bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuropeptide regulation of human dermal microvascular endothelial cell ICAM-1 expression and function
Authors: Quinlan Kimberly L. , Song In-Sung , Bunnett Nigel W. , Letran Eleanor , Steinhoff Martin , Harten Brad , Olerud John E. , Armstrong Cheryl A. , Caughman S. Wright , Ansel John C.
Published: December 2017

There is increasing evidence that sensory nerves may participate in cutaneous inflammatory responses by the release of neuropeptides such as substance P (SP). We examined the direct effect of SP on human dermal microvascular endothelial cell (HDMEC) intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression and function. Our results indicated that, although cultured HDMEC expressed mRNA for neurokinin receptors 1, 2, and 3 (NK-1R, NK-2R, and NK-3R), SP initiated a rapid increase in HDMEC intracellular Ca2+ levels, primarily by the activation of NK-1R. Immunohistochemistry studies likewise demonstrated that HDMEC predominantly expressed NK-1R. The addition of SP to HDMEC resulted in a rapid increase in cellular ICAM-1 mRNA levels, followed by a fivefold increase in ICAM-1 cell surface expression. This functionally resulted in a threefold increase in51Cr-labeled binding of J-Y lymphoblastoid cells to HDMEC. In vivo studies demonstrated a marked increase in microvascular ICAM-1 immunostaining 24 and 48 h after application of capsaicin to the skin. These results indicate that neuropeptides such as SP are capable of directly activating HDMEC to express increased levels of functional ICAM-1 and further support the role of the cutaneous neurological system in modulating inflammatory processes in the skin.
Relationship between [125I]RTI-55-labeled cocaine binding sites and the serotonin transporter in rat placenta
Authors: Shearman Lauren P. , McReynolds Alison M. , Zhou Feng C. , Meyer Jerrold S.
Published: December 2017

We investigated the characteristics of cocainelike binding sites in rat placenta using [125I]RTI-55. [3H]paroxetine binding and immunocytochemical staining for serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] and for the 5-HT transporter were also used to obtain evidence for rat placental 5-HT uptake. [125I]RTI-55 saturation analyses with membranes from normal gestational day 20 placentas yielded curvilinear Scatchard plots that were resolved into high- and low-affinity components (mean dissociation constants of 0.29 and 7.9 nM, respectively). Drug competition studies with various monoamine uptake inhibitors gave rise to complex multiphasic displacement curves, although the results obtained with the selective 5-HT uptake inhibitor citalopram suggest that the 5-HT transporter is an important component of placental high-affinity [125I]RTI-55 binding. The presence of a rat placental 5-HT uptake system was additionally supported by the [3H]paroxetine binding experiments and by the presence throughout the placenta of immunoreactivity for 5-HT and the 5-HT transporter. Immunostaining with both antibodies was most intense in the junctional zone, whereas the density of [125I]RTI-55 binding sites was greater in the placental labyrinth. This discrepancy may be due to the fact that [125I]RTI-55 appears to be labeling additional cellular components besides the 5-HT transporter. The presence of cocaine- and antidepressant-sensitive 5-HT transporters in the placenta has important implications for the possible effects of these compounds on pregnancy and fetal development.
Time course of recovery of endothelial cell surface thrombin receptor (PAR-1) expression
Authors: Ellis Chad A. , Tiruppathi Chinnaswamy , Sandoval Raudel , Niles Walter D. , Malik Asrar B.
Published: December 2017

We studied dynamics of cell surface expression of proteolytically activated thrombin receptor (PAR-1) in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAEC). PAR-1 activation was measured by changes in cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and HPAEC retraction response (determined by real-time transendothelial monolayer electrical resistance). [Ca2+]iincrease in response to thrombin was abolished by preexposure to 25 nM thrombin for >60 min, indicating PAR-1 desensitization, but preexposure to 25 nM thrombin for only 30 min or to 10 nM thrombin for up to 2 h did not desensitize PAR-1. Exposure to 10 or 25 nM thrombin decreased monolayer electrical resistance 40–60%. Cells preexposed to 10 nM thrombin, but not those preexposed to 25 nM thrombin, remained responsive to thrombin 3 h later. Loss of cell retractility was coupled to decreased cell surface PAR-1 expression as determined by immunofluorescence. Cell surface PAR-1 disappeared upon short-term (30 min) thrombin exposure but reappeared within 90 min after incubation in thrombin-free medium. Exposure to 25 nM thrombin for >60 min prevented rapid cycloheximide-insensitive PAR-1 reappearance. Cycloheximide-sensitive recovery of cell surface PAR-1 expression required 18 h. Therefore, both duration and concentration of thrombin exposure regulate the time course of recovery of HPAEC surface PAR-1 expression. The results support the hypothesis that initial recovery of PAR-1 surface expression in endothelial cells results from a rapidly mobilizable PAR-1 pool, whereas delayed recovery results from de novo PAR-1 synthesis. We conclude that thrombin itself regulates endothelial cell surface PAR-1 expression and that decreased surface expression interferes with thrombin-induced endothelial cell activation responses.
Prolonged contraction-relaxation cycle of fast-twitch muscles in parvalbumin knockout mice
Authors: Schwaller B. , Dick J. , Dhoot G. , Carroll S. , Vrbova G. , Nicotera P. , Pette D. , Wyss A. , Bluethmann H. , Hunziker W. , Celio M. R.
Published: December 2017

The calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) occurs at high concentrations in fast-contracting vertebrate muscle fibers. Its putative role in facilitating the rapid relaxation of mammalian fast-twitch muscle fibers by acting as a temporary buffer for Ca2+ is still controversial. We generated knockout mice for PV (PV −/−) and compared the Ca2+ transients and the dynamics of contraction of their muscles with those from heterozygous (PV +/−) and wild-type (WT) mice. In the muscles of PV-deficient mice, the decay of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) after 20-ms stimulation was slower compared with WT mice and led to a prolongation of the time required to attain peak twitch tension and to an extension of the half-relaxation time. The integral [Ca2+]iin muscle fibers of PV −/− mice was higher and consequently the force generated during a single twitch was ∼40% greater than in PV +/− and WT animals. Acceleration of the contraction-relaxation cycle of fast-twitch muscle fibers by PV may confer an advantage in the performance of rapid, phasic movements.
Regulation of lateral mobility and cellular trafficking of the CCK receptor by a partial agonist
Authors: Roettger Belinda F. , Pinon Delia I. , Burghardt Thomas P. , Miller Laurence J.
Published: December 2017

Partial agonists are effective tools for advancing development of highly selective drugs and providing insights into molecular regulation of cellular functions. Here, we explore the impact of a partial agonist on key aspects of cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor regulation, its lateral mobility and cellular trafficking, in native pancreatic acinar cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing CCK receptor (CHO-CCKR). We developed and characterized a novel fluorescent partial agonist, rhodamine-Gly-[(Nle28,31)CCK-26–32]-phenethyl ester, that binds specifically and with high affinity to CCK receptors. Such analogs are fully efficacious pancreatic acinar cell secretagogues without supramaximal inhibition that mobilize intracellular calcium with little or no increase in phospholipase C (PLC) activity. Despite minimal phosphorylation of CCK receptors in response to this partial agonist, receptor trafficking was the same as that observed with full agonist (CCK). This included normal internalization via clathrin-dependent endocytosis in CHO-CCKR cells and insulation on the surface of pancreatic acinar cells. Also, as with CCK-occupied receptor, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of partial agonist-occupied receptor on the acinar cell surface demonstrated a marked temperature-dependent slowing of its rate of diffusion. This was similarly associated with resistance to acid-induced dissociation of ligand. Thus some key molecular regulatory mechanisms for CCK receptor internalization and insulation may be initiated by cellular signaling cascades that are not dependent on PLC activation or receptor phosphorylation.
Protein kinase C reduces the KCa current of rat tail artery smooth muscle cells
Authors: Schubert Rudolf , Noack Thomas , Serebryakov Vladimir N.
Published: December 2017

The hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) is able to regulate the whole cell Ca-activated K (KCa) current independently of PKC effects on local Ca release events was tested using the patch-clamp technique and freshly isolated rat tail artery smooth muscle cells dialyzed with a strongly buffered low-Ca solution. The active diacylglycerol analog 1,2-dioctanoyl- sn-glycerol (DOG) at 10 μM attenuated the current-voltage ( I- V) relationship of the KCa current significantly and reduced the KCacurrent at +70 mV by 70 ± 4% ( n = 14). In contrast, 10 μM DOG after pretreatment of the cells with 1 μM calphostin C or 1 μM PKC inhibitor peptide, selective PKC inhibitors, and 10 μM 1,3-dioctanoyl- sn-glycerol, an inactive diacylglycerol analog, did not significantly alter the KCa current. Furthermore, the catalytic subunit of PKC (PKCC) at 0.1 U/ml attenuated the I- Vrelationship of the KCa current significantly, reduced the KCacurrent at +70 mV by 44 ± 3% ( n = 17), and inhibited the activity of single KCa channels at 0 mV by 79 ± 9% ( n = 6). In contrast, 0.1 U/ml heat-inactivated PKCC did not significantly alter the KCacurrent or the activity of single KCa channels. Thus these results suggest that PKC is able to considerably attenuate the KCa current of freshly isolated rat tail artery smooth muscle cells independently of effects of PKC on local Ca release events, most likely by a direct effect on the KCa channel.
Functional consensus for mammalian osmotic response elements
Authors: Ferraris Joan D. , Williams Chester K. , Ohtaka Akihiko , García-Pérez Arlyn
Published: December 2017

The molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to hyperosmotic stress through the accumulation of organic osmolytes are largely unknown. Yet, among organisms, this is an almost universal phenomenon. In mammals, the cells of the renal medulla are uniquely exposed to high and variable salt concentrations; in response, renal cells accumulate the osmolyte sorbitol through increased transcription of the aldose reductase (AR) gene. In cloning the rabbit AR gene, we found the first evidence of an osmotic response region in a eukaryotic gene. More recently, we functionally defined a minimal essential osmotic response element (ORE) having the sequence CGGAAAATCAC(C) (bp −1105 to −1094). In the present study, we systematically replaced each base with every other possible nucleotide and tested the resulting sequences individually in reporter gene constructs. Additionally, we categorized hyperosmotic response by electrophoretic mobility shift assays of a 17-bp sequence (−1108 to −1092) containing the native ORE as a probe against which the test constructs would compete for binding. In this manner, binding activity was assessed for the full range of osmotic responses obtained. Thus we have arrived at a functional consensus for the mammalian ORE, NGGAAAWDHMC(N). This finding should accelerate the discovery of genes previously unrecognized as being osmotically regulated.
Enhancement of endocytosis due to aminophospholipid transport across the plasma membrane of living cells
Authors: Farge Emmanuel , Ojcius David M. , Subtil Agathe , Dautry-Varsat Alice
Published: December 2017

Formation of intracellular vesicles is initiated by membrane budding. Here we test the hypothesis that the plasma membrane surface area asymmetry could be a driving force for vesicle formation during endocytosis. The inner layer phospholipid number was therefore increased by adding exogenous aminophospholipids to living cells, which were then translocated from the outer to the inner layer of the membrane by the ubiquitous flippase. Addition of either phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylethanolamine led to an enhancement of endocytosis, showing that the observed acceleration does not depend on the lipid polar head group. Conversely, a closely related aminophospholipid that is not recognized by the flippase, lyso-α-phosphatidylserine, inhibited endocytosis, and similar results were obtained with a cholesterol derivative that also remains in the plasma membrane outer layer. Thus an increase of lipid concentration in the inner layer enhanced internalization, whereas an increase of the lipid concentration in the outer layer inhibited internalization. These experiments suggest that transient asymmetries in lipid concentration might contribute to the formation of endocytic vesicles.
Effect of selective proteasome inhibitors on TNF-induced activation of primary and transformed endothelial cells
Authors: Kalogeris Theodore J. , Laroux F. Stephen , Cockrell Adam , Ichikawa Hiroshi , Okayama Naotsuka , Phifer Travis J. , Alexander J. Steven , Grisham Matthew B.
Published: December 2017

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of two structurally distinct yet selective proteasome inhibitors (PS-341 and lactacystin) on leukocyte adhesion, endothelial cell adhesion molecule (ECAM) expression, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and the transformed, HUVEC-derived, ECV cell line. We found that TNF (10 ng/ml) significantly enhanced U-937 and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) adhesion to HUVEC but not to ECV; TNF also significantly enhanced surface expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and E-selectin (in HUVEC only), as well as intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1; in HUVEC and ECV). Pretreatment of HUVEC with lactacystin completely blocked TNF-stimulated PMN adhesion, partially blocked U-937 adhesion, and completely blocked TNF-stimulated ECAM expression. Lactacystin attenuated TNF-stimulated ICAM-1 expression in ECV. Pretreatment of HUVEC with PS-341 partially blocked TNF-stimulated leukocyte adhesion and ECAM expression. These effects of lactacystin and PS-341 were associated with inhibitory effects on TNF-stimulated NF-κB activation in both HUVEC and ECV. Our results demonstrate the importance of the 26S proteasome in TNF-induced activation of NF-κB, ECAM expression, and leukocyte-endothelial adhesive interactions in vitro.
NHE2 contains subdomains in the COOH terminus for growth factor and protein kinase regulation
Authors: Nath Samir K. , Kambadur Ravi , Yun C. H. Chris , Donowitz Mark , Tse Chung-Ming
Published: December 2017

The cloned epithelial cell-specific Na+/H+exchanger (NHE) isoform NHE2 is stimulated by fibroblast growth factor (FGF), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), okadaic acid (OA), and fetal bovine serum (FBS) through a change in maximal velocity of the transporter. In the present study, we used COOH-terminal truncation mutants to delineate specific domains in the COOH terminus of NHE2 that are responsible for growth factor and/or protein kinase regulation. Five truncation mutants (designated by the amino acid number at the truncation site) were stably expressed in NHE-deficient PS120 fibroblasts. The effects of PMA, FGF, OA, FBS, and W-13 [a Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) inhibitor] were studied. Truncation mutant E2/660, but not E2/573, was stimulated by PMA. OA stimulated E2/573 but not E2/540. FGF stimulated E2/540 but not E2/499. The most truncated mutant, E2/499, was stimulated by FBS. W-13 stimulated the basal activity of the wild-type NHE2. However, W-13 had no effect on E2/755. By monitoring the emission spectra of dansylated CaM fluorescence, we showed that dansylated CaM bound directly to a purified fusion protein of glutathione S-transferase and the last 87 amino acids of NHE2 in a Ca2+-dependent manner, with a stoichiometry of 1:1 and a dissociation constant of 300 nM. Our results showed that the COOH terminus of NHE2 is organized into separate stimulatory and inhibitory growth factor/protein kinase regulatory subdomains. This organization of growth factor/protein kinase regulatory subdomains is very similar to that of NHE3, suggesting that the tertiary structures of the putative COOH termini of NHE2 and NHE3 are very similar despite the minimal amino acid identity in this part of the two proteins.
Effects of melatonin on ionic currents in cultured ocular tissues
Authors: Rich Adam , Farrugia Gianrico , Rae James L.
Published: December 2017

The effects of melatonin on ionic conductances in a cultured mouse lens epithelial cell line (α-TN4) and in cultured human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells were measured using the amphotericin perforated patch whole cell voltage-clamp technique. Melatonin stimulated a voltage-dependent Na+-selective current in lens epithelial cells and trabecular meshwork cells. The effects of melatonin were observed at 50 pM and were maximal at 100 μM. Melatonin enhanced activation and inactivation kinetics, but no change was observed in the voltage dependence of activation. The results are consistent with an increase in the total number of ion channels available for activation by membrane depolarization. Melatonin was also found to stimulate a K+-selective current at high doses (1 mM). Melatonin did not affect the inwardly rectifying K+ current or the delayed rectifier type K+ current that has been described in cultured mouse lens epithelial cells. The results show that melatonin specifically stimulated the TTX-insensitive voltage-dependent Na+ current by an apparently novel mechanism.
Organic cation transport in rat choroid plexus cells studied by fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Miller David S. , Villalobos Alice R. , Pritchard John B.
Published: December 2017

Quinacrine uptake and distribution were studied in a primary culture of rat choroid plexus epithelial cells using conventional and confocal fluorescence microscopy and image analysis. Quinacrine rapidly accumulated in cells, with steady-state levels being achieved after 10–20 min. Uptake was reduced by other organic cations, e.g., tetraethylammonium (TEA), and by KCN. Quinacrine fluorescence was distributed in two cytoplasmic compartments, one diffuse and the other punctate. TEA efflux experiments indicated that more than one-half of intracellular organic cation was in a slowly emptying compartment. The protonophore monensin both emptied that TEA compartment and abolished punctate quinacrine fluorescence, suggesting that a large fraction of total intracellular organic cation was sequestered in acidic vesicles, e.g., endosomes. Finally, quinacrine-loaded vesicles were seen to move within the cytoplasm and to abruptly release their contents at the blood side of the cell; the rate of release was greatly reduced by the microtubule disrupter nocodazole.
Differential activation of the SMαA promoter in smooth vs. skeletal muscle cells by bHLH factors
Authors: Johnson A. Daniel , Owens Gary K.
Published: December 2017

E-box/basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-dependent regulation of promoters for skeletal muscle-specific genes is well established, but similar regulation of smooth muscle-selective promoters has not been reported. Using transient transfection assays of smooth muscle α-actin (SMαA) promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter constructs in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and L6 skeletal myotubes, we identified two activator elements, smE1 and smE2, with sequences corresponding to E-box (5′-CAnnTG-3′) motifs. In L6 myotubes, 4-bp mutations of smE1 or smE2 E-box motif alone completely abolished promoter activity. In contrast, mutation of smE1 and smE2 was required to reduce promoter activity in SMCs. Supershift analyses identified a myogenin-containing complex as the predominant smE1 and smE2 binding activity in skeletal muscle, and myogenin overexpression transactivated the promoter. Supershift analyses with SMC extracts demonstrated that the bHLH protein upstream stimulatory factor (USF) bound smE1, and USF overexpression transactivated the promoter in an smE1-dependent manner. In summary, our results provide novel evidence implicating E-box elements in directing expression of the SMαA promoter through distinct bHLH factor complexes in skeletal vs. smooth muscle.
Pregnant rat myometrial cells show heterogeneous ryanodine- and caffeine-sensitive calcium stores
Authors: Martin Cécile , Hyvelin Jean-Marc , Chapman Karen E. , Marthan Roger , Ashley Richard H. , Savineau Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2017

Intracellular Ca2+ release channels such as ryanodine receptors play crucial roles in the Ca2+-mediated signaling that triggers excitation-contraction coupling in muscles. Although the existence and the role of these channels are well characterized in skeletal and cardiac muscles, their existence in smooth muscles, and more particularly in the myometrium, is very controversial. We have now clearly demonstrated the expression of ryanodine receptor Ca2+ release channels in rat myometrial smooth muscle, and for the first time, intracellular Ca2+ concentration experiments with indo 1 on single myometrial cells have revealed the existence of a functional ryanodine- and caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ release mechanism in 30% of rat myometrial cells. RT-PCR and RNase protection assay on whole myometrial smooth muscle demonstrate the existence of all three ryr mRNAs in the myometrium: ryr3 mRNA is the predominant subtype, with much lower levels of expression for ryr1 and ryr2 mRNAs, suggesting that the ryanodine Ca2+ release mechanism in rat myometrium is largely encoded by ryr3. Moreover, using intracellular Ca2+ concentration measurements and RNase protection assays, we have demonstrated that the expression, the percentage of cells responding to ryanodine, and the function of these channels are not modified during pregnancy.
Mechanisms of MAPK activation by bradykinin in vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Velarde Victoria , Ullian Michael E. , Morinelli Thomas A. , Mayfield Ronald K. , Jaffa Ayad A.
Published: December 2017

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is a prominent feature of the atherosclerotic process occurring after endothelial injury. A vascular wall kallikrein-kinin system has been described. The contribution of this system to vascular disease is undefined. In the present study we characterized the signal transduction pathway leading to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in response to bradykinin (BK) in VSMC. Addition of 10−10–10−7M BK to VSMC resulted in a rapid and concentration-dependent increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of several 144- to 40-kDa proteins. This effect of BK was abolished by the B2-kinin receptor antagonist HOE-140, but not by the B1-kinin receptor antagonist des-Arg9-Leu8-BK. Immunoprecipitation with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies followed by immunoblot revealed that 10−9 M BK induced tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (p125FAK). BK (10−8 M) promoted the association of p60 src with the adapter protein growth factor receptor binding protein-2 and also induced a significant increase in MAPK activity. Pertussis and cholera toxins did not inhibit BK-induced MAPK tyrosine phosphorylation. Protein kinase C downregulation by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and/or inhibitors to protein kinase C, p60 src kinase, and MAPK kinase inhibited BK-induced MAPK tyrosine phosphorylation. These findings provide evidence that activation of the B2-kinin receptor in VSMC leads to generation of multiple second messengers that converge to activate MAPK. The activation of this crucial kinase by BK provides a strong rationale to investigate the mitogenic actions of BK on VSMC proliferation in disease states of vascular injury.
Electrically silent potassium channel subunits from human lens epithelium
Authors: Shepard Allan R. , Rae James L.
Published: December 2017

We describe the cloning and characterization of the first human members, hKv9.1 and hKv9.3, of the electrically silent delayed-rectifying-like K+ channel subfamily. Their modulatory effects on the electrically active subfamily member hKv2.1 are also quantified. The hKv9 K+ channels were isolated from a human lens epithelium cDNA library, but both hKv9.1 mRNA and hKv9.3 mRNA were found to coexist with the mRNA for hKv2.1 in a large number of human tissues. The hKv9.1 gene is composed of a minimum of five exons, with at least two alternatively spliced exons in the 5′-untranslated region (UTR). In contrast, the hKv9.3 gene is intronless across the coding region, 3′-UTR, and all of the analyzed 5′-UTR. Radiation hybrid mapping localized the hKv9.1 gene to 20q12 and the hKv9.3 gene to 2p24. Each electrically silent subunit, when coexpressed with hKv2.l, slows deactivation and inactivation compared with hKv2.1 expressed alone. In addition, each results in an increment in the single channel conductance.
JNK is a volume-sensitive kinase that phosphorylates the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter in vitro
Authors: Klein Janet D. , Lamitina S. Todd , O’Neill W. Charles
Published: December 2017

Cell shrinkage phosphorylates and activates the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (NKCC1), indicating the presence of a volume-sensitive protein kinase. To identify this kinase, extracts of normal and shrunken aortic endothelial cells were screened for phosphorylation of NKCC1 fusion proteins in an in-the-gel kinase assay. Hypertonic shrinkage activated a 46-kDa kinase that phosphorylated an NH2-terminal fusion protein, with weaker phosphorylation of a COOH-terminal fusion protein. This cytosolic kinase was activated by both hypertonic and isosmotic shrinkage, indicating regulation by cell volume rather than osmolarity. Subsequent studies identified this kinase as c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Immunoblotting revealed increased JNK activity in shrunken cells; there was volume-sensitive phosphorylation of NH2-terminal c-Jun fusion protein; immunoprecipitation of JNK from shrunken cells but not normal cells phosphorylated NKCC1 in gel kinase assays; and treatment of cells with tumor necrosis factor, a known activator of JNK, mimicked the effect of hypertonicity. We conclude that JNK is a volume-sensitive kinase in endothelial cells that phosphorylates NKCC1 in vitro. This is the first demonstration of a volume-sensitive protein kinase capable of phosphorylating a volume-regulatory transporter.
Activated satellite cells fail to restore myonuclear number in spinal cord transected and exercised rats
Authors: Dupont-Versteegden Esther E. , Murphy René J. L. , Houlé John D. , Gurley Cathy M. , Peterson Charlotte A.
Published: December 2017

In this study, possible mechanisms underlying soleus muscle atrophy after spinal cord transection and attenuation of atrophy with cycling exercise were studied. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups; in two groups the spinal cord was transected by a lesion at T10. One group was transected and killed 10 days later, and another group was transected and exercised for 5 days starting 5 days after transection. The third group served as an uninjured control. All animals received a continuous-release 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine pellet 10 days before they were killed. Transection alone and transection with exercise lead to activation of satellite cells, but only the exercise group showed a trend toward an increase in the number of proliferating satellite cells. In all cases the number of activated satellite cells was significantly higher than the number that divided. Although the number of cells undergoing proliferation increased with exercise, no increase in fusion of satellite cells into muscle fibers was apparent. Spinal cord transection resulted in a 25% decrease in myonuclear number, and exercise was not associated with a restoration of myonuclear number. The number of apoptotic nuclei was increased after transection, and exercise attenuated this increase. However, the decrease in apoptotic nuclei with exercise did not significantly affect myonuclear number. We conclude that apoptotic nuclear loss likely contributes to loss of nuclei during muscle atrophy associated with spinal cord transection and that exercise can maintain muscle mass, at least in the short term, without restoration of myonuclear number.
Ceramide triggers intracellular calcium release via the IP3 receptor inXenopus laevisoocytes
Authors: Kobrinsky Evgeny , Spielman Andrew I. , Rosenzweig Sophia , Marks Andrew R.
Published: December 2017

Ceramide, a product of sphingomyelin turnover, is a lipid second messenger that mediates diverse signaling pathways, including those leading to cell cycle arrest and differentiation. The mechanism(s) by which ceramide signals downstream events have not been fully elucidated. Here we show that, in Xenopus laevis oocytes, ceramide-induced maturation is associated with the release of intracellular calcium stores. Ceramide caused a dose-dependent elevation in the second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) via activation of Gq/11α and phospholipase C-βX. Elevation of IP3, in turn, activated the IP3 receptor calcium release channel on the endoplasmic reticulum, resulting in a rise in cytoplasmic calcium. Thus our study demonstrates that cross talk between the ceramide and phosphoinositide signaling pathways modulates intracellular calcium homeostasis.
Identification of an acid-activated Cl− channel from human skeletal muscles
Authors: Kawasaki Masanobu , Fukuma Toshiko , Yamauchi Kazushi , Sakamoto Hisato , Marumo Fumiaki , Sasaki Sei
Published: December 2017

