Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases and programmed cell death: conundrums, controversies and potential implications

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases, which can synergistically degrade the major components of extracellular matrix (ECM). A key role in maintaining the balance between ECM deposition and degradation in several physio-pathological processes is carried out, through multiple biological functions, by four members of the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) family. TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 are capable of inhibiting the activities of MMPs, can inhibit tumour growth, invasion and metastasis, exhibit growth factor-like activity, can inhibit angiogenesis and suppress programmed cell death (PCD) independently of the MMP-inhibitory activity. TIMP-3 is the only member which is tightly bound to ECM, inhibits TNF- converting enzyme and induces PCD through the stabilization of TNF- receptors on the cell surface. TIMP-4 plays a role in ECM homeostasis in a tissue-specific fashion and its overexpression induces PCD. The aim of this article is to review the exciting and intriguing literature on TIMPs, with special emphasis on their conflicting-paradoxical roles in PCD and their potential clinical usefulness.     

GABAergic striatal neurons exhibit caspase-independent, mitochondrially mediated programmed cell death

GABAergic striatal neurons are compromised in basal ganglia pathologies and we analysed how insult nature determined their patterns of injury and recruitment of the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway during programmed cell death (PCD). Stressors affecting targets implicated in striatal neurodegeneration [3-morpholinylsydnoneimine (SIN-1), 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), NMDA, 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG), and staurosporine (STS)] were compared in cultured GABAergic neurons from murine striatum by analyzing the progression of injury and its correlation with mitochondrial involvement, the redistribution of intermembrane space (IMS) proteins, and patterns of protease activation. Stressors produced PCD exhibiting slow-onset kinetics with time-dependent annexin-V labeling and eventual DNA fragmentation. IMS proteins including cytochrome c were differentially distributed, although stressors except STS produced early redistribution of apoptosis-inducing factor and Omi, suggestive of early recruitment of both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent signaling. In general, Bax mobilization to mitochondria appeared to promote IMS protein redistribution. Caspase 3 activation was prominent after STS, whereas NMDA and SIN-1 produced mainly calpain activation, and 3-NP and DHPG elicited a mixed profile of protease activation. PCD and redistribution of IMS proteins in striatal GABAergic neurons were canonical and insult-dependent, reflecting differential interplay between the caspase cascade and alternate cell death pathways.     

受体相互作用蛋白3（RIP3）调控细胞自噬的研究进展

受体相互作用蛋白3(receptor-interacting protein 3,RIP3)是一种丝氨酸-苏氨酸蛋白激酶,因其参与细胞自噬的调控而受到广泛关注。本文就RIP3在细胞自噬的发展和调控机制中的作用进行了总结。RIP3可参与mTOR信号通路的调节,同时与多种自噬所必须的蛋白发生相互作用,包括GNAI3/RGSI9、P62和TFEB等,从而其在自噬启动、自噬体形成和自噬溶酶体成熟等多个阶段发挥正向或负向调控作用,为进一步探究RIP3对细胞程序性死亡的调控机制及相关疾病治疗的潜在分子靶标筛选提供参考。     

NaCl胁迫下平邑甜茶根系线粒体特性和细胞死亡特征

以平邑甜茶(Malus hupehensis var. pingyiensis)实生幼苗为试验材料, 研究NaCl浇灌后根系线粒体H₂O₂含量、膜电位(Δψm)和根系ATP含量的变化以及细胞死亡特征。结果表明, 根系线粒体H₂O₂含量在0.085 mol·L ^-1 NaCl处理的第1-6天逐渐降低, 在第6-15天则快速上升; 线粒体Δψm在0.085 mol·L ^-1 NaCl处理的15天内一直呈下降趋势, 在第6-15天下降速度明显加快; 根系ATP含量在0.085 mol·L ^-1 NaCl处理的15天内始终低于对照, 但保持在一个较稳定的范围内。TUNEL原位末端标记试验显示, 0.085 mol·L ^-1 NaCl处理的第9天, 根系石蜡组织切片上的阳性反应斑点明显增多, 到第15天时阳性反应斑点密集成片, 表明细胞核DNA发生了细胞程序性死亡的特征性断裂。根系中细胞程序性死亡关键酶类caspase3/7活性在0.085 mol·L ^-1 NaCl处理的第1-6天处于较低水平, 其活性在第6-15天成倍上升。这些结果表明, 0.085 mol·L ^-1 NaCl处理6-15天能诱导平邑甜茶根细胞发生程序性死亡, 而且线粒体特性的变化与根系细胞程序性死亡密切相关。     

