EPO,EPOR及其信号传递研究进展

EPO(Erythropoietin,促红细胞生成素)是促进哺乳动物红系祖细胞增殖和分化的主要细胞团子。EPO与红系祖细胞表面的EPOR(EPO Receptor)结合后,通过信号传递使细胞核内特定基因转录发生改变。与其它造血生长因子不同,EPO主要作用于相对成熟的红系细胞。近年来,随着对人和动物的EPOR分子克隆以及EPOR突变体分析,使我们对EPO与EPOR的相互作用及其信号传递路径有了比较深入的了解。     

人红细胞生成素受体胞外区克隆及序列测定

人红细胞生成素受体 (h EPOR)是人红细胞生成素的作用配体 ,其胞外区是 h EPO的作用域 ,它的克隆、表达对两种分子的相互作用机制以及 EPO类似物 (新型造血药物 )的筛选都有十分重要的意义。以人胎肝为材料 ,通过对其总 RNA的提取 ,利用 RT- PCR方法扩增 h EPOR的胞外区基因和跨膜区基因及推导相应的氨基酸残基排列 ,结果与国外文献报道相比较从而检验其正确性。     

造血调控因子及其受体转录调控机制的研究进展

综述了5种集落刺激因子(CSF)、红细胞生成素(EPO)、5种白介素、干扰素、肿瘤坏死因子、白血病抑制因子、干细胞抑制因子、2种 CSF 受体 (R)、EPOR 和两种白介素 R 等转录调控分子机制的研究进展.     

不同发育阶段红系造血细胞的生物力学特性和血液流变特性的变化

用可诱发小鼠贫血的病毒(anemia-inducing strain friend’s virus, FVA)感染BALB/c小鼠, 15 d后取其脾脏, 分离出原红细胞, 在加促红细胞生成素(EPO)等的培养基中培养12, 24, 48 h, 获得大量相对同步化的早幼红细胞、中幼红细胞、晚幼红细胞, 研究了不同发育阶段的上述早期红系造血细胞的生物力学及血液流变学特性的变化规律. 发现不同发育阶段的早期红系造血细胞, 随着发育其电泳率、渗透脆性、膜的流动性和黏弹性都发生了改变, 这种改变与膜脂的组成、膜蛋白、细胞膜的骨架蛋白、脂质分子与蛋白质分子的相互作用有关.     

促红细胞生成素和受体在前列腺癌组织中共同过表达的研究

目的:探讨促红细胞生成素(EPO)和受体(EPOR)在前列腺癌(PCa)组织中的表达,并进一步阐述EPO和EPOR在前列腺癌发生发展中所起的作用。方法:应用免疫组化SP法检测30例前列腺癌根治术组织标本中癌与增生(BPH)组织的EPO和EPOR表达及30例正常前列腺组织(NP)中的EPO和EPOR表达。前列腺癌分级采用Gleason评分。半定量EPO和EPOR评分分析免疫组化结果。同时根据细胞染色强度区分为过表达和正常表达。统计学分析采用配对样本比较Wilcoxon的秩和检验及线形回归分析。结果:大部分前列腺癌均可见EPO和EPOR同时过表达,但是前列腺增生组织只有EPO过表达;正常前列腺组织没有EPO和EPOR过表达。前列腺癌和良性前列腺增生的EPO免疫组化评分中位数为2.38和0.93(P<0.01);前列腺癌和良性前列腺增生的EPOR免疫组化评分中位数为2.50和0.68(P<0.01)。前列腺增生和前列腺癌的EPO和EPOR表达密切相关,但是前列腺癌的Gleason评分和EPO以及EPOR评分没有相关性(P值均>0.05)。结论:EPO和EPOR同时过表达促进前列腺癌发生发展,但是相对于EPO的过表达,EPOR过表达是前列腺癌发生更为重要的早期事件;前列腺癌组织中EPO和EPOR表达差异,提示除了缺氧外,可能还有其它机制参与EPOR的过表达。     

