Adiponectin plays a protective role in caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in mice fed a high-fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for acute pancreatitis (AP), but the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Adiponectin, an adipose tissue-derived secretory factor, has anti-inflammatory properties in addition to various biological functions, and its plasma concentrations are reduced in obese subjects. However, the role of adiponectin in AP has not been investigated. AIM: To determine the effects of adiponectin on AP. METHODS: We investigated the effects of adiponectin on experimental AP by using adiponectin-knockout (APN-KO) mice and adenovirus-mediated adiponectin over-expression. AP was induced by 10 hourly intraperitoneal injections of low-dose caerulein (10 microg/kg) after 2 week feeding of normal chow or a high-fat diet (HFD) in wild-type (WT) and APN-KO mice. We evaluated the severity of AP biochemically and morphologically. RESULTS: Low-dose caerulein treatment did not induce pancreatic damage in either WT or APN-KO mice under normal chow feeding. APN-KO mice, but not WT mice, fed a HFD and then treated with caerulein developed pancreatic damage and inflammation, accompanied by increased macrophage/neutrophil infiltration and upregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators such as tumour necrosis factor alpha in the pancreas. Adenovirus-mediated over-expression of adiponectin attenuated the severity of HFD/caerulein-induced AP in APN-KO mice. CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin plays a protective role in caerulein-induced AP in HFD-fed mice.

A role for heterologous gap junctions between melanoma and endothelial cells in metastasis.

F10 and BL6 sublines of B16 mouse melanoma cells are metastatic after intravenous injection, but only BL6 cells are metastatic after subcutaneous injection. We found that connexin (Cx) 26 is upregulated in BL6 cells. To examine gap junction formation, we devised a coculture system, in which an opened vein segment was placed at the bottom of a culture dish and then dye-labeled melanoma cells were seeded onto it. Immunohistochemistry indicated that the vein segment preserved the integrity of the endothelial monolayer. In this system, BL6 cells could transfer dye into endothelial cells but F10 cells could not. Transfection with wild-type Cx26 rendered F10 cells competent for coupling with endothelial cells and as spontaneously metastatic as BL6 cells. Conversely, transfection with a dominant-negative form of Cx26 rendered BL6 cells deficient in coupling and less metastatic. In human melanoma lesions, the level of Cx26 expression was low in melanoma cells residing in the basal layer, but significantly upregulated in melanoma cells invading the dermis. The results suggested that Cx26 plays a role in intravasation and extravasation of tumor cells through heterologous gap junction formation with endothelial cells.

A new member of the GTPase superfamily that is upregulated in highly metastatic cells.

Two sublines of B16 melanoma cells, F10 and BL6, are metastatic after intravenous injection, but only BL6 cells are metastatic after subcutaneous injection. We found a new member of the GTPase superfamily, namely TIB929, which displayed an induction of expression in BL6 cells. It conserved three consensus sequences for GTP-binding site motifs and showed a significant homology to the yeast Gtr2 gene throughout the coding sequence. TIB929 was expressed ubiquitously in human tumor cells, with a marked expression in highly metastatic cells. TIB929 was mapped on mouse chromosome 4D, syntenic to human chromosome 1p. The results suggested an involvement of TIB929 in malignant progression.

Genomic structure and chromosomal localization of mouse cyclin G1 gene.

Mouse genomic DNA harboring the full coding sequence of cyclin G1 was cloned and analyzed. The locations of five coding exons and the intron-exon boundary sequences were found to be conserved between the mouse and the human genes. Two putative binding sites for the p53 tumor suppressor gene product were found around the first exon: one was located in the 5' regulatory region, and the other was in the first intron. The mouse cyclin G1 gene was mapped to bands A5 to B1 of chromosomes 11 (11A5-B1) by FISH using genomic DNA clone as a biotinylated probe. The location of mouse cyclin G1 is syntenic to that of its human homologue, which we previously mapped to 5q32-q34 of chromosome 5. An additional faint signal was detected on chromosome 4 (4B1-C2), probably indicating the presence of a cyclin G1-related gene or pseudogene in the mouse genome.

