Oscillatory Flow-induced Proliferation of Osteoblast-like Cells Is Mediated by ��v��3 and ��1 Integrins through Synergistic Interactions of Focal Adhesion Kinase and Shc with Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase and the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K Pathway

Interstitial flow in and around bone tissue is oscillatory in nature and affects the mechanical microenvironment for bone cell growth and formation. We investigated the role of oscillatory shear stress (OSS) in modulating the proliferation of human osteoblast-like MG63 cells and its underlying mechanisms. Application of OSS (0.5 ± 4 dynes/cm²) to MG63 cells induced sustained activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K (p70S6 kinase) signaling cascades and hence cell proliferation, which was accompanied by increased expression of cyclins A and D1, cyclin-dependent protein kinases-2, -4, and -6, and bone formation-related genes (c-fos, Egr-1, and Cox-2) and decreased expression of p21^CIP1 and p27^KIP1. OSS-induced activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K and cell proliferation were inhibited by specific antibodies or small interference RNAs of α_vβ₃ and β₁ integrins and by dominant-negative mutants of Shc (Shc-SH2) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) (FAK(F397Y)). Co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that OSS induces sustained increases in association of Shc and FAK with α_vβ₃ and β₁ integrins and PI3K subunit p85, which were abolished by transfecting the cells with FAK(F397Y) or Shc-SH2. OSS also induced sustained activation of ERK, which was inhibited by the specific PI3K inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002 and was required for OSS-induced activation of mTOR/p70S6K and proliferation in MG63 cells. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which OSS induces osteoblast-like cell proliferation through activation of α_vβ₃ and β₁ integrins and synergistic interactions of FAK and Shc with PI3K, leading to the modulation of downstream ERK and Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathways.     

Hypoxic preconditioning reinforces HIF-alpha-dependent HSP70 signaling to reduce ischemic renal failure-induced renal tubular apoptosis and autophagy

AimsRepetitive hypoxic preconditioning (RHP) may provide more efficient protection than single hypoxic preconditioning against renal ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury via hypoxia-induced factor 1α (HIF-1α)-dependent heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) pathways.Main methodsWistar rats were subjected to intermittent hypoxic exposure (15 h/day), whereas controls were kept at sea level. We evaluated renal expression of HIF-1α, HSP70, the endoplasmic reticulum stress protein GRP78, caspase 12, Beclin-1, and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP) with western blotting. Renal apoptosis determined by terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), Beclin-1-dependent autophagy, and monocyte/macrophage (ED-1) infiltration were evaluated by immunocytochemistry. Renal function was determined with blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and plasma creatinine levels. HIF-1α inhibitors and Deoxyribonucleotide (DNA) or Ribonucleotide (RNA) interference of HSP70 were used to evaluate their possible roles in this process.Key findingsRenal HIF-1α and HSP70 expression were enhanced by hypoxic preconditioning and inhibited by the HIF-1α inhibitor, YC-1, as well as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt inhibitors. After the return to normoxia, renal HSP70 protein levels were maintained for one week in the RHP group, but they decayed after one day in the single hypoxic preconditioning group. Ischemia/reperfusion significantly increased renal TUNEL-apoptosis, Beclin-1-dependent autophagy, ED-1 infiltration, expression of GRP78, caspase 12, Beclin-1, PARP, and BUN and plasma creatinine levels in control rats. RHP significantly decreased all ischemia/reperfusion-enhanced parameters. Intraperitoneal pretreatment with YC-1 and quercetin (an inhibitor of HSP70 induction) eliminated RHP-induced protection. Anti-sense oligodeoxyribonucleotides or interference RNA targeting HSP70 abrogated the protection against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative injury in RHP-treated proximal tubules.SignificanceWe demonstrate that RHP promotes HIF-1α-dependent HSP70 signaling to reduce renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.     

Versatile modes of peptide recognition by the ClpX N domain mediate alternative adaptor‐binding specificities in different bacterial species

ClpXP, an AAA+ protease, plays key roles in protein‐quality control and many regulatory processes in bacteria. The N‐terminal domain of the ClpX component of ClpXP is involved in recognition of many protein substrates, either directly or by binding the SspB adaptor protein, which delivers specific classes of substrates for degradation. Despite very limited sequence homology between the E. coli and C. crescentus SspB orthologs, each of these adaptors can deliver substrates to the ClpXP enzyme from the other bacterial species. We show that the ClpX N domain recognizes different sequence determinants in the ClpX‐binding (XB) peptides of C. crescentus SspBα and E. coli SspB. The C. crescentus XB determinants span 10 residues and involve interactions with multiple side chains, whereas the E. coli XB determinants span half as many residues with only a few important side chain contacts. These results demonstrate that the N domain of ClpX functions as a highly versatile platform for peptide recognition, allowing the emergence during evolution of alternative adaptor‐binding specificities. Our results also reveal highly conserved residues in the XB peptides of both E. coli SspB and C. crescentus SspBα that play no detectable role in ClpX‐binding or substrate delivery.     