饥饿及雨蛙素诱导的AR42J 细胞中自噬基因LC3及beclin-1 表达的变化

目的:观察饥饿及雨蛙素诱导的大鼠胰腺腺泡细胞AR42J中自噬基因LC3及beclin-1表达的变化,初步探讨吞噬(autophagy)在急性胰腺炎中的作用。方法:选择体外培养的生长状态良好的大鼠胰腺腺泡AR42J细胞,随机分为3组,饥饿组(N=10),雨蛙素处理组(N=10),空白对照组(N=10)。饥饿组加入充足的平衡盐溶液,雨蛙素处理组加入含10-7mol/L雨蛙素的全营养培养液,空白对照组加入含20%灭活胎牛血清的F12-K培养液(p H7.2-7.4),各组分别于处理后2、4、6 h收集细胞并提取蛋白质。采用免疫印迹法检测三组不同时点胰腺腺泡细胞AR42J中自噬基因Beclin-1和LC3的蛋白表达。结果:空白对照组不同时点beclin-1和LC3-II均呈低表达,且各时点比较差异无统计学意义(P<0.05)。饥饿组和雨蛙素处理组beclin-1和LC3-II的表达随处理时间的延长逐渐增加,且不同时点beclin-1和LC3-II的表达均较空白对照组显著增高,差异均具统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:雨蛙素和饥饿刺激可导致大鼠胰腺腺泡细胞AR42J中LC3-II及beclin-1蛋白表达随作用时间的延长而增加,自噬可能参与了胰腺炎的发生发展过程。     

Ultrastructural characterization of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid-induced cell death in embryonic dopaminergic neurons

Developing neuronal populations undergo significant attrition by natural cell death. Dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta undergo apoptosis during synaptogenesis. Following this time window, destruction of the anatomic target of dopaminergic neurons results in dopaminergic cell death but the morphology is no longer apoptotic. We describe ultrastructural changes that appear unique to dying embryonic dopaminergic neurons. In primary cultures of mesencephalon, death of dopaminergic neurons is triggered by activation of glutamate receptors sensitive to alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), and differs ultrastructurally from both neuronal apoptosis or typical excitotoxicity. AMPA causes morphological changes selectively in dopaminergic neurons, without affecting other neurons in the same culture dishes. Two hours after the onset of treatment swelling of Golgi complexes is apparent. At 3 h, dopaminergic neurons display loss of membrane asymmetry (coinciding with commitment to die), as well as nuclear membrane invagination, irregular aggregation of chromatin, and mitochondrial swelling. Nuclear changes continue to worsen until loss of cytoplasmic structures and cell death begins to occur after 12 h. These changes are different from those described in neurons undergoing either apoptosis or excitotoxic death, but are similar to ultrastructural changes observed in spontaneous death of dopaminergic neurons in the natural mutant weaver mouse.     

Peroxyacetyl nitrate-induced oxidative and calcium signaling events leading to cell death in ozone-sensitive tobacco cell-line

It has long been concerned that some secondary air pollutants such as smog components, ozone (O₃) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), are highly phytotoxic even at low concentrations. Compared with the biology of O₃, we largely lack the information on the toxicity model for PAN at the cellular signaling levels. Here, we studied the cell-damaging impact of PAN using suspension culture of smog-sensitive tobacco variety (Bel-W3). The cells were exposed to freshly synthesized PAN and the induced cell death was assessed under microscope after staining with Evans blue. Involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in PAN toxicity was suggested by PAN-dependently increased intracellular H₂O₂ and also by the cell-protective effects of ROS scavengers and related inhibitors. Calcium chelator also lowered the level of PAN-induced cell death, indicating that Ca²⁺ is also involved. Using a transgenic cell line expressing aequorin, an increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration responsive to the pulse of PAN, but sensitive to Ca²⁺ channel blockers, was recorded, indicating that Ca²⁺ channels are activated by PAN or PAN-derived signals. Above data show some similarity between the signaling mechanisms responsive to O₃ and PAN.     

