线粒体在细胞凋亡中的介导作用

线粒体是细胞内产生能量的重要细胞器,被认为是细胞生存与死亡的调节中心。Bcl-2家族蛋白、内质网和溶酶体能引起线粒体膜通透性的改变,造成线粒体功能损伤,诱导细胞凋亡。本文主要综述线粒体在Bcl-2家族蛋白、内质网和溶酶体诱导细胞凋亡中作用的研究进展。     

线粒体凋亡途径的研究进展

线粒体凋亡途径是细胞凋亡的主要途径之一。是目前研究凋亡的热点,各种凋亡刺激信号通过BH3（Bcl-2homology domain3)-only蛋白引起Bax(Bcl-2-asslciated proteinX)蛋白移位到线粒体外膜并多聚化,形成膜通道,刺激线粒体释放细胞色素C（CytC)和Smac(second mitochondrial-derived activator of caspase),CytC通过Apaf-1因子的多聚化与胱天蛋白酶（caspases)-9形成凋亡小体,导致下游胱天蛋白酶的级联反应,而凋亡蛋白抑制因子（IAP）和Smac通过抑制和促进胱天蛋白酶的级联反应来调控细胞凋亡。     

线粒体与细胞凋亡调控

细胞凋亡是一个受到一系列相关基因严格调控的细胞死亡过程。线粒体是细胞凋亡调控的活动中心。在凋亡因子的刺激下,线粒体释放出不同促凋亡因子如细胞色素C、Smac／Diablo等,激活细胞内凋亡蛋白酶Caspase。我们发现,活化后的Caspase可以反过来作用于线粒体,引发更大量线粒体细胞色素c的释放,构成细胞色素c释放的正反馈调节机制,从而导致电子传递链的中断、膜电势的丧失、胞内ROS的升高以及线粒体产生ATP功能的完全丧失。Bcl-2家族蛋白在细胞色素C释放和细胞凋亡调控中起关键作用。     

Bcl-2家族蛋白调控线粒体膜通透性和细胞色素C释放的新机制

Bcl-2家族蛋白在调控线粒体功能和细胞色素C释放中起重要作用。最近发现Bcl-2分子通过与其他促凋亡分子相互作用调控线粒体外膜通透性,其具体分子机制尚不完全清楚。本课题组采用化学生物学方法,在研究Bax/Bak非依赖的细胞凋亡途径中,发现了一些小分子化合物能够诱导Bim表达量急剧升高,Bim能转位到线粒体上,与Bcl-2相互作用增强,并直接促进Bcl-2构象变化。有意义的是,Bim可以诱导Bcl-2功能发生转换并能够形成大的复合体通道来介导细胞色素C释放。研究结果提示Bcl-2分子可变成促凋亡分子,参与Bax/Bak非依赖的细胞色素C释放和细胞凋亡。     

镉诱导HEK293细胞凋亡及其线粒体凋亡途径

本课题研究了氯化镉(CdCl_2)诱导HEK293细胞(人胚胎肾细胞系)的凋亡,初步探讨了凋亡过程中Caspase-3、Bcl-2的变化和凋亡诱导因子(AIF)的转移以及它们的意义。MTT法检测CdCl_2对HEK293细胞增殖的抑制作用;通过倒置显微镜、电镜、琼脂糖凝胶电泳、流式细胞术、激光共聚焦观察细胞凋亡;应用Western blot法和荧光免疫法测定Caspase-3酶原、Bcl-2蛋白的变化以及检测AIF蛋白在细胞中的定位。结果显示:CdCl_2对HEK293细胞具有显著的生长抑制作用,并呈明显的剂量和时间依赖性。在琼脂糖凝胶电泳中,显示有凋亡细胞特有的DNA梯状条带,其中30μmol/L作用6-9h梯状条带最为清晰,时间过长或浓度过高则梯状条带逐渐模糊,表明镉浓度过高或处理时间过长,细胞有坏死。流式细胞仪检测也印证了这一结果。形态学观察可见明显的细胞凋亡特征。同时线粒体膜电位明显下降,发现Caspase-3酶原蛋白、Bcl-2蛋白含量减少,并具有时间依赖性;另外检测到线粒体AIF向细胞核转移。而Bcl-2转染后有一定的抑制凋亡作用。实验结果提示,CdCl_2能够诱导HEK293细胞凋亡,线粒体损伤导致AIF转移与细胞色素c释放,从而引发的非Caspases与Caspases凋亡途径可能在镉引发的细胞凋亡过程中起重要作用,而Caspase-3, Bcl-2起着重要的调控作用。     

