Development of an Automated and Sensitive Microfluidic Device for Capturing and Characterizing Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from Clinical Blood Samples

Current analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is hindered by sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity of devices or assays as well as lack of capability of characterization of CTCs with clinical biomarkers. Here, we validate a novel technology to enrich and characterize CTCs from blood samples of patients with metastatic breast, prostate and colorectal cancers using a microfluidic chip which is processed by using an automated staining and scanning system from sample preparation to image processing. The Celsee system allowed for the detection of CTCs with apparent high sensitivity and specificity (94% sensitivity and 100% specificity). Moreover, the system facilitated rapid capture of CTCs from blood samples and also allowed for downstream characterization of the captured cells by immunohistochemistry, DNA and mRNA fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). In a subset of patients with prostate cancer we compared the technology with a FDA-approved CTC device, CellSearch and found a higher degree of sensitivity with the Celsee instrument. In conclusion, the integrated Celsee system represents a promising CTC technology for enumeration and molecular characterization.     

Cryo-electron microscopy reveals the membrane insertion mechanism of V. cholerae hemolysin

Vibrio cholerae hemolysin (HlyA) is a 65?kDa pore-forming toxin which causes lysis of target eukaryotic cells by forming heptameric channels in the plasma membrane. Deletion of the 15?kDa C-terminus β-prism carbohydrate-binding domain generates a 50?kDa truncated variant (HlyA50) with 1000-fold-reduced pore-forming activity. Previously, we showed by cryo-electron microscopy that the two toxin oligomers have central channels, but the 65?kDa toxin oligomer is a seven-fold symmetric structure with bowl-, ring-, and arm-like domains, whereas the 50?kDa oligomer is an asymmetric jar-like heptamer. In the present study, we determined three-dimensional(3D) structures of HlyA and HlyA50 in presence of erythrocyte stroma and observed that interaction of the 65?kDa toxin with the stroma induced a significant decrease in the height of the β-barrel oligomer with a change in conformation of the ring- and arm-like domains of HlyA. These features were absent in interaction of HlyA50 with stroma. We propose that this conformational transition is critical for membrane-insertion of the toxin.     

Lysine overproducing Corynebacterium glutamicum is characterized by a robust linear combination of two optimal phenotypic states

A homoserine auxotroph strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum accumulates storage compound trehalose with lysine when limited by growth. Industrially lysine is produced from C. glutamicum through aspartate biosynthetic pathway, where enzymatic activity of aspartate kinase is allosterically controlled by the concerted feedback inhibition of threonine plus lysine. Ample threonine in the medium supports growth and inhibits lysine production (phenotype-I) and its complete absence leads to inhibition of growth in addition to accumulating lysine and trehalose (phenotype-II). In this work, we demonstrate that as threonine concentration becomes limiting, metabolic state of the cell shifts from maximizing growth (phenotype-I) to maximizing trehalose phenotype (phenotype-II) in a highly sensitive manner (with a Hill coefficient of 4). Trehalose formation was linked to lysine production through stoichiometry of the network. The study demonstrated that the net flux of the population was a linear combination of the two optimal phenotypic states, requiring only two experimental measurements to evaluate the flux distribution. The property of linear combination of two extreme phenotypes was robust for various medium conditions including varying batch time, initial glucose concentrations and medium osmolality.     

A Mechanism of Global Shape-dependent Recognition and Phosphorylation of Filamin by Protein Kinase A

Protein phosphorylation mediates essentially all aspects of cellular life. In humans, this is achieved by ∼500 kinases, each recognizing a specific consensus motif (CM) in the substrates. The majority of CMs are surface-exposed and are thought to be accessible to kinases for phosphorylation. Here we investigated the archetypical protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated phosphorylation of filamin, a major cytoskeletal protein that can adopt an autoinhibited conformation. Surprisingly, autoinhibited filamin is refractory to phosphorylation by PKA on a known Ser²¹⁵² site despite its CM being exposed and the corresponding isolated peptide being readily phosphorylated. Structural analysis revealed that although the CM fits into the PKA active site its surrounding regions sterically clash with the kinase. However, upon ligand binding, filamin undergoes a conformational adjustment, allowing rapid phosphorylation on Ser²¹⁵². These data uncover a novel ligand-induced conformational switch to trigger filamin phosphorylation. They further suggest a substrate shape-dependent filtering mechanism that channels specific exposed CM/kinase recognition in diverse signaling responses.     

