Stability of the structure and antigenic determinants of adenovirus type 1 native hexon to proteases

Hexon capsomers of human adenovirus type 1 (h1) labeled by iodine 125 were digested in a native state (trimers) by trypsin, chymotrypsin or papain, and the resulting hydrolysates were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. In each case, a discrete and temporally stable pattern of relatively large fragments was revealed. The degree of hexon polypeptide hydrolysis was maximal for papain, intermediate for chymotrypsin and minimal for trypsin, the largest fragments in the digest being 32, 40 and 80 kD, respectively. At room temperature, all the electrophoretically discernible hexon proteolytical fragments were held together in structures resembling intact hexon trimers and could be regarded as "hexon cores", of which papain hexon cores were the most stable during SDS-PAGE. Radioimmunoprecipitation analysis revealed a complete absence of native hexon antigenicity in thermodenaturated fragments of hexon protease digests, while native trypsin, chymotrypsin and papain hexon cores could be precipitated by hexon-specific antibodies. The immunoprecipitated material contained all of the hexon fragments found in appropriate hexon cores and retained the structure of the original cores. Trypsin, chymotrypsin and papain hexon cores were shown to possess at least part of native Ad h1 hexon antigenic determinants of each of the following specificities: species-specific (epsilon), cross-reactive with hexon of human adenoviruses (h3 and h6), simian adenovirus (sim 16), bovine adenoviruses (bos 3 and bos 7) and avian adenovirus (Aviadenovirus gal 1 or CELO). Thus, the full spectrum of known hexon antigenic determinants (species-specific to intergenus-crossreactive) is at least portly stable against protease attack of native hexon capsomers.     

Frequency, proliferation, and activation of human memory T cells induced by a nonhuman adenovirus

Multiple human adenovirus (HAd) infections during childhood generate a memory T-cell (T(M)) response, which is the primary defense against HAd-induced morbidity. This cellular memory creates a conundrum for the potential clinical use of HAd-derived vectors: vector-mediated gene transfer is efficient in immunologically na?ve mammals but will be compromised by memory immunity when using vectors derived from ubiquitous human pathogens. The potential lack of cellular and humoral memory is one reason we developed vectors from canine adenovirus serotype 2 (CAV-2). Here, we assayed human peripheral blood mononuclear cells for a T(M) response that could be stimulated by CAV-2 virion and individual capsid proteins. We found that less than half of the donors harbored a proliferating T(M) response directed against the CAV-2 virion (versus >85% against HAd5) in spite of a conserved antigenic Adenoviridae epitope in the CAV-2 hexon. When CAV-2 induced proliferation, it was 2.3- to >10-fold lower than HAd5 depending on the assay. The primary proliferating cells appeared to be memory (CD45RO+) CD4+ lymphocytes, differentiated into Th1 gamma interferon-producing cells, with a frequency that was up to 66-fold lower than that obtained for HAd5. We also compared CAV-2 to prototype HAd from five of the six human species and found that CAV-2-induced cellular proliferation was similar to that found with rare HAd serotypes. Individual CAV-2 capsid proteins also induced less proliferation than their HAd5 homologues. Our data suggest that CAV-2 vectors may be safer (i.e., less immunogenic) for gene transfer but are not without a theoretical risk in a subset of potential patients.     

Structural and immunochemical analysis of the products of proteolysis of simian adenovirus hexons

