Efficacy of fexofenadine in isolated rat tracheas

OBJECTIVES

Histamine is an important chemical mediator in both nasal and bronchial inflammation in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma. The effect of histamine receptor-1 antagonists on nasal mucosa in vivo is well known, however, the effect on tracheal smooth muscle has rarely been explored. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of fexofenadine on isolated tracheal smooth muscle in vitro.

METHODS

Six tracheal strips were used for each experiment, and one untreated strip served as a control. We examined the effectiveness of fexofenadine on isolated rat tracheal smooth muscle by testing the effect on: 1) tracheal smooth muscle resting tension; 2) contraction caused by 10E-6 M methacholine as a parasympathetic mimetic; and 3) electrically induced tracheal smooth muscle contractions.

RESULTS

The results indicated that addition of methacholine caused the trachea to contract in a dose-dependent manner. The addition of fexofenadine at a dose of 10E-4 M elicited a significant relaxation response compared to 10E-6 M methacholine-induced contraction. There were no detectable changes in the peak tension of electrical field stimulation-induced contractions in the fexofenadine group.

CONCLUSION

High concentrations of fexofenadine had an anti-cholinergic effect. In addition to diminishing histamine-mediated allergic symptoms, fexofenadine may have a potentially therapeutic implication in alleviating asthma-related symptoms due to reducing methacholine-induced contractions of tracheal smooth muscle though these aspects were not studied.

Posthumous sperm utilization in men presenting for sperm banking: an analysis of patient choice

The question remains as to whether or not men would agree to posthumous sperm use for pregnancy initiation. Often, these individuals' lives are suddenly interrupted and prior consent is rarely given. Therefore, post-mortem retrieval or use of these spermatozoa remains controversial and the incidence of consent for post-mortem sperm use is not clear. Men who bank spermatozoa, however, represent a cohort that can be examined for frequency of consent for post-mortem sperm use. We performed a retrospective chart review for 364 patients presenting for sperm banking at a single institution from 2009 to 2011. Banked specimens represented either ejaculated or surgically retrieved spermatozoa. Demographic information was obtained for each patient and men were grouped by reason for sperm banking, relationship and paternity status, and consent for post-mortem sperm use. The frequency of post-mortem consent was determined within each group. Men were grouped based on reason for banking, including infertility ('Infertility') or malignancy prior to treatment ('Cancer'). Mean ± SD age of the infertility and cancer groups were 40.1 ± 9.9 years and 27.1 ± 9.6 years, respectively. Of the 364 men, 85.9% provided consent for post-mortem sperm use. In the infertility group, 87.4% of men consented. Of these, 92.9% men in a relationship and 62.5% single men consented. Regarding paternity status, 64.7% men with and 56.6% men without children consented. Within the cancer cohort, 83.8% men consented. Of men <18 years old and ≥18 years old, 65.2 and 85.8% consented, respectively. Relationship status yielded 93.2% men in relationships and 79.4% single men consenting. Paternity status in the cancer group yielded 95.8% with and 82.4% men without children consenting. In summary, most men presenting for sperm banking provided consent for post-mortem sperm use, irrespective of reason for banking. Men who are in a relationship or who are fathers were more likely to agree to post-mortem sperm use.

Decreased sensitivity of tristetraprolin-deficient cells to p38 inhibitors suggests the involvement of tristetraprolin in the p38 signaling pathway

Treatment of macrophages with pyridinyl imidazole inhibitors of p38 protein kinases can inhibit lipopolysaccharide-stimulated tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion. However, bone marrow-derived macrophages from tristetraprolin (TTP)-deficient mice were less sensitive than normal macrophages to this effect of p38 inhibitors, despite evidence for normal p38 activation in response to lipopolysaccharide. TTP is known to cause decreased stability of tumor necrosis factor alpha and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNAs after binding to an AU-rich element in their 3'-untranslated regions. A recombinant TTP fusion protein could be phosphorylated by a recombinant p38 kinase in cell-free assays and was phosphorylated to the same extent by immunoprecipitated p38 derived from normal and TTP-deficient cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide; in both cases, the enzyme activity was inhibited by the p38 inhibitors. TTP phosphorylation also was increased in intact macrophages after lipopolysaccharide stimulation, an effect that was blocked by the p38 inhibitors. Finally, TTP in mammalian cell extracts bound less well to an AU-rich element RNA probe than did the same amount of TTP following dephosphorylation. These results suggest that TTP may be a component of the signaling cascade, initiated by inflammatory stimuli and mediated in part by activation of p38, that ultimately leads to enhanced secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Interactions of CCCH zinc finger proteins with mRNA: tristetraprolin-mediated AU-rich element-dependent mRNA degradation can occur in the absence of a poly(A) tail

The CCCH family of tandem zinc finger proteins has recently been shown to promote the turnover of certain mRNAs containing class II AU-rich elements (AREs). In the case of one member of this family, tristetraprolin (TTP), absence of the protein in knockout mice leads to stabilization of two mRNAs containing AREs of this type, those encoding tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. To begin to decipher the mechanism by which these zinc finger proteins stimulate the breakdown of this class of mRNAs, we co-transfected TTP and its related CCCH proteins into 293 cells with vectors encoding full-length TNFalpha, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and interleukin-3 mRNAs. Co-expression of the CCCH proteins caused the rapid turnover of these ARE-containing mRNAs and also promoted the accumulation of stable breakdown intermediates that were truncated at the 3'-end of the mRNA, even further 5' than the 5'-end of the poly(A) tail. To determine whether an intact poly(A) tail was necessary for TTP to promote this type of mRNA degradation, we inserted the TNFalpha ARE into a nonpolyadenylated histone mRNA and also attached a histone 3'-end-processing sequence to the 3'-end of nonpolyadenylated interleukin-3 and TNFalpha mRNAs. In all three cases, TTP stimulated the turnover of the ARE-containing mRNAs, despite the demonstrated absence of a poly(A) tail. These studies indicate that members of this class of CCCH proteins can promote class II ARE-containing mRNA turnover even in the absence of a poly(A) tail, suggesting that the processive removal of the poly(A) tail may not be required for this type of CCCH protein-stimulated mRNA turnover.

The NIEHS Xenopus maternal EST project: interim analysis of the first 13,879 ESTs from unfertilized eggs

The sequencing of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from Xenopus laevis has lagged behind efforts on many other common experimental organisms and man, partly because of the pseudotetraploid nature of the Xenopus genome. Nonetheless, large collections of Xenopus ESTs would be useful in gene discovery, oligonucleotide-based knockout studies, gene chip analyses of normal and perturbed development, mapping studies in the related diploid frog X. tropicalis, and for other reasons. We have created a normalized library of cDNAs from unfertilized Xenopus eggs. These cells contain all of the information necessary for the first several cell divisions in the early embryo, as well as much of the information needed for embryonic pattern formation and cell fate determination. To date, we have successfully sequenced 13,879 ESTs out of 16,607 attempts (83.6% success rate), with an average sequence read length of 508 bp. Using a fragment assembly program, these ESTs were assembled into 8,985 'contigs' comprised of up to 11 ESTs each. When these contigs were used to search publicly available databases, 46.2% bore no relationship to protein or DNA sequences in the database at the significance level of 1e-6. Examination of a sample of 100 of the assembled contigs revealed that most ( approximately 87%) were comprised of two apparent allelic variants. Expression profiles of 16 of the most prominent contigs showed that 12 exhibited some degree of zygotic expression. These findings have implications for sequence-specific applications for Xenopus ESTs, particularly the use of allele-specific oligonucleotides for knockout studies, differential hybridization techniques such as gene chip analysis, and the establishment of accurate nomenclature and databases for this species.

Interactions of CCCH zinc finger proteins with mRNA. Binding of tristetraprolin-related zinc finger proteins to Au-rich elements and destabilization of mRNA

Macrophages derived from tristetraprolin (TTP)-deficient mice exhibited increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) release as a consequence of increased stability of TNFalpha mRNA. TTP was then shown to destabilize TNFalpha mRNA after binding directly to the AU-rich region (ARE) of the 3'-untranslated region of the TNFalpha mRNA. In mammals and in Xenopus, TTP is the prototype of a small family of three known zinc finger proteins containing two CCCH zinc fingers spaced 18 amino acids apart; a fourth more distantly related family member has been identified in Xenopus and fish. We show here that representatives of all four family members were able to bind to the TNFalpha ARE in a cell-free system and, in most cases, promote the breakdown of TNFalpha mRNA in intact cells. Because the primary sequences of these CCCH proteins are most closely related in their tandem zinc finger domains, we tested whether various fragments of TTP that contained both zinc fingers resembled the intact protein in these assays. We found that amino- and carboxyl-terminal truncated forms of TTP, as well as a 77 amino acid fragment that contained both zinc fingers, could bind to the TNFalpha ARE in cell-free cross-linking and gel shift assays. In addition, these truncated forms of TTP could also stimulate the apparent deadenylation and/or breakdown of TNFalpha mRNA in intact cells. Alignments of the tandem zinc finger domains from all four groups of homologous proteins have identified invariant residues as well as group-specific signature amino acids that presumably contribute to ARE binding and protein-specific activities, respectively.