MAS C-Terminal Tail Interacting Proteins Identified by Mass Spectrometry- Based Proteomic Approach

Propagation of signals from G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in cells is primarily mediated by protein-protein interactions. MAS is a GPCR that was initially discovered as an oncogene and is now known to play an important role in cardiovascular physiology. Current literature suggests that MAS interacts with common heterotrimeric G-proteins, but MAS interaction with proteins which might mediate G protein-independent or atypical signaling is unknown. In this study we hypothesized that MAS C-terminal tail (Ct) is a major determinant of receptor-scaffold protein interactions mediating MAS signaling. Mass-spectrometry based proteomic analysis was used to comprehensively identify the proteins that interact with MAS Ct comprising the PDZ-binding motif (PDZ-BM). We identified both PDZ and non-PDZ proteins from human embryonic kidney cell line, mouse atrial cardiomyocyte cell line and human heart tissue to interact specifically with MAS Ct. For the first time our study provides a panel of PDZ and other proteins that potentially interact with MAS with high significance. A ‘cardiac-specific finger print’ of MAS interacting PDZ proteins was identified which includes DLG1, MAGI1 and SNTA. Cell based experiments with wild-type and mutant MAS lacking the PDZ-BM validated MAS interaction with PDZ proteins DLG1 and TJP2. Bioinformatics analysis suggested well-known multi-protein scaffold complexes involved in nitric oxide signaling (NOS), cell-cell signaling of neuromuscular junctions, synapses and epithelial cells. Majority of these protein hits were predicted to be part of disease categories comprising cancers and malignant tumors. We propose a ‘MAS-signalosome’ model to stimulate further research in understanding the molecular mechanism of MAS function. Identifying hierarchy of interactions of ‘signalosome’ components with MAS will be a necessary step in future to fully understand the physiological and pathological functions of this enigmatic receptor.     

Proteomic Profiling of SupT1 Cells Reveal Modulation of Host Proteins by HIV-1 Nef Variants

Nef is an accessory viral protein that promotes HIV-1 replication, facilitating alterations in cellular pathways via multiple protein-protein interactions. The advent of proteomics has expanded the focus on better identification of novel molecular pathways regulating disease progression. In this study, nef was sequenced from randomly selected patients, however, sequence variability identified did not elicited any specific mutation that could have segregated HIV-1 patients in different stages of disease progression. To explore the difference in Nef functionality based on sequence variability we used proteomics approach. Proteomic profiling was done to compare the effect of Nef variants in host cell protein expression. 2DGE in control and Nef transfected SupT1 cells demonstrated several differentially expressed proteins. Fourteen protein spots were detected with more than 1.5 fold difference. Significant down regulation was seen in six unique protein spots in the Nef treated cells. Proteins were identified as Cyclophilin A, EIF5A-1 isoform B, Rho GDI 1 isoform a, VDAC1, OTUB1 and α-enolase isoform 1 (ENO1) through LC-MS/MS. The differential expression of the 6 proteins was analyzed by Real time PCR, Western blotting and Immunofluorescence studies with two Nef variants (RP14 and RP01) in SupT1 cells. There was contrasting difference between the effect of these Nef variants upon the expression of these six proteins. Downregulation of α-enolase (ENO1), VDAC1 and OTUB1 was more significant by Nef RP01 whereas Cyclophilin A and RhoGDI were found to be more downregulated by Nef RP14. This difference in Nef variants upon host protein expression was also studied through a site directed mutant of Nef RP01 _{(55AAAAAAA61)} and the effect was found to be reversed. Deciphering the role of these proteins mediated by Nef variants will open a new avenue of research in understanding Nef mediated pathogenesis. Overall study determines modulation of cellular protein expression in T cells by HIV-1 Nef variants.