14-3-3-Regulated Ca2+-dependent protein kinase CPK3 is required for sphingolipid-induced cell death in Arabidopsis

In eukaryotic cells, sphingoid long chain bases (LCBs) such as sphingosine or phytosphingosine (PHS) behave as second messengers involved in various processes including programmed cell death (PCD). In plants, induction of PCD by LCBs has now been described, but the signalling pathway is still enigmatic. Using Arabidopsis, we identify new key steps in this pathway. We demonstrate that PHS induces activation of the calcium-dependent kinase CPK3, which phosphorylates its binding partners, the 14-3-3 proteins. This phosphorylation leads to the disruption of the complex and to CPK3 degradation. Using cpk3 knockout lines, we demonstrate that CPK3 is a positive regulator of LCB-mediated PCD. These findings establish 14-3-3-regulated CPK3 as a key component of the LCB pathway leading to PCD in plants.     

Proinsulin/insulin is synthesized locally and prevents caspase- and cathepsin-mediated cell death in the embryonic mouse retina

Programmed cell death is an essential, highly regulated process in neural development. Although the role of insulin-like growth factor I in supporting the survival of neural cells has been well characterized, studies on proinsulin/insulin are scarce. Here, we characterize proinsulin/insulin effects on cell death in embryonic day 15.5 mouse retina. Both proinsulin mRNA and proinsulin/insulin immunoreactivity were found in the developing retina. Organotypic embryonic day 15.5 retinas cultured under growth factor deprivation showed an increase in cell death that was reversed by proinsulin, insulin and insulin-like growth factor I, with similar median effective concentration values via phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase activation. Although insulin and insulin-like growth factor I provoked a sustained Akt phosphorylation, proinsulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt was not found. Analysis of the growth factor deprivation-induced cell death mechanisms, using caspase and cathepsin inhibitors, demonstrated that both protease families were required for the effective execution of cell death. The insulin survival effect, which decreased the extent and distribution of cell death to levels similar to those found in vivo, was not enhanced by simultaneous treatment with caspase and cathepsin inhibitors, suggesting that insulin interferes with these protease pathways in the embryonic mouse retina. The mechanisms characterized in this study provide new details on early neural cell death and its genuine regulation by insulin/proinsulin.     

Mss4 protein is a regulator of stress response and apoptosis

Mss4 (mammalian suppressor of Sec4) is an evolutionarily highly conserved protein and shows high sequence and structural similarity to nucleotide exchange factors. Although Mss4 tightly binds a series of exocytic Rab GTPases, it exercises only a low catalytic activity. Therefore Mss4 was proposed to work rather as a chaperone, protecting nucleotide free Rabs from degradation than as a nucleotide exchange factor. Here we provide further evidence for chaperone-like properties of Mss4. We show that expression levels of cellular Mss4 mRNA and protein are rapidly changed in response to a broad range of extracellular stress stimuli. The alterations are regulated mostly via the (c-jun NH₂-terminal kinase) JNK stress MAPK signaling pathway and the mode of regulation resembles that of heat shock proteins. Similar to heat shock proteins, upregulation of Mss4 after stress stimulation functions protectively against the programmed cell death. Molecular analysis of the Mss4-mediated inhibition of apoptosis showed that interaction of Mss4 with eIF3f (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit f), a member of the translation initiation complex and a protein with distinct pro-apoptotic properties, is the critical event in the anti-apoptotic action of Mss4.