Evidence that tristetraprolin is a physiological regulator of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor messenger RNA deadenylation and stability

Deficiency of tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of the CCCH zinc finger proteins, results in a complex inflammatory syndrome in mice. Most aspects of the syndrome are secondary to excess circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, a consequence of increased stability of TNF-alpha messenger RNA (mRNA) in TTP-deficient macrophages. TTP can bind directly to the AU-rich element in TNF-alpha mRNA, increasing its lability. Here we show that TTP deficiency also results in increased cellular production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and increased stability of its mRNA, apparently secondary to decreased deadenylation. Similar findings were observed in mice also lacking both types of TNF-alpha receptors, excluding excess TNF-alpha production as a cause of the increased GM-CSF mRNA levels and stability. TTP appears to be a physiological regulator of GM-CSF mRNA deadenylation and stability. (Blood. 2000;95:1891-1899)

Evidence that tristetraprolin binds to AU-rich elements and promotes the deadenylation and destabilization of tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA

Mice deficient in tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a family of CCCH zinc finger proteins, develop an inflammatory syndrome mediated by excess tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Macrophages derived from these mice oversecrete TNF-alpha, by a mechanism that involves stabilization of TNF-alpha mRNA, and TTP can bind directly to the AU-rich element (ARE) in TNF-alpha mRNA (E. Carballo, W. S. Lai, and P. J. Blackshear, Science 281:1001-1005, 1998). We show here that TTP binding to the TNF-alpha ARE is dependent upon the integrity of both zinc fingers, since mutation of a single cysteine residue in either zinc finger to arginine severely attenuated the binding of TTP to the TNF-alpha ARE. In intact cells, TTP at low expression levels promoted a decrease in size of the TNF-alpha mRNA as well as a decrease in its amount; at higher expression levels, the shift to a smaller TNF-alpha mRNA size persisted, while the accumulation of this smaller species increased. RNase H experiments indicated that the shift to a smaller size was due to TTP-promoted deadenylation of TNF-alpha mRNA. This CCCH protein is likely to be important in the deadenylation and degradation of TNF-alpha mRNA and perhaps other ARE-containing mRNAs, both in normal physiology and in certain pathological conditions.

Identification of four CCCH zinc finger proteins in Xenopus, including a novel vertebrate protein with four zinc fingers and severely restricted expression

Tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a class of CCCH zinc finger proteins, is a phosphoprotein that is rapidly and transiently induced by growth factors and serum in fibroblasts. Recent evidence suggests that a physiological function of TTP is to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion from macrophages by binding to and destabilizing its mRNA (Carballo, E., Lai, W.S., Blackshear, P.J., 1998. Science, 281, 1001-1005). To investigate possible functions of CCCH proteins in early development of Xenopus, we isolated four Xenopus cDNAs encoding members of this class. Based on 49% overall amino acid identity and 84% amino acid identity within the double zinc finger domain, one of the Xenopus proteins (XC3H-1) appears to be the homologue of TTP. By similar analyses, XC3H-2 and XC3H-3 are homologues of ERF-1 (cMG1, TIS11B) and ERF-2 (TIS11D). A fourth protein, XC3H-4, is a previously unidentified member of the CCCH class of vertebrate zinc finger proteins; it contains four Cx8Cx5Cx3H repeats, two of which are YKTEL Cx8Cx5Cx3H repeats that are closely related to sequences found in the other CCCH proteins. Whereas XC3H-1, XC3H-2, and XC3H-3 were widely expressed in adult tissues, XC3H-4 mRNA was not detected in any of the adult tissues studied except for the ovary. Its expression appeared to be limited to the ovary, oocyte, egg and the early embryonic stages leading up to the mid-blastula transition. Its mRNA was highly expressed in oocytes of all ages, and was enriched in the animal pole cytosol of mature oocytes. Maternal expression was also seen with the other three messages, suggesting the possibility that these proteins are involved in regulating mRNA stability in oocyte maturation and/or early embryogenesis.