风疹病毒诱导细胞凋亡分子机制的研究进展

风疹病毒是披膜病毒科风疹病毒属的唯一成员,能够诱导细胞发生细胞凋亡。Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK和PI3KAkt信号通路是病毒增殖与细胞生存的必要通路,在细胞凋亡过程中起着必不可少的作用。p53蛋白和TAp63蛋白能够进入细胞核与DNA特异结合,抑制Bcl-2的表达,促进Bax的表达,导致线粒体内外膜间的物质(细胞色素C等)释放,进而引起caspase级联反应,最终导致细胞凋亡。本文从风疹病毒感染的细胞系,病毒感染导致的细胞病理改变和病毒诱导的细胞凋亡信号通路及其相关因子等方面对风疹病毒诱导细胞凋亡的分子机制进行了综述。     

黄芩甙对肝癌细胞BEL-7402形态学的影响

目的观察黄芩甙对肝癌细胞BEL-7402凋亡的影响,同时观察对肝癌细胞形态及超微结构、线粒体超微结构、线粒体膜电位和细胞内Ca^2＋的影响,探讨线粒体损伤在黄芩甙诱导肝癌细胞凋亡中的作用及可能的机制。方法应用细胞培养技术培养肝癌细胞BEL-7402,光镜、倒置显微镜、扫描电镜、透射电镜观察细胞形态及超微结构的变化尤其是线粒体的变化,应用流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡百分率及线粒体膜电位、细胞内Ca^2＋的改变,免疫组化法检测细胞Bcl-2、Pax蛋白表达。结果黄芩甙诱导肝癌细胞BEL-7402凋亡呈剂量依赖关系,细胞形态、超微结构及线粒体超微结构出现明显改变,降低肝癌细胞线粒体膜电位,使细胞内Ca^2＋增加,细胞Pax表达增加,广泛分布于胞核和胞质中,Bcl-2表达减少。结论黄芩甙诱导肝癌细胞BEL-7402凋亡,线粒体损伤在黄芩甙诱导肝癌细胞凋亡中起重要作用,其机制可能为抑制肝癌细胞Bcl-2蛋白表达,促进Pax蛋白表达及细胞内Ca^2＋增加,激发线粒体膜通透性转运孔开放,线粒体跨膜电位降低,使肝癌细胞凋亡。     

促细胞凋亡因子Bid蛋白的研究进展

Bid蛋白是Bcl-家族中促凋亡类的蛋白。它具有可被caspase8酶切高控、高效地诱民细胞色素c从线粒体泄漏到胞浆中的功能,从而在细胞凋亡中起着重要的作用,因而倍受人们的重视。Bid蛋白的功能被发现以来,短短几年间,人们从分子生物学、细胞学、结构分析以及利用脂质体模型膜体系等各方面对Bid蛋白进行研究,取得了很大的进展。     

细胞色素c的释放是多巴胺诱导PC12细胞凋亡的重要环节

通过末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶介导dUTP缺口翻译法和DNA凝胶电泳观察多巴胺(DA)对PC12细胞凋亡的诱导作用, 并经蛋白质印迹法检测胞浆细胞色素c、Bcl-2和Bax蛋白以及活化型半胱氨酸蛋白酶3(caspase-3)水平. 结果表明, 在DA诱导PC12细胞凋亡的过程中, 可见PC12细胞中活化型caspase-3蛋白表达, 胞浆中细胞色素c水平明显增高, 同时Bcl-2蛋白水平下降, 而Bax蛋白水平明显增加. 环孢菌素A预处理对细胞色素c释放和caspase-3激活有明显的抑制作用, 而对Bcl-2和Bax蛋白影响不明显. 结果提示, Bcl-2和Bax蛋白、细胞色素c以及caspase-3可能参与DA诱导PC12细胞凋亡, 线粒体细胞色素c向胞浆释放可能是其中的中心环节.     

