表皮生长因子受体调控的人鼻咽癌细胞系CNE2分泌蛋白质的筛选

为筛选表皮生长因子受体(epidermalgrowthfactorreceptor,EGFR)调控的鼻咽癌(nasopharyngealcarcinoma,NPC)细胞的分泌蛋白质,揭示EGFR在NPC发病中的作用机制,采用无血清培养法培养NPC细胞系CNE2,并用转化生长因子(transforminggrowthfactor-α,TGF-α)刺激CNE2细胞24h作为实验组,对照组CNE2细胞不用TGF-α刺激.超滤法脱盐并浓缩两组细胞的培养上清制备分泌蛋白,采用双向凝胶电泳技术(two-dimensionalelectrophoresis,2-DE)分离两组细胞的分泌蛋白,PDquest图像分析软件识别差异表达的蛋白质点,基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(matrix-assistedlaserdesorption/ionizationtimeofflightmassspectrometry,MALDI-TOF-MS)鉴定差异表达蛋白.建立了实验组和对照组CNE2细胞分泌蛋白的2-DE图谱,图像分析识别了22个差异蛋白质点,质谱鉴定了8个非冗余蛋白质,其功能涉及肿瘤细胞侵袭转移、细胞凋亡和增殖,为进一步揭示EGFR在NPC发病中的作用及其机制奠定了基础.     

Phenanthridin-6-one derivatives as the first class of non-steroidal pharmacological chaperones for Niemann-Pick disease type C1 protein

Niemann-Pick disease type C is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease mostly caused by mutations in Nieamnn-Pick type C1 (NPC1), a late endosomal membrane protein that is essential for intracellular cholesterol transport. The most prevalent mutation, I1061T (Ile to Thr), interferes with the protein folding process. Consequently, mutated but intrinsically functional NPC1 proteins are prematurely degraded via proteasome, leading to loss of NPC1 function. Previously, we reported sterol derivatives as pharmacological chaperones for NPC1, and showed that these derivatives can normalize folding-defective phenotypes of I1061T NPC1 mutant by directly binding to, and stabilizing, the protein. Here, we report a series of compounds containing a phenanthridin-6-one scaffold as the first class of non-steroidal pharmacological chaperones for NPC1. We also examined their structure-activity relationships.     

Niemann-Pick C1 protein transports copper to the secretory compartment from late endosomes where ATP7B resides

Wilson disease is a genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of copper in the body by defective biliary copper excretion. Wilson disease gene product (ATP7B) functions in copper incorporation to ceruloplasmin (Cp) and biliary copper excretion. However, copper metabolism in hepatocytes has been still unclear. Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a lipid storage disorder and the most commonly mutated gene is NPC1 and its gene product NPC1 is a late endosome protein and regulates intracellular vesicle traffic. In the present study, we induced NPC phenotype and examined the localization of ATP7B and secretion of holo-Cp, a copper-binding mature form of Cp. The vesicle traffic was modulated using U18666A, which induces NPC phenotype, and knock down of NPC1 by RNA interference. ATP7B colocalized with the late endosome markers, but not with the trans-Golgi network markers. U18666A and NPC1 knock down decreased holo-Cp secretion to culture medium, but did not affect the secretion of other secretory proteins. Copper accumulated in the cells after the treatment with U18666A. These findings suggest that ATP7B localizes in the late endosomes and that copper in the late endosomes is transported to the secretory compartment via NPC1-dependent pathway and incorporated into apo-Cp to form holo-Cp.     

Targeted inhibition of the EGFR pathways enhances Zn‐BC‐AM PDT‐induced apoptosis in well‐differentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a receptor often expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, is one of the recently identified molecular targets in cancer treatment. In the present study, the effects of combined treatment of Zn‐BC‐AM PDT with an EGFR inhibitor AG1478 were investigated. Well‐differentiated NPC HK‐1 cells were subjected to PDT with 1 µM of Zn‐BC‐AM and were irradiated at a light dose of 1 J/cm² in the presence or absence of EGFR inhibitor AG1478. Specific protein kinase inhibitors of downstream EGFR targets were also used in the investigation. EGFR, Akt, and ERK were found constitutively activated in HK‐1 cells and the activities could be inhibited by the EGFR inhibitor AG1478. A sub‐lethal concentration of AG1478 was found to further enhance the irreversible cell damage induced by Zn‐BC‐AM PDT in HK‐1 cells. Pre‐incubation of the cells with specific inhibitors of EGFR (AG1478), PI3k/Akt (LY294002), or MEK/ERK (PD98059) before light irradiation were found to enhance Zn‐BC‐AM PDT‐induced formation of apoptotic cells. The efficacy of Zn‐BC‐AM PDT can be increased through the inhibition of EGFR/PI3K/Akt and EGFR/MEK/ERK signaling pathways in NPC cells. Combination therapy with Zn‐BC‐AM PDT and EGFR inhibitors may further be developed for the treatment of advanced NPC. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 1356–1363, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Intracellular sterol dynamics

We review the cellular mechanisms implicated in cholesterol trafficking and distribution. Recent studies have provided new information about the distribution of sterols within cells, including analysis of its transbilayer distribution. The cholesterol interaction with other lipids and its engagement in various trafficking processes will determine its proper level in a specific membrane; making the cholesterol distribution uneven among the various intracellular organelles. The cholesterol content is important since cholesterol plays an essential role in membranes by controlling their physicochemical properties as well as key cellular events such as signal transduction and protein trafficking. Cholesterol movement between cellular organelles is highly dynamic, and can be achieved by vesicular and non-vesicular processes. Various studies have analyzed the proteins that play a significant role in these processes, giving us new information about the relative importance of these two trafficking pathways in cholesterol transport. Although still poorly characterized in many trafficking routes, several potential sterol transport proteins have been described in detail; as a result, molecular mechanisms for sterol transport among membranes start to be appreciated.     

Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) deficient mice absorb less cholesterol

Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) is the key enzyme for the biosynthesis of sphingolipids. It has been reported that oral administration of myriocin (an SPT inhibitor) decreases plasma sphingomyelin (SM) and cholesterol levels, and reduces atherosclerosis in apoE knockout (KO) mice. We studied cholesterol absorption in myriocin-treated WT or apoE KO animals and found that, after myriocin treatment, the mice absorbed significantly less cholesterol than controls, with no observable pathological changes in the small intestine. More importantly, we found that heterozygous Sptlc1 (a subunit of SPT) KO mice also absorbed significantly less cholesterol than controls. To understand the mechanism, we measured protein levels of Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1), ABCG5, and ABCA1, three key factors involved in intestinal cholesterol absorption. We found that NPC1L1 and ABCA1 were decreased, whereas ABCG5 was increased in the SPT deficient small intestine. SM levels on the apical membrane were also measured and they were significantly decreased in SPT deficient mice, compared with controls. In conclusion, SPT deficiency might reduce intestinal cholesterol absorption by altering NPC1L1 and ABCG5 protein levels in the apical membranes of enterocytes through lowering apical membrane SM levels. This may be also true for ABCA1 which locates on basal membrane of enterocytes. Manipulation of SPT activity could thus provide a novel alternative treatment for dyslipidemia.     

β-oxidation modulates metabolic competition between eicosapentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid regulating prostaglandin E2 synthesis in rat hepatocytes–Kupffer cells

The ability of n-3 PUFA to competitively inhibit the use of arachidonic acid (AA) for membrane phospholipid synthesis and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production has been well demonstrated in single cell models. In the present study, we investigated the metabolic competition between AA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) for PGE₂ synthesis in a rat hepatocyte–Kupffer cell (HPC/KC) co-culture system when the cellular oxidation capacity was enhanced by exogenous l-carnitine. We demonstrate that in the absence of l-carnitine, 1) β-oxidation rates of EPA and AA were comparable in HPCs and in KCs; 2) AA and not EPA was preferentially incorporated into glycerolipids; and 3) addition of EPA significantly decreased AA-dependent PGE₂ synthesis in HPCs and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in co-cultured HPCs/KCs. However, enhancing the cellular oxidation capacity by the addition of l-carnitine 1) significantly increased β-oxidation of EPA in HPCs, but only marginally elevated the oxidation of AA in HPCs and the oxidation of both fatty acids in KCs; 2) decreased the esterification, but did not alter the preferential incorporation of AA into glycerolipids; and 3) alleviated the significant competitive inhibition of AA-dependent PGE₂ synthesis and COX-2 expression by EPA. Taken together, the results strongly suggest that l-carnitine affects competition between AA and EPA in PG synthesis in liver cells by enhancing oxidation of EPA in HPCs. This implies that the beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA, especially EPA, are affected by the cellular oxidation capacity.