Alternative splicing impairs soluble guanylyl cyclase function in aortic aneurysm.

Nitric oxide (NO) receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is a key regulator of several important vascular functions and is important for maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis and vascular plasticity. Diminished sGC expression and function contributes to pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases. However, the processes that control sGC expression in vascular tissue remain poorly understood. Previous work in animal and cell models revealed the complexity of alternative splicing of sGC genes and demonstrated its importance in modulation of sGC function. The aim of this study was to examine the role of alternative splicing of α1 and ß1 sGC in healthy and diseased human vascular tissue. Our study found a variety of α1 and ß1 sGC splice forms expressed in human aorta. Their composition and abundance were different between samples of aortic tissue removed during surgical repair of aortic aneurysm and samples of aortas without aneurysm. Aortas with aneurysm demonstrated decreased sGC activity, which correlated with increased expression of dysfunctional sGC splice variants. In addition, the expression of 55-kDa oxidation-resistant α1 isoform B sGC (α1-IsoB) was significantly lower in aortic samples with aneurysm. The α1-IsoB splice variant was demonstrated to support sGC activity in aortic lysates. Together, our results suggest that alternative splicing contributes to diminished sGC function in vascular dysfunction. Precise understanding of sGC splicing regulation could help to design new therapeutic interventions and to personalize sGC-targeting therapies in treatments of vascular disease.

RNA splicing in regulation of nitric oxide receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase.

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is a key protein in the nitric oxide (NO)/-cGMP signaling pathway. sGC activity is involved in a number of important physiological processes including smooth muscle relaxation, neurotransmission and platelet aggregation and adhesion. Regulation of sGC expression and activity emerges as a crucial factor in control of sGC function in normal and pathological conditions. Recently accumulated evidence strongly indicates that the regulation of sGC expression is a complex process modulated on several levels including transcription, post-transcriptional regulation, translation and protein stability. Presently our understanding of mechanisms governing regulation of sGC expression remains very limited and awaits systematic investigation. Among other ways, the expression of sGC subunits is modulated at the levels of mRNA abundance and transcript diversity. In this review we summarize available information on different mechanisms (including transcriptional activation, mRNA stability and alternative splicing) involved in the modulation of mRNA levels of sGC subunits in response to various environmental clues. We also summarize and cross-reference the information on human sGC splice forms available in the literature and in genomic databases. This review highlights the fact that the study of the biological role and regulation of sGC splicing will bring new insights to our understanding of NO/cGMP biology.

Dynamic interplay between nitration and phosphorylation of tubulin cofactor B in the control of microtubule dynamics.

Tubulin cofactor B (TCoB) plays an important role in microtubule dynamics by facilitating the dimerization of alpha- and beta-tubulin. Recent evidence suggests that p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1), a major signaling nodule in eukaryotic cells, phosphorylates TCoB on Ser-65 and Ser-128 and plays an essential role in microtubule regrowth. However, to date, no upstream signaling molecules have been identified to antagonize the functions of TCoB, which might help in maintaining the equilibrium of microtubules. Here, we discovered that TCoB is efficiently nitrated, mainly on Tyr-64 and Tyr-98, and nitrated-TCoB attenuates the synthesis of new microtubules. In addition, we found that nitration of TCoB antagonizes signaling-dependent phosphorylation of TCoB, whereas optimal nitration of TCoB requires the presence of functional Pak1 phosphorylation sites, thus providing a feedback mechanism to regulate phosphorylation-dependent MT regrowth. Together these findings identified TCoB as the third cytoskeleton protein to be nitrated and suggest a previously undescribed mechanism, whereby growth factor signaling may coordinately integrate nitric oxide signaling in the regulation of microtubule dynamics.

A short history of cGMP, guanylyl cyclases, and cGMP-dependent protein kinases.

Here, we review the early studies on cGMP, guanylyl cyclases, and cGMP-dependent protein kinases to facilitate understanding of development of this exciting but complex field of research encompassing pharmacology, biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology of these important regulatory molecules.

Frequency of Tongue Cleaning Impacts the Human Tongue Microbiome Composition and Enterosalivary Circulation of Nitrate.