ClC-4 gene was isolated as a putative Cl− channel. Due to a lack of functional expression of ClC-4, its physiological role remains unknown. We isolated a human ClC-4 clone (hClC-4sk) from human skeletal muscles and stably transfected it to Chinese hamster ovary cells. Whole cell patch-clamp studies showed that the hClC-4sk channel was activated by external acidic pH and inhibited by DIDS. It passed a strong outward Cl− current with a permeability sequence of I−> Cl− > F−. The hClC-4sk has consensus sites for phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA); however, stimulation of PKA had no effect on the currents. hClC-4sk mRNA was expressed in excitable tissues, such as heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. These functional characteristics of hClC-4sk provide a clue to its physiological role in excitable cells.
RhoA inactivation enhances endothelial barrier function
Authors: Carbajal José M. , Schaeffer Richard C.
Published: December 2017

The modulation of endothelial barrier function is thought to be a function of contractile tension mediated by the cell cytoskeleton, which consists of actomyosin stress fibers (SF) linked to focal adhesions (FA). We tested this hypothesis by dissociating SF/FA with Clostridium botulinum exoenzyme C3 transferase (C3), an inhibitor of the small GTP-binding protein RhoA. Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cell (EC) monolayers given C3, C3 + thrombin, thrombin, or no treatment were examined using a size-selective permeability assay and quantitative digital imaging measurements of SF/FA. C3 treatment disassembled SF/FA, stimulated diffuse myosin II immunostaining, and reduced the phosphotyrosine (PY) content of paxillin and 130- to 140-kDa proteins that included p125FAK. C3-treated monolayers displayed a 60–85% decline in F-actin content and a 170–300% increase in EC surface area with enhanced endothelial barrier function. This activity correlated with reorganization of F-actin and PY protein(s) to β-catenin-containing cell-cell junctions. Because C3 prevented the thrombin-induced formation of myosin ribbons, SF/FA, and the increased PY content of proteins, these characteristics were Rho dependent. Our data show that C3 inhibition of Rho proteins leads to cAMP-like characteristics of reduced SF/FA and enhanced endothelial barrier function.
Role of gelsolin in the actin filament regulation of cardiac L-type calcium channels
Authors: Lader Alan S. , Kwiatkowski David J. , Cantiello Horacio F.
Published: December 2017

The actin cytoskeleton is an important contributor to the modulation of the cell function. However, little is known about the regulatory role of this supermolecular structure in the membrane events that take place in the heart. In this report, the regulation of cardiac myocyte function by actin filament organization was investigated in neonatal mouse cardiac myocytes (NMCM) from both wild-type mice and mice genetically devoid of the actin filament severing protein gelsolin (Gsn−/−). Cardiac L-type calcium channel currents ( I Ca) were assessed using the whole cell voltage-clamp technique. Addition of the actin filament stabilizer phalloidin to wild-type NMCM increased I Ca by 227% over control conditions. The basal I Ca of Gsn−/− NMCM was 300% higher than wild-type controls. This increase was completely reversed by intracellular perfusion of the Gsn−/− NMCM with exogenous gelsolin. Further, cytoskeletal disruption of either Gsn−/− or phalloidin-dialyzed wild-type NMCM with cytochalasin D (CD) decreased the enhanced I Ca by 84% and 87%, respectively. The data indicate that actin filament stabilization by either a lack of gelsolin or intracellular dialysis with phalloidin increase I Ca, whereas actin filament disruption with CD or dialysis of Gsn−/− NMCM with gelsolin decrease I Ca. We conclude that cardiac L-type calcium channel regulation is tightly controlled by actin filament organization. Actin filament rearrangement mediated by gelsolin may contribute to calcium channel inactivation.
Differentiation of human fetal osteoblastic cells and gap junctional intercellular communication
Authors: Donahue Henry J. , Li Zhongyong , Zhou Zhiyi , Yellowley Clare E.
Published: December 2017

Gap junctional channels facilitate intercellular communication and in doing so may contribute to cellular differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we examined gap junction expression and function in a temperature-sensitive human fetal osteoblastic cell line (hFOB 1.19) that when cultured at 37°C proliferates rapidly but when cultured at 39.5°C proliferates slowly and displays increased alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin synthesis. We found that hFOB 1.19 cells express abundant connexin 43 (Cx43) protein and mRNA. In contrast, Cx45 mRNA was expressed to a lesser degree, and Cx26 and Cx32 mRNA were not detected. Culturing hFOB 1.19 cells at 39.5°C, relative to 37°C, inhibited proliferation, increased Cx43 mRNA and protein expression, and increased gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). Blocking GJIC with 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid prevented the increase in alkaline phosphatase activity resulting from culture at 39.5°C but did not affect osteocalcin levels. These results suggest that gap junction function and expression parallel osteoblastic differentiation and contribute to the expression of alkaline phosphatase activity, a marker for fully differentiated osteoblastic cells.
K-Cl cotransport in vascular smooth muscle and erythrocytes: possible implication in vasodilation
Authors: Adragna Norma C. , White Richard E. , Orlov Sergei N. , Lauf Peter K.
Published: December 2017

