Differential Expression of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptor in Skeletal Muscle of Chick and Rat After Nerve Injury

Abstract: The activities of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) were initially thought to be restricted to cells in the nervous system. However, the recent identification of its receptor specificity-conferring α component (CNTFRα) in skeletal muscle has provided the clue to the unexpected actions of CNTF in the periphery. In the present study, we demonstrated that the mRNA expression of CNTFRα in chick skeletal muscle was decreased by ∼10-fold after nerve transection; this finding is in sharp contrast to the dramatic up-regulation observed in denervated rat muscle. As a first step toward investigating the differential regulation of CNTFRα in chick and rat, we examined the mRNA expression of CNTFRα in different types of muscle following nerve injury in young and adult animals. Our findings demonstrated that the differential expression of CNTFRα observed in denervated skeletal muscle of the chick and rat was not dependent on age or muscle type. The temporal profile of the changes in CNTFRα expression was, however, dependent on the age of the chick as well as the types of muscle. Furthermore, the low level of CNTFRα expression observed in denervated chick muscle recovered to almost control levels in regenerating skeletal muscle. Taken together, our findings provided the first extensive analysis on the mRNA expression of CNTFRα and the α subunit of the acetylcholine receptor in various skeletal muscles of the chick following nerve injury and regeneration.     

Purification of the Chick Eye Ciliary Neuronotrophic Factor

Dissociated 8-day chick embryo ciliary ganglionic neurons will not survive for even 24 h in culture without the addition of specific supplements. One such supplement is a protein termed the ciliary neuronotrophic factor (CNTF) which is present at very high concentrations within intraocular tissues that contain the same muscle cells innervated by ciliary ganglionic neurons in vivo. We describe here the purification of chick eye CNTF by a 2 1/2-day procedure involving the processing of intraocular tissue extract sequentially through DE52 ion-exchange chromatography, membrane ultrafiltration-concentration, sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, and preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient electrophoresis. An aqueous extract of the tissue from 300 eyes will yield about 10-20 micrograms of biologically active, electrophoretically pure CNTF with a specific activity of 7.5 X 10(6) trophic units/mg protein. Purified CNTF has an Mr of 20,400 daltons and an isoelectric point of about 5, as determined by analytical gel electrophoresis. In addition to supporting the survival of ciliary ganglion neurons, purified CNTF also supports the 24-h survival of cultured neurons from certain chick and rodent sensory and sympathetic ganglia. CNTF differs from mouse submaxillary nerve growth factor (NGF) in molecular weight, isoelectric point, inability to be inactivated by antibodies to NGF, ability to support the in vitro survival of the ciliary ganglion neurons, and inability to support that of 8-day chick embryo dorsal root ganglionic neurons. Thus, CNTF represents the first purified neuronotrophic factor which addresses parasympathetic cholinergic neurons.     

人睫状神经营养因子基因及突变体在大肠杆菌中的表达

人睫状神经营养因子（ｈｕｍａｎ ｃｉｌｉａｒｙ ｎｅｕｒｏｔｒｏｐｈｉｃ ｆａｃｔｏｒ,ｈＣＮＴＦ）ｃＤＮＡ克隆入具有ＰＬ启动子的表达载体,转化大肠杆菌ＨＢ１０１,构建成表达ｈＣＮＴＦ菌株。热诱导后,ｈＣＮＴＦ的表达量达菌体总蛋白量的２５％。用离子交换层析、凝胶过滤层析从菌体裂解液中纯化了ｈＣＮＴＦ。ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥｈＣＮＴＦ的分子量约为２４ｋｄ,Ｎ端氨基酸序列分析结果与依基因核苷酸推导疗列相符。     

Evidence for Multiple, Local Functions of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF) in Retinal Development: Expression of CNTF and Its Receptor and In Vitro Effects on Target Cells

Abstract: There is increasing, although largely indirect, evidence that neurotrophic factors not only function as target-derived survival factors for projection neurons, but also act locally to regulate developmental processes. We studied the expression of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and the CNTF-specific ligand-binding α-subunit of the CNTF receptor complex (CNTFRα) in the rat retina, a well-defined CNS model system, and CNTF effects on cultured retinal neurons. Both CNTF and CNTFRα (mRNA and protein) are expressed during phases of retinal neurogenesis and differentiation. Retina-specific Müller glia are immunocytochemically identified as the site of CNTF production and CNTFRα-expressing, distinct neuronal cell types as potential CNTF targets. Biological effects on corresponding neurons in culture further support the conclusion that locally supplied CNTF plays a regulatory role in the development of various retinal cell types including ganglion cells and interneurons.     