Transgenic complementation of MARCKS deficiency with a nonmyristoylatable, pseudo-phosphorylated form of MARCKS: evidence for simultaneous positive and dominant-negative effects on central nervous system development

MARCKS is a widely expressed protein kinase C substrate that is essential for normal prenatal development of the central nervous system in mice. MARCKS-deficient mice exhibit universal perinatal mortality and numerous developmental abnormalities of the brain and retina. To determine which domains of the protein were important in complementing these neurodevelopmental anomalies, we have interbred MARCKS knockout mice with transgenic mice expressing an epitope-tagged human MARCKS transgene that can completely correct the MARCKS-deficient phenotype. Previous structure-function studies showed that a nonmyristoylatable form of MARCKS could correct all of the neuroanatomical abnormalities, and resulted in approximately 25% viable pups that grew to adulthood and were fertile. The present experiment attempted a similar complementation strategy in which a nonmyristoylatable, "pseudo-phosphorylated" form of the protein was used, which has been shown to be almost completely cytosolic in cell expression studies. Surprisingly, this transgene was able to complement almost all of the cerebral anatomical abnormalities characteristic of the knockout mice. However, these mice also exhibited a universal, novel phenotype: profound retinal ectopia, in which retinal tissue was often found in the vitreous humor as well as extraocularly. Retrospective evaluation of the original MARCKS knockout phenotype revealed that this anomaly was present in about 43% of the knockout mice, and was clearly detectable as early as embryonic day 12.5, before retinal cell differentiation begins. These data suggest that a nonmyristoylatable, pseudo-phosphorylated form of MARCKS can complement most if not all cerebral aspects of the MARCKS-deficient phenotype, but that it appears to worsen a retinal phenotype, perhaps by exerting a dominant-negative effect on a coexpressed MARCKS homologue.

Feedback inhibition of macrophage tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by tristetraprolin

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a major mediator of both acute and chronic inflammatory responses in many diseases. Tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a class of Cys-Cys-Cys-His (CCCH) zinc finger proteins, inhibited TNF-alpha production from macrophages by destabilizing its messenger RNA. This effect appeared to result from direct TTP binding to the AU-rich element of the TNF-alpha messenger RNA. TTP is a cytosolic protein in these cells, and its biosynthesis was induced by the same agents that stimulate TNF-alpha production, including TNF-alpha itself. These findings identify TTP as a component of a negative feedback loop that interferes with TNF-alpha production by destabilizing its messenger RNA. This pathway represents a potential target for anti-TNF-alpha therapies.

Promoter sequence, expression, and fine chromosomal mapping of the human gene (MLP) encoding the MARCKS-like protein: identification of neighboring and linked polymorphic loci for MLP and MACS and use in the evaluation of human neural tube defects

The MARCKS-like protein (MLP), also known as F52, MacMARCKS, or MARCKS-related protein, is a widely distributed substrate for protein kinase C (PKC). Recent studies using gene disruption in vivo have demonstrated the importance of both MARCKS and MLP to the development of the central nervous system; specifically, mice lacking either protein exhibit a high frequency of neural tube defects. We isolated a genomic clone for human MLP and discovered a directly linked polymorphism (MLP1) useful for genetic linkage analysis. The MLP promoter was 71% identical over 433 bp to that of the corresponding mouse gene, Mlp, with conservation of many putative transcription factor-binding sites; it was only 36% identical over 433 bp to the promoter of the human gene, MACS, which encodes the MLP homologue MARCKS. This 433-bp fragment drove expression of an MLP-beta-galactosidase transgene in a tissue-specific and developmental expression pattern that was similar to that observed for the endogenous gene, as shown by in situ hybridization histochemistry. In contrast to MACS, the MLP and Mlp promoters contain a TATA box approximately 40 bp 5' of the presumed transcription initiation site. MLP was localized to chromosome 1p34-->1pter by analysis of human-mouse somatic cell hybrid DNA and to 1p34 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Radiation hybrid mapping of MLP placed it between genetic markers D1S511 (LOD > 3.0) and WI9232. MACS was localized to 6q21 between D6S266 (LOD > 3.0) and AFM268uh5 by the same technique. We tested the novel MLP1 polymorphism and the MACS flanking markers in a series of 43 Caucasian simplex families in which the affected child had a lumbosacral myelomeningocele. We found no evidence of linkage disequilibrium, suggesting that these loci were not major genes for spina bifida in these families. Nonetheless, the identification of linked and neighboring polymorphisms for MACS and MLP should permit similar genetic studies in other groups of patients with neural tube defects and other neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

Characteristics of the intron involvement in the mitogen-induced expression of Zfp-36

Zfp-36, the gene encoding the putative zinc finger protein tristetraprolin (TTP), is rapidly induced in fibroblasts by a variety of growth factors. Recent gene knockout experiments have shown that TTP-deficient mice developed arthritis, cachexia, and autoimmunity, all apparently mediated by an excess of tumor necrosis factor alpha. We recently showed that full serum inducibility of Zfp-36 requires elements in the promoter; in addition, removal of the single intron strikingly inhibited serum-induced TTP expression. We show here that replacement of the intron with unrelated sequences, or removal of 95% of the intron but retention of the splice sites, each resulted in the maintenance of approximately 45 and 19%, respectively, of full serum-induced expression. In addition, deletion of intron sequences base pairs 601-655 decreased the serum-induced expression of TTP by 65%. Sequence base pairs 618-626 bound specifically to the transcription factor Sp1; mutation of this binding motif decreased TTP expression by 70%, suggesting that Sp1 binding to this motif contributes to serum induction of Zfp-36. We conclude that full serum-induced expression of Zfp-36 depends on the activation of conventional promoter elements as well as elements in the single intron, and that the presence per se of the intron in its natural location also contributes significantly to the regulated expression of this gene.

