Mimicking phosphorylation at Ser-48 strongly reduces surface expression of human macrophage scavenger receptor class A: implications on cell motility

The role of human macrophage scavenger receptor A1 (SRA1) in the development of atherosclerotic lesions is still scarcely defined. Substituting serine 48 in human SRA1 by an aspartate demonstrated that (1) surface expression of the mutated receptor was 13-fold decreased; (2) the amount of cell-associated Texas red-labeled acetylated low density lipoprotein (LDL) in mutant receptor-expressing cells was almost three-fold reduced; (3) the migration of mutant receptor-transfected cells towards surfaces coated with oxidized LDL decreased by almost 60% compared to cells that were transfected with the wild type receptor. Phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic part of SRA1 may help to modulate the residence time of macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions.     

Sitagliptin‐mediated preservation of endothelial progenitor cell function via augmenting autophagy enhances ischaemic angiogenesis in diabetes

Recently, the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitor sitagliptin, a major anti‐hyperglycaemic agent, has received substantial attention as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases via enhancing the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). However, the direct effects of sitagliptin on EPC function remain elusive. In this study, we evaluated the proangiogenic effects of sitagliptin on a diabetic hind limb ischaemia (HLI) model in vivo and on EPC culture in vitro. Treatment of db/db mice with sitagliptin (Januvia) after HLI surgery efficiently enhanced ischaemic angiogenesis and blood perfusion, which was accompanied by significant increases in circulating EPC numbers. EPCs derived from the bone marrow of normal mice were treated with high glucose to mimic diabetic hyperglycaemia. We found that high glucose treatment induced EPC apoptosis and tube formation impairment, which were significantly prevented by sitagliptin pretreatment. A mechanistic study found that high glucose treatment of EPCs induced dramatic increases in oxidative stress and apoptosis; pretreatment of EPCs with sitagliptin significantly attenuated high glucose‐induced apoptosis, tube formation impairment and oxidative stress. Furthermore, we found that sitagliptin restored the basal autophagy of EPCs that was impaired by high glucose via activating the AMP‐activated protein kinase/unc‐51‐like autophagy activating kinase 1 signalling pathway, although an autophagy inhibitor abolished the protective effects of sitagliptin on EPCs. Altogether, the results indicate that sitagliptin‐induced preservation of EPC angiogenic function results in an improvement of diabetic ischaemia angiogenesis and blood perfusion, which are most likely mediated by sitagliptin‐induced prevention of EPC apoptosis via augmenting autophagy.     

Discrimination of inclined path segments by the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis

Desert ants (Cataglyphis fortis) navigate by means of path integration, and perform accurately even in undulating terrain. They are able to correctly calculate the ground distance between nest and feeder even if their foraging excursion leads them over corrugated surfaces. To compute the respective ground projection when walking over an inclined surface, ants must measure its slope with sufficient accuracy—but how they do so is still not understood. Using a new behavioural assay that included a negative reinforcement, we investigated how well different slopes are discriminated by the ants. Ants were trained to visit an elevated feeder, via a ramp of fixed inclination (five training inclinations were used: 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°). The ants discriminated a steeper test slope that differed from the training slope by 12.5°. This discrimination performance was found to be constant for training slopes between 0° and 45°. Ants trained on a 60° slope, however, did not discriminate all steeper slopes, up to a vertical ascent, from the 60° inclination. The consequences of this discrimination accuracy for errors in the path integration process are discussed.     

Immunocytological localization of the HNK-1 carbohydrate in murine cerebellum,hippocampus and spinal cord using monoclonal antibodies with different epitope specificities

The HNK-1 carbohydrate, an unusual 3′-sulfated glucuronic acid epitope characteristic of many neural recognition molecules, serves as a ligand in neural cell interactions and is differentially expressed in the quadriceps and saphenous branches of the femoral nerve in the PNS of adult mice. Based on these observations, we investigated the possibility that the HNK-1 carbohydrate may be differentially distributed in neurons and fiber tracts also in the CNS thereby contributing to different targeting and guidance mechanisms. We have used antibodies with different HNK-1 epitope specificities to probe for subtle differences in expression patterns. In the adult mouse cerebellum the HNK-1 carbohydrate is detectable in stripe-like compartments in the molecular and Purkinje cell layers, whereas N-CAM and its associated α2,8 polysialic acid does not show this compartmentation. In the adult hippocampus, the HNK-1 carbohydrate localizes to perineuronal nets of inhibitory interneurons and marks the inner third of the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. In the adult spinal cord, HNK-1 labeling is most pronounced in gray matter areas. White matter enriched regions show differential labeling with regard to fiber tracts and antibody specificity. Whereas the different antibodies do not show differences in staining in the cerebellum and the hippocampus, they show differences in staining pattern of fiber tracts and motoneurons in the spinal cord. The HNK-1 expression pattern also differed in the adult spinal cord from that observed at embryonic day 14 and postnatal day 14. Our observations suggest a functional role in the specification of functionally discrete compartments in different areas of the CNS and during development.     