红细胞生成素受体功能域的研究及其意义

红细胞生成素受体是细胞因子受体超家族成员之一,它在红细胞生成素诱导的红系祖细胞的存活,增殖,分化的过程中起着重要的调节作用,本文概述了红细胞生成素受体３个功能域的结构,主要功能及其在医药研究中的重要意义。     

花斑裸鲤Epo和Epor基因克隆及其低氧诱导的mRNA表达

促红细胞生成素(EPO)是一种糖蛋白激素,在动物低氧适应中发挥着重要作用。本研究采用RT-PCR方法克隆了花斑裸鲤(Gymncypris eckloni)Epo和Epor基因的编码序列,并开展了分子进化和低氧诱导表达研究。结果表明,花斑裸鲤Epo基因编码序列长度为552 bp,编码183个氨基酸;Epor基因编码序列长度为1 590 bp,编码529个氨基酸。氨基酸序列同源性分析显示,花斑裸鲤促红细胞生成素(EPO)和促红细胞生成素受体(EPOR)与鲤科其他鱼类均有较高的同源性,表明在进化过程中具有较强保守性,同时花斑裸鲤Epo和Epor基因均未经历正向选择。在重度低氧[溶解氧为(0.3±0.1)mg/L]和中度低氧[溶解氧为(3.0±0.1)mg/L]胁迫下,花斑裸鲤部分关键组织如红肌、脑组织中Epo m RNA表达量急剧升高,表明促红细胞生成素(EPO)可能在花斑裸鲤运动、神经营养和神经保护方面发挥了重要作用,是对低氧环境适应的一种调节机制。     

竹红菌甲素对红细胞膜内脂双层的微扰

本文以荧光探针为手段,以人红细胞膜为材料,测量了膜偏振度的改变,荧光探针能量转移,荧光峰的蓝移和甲素激发峰的分裂。结果表明在有竹红菌甲素存在时,红细胞膜偏振度增加,探针荧光强度减小,荧光峰蓝移。甲素浓度增加时,上述现象更加明显,即它们之间有正的相关关系。同时,甲素激发光谱的a带发生分裂。据此,我们认为甲素对红细胞膜内脂双层产生明显微扰,甲素与红细胞膜间存在着相互作用。在甲素浓度较大时,它主要是渗入到红细胞膜脂双层的深层部位(膜脂肪酸链的12—16位)。     

超氧歧化酶(SOD)对人红细胞膜的保护作用

前文曾报道,红细胞膜经外源O₂^-_·自由基(碱性条件下,邻苯三酚自氧化产生)处理后有明显损伤作用。在此基础上,本文研究猪红细胞SOD对人红细胞膜氧化损伤的保护作用。结果表明,外源SOD对人红细胞膜有明显保护作用,表现为膜流动性和膜重封闭能力保持正常水平,膜蛋白交联作用有显著减小。     

重组细胞株CHO-105C3无血清培养及人促红细胞生成素的表达

促红细胞生成素(EPO)是人体红系造血的特异性调节因子,它具有促进红系祖细胞生长、分化发育的功能。许多资料表明,肾脏是EPO的主要来源,严重肾功能紊乱患者,血浆中     

Mapping the Homodimer Interface of an Optimized,Artificial, Transmembrane Protein Activator of the Human Erythropoietin Receptor

Transmembrane proteins constitute a large fraction of cellular proteins, and specific interactions involving membrane-spanning protein segments play an important role in protein oligomerization, folding, and function. We previously isolated an artificial, dimeric, 44-amino acid transmembrane protein that activates the human erythropoietin receptor (hEPOR) in trans. This artificial protein supports limited erythroid differentiation of primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro, even though it does not resemble erythropoietin, the natural ligand of this receptor. Here, we used a directed-evolution approach to explore the structural basis for the ability of transmembrane proteins to activate the hEPOR. A library that expresses thousands of mutants of the transmembrane activator was screened for variants that were more active than the original isolate at inducing growth factor independence in mouse cells expressing the hEPOR. The most active mutant, EBC5-16, supports erythroid differentiation in human cells with activity approaching that of EPO, as assessed by cell-surface expression of glycophorin A, a late-stage marker of erythroid differentiation. EBC5-16 contains a single isoleucine to serine substitution at position 25, which increases its ability to form dimers. Genetic studies confirmed the importance of dimerization for activity and identified the residues constituting the homodimer interface of EBC5-16. The interface requires a GxxxG dimer packing motif and a small amino acid at position 25 for maximal activity, implying that tight packing of the EBC5-16 dimer is a crucial determinant of activity. These experiments identified an artificial protein that causes robust activation of its target in a natural host cell, demonstrated the importance of dimerization of this protein for engagement of the hEPOR, and provided the framework for future structure-function studies of this novel mechanism of receptor activation.     

