Axoskeletal proteins prevent oligodendrocyte from toxic injury by upregulating survival,proliferation, and differentiation in vitro

Neurofilaments (NF) are detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and their concentration correlates with disease severity. We recently demonstrated that NF and co-isolated proteins increase the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocytes (OL) in vitro. If these proteins are released in the extracellular environment in MS, they might then regulate remyelination by OL. To test this hypothesis we took advantage of a paradigm of OL toxic injury using lysophosphatidyl choline (LPC), which decreases proliferation and differentiation of surviving cells, and destroys myelin-like membranes. In OL cultures that have been treated with LPC, NF fractions as well as tubulin (TUB) significantly improved recovery: the number of OL progenitors (OLP, A2B5+ cells) increased by 100% and their proliferation by 200%, whereas differentiated (CNP+) and mature (MBP+) cells increased by 150% compared to cultures treated with LPC alone. When added at the time of LPC treatment, NF and TUB protected OL from LPC toxicity; they increased OLP by 90%, as well as the number of CNP+ and MBP+ OL by 65–110%, respectively, compared to cultures treated only with LPC. These effects were specific since irrelevant proteins (actin, skin proteins) were ineffective. This demonstrates that NF and TUB protect OL and increase OLP proliferation, as well as their survival, when challenged with LPC, without delaying differentiation and maturation in vitro. Thus, NF and TUB delivered following axonal damage in MS could participate in the regulation of remyelination through this process.     

Functional Similarities of Recombinant OLP and Cytokinin-Binding Protein 2

CBP1 and CBP2 are cytokinin-binding proteins isolated from tobacco callus. In particularly, CBP2 is a 26-kDa protein with high affinity (Kd=1.08×10^-6M) for cytokinin[Kobayashi et al. Plant Cell Physiol. 41(2): 148-157 (2000)] and the N-terminal amino acid analysis of CBP2 showed high sequence homology (92.9%) to tobacco osmotin-like protein (OLP). To compare the properties of OLP and CBP2, recombinant OLP was purified, and binding to benzyladenine (BA) was examined. The inclusion bodies of recombinant OLP were solubilized in 8 M urea and purified on an SP-Sepharose column. SDS-PAGE analysis of the purified recombinant OLP revealed a single band of 26 kDa. The Kd of solublized recombinant OLP to BA obtained from a Scachard plot was 1.10×10^-6M, which was similar to the Kd of CBP2 to BA (1.08×10^-6M).     

The molecular mechanisms of the effect of Dexamethasone and Cyclosporin A on TLR4 /NF-κB signaling pathway activation in oral lichen planus

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling transduction pathway play important roles in the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory diseases, but its function in oral lichen planus (OLP) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB-p65 and inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β by immunohistochemistry in OLP tissues, and found that TLR4 and NF-κB-p65 were significantly upregulated in OLP compared to normal oral mucosa (P<0.05). We used keratinocytes HaCaT stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate the local OLP immune environment to some extent. RT-PCR and immunoblotting analyses showed significant activation of TLR4 and NF-κB-p65 in the circumstance of LPS-induced inflammatory response. The high expression of TLR4 and NF-κB-p65 are correlated with expression of cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β (P<0.05). We further showed that NF-κB could act as an anti-apoptotic molecule in OLP. We conclude that TLR4 and the NF-κB signaling pathway may interact with the perpetuation of OLP. Steroids and cyclosporine are effective in the treatment of symptomatic OLP. However, there was some weak evidence for the mechanism over Dexamethasone (DeX) and Cyclosporine A (CsA) for the palliation of symptomatic OLP. In the present study, we found that Dexamethasone and Cyclosporine A negatively regulated NF-κB signaling pathway under LPS simulation in HaCaT cells by inhibiting TLR4 expression, on the other hand, Cyclosporine A could inhibit HaCaT cell proliferation by the induction of the apoptosis of HaCaT cells to protect OLP from the destruction of epidermal cells effectively.     

口腔扁平苔藓患者的CIITA基因单倍型分析

目的:分析CIITA基因中单核苷酸多态性(Single Nucleotide Polymorphism,SNP)的单倍型与口腔扁平苔藓(Oral Lichen Planus,OLP)之间的关系,并探讨计算单倍型的新方法。方法:在得到42名患者与86名对照的CIITA基因中15个SNP位点的信息后,通过Haploview和SHEsis软件以及本研究组设计的频数计数法进行单倍型分析。组间比较使用χ2检验,并以P=0.05作为统计检验标准。结果:在本研究群体中,CIITA基因上的15个SNP位点能够形成两个单体域(haploblock),其中由位点rs6498124,rs11647384和rs4774所组成的单倍型GAC在三种单倍型分析方法中均显示出显著的统计学差异(Haploview:Chi2=6.127,P=0.013;SHEsis:Chi2=6.469 P=0.011;频数计数法:Chi2=5.460,P=0.019)。结论:在由CIITA基因的SNP位点rs6498124,rs11647384,rs4774组成的单体域中,单倍型GAC对OLP的患病具有潜在的保护性。频数计数法显示,rs4774位点本身的保护性及其与同一单体域内另外两个位点之间的完全连锁不平衡关系是单体型GAC显示出保护性的主要依据。提示单倍型对疾病易感性的解释在于其中的特定SNP位点等位基因型,及其该位点与其它相关位点间的连锁不平衡关系。     

Axon cytoskeleton proteins specifically modulate oligodendrocyte growth and differentiation in vitro

In multiple sclerosis (MS) remyelination by oligodendrocytes (OL) is incomplete, and it is associated with a decrease in axonal neurofilaments (NF) and tubulin (TUB). To determine whether these proteins could participate directly in MS remyelination failure, or indirectly through proteins that are co-associated, we have analysed their effects in pure OL cultures. Rat brain NF fractions, recovered by successive centrifugations increase either OL progenitor (OLP) proliferation (2nd pellet, P2), or only their maturation (P5), whereas albumin, liver and skin proteins, as well as recombinant GFAP or purified actin were ineffective. NF (P2) copurify mainly with TUB, as well as with other proteins, like MAPs, Tau, spectrin β2, and synapsin 2. These purified, or recombinant, proteins increased OLP proliferation without delaying their maturation, and appeared responsible for the proliferation observed with P2 fractions. Among putative signaling pathways mediating these effects Fyn kinase was not involved. Whereas NF did not alter the growth of cultured astrocytes, the NF associated proteins enhanced their proliferation. This suggests that NF and their associated proteins exert specific effects on OL development, broadening the field of axon-oligodendrocyte interactions. In case of axon damage in vivo, extracellular release of such axonal proteins could regulate remyelination and astrocytic gliosis.