The oral microbiome has the potential to provide an important symbiotic function in human blood pressure physiology by contributing to the generation of nitric oxide (NO), an essential cardiovascular signaling molecule. NO is produced by the human body via conversion of arginine to NO by endogenous nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) but eNOS activity varies by subject. Oral microbial communities are proposed to supplement host NO production by reducing dietary nitrate to nitrite via bacterial nitrate reductases. Unreduced dietary nitrate is delivered to the oral cavity in saliva, a physiological process termed the enterosalivary circulation of nitrate. Previous studies demonstrated that disruption of enterosalivary circulation via use of oral antiseptics resulted in increases in systolic blood pressure. These previous studies did not include detailed information on the oral health of enrolled subjects. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and analysis, we determined whether introduction of chlorhexidine antiseptic mouthwash for 1 week was associated with changes in tongue bacterial communities and resting systolic blood pressure in healthy normotensive individuals with documented oral hygiene behaviors and free of oral disease. Tongue cleaning frequency was a predictor of chlorhexidine-induced changes in systolic blood pressure and tongue microbiome composition. Twice-daily chlorhexidine usage was associated with a significant increase in systolic blood pressure after 1 week of use and recovery from use resulted in an enrichment in nitrate-reducing bacteria on the tongue. Individuals with relatively high levels of bacterial nitrite reductases had lower resting systolic blood pressure. These results further support the concept of a symbiotic oral microbiome contributing to human health via the enterosalivary nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. These data suggest that management of the tongue microbiome by regular cleaning together with adequate dietary intake of nitrate provide an opportunity for the improvement of resting systolic blood pressure.

The Role of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species in the Expression and Splicing of Nitric Oxide Receptor.

SIGNIFICANCE: Nitric oxide (NO)-dependent signaling is critical to many cellular functions and physiological processes. Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) acts as an NO receptor and mediates the majority of NO functions. The signaling between NO and sGC is strongly altered by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Recent Advances: Besides NO scavenging, sGC is affected by oxidation/loss of sGC heme, oxidation, or nitrosation of cysteine residues and phosphorylation. Apo-sGC or sGC containing oxidized heme is targeted for degradation. sGC transcription and the stability of sGC mRNA are also affected by oxidative stress. CRITICAL ISSUES: Studies cited in this review suggest the existence of compensatory processes that adapt cellular processes to diminished sGC function under conditions of short-term or moderate oxidative stress. Alternative splicing of sGC transcripts is discussed as a mechanism with the potential to both enhance and reduce sGC function. The expression of α1 isoform B, a functional and stable splice variant of human α1 sGC subunit, is proposed as one of such compensatory mechanisms. The expression of dysfunctional splice isoforms is discussed as a contributor to decreased sGC function in vascular disease. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Targeting the process of sGC splicing may be an important approach to maintain the composition of sGC transcripts that are expressed in healthy tissues under normal conditions. Emerging new strategies that allow for targeted manipulations of RNA splicing offer opportunities to use this approach as a preventive measure and to control the composition of sGC splice isoforms. Rational management of expressed sGC splice forms may be a valuable complementary treatment strategy for existing sGC-directed therapies. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 26, 122-136.

Role of the C-terminus and the long cytoplasmic loop in reduced folate carrier expression and function.

The reduced folate carrier (RFC1), a member of the major facilitative superfamily, generates uphill transport of folates into cells through an exchange mechanism with intracellular organic anions. RFC1 has twelve transmembrane domains with N- and C-termini, and the long loop connecting the 6th and 7th transmembrane domains, directed to the cytoplasm. To elucidate the role of the C-terminus and the long cytoplasmic loop in carrier function, mutants with deletion of the entire C-terminus or with progressive deletions of the loop region were constructed and stably transfected into the murine MTX(r)A cell line, which lacks functional RFC1. While expression of the C-terminus-deleted RFC1 protein could not be detected in the cell lysate, the RFC1 mutant lacking 57 of 66 amino acid residues of the long cytoplasmic loop appeared to be inserted into the cytoplasmic membrane but was not functional. In cell lines in which 17 or 31 amino acids were deleted from the carboxyl half of the loop, there was partial preservation of methotrexate, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate transport. The loss of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate transport activity in the delta31 and delta17 mutants was due primarily to a decrease in substrate binding to the carrier. Mutants with partially truncated internal loops demonstrated an anion responsiveness similar to that of wild-type RFC1, indicating that this region of the carrier does not contain a site(s) that plays a role in anion exchange. This is the first study to describe the important role of the long cytoplasmic loop in substrate binding and the crucial role of the C-terminus in maintaining stability of RFC1.

Hydrogen peroxide alters splicing of soluble guanylyl cyclase and selectively modulates expression of splicing regulators in human cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) plays a central role in nitric oxide (NO)-mediated signal transduction in the cardiovascular, nervous and gastrointestinal systems. Alternative RNA splicing has emerged as a potential mechanism to modulate sGC expression and activity. C-α1 sGC is an alternative splice form that is resistant to oxidation-induced protein degradation and demonstrates preferential subcellular distribution to the oxidized environment of endoplasmic reticulum (ER). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report that splicing of C-α1 sGC can be modulated by H(2)O(2) treatment in BE2 neuroblastoma and MDA-MD-468 adenocarcinoma human cells. In addition, we show that the H(2)O(2) treatment of MDA-MD-468 cells selectively decreases protein levels of PTBP1 and hnRNP A2/B1 splice factors identified as potential α1 gene splicing regulators by in silico analysis. We further demonstrate that down-regulation of PTBP1 by H(2)O(2) occurs at the protein level with variable regulation observed in different breast cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data demonstrate that H(2)O(2) regulates RNA splicing to induce expression of the oxidation-resistant C-α1 sGC subunit. We also report that H(2)O(2) treatment selectively alters the expression of key splicing regulators. This process might play an important role in regulation of cellular adaptation to conditions of oxidative stress.

