The Transcription Factor ATF4 Promotes Expression of Cell Stress Genes and Cardiomyocyte Death in a Cellular Model of Atrial Fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiomyocyte remodelling in atrial fibrillation (AF) has been associated with both oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and is accompanied by a complex transcriptional regulation. Here, we investigated the role the oxidative stress and ER stress responsive bZIP transcription factor ATF4 plays in atrial cardiomyocyte viability and AF induced gene expression. METHODS: HL-1 cardiomyocytes were subjected to rapid field stimulation. Forced expression of ATF4 was achieved by adenoviral gene transfer. Using global gene expression analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation, ATF4 dependent transcriptional regulation was studied, and tissue specimen of AF patients was analysed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Oxidative stress and ER stress caused a significant reduction in cardiomyocyte viability and were associated with an induction of ATF4. Accordingly, ATF4 was also induced by rapid field stimulation mimicking AF. Forced expression of wild type ATF4 promoted cardiomyocyte death. ATF4 was demonstrated to bind to the promoters of several cell stress genes and to induce the expression of a number of ATF4 dependent stress responsive genes. Moreover, immunohistochemical analyses showed that ATF4 is expressed in the nuclei of cardiomyocytes of tissue specimen obtained from AF patients. CONCLUSION: ATF4 is expressed in human atrial cardiomyocytes and is induced in response to different types of cell stress. High rate electrical field stimulation seems to result in ATF4 induction, and forced expression of ATF4 reduces cardiomyocyte viability.

Regulation of ICAM-1 in cells of the monocyte/macrophage system in microgravity.

Cells of the immune system are highly sensitive to altered gravity, and the monocyte as well as the macrophage function is proven to be impaired under microgravity conditions. In our study, we investigated the surface expression of ICAM-1 protein and expression of ICAM-1 mRNA in cells of the monocyte/macrophage system in microgravity during clinostat, parabolic flight, sounding rocket, and orbital experiments. In murine BV-2 microglial cells, we detected a downregulation of ICAM-1 expression in clinorotation experiments and a rapid and reversible downregulation in the microgravity phase of parabolic flight experiments. In contrast, ICAM-1 expression increased in macrophage-like differentiated human U937 cells during the microgravity phase of parabolic flights and in long-term microgravity provided by a 2D clinostat or during the orbital SIMBOX/Shenzhou-8 mission. In nondifferentiated U937 cells, no effect of microgravity on ICAM-1 expression could be observed during parabolic flight experiments. We conclude that disturbed immune function in microgravity could be a consequence of ICAM-1 modulation in the monocyte/macrophage system, which in turn could have a strong impact on the interaction with T lymphocytes and cell migration. Thus, ICAM-1 can be considered as a rapid-reacting and sustained gravity-regulated molecule in mammalian cells.

Prognostic impact of Bcl-2 depends on tumor histology and expression of MALAT-1 lncRNA in non-small-cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Apoptosis is a crucial pathway in tumor growth and metastatic development. Apoptotic proteins regulate the underlying molecular cascades and are thought to modulate the tumor response to chemotherapy and radiation. However, the prognostic value of the expression of apoptosis regulators in localized non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unclear. METHODS: We investigated the protein expression of apoptosis regulators Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Mcl-1, and pp32/PHAPI, and the expression of the lncRNA MALAT-1 in tumor samples from 383 NSCLC patients (median age: 65.6 years; 77.5% male; paraffin-embedded tissue microarrays). For statistical analysis correlation tests, Log rank tests and Cox proportional hazard models were applied. RESULTS: Tumor histology was significantly associated with the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and Mcl-1 (all p < 0.001). Among the tested apoptotic markers only Bcl-2 demonstrated prognostic impact (hazard ratio = 0.64, p = 0.012). For NSCLC patients with non-adenocarcinoma histology, Bcl-2 expression was associated with increased overall survival (p = 0.036). Besides tumor histology, prognostic impact of Bcl-2 was also found to depend on MALAT-1 lncRNA expression. Gene expression analysis of A549 adenocarcinoma cells with differential MALAT-1 lncRNA expression demonstrated an influence on the expression of Bcl-2 and its interacting proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Bcl-2 expression was specifically associated with superior prognosis in localized NSCLC. An interaction of Bcl-2 with MALAT-1 lncRNA expression was revealed, which merits further investigation for risk prediction in resectable NSCLC patients.

Association of the protein Z ATG haplotype with symptomatic nonvascular stroke or thromboembolism in white children: a family-based cohort study.

To clarify the role of protein Z (PZ) in children with stroke/thromboembolism (TE), the present haplotype (HT)-based family study was performed. We genotyped 365 pediatric stroke/TE families (stroke n = 216; TE n = 149) for 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs3024718, rs3024731, rs3024772, and rs3024778) to assess the association between genetic variation within a conserved block of linkage disequilibrium harboring the PZ gene and pediatric TE. Association was assessed with use of the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT), corrected for multiple testing (permutation testing: HAPLOVIEW). In addition, PZ antigen was determined and correlated with carriership of PZ haplotypes and the FV G1691A mutation. Rs3024718, rs3024731, and rs3024772 are in tight linkage disequilibrium (LD) and define 4 haplotypes, capturing 97% of the genetic variation for this LD block. HT1 (ATG) was significantly overtransmitted from parents to affected offspring (HT frequency 73.5%, T:U 122:80, chi(2) = 8.791, P = .003). The ATG risk haplotype was significantly correlated with greater PZ antigen levels. Multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, established thrombophilias, smoking, fibrinogen, and PZ levels revealed a significant association of the ATG haplotype and TE in children (odds ratio [OR] 1.4; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.08-1.93). Our results suggest that the ATG haplotype of the PZ gene is a genetic marker for symptomatic TE in white German children.