Binding Interactions of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor with the Different Subunits of Their High Affinity Receptors

Abstract: Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) share common components in their multimeric receptors. Both cytokine receptors contain gp130/interleukin-6-receptor transducer as well as gp190/low-affinity LIF receptor. For CNTF, addition of a third subunit, or α subunit, defines the high-affinity CNTF receptor. In the present study, we analyzed the binding interactions of LIF and CNTF in human cell lines and showed a mutual displacement for LIF and CNTF toward the trimeric high-affinity CNTF receptor. Similar results were obtained in the JEG cell line, which only expressed the gp130/gp190 high-affinity LIF receptor, by adding a soluble form of the αCNTF receptor to the system to reconstitute the high-affinity-type CNTF receptor. The different receptor subunits were then expressed separately in transfected cells and their binding capacities analyzed. The results showed that the heterocomplex CNTF/αCNTF receptor bound to gp130 with an affinity of 3–5 × 10⁻¹⁰ M , whereas LIF interacted mainly with gp190. In summary, the observed competition between LIF and CNTF does not result from the binding to a common site or receptor subunit, but rather to the interaction of the three receptor components to create a conformational site common to both LIF and CNTF.     

转铁蛋白-PEG-睫状神经营养因子的制备及其生物活性评价

为了实现在体内更持久的药效作用,根据睫状神经营养因子CNTF第17位为游离半胱氨酸残基,而转铁蛋白Tf无游离半胱氨酸的特点,采用N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺-聚乙二醇5K-马来酰亚胺(NHS-PEG5k-MAL)作为偶联剂,实现了两者定点偶联,然后结合蛋白自身特性制定纯化方法,制备获得纯度高于90%的转铁蛋白-聚乙二醇5k-睫状神经营养因子(Tf-PEG5k-CNTF)耦合物。高效凝胶色谱和动态光散射分析显示耦合物的表观分子体积大于两蛋白之和。细胞试验结果显示耦合物的活性下降至原蛋白的65.8%。大鼠药代动力学试验显示Tf-PEG5k-CNTF耦合物在体内的代谢半衰期延长至8.2小时,与CNTF原蛋白相比提高了约17倍。小鼠动物试验显示在每周2次的给药频率,每次1.0 mg/kg的剂量下,Tf-PEG5k-CNTF能更为显著地影响小鼠对食物摄入量和减轻体重。因此,转铁蛋白偶联技术可用于脑部靶向蛋白药物的长效递送。     

聚乙二醇20k修饰与转铁蛋白偶联睫状神经营养因子的生物活性对比研究

为了延长重组睫状神经营养因子在体内的保留半衰期,基于CNTF中天然的游离半胱氨酸残基,在前期工作中采用聚乙二醇修饰和转铁蛋白偶联的两种方式对CNTF进行了改造。此后又采用常规分析手段对PEG20k-CNTF和Tf-PEG5k-CNTF进行对比表征。高效凝胶过滤和动态光散射分析结果显示两者拥有相近的表观分子体积。细胞试验结果显示两种耦合物的活性分别下降至未修饰CNTF的50.6%和65.8%。抗体CNTF抗体亲和力结果显示PEG20k修饰后亲合力下降至原蛋白的3.8%,转铁蛋白偶联后保留89.9%原蛋白亲合力。药代动力学结果显示PEG20k-CNTF和Tf-PEG5k-CNTF在SD大鼠血液中的保留半衰期分别为5.34±0.26和8.65±0.60小时,与未修饰rh CNTF相比延长了约21.4倍和34.6倍。药效学结果显示在每周两次每次1.0 mg/kg(rh CNTF等量)的给药频率和剂量下,PEG20k-CNTF比Tf-PEG5k-CNTF更显著地降低实验小鼠体重。     

Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF) Genotypes and CNTF Contents in Human Sciatic Nerves as Measured by a Sensitive Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay

Abstract: To study the level of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in human nervous tissues, we developed a sensitive enzyme-linked immunoassay using a specific antibody against human CNTF. This method allowed us to detect as little as 0.3 ng/ml of human CNTF with good linearity and accuracy. Using this method, CNTF levels were determined in human sciatic nerves obtained at autopsy from 21 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and 48 subjects who had died of other neurological diseases. CNTF genotypes were also determined. The results indicated that CNTF levels were high in the normal homozygotes and approximately halved in the heterozygote subjects. There was, however, no significant difference in CNTF levels in the sciatic nerves between ALS and other neurological disease patients, indicating that the CNTF level was mainly determined by its genotypes and that the level in the sciatic nerves was not reduced in ALS patients.     