Mutations in the Trp-Ser-X-Trp-Ser motif of the erythropoietin receptor abolish processing, ligand binding, and activation of the receptor.

The erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) is a member of the newly identified cytokine receptor superfamily. A common sequence motif, Trp-Ser-X-Trp-Ser (WSXWS), near the transmembrane domain is highly conserved in this family. To determine the function of this motif, we constructed deletion and insertion mutations in this part of the EPOR and introduced them into an interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent hematopoietic Ba/F3 cell line. Cells expressing the wild-type EPOR displayed 1,500 erythropoietin (EPO)-binding sites/cell with a single affinity of about 300 pM and proliferate in the presence of IL-3 or EPO. Ba/F3 cells expressing receptors mutated in the WSXWS motif displayed little EPO binding on the cell surface and did not grow in the presence of EPO. The mutant receptors were retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and, as such, were unable to bind EPO. A single Gly insertion between the two WS sequences caused defects in receptor structure and function similar to mutations lacking all or part of the WSXWS motif. The EPOR can be activated, resulting in proliferation independent of EPO either by an Arg129 to Cys point mutation or by association with the Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) envelope glycoprotein gp55. Introduction of the point mutation (Arg129 to Cys) did not activate any of the receptors mutated in the WSXWS motif. Moreover, gp55 did not activate the mutant receptors in Ba/F3 cells. Our study indicates that the WSXWS motif is critical for protein folding, ligand-binding, and signal transduction.     

CIS3/SOCS-3 suppresses erythropoietin (EPO) signaling by binding the EPO receptor and JAK2

The cytokine-inducible SH2 protein-3 (CIS3/SOCS-3/SSI-3) has been shown to inhibit the JAK/STAT pathway and act as a negative regulator of fetal liver erythropoiesis. Here, we studied the molecular mechanisms by which CIS3 regulates the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) signaling in erythroid progenitors and Ba/F3 cells expressing the EPOR (BF-ER). CIS3 binds directly to the EPOR as well as JAK2 and inhibits EPO-dependent proliferation and STAT5 activation. We have identified the region containing Tyr(401) in the cytoplasmic domain of the EPOR as a direct binding site for CIS3. Deletion of the Tyr(401) region of the EPOR reduced the inhibitory effect of CIS3, suggesting that binding of CIS3 to the EPOR augmented the negative effect of CIS3. Both N- and C-terminal regions adjacent to the SH2 domain of CIS3 were necessary for binding to EPOR and JAK2. In the N-terminal region of CIS3, the amino acid Gly(45) was critical for binding to the EPOR but not to JAK2, while Leu(22) was critical for binding to JAK2. The mutation of G45A partially reduced ability of CIS3 to inhibit EPO-dependent proliferation and STAT5 activation, while L22D mutant CIS3 was completely unable to suppress EPOR signaling. Moreover, overexpression of STAT5, which also binds to Tyr(401), reduced the binding of CIS3 to the EPOR, and the inhibitory effect of CIS3 against EPO signaling, while it did not affect JAB/SOCS-1/SSI-1. These data demonstrate that binding of CIS3 to the EPOR augments the inhibitory effect of CIS3. CIS3 binding to both EPOR and JAK2 may explain a specific regulatory role of CIS3 in erythropoiesis.     