Developmental expression of MARCKS and protein kinase C in mice in relation to the exencephaly resulting from MARCKS deficiency

The roles of protein kinase C and its substrates in development are poorly understood. Recently, we disrupted the mouse gene for a major cellular substrate for protein kinase C, the MARCKS protein (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 944-948, 1995). The resulting phenotype consisted of universal perinatal lethality, agenesis of the corpus callosum and other forebrain commissures, and neuronal ectopia and other cortical and retinal lamination disturbances. These mice also had high frequencies of exencephaly (25% overall, 35% in females). In the present study, we have examined the normal expression of MARCKS and the various isozymes of protein kinase C at the time of cranial neural tube closure, in an attempt to correlate MARCKS expression in time and anatomical location with the exencephaly characteristic of MARCKS deficiency. Failure of neural tube closure occurred at various sites in the cranial neural tube, suggesting a cellular functional defect that was not limited to a specific location. Non-exencephalic MARCKS-deficient embryos appeared to be anatomically normal on embryonic day (E) 8.5-9.5. MARCKS and PKC alpha were expressed at the plasma membrane of the neuroepithelial cells comprising the future neural tube, as well as in the surface ectoderm and underlying mesenchyme. Endogenous protein kinase C species, comprising either or both alpha and delta, were capable of phosphorylating MARCKS in intact E8.5 embryos. Thus, MARCKS is expressed at the plasma membranes of the specific cell types involved in cranial neurulation; its deficiency presumably results in a still-to-be-elucidated functional defect in these cells that leads to exencephaly in a high proportion of cases.

Cloning and characterization of two yeast genes encoding members of the CCCH class of zinc finger proteins: zinc finger-mediated impairment of cell growth

Members of the CCCH zinc finger (Zf) protein family have in common two or more repeats of a novel Zf motif consisting of Cys and His residues in the form Cx8Cx5Cx3H [where x is a variable amino acid (aa)]. We used a degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy to clone members of this gene family from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The deduced aa sequences encoded by these genes, designated CTH1 and CTH2, share 46% overall identity and 59% similarity, largely due to the two highly conserved Zf domains. We found readily detectable expression of a 1.4-kb mRNA encoding Cth1p. The 1.1-kb mRNA encoding Cth2p was barely detectable under normal growth conditions; however, disruption of CTH1 resulted in at least a threefold increase in CTH2 mRNA accumulation. No change in phenotype was detected following disruption of CTH1 and CTH2, either singly or together. In contrast, overexpression of the CTH genes or one of the related mammalian genes, tris-tetraprolin (TTP), caused delayed entry of cell cultures into exponential growth, and a decrease in final cell density. Removal of the Zf domain of Cth1p by truncation or deletion completely reversed this slow growth phenotype, indicating that it was mediated through this highly conserved structural motif.

A pathogenetic role for TNF alpha in the syndrome of cachexia, arthritis, and autoimmunity resulting from tristetraprolin (TTP) deficiency

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a widely expressed potential transcription factor that contains two unusual CCCH zinc fingers and is encoded by the immediate-early response gene, Zfp-36. Mice made deficient in TTP by gene targeting appeared normal at birth, but soon manifested marked medullary and extramedullary myeloid hyperplasia associated with cachexia, erosive arthritis, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, glomerular mesangial thickening, and high titers of anti-DNA and antinuclear antibodies. Myeloid progenitors from these mice showed no increase in sensitivity to growth factors. Treatment of young TTP-deficient mice with antibodies to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) prevented the development of essentially all aspects of the phenotype. These results indicate a role for TTP in regulating TNF alpha synthesis, secretion, turnover, or action. TTP-deficient mice may serve as useful models of the autoimmune inflammatory state resulting from chronic effective TNF alpha excess.

