Phosphorylation of carboxyl-terminal tyrosines modulates the specificity of Sprouty-2 inhibition of different signaling pathways

Sprouty proteins are evolutionarily conserved negative feedback regulators of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases. Mammalian versions of these proteins differentially regulate signaling induced by the fibroblast and the epidermal growth factors (FGF and EGF, respectively). Herein we show that, although both growth factors elevate expression of Sprouty-2, FGF- and not EGF-induced activation of the Erk/MAPK pathway is inhibited by Sprouty-2. Attenuation of FGF-signaling is accompanied by the induction of Sprouty-2 phosphorylation on the amino-terminal as well as carboxyl-terminal tyrosine residues, which are less effectively modified upon EGF treatment. Mutagenesis of carboxyl-terminal tyrosines, especially a newly identified phosphorylation site, tyrosine 227, impaired the inhibitory activity of Sprouty-2. These results attribute a novel role for carboxyl-terminal tyrosine residues and yet unidentified phosphotyrosine-binding proteins in the differential regulation of Sprouty-2 activity.     

The inhibition of autoreactive T cell functions by a peptide based on the CDR1 of an anti-DNA autoantibody is via TGF-beta-mediated suppression of LFA-1 and CD44 expression and function

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which is characterized by the increased production of autoantibodies and defective T cell responses, can be induced in mice by immunization with a human anti-DNA mAb that expresses a major Id, designated 16/6Id. A peptide based on the sequence of the CDR1 of the 16/6Id (human CDR1 (hCDR1)) ameliorated the clinical manifestations of SLE and down-regulated, ex vivo, the 16/6Id-induced T cell proliferation. In this study, we examined the mechanism responsible for the hCDR1-induced modulation of T cell functions related to the pathogenesis of SLE. We found that injection of hCDR1 into BALB/c mice concomitant with their immunization with 16/6Id resulted in a marked elevation of TGF-beta secretion 10 days later. Addition of TGF-beta suppressed the 16/6Id-stimulated T cell proliferation similarly to hCDR1. In addition, we provide evidence that one possible mechanism underlying the hCDR1- and TGFbeta-induced inhibition of T cell proliferation is by down-regulating the expression, and therefore the functions, of a pair of key cell adhesion receptors, LFA-1 (alphaLbeta2) and CD44, which operate as accessory molecules in mediating APC-T cell interactions. Indeed, T cells of mice treated with hCDR1 showed a TGF-beta-induced suppression of adhesion to the LFA-1 and CD44 ligands, hyaluronic acid and ICAM-1, respectively, induced by stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha and PMA. The latter suppression is through the inhibition of ERK phosphorylation. Thus, the down-regulation of SLE-associated responses by hCDR1 treatment may be due to the effect of the up-regulated TGF-beta on the expression and function of T cell adhesion receptors and, consequently, on T cell stimulation, adhesion, and proliferation.     

Sucrose synthase controls both intracellular ADP glucose levels and transitory starch biosynthesis in source leaves

The prevailing model on transitory starch biosynthesis in source leaves assumes that the plastidial ADPglucose (ADPG) pyrophosphorylase (AGP) is the sole enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of the starch precursor molecule, ADPG. However, recent investigations have shown that ADPG linked to starch biosynthesis accumulates outside the chloroplast, presumably in the cytosol. This finding is consistent with the occurrence of an 'alternative' gluconeogenic pathway wherein sucrose synthase (SuSy) is involved in the production of ADPG in the cytosol, whereas both plastidial phosphoglucomutase (pPGM) and AGP play a prime role in the scavenging of starch breakdown products. To test this hypothesis, we have compared the ADPG content in both Arabidopsis and potato wild-type (WT) leaves with those of the starch-deficient mutants with reduced pPGM and AGP. These analyses provided evidence against the 'classical' model of starch biosynthesis, since ADPG levels in all the starch-deficient lines were normal compared with WT plants. Whether or not SuSy is involved in the synthesis of ADPG accumulating in leaves was tested by characterizing both SuSy-overexpressing and SuSy-antisensed transgenic leaves. Importantly, SuSy-overexpressing leaves exhibited a large increase of both ADPG and starch levels compared with WT leaves, whereas SuSy-antisensed leaves accumulated low amounts of both ADPG and starch. These findings show that (i) ADPG produced by SuSy is linked to starch biosynthesis; (ii) SuSy exerts a strong control on the starch biosynthetic process; and (iii) SuSy, but not AGP, controls the production of ADPG accumulating in source leaves.     

Inhibition of prostate cancer-meditated osteoblastic bone lesions by the low-calcemic analog 1alpha-hydroxymethyl-16-ene-26,27-bishomo-25-hydroxy vitamin D3

Prostate cancer metastasizes almost exclusively into the bone whereby it induces primarily an osteoblastic response. Non-calcemic vitamin D analogs have been shown to inhibit proliferation of prostate cancer cells in culture and inhibit their growth as subcutaneous xenografts in mice. However, their effect on prostate cancer cell growth in the bone has not been examined. In the present study, we inoculated the osteoblastic prostate cancer cell line MDA-PCa 2b into the bone of male SCID mice and examined the effect of the low-calcemic hybrid analog 1alpha-hydroxymethyl-16-ene-26,27-bishomo-25-hydroxy vitamin D(3) (JK-1626-2) on their ability to induce bone lesions. We found that 7 weeks after inoculation of MDA-PCa 2b cells, 90% of the mice in the vehicle-treated group had significant bone lesions that were detectable by micro-computed tomography and characterized by thickening of the cortical bone and ossification of the epiphysis. Only 30% of the mice in the analog-treated group (daily injections of 4microg/kg, 5 days/week for up to 7 weeks) had detectable bone lesions. Histological examination of the decalcified tumor-bearing bones has shown that tumor cells completely replaced the bone marrow in the diaphysis, and destroyed the trabecular bone in the metaphysis in 90% of the vehicle-treated mice. In contrast, the metaphysis of 60% of analog-treated mice appeared normal, although tumor cells were still found in the diaphysis of 70% of the bones in the analog-treated group. There was no evidence of hypercalcemia in any of the analog-treated mice. In a co-culture, MDA-PCa 2b cells induced a profound mitogenic response in osteoblasts followed by enhanced differentiation. However, in the presence of the analog the mitogenic response of the osteoblasts to the malignant cells was significantly attenuated. These experiments led to the hypothesis that, in vivo, JK-1626-2 prevented the metastatic bone lesions by inhibiting the mitogenic response of osteoblasts to growth factors produced by MDA-PCa 2b cells.     

Identification, subcellular localization and biochemical characterization of water-soluble heteroglycans (SHG) in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana L.: distinct SHG reside in the cytosol and in the apoplast

Water-soluble heteroglycans (SHG) were isolated from leaves of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana L. and from two starch-deficient mutants. Major constituents of the SHG are arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, and glucose. SHG was separated into low (<10 kDa; SHG(S)) and high (>10 kDa; SHG(L)) molecular weight compounds. SHG(S) was resolved into approximately 25 distinct oligoglycans by ion exchange chromatography. SHG(L) was further separated into two subfractions, designated as subfraction I and II, by field flow fractionation. For the intracellular localization of the various SHG compounds several approaches were chosen: first, leaf material was subjected to non-aqueous fractionation. The apolar gradient fractions were characterized by monitoring markers and were used as starting material for the SHG isolation. Subfraction I and SHG(S) exhibited a distribution similar to that of cytosolic markers whereas subfraction II cofractionated with crystalline cellulose. Secondly, intact organelles were isolated and used for SHG isolation. Preparations of intact organelles (mitochondria plus peroxisomes) contained no significant amount of any heteroglycan. In isolated intact microsomes a series of oligoglycans was recovered but neither subfraction I nor II. In in vitro assays using glucose 1-phosphate and recombinant cytosolic (Pho 2) phosphorylase both SHG(S) and subfraction I acted as glucosyl acceptor whereas subfraction II was essentially inactive. Rabbit muscle phosphorylase a did not utilize any of the plant glycans indicating a specific Pho 2-glycan interaction. As revealed by in vivo labeling experiments using 14CO2 carbon fluxes into subfraction I and II differed. Furthermore, in leaves the pool size of subfraction I varied during the light-dark regime.     

Mechanism and Determinants of Amphipathic Helix-Containing Protein Targeting to Lipid Droplets

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