Proteomic Analysis Reveals Distinct Metabolic Differences Between Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) and Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M-CSF) Grown Macrophages Derived from Murine Bone Marrow Cells*

Macrophages are crucial in controlling infectious agents and tissue homeostasis. Macrophages require a wide range of functional capabilities in order to fulfill distinct roles in our body, one being rapid and robust immune responses. To gain insight into macrophage plasticity and the key regulatory protein networks governing their specific functions, we performed quantitative analyses of the proteome and phosphoproteome of murine primary GM-CSF and M-CSF grown bone marrow derived macrophages (GM-BMMs and M-BMMs, respectively) using the latest isobaric tag based tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Strikingly, metabolic processes emerged as a major difference between these macrophages. Specifically, GM-BMMs show significant enrichment of proteins involving glycolysis, the mevalonate pathway, and nitrogen compound biosynthesis. This evidence of enhanced glycolytic capability in GM-BMMs is particularly significant regarding their pro-inflammatory responses, because increased production of cytokines upon LPS stimulation in GM-BMMs depends on their acute glycolytic capacity. In contrast, M-BMMs up-regulate proteins involved in endocytosis, which correlates with a tendency toward homeostatic functions such as scavenging cellular debris. Together, our data describes a proteomic network that underlies the pro-inflammatory actions of GM-BMMs as well as the homeostatic functions of M-BMMs.Macrophages are a heterogeneous population of immune cells that are essential for the initiation and resolution of pathogen- or tissue damage-induced inflammation (1). They show remarkable plasticity that allows them to respond efficiently to environmental signals and change their phenotype and physiology upon cytokine and microbial signaling (2). These changes can give rise to populations of cells with distinct functions that are phenotypically characterized by the production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (3). Among the growth factors that affect macrophage activation states, two cytokines that appear to be important in controlling the functions of macrophage lineage populations in inflammatory conditions are granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)¹ and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) (4). These CSFs are critical to the proper maintenance of steady-state macrophage development, although with different roles. GM-CSF has a role in inducing emergency hematopoiesis not in steady state, and influences the pathogenesis of various inflammatory as well as autoimmune diseases (5). In this line, in vitro generated GM-CSF grown macrophages are now considered as pro-inflammatory macrophages that display a robust immune responses upon LPS stimulation compared with M-CSF grown macrophages (6). In contrast, M-CSF contributes the maintenance of most resident macrophages including osteoclast in vivo and is known to affect homeostatic anti-inflammatory characteristics of macrophages. M-CSF grown macrophages are widely accepted as in vitro-generated macrophage sources because they showed relatively homogenous and stable macrophage phenotypes (7). A number of genomic studies have been performed to analyze macrophage activation in response to pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory stimuli. However, to date, there have been no clear reports on the global proteomic differences that govern the functional characteristics of differently differentiated or activated macrophages (8–11). To fully elucidate what enables pro-inflammatory macrophages to be poised for rapid and robust immune responses requires assessing their global intracellular proteomic network signatures.There has long been an appreciation, especially in the cancer field, for how changes in cellular activation coincide with alterations in cellular metabolic states (12, 13). Importantly, over the last couple of years it is becoming increasingly clear that immune cell activation is also coupled to profound changes in cellular metabolism and that their fate and function are metabolically regulated (14). In line with this, in this study, we found that GM-CSF grown macrophages have a higher glycolytic capacity through up-regulated glycolytic enzymes, as well as high lipid/nitrogen compound biosynthetic enzymes compared with M-CSF grown macrophages. They produce robust inflammatory cytokines upon TLR ligand stimulation only when sufficient glucose is available.Here we performed a quantitative analysis of the proteome/phosphoproteome of primary GM-CSF and M-CSF grown macrophages using the latest isobaric tag based TMT labeling and LC-MS/MS (15). This proteomic approach with high throughput technology is the first attempt to show the fundamental differences between primary GM-CSF and M-CSF grown macrophages and finally reveals that innate cellular anabolic metabolism paves the way for inducing robust immune responses. In this study, we describe individual differentially expressed proteins in the total network maps of GM-CSF and M-CSF grown macrophages and predict how they are specifically involved in initiating inflammation or resolution.     