球孢菌素A和Bcl—2高表达对EGTA诱导HL—60细胞凋亡的影响

研究线粒体PT孔专一抑制剂环孢菌素A（CsA）和Bcl-2高表达对EGTA诱导HL－60细胞凋亡的影响。流式细胞仪检测凋亡峰、染色质凝聚的PI和Hoechst33342荧光双染观察、DNA梯状条带分析均表明,CsA明显促进EGTA诱导的HL－60细胞凋亡,而Bcl-2高表达完全阻断细胞凋亡的发生,借助荧光探针rhodamine123和CMXRos研究细胞凋亡过程线粒体△ψm下降,而Bcl-2高表达使HL－60细胞的线粒体△ψm提高了近1倍,并完全抑制EGTA诱导的线粒体△ψm下降。     

利用谷氨酰胺合成酶基因(GS)作扩增标记在CHO细胞中高效表达乙型肝炎表面抗原基因

利用谷氨酰胺合成酶基因（ＧＳ）［１］作扩增选择标记,结合ＣＭＶ－ＩＥ启动子,在ＣＨＯ细胞中高效表达乙型肝炎表面抗原基因。初筛克隆表达水平ＲＰＨＡ检测为１：６４,经过谷氨酰胺合成酶基因的抑制剂ＭＳＸ的两轮基因扩增,ＨＢｓＡｇ的表达水平ＲＰＨＡ在１：２５６以上。方瓶静置培养收液,ＲＩＡ检测ＨＢｓＡｇ最高产量为９．５μｇ／毫升。表达水平较以前利用ｄｈｆｒ基因扩增选择系统所得到的高表达细胞系Ｂ４３高一倍以上。利用ＧＳ基因扩增选择系统可以在哺乳动物细胞中高水平表达外源基因。     

Reduction of ammonia and lactate through the coupling of glutamine synthetase selection and downregulation of lactate dehydrogenase-A in CHO cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cultivation for production of therapeutic proteins is accompanied by production of metabolic wastes, mostly ammonia and lactate. To reduce ammonia production, the glutamine synthetase (GS) system was used to develop therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb)-producing CHO cells (SM-0.025). Additionally, the lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDH-A) was downregulated with shRNA to reduce lactate production in SM-0.025. The resulting mAb-producing cell lines (#2, #46, and #52) produced less ammonia than the host cell line during the exponential phase due to GS protein overexpression. LDH-A downregulation in SM-0.025 not only reduced lactate production but also further reduced ammonia production. Among the three LDH-A-downregulated clones, clone #2 had the highest mAb production along with significantly reduced specific lactate and ammonia production rates compared to those in SM-0.025. Waste reduction increased the galactosylation level of N-glycosylation, which improved mAb quality. LDH-A downregulation was also successfully applied to the host cell lines (CHO K1 and GS knockout CHO-K1). However, LDH-A downregulated host cells could not survive the pool-selection process wherein glutamine was excluded and methionine sulfoximine was added to the media. Taken together, LDH-A downregulation in the mAb-producing cell line generated with the GS system successfully reduced both ammonia and lactate levels, improving mAb galactosylation. However, LDH-A downregulation could not be applied to host cell lines because it hampered the selection process of the GS system.

     

Reduced glutamine concentration improves protein production in growth-arrested CHO-DG44 and HEK-293E cells

For most cultivated mammalian cells, glutamine is an essential medium component. However, glutamine consumption results in the production of ammonia, a cytotoxic byproduct. Here we investigated the effect of glutamine reduction on recombinant protein production and ammonia accumulation in transiently transfected CHO and HEK-293E cells maintained under conditions of growth arrest. Maximum transient recombinant protein yields were observed in HEK-293E cultures without glutamine and in CHO cultures with 2 mM glutamine. The initial concentration of glutamine correlated with the level of ammonia accumulation in each culture. For both a stable CHO-derived cell line and a polyclonal population of recombinant CHO cells grown under conditions of mild hypothermia, the highest volumetric protein productivity was observed in cultures without glutamine. Here, the level of ammonia accumulation also corresponded to the initial glutamine concentration. Our data demonstrate that reduction of glutamine in the medium is an effective approach to improve protein production in both transiently and stably transfected mammalian cells when applying conditions that reduce or arrest the growth of these cells.     

A Hybrid System Using Both Promoter Activation and Gene Amplification for Establishing Exogenous Protein Hyper-Producing Cell Lines

We previously developed a promoter-activated production (PAP) system using amplified ras oncogene to activate the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter controlling the foreign gene in mammalian cells. CHO cells were demonstrated to be suitable for the PAP system. Here, we show that very high-level production of a recombinant protein was achieved when the human CMV promoter was inserted into a glutamine synthetase (GS) minigene expression plasmid, pEE14. A highly productive host CHO cell line, ras clone I containing amplified ras oncogene, was further transfected with the plasmid expressing both hIL-6 gene and GS minigene, and selected with methionine sulphoximine. We were able to establish a hIL-6 hyper-producing cell line, D29, which exhibited a peak productivity rate of approximately 40 μg hIL-6 10^?6 cells day^?1 through a combination of the PAP system and the GS gene amplification system. The cellular productivity of D29 cells was about 13-fold higher than control hIL-6-producing cells derived from CHO cells whose hIL-6 gene was amplified by the GS gene amplification system, and about 5-fold higher than the I13 cells established by the PAP system, which contains amplified ras oncogene and non-amplified hIL-6 gene. When D29 cells were cultured for a month, an accumulation rate of approximately 80 μg hIL-6 ml^?1 per 3 days was achieved on the 9th day. These results indicate that this PAP and GS hybrid system enables the efficient and rapid establishment of recombinant protein hyper-producing cell lines.     

Improvement of Vero cell growth in glutamate-based culture by supplementing ammoniagenic compounds

Ammonia has been identified as one of the most inhibitory substances for mammalian cells. We have attempted to develop a less-ammoniagenic medium for the growth of Vero cells by substitution of glutamine with glutamate. In spite of reduced ammonia formation, Vero cells cultured in glutamate-based medium (DMEM-glu) could not grow normally as in glutamine-based medium (DMEM-gln). After Vero cells adapted to DMEM-glu, alanine was consumed instead of accumulated and both asparagine and glutamine were almost undetectable, indicating the lacking for aminonitrogen. By supplementing NH₄Cl, the growth was significantly improved and the cellular uptake of glutamate from medium was greatly increased. However the growth was still not restored to the level in DMEM-gln, likely due to ammonia toxicity. Asparagine was chosen to support the growth of Vero cells in DMEM-glu, formulating DMEM-glu-asn. This replacement reduced ammonia formation by 79% and increased cell yields by 34% compared with DMEM-gln. After Vero cells adapted to DMEM-glu-asn, glutamine synthetase (GS) activity was elevated by 3.8 folds compared with control in DMEM-gln. In DMEM-glu-asn Vero cell growth was arrested by the specific GS inhibitor, methionine sulphoximine. This arrest affirmed the essential role of GS in glutamine synthesis and disconfirmed the potential role of asparagine synthase (AS) in glutamine formulation (also asparagine utilization).     

Growth behavior of Chinese hamster ovary cells in a compact loop bioreactor. 2. Effects of medium components and waste products.

Effects of biochemical factors, i.e., medium components and metabolic byproducts, on growth of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were investigated. Glucose and ammonia were found to inhibit the growth. Kinetic analysis gave the inhibition constants, 0.14 g l-1 for ammonia and 5.0 g l-1 for glucose. Since glutamine was unstable and was a main source of ammonia, precise studies on glutamine degradation and ammonia formation process were done. By evaluating the spontaneous reactions, net glutamine utilization and net ammonia production by the cells could be estimated. It became evident that asparagine could support the growth of CHO cells as a stable substitute for glutamine. Then, a glucose fed-batch culture was grown on a glutamine free and asparagine supplemented medium. Because of (1) low glucose concentration, but (2) no glucose limitation and (3) low ammonia accumulation, the maximum total cell concentration reached 3.4 x 10(6) ml-1, which was 1.8 times greater than that in the control experiment (initial 1.15 g l-1 glucose and 0.29 g l-1 glutamine, and no glucose feed).     