Secondary Metabolites and Antimycobacterial Activities from the Roots of Ficus nervosa

Bioassay‐guided fractionation of the active AcOEt‐soluble layer led to the isolation of two new pyranocoumarins, 3‐hydroxyxanthyletin ( 1 ) and 3‐methoxyxanthyletin ( 2 ), along with 22 known compounds including four simple coumarins, i.e., xanthyletin ( 3 ), umbelliferone ( 4 ), scopoletin ( 5 ), and (+)‐(S)‐marmesin ( 6 ); nine flavonoids, i.e., carpachromene ( 7 ), parvisoflavone B ( 8 ), alpinumisoflavone ( 9 ) genistein ( 10 ), 2′‐hydroxygenistein ( 11 ), prunetin ( 12 ), cajanin ( 13 ), apigenin ( 14 ), and (2S)‐naringenin ( 15 ); three benzenoids, i.e., 4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde ( 16 ), vanillin ( 17 ), and (S)‐lasiodiplodin ( 18 ); five steroids, i.e., ergosterol peroxide ( 19 ), a mixture of 6β‐hydroxystigmast‐4‐en‐3‐one ( 20 ) and 6β‐hydroxystigmasta‐4,22‐dien‐3‐one ( 21 ), and a mixture of β‐sitosterol ( 22 ) and stigmasterol ( 23 ); and one triterpenoid, i.e., oleanolic acid ( 24 ) from the roots of Ficus nervosa. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR as well as MS analyses. Among these isolates, 3‐hydroxyxanthyletin ( 1 ), genistein ( 10 ), prunetin ( 12 ), and (2S)‐naringenin ( 15 ) showed antimycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇R_V in vitro with MIC values of 16, 35, 30, and ≤2.8 μg/ml, respectively.     

Upregulation of the Chemokine (C-C Motif) Ligand 2 via a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Spike-ACE2 Signaling Pathway

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was identified to be the causative agent of SARS with atypical pneumonia. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the major receptor for SARS-CoV. It is not clear whether ACE2 conveys signals from the cell surface to the nucleus and regulates expression of cellular genes upon SARS-CoV infection. To understand the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV, human type II pneumocyte (A549) cells were incubated with the viral spike protein or with SARS-CoV virus-like particles containing the viral spike protein to examine cytokine modulation in lung cells. Results from oligonucleotide-based microarray, real-time PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays indicated an upregulation of the fibrosis-associated chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) by the viral spike protein and the virus-like particles. The upregulation of CCL2 by SARS-CoV spike protein was mainly mediated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and AP-1 but not the IκBα-NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, Ras and Raf upstream of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway were involved in the upregulation of CCL2. Furthermore, ACE2 receptor was activated by casein kinase II-mediated phosphorylation in cells pretreated with the virus-like particles containing spike protein. These results indicate that SARS-CoV spike protein triggers ACE2 signaling and activates fibrosis-associated CCL2 expression through the Ras-ERK-AP-1 pathway.Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an atypical pneumonia that occurred in several countries during late 2002 and the first half of 2003. A novel coronavirus, SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV), isolated from SARS patients was identified to be the causative agent of SARS. SARS-CoV infected more than 8,000 people, with a worldwide mortality rate of 9.6% (8, 20). The virus contains a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome of approximately 30,000 nucleotides. Four major structural proteins including spike (S), membrane (M), envelope (E), and nucleocapsid (N) make up the SARS-CoV particles (31, 36). Angiotensin (Ang)-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and CD209L (L-SIGN) have been identified to be the receptors for SARS-CoV (15, 27). SARS-CoV spike protein induced ACE2-mediated interleukin-8 (IL-8) release from lung cells via activation of activation protein 1 (AP-1) (4). Nevertheless, involvement of ACE2 in virus pathogenesis is not fully understood.Dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules may be involved in lung injury that causes acute respiratory distress syndrome. High levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were detected in the sera and ACE2⁺ cells of SARS patients (12, 45). Elevated levels of cytokines, including alpha interferon (IFN-α), IFN-β, IFN-γ, CCL3, CCL5, and CXCL10, were also detected in SARS-CoV-infected macrophages, dendritic cells, and a colon carcinoma cell line (1, 5, 25). It is possible that the high fatality rate of SARS results from a severe immune response caused by cytokines and chemokines.CCL2 [chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2; monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, (MCP-1)] is a CC chemokine that attracts monocytes, memory T lymphocytes, and basophils. CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 are involved in inflammatory reactions, including monocyte/macrophage migration, Th2 cell polarization, and the production of TGF-β and procollagen in fibroblast cells (9, 10). CCL2 is thus associated with several lung inflammatory disorders including acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis (35). These inflammatory disorders and pulmonary infiltration are known to account for the progressive respiratory failure and death of SARS patients. In addition, upregulation of CCL2 was detected in the sera of SARS patients and the supernatant of a SARS-CoV-infected culture system (5, 16). However, mechanisms by which SARS-CoV is involved in the upregulation of CCL2 are not known.In this study, we have taken a step forward in understanding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV by examining SARS-CoV-mediated cytokine modulation in human type II pneumocyte (A549) cells and monkey kidney Vero E6 cells. Both pretreatment of A549 cells with SARS-CoV virus-like particles (VLPs) and preincubation of the cells with the viral spike protein upregulate the expression of fibrosis-associated CCL2. SARS-CoV may interact with ACE2 receptor and activate casein kinase II-mediated ACE2 phosphorylation, which is critical for SARS-CoV-induced CCL2 upregulation. In addition, Ras, Raf, MEK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and AP-1 are directly involved in SARS-CoV-induced CCL2 upregulation. These data suggest that the intracellular ACE2 signaling pathway in the pneumocytes of SARS-CoV-infected patients confers risks of lung fibrosis leading to respiratory failure.     

