THBS1 and THBS2 Enhance the In Vitro Proliferation, Adhesion, Migration and Invasion of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Cells.

In intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) and 2 (THBS2) are soluble mediators released in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that contribute to the metastatic spreading of iCCA cells via a lymphatic network by the trans-differentiation of vascular endothelial cells to a lymphatic-like phenotype. To study the direct role of THBS1 and THBS2 on the iCCA cells, well-established epithelial (HuCCT-1) and mesenchymal (CCLP1) iCCA cell lines were subjected to recombinant human THBS1 and THBS2 (rhTHBS1, rhTHBS2) for cellular function assays. Cell growth, cell adhesion, migration, and invasion were all enhanced in both CCLP1 and HuCCT-1 cells by the treatment with either rhTHBS1 or rhTHBS2, although they showed some variability in their intensity of speeding up cellular processes. rhTHBS2 was more intense in inducing invasiveness and in committing the HuCCT-1 cells to a mesenchymal-like phenotype and was therefore a stronger enhancer of the malignant behavior of iCCA cells compared to rhTHBS1. Our data extend the role of THBS1 and THBS2, which are not only able to hinder the vascular network and promote tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis but also exacerbate the malignant behavior of the iCCA cells.

Shmt2: A Stat3 Signaling New Player in Prostate Cancer Energy Metabolism.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a multifactorial disease characterized by the aberrant activity of different regulatory pathways. STAT3 protein mediates some of these pathways and its activation is implicated in the modulation of several metabolic enzymes. A bioinformatic analysis indicated a STAT3 binding site in the upstream region of SHMT2 gene. We demonstrated that in LNCaP, PCa cells' SHMT2 expression is upregulated by the JAK2/STAT3 canonical pathway upon IL-6 stimulation. Activation of SHTM2 leads to a decrease in serine levels, pushing PKM2 towards the nuclear compartment where it can activate STAT3 in a non-canonical fashion that in turn promotes a transient shift toward anaerobic metabolism. These results were also confirmed on FFPE prostate tissue sections at different Gleason scores. STAT3/SHMT2/PKM2 loop in LNCaP cells can modulate a metabolic shift in response to inflammation at early stages of cancer progression, whereas a non-canonical STAT3 activation involving the STAT3/HIF-1α/PKM2 loop is responsible for the maintenance of Warburg effect distinctive of more aggressive PCa cells. Chronic inflammation might thus prime the transition of PCa cells towards more advanced stages, and SHMT2 could represent a missing factor to further understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for the transition of prostate cancer towards a more aggressive phenotype.

Structural Properties of Macrodontain I, a Cysteine Protease from Pseudananas macrodontes (Morr.) Harms (Bromeliaceae).

The primary structure of macrodontain I, a peptidase from Pseudananas macrodontes fruits, was determined using Edman's degradation. The enzyme is a non-glycosylated peptidase composed by 213 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 23,486.18 Da, pI value 6.99, and a molar extinction coefficient at 280 nm of 61,685 M-1 cm-1. The alignment of the sequence of macrodontain I with those cysteine peptidases from species belonging to the family Bromeliaceae showed the highest identity degree (87.74%) against fruit bromelain. A remarkable fact is that all these peptidase sequences show two Met contiguous residues (Met121 and 122) and the nonapeptide VPQSIDWRD located in the mature N-terminal region. Residues Cys26 and His159, which constitute the catalytic dyad in all cysteine peptidases, as well as active site residues Gln20 and Asn176, characteristic of Clan C1A, are conserved in macrodontain I. The 3-D model suggests that the enzyme belongs to the α + ß class of proteins, with two disulfide bridges (Cys23-Cys63 and Cys57-Cys96) in the α domain, while the ß domain is stabilized by another disulfide bridge (Cys153-Cys201). Further, we were able to establish that the cysteine peptidases from P. macrodontes are involved in the anti-inflammatory activity.

PAR1 activation affects the neurotrophic properties of Schwann cells.

Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) is the prototypic member of a family of four G-protein-coupled receptors that signal in response to extracellular proteases. In the peripheral nervous system, the expression and/or the role of PARs are still poorly investigated. High PAR1 mRNA expression was found in the rat dorsal root ganglia and the signal intensity of PAR1 mRNA increased in response to sciatic nerve transection. In the sciatic nerve, functional PAR1 receptor was reported at the level of non-compacted Schwann cell myelin microvilli of the nodes of Ranvier. Schwann cells are the principal population of glial cells of the peripheral nervous system which myelinate axons playing an important role during axonal regeneration and remyelination. The present study was undertaken in order to determine if the activation of PAR1 affects the neurotrophic properties of Schwann cells. Our results suggest that the stimulation of PAR1 could potentiate the Schwann cell ability to favour nerve regeneration. In fact, the conditioned medium obtained from Schwann cell cultures challenged with a specific PAR1 activating peptide (PAR1 AP) displays increased neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties with respect to the culture medium from untreated Schwann cells. The proteomic analysis of secreted proteins in untreated and PAR1 AP-treated Schwann cells allowed the identification of factors differentially expressed in the two samples. Some of them (such as macrophage migration inhibitory factor, matrix metalloproteinase-2, decorin, syndecan 4, complement C1r subcomponent, angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1) appear to be transcriptionally regulated after PAR1 AP treatment as shown by RT-PCR.

Differential 3-bromopyruvate inhibition of cytosolic and mitochondrial human serine hydroxymethyltransferase isoforms, key enzymes in cancer metabolic reprogramming.

The cytosolic and mitochondrial isoforms of serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT1 and SHMT2, respectively) are well-recognized targets of cancer research, since their activity is critical for purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis and because of their prominent role in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. Here we show that 3-bromopyruvate (3BP), a potent novel anti-tumour agent believed to function primarily by blocking energy metabolism, differentially inactivates human SHMT1 and SHMT2. SHMT1 is completely inhibited by 3BP, whereas SHMT2 retains a significant fraction of activity. Site directed mutagenesis experiments on SHMT1 demonstrate that selective inhibition relies on the presence of a cysteine residue at the active site of SHMT1 (Cys204) that is absent in SHMT2. Our results show that 3BP binds to SHMT1 active site, forming an enzyme-3BP complex, before reacting with Cys204. The physiological substrate l-serine is still able to bind at the active site of the inhibited enzyme, although catalysis does not occur. Modelling studies suggest that alkylation of Cys204 prevents a productive binding of l-serine, hampering interaction between substrate and Arg402. Conversely, the partial inactivation of SHMT2 takes place without the formation of a 3BP-enzyme complex. The introduction of a cysteine residue in the active site of SHMT2 by site directed mutagenesis (A206C mutation), at a location corresponding to that of Cys204 in SHMT1, yields an enzyme that forms a 3BP-enzyme complex and is completely inactivated. This work sets the basis for the development of selective SHMT1 inhibitors that target Cys204, starting from the structure and reactivity of 3BP.

Bioenergetic Impairment in Animal and Cellular Models of Alzheimer's Disease: PARP-1 Inhibition Rescues Metabolic Dysfunctions.

Amyloid-beta peptide accumulation in the brain is one of the main hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The amyloid aggregation process is associated with the generation of free radical species responsible for mitochondrial impairment and DNA damage that in turn activates poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1). PARP-1 catalyzes the poly(ADP-ribosylation), a post-translational modification of proteins, cleaving the substrate NAD+ and transferring the ADP-ribose moieties to the enzyme itself or to an acceptor protein to form branched polymers of ADP-ribose. In this paper, we demonstrate that a mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in Alzheimer's transgenic mice TgCRND8, in SH-SY5Y treated with amyloid-beta and in 7PA2 cells. Moreover, PARP-1 activation contributes to the functional energetic decline affecting cytochrome oxidase IV protein levels, oxygen consumption rates, and membrane potential, resulting in cellular bioenergetic deficit. We also observed, for the first time, an increase of pyruvate kinase 2 expression, suggesting a modulation of the glycolytic pathway by PARP-1. PARP-1 inhibitors are able to restore both mitochondrial impairment and pyruvate kinase 2 expression. The overall data here presented indicate a pivotal role for this enzyme in the bioenergetic network of neuronal cells and open new perspectives for investigating molecular mechanisms underlying energy charge decline in Alzheimer's disease. In this scenario, PARP-1 inhibitors might represent a novel therapeutic intervention to rescue cellular energetic metabolism.