Mitogens stimulate the rapid nuclear to cytosolic translocation of tristetraprolin, a potential zinc-finger transcription factor

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is the prototype of a group of potential transcription factors that contain two or more unusual CCCH zinc fingers. TTP is encoded by the immediate-early response gene Zfp-36, which is rapidly induced in fibroblasts in response to insulin and other growth factors. Indirect evidence suggests that TTP might function as an inhibitory transcription factor. The present studies evaluated the effect of mitogens on the subcellular localization of TTP using Western blotting of cellular nuclear and cytosolic fractions. In NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts that constitutively express TTP, 70% of the protein was located in the nucleus of quiescent, serum-deprived cells. Immunoreactive TTP began to increase in the cytosolic compartment within 1 min of serum stimulation of the cells; this increase in cytosolic protein was essentially complete within 5 min of serum stimulation (81% of total) and was accompanied by a commensurate decrease in nuclear TTP. This translocation was complete well before the increase in TTP synthesis that occurred after serum stimulation. Similar experiments in cells expressing a mutant TTP, in which the major mitogen-activated protein kinase site (serine 220) had been mutated to alanine, revealed normal nuclear to cytosolic translocation after serum stimulation, indicating that phosphorylation of this site is not necessary for this translocation to occur. These results suggest that TTP is rapidly modified in response to mitogens so that it is rapidly released from the nucleus to the cytosol, or that proteins retaining TTP in the nucleus are modified to release it into the cytosol. Thus, TTP's proposed function as a transcription factor, possibly an inhibitory one, may be regulated in cells in part by a novel mechanism, i.e. that of rapid, mitogen-stimulated translocation out of the cellular nucleus.

Promoter analysis of Zfp-36, the mitogen-inducible gene encoding the zinc finger protein tristetraprolin

The gene encoding the putative zinc finger protein tristetraprolin (TTP), Zfp-36, is rapidly induced by a variety of mitogens and growth factors. We show here that 77 base pairs 5' of the transcription start site are sufficient for full serum inducibility of the mouse Zfp-36 promoter. This region of the promoter includes consensus sequences for the binding of the transcription factors EGR-1, AP2, and Sp1. In addition, we have identified a previously undescribed element, TTP promoter element 1 (TPE1); this 10-base pair sequence includes a palindrome and is identical in the human, bovine, and mouse genes. Each of the three binding elements, EGR-1, AP2, and TPE1, contribute to the serum induction of Zfp-36 and can confer serum-inducible expression on a heterologous minimal promoter. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrated the formation of complexes consisting of this region of the promoter and cellular nuclear proteins and demonstrated that the extent of complex formation could be altered by treatment of the cells with serum or insulin. These results suggest that the response of Zfp-36 to serum and other mitogens is mediated by a series of cis-acting elements acting in concert to confer full inducible transcription of this gene.

Phosphorylation of tristetraprolin, a potential zinc finger transcription factor, by mitogen stimulation in intact cells and by mitogen-activated protein kinase in vitro

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a potential transcription factor that contains three PPPPG repeats and two putative CCCH zinc fingers. TTP is encoded by the early response gene Zfp-36, which is highly expressed in response to growth factors and in several hematopoietic cell lines. In the present studies, we investigated the possibility that TTP is phosphorylated in intact cells. In NIH/3T3 cells that were made to overexpress TTP constitutively, we found that the protein was phosphorylated on serine residues, and that this phosphorylation was rapidly (within 10 min) stimulated by several mitogens. In cell-free assays, recombinant mouse TTP was a substrate for the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. By a combination of protease digestion experiments and site-directed mutagenesis strategies, we found that serine 220 was phosphorylated by p42 MAP kinase in vitro. Expression of mutant TTP in fibroblasts confirmed that serine 220 was one of the major, mitogen-stimulated phosphorylation sites on the protein in intact cells. These results suggest that TTP may be phosphorylated by MAP kinases in vivo and that this phosphorylation may regulate its function.

Rapid insulin-stimulated accumulation of an mRNA encoding a proline-rich protein

By differential hybridization screening of a cDNA library derived from insulin-stimulated cells, we selected a clone which hybridized to an mRNA species that rapidly accumulated in response to insulin. The insert from this clone encoded a putative polypeptide of Mr 33,600, pI 11.2; because the protein was enriched in proline residues (14.4 mol %) and contained three Pro-Pro-Pro-Pro repeats, we have tentatively labeled it tris-tetraprolin (TTP). The function of this protein is not known, but it contains two regions very rich in proline (30-40 mol %); similar proline-rich regions have been shown to be involved in transcriptional activation by other proteins. The mRNA (2.0 kilobases) encoding the TTP protein was essentially undetectable in serum-deprived HIR 3.5 cells, but accumulated dramatically within 10 min of stimulation by insulin. This effect appeared to be due to insulin acting through the intrinsic protein-tyrosine kinase activity of its own receptor. Insulin induction of TTP mRNA accumulation was prevented by actinomycin D and superinduced by cycloheximide. Accumulation of TTP mRNA was also stimulated by a variety of growth factors and active phorbol esters; however, the insulin effect was virtually normal in cells depleted of protein kinase C. A single TTP gene appeared to be present in the mouse genome. This gene joins the group of genes whose members are rapidly transcribed in response to insulin and other mitogens.