Effect of MITF on transcription of transmembrane tryptase gene in cultured mast cells of mice.

Mouse mast cell protease (mMCP)-6, mMCP-7 and transmembrane tryptase (TMT) are all tryptases. The normal mi transcription factor (+-MITF) transactivated mMCP-6 gene by binding three consensus motifs in the promoter region, but no MITF-binding motifs were found in the mMCP-7 promoter. Instead, c-Jun transactivated mMCP-7 gene, and +-MITF cooperated with it. The mi-MITF encoded by mutant mi allele inhibited the transactivation by c-Jun and reduced the mMCP-7 promoter activity. Here, the effect of MITF on the TMT gene expression was examined. The +-MITF enhanced the TMT promoter activity by binding two consensus motifs. The mi-MITF showed the inhibitory effect on TMT gene expression. The effect of +-MITF on TMT gene was similar to the effect on mMCP-6 gene, and that of mi-MITF was similar to the effect on mMCP-7 gene. The effects of MITF on TMT gene appeared distinct from its effects on either mMCP-6 or mMCP-7 gene.

A truncated isoform of the PP2A B56 subunit promotes cell motility through paxillin phosphorylation.

Both F10 and BL6 sublines of B16 mouse melanoma cells are metastatic after intravenous injection, but only BL6 cells are metastatic after subcutaneous injection. Retrotransposon insertion was found to produce an N-terminally truncated form (Deltagamma1) of the B56gamma1 regulatory subunit isoform of protein phosphatase (PP) 2A in BL6 cells, but not in F10 cells. We found an interaction of paxillin with PP2A C and B56gamma subunits by co-immunoprecipitation. B56gamma1 co-localized with paxillin at focal adhesions, suggesting a role for this isoform in targeting PP2A to paxillin. In this regard, Deltagamma1 behaved similarly to B56gamma1. However, the Deltagamma1-containing PP2A heterotrimer was insufficient for the dephosphorylation of paxillin. Transfection with Deltagamma1 enhanced paxillin phosphorylation on serine residues and recruitment into focal adhesions, and cell spreading with an actin network. In addition, Deltagamma1 rendered F10 cells as highly metastatic as BL6 cells. These results suggest that mutations in PP2A regulatory subunits may cause malignant progression.

Inhibitory effect of the transcription factor encoded by the mi mutant allele in cultured mast cells of mice.

The mi locus of mice encodes a transcription factor of the basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper protein family (MITF). The MITF encoded by the mutant mi allele (mi-MITF) deletes 1 of 4 consecutive arginines in the basic domain. The mice of mi/mi genotype express mi-MITF, whereas the mice of tg/tg genotype have a transgene at the 5' flanking region of the mi gene and do not express any MITF. To investigate the function of mi-MITF in cultured mast cells (CMCs), we took two approaches. First, mRNA obtained from mi/mi CMCs or tg/tg CMCs was subtracted from complementary (c) DNA library of normal (+/+) CMCs, and the (+/+-mi/mi) and (+/+-tg/tg) subtraction libraries were obtained. When the number of clones that hybridized more efficiently with +/+ CMC cDNA probe than with mi/mi or tg/tg CMC cDNA probe was compared using Southern analysis, the number was larger in the (+/+-mi/mi) library than in the (+/+-tg/tg) library. Second, we compared mRNA expression of six genes between mi/mi and tg/tg CMCs by Northern analysis. The transcription of three genes encoding mouse mast cell proteases was impaired in both mi/mi and tg/tg CMCs. On the other hand, the transcription of three genes encoding c-kit receptor, tryptophan hydroxylase, and granzyme B was markedly reduced in mi/mi CMCs, but the reduction was significantly smaller in tg/tg CMCs. These results indicated the inhibitory effect of mi-MITF on the transactivation of particular genes in CMCs.

Inhibitory effect on natural killer activity of microphthalmia transcription factor encoded by the mutant mi allele of mice.

The mouse mi locus encodes a basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper-type transcription factor, microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF). Mice of mi/mi genotype express a mutant form of MITF (mi-MITF), whereas mice of tg/tg genotype have a transgene in the 5' flanking region of the mi gene and do not express MITF. Although the mi/mi mouse is deficient in natural killer (NK) activity, it was found that the tg/tg mouse was normal in this respect. To know the cause, spleen cells of both genotypes were compared. Although the proportion of spleen cells expressing an NK cell marker, NK1.1, was comparable in both mice, the proportion of large granular lymphocytes decreased only in mi/mi mice. The difference between mi/mi and tg/tg mice was reproducible in the culture supplemented with interleukin-2. Moreover, the perforin gene expression was reduced in mi/mi-cultured spleen cells. Wild-type (+) MITF transactivated, but mi-MITF suppressed, the perforin gene promoter through the NF-P motif, a strong cis-acting element. However, neither +-MITF nor mi-MITF bound the NF-P motif. Instead, 2 nuclear factors that bound the NF-P motif were retained in the cytoplasm of mi/mi-cultured spleen cells. In addition, overexpression of mi-MITF resulted in cytoplasmic retention of the 2 NF-P motif-binding factors in cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The presence of mi-MITF rather than the absence of +-MITF appeared to lead to poor transactivation of the NF-P motif by intercepting NF-P motif-binding factors. This inhibitory effect of mi-MITF may cause the deficient cytotoxicity of NK cells in mi/mi mice. (Blood. 2001;97:2075-2083)

Annexin VII as a novel marker for invasive phenotype of malignant melanoma.

Both F10 and BL6 sublines of B16 mouse melanoma cells are metastatic after intravenous injection, but only BL6 cells are metastatic after subcutaneous injection. While examining the genetic difference between the two sublines, we found a marked reduction of annexin VII expression in BL6 cells. In addition, fusion cell clones of both sublines were as poorly metastatic as F10 cells after subcutaneous injection, and contained the annexin VII message as abundantly as F10 cells. Hence, we examined whether the annexin VII expression was correlated with the less malignant phenotype of clinical cases by immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivities to anti-annexin VII antibody in melanoma cells were evaluated quantitatively by using skin mast cells as an internal positive control. Eighteen patients with malignant melanoma were divided into two groups: lymph node metastasis-negative and positive groups. The ratio of numbers of patients positive versus negative to the antibody was significantly larger in the former than in the latter group. These results not only indicated that annexin VII serves as a marker for less invasive phenotype of malignant melanoma, but also suggested a possible role of annexin VII in tumor suppression.

Effect of a large deletion of the basic domain of mi transcription factor on differentiation of mast cells.

The mi transcription factor (MITF) is a basic-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper transcription factor that is important for the development of mast cells. Cultured mast cells (CMCs) of mi/mi genotype express abnormal MITF (mi-MITF), but CMCs of tg/tg genotype do not express any MITFs. It was previously reported that mi/mi CMCs showed more severe abnormalities than tg/tg CMCs, indicating that mi-MITF had inhibitory function. Whereas mi-MITF contains a single amino acid deletion in the basic domain, MITF encoded by mi(ew) allele (ew-MITF) deletes 16 of 21 amino acids of the basic domain. Here the effect of a large deletion of the basic domain was examined. In mi(ew)/mi(ew) CMCs, the expression pattern of genes whose transcription was affected by MITF was comparable to that of tg/tg CMCs rather than to that of mi/mi CMCs. This suggested that ew-MITF lacked any functions. The part of the basic domain deleted in ew-MITF appeared necessary for either transactivation or inhibition of transactivation.