Construction and Characterization of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF) Antagonists: Microenvironmental Difference in the CNTF Receptor Between Rat and Chicken Cells for Recognizing the D1 Cap Region

Abstract: Antagonistic mutants of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) were constructed and their properties characterized. K155A and K155W mutants lost cell survival promoting activity for chicken dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and inhibited the activity of the wild type. However, they retained slight agonistic activity for the survival of rat DRG neurons, indicating there is a difference between chicken and rat cells for receptor recognition around the D1 cap region including K155 residue. The chicken receptor recognizes the D1 cap region more strictly than does the rat receptor. The substitution of F152, which locates at the top of the D1 cap region, was combined with the K155A mutation. A combination of the two mutations gave an antagonistic feature to not only chicken but also rat cells. Both F152S/K155A and F152D/K155A mutants lacked cell survival promoting activity and had an antagonistic effect on rat DRG neurons. The three-dimensional structure of CNTF suggests the following. F152 and K155 bind to the receptor with hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, respectively. F152 locates close to L156 with a van der Waals contact, and K155 contacts with Q42 through a hydrogen bond. Both interactions play indispensable roles in maintaining the structure around the D1 cap region of CNTF.     

Regulation of GTP Cyclohydrolase I Gene Expression and Tetrahydrobiopterin Content in Cultured Sympathetic Neurons by Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor

Abstract: Cultures of neonatal rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG) were used to test the hypothesis that the cytokines leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) control GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH) gene expression and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) content as traits of the noradrenergic phenotype. Treatment for 7 days with 1 ng/ml of LIF was found to produce the characteristic switch in the SCG neurotransmitter phenotype reported by others, as evidenced by a 60% decline in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and a 75% increase in choline acetyltransferase activity. This LIF treatment paradigm decreased BH4 levels in a concentration-dependent manner, with a maximal decline of 60% observed at 1 ng/ml. Analysis of the time course of this response indicated that LIF decreased BH4 levels by 60% following 3–7 days of treatment. Treatment of cultures with CNTF (2 ng/ml) resulted in a decline in BH4 levels that was of equal magnitude and followed the same time course as that produced by LIF. The LIF-dependent decline in BH4 levels resulted from a reduction in GTPCH enzyme activity, which decreased by 75% following 7 days of treatment. Nuclease protection assays of RNA extracted from cells treated for 7 days with 2 ng/ml of LIF or CNTF detected a 78–96% reduction in GTPCH mRNA content relative to β-actin mRNA content. Concomitant decreases in TH and GTPCH gene expression in response to LIF or CNTF demonstrate a coordinated regulation of gene expression for this BH4-dependent enzyme and the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of its essential cofactor, BH4. Moreover, these results indicate that GTPCH gene expression in SCG neurons should be regarded as a trait of the noradrenergic phenotype.     

V170 Area Plays an Essential Role in the Biological Activity of Human Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor

Abstract: The structure-function relationships of human ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) were analyzed by mutagenic means. Amino acid substitutions at helix D caused marked changes in the biological activity of CNTF, suggesting that the residues at helix D of CNTF participate in receptor recognition. In particular, both the cell survival-promoting activity and receptor binding ability of V170 mutant CNTF proteins correlated well with the hydrophobicity of amino acids at position 170. The reduction of hydrophobicity at position 170 resulted in a loss of biological activity, indicating that the hydrophobicity of V170 is essential for the receptor binding and cell survival-promoting activity. Substitutions of R171 or D175 evoked very little folding ability and negated the biological activity of CNTF. As R171 and D175 interact electrostatically with each other and with E75 and R72, respectively, these interactions would be indispensable for stabilizing the whole CNTF protein and for maintaining the structure of the receptor binding epitope.     

The Cholinergic Stimulating Effects of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor and Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Are Mediated by Protein Kinase C

Abstract: The intracellular mechanisms through which two trophic factors, ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), regulate cholinergic development were examined in sympathetic neuron cultures. Treatment with CNTF or LIF increased levels of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity by 375 and 350%, respectively. However, in neuronal cultures depleted of protein kinase C (PKC) activity by chronic phorbol ester treatment, neither CNTF nor LIF elevated ChAT activity. Further, the stimulation of ChAT due to increased cell density was not observed in PKC-depleted sympathetic neurons. The inhibition of CNTF-stimulated ChAT by phorbol ester occurred in a dose-dependent manner and chronic phorbol ester treatments did not alter the levels of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. Moreover, increased levels of diacylglycerol, an endogenous activator of PKC, were observed in sympathetic neurons treated with CNTF. However, neither CNTF nor LIF stimulated the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. These observations suggest that a common PKC-dependent pathway, which is independent of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis, mediates the cholinergic stimulating effects of CNTF, LIF, and cell-cell contact in cultured sympathetic neurons.     

