未分化和分化足细胞生物学性状及相关结构蛋白表达的变化

体外33℃许可条件下培乔由H-2Kb-tsA58转基因小鼠所建立的禾分化足细肥系,开在37℃非许可条件下诱导其分化.观察足细胞分化后形态学改变;MTT法测定细胞的生长曲线;红色荧光染料PKH-26标记足细胞,追踪其在子代细胞中的分布,检测细胞增殖能力;流式细胞仪检测细胞周期的改变;Western印迹检测足细胞相关蛋白CD2AP、α-actinin和足细胞分化相关蛋白nephrin的表达;免疫荧光结合激光共聚焦方法检测CD2AP、nephrin,α-actinin、F-肌动蛋白和微管蛋白的表达变化.结果显示:与未分化足细胞相比,分化足细胞形态发生改变,生长速度减慢,增殖能力下降:细胞周期表现为G0/G1期细胞比例的增多和S期及G2/M期的细胞比例下降;CD2AP、neDhrin和α-actinin的表达明显增高;CD2AP、nephrin、α-actinin、F-肌动蛋白和微管蛋白在表达分布上均发生明显的改变.以上结果表明,足细胞分化后生物学性状明显发生改变,细胞骨架重新分布:CD2AP、nephrin、α-actinin、F-肌动蛋白和微管蛋白均在足细胞的分化过程中发挥重要作用.     

环氧化酶-2和CD44v6蛋白在宫颈鳞癌中表达及临床意义

探讨环氧化酶-2(cyclooxy-genase-2,COX-2)和CD44v6蛋白在官颈上皮内瘤样病变(CIN)和浸润宫颈鳞癌(ICC)中的表达及其意义.应用免疫组织化学方法,检测45例ICC、25例CIN和10例正常宫颈组织(NCE)中COX-2和CD44v6蛋白的表达水平,并结合临床病理特征进行分析.结果表明,在ICC、CIN和NCE中,COX-2蛋白表达阳性率分别为82.2%(37/45)、40%(10/25)和0%(0/10),差异有显著性(P＜0.05);CD44v6蛋白表达阳性率分别为88.9%(40/45)、44%(11/25)和20%(2/10),差异有显著性(P＜0.05).COX-2和CD44v6蛋白表达与ICC的分化程度和淋巴结转移相关(P＜0.05),但与临床分期无关(P＞0.05).COX-2和CD44v6可能参与了调控ICC的发生、发展过程,其高表达预示ICC预后不良.     

凋亡相关蛋白Livin及Fas在骨肉瘤中的表达

目的:研究凋亡相关蛋白Livin、Fas在骨肉瘤表达及其临床意义.方法:用免疫组化S-P法,研究45例骨肉瘤及15例骨软骨瘤中Livin、Fas的表达情况.结果:Livin在骨肉瘤组织中阳性表达率为62.2%而在骨软骨瘤中不表达,两者比较有统计学差异(p＜0.01),Livin在骨肉瘤组织中的表达与分化程度、转移有关(p＜0.05,p＜0.01);Fas在骨肉瘤及骨软骨瘤中阳性率分别为22.2%和53.3%,两者比较也有统计学差异(p＜0.01);Fas在骨肉瘤组织中的表达与转移有关(p＜0.05);Livin与Caspase-3之间呈负相关(p＜0.05).结论:在骨肉瘤中Livin的高表达和Fas的低表达可能共同参与骨肉瘤的发生及转移.     