Macrophages of patients with X-linked thrombocytopenia display an attenuated Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome phenotype

The immunodeficiency disorder Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and its milder form X-linked thrombo-cytopenia are caused by mutations in the WASp gene. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is characterized by a plethora of clinical symptoms which are due to functional defects of haematopoietic cells, including the inability of macrophages to form actin-rich adhesion structures called podosomes. In contrast, X-linked thrombocytopenia patients show reduced platelet size and counts but no cytoskeletal white blood cell defects have been detected so far. Here we use immunofluorescence technique to evaluate podosome formation in macrophages from X-linked thrombocyto-penia and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome patients and from healthy donors. We find that X-linked thrombocytopenia macrophages, cells previously thought to be unaffected in this disorder, are compromised in the formation of podosomes. Western blot analysis shows that this phenotype is not due to lower levels of WASp expression. Interestingly, the bacterial chemoattractant formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine can rescue podosome formation in X-linked thrombocytopenia cells. Our findings indicate that: 1. The spectrum of WASp-dependent disorders contains defects more subtle than originally recognized and 2. in X-linked thrombocytopenia, some of these defects may not be evident under conditions of bacterial stimulation. Further evaluation of this and other, as yet unrecognized, cellular defects may provide a more complete picture of the continuum of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and X-linked thrombocytopenia defects.     

The interaction of a lung surfactant protein (SP-A) with macrophages is mannose dependent

Lung surfactant protein A (SP-A) is the main protein component of pulmonary surfactant, which lines the alveolar space. We examined the interaction between recombinant human SP-A and human macrophages or monocytes. Binding and uptake of SP-A adsorbed onto colloidal gold particles was followed by electron microscopy and quantitated on micrographs. SP-A particles were internalized via coated pits/vesicles and transported to secondary lysosomes. Uptake was inhibited in the presence of alpha-D-mannosyl-bovine serum albumin (BSA) but not by beta-D-galactosyl-BSA. Two mannose-dependent recognition mechanisms might mediate SP-A uptake by macrophages. First, as SP-A is a glycoprotein with N-glycosylated glycans it could act as a ligand for the mannose-specific receptor on macrophages. Second, as SP-A is a mannose-specific lectin itself it could bind to mannose residues on the macrophage's cell surface. Activity of the Man-receptor on macrophages was demonstrated with alpha-D-mannosyl-BSA coated onto gold particles. Exposed alpha-D-mannosyl residues on macrophages were identified by Concanavalin A adsorbed onto gold particles. Hence, both mechanisms may be involved in principle. As monocytes have no mannose-specific receptor activity on their cell surface but internalize SP-A gold particles in a mannose-dependent manner, we conclude that at least the second mechanism participates in the recognition of SP-A by macrophages.     

Apoptosis induced by oxidized low density lipoprotein in human monocyte-derived macrophages involves CD36 and activation of caspase-3.

Macrophage death may play a crucial role in the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Here we present evidence that CD36 is involved in oxidized LDL (OxLDL)-induced apoptosis in human monocyte-derived macrophages. Anti-CD36 mAb SMO and OKM-5 reduced the number of apoptotic cells in OxLDL-treated macrophages by more than 94%, but they did not block ceramide-triggered apoptosis. Thrombospondin inhibited the induction of apoptosis by OxLDL in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 10-30 microM. OxLDL did not induce apoptosis in CD36-negative macrophages, demonstrating the essential role of this scavenger receptor in OxLDL-triggered programmed cell death. Neither anti-CD36 Ig nor thrombospondin triggered programmed cell death suggesting that binding to CD36 alone is not sufficient to initiate apoptosis. However, inhibitors of OxLDL-induced apoptosis did not block the uptake of 3H-labeled OxLDL. In contrast, acetylated LDL and polyinosinic acid, ligands of scavenger receptor A (SRA), inhibited uptake of 3H-labeled OxLDL by 65 and 49%, respectively, but did not block OxLDL-induced apoptosis, indicating that SRA is not involved in this process. OxLDL also stimulated caspase-3 activity in human macrophages. Activation of caspase-3 was blocked by anti-CD36 Ig and the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK. These results suggest that binding of OxLDL to CD36 initiates a yet unknown OxLDL-specific signaling event, which leads to the rapid activation of caspase-3 resulting in apoptosis of human macrophages. Our data demonstrate a novel role for CD36 in macrophage biology with likely consequences for the development of atherosclerotic lesions.     

Comparative studies of calretinin expression by WiDr cell line in vivo in xenografts in nude mice and in vitro.

WiDr cells from a human colon adenocarcinoma cultivated in vitro express the calcium binding protein calretinin. The immunoreactivity is present in some interphasic cells and decreases after seven days in culture together with the augmentation of the cell number. Calretinin expression is maintained in the undifferentiated cells of the tumoral mass developed in nude mice and in recultivated isolated tumour cells from the xenograft. From the experiments here described, the protein expression is quantitatively influenced in vitro by the addition of drugs, such as colchicine and taxol, which intervene in cytoskeleton organisation. The percentage of the calretinin immunoreactive cells increases after the addition of colchicine to the medium while the immunoblot analysis shows a higher calretinin content in the cells treated with taxol.