Claudin-2 forms homodimers and is a component of a high molecular weight protein complex

Tight junctions are multiprotein complexes that form the fundamental physiologic and anatomic barrier between epithelial and endothelial cells, yet little information is available about their molecular organization. To begin to understand how the transmembrane proteins of the tight junction are organized into multiprotein complexes, we used blue native-PAGE (BN-PAGE) and cross-linking techniques to identify complexes extracted from MDCK II cells and mouse liver. In nonionic detergent extracts from MDCK II cells, the tight junction integral membrane protein claudin-2 was preferentially isolated as a homodimer, whereas claudin-4 was monomeric. Analysis of the interactions between chimeras of claudin-2 and -4 are consistent with the transmembrane domains of claudin-2 being responsible for dimerization, and mutational analysis followed by cross-linking indicated that the second transmembrane domains were arranged in close proximity in homodimers. BN-PAGE of mouse liver membrane identified a relatively discrete high molecular weight complex containing at least claudin-1, claudin-2, and occludin; the difference in the protein complex sizes between cultured cells and tissues may reflect differences in tight junction protein or lipid composition or post-translational modifications. Our results suggest that BN-PAGE may be a useful tool in understanding tight junction structure.     

重症急性胰腺炎患者血清IL-6水平与内毒素移位及肠黏膜紧密连接蛋白表达关系的研究(英文)

目的:大量研究表明重症急性胰腺炎(SAP)患者血清中高浓度IL-6和肠黏膜低表达的紧密连接蛋白可促进内毒素移位的发生。本文主要研究重症胰腺炎患者血清IL-6水平对内毒素移位和肠黏膜紧密连接蛋白表达的影响。方法:50例重症胰腺炎患者,其中12例在患病早期因结肠受累合并腹胀,对12例结肠受累患者应用结肠镜行结肠灌洗进行腹腔减压,同时取结肠黏膜进行活组织检查。所有病人在治疗的第3天,第7天,第10天,第14天抽取外周静脉血。40例健康志愿者作为对照组。应用ELISA方法检测血清IL-6水平,鲎试验(LAL)方法检测血清内毒素含量,应用免疫荧光和Western blotting方法检测肠黏膜紧密连接蛋白表达水平。结果:SAP患者血清IL-6和内毒素含量明显高于健康对照组,而结肠黏膜紧密连接蛋白表达低于对照组;在临床治疗过程中,早期SAP患者血清IL-6和内毒素水平高于晚期(P值均0.05)。SAP早期血清高浓度的IL-6与结肠黏膜紧密连接蛋白的低表达具有相关性,差异有统计学意义(r=0.735,P0.05)。结论:血清IL-6水平可作为早期评价重症急性胰腺炎严重程度的一项指标,IL-6水平与重症急性胰腺炎临床病程有相关性,可能导致肠道内毒素移位。     

The Integrin β1 Subunit Regulates Paracellular Permeability of Kidney Proximal Tubule Cells

Epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract and kidney have different abilities to facilitate paracellular and transcellular transport of water and solutes. In the kidney, the proximal tubule allows both transcellular and paracellular transport, while the collecting duct primarily facilitates transcellular transport. The claudins and E-cadherin are major structural and functional components regulating paracellular transport. In this study we present the novel finding that the transmembrane matrix receptors, integrins, play a role in regulating paracellular transport of renal proximal tubule cells. Deleting the integrin β1 subunit in these cells converts them from a “loose” epithelium, characterized by low expression of E-cadherin and claudin-7 and high expression of claudin-2, to a “tight” epithelium with increased E-cadherin and claudin-7 expression and decreased claudin-2 expression. This effect is mediated by the integrin β1 cytoplasmic tail and does not entail β1 heterodimerization with an α-subunit or its localization to the cell surface. In addition, we demonstrate that deleting the β1 subunit in the proximal tubule of the kidney results in a major urine-concentrating defect. Thus, the integrin β1 tail plays a key role in regulating the composition and function of tight and adherens junctions that define paracellular transport properties of terminally differentiated renal proximal tubule epithelial cells.     

CD226 Protein Is Involved in Immune Synapse Formation and Triggers Natural Killer (NK) Cell Activation via Its First Extracellular Domain

CD226, an activating receptor that interacts with the ligands CD155 and CD112, activates natural killer (NK) cells via its immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activatory motif (ITAM). There are two extracellular domains of CD226; however, the comparative functional relevance of these domains remains unknown. In this study, two different deletion mutants, rCD226-ECD1 (the first extracellular domain) and rCD226-ECD (full extracellular domains), were recombinantly expressed. We observed that rCD226-ECD1, similar to rCD226-ECD, specifically bound to ligand-positive cell lines and that this interaction could be competitively blocked by an anti-CD226 mAb. In addition, rCD226-ECD1 was able to block the binding of CD112 mAb to tumor cells in a competitive binding assay. Importantly, based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we determined that rCD226-ECD1, similar to rCD226-ECD, directly bound to its ligand CD155 on a protein chip. Functionally, NK cell cytotoxicity against K562 or HeLa cells was blocked by rCD226-ECD1 by reducing the expression of CD69 and granzyme B, indicating the critical role of ECD1 in NK cell activation. We also examined the role of rCD226-ECD1 in effector/target interactions by using rCD226-ECD to block these interactions. Using flow cytometry, we found that the number of conjugates between IL-2-dependent NKL cells and HeLa cells was reduced and observed that the formation of immune synapses was also decreased under confocal microscopy. In addition, we prepared two anti-rCD226-ECD1 agonistic antibodies, 2E6 and 3B9. Both 2E6 and 3B9 antibodies could induce the phosphorylation of ERK in NK-92 cells. Taken together, our results show that CD226 functions via its first extracellular domain.     

安祖花人工种子的研制

用安祖花叶片作为外植体,诱导产生致密愈伤组织,将安祖花致密愈伤组织切成规则小块,用(MS+0.1 mg/L NAA)培养基预培养半个月,诱导根的发生。再用继代培养基包埋培养物进行固定化培养,经1月后筛选具不定根的培养物,采用再包埋方法制成人工种子。当这种人工种子播于有菌土壤时可得到63%的成活率(转株率)。我们认为致密愈伤组织中不定芽和愈伤组织间发生的是生物学接触,不定芽的初始生长由愈伤组织通过生物学途径提供营养,从而大大提高了人工种子的活力。用含不定芽的致密愈伤组织作为培养物,对于人工种子的机械化生产和田间应用具有参考价值。     

Fine structural aspects of the shift of zonula occludens and cytoorganelles during the inversion of cell polarity in cultured porcine thyroid follicles

Summary Porcine thyroid follicles, when isolated by enzymatic digestion and suspended in Eagle's MEM containing 10% fetal calf serum, undergo inversion of cellular polarity. After isolation, the strands for the tight junctions (zonulae occludentes) between follicle cells begin to move towards the side of the medium and gather at this side of the lateral plasma membrane during 24 h of incubation. Around this time, microvilli of many follicular cells protrude into the culture-medium. The elements of the Golgi apparatus are located at the luminal as well as the culture-medium side of the cytoplasm, and also at the lateral side of the nucleus after 24 h of suspension culture, and by 94 h of incubation almost all elements of this organelle, as well as lysosomes and the central cilium have migrated to the side of the medium. The migration of the zonulae occludentes is considered to be the initial change in the reversal of the polarity of this cell.This study was supported in part by grants from the Research Fund of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan