HLA-B27 in transgenic rats forms disulfide-linked heavy chain oligomers and multimers that bind to the chaperone BiP

To test the hypothesis that HLA-B27 predisposes to disease by forming disulfide-linked homodimers, we examined rats transgenic for HLA-B27, mutant Cys(67)Ser HLA-B27, or HLA-B7. In splenic Con A blasts from high transgene copy B27 lines that develop inflammatory disease, the anti-H chain mAb HC10 precipitated four bands of molecular mass 78-105 kDa and additional higher molecular mass material, seen by nonreducing SDS-PAGE. Upon reduction, all except one 78-kDa band resolved to 44 kDa, the size of the H chain monomer. The 78-kDa band was found to be BiP/Grp78, and the other high molecular mass material was identified as B27 H chain. Analysis of a disease-resistant low copy B27 line showed qualitatively similar high molecular mass bands that were less abundant relative to H chain monomer. Disease-prone rats with a Cys(67)Ser B27 mutant showed B27 H chain bands at 95 and 115 kDa and a BiP band at 78 kDa, whereas only scant high molecular mass bands were found in cells from control HLA-B7 rats. (125)I-surface labeled B27 oligomers were immunoprecipitated with HC10, but not with a mAb to folded B27-beta(2)-microglobulin-peptide complexes. Immunoprecipitation of BiP with anti-BiP Abs coprecipitated B27 H chain multimers. Folding and maturation of B27 were slow compared with B7. These data indicate that disulfide-linked intracellular H chain complexes are more prone to form and bind BiP in disease-prone wild-type B27 and B27-C67S rats than in disease-resistant HLA-B7 rats. The data support the hypothesis that accumulation of misfolded B27 participates in the pathogenesis of B27-associated disease.     

Repression of tax expression is associated both with resistance of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-infected T cells to killing by tax-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and with impaired tumorigenicity in a rat model

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Although the viral transactivation factor, Tax, has been known to have apparent transforming ability, the exact function of Tax in ATL development is still not clear. To understand the role of Tax in ATL development, we introduced short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against Tax in a rat HTLV-1-infected T-cell line. Our results demonstrated that expression of siRNA targeting Tax successfully downregulated Tax expression. Repression of Tax expression was associated with resistance of the HTLV-1-infected T cells to Tax-specific cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte killing. This may be due to the direct effect of decreased Tax expression, because the Tax siRNA did not alter the expression of MHC-I, CD80, or CD86. Furthermore, T cells with Tax downregulation appeared to lose the ability to develop tumors in T-cell-deficient nude rats, in which the parental HTLV-1-infected cells induce ATL-like lymphoproliferative disease. These results indicated the importance of Tax both for activating host immune response against the virus and for maintaining the growth ability of infected cells in vivo. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms how the host immune system can survey and inhibit the growth of HTLV-1-infected cells during the long latent period before the onset of ATL.     

Reactive Oxygen Generated by NADPH Oxidase 1 (Nox1) Contributes to Cell Invasion by Regulating Matrix Metalloprotease-9 Production and Cell Migration

A mediating role of the reactive oxygen species-generating enzyme Nox1 has been suggested for Ras oncogene transformation phenotypes including anchorage-independent cell growth, augmented angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis. However, little is known about whether Nox1 signaling regulates cell invasiveness. Here, we report that the cell invasion activity was augmented in K-Ras-transformed normal rat kidney cells and attenuated by transfection of Nox1 small interference RNAs (siRNAs) into the cells. Diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) or Nox1 siRNAs blocked up-regulation of matrix metalloprotease-9 at both protein and mRNA levels in K-Ras-transformed normal rat kidney cells. Furthermore, DPI and Nox1 siRNAs inhibited the activation of IKKα kinase and the degradation of IκBα, suppressing the NFκB-dependent matrix metalloprotease-9 promoter activity. Additionally, epidermal growth factor-stimulated migration of CaCO-2 cells was abolished by DPI and Nox1 siRNAs, indicating the requirement of Nox1 activity for the motogenic effect of epidermal growth factor. This Nox1 action was mediated by down-regulation of the Rho activity through the low molecular weight protein-tyrosine phosphatase-p190RhoGAP-dependent mechanism. Taken together, our findings define a mediating role of Nox1-generated reactive oxygen species in cell invasion processes, most notably metalloprotease production and cell motile activity.     