The supplementation of Korean mistletoe water extracts reduces hot flushes,dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis,and muscle loss in ovariectomized rats

Since Korean mistletoe (Viscum album) has been used for alleviating metabolic diseases, it may also prevent the impairment of energy, glucose, lipid, and bone metabolisms in an estrogen-deficient animal model. We determined that long-term consumption of Korean mistletoe water extract (KME) can alleviate menopausal symptoms such as hot flush, increased abdominal fat mass, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and decreased bone mineral density in ovariectomized (OVX) rats fed a high-fat diet, and explored the mechanisms of the effects. OVX rats were divided into four groups and fed high-fat diets supplemented with either 0.6% dextrin (control), 0.2% lyophilized KME + 0.4% dextrin (KME-L), or 0.6% lyophilized KME (KME-H). Sham rats were fed with the high-fat diets with 0.6% dextrin as a normal-control without estrogen deficiency. After eight weeks, OVX rats exhibited impaired energy, glucose and lipid metabolism, and decreased uterine and bone masses. KME-L did not alleviate energy dysfunction. However, KME-H lowered serum levels of total-, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides and elevated serum HDL-cholesterol levels in OVX rats with dyslipidemia, to similar levels as normal-control rats. Furthermore, KME-H improved HOMA-IR, an indicator of insulin resistance, in OVX rats. Surprisingly, KME-H fed rats had greater lean mass in the abdomen and leg without differences in fat mass but neither dosage of KME altered bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and femur. The increased lean mass was related to greater phosphorylation of mTOR and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in the quadriceps muscles. Hepatic triglyceride contents were lowered with KME-H in OVX rats by increasing carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) expression and decreasing fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) expression. In conclusion, KME may be useful for preventing some menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and loss of muscle mass in post-menopausal women.     

Fitness cost of the green fluorescent protein in gastrointestinal bacteria

There are surprisingly few studies that have successfully used the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a quantitative reporter in selection experiments screening for inducible bacterial promoters. One explanation is that GFP expression may confer a fitness cost for bacteria. To test this possibility, we monitored the doubling time in enteric bacteria expressing GFP. Four bacterial species, Escherichia coli, enterohaemorrhagic E. coli, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhi, and Vibrio cholerae, were examined. The level of GFP expression was varied by using a salt-inducible promoter. After accounting for the increase in doubling time resulting from elevated osmolarity, the doubling time of all bacteria was found to increase proportionally with GFP expression, and some strains were more affected than others. Cultures of the bacteria most affected by GFP exhibited a proportion of elongated cells, which suggests that GFP production could interfere with cell division in these strains. The results in this study show that GFP is costly to bacteria and suggest that overly active promoters should be difficult to obtain from a genomic promoter library. They also suggest that the chances of succeeding in using GFP as a reporter in selection experiments are increased by growing the bacteria for the fewest number of generations and by subduing the expression of GFP whenever possible, such as by using a low copy vector to clone the library.     

普通小麦与祖山羊草杂种后代的细胞遗传学初步研究

粗山羊草(Aegilops tauschii(Coss.)Schmal.,DD,2n=14)是普通小麦(Triticumaestivum L.,AABBDD,2n=42)D染色体组的供体。粗山羊草中含有丰富的抗病,抗虫,抗逆,优质等优异基因,因此粗山羊草是改良普通小麦的宝贵遗传资源。但有关普通小麦与粗山羊草杂交的研究报道较少。本文试图通过对普通小麦与粗山羊草杂种后代的细胞遗传学和染色体分离规律的研究,探讨转移粗山羊草优异基因的方法和途径。     

Effect of electron-acceptor strength of zeolite on the luminescence decay rate of Ru(bpy)3(2+) incorporated within zeolites.

We carried out time-resolved luminescence and transient absorption studies of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(ii) complex, Ru(bpy)3(2+) assembled in the supercages of zeolites X and Y exchanged with various alkali metal cations. The average lifetime of the luminescence decay, a measure of the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) rate, of Ru(bpy)3(2+)* was found to decrease with increasing the electron-acceptor strength of the host which is represented by the Sanderson's electronegativity scale. This result strongly suggests that the zeolite host plays the role of electron acceptor for Ru(bpy)3(2+)*. However, we could not detect Ru(bpy)3(3+) in the transient absorption spectra, most likely due to very low absorption coefficient of Ru(bpy)3(3+) and to the low efficiency of net PET. For the above observation to be made, it is essential to employ the dehydrated zeolite hosts to allow direct interaction between the guest Ru(ii) complex and the host framework. The present study demonstrates the active role of the zeolite hosts during the PET of incorporated Ru(bpy)3(2+) under the carefully controlled experimental conditions. This report demonstrates the fact that the zeolite hosts can serve as electron acceptors although in the past zeolites were shown to play the role of electron donors.     

Interaction between Functional Domains of Bacillus thuringiensis Insecticidal Crystal Proteins

Interactions among the three structural domains of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1 toxins were investigated by functional analysis of chimeric proteins. Hybrid genes were prepared by exchanging the regions coding for either domain I or domain III among Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1C, and Cry1E. The activity of the purified trypsin-activated chimeric toxins was evaluated by testing their effects on the viability and plasma membrane permeability of Sf9 cells. Among the parental toxins, only Cry1C was active against these cells and only chimeras possessing domain II from Cry1C were functional. Combination of domain I from Cry1E with domains II and III from Cry1C, however, resulted in an inactive toxin, indicating that domain II from an active toxin is necessary, but not sufficient, for activity. Pores formed by chimeric toxins in which domain I was from Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac were slightly smaller than those formed by toxins in which domain I was from Cry1C. The properties of the pores formed by the chimeras are therefore likely to result from an interaction between domain I and domain II or III. Domain III appears to modulate the activity of the chimeric toxins: combination of domain III from Cry1Ab with domains I and II of Cry1C gave a protein which was more strongly active than Cry1C.     

Ubiquitin-protein ligases in muscle wasting

Muscle wasting occurs when rates of protein degradation outstrip rates of protein synthesis. Accelerated rates of protein degradation develop in atrophying muscle largely through activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The complexity of the ubiquitination process, however, has hampered our understanding of how this pathway is activated in atrophying muscles and which enzymes of the ubiquitin conjugation system are responsible. Recent studies demonstrate that two ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3s), atrogin-1/MAFbx and MuRF1 are critical in the development of muscle atrophy. Other experiments implicate E2(14k) and E3alpha, of the N-end rule pathway, as important players in the process. It seems likely that multiple pathways of ubiquitin conjugation are activated in parallel in atrophying muscle, perhaps to target for degradation specific classes of muscle proteins. The emerging challenge will be to define the protein targets for, as well as to develop inhibitors of, these E3s.     

Role of interdomain salt bridges in the pore-forming ability of the Bacillus thuringiensis toxins Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac

The four salt bridges (Asp(222)-Arg(281), Arg(233)-Glu(288), Arg(234)-Glu(274), and Asp(242)-Arg(265)) linking domains I and II in Cry1Aa were abolished individually in alpha-helix 7 mutants D222A, R233A, R234A, and D242A. Two additional mutants targeting the fourth salt bridge (R265A) and the double mutant (D242A/R265A) were rapidly degraded during trypsin activation. Mutations were also introduced in the corresponding Cry1Ac salt bridge (D242E, D242K, D242N, and D242P), but only D242N and D242P could be produced. All toxins tested, except D242A, were shown by light-scattering experiments to permeabilize Manduca sexta larval midgut brush border membrane vesicles. The three active Cry1Aa mutants at pH 10.5, as well as D222A at pH 7.5, demonstrated a faster rate of pore formation than Cry1Aa, suggesting that increases in molecular flexibility due to the removal of a salt bridge facilitated toxin insertion into the membrane. However, all mutants were considerably less toxic to M. sexta larvae than to the respective parental toxins, suggesting that increased flexibility made the toxins more susceptible to proteolysis in the insect midgut. Interdomain salt bridges, especially the Asp(242)-Arg(265) bridge, therefore contribute greatly to the stability of the protein in the larval midgut, whereas their role in intrinsic pore-forming ability is relatively less important.     

Casein Kinase 2 (CK2)-mediated Phosphorylation of Hsp90β as a Novel Mechanism of Rifampin-induced MDR1 Expression

The P-glycoprotein (P-gp) encoded by the MDR1 gene is a drug-exporting transporter located in the cellular membrane. P-gp induction is regarded as one of the main mechanisms underlying drug-induced resistance. Although there is great interest in the regulation of P-gp expression, little is known about its underlying regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that casein kinase 2 (CK2)-mediated phosphorylation of heat shock protein 90β (Hsp90β) and subsequent stabilization of PXR is a key mechanism in the regulation of MDR1 expression. Furthermore, we show that CK2 is directly activated by rifampin. Upon exposure to rifampin, CK2 catalyzes the phosphorylation of Hsp90β at the Ser-225/254 residues. Phosphorylated Hsp90β then interacts with PXR, causing a subsequent increase in its stability, leading to the induction of P-gp expression. In addition, inhibition of CK2 and Hsp90β enhances the down-regulation of PXR and P-gp expression. The results of this study may facilitate the development of new strategies to prevent multidrug resistance and provide a plausible mechanism for acquired drug resistance by CK2-mediated regulation of P-gp expression.