Allergen particle binding by human primary bronchial epithelial cells is modulated by surfactant protein D

Background

Allergen-containing subpollen particles (SPP) are released from whole plant pollen upon contact with water or even high humidity. Because of their size SPP can preferentially reach the lower airways where they come into contact with surfactant protein (SP)-D. Our previous work demonstrated that SP-D increases the uptake of SPP by alveolar macrophages. In the present study, we investigated the uptake of SPP in human primary epithelial cells and the potential modulation by SP-D. The patho-physiological consequence was evaluated by measurement of pro-inflammatory mediators.

Methods

SPP were isolated from timothy grass and subsequently fluorescently labelled. Human primary bronchial epithelial cells were incubated with SPP or polystyrene particles (PP) in the presence and absence of surfactant protein D. In addition, different sizes and surface charges of the PP were studied. Particle uptake was evaluated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Soluble mediators were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay or bead array.

Results

SPP were taken up by primary epithelial cells in a dose dependent manner. This uptake was coincided with secretion of Interleukin (IL)-8. SP-D increased the fraction of bronchial epithelial cells that bound SPP but not the fraction of cells that internalized SPP. SPP-induced secretion of IL-8 was further increased by SP-D. PP were bound and internalized by epithelial cells but this was not modulated by SP-D.

Conclusions

Epithelial cells bind and internalize SPP and PP which leads to increased IL-8 secretion. SP-D promotes attachment of SPP to epithelial cells and may thus be involved in the inflammatory response to inhaled allergen.     

Cellular strategies for controlling protein aggregation

The aggregation of misfolded proteins is associated with the perturbation of cellular function, ageing and various human disorders. Mounting evidence suggests that protein aggregation is often part of the cellular response to an imbalanced protein homeostasis rather than an unspecific and uncontrolled dead-end pathway. It is a regulated process in cells from bacteria to humans, leading to the deposition of aggregates at specific sites. The sequestration of misfolded proteins in such a way is protective for cell function as it allows for their efficient solubilization and refolding or degradation by components of the protein quality-control network. The organized aggregation of misfolded proteins might also allow their asymmetric distribution to daughter cells during cell division.     

Transgressive segregation reveals two Arabidopsis TIR-NB-LRR resistance genes effective against Leptosphaeria maculans, causal agent of blackleg disease

In a cross between the two resistant accessions Col-0 and Ler-0, a 15:1 segregation was found in F2, suggesting the presence of unlinked resistance loci to Leptosphaeria maculans. One hundred Col-4 x Ler-0, and 50 Ler-2 x Cvi-1 recombinant inbred lines, and seven susceptible Ler-0 x Ws-0 F2 progenies were examined to identify the two loci. Resistance in Col-4, Ws-0 and Cvi-1 (RLM1) was mapped to the marker m305 on chromosome 1. Col-4 x Ler-0 and Ler-2 x Cvi-1 mapping populations located RLM2(Ler) on the same arm of chromosome 4. A tight physical location of RLM2 was established through near-isogenic lines. This region was found to correspond to an ancient duplication event between the RLM1 and RLM2 loci. Two independent T-DNA mutants in a TIR-NB-LRR R gene (At1g64070) displayed susceptibility, and L. maculans susceptible mutant phenotypes were confirmed to be allelic for rlm1 in F1 after crosses with susceptible rlm1(Ler)rlm2(Col) plants. Complementation of rlm1(Ler)rlm2(Col) with the genomic Col-0 sequence of At1g64070 conferred resistance. In addition, two T-DNA mutants in a neighbouring homologous TIR-NB-LRR gene (At1g63880) displayed moderate susceptibility to L. maculans. Sequence analysis revealed that At1g64070 was truncated by a premature stop codon, and that At1g63880 was absent in Ler-0. RNA interference confirmed that Ler-0 resistance is dependent on genes structurally related to RLM1. Camalexin was identified as a quantitative co-dominant resistance factor of Col-0 origin, but independent of RLM1. RLM1/RLM2 resistance was, however, found to require RAR1 and partially HSP90.1.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of alpha-galactosylceramide (KRN7000) and isoglobotrihexosylceramide (iGb3)

Glycoceramides can activate NKT cells by binding with CD1d to produce IFN-gamma, IL-4, and other cytokines. An efficient synthetic pathway for alpha-galactosylceramide (KRN7000) was established by coupling a protected galactose donor to a properly protected ceramide. During the investigation, it was discovered that when the ceramide was protected with benzyl groups, only beta-galactosylceramide was produced from the glycosylation reaction. In contrast, the ceramide with benzoyl protecting groups produced alpha-galactosylceramide. Isoglobotrihexosylceramide (iGb3) was prepared by glycosylation of Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4Glc donor with 2-azido-sphingosine in high yield. Biological assays on the synthetic KRN7000 and iGb3 were performed using human and murine iNKT cell clones or hybridomas.     

Presenilin clinical mutations can affect gamma-secretase activity by different mechanisms

Mutations in human presenilin (PS) genes cause aggressive forms of familial Alzheimer's disease. Presenilins are polytopic proteins that harbour the catalytic site of the gamma-secretase complex and cleave many type I transmembrane proteins including beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP), Notch and syndecan 3. Contradictory results have been published concerning whether PS mutations cause 'abnormal' gain or (partial) loss of function of gamma-secretase. To avoid the possibility that wild-type PS confounds the interpretation of the results, we used presenilin-deficient cells to analyse the effects of different clinical mutations on APP, Notch, syndecan 3 and N-cadherin substrate processing, and on gamma-secretase complex formation. A loss in APP and Notch substrate processing at epsilon and S3 cleavage sites was observed with all presenilin mutants, whereas APP processing at the gamma site was affected in variable ways. PS1-Delta9 and PS1-L166P mutations caused a reduction in beta-amyloid peptide Abeta40 production whereas PS1-G384A mutant significantly increased Abeta42. Interestingly PS2, a close homologue of PS1, appeared to be a less efficient producer of Abeta than PS1. Finally, subtle differences in gamma-secretase complex assembly were observed. Overall, our results indicate that the different mutations in PS affect gamma-secretase structure or function in multiple ways.     

Real-Time Relative qPCR without Reference to Control Samples and Estimation of Run-Specific PCR Parameters from Run-Internal Mini-Standard Curves

Background

Real-Time quantitative PCR is an important tool in research and clinical settings. Here, we describe two new approaches that broaden the scope of real-time quantitative PCR; namely, run-internal mini standard curves (RIMS) and direct real-time relative quantitative PCR (drqPCR). RIMS are an efficient alternative to traditional standard curves and provide both run-specific and target-specific estimates of PCR parameters. The drqPCR enables direct estimation of target ratios without reference to conventional control samples.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we compared RIMS-based drqPCR with classical quantifications based on external standard curves and the “comparative Ct method”. Specifically, we used a raw real-time PCR dataset as the basis for more than two-and-a-half million simulated quantifications with various user-defined conditions. Compared with classical approaches, we found that RIMS-based drqPCR provided superior precision and comparable accuracy.

Conclusions/Significance

The obviation of referencing to control samples is attractive whenever unpaired samples are quantified. This may be in clinical and research settings; for instance, studies on chimerism, TREC quantifications, copy number variations etc. Also, lab-to-lab comparability can be greatly simplified.