K-Cl cotransport, the electroneutral-coupled movement of K and Cl ions, plays an important role in regulatory volume decrease. We recently reported that nitrite, a nitric oxide derivative possessing potent vasodilation properties, stimulates K-Cl cotransport in low-K sheep red blood cells (LK SRBCs). We hypothesized that activation of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) K-Cl cotransport by vasodilators decreases VSM tension. Here we tested this hypothesis by comparing the effects of commonly used vasodilators, hydralazine (HYZ), sodium nitroprusside, isosorbide mononitrate, and pentaerythritol, on K-Cl cotransport in LK SRBCs and in primary cultures of rat VSM cells (VSMCs) and of HYZ-induced K-Cl cotransport activation on relaxation of isolated porcine coronary rings. K-Cl cotransport was measured as the Cl-dependent K efflux or Rb influx in the presence and absence of inhibitors for other K/Rb transport pathways. All vasodilators activated K-Cl cotransport in LK SRBCs and HYZ in VSMCs, and this activation was inhibited by calyculin and genistein, two inhibitors of K-Cl cotransport. KT-5823, a specific inhibitor of protein kinase G, abolished the sodium nitroprusside-stimulated K-Cl cotransport in LK SRBCs, suggesting involvement of the cGMP pathway in K-Cl cotransport activation. Hydralazine, in a dose-dependent manner, and sodium nitroprusside relaxed (independently of the endothelium) precontracted arteries when only K-Cl cotransport was operating and other pathways for K/Rb transport, including the Ca-activated K channel, were inhibited. Our findings suggest that K-Cl cotransport may be involved in vasodilation.
Pharmacological activation of cloned intermediate- and small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+channels
Authors: Syme Colin A. , Gerlach Aaron C. , Singh Ashvani K. , Devor Daniel C.
Published: December 2017

We previously characterized 1-ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone (1-EBIO), as well as the clinically useful benzoxazoles, chlorzoxazone (CZ), and zoxazolamine (ZOX), as pharmacological activators of the intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel, hIK1. The mechanism of activation of hIK1, as well as the highly homologous small-conductance, Ca2+-dependent K+ channel, rSK2, was determined following heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes using two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) and excised, inside-out patch-clamp techniques. 1-EBIO, CZ, and ZOX activated both hIK1 and rSK2 in TEVC and excised inside-out patch-clamp experiments. In excised, inside-out patches, 1-EBIO and CZ induced a concentration-dependent activation of hIK1, with half-maximal ( K 1/2) values of 84 μM and 98 μM, respectively. Similarly, CZ activated rSK2 with a K 1/2 of 87 μM. In the absence of CZ, the Ca2+-dependent activation of hIK1 was best fit with a K 1/2 of 700 nM and a Hill coefficient ( n) of 2.0. rSK2 was activated by Ca2+ with a K 1/2 of 700 nM and an n of 2.5. Addition of CZ had no effect on either the K 1/2 or n for Ca2+-dependent activation of either hIK1 or rSK2. Rather, CZ increased channel activity at all Ca2+ concentrations ( V max). Event-duration analysis revealed hIK1 was minimally described by two open and three closed times. Activation by 1-EBIO had no effect on τo1, τo2, or τc1, whereas τc2 and τc3 were reduced from 9.0 and 92.6 ms to 5.0 and 44.1 ms, respectively. In conclusion, we define 1-EBIO, CZ, and ZOX as the first known activators of hIK1 and rSK2. Openers of IK and SK channels may be therapeutically beneficial in cystic fibrosis and vascular diseases.
Ca2+-dependent activation of Cl−currents in Xenopus oocytes is modulated by voltage
Authors: Callamaras Nick , Parker Ian
Published: December 2017

Ca2+-activated Cl− currents ( I Cl,Ca) were examined using fluorescence confocal microscopy to monitor intracellular Ca2+ liberation evoked by flash photolysis of caged inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins P 3) in voltage-clamped Xenopus oocytes. Currents at +40 mV exhibited a steep dependence on Ins P 3 concentration ([Ins P 3]), whereas currents at −140 mV exhibited a higher threshold and more graded relationship with [Ins P 3]. Ca2+ levels required to half-maximally activate I Cl,Ca were about 50% larger at −140 mV than at +40 mV, and currents evoked by small Ca2+ elevations were reduced >25-fold. The half-decay time of Ca2+ signals shortened at increasingly positive potentials, whereas the decay of I Cl,Calengthened. The steady-state current-voltage ( I-V) relationship for I Cl,Ca exhibited outward rectification with weak photolysis flashes but became more linear with stronger stimuli. Instantaneous I-V relationships were linear with both strong and weak stimuli. Current relaxations following voltage steps during activation of I Cl,Ca decayed with half-times that shortened from about 100 ms at +10 mV to 20 ms at −160 mV. We conclude that Ins P 3-mediated Ca2+liberation activates a single population of Cl−channels, which exhibit voltage-dependent Ca2+ activation and voltage-independent instantaneous conductance.
Properties of cytotoxic peptide-formed ion channels
Authors: Kourie J. I. , Shorthouse A. A.
Published: December 2017

Cytotoxic peptides are relatively small cationic molecules such as those found 1) in venoms, e.g., melittin in bee, scorpion toxins in scorpion, pilosulin 1 in jumper ant, and lycotoxin I and II in wolf spider; 2) in skin secretions (e.g., magainin I and II from Xenopus laevis, dermaseptin from frog, antimicrobials from carp) and cells of the immune system (e.g., insect, scorpion, and mammalian defensins and cryptdins); 3) as autocytotoxicity peptides, e.g., amylin cytotoxic to pancreatic β-cells, prion peptide fragment 106–126 [PrP-(106–126)], and amyloid β-protein (AβP) cytotoxic to neurons; and 4) as designed synthetic peptides based on the sequences and properties of naturally occurring cytotoxic peptides. The small cytotoxic peptides are composed of β-sheets, e.g., mammalian defensins, AβP, amylin, and PrP-(106–126), whereas the larger cytotoxic peptides have several domains composed of both α-helices and β-sheets stabilized by cysteine bonds, e.g., scorpion toxins, scorpion, and insect defensins. Electrophysiological and molecular biology techniques indicate that these structures modify cell membranes via 1) interaction with intrinsic ion transport proteins and/or 2) formation of ion channels. These two nonexclusive mechanisms of action lead to changes in second messenger systems that further augment the abnormal electrical activity and distortion of the signal transduction causing cell death.
Expression of smooth muscle myosin light chain 17 and unloaded shortening in single smooth muscle cells
Authors: Eddinger T. J. , Korwek A. A. , Meer D. P. , Sherwood J. J.
Published: December 2017

These experiments were performed to test the hypotheses that myosin light chain 17 (MLC17) a and b isoform expression varies between individual vascular smooth muscle (SM) cells and that their expression correlates with cell unloaded shortening velocity. Single SM cells isolated from rabbit aorta and carotid arteries were used to measure unloaded shortening velocity and subsequently were analyzed via RT-PCR for MLC17 a and b mRNA ratio. The MLC17b/a mRNA and protein ratios from adjacent tissue sections correlate very well ( R 2 = 0.68), allowing use of the mRNA ratio to predict the protein ratio. The rabbit MLC17 isoform protein sequence was found to be similar to, but unique from, the swine, mouse, and chicken sequences. Isolated single SM cells from the aorta and carotid have resting lengths of 70–280 μm and shorten to 33–88 μm after contraction. Isolated cell maximum unloaded shortening velocity is highly variable (0.5–7.5 μm/s) but becomes more uniform when normalized to initial cell length (0.01–0.05 cell lengths/s). Carotid cells activated in the presence of okadaic acid (1 μm) have mean maximal unloaded shortening velocities not significantly different from carotid cells activated without okadaic acid (0.016 vs. 0.019 cell lengths/s). Resting cell length before activation is significantly correlated with final cell length after unloaded shortening. Neither initial cell length, final cell length, total cell length change, nor maximum unloaded shortening velocity (absolute or normalized) was significantly correlated with single-cell MLC17b/a mRNA ratio. These studies were performed in isolated single SM cells where unloaded shortening velocity and MLC17b/a mRNA ratios were measured in the same cell. In this preparation, the three-dimensional organization and milieu of the cell is kept intact, but without the intercellular heterogeneity concerns of multicellular preparations. These results suggest the MLC17b/a ratio is variable between individual SM cells from the same tissue, but it is not a determinant of unloaded shortening velocity in single SM cells.
Role of Rho in Ca2+-insensitive contraction and paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation in smooth muscle
Authors: Mehta Dolly , Tang Dale D. , Wu Ming-Fang , Atkinson Simon , Gunst Susan J.
Published: December 2017

We investigated whether Rho activation is required for Ca2+-insensitive paxillin phosphorylation, myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, and contraction in tracheal muscle. Tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins have been implicated in the Ca2+-insensitive contractile activation of smooth muscle tissues. The contractile activation of tracheal smooth muscle increases tyrosine phosphorylation of the cytoskeletal proteins paxillin and focal adhesion kinase. Paxillin is implicated in integrin-mediated signal transduction pathways that regulate cytoskeletal organization and cell motility. In fibroblasts and other nonmuscle cells, paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation depends on the activation of Rho and is inhibited by cytochalasin, an inhibitor of actin polymerization. In permeabilized muscle strips, we found that ACh induced Ca2+-insensitive contraction, MLC phosphorylation, and paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation. Ca2+-insensitive contraction and MLC phosphorylation induced by ACh were inhibited by C3 transferase, an inhibitor of Rho activation; however, C3 transferase did not inhibit paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation. Ca2+-insensitive paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation was also not inhibited by the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632, by cytochalasin D, or by the inhibition of MLC phosphorylation. We conclude that, in tracheal smooth muscle, Rho mediates Ca2+-insensitive contraction and MLC phosphorylation but that Rho is not required for Ca2+-insensitive paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation. Paxillin phosphorylation also does not require actomyosin activation, nor is it inhibited by the actin filament capping agent cytochalasin D.
Peroxynitrite-induced apoptosis involves activation of multiple caspases in HL-60 cells
Authors: Zhuang Shougang , Simon Gabriel
Published: December 2017

In this study, we show that caspases 2, 3, 6, and 7 were activated during peroxynitrite-induced apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells and that processing of these caspases was accompanied by cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and lamin B. Treatment of cells with DEVD-fluoromethyl ketone (FMK), a selective inhibitor for caspase 3-like proteases, resulted in a marked diminution of apoptotic cells. VAVAD-FMK, an inhibitor of caspase 2, partially inhibited the apoptotic response to peroxynitrite. However, selective inactivation of caspase 6 by VEID-FMK did not affect apoptosis rates. These data suggest that caspase 3-like proteases and caspase 2, but not caspase 6, are required for peroxynitrite-induced apoptosis in this cell type. Moreover, we demonstrate that peroxynitrite treatment stimulated activation of caspases 8 and 9, two initial caspases in the apoptotic signaling pathway, and preincubation of cells with their inhibitor, IETD-FMK, inhibited activation of caspase 3-like proteases and caspase 2 at the concentration that prevents the apoptosis. These observations, together, suggest that caspase 8 and/or caspase 9 mediates activation of caspase 3-like proteases and caspase 2 during the apoptosis induced by peroxynitrite in HL-60 cells.