by increasing rebinding within a bond cluster. Because transient tethers may have more than one bond, the mechanical strength of selectin-ligand bonds is likely to be lower than initially estimated. Tether strength may rely more on bond clusters to distribute applied force.

Noncovalent association of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 and minimal determinants for binding to P-selectin

P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) is a disulfide-bonded, homodimeric mucin ( approximately 250 kDa) on leukocytes that binds to P-selectin on platelets and endothelial cells during the initial steps in inflammation. Because it has been proposed that only covalently dimerized PSGL-1 can bind P-selectin, we investigated the factors controlling dimerization of PSGL-1 and re-examined whether covalent dimers are required for binding its P-selectin. Recombinant forms of PSGL-1 were created in which the single extracellular Cys (Cys(320)) was replaced with either Ser (C320S-PSGL-1) or Ala (C320A-PSGL-1). Both recombinants migrated as monomeric species of approximately 120 kDa under both nonreducing and reducing conditions on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. P-selectin bound similarly to cells expressing either wild type or mutated forms of PSGL-1 in both flow cytometric and rolling adhesion assays. Unexpectedly, chemical cross-linking studies revealed that both C320S- and C320A-PSGL-1 noncovalently associate in the plasma membrane and cross-linking generates dimeric species. Chimeric recombinants of PSGL-1 in which the transmembrane domain in PSGL-1 was replaced with the transmembrane domain of CD43 (CD43TMD-PSGL-1) could not be chemically cross-linked, suggesting that residues within the transmembrane domain of PSGL-1 are required for noncovalent association. Cells expressing CD43TMD-PSGL-1 bound P-selectin. To further address the ability of P-selectin to bind monomeric derivatives of PSGL-1, intact HL-60 cells were trypsin-treated, which generated a soluble approximately 25-kDa NH(2)-terminal fragment of PSGL-1 that bound to immobilized P-selectin. Because N-glycosylation of PSGL-1 hinders trypsin cleavage, a recombinant form of PSGL-1 was generated in which all three potential N-glycosylation sites were mutated (DeltaN-PSGL-1). Cells expressing DeltaN-PSGL-1 bound P-selectin, and trypsin treatment of the cells generated NH(2)-terminal monomeric fragments (<10 kDa) of PSGL-1 that bound to P-selectin. These results demonstrate that Cys(320)-dependent dimerization of PSGL-1 is not required for binding to P-selectin and that a small monomeric fragment of PSGL-1 is sufficient for P-selectin recognition.