Synthesis of New Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Cobinamides as NO-Independent sGC Activators.

Herein, the synthesis of novel hydrophobic and hydrophilic cobinamides via aminolysis of vitamin B12 derivatives that activate soluble guanyl cyclase (sGC) is presented. Unlike other sGC regulators, they target the catalytic domain of sGC and show higher activity than (CN)2Cbi.

Nitric oxide receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase undergoes splicing regulation in differentiating human embryonic cells.

Nitric oxide (NO), an important mediator molecule in mammalian physiology, initiates a number of signaling mechanisms by activating the enzyme soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC). Recently, a new role for NO/cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling in embryonic development and cell differentiation has emerged. The changes in expression of NO synthase isoforms and various sGC subunits has been demonstrated during human and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiation. Previously, our laboratory demonstrated that nascent α1 sGC transcript undergoes alternative splicing and that expression of α1 sGC splice forms directly affects sGC activity. Expression of sGC splice variants in the process of human ES (hES) cells differentiation has not been investigated. In this report, we demonstrate that α1 sGC undergoes alternative splicing during random hES differentiation for the first time. Our results indicate that C-α1 sGC splice form is expressed at high levels in differentiating cells and its intracellular distribution varies from canonical α1 sGC subunit. Together, our data suggest that alternative splicing of sGC subunits is associated with differentiation of hES cells.

Alpha1 soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) splice forms as potential regulators of human sGC activity.

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), a key protein in the NO/cGMP signaling pathway, is an obligatory heterodimeric protein composed of one alpha- and one beta-subunit. The alpha(1)/beta(1) sGC heterodimer is the predominant form expressed in various tissues and is regarded as the major isoform mediating NO-dependent effects such as vasodilation. We have identified three new alpha(1) sGC protein variants generated by alternative splicing. The 363 residue N1-alpha(1) sGC splice variant contains the regulatory domain, but lacks the catalytic domain. The shorter N2-alpha(1) sGC maintains 126 N-terminal residues and gains an additional 17 unique residues. The C-alpha(1) sGC variant lacks 240 N-terminal amino acids, but maintains a part of the regulatory domain and the entire catalytic domain. Q-PCR of N1-alpha(1), N2-alpha(1) sGC mRNA levels together with RT-PCR analysis for C-alpha(1) sGC demonstrated that the expression of the alpha(1) sGC splice forms vary in different human tissues indicative of tissue-specific regulation. Functional analysis of the N1-alpha(1) sGC demonstrated that this protein has a dominant-negative effect on the activity of sGC when coexpressed with the alpha(1)/beta(1) heterodimer. The C-alpha(1) sGC variant heterodimerizes with the beta(1) subunit and produces a fully functional NO- and BAY41-2272-sensitive enzyme. We also found that despite identical susceptibility to inhibition by ODQ, intracellular levels of the 54-kDa C-alpha(1) band did not change in response to ODQ treatments, while the level of 83 kDa alpha(1) band was significantly affected by ODQ. These studies suggest that modulation of the level and diversity of splice forms may represent novel mechanisms modulating the function of sGC in different human tissues.

CCAAT-binding factor regulates expression of the beta1 subunit of soluble guanylyl cyclase gene in the BE2 human neuroblastoma cell line.

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is a cytosolic enzyme producing the intracellular messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) on activation with nitric oxide (NO). sGC is an obligatory heterodimer composed of alpha and beta subunits. We investigated human beta1 sGC transcriptional regulation in BE2 human neuroblastoma cells. The 5' upstream region of the beta1 sGC gene was isolated and analyzed for promoter activity by using luciferase reporter constructs. The transcriptional start site of the beta1 sGC gene in BE2 cells was identified. The functional significance of consensus transcriptional factor binding sites proximal to the transcriptional start site was investigated by site deletions in the 800-bp promoter fragment. The elimination of CCAAT-binding factor (CBF) and growth factor independence 1 (GFI1) binding cores significantly diminished whereas deletion of the NF1 core elevated the transcription. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA) and Western analysis of proteins bound to biotinated EMSA probes confirmed the interaction of GFI1, CBF, and NF1 factors with the beta1 sGC promoter. Treatment of BE2 cells with genistein, known to inhibit the CBF binding to DNA, significantly reduced protein levels of beta1 sGC by inhibiting transcription. In summary, our study represents an analysis of the human beta1 sGC promoter regulation in human neuroblastoma BE2 cells and identifies CBF as a critically important factor in beta1 sGC expression.