Reversible redox modifications in the microglial proteome challenged by beta amyloid.

Microglia are resident macrophages in the central nervous system, whose participation against exogenous injuries and infections is mainly marked by an immediate release of inflammatory cytokines along with a toxic efflux of superoxide radicals. Indeed, many lines of evidence indicate that persistent activation of these cells turns their neuroprotective phenotype into a neurotoxic one, which contributes to destroy neuronal activity and induces neuronal loss in several neurodegeneration processes, such as Alzheimer's disease. In this study we attempted to fill-in the gap in our knowledge about redox regulation of amyloid activated microglia. With this aim, we carried out a robust and comprehensive characterization of the reversibly redox modified proteome both at the level of resting and amyloid-activated BV2 cells, an immortalised cell line of murine microglia. The approach we used combined the selective enrichment of reversible redox modified proteins through a biotin bait with nanoscale liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry of their proteolytic peptides. By this reliable approach, we identified 60 proteins changing the redox status of their selective cysteine residues upon treatment with the amyloidogenic Aß25-35 peptide. These results assessed that in microglia stimulated by amyloids, redox modifications of the proteome specifically target proteins involved in crucial cell processes, i.e. those involved in the protein synthesis. In particular, for peroxiredoxin-6 (Prdx6) and Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) we suggest mechanisms through which reversible redox modifications could affect the peculiar role of microglia in amyloidogenic injury, which at the same time reinforce the oxidative burst and resist toward it. Moreover, the redox modulation we observed on chloride intracellular channel protein 1 (CLIC1) strengthens the structural and functional relationship between the oxidative stress and the metamorphic transition of this protein from a soluble form to an integral membrane form. The redox signatures we determined might also provide neurologists with more specific and reliable biomarkers to distinguish the diverse microglia status in neurodegeneration and then to drive targeted drug design.

Glutathione metabolism in Candida albicans resistant strains to fluconazole and micafungin.

Currently available therapies for candidiasis are based on antifungal drugs belonging to azole and echinocandin families that interfere with different aspects of fungal metabolism. These drugs, beyond their specific effects, elicit also a cellular stress including an unbalance of redox state that is counteracted not only utilizing antioxidant species but also increasing the outcome export by transporters to detoxify the internal environment. These cellular actions are both based on the cytosolic concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH). In this paper we investigated the effects of two antifungal drugs fluconazole and micafungin on the redox state of the cell in C. albicans to understand if the resistance to these drugs is accompanied by variation of glutathione metabolism. Analyses of resistant strains showed a marked difference in glutathione contents in strains resistant to fluconazole (CO23RFLC) or micafungin (CO23RFK). In CO23RFLC, the total amount of glutathione was more than doubled with respect to CO23RFK thanks to the increased activity of γ-glutamilcysteine synthetase, the key enzyme involved in GSH synthesis. We demonstrated that the GSH increase in CO23RFLC conferred to this strain a clear advantage in counteracting oxidative toxic agents while assignment of other roles, such as a more efficient elimination of the drug from the cell, should be considered more speculative. As far as MCFG resistance is concerned, from our data a role of glutathione metabolism in supporting this condition is not evident. Overall our data indicate that glutathione metabolism is differently affected in the two resistant strains and that glutathione system may play an important role in the global organization of C.albicans cells for resistance to fluconazole. Such scenario may pave the way to hypothesize the use of oxidant drugs or inhibitors able to deplete reduced glutathione level as a novel approach, for counteracting the resistance to this specific antifungal drug.

PARP-1 modulates amyloid beta peptide-induced neuronal damage.

Amyloid beta peptide (Aß) causes neurodegeneration by several mechanisms including oxidative stress, which is known to induce DNA damage with the consequent activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1). To elucidate the role of PARP-