RNAi suppression of Bax and Bak enhances viability in fed-batch cultures of CHO cells

Bcl-2 family proteins play a crucial role in the regulation of the mitochondrial pathway that leads to apoptosis. Members of the Bcl-2 family can be divided into the anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L), and the pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bax and Bak and the BH3-only proteins. In this study, siRNA constructs to silence the Bax and Bak genes in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were generated. Stable CHO cell lines in which the expression of Bax and Bak were significantly knocked down were screened by Western blot analysis and confirmed by RT-PCR. CHO cells with both Bax and Bak knocked down showed a clear resistance against cytotoxic lectins and UV irradiation-induced apoptosis. Compared to original CHO-K1 cells, these cells also survived longer when cultured under extreme conditions such as complete nutrient depletion or in high-osmolality medium. CHO cells with both Bax and Bak genes knocked down displayed an extended lifespan as well as higher viable cell densities in fed-batch cultures, both in adherent form on microcarrier beads and in suspension. The IFN-gamma productivity by a rCHO IFN-gamma cell line in which both Bak and Bax were knocked down increased by 35% compared to the control cells. These results indicate that the genetic inactivation of Bax and Bak in recombinant CHO cells can be an effective strategy in delaying the onset of apoptosis in batch and fed-batch cultures.     

Ammonia removal using hepatoma cells in mammalian cell cultures

It was examined whether hepatocyte cell lines can be used for ammonia removal in mammalian cell cultures. It was found that there exists a critical ammonium concentration level for each hepatocyte cell to remove ammonia. Among the cells tested in this work, primary hepatocytes showed the strongest ammonia removal capability if ammonium concentration is higher than the critical level. However, primary hepatocytes lost the liver function gradually and finally died after 2-3 weeks. Because of this limitation, primary hepatocytes were not appropriate to be used for ammonia removal in long-term cultures. Hep G2 cells, which are immortal, also showed a strong ammonia removal activity. The ammonia removal activity of Hep G2 cells depended on the concentration of ammonium in the medium, as in the case of primary hepatocytes. However, urea could not be detected in the course of ammonia removal by Hep G2 cells. Instead of urea, Hep G2 cells secreted glutamine into the culture medium. The capacity for ammonia removal was higher in the absence than in the presence of glutamine. Thus we checked the activity of glutamine synthetase in the Hep G2 cells. The level of glutamine synthetase activity increased with the addition of ammonium chloride. This result accounts for the ammonium concentration dependency of Hep G2 cells in ammonia removal and glutamine synthesis. Furthermore Hep G2 cells could grow well in the absence of glutamine, which was necessarily required in mammalian cell cultures. These results prove that glutamine formation serves as the primary mechanism of detoxifying ammonia in hepatocyte cell lines as expected. In addition, it was demonstrated that ammonium level could be reduced 38% and that erythropoietin production increased 2-fold in the mixed culture of Hep G2 and recombinant CHO cells.     

适于无血清贴壁培养的抗凋亡宿主细胞系CHO-IVB2的构建

应用无血清培养基培养CHO细胞时,由于没有血清提供各种贴壁因子,细胞以悬浮的方式生长。在实际的大规模细胞培养中,CHO细胞往往以贴壁方式培养,要么贴壁于悬浮的微载体中,要么贴壁于固定的聚酯盘状介质或中空纤维中,而很少直接悬浮于培养基中。在无血清培养基中,Vitronectin单一组分可以促使CHO细胞的贴壁和扩增。通过双表达lgf-1和Bcl-2基因,已经构建了可以在无蛋白培养基IMEM中抗凋亡生长的细胞株CHO-IB3。在此基础上,构建了可以同时表达Igf-1、Vitronectin和Bcl-2三个蛋白的三顺反子表达载体pCI—NII—IVB。将该载体转染于CHO—dhfr^-细胞中,构建了一个细胞株CHO—IVB2。该细胞株可以在无蛋白培养基中抗凋亡生长,适于以贴壁的方式大规模培养,用于大量生产外源目的蛋白。     

Beneficial effect of silkworm hemolymph on a CHO cell system: Inhibition of apoptosis and increase of EPO production

To produce erythropoietin (EPO), Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were first cultured in a medium containing FBS (growth medium) and then in a serum-free medium containing sodium butyrate (production medium). Sodium butyrate increases recombinant protein production, but also induces apoptosis, which reduces cell viability and productivity. In a previous study, we found that silkworm hemolymph (SH), an insect serum, inhibits the apoptosis of insect and mammalian cells. To overcome sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis, we added SH to growth medium. This pretreatment with SH inhibited the sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis of CHO cells and consequently increased their longevity and their ability to produce EPO. As a result, the volumetric productivity of EPO was increased five-fold. SH was found to inhibit cytochrome c release from mitochondria into the cytosol, and prevented the activation of caspase-3 and other subsequent caspase reactions.