Synthesis and anti-juvenile hormone activity of ethyl 4-(2-aryloxyhexyloxy)benzoates

A series of ethyl 4-(2-aryloxyhexyloxy)benzoates was prepared and tested for their activity to induce precocious metamorphosis in larvae of the silkworm. Phenyl analog 5 showed activity comparable to that of the 6-methyl-3-pyridyl analog reported as a novel anti-JH agent. The activity of 5 could be fully counteracted by methoprene, a JH agonist. The ethoxycarbonyl group of 5 was essential for its activity.     

Interaction of KAI1 on tumor cells with DARC on vascular endothelium leads to metastasis suppression

CD82, also known as KAI1, was recently identified as a prostate cancer metastasis suppressor gene on human chromosome 11p1.2 (ref. 1). The product of CD82 is KAI1, a 40- to 75-kDa tetraspanin cell-surface protein also known as the leukocyte cell-surface marker CD82 (refs. 1,2). Downregulation of KAI1 has been found to be clinically associated with metastatic progression in a variety of cancers, whereas overexpression of CD82 specifically suppresses tumor metastasis in various animal models. To define the mechanism of action of KAI1, we used a yeast two-hybrid screen and identified an endothelial cell-surface protein, DARC (also known as gp-Fy), as an interacting partner of KAI1. Our results indicate that the cancer cells expressing KAI1 attach to vascular endothelial cells through direct interaction between KAI1 and DARC, and that this interaction leads to inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and induction of senescence by modulating the expression of TBX2 and p21. Furthermore, the metastasis-suppression activity of KAI1 was significantly compromised in DARC knockout mice, whereas KAI1 completely abrogated pulmonary metastasis in wild-type and heterozygous littermates. These results provide direct evidence that DARC is essential for the function of CD82 as a suppressor of metastasis.     

Site-specific isotope labeling of long RNA for structural and mechanistic studies

A site-specific isotope labeling technique of long RNA molecules was established. This technique is comprised of two simple enzymatic reactions, namely a guanosine transfer reaction of group I self-splicing introns and a ligation with T4 DNA ligase. The trans-acting group I self-splicing intron with its external cofactor, 'isotopically labeled guanosine 5'-monophosphate' (5'-GMP), steadily gave a 5'-residue-labeled RNA fragment. This key reaction, in combination with a ligation of 5'-remainder non-labeled sequence, allowed us to prepare a site-specifically labeled RNA molecule in a high yield, and its production was confirmed with (15)N NMR spectroscopy. Such a site-specifically labeled RNA molecule can be used to detect a molecular interaction and to probe chemical features of catalytically/structurally important residues with NMR spectroscopy and possibly Raman spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.     

S100 proteins modulate protein phosphatase 5 function: a link between CA2+ signal transduction and protein dephosphorylation

PP5 is a unique member of serine/threonine phosphatases comprising a regulatory tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain and functions in signaling pathways that control many cellular responses. We reported previously that Ca(2+)/S100 proteins directly associate with several TPR-containing proteins and lead to dissociate the interactions of TPR proteins with their client proteins. Here, we identified protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) as a novel target of S100 proteins. In vitro binding studies demonstrated that S100A1, S100A2, S100A6, and S100B proteins specifically interact with PP5-TPR and inhibited the PP5-Hsp90 interaction. In addition, the S100 proteins activate PP5 by using a synthetic phosphopeptide and a physiological protein substrate, Tau. Overexpression of S100A1 in COS-7 cells induced dephosphorylation of Tau. However, S100A1 and permanently active S100P inhibited the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and PP5 interaction, resulting the inhibition of dephosphorylation of phospho-ASK1 by PP5. The association of the S100 proteins with PP5 provides a Ca(2+)-dependent regulatory mechanism for the phosphorylation status of intracellular proteins through the regulation of PP5 enzymatic activity or PP5-client protein interaction.