Role of CD2-associated protein in albumin overload-induced apoptosis in podocytes

Proteinuria is a well-established exacerbating factor of chronic kidney diseases. However, the harmful effects of protein overload on podocytes and the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the effects of high concentrations of albumin on podocytes and investigated the role of CD2AP (CD2-associated protein) in albumin overload-induced podocyte apoptosis. Conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes were cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of BSA. In addition, CD2AP eukaryotic expression vector or siRNA (small interfering RNA) was transfected into podocytes before they were exposed to BSA. Podocyte apoptosis, expressions of active caspase-3 (p17) and CD2AP, and the distribution of F-actin cytoskeleton were detected by flow cytometry, Western-blot analysis and fluorescent staining respectively. It was found that exposure of podocytes to BSA induced podocyte apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner that was accompanied by up-regulation of active caspase-3, the disruption of F-actin cytoskeleton, and decreased expression of CD2AP. Transfection of CD2AP eukaryotic expression vector into podocytes increased CD2AP expression, partially restored F-actin distribution, blocked active caspase-3 expression and inhibited podocyte apoptosis. In contrast, transfection of CD2AP siRNA deteriorated the above changes induced by BSA. It is concluded that protein overload induces podocyte apoptosis via the down-regulation of CD2AP and subsequent disruption of cytoskeleton of podocytes, and CD2AP may play an important role in protein overload-induced podocyte injury.     

CD2-associated protein/phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling has a preventive role in angiotensin II-induced podocyte apoptosis

Angiotensin II (Ang II) works as a paracrine or autocrine cytokine agent to regulate renal functions and promotes podocytes dysfunction directly or indirectly, causing proteinuria. The glomerular slit diaphragm (SD) serves as a size-selective barrier and is linked to the actin-based cytoskeleton by adaptor proteins, including CD2-associated protein (CD2AP). Therefore, damages to CD2AP affect not only the function of the SD, but also directly disrupt the podocyte cytoskeleton, leading to proteinuria. In addition, CD2AP can facilitate the nephrin-induced phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt signaling, which protects podocytes from apoptosis. Here we found that CD2AP staining was located diffusely but predominantly in the peripheral cytoplasm and CD2AP co-localized with nephrin in mouse podocytes; however, Ang II decreased CD2AP staining diffusely and induced a separation from concentrated nephrin. Ang II notably reduced CD2AP expression in time- and concentration-dependent manners, and this was significantly recovered by losartan. Ang II induced podocyte apoptosis in time- and concentration-dependent manners in TUNEL and FACS assays. LY294002, a PI3-K inhibitor, further reduced CD2AP expression and increased podocyte apoptosis, which was augmented by siRNA for CD2AP. Thus, Ang II induces the relocalization and reduction of CD2AP via AT1R, which would cause podocyte apoptosis by the suppression of CD2AP/PI3-K signaling.     

Downregulation of CD2-associated protein impaired the physiological functions of podocytes

Emerging evidences show that CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) is involved in podocyte injury and the pathogenesis of proteinuria. However, the exact molecular mechanism by which CD2AP exerts its biological function is elusive. We knocked down CD2AP gene by target siRNA in conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes, which showed lowered cell adhesion and spreading ability (P < 0.05). At the same time, cell cycle was arrested in G2/M phase (P < 0.05), and pathologic nuclear division could easily be seen in CD2AP siRNA-transfected podocytes. The proliferation of podocytes were also inhibited significantly by CD2AP siRNA transfection (P < 0.05). Further study revealed disordered distributions of F-actin, as well as lowered nephrin expression and phosphorylation in podocytes. These data suggest that CD2AP may play a crucial role in maintaining the normal function of podocytes and lowered CD2AP causes podocyte injury by disrupting the cytoskeleton and disturbing the nephrin-CD2AP signaling pathway.     