Hexon capsomers of simian adenovirus sim16 (SA7) and of human adenoviruses h5 (Ad5) and h6 (Ad6) were proteolytically digested and the resulting products studied by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by radioimmunoprecipitation analysis. The trypsinolysis of native SA7 hexon leads to a stable molecular "core" containing 4-5 fragment species of 10 to 65 kDa and resembling the intact capsomer in quarternary structure (trimer). Similar cores but consisting of smaller fragments (less than 40 kDa) were obtained after chymotryptic digestion of native SA7, Ad5 and Ad6 hexons. The chymotryptic hexon fragments were also held together in pseudotrimeric structures. The similarity of proteolytic hexon fragment patterns between different primate adenoviral hexons suggested a homology to exist in localisation of the exposed tryptic and chymotryptic cleavage sites in their respective hexon polypeptide chains. Papain caused a complete hydrolysis of native SA7 hexon (trimer) yielding small peptides, but at first stage of digestion a stable papain hexon core containing small fragments (less than 10 kDa) was observed. The tryptic SA7 hexon cores in native state retained their antigenicity in reactions with homo- and heterologous antibodies, but after core denaturation the resulting fragments had no antigenic activity of native capsomer. In contrast to the data previously published, chymotryptic cores of SA7, Ad5 and Ad6 hexons not only reacted with respective homologous antibodies but also retained (at least in part) cross-reactive antigenic determinants. The questions of formation and stability of native adenoviral hexon conformation are discussed as well as the possible nature of hexon antigenic determinants.     

Three-dimensional structure of canine adenovirus serotype 2 capsid

There are more than 100 known adenovirus (AdV) serotypes, including 50 human serotypes. Because AdV-induced disease is relatively species specific, vectors derived from nonhuman serotypes may have wider clinical potential based, in part, on the lack of ubiquitous memory immunity. Whereas a few of the human serotype capsids have been studied at the structural level, none of the nonhuman serotypes has been analyzed. The basis laid by the analysis of human AdV (hAdV) has allowed us to determine and compare the three-dimensional structure of the capsid of canine serotype 2 (CAV-2) to that of hAdV serotype 5 (hAdV-5). We show that CAV-2 capsid has a smoother structure than the human serotypes. Many of the external loops found in the hAdV-5 penton base and the hexon, against which the antibody response is directed, are shorter or absent in CAV-2. On the other hand, the CAV-2 fiber appears to be more complex, with two bends in the shaft. An interesting difference between the human and canine viruses is that the C-terminal part of protein IX is in a different position, making an antenna sticking out of the CAV-2 capsid. The comparison between the two viruses allows the identification of sites that should be easy to modify on the CAV-2 capsid for altering tissue tropism or other biological activities.     

Conditions of stability for the quaternary structure and antigenic activity of adenovirus hexon

The procedure of SDS-PAGE was modified by lowering the temperature of protein sample dissociation to allow the separation of denaturated adenoviral hexon chains and native hexon capsomers (trimers) in the same gel. By combining the modified SDS-PAGE with dot and blot radioimmunoassays, the range of stability of the simian adenovirus SA7 hexon quaternary structure and its antigenicity was studied against a number of physical and chemical agents known to dissociate and denaturate proteins. A perfect correlation was found between the hexon native quaternary structure (trimer) and its immunoreactivity with anti-hexon immunoglobulins. The pattern of hexon trimer stability to a wide spectrum of denaturants suggests that its subunits are held together, mainly by hydrophobic interactions, in such a way that the innersubunit contact regions make up the "hydrophobic core" of the hexon molecule.     