Protein kinase C is involved in desensitization of muscarinic receptors induced by phorbol esters but not by receptor agonists

Preincubation with receptor agonists or phorbol esters desensitized muscarinic-receptor-mediated [3H]cyclic GMP responses in mouse neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells. However, desensitization mediated by phorbol esters was heterologous, whereas that effected by receptor agonist was specific towards the muscarinic receptors. In addition, there was no loss of cell surface muscarinic receptors, as measured by the binding of the hydrophilic ligand [3H]N-methylscopolamine, when cells were treated with phorbol esters, but receptor-agonist-induced desensitization was accompanied by a decrease in cell surface receptor density. We examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the desensitization of muscarinic receptors by employing a kinase inhibitor and by down-regulation of PKC by long-term incubation of cells with phorbol esters. Whereas these manoeuvres had marked effects on phorbol-ester-induced desensitization of muscarinic responses, they did not block agonist-induced down-regulation and desensitization of muscarinic receptors. In addition, when phosphoinositide hydrolysis was suppressed, the muscarinic agonist was still capable of mediating receptor sequestration and desensitization. These results suggest that the mechanisms for regulating muscarinic receptor sensitivity could be both PKC-dependent and PKC-independent, being mediated by phorbol esters and receptor agonists respectively.

Effects of aging on the interaction of quinuclidinyl benzilate, N-methylscopolamine, pirenzepine, and gallamine with brain muscarinic receptors

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of senescence on the binding characteristics of muscarinic receptors by using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) and [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) as ligands in young (3 months), middle-age (10 months) and old (24 months) male Fischer 344 rats. Muscarinic receptor density was found to decrease significantly with aging in certain brain regions, depending on the ligand employed. Moreover, the relative proportions of M1 and M2 muscarinic receptor subtypes was not significantly altered by aging, except in the aged striatum. Furthermore, the dissociation kinetics of [3H]NMS in the cerebral cortex and their allosteric modulation by gallamine were only slightly influenced by age.

Neuronal muscarinic responses: role of protein kinase C

Advances in understanding the phosphoinositide cycle have helped unravel the chain of events initiated by muscarinic receptor stimulation. Hydrolysis of membrane phosphoinositides generates both diacylglycerol, an activator of protein kinase C, and inositol phosphates. In the nervous system, muscarinic receptors elicit a wide range of electrophysiological responses. Recent studies have made progress in identifying which of these neuronal muscarinic actions are mediated by activation of protein kinase C. Paradoxically, protein kinase C also exerts a strong inhibitory influence on muscarinic responses. This complex set of actions suggests that in addition to mediating certain muscarinic responses, protein kinase C also blocks signal transduction as part of a feedback mechanism.

Regulation of [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate binding sites in mouse neuroblastoma cells: simultaneous down-regulation by phorbol esters and desensitization of their inhibition of muscarinic receptor function

The binding characteristics of [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu) in mouse neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells were studied. The specific binding of [3H]PDBu to intact cells was saturable and to a homogeneous class of binding sites, with a Kd of 21 nM. Phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate and PDBu competed for [3H]PDBu binding whereas 4 alpha-phorbol did not. The binding of [3H]PDBu to the cells was selective, as it was not affected by several agents that interact with various neurotransmitter receptors in N1E-115 cells. The density of the phorbol ester binding site decreased as the cell passage increased, although the Kd of [3H]PDBu binding remained relatively constant. Upon exposure of the cells to 100 nM PDBu for 1 hr at 37 degrees C, a translocation of the binding sites from the cytosol to the particulate fraction was observed. A similar pretreatment of the cells with 1 mM carbamylcholine, however, was ineffective. The specific binding of [3H]PDBu was down-regulated in both a time- and a concentration-dependent fashion by exposure of the cells to PDBu. When the cells were treated with 100 nM PDBu for 24 hr, the maximum binding site density of [3H]PDBu was decreased to 47% of control, with no change in the Kd. Recovery of [3H]PDBu binding after exposure to the phorbol ester for 24 hr was slow and incomplete, and was dependent on protein synthesis. The down-regulation of [3H]PDBu binding after pretreatment of the cells with PDBu for 24 hr was accompanied by an attenuation of the ability of phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate to inhibit carbamylcholine-induced cyclic GMP formation as well as inositol phosphates accumulation in these cells, indicating desensitization of protein kinase C function.