重组人睫状神经营养因子的表达及其临床前药效学研究

目的:人睫状神经营养因子(hCNTF)是神经营养因子(NGF)家族以外的一种神经营养因子,具有明显的减轻体重的作用。为了将hCNTF的研究逐步推向应用,开展了hCNTF减肥作用的临床前相关研究。方法:依据国内减肥药临床前药效学指导原则,设计并实施了动物实验,建立了各种指标与人类肥胖最为相似的肥胖SD大鼠模型,分别测定了重组hCNTF用药后大鼠的体重、血清三酰甘油、总胆固醇、肾周围脂肪重量和肥胖指数。结果:在200μg/(kg·d)剂量下,重组hCNTF对减轻肥胖SD大鼠体重、减轻其右肾周围脂肪及改善体型都有一定的效果;400μg/(kg·d)以上剂量的重组hCNTF,对减轻肥胖SD大鼠体重、改善体型、降低血清三酰甘油都有极其显著的效果;惟有剂量达到1600μg/(kg·d),重组hCNTF才能降低血清总胆固醇含量。结论:所获得的重组hCNTF在肥胖SD大鼠动物模型上具有十分良好的减肥效果。     

Coordinate Regulation of Choline Acetyltransferase, Tyrosine Hydroxylase, and Neuropeptide mRNAs by Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor and Leukemia Inhibitory Factor in Cultured Sympathetic Neurons

Abstract: The neurotransmitter phenotype switch that occurs in cultures of rat superior cervical ganglion neurons after treatment with leukemia inhibitory factor or ciliary neurotrophic factor is a useful model permitting investigation of the mechanisms of cytokine-mediated differentiation. Recently the actions of leukemia inhibitory factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor have been linked through their interactions with related receptor complexes. Here we compare the effects of these two cytokines on gene expression in sympathetic neuronal cultures and begin to investigate their mechanisms. We report that, as has been shown for leukemia inhibitory factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor regulates peptides and classical transmitters in these cultures at the mRNA level. In addition, we find that the induction of substance P mRNA by these cytokines is rapid, dependent on protein synthesis, and occurs in 40–50% of superior cervical ganglion neurons in dissociated culture.     

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Increase Activated Ras in a Neuroblastoma Cell Line and in Sympathetic Neuron Cultures

Abstract: The cytokines leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) have been implicated in determination of neuronal phenotype as well as promotion of neuronal survival. However, the intracellular mechanisms by which their signals are transduced remain poorly understood. We have previously studied the regulation of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide gene expression by LIF and CNTF in the NBFL neuroblastoma cell line. Because these cytokines induce tyrosine phosphorylation that may lead to Ras activation, we explored a possible role for Ras in LIF- and CNTF-induced signal transduction. In NBFL cells LIF increases activated Ras in a rapid, transient, and concentration-dependent manner. CNTF and a related cytokine, oncostatin M, produce similar increases. CNTF and LIF also increase activated Ras in neuron-enriched dissociated cultures of sympathetic ganglia. Moreover, these cytokines rapidly and transiently induce specific tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, p165 and p195. The protein kinase inhibitors K252a and staurosporine block LIF-induced increases in tyrosine phosphorylation, activated Ras, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide mRNA in NBFL cells. These data support a possible role for Ras in the cell differentiation effects of LIF and CNTF.     

重组人睫状神经营养因子突变体的构建、表达及生物活性分析

目的:通过对原始CNTF的突变改造,降低表达蛋白的免疫原性,同时增加其稳定性,以期能用于临床治疗肥胖症。方法:以原始CNTF为模板,去掉N端的12个氨基酸、C端的14个氨基酸,并将C端末2个氨基酸点突变为极性较强的赖氨酸,在大肠杆菌中表达,获得CNTF-T突变体。结果:基因序列分析与原设计吻合,目的蛋白表达量占全菌体的35%左右,表达蛋白以包涵体形式存在,经变性、复性、DEAE-FF纯化,纯度可达95%以上,小鼠体内生物活性测定,能明显抑制小鼠体重增长,且CNTF-T的生物活性比原始序列CNTF的活性高。结论:突变的CNTF-T有望成为新一代的生物减肥制剂应用于临床。