MDM2 is implicated in high‐glucose‐induced podocyte mitotic catastrophe via Notch1 signalling

Podocyte injury and depletion are essential events involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). As a terminally differentiated cell, podocyte is restricted in ‘post‐mitosis’ state and unable to regenerate. Re‐entering mitotic phase will cause podocyte disastrous death which is defined as mitotic catastrophe (MC). Murine double minute 2 (MDM2), a cell cycle regulator, is widely expressed in renal resident cells including podocytes. Here, we explore whether MDM2 is involved in podocyte MC during hyperglycaemia. We found aberrant mitotic podocytes with multi‐nucleation in DN patients. In vitro, cultured podocytes treated by high glucose (HG) also showed an up‐regulation of mitotic markers and abnormal mitotic status, accompanied by elevated expression of MDM2. HG exposure forced podocytes to enter into S phase and bypass G2/M checkpoint with enhanced expression of Ki67, cyclin B1, Aurora B and p‐H3. Genetic deletion of MDM2 partly reversed HG‐induced mitotic phase re‐entering of podocytes. Moreover, HG‐induced podocyte injury was alleviated by MDM2 knocking down but not by nutlin‐3a, an inhibitor of MDM2‐p53 interaction. Interestingly, knocking down MDM2 or MDM2 overexpression showed inhibition or activation of Notch1 signalling, respectively. In addition, genetic silencing of Notch1 prevented HG‐mediated podocyte MC. In conclusion, high glucose up‐regulates MDM2 expression and leads to podocyte MC. Notch1 signalling is an essential downstream pathway of MDM2 in mediating HG‐induced MC in podocytes.     

Role of nephrin in podocyte injury induced by angiotension II

Objective: To investigate the function of nephrin in podocytes and its relation to proteinuria in kidney diseases, and to study more clearly theoretical basis for the molecular mechanism of losartan anti-proteinuria and the special beneficial effects of losartan on podocyte injury. Methods: Experiment set up control, Ang II and losartan group. Cell morphology was observed perturbation, and using image processing software to analyze the cell body of cell morphology and size of the difference after 8?h, 24?h and 48?h. Detecting nephrin mRNA and protein expression changes by real time PCR (RT-PCR) and western blotting at different time points. Results: Podocyte cell bodies were significantly reduced after Ang II injury (p?<?0.01), losartan directly reduces the rate of apoptotic podocytes induced by Ang. Apoptotic podocytes may related to the decrease of nephrin mRNA and protein expressions, losartan reduced the apoptosis and proteinuria by declining nephrin mRNA and protein expressions. Conclusion: Ang II induced podocyte injury caused abnormal expression and distribution of nephrin in podocytes, losartan maybe maintain the stability of nephrin expression and the integrity of hole diaphragm (SD) structure and function by blocking the signal path, playing a important role in protection mechanisms of anti-proteinuria. Our findings provide some possible clues for further exploring the pharmacological targets to the proteinuria. These novel findings provide new insights into the beneficial effects of losartan on podocytes directly.     

Regulation of CD2-associated protein influences podocyte endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis induced by albumin overload

The adaptation of microorganisms to pesticide biodegradation relies on the recruitment of catabolic genes by horizontal gene transfer and homologous recombination mediated by insertion sequences (IS). This environment-friendly function is maintained in the degrading population but it has a cost which could diminish its fitness. The loss of genes in the course of evolution being a major mechanism of ecological specialization, we mimicked evolution in vitro by sub-culturing the atrazine-degrading Pseudomonas sp. ADP in a liquid medium containing cyanuric acid as the sole source of nitrogen. After 120 generations, a new population evolved, which replaced the original one. This new population grew faster on cyanuric acid but showed a similar cyanuric acid degrading ability. Plasmid profiles and Southern blot analyses revealed the deletion of a 47 kb region from pADP1 containing the atzABC genes coding for the enzymes that turn atrazine into cyanuric acid. Long PCR and sequencing analyses revealed that this deletion resulted from a homologous recombination between two direct repeats of a 110-bp, identical to ISPps1 of Pseudomonas huttiensis, flanking the deleted 47 kb region. The loss of a region containing three functional genes constitutively expressed thereby constituting a genetic burden under cyanuric acid selection pressure was responsible for the gain in fitness of the new population. It highlights the IS-mediated plasticity of the pesticide-degrading potential and shows that IS not only favours the expansion of the degrading genetic potential thanks to dispersion and duplication events but also contribute to its reduction thanks to deletion events.