In vitro phosphorylation of the erythropoietin receptor and an associated protein, pp130.

The cytoplasmic domain of the cloned erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) contains no protein kinase motif, yet addition of EPO to EPO-responsive cells causes an increase in protein-tyrosine phosphorylation. Here we show that addition of EPO or interleukin-3 (IL-3) to an IL-3-dependent cell line expressing the wild-type EPOR causes a small fraction (less than 5%) of total cellular EPOR to shift in gel mobility from 66 to 72 kDa, due at least in part to phosphorylation. Using biotinylated EPO as an affinity reagent, we show that the 72-kDa species is greatly enriched on the cell surface. To demonstrate that a protein kinase activity associates with cell surface EPOR, cells were incubated with biotinylated EPO and then cross-linked with a thiol-cleavable chemical cross-linker. The avidin-agarose-selected complexes were incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP. After in vitro phosphorylation and denaturation without reducing agent, both antiphosphotyrosine and anti-EPOR antibodies immunoprecipitated labeled 72-kDa EPOR and an unidentified 130-kDa phosphoprotein (pp130), indicating that a protein kinase is associated with cell surface EPOR and that a fraction of the EPOR was phosphorylated on tyrosine residues either in the cells or during the cell-free phosphorylation reaction. Under reducing conditions, the 72-kDa phosphorylated EPOR but not pp130 was immunoprecipitated with an anti-EPOR antibody, suggesting that the pp130 is bound to the EPOR by the thiol-cleavable chemical cross-linker. Previously, we showed that deletion of the 42 carboxy-terminal amino acids of the EPOR allows cells to grow in 1/10 the normal EPO concentration, without affecting receptor number or affinity. Two carboxy-terminal truncated EPO receptors that are hyperresponsive to EPO were poorly phosphorylated during the in vitro reaction, suggesting that the carboxy-terminal region of the EPOR contains a site for phosphorylation or a site for interaction with a protein kinase. Our data suggests that phosphorylation or interaction with a protein kinase in the carboxy-terminal region may down-modulate the proliferative action of the EPOR.     

Erythropoietin enhancement of rat pancreatic tumor cell proliferation requires the activation of ERK and JNK signals

Erythropoietin (EPO) regulates the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid cells by binding to its specific transmembrane receptor EPOR. Recent studies, however, have shown that the EPOR is additionally present in various cancer cells and EPO induces the proliferation of these cells, suggesting a different function for EPO other than erythropoiesis. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine EPOR expression and the role of EPO in the proliferation and signaling cascades involved in this process, using the rat pancreatic tumor cell line AR42J. Our results showed that AR42J cells expressed EPOR, and EPO significantly enhanced their proliferation. Cell cycle analysis of EPO-treated cells indicated an increased percentage of cells in the S phase, whereas cell numbers in G0/G1 phase were significantly reduced. Phosphorylation of extracellular regulatory kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun NH₂ terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2) was rapidly stimulated and sustained after EPO addition. Treatment of cells with mitogen-activated protein/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059 or JNK inhibitor SP600125 significantly inhibited EPO-enhanced proliferation and also increased the fraction of cells in G0/G1 phase. Furthermore, the inhibition of JNK using small interference RNA (siRNA) suppressed EPO-enhanced proliferation of AR42J cells. Taken together, our results indicate that AR42J cells express EPOR and that the activation of both ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 by EPO is essential in regulating proliferation and the cell cycle. Thus both appear to play a key role in EPO-enhanced proliferation and suggest that the presence of both is required for EPO-mediated proliferation of AR42J cells. erythropoietin receptor; cell signaling; mitogen-activated protein kinase induction     

Shared and unique determinants of the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor are important for binding EPO and EPO mimetic peptide.