Herb–drug interaction of Andrographis paniculata extract and andrographolide on the pharmacokinetics of theophylline in rats

Herb–drug interaction has become a serious problem since herbal medicine is extensively used in the modern world. This study investigates effects of Andrographis paniculata extract (APE) and its major component, andrographolide (AG), on the pharmacokinetics of theophylline, a typical substrate of cytochrome P450 1A2 enzyme, in rats. After APE or AG pretreatment for 3 days, on the fourth day rats were administered theophylline via femoral vein cannula. The blood theophylline levels were monitored by microdialysis sampling combined with HPLC-UV. The results indicated that the clearance of theophylline was significantly increased and the area under concentration–time curve (AUC) was reduced in both AG and APE pretreated groups at low-dose theophylline administration (1 mg/kg). The elimination half-life (t_1/2β) and mean residence time (MRT) of theophylline were shortened by 14% and 17%, respectively, in the AG pretreated group when high-dose theophylline (5 mg/kg) was given. However, theophylline accumulated in rat of the group with APE pretreatment. This phenomenon suggests that some other herbal components contained in APE may interact with theophylline and retard its elimination when theophylline was administered at a high dose. Our results suggest that patients who want to use CYP1A2-metabolized drugs such as caffeine and theophylline should be advised of the potential herb–drug interaction, to reduce therapeutic failure or increased toxicity of conventional drug therapy.     

Calcium site mutations in cadherin: impact on adhesion and evidence of cooperativity

This work describes quantitative force and bead aggregation measurements of the adhesion and binding mechanisms of canine E-cadherin mutants W2A, D134A, D103A, D216A, D325A, and D436A. The W2A mutation affects the formation of the N-terminal strand dimer, and the remaining mutations target calcium binding sites at the interdomain junctions. Surface force measurements show that the full ectodomain of canine E-cadherin forms two bound states that span two intermembrane gap distances. The outer bond coincides with adhesion between the N-terminal extracellular domains (EC1) and the inner bond corresponds to adhesion via extracellular domain 3 (EC3). The W2A, D103A, D134A, and D216A mutations all eliminated adhesion between the N-terminal domains, and they attenuated or nearly eliminated the inner bond. The W2A mutant, which does not destabilize the protein structure, attenuates binding via EC3, which is separated from the mutation by several hundred amino acids. This long-range effect suggests that the presence or absence of tryptophan-2 docking allosterically alters the adhesive function of distal sites on the protein. This finding appears to reconcile the multidomain binding mechanism with mutagenesis studies, which suggested that W2 is the sole binding interface. The effects of the calcium site mutations indicate that structural perturbations cooperatively impact large regions of the protein structure. However, the influence of the calcium sites on cadherin structure and function depends on their location in the protein.