Cav-1通过增加IncRNA HOTAIR的表达促进非小细胞肺癌细胞增殖

目的:探讨Cav-1对非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)细胞增殖的影响及其分子机制。方法:取我院收治的2017年1月至2018年1月15例NSCLC患者手术切除的肺组织,并获取肺癌旁组织15例。实时定量PCR检测其中Cav-1和lncRNA HOTAIR的表达。进一步检测Cav-1和lncRNA HOTAIR在各肺癌细胞系中的表达。采用脂质体3000介导将si CAV-1和pcDNA3.1/CAV-1转染入NSCLC细胞系中,实时定量PCR检测lncRNA HOTAIR的表达,CCK-8检测细胞增殖。随后,将si HOTAIR以及pcDNA3.1/HOTAIR转染入CAV-1过表达的NSCLC细胞系中,CCK-8检测细胞增殖情况。结果:NSCLC患者手术切除的肺组织中CAV-1m RNA和HOTAIR lncRNA的表达均显著高于其在癌旁组织(P0.001)。与健康人肺组织上皮细胞系(NuLi-1)相比,各肺癌细胞系中CAV-1 m RNA和HOTAIR lncRNA的表达均显著增加,鳞状细胞癌细胞系(SK-MES-1)除外。si CAV-1显著降低NSCLC中CAV-1的表达(P0.01)以及其增殖能力,而pcDNA3.1/CAV-1显著增加NSCLC中CAV-1的表达(P0.01)以及其增殖。与对照si RNA相比,si CAV-1显著降低HOTAIR lncRNA的表达(P 0.05)。与对照质粒相比,pcDNA3.1/CAV-1显著增加HOTAIR lncRNA的表达(P0.01)。si HOTAIR可显著抑制NSCLC细胞增殖(P0.05),且可明显取消pcDNA3.1/CAV-1转染对NSCLC细胞增殖的促进作用(P0.05),而pcDNA3.1/HOTAIR可显著增加NSCLC细胞增殖(P0.05),且CAV-1过表达可增强pcDNA3.1/HOTAIR对NSCLC细胞增殖的促进作用(P0.05),而si CAV-1转染可抑制pcDNA3.1/HOTAIR对NSCLC细胞增殖的促进作用。结论:CAV-1通过上调lncRNA HOTAIR的表达促进肺癌细胞的增殖。     

Determination of caveolin-1 in renal caveolar and non-caveolar fractions in experimental type 1 diabetes

Caveolin-1 (CAV-1) is the main structural component of caveolae, acting as a modulator of signal transduction. CAV-1 might be involved in the pathophysiology of microvascular complications in Type 1 diabetes (DM). We sought to determine whether fractionation on sucrose gradient (SF), a method routinely utilized for isolation of caveolar fractions in homogenous cell lines, is applicable for CAV-1-related studies in tissues with multiple cell types, such as the normal rat kidney cortex (C). Using this method, we also determined whether streptozotocin-induced DM in rats (4-week duration) leads to changes in renal subcellular targeting of CAV-1, and evaluated the effects of tight metabolic control (insulin, 12 IU/day) and angiotensin receptor blocker, losartan (4 weeks, 20 mg/kg/day). Immunoblotting of individual fractions obtained from C revealed CAV-1 expression in fractions 4-6 that corresponded to light scattering band that typically forms after separating cellular fractions on SF. These fractions were considered to be caveolar fractions. In C, CAV-1 was also detectable in fractions 8-10. These and all other fractions except caveolar fractions were considered to be non-caveolar fractions. A ratio of caveolar/non-caveolar expression of CAV-1 (CNCR) was computed for each renal cortex allowing comparisons of CAV-1 subcellular distribution in C and DM rats, and effects of treatments. Using this approach, DM was characterized by marked increases in CNCR as compared to C (5.54+/-1.56 vs. 2.65+/-1.33, p<0.05) that were reduced by treatment with insulin (0.78+/-0.24, p<0.01 vs. DM) or losartan (0.84+/-0.06, p<0.01 vs. DM). In summary, analysis of CAV-1 following the SF of renal cortex detected similar distribution of the protein as in homogenous cell lines, DM-induced changes in CAV-1 targeting, and the effects of pharmacological treatments. This suggests applicability of SF in studies focusing on CAV-1 targeting in organs with various cell lines in vivo.     

Patterns of Exposure of Iberian Wolves (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Canis lupus</Emphasis>) to Canine Viruses in Human-Dominated Landscapes

Wildlife inhabiting human-dominated landscapes is at risk of pathogen spill-over from domestic species. With the aim of gaining knowledge in the dynamics of viral infections in Iberian wolves (Canis lupus) living in anthropized landscapes of northern Spain, we analysed between 2010 and 2013 the samples of 54 wolves by serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for exposure to four pathogenic canine viruses: canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus-2 (CPV), canine adenovirus 1 and 2 (CAV-1 and CAV-2) and canine herpesvirus. Overall, 76% of the studied wolves presented evidence of exposure to CPV (96% by HI, 66% by PCR) and 75% to CAV (75% by virus neutralization (VN), 76% by PCR, of which 70% CAV-1 and 6% CAV-2). This represents the first detection of CAV-2 infection in a wild carnivore. CPV/CAV-1 co-infection occurred in 51% of the wolves. The probability of wolf exposure to CPV was positively and significantly correlated with farm density in a buffer zone around the place where the wolf was found, indicating that rural dogs might be the origin of CPV infecting wolves. CPV and CAV-1 appear to be enzootic in the Iberian wolf population, which is supported by the absence of seasonal and inter-annual variations in the proportion of positive samples detected. However, while CPV may depend on periodical introductions by dogs, CAV-1 may be maintained within the wolf population. All wolves were negative for exposure to CDV (by VN and PCR) and CHV (by PCR). The absence of acquired immunity against CDV in this population may predispose it to an elevated rate of mortality in the event of a distemper spill-over via dogs.     

Astragaloside IV enhances taxol chemosensitivity of breast cancer via caveolin-1-targeting oxidant damage

Accumulating evidence suggests that caveolin-1 (CAV-1) is a stress-related oncotarget and closely correlated to chemoresistance. Targeting CAV-1 might be a promising strategy to improve chemosensitivity for breast cancer treatment. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a bioactive compound purified from Astragalus membranaceus, has been shown to exhibit multiple bioactivities, including anticancer. However, the involved molecular targets are still ambiguous. In this study, we investigated the critical role of CAV-1 in mediating the chemosensitizing effects of AS-IV to Taxol on breast cancer. We found that AS-IV could enhance the chemosensitivity of Taxol with minimal direct cytotoxicity on breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, as well as the nontumor mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A. AS-IV was further demonstrated to aggravate Taxol-induced apoptosis and G2/M checkpoint arrest. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK), except p38, was also abrogated by a synergistic interaction between AS-IV and Taxol. Moreover, AS-IV inhibited CAV-1 expression in a dose-dependent manner and reversed CAV-1 upregulation induced by Taxol administration. Mechanism study further demonstrated that AS-IV treatment triggered the eNOS/NO/ONOO⁻ pathway via inhibiting CAV-1, which led to intense oxidant damage. CAV-1 overexpression abolished the chemosensitizing effects of AS-IV to Taxol by inhibiting oxidative stress. In vivo experiments further validated that AS-IV increased Taxol chemosensitivity on breast cancer via inhibiting CAV-1 expression, followed by activation of the eNOS/NO/ONOO⁻ pathway. Taken together, our findings not only suggested the potential of AS-IV as a promising candidate to enhance chemosensitivity, but also highlighted the significance of CAV-1 as the target to reverse cancer drug resistance.     

虎血清犬腺病毒抗体调查

犬腺病毒（Canine adenovirus,CAV）属于腺病毒科哺乳动物腺病毒属成员,分为犬腺病毒Ⅰ型（CAV-1）和犬腺病毒Ⅱ型（CAV-2）,其中CAV-1主要引起狐狸（Vulpes vulpes）脑炎和犬（Canis familiaris）传染性肝炎（殷震和刘景华,1997;胡体拉,1963）。在国内,夏咸柱等（1984）首次分离到CAV-1,随后,多个地区的不同动物中又有相继分离到该病毒的报道（钟志宏等,1990;范泉水和袁国庆,1992;夏咸柱等,1984）。CAV-2主要引起犬的喉气管炎和幼犬咳嗽,在我国的感染也比较普遍（范泉水和夏咸柱,1999）。     

Dynamic regulation of caveolin-1 trafficking in the germ line and embryo of Caenorhabditis elegans

Caveolin is the major protein component required for the formation of caveolae on the plasma membrane. Here we show that trafficking of Caenorhabditis elegans caveolin-1 (CAV-1) is dynamically regulated during development of the germ line and embryo. In oocytes a CAV-1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein is found on the plasma membrane and in large vesicles (CAV-1 bodies). After ovulation and fertilization the CAV-1 bodies fuse with the plasma membrane in a manner reminiscent of cortical granule exocytosis as described in other species. Fusion of CAV-1 bodies with the plasma membrane appears to be regulated by the advancing cell cycle, and not fertilization per se, because fusion can proceed in spe-9 fertilization mutants but is blocked by RNA interference-mediated knockdown of an anaphase-promoting complex component (EMB-27). After exocytosis, most CAV-1-GFP is rapidly endocytosed and degraded within one cell cycle. CAV-1 bodies in oocytes appear to be produced by the Golgi apparatus in an ARF-1-dependent, clathrin-independent, mechanism. Conversely endocytosis and degradation of CAV-1-GFP in embryos requires clathrin, dynamin, and RAB-5. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of CAV-1 is highly dynamic during development and provides new insights into the sorting mechanisms that regulate CAV-1 localization.     

Overexpression of caveolin-1 results in increased plasma membrane targeting of glycolytic enzymes: the structural basis for a membrane associated metabolic compartment

Although membrane-associated glycolysis has been observed in a variety of cell types, the mechanism of localization of glycolytic enzymes to the plasma membrane is not known. We hypothesized that caveolin-1 (CAV-1) serves as a scaffolding protein for glycolytic enzymes and may play a role in the organization of cell metabolism. To test this hypothesis, we over-expressed CAV-1 in cultured A7r5 (rat aorta vascular smooth muscle; VSM) cells. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy was used to study the distribution of phosphofructokinase (PFK) and CAV-1 in the transfected cells. Areas of interest (AOI) were analyzed in a central Z-plane across the cell transversing the perinuclear region. To quantify any shift in PFK localization resulting from CAV-1 over-expression, we calculated a periphery to center (PC) index by taking the average of the two outer AOIs from each membrane region and dividing by the central one or two AOIs. We found the PC index to be 1.92 +/- 0.57 (mean +/- SEM, N = 8) for transfected cells and 0.59 +/- 0.05 (mean +/- SEM, N = 11) for control cells. Colocalization analysis demonstrated that the percentage of PFK associated with CAV-1 increased in transfected cells compared to control cells. The localization of aldolase (ALD) was also shifted towards the plasma membrane (and colocalized with PFK) in CAV-1 over-expressing cells. These results demonstrate that CAV-1 creates binding sites for PFK and ALD that may be of higher affinity than those binding sites localized in the cytoplasm. We conclude that CAV-1 functions as a scaffolding protein for PFK, ALD and perhaps other glycolytic enzymes, either through direct interaction or accessory proteins, thus contributing to compartmented metabolism in vascular smooth muscle.     

犬冠状病毒S糖蛋白基因重组犬2型腺病毒的构建及其免疫原性研究

首次构建了能表达犬冠状病毒纤突糖蛋白(CCVS1)的重组犬2型腺病毒(CAV-2)。用RT-PCR方法从CCVDXMV株细胞培养物中扩增出编码S糖蛋白A、B、C和D4个抗原位点的基因片段S1,将其克隆到pVAX1中,然后将含有CCVS1基因的完整表达盒(CMV-S1-PolyA)进一步定向克隆到含有CAV-2E3区的穿梭质粒pVAXE3中,构建出pVAX△E3S1。通过SalⅠ NruⅠ双酶切pVAX△E3S1回收含有目的基因的表达盒,将其克隆入含有CAV-2全基因组的骨架质粒pPoly2-CAV-2中,获得重组质粒pCAV-2-CCV-S1。ClaⅠ AscⅠ酶切pCAV-2-CCV-S1释放重组基因组,转染MDCK细胞,获得了重组病毒CAV-2-S1。该重组病毒在MDCK细胞上能产生典型的腺病毒细胞病变。通过mRNA水平和Westernblot检测,证实重组病毒能表达CCVS1蛋白。动物免疫试验表明,该重组病毒可以有效地诱导免疫犬产生抗CCV和CAV-2抗体。     

Caveolin-1 identified as a key mediator of acute lung injury using bioinformatics and functional research

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a potentially life-threatening, devastating disease with an extremely high rate of mortality. The underlying mechanism of ALI is currently unclear. In this study, we aimed to confirm the hub genes associated with ALI and explore their functions and molecular mechanisms using bioinformatics methods. Five microarray datasets available in GEO were used to perform Robust Rank Aggregation (RRA) to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the key genes were identified via the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Lipopolysaccharide intraperitoneal injection was administered to establish an ALI model. Overall, 40 robust DEGs, which are mainly involved in the inflammatory response, protein catabolic process, and NF-κB signaling pathway were identified. Among these DEGs, we identified two genes associated with ALI, of which the CAV-1/NF-κB axis was significantly upregulated in ALI, and was identified as one of the most effective targets for ALI prevention. Subsequently, the expression of CAV-1 was knocked down using AAV-shCAV-1 or CAV-1-siRNA to study its effect on the pathogenesis of ALI in vivo and in vitro. The results of this study indicated that CAV-1/NF-κB axis levels were elevated in vivo and in vitro, accompanied by an increase in lung inflammation and autophagy. The knockdown of CAV-1 may improve ALI. Mechanistically, inflammation was reduced mainly by decreasing the expression levels of CD3 and F4/80, and activating autophagy by inhibiting AKT/mTOR and promoting the AMPK signaling pathway. Taken together, this study provides crucial evidence that CAV-1 knockdown inhibits the occurrence of ALI, suggesting that the CAV-1/NF-κB axis may be a promising therapeutic target for ALI treatment.Subject terms: Cell signalling, Respiratory tract diseases     

WTAP facilitates progression of endometrial cancer via CAV-1/NF-κB axis

The N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification is one of the most prevalent methylations in eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA), and it is essential for the development of many important biological processes such as multiple types of tumors. One of the most important enzymes catalyzing generation of m⁶A on mRNA is Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP); however, the potential role of WTAP in endometrial cancer (EC) still remains unknown. Here, we investigated WTAP expression level in cancer tissue and paracancerous tissue from an EC patient. Subsequently, WTAP was knocked down by small interfering RNA in EC cell line of Ishikawa and HEC-1A, respectively. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were studied. The expression of caveolin-1 (CAV-1) was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The enrichments of m⁶A and METTL3 on CAV-1 were detected using RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR. The activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was studied using Western blot. We observed that WTAP was dramatically upregulated in the cancer tissue, and there was an enhancement in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and a decrease in EC apoptosis in vivo and in vitro, which indicated higher tumor malignancy and worse survival outcome. After WTAP was knocked down in EC cells, CAV-1 was significantly upregulated and the enrichments of m⁶A and METTL3 at 3′-untranslated region (UTR) region of CAV-1 were decreased. Moreover, the activity of NF-κB signaling pathway was inhibited by its regulator CAV-1. Taken together, we concluded that WTAP could methylate 3′-UTR of CAV-1 and downregulate CAV-1 expression to activate NF-κB signaling pathway in EC, which promoted EC progression.     

Caveolin-1 Expression Ameliorates Nephrotic Damage in a Rabbit Model of Cholesterol-Induced Hypercholesterolemia

Caveolin-1 (CAV-1) participates in regulating vesicular transport, signal transduction, tumor progression, and cholesterol homeostasis. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that CAV-1 improves dyslipidemia, inhibits cyclophilin A (CypA)- mediated ROS production, prevents mitochondrial compensatory action and attenuates oxidative stress responses in cholesterol-induced hypercholesterolemia. To determine the role of CAV-1 in mediating oxidative and antioxidative as well as cholesterol homeostasis, hypercholesterolemic rabbits were intravenously administered antenapedia-CAV-1 (AP-CAV-1) peptide for 2 wk. AP-CAV-1 enhanced CAV-1 expression by ˃15%, inhibited CypA expression by ˃50% (P < 0.05) and significantly improved dyslipidemia, thus reducing neutral lipid peroxidation. Moreover, CAV-1 attenuated hypercholesterolemia-induced changes in mitochondrial morphology and biogenesis and preserved mitochondrial respiratory function. In addition, CAV-1 protected against hypercholesterol-induced oxidative stress responses by reducing the degree of oxidative damage and enhancing the expression of antioxidant enzymes. CAV-1 treatment significantly suppressed apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by the reduction in the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling-positive cells. We concluded that CAV-1 plays a critical role in inhibiting CypA-mediated ROS production, improving dyslipidemia, maintaining mitochondrial function, and suppressing oxidative stress responses that are vital for cell survival in hypercholesterol-affected renal organs.     

Caveolin-1 functions as a scaffolding protein for phosphofructokinase in the metabolic organization of vascular smooth muscle

Using confocal microscopy, we have demonstrated a similar distribution of phosphofructokinase (PFK) with caveolin-1 (CAV-1) mainly at the periphery (membrane) in freshly isolated vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells and in cultured A7r5 VSM cells. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis validated the interaction between the proteins. To further test the hypothesis that PFK and CAV-1 are colocalized, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) to downregulate CAV-1 expression and disrupt the protein-protein interactions between PFK and CAV-1. Transfection of cultured A7r5 cells with CAV-1 siRNA resulted in a decreased level of immunoreactive CAV-1 and a consequent shift in the distribution of PFK with less localization of PFK to the periphery of the cells and increased immunoreactivity at the perinuclear region as compared to control. Analysis of the average PFK intensity across cultured A7r5 cells demonstrated a higher central:peripheral intensity ratio (CPI ratio) in siRNA-treated cells than in the control. These results validate the possible role of CAV-1 as a scaffolding protein for PFK as evidenced by the significant redistribution of PFK after CAV-1 downregulation. We therefore conclude that CAV-1 may function as a scaffolding protein for PFK and that this contributes to the compartmentation of glycolysis from other metabolic pathways in VSM.     

Caveolin enhances hepatocellular carcinoma cell metabolism,migration, and invasion in vitro via a hexokinase 2-dependent mechanism

The development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been associated with abnormal cellular metabolism. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis RNA sequencing data revealed caveolin-1 (CAV-1) and hexokinase 2 (HK2) messenger RNA (mRNA) were significantly upregulated in human HCC compared with normal tissues, and high HK2 expression was associated with significantly poorer overall survival in HCC ( p < 0.05). CAV-1 and HK2 mRNA and protein expression were upregulated and positively correlated in 42 fresh human HCC tissues compared with tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Overexpression of CAV-1 or HK2 in SMMC-7721 and HepG2 HCC cells enhanced glucose and lactate metabolism and increased cell migration and invasion in transwell assays; knocking down CAV-1 or HK2 had the opposite effects. Overexpression of CAV-1 increased HK2 expression; overexpression of HK2 did not affect CAV-1 expression. Knocking down HK2 partially reversed the ability of CAV-1 to promote cellular metabolism, invasion, and migration in HCC, indicating CAV-1 enhances glycolysis, invasion, and metastasis in HCC cells via HK2-dependent mechanism. Further studies of the function and relationship between CAV-1 or HK2 expression are warranted to explore the potential of these proteins as metabolic targets for the treatment of HCC.