Phorbol ester-induced inhibition of cyclic GMP formation mediated by muscarinic receptors in murine neuroblastoma cells

The effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) on carbamylcholine (CBC)-induced [3H]cyclic GMP formation in mouse neuroblastoma cells (clone N1E-115) were studied. PMA, but not 4 alpha-phorbol, suppressed muscarinic receptor-mediated cyclic GMP responses in a time-dependent and a concentration-dependent fashion with an IC50 of 68.8 +/- 20.2 nM. The inhibitory effects of PMA on CBC-induced cyclic GMP formation were of a mixed competitive and noncompetitive type, being characterized by a depression of maximal cyclic GMP response to CBC and a significant increase in its EC50. PMA also significantly reduced [3H]cyclic GMP formation induced by histamine, without affecting the responses elicited either by sodium azide or the calcium ionophore A23187. Although the inhibitory effects of PMA on CBC-induced cyclic GMP formation were not reversed by washing, these effects were significantly attenuated by H-7 [1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine], a protein kinase C inhibitor. PMA had no effect on binding of an antagonist ligand to muscarinic receptors, or on the binding characteristics of CBC to these receptors in intact cells. On the other hand, PMA competed for the specific binding of a labeled phorbol ester in intact cells with a potency similar to that of PMA in inhibiting muscarinic receptor-mediated [3H]cyclic GMP responses.

Multiple binding affinities of N-methylscopolamine to brain muscarinic acetylcholine receptors: differentiation from M1 and M2 receptor subtypes

The properties of the specific binding of the muscarinic receptor ligands [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate and N-[3H]methylscopolamine in rat brain were compared. The specific binding of both ligands was affected equally by heat, phospholipase A2 and trypsin. N-[3H]methylscopolamine labeled only a fraction of the total muscarinic receptors recognized by [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate in different brain areas and in the heart. Evidence is presented that N-[3H]methylscopolamine, in fact, binds to a subpopulation of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites. The distribution of the high-affinity binding sites of N-[3H]methylscopolamine did not show a different tissue dependence as compared to the total receptor population, and did not parallel the distribution of the pirenzepine-sensitive M1 receptor subtype. Similarly, the affinity of both [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate and N-[3H]methylscopolamine varied from one tissue to another by a maximum of 2-fold. Although (-)-quinuclidinyl benzilate competed for the specific binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate in different tissues according to the law of mass-action, N-methylscopolamine showed an anomalous interaction with two binding sites. The low-affinity binding sites of N-methylscopolamine showed saturability of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding and stereoselectivity. When the binding characteristics of these N-methylscopolamine-inaccessible binding sites of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate in the brain were investigated further, it was found that N-methylscopolamine bound exclusively with a single low affinity, whereas pirenzepine still interacted with two receptor populations incorporated in these sites. It is concluded from several lines of evidence that the heterogeneity of binding of N-methylscopolamine to muscarinic receptors does not represent an interaction with the muscarinic M1 and M2 receptor subtypes defined by pirenzepine. Thus, the unique binding profile of pirenzepine to muscarinic receptors cannot be explained merely on the basis of its hydrophilic nature.

Interaction of 4-aminopyridine with [3H]phencyclidine receptors in rat brain homogenates

The effect of 4-aminopyridine and its analogs on the specific binding of [3H]phencyclidine was investigated in rat brain homogenates. 4-Aminopyridine (4-AP) and 3,4-diaminopyridine displaced [3H]phencyclidine binding, while 3-aminopyridine was without effect. The concentrations of 4-AP required for inhibition of binding increased with increasing the ligand concentration, and the resultant Dixon plots indicated a competitive type of interaction. However, 4-AP also accelerated the dissociation rate of the ligand-receptor complex, suggesting that the effect of 4-AP on phencyclidine receptors in the brain might not be purely competitive.

Possible allosteric interaction of 4-aminopyridine with rat brain muscarinic acetylcholine receptors

The interaction of the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and its analogs with muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was studied in rat brain homogenate. 4-AP displaced specific [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate [( 3H]QNB) binding in a concentration-dependent fashion. Hill coefficient values decreased with increasing the concentration of [3H]QNB and different analogs of 4-AP demonstrated varying potencies. Scatchard analysis of saturation isotherms of specific [3H]QNB binding showed that low concentrations of 4-AP slightly reduced maximum binding without affecting the equilibrium dissociation constant, whereas higher concentrations reduced maximum binding further and significantly increased the equilibrium dissociation constant. Schild plots of these data resulted in curvilinear functions. The results are discussed in terms of possible allosteric interactions between potassium channels and muscarinic receptor binding sites.