We have shown previously that Phe93 in the extracellular domain of the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) is crucial for binding EPO. Substitution of Phe93 with alanine resulted in a dramatic decrease in EPO binding to the Escherichia coli-expressed extracellular domain of the EPOR (EPO-binding protein or EBP) and no detectable binding to full-length mutant receptor expressed in COS cells. Remarkably, Phe93 forms extensive contacts with a peptide ligand in the crystal structure of the EBP bound to an EPO-mimetic peptide (EMP1), suggesting that Phe93 is also important for EMP1 binding. We used alanine substitution of EBP residues that contact EMP1 in the crystal structure to investigate the function of these residues in both EMP1 and EPO binding. The three largest hydrophobic contacts at Phe93, Met150, and Phe205 and a hydrogen bonding interaction at Thr151 were examined. Our results indicate that Phe93 and Phe205 are important for both EPO and EMP1 binding, Met150 is not important for EPO binding but is critical for EMP1 binding, and Thr151 is not important for binding either ligand. Thus, Phe93 and Phe205 are important binding determinants for both EPO and EMP1, even though these ligands share no sequence or structural homology, suggesting that these residues may represent a minimum epitope on the EPOR for productive ligand binding.     

Erythropoietin promoted the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma through hypoxia induced translocation of its specific receptor

Background

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hypoxia-inducible stimulator of erythropoiesis. Besides its traditional application in anemia therapy, it offers an effective treatment in the cancer patients, especially those who receive chemotherapy. Several reports indicated that it could promote the tumor cell proliferation through its specific receptor (EPOR). Unfortunately, the role of EPO/EPOR in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progressing is still uncertain.

Methods

Protein in tumor tissue from HCC patients or H22 tumor-bearing mice was detected with immunohistochemistry. Cells were cultured under 1% oxygen to establish hypoxia. RT-PCR and western blotting were used to measure mRNA and protein of EPO/EPOR, respectively. MTT, flow cytometry and PCNA staining were used to detect cell proliferation. Immunofluorescence staining was applied to study the expression and location of cellular EPOR. The EPOR binding studies were performed with ¹²⁵I-EPO radiolabeling assay.

Results

EPO and EPOR protein were up-regulated in HCC tissue of patients and H22-bearing mice. These were positively correlated with hypoxia-inducible factor -1 α and ki-67. Hypoxia up-regulated the expression of EPO and EPOR in HepG2 cells. It also induced the proliferation and increased the percentage of divided cells after 24, 48 and 72 h treatment. These were inhibited in cells pre-treated with 0.5 μg/mL soluble-EPOR. Immunofluorescence staining presented that EPOR was obviously translocated from nucleus to cytoplasm and membrane under hypoxia. EPOR binding activity was also increased after exposure to hypoxia. Recombinant human erythropoietin obviously elevated cell proliferation rate and the percentage of divided under hypoxia but not normoxia, which were also inhibited by soluble-EPOR.

Conclusions

Our result indicated for the first time that EPO promoted the proliferation of HCC cells through hypoxia induced translocation of it specific receptor. Trial registration TJC20141113, retrospectively registered

     

A Melanophore-Based Screening Assay for Erythropoietin Receptors

A rapid, functional assay in frog melanophore cells for the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), a member of the cytokine receptor family, is demonstrated. A chimeric receptor that comprised the extracellular portion of the murine EPOR and the transmembrane and intracellular domains of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was subcloned into the expression vector pJG3.6. When the full-length EGFR was expressed in melanophores, EGF but not EPO mediated pigment dispersion in a time- and dose-dependent manner with an EC50 of 12.6 6 2.9 pM. However, when the chimeric EPOR/EGFR was expressed, EPO but not EGF stimulated pigment dispersion in a time- and dose-dependent manner with an EC50 of 380 6 107 pM. Neither EGF nor EPO had any effect on pigment dispersion in wild-type melanophores. EGF- and EPO-mediated pigment dispersion was blocked by the bis-indolylmaleimide protein kinase C inhibitor Ro 31-8220. This study extends the use of the melanophore-based bioassay to include cytokine receptors in addition to G protein- and tyrosine kinase-coupled receptors. It represents a potentially powerful method for screening of combinatorial libraries to identify novel small molecule agonists and antagonists to this clinically important class of binding sites as well as performing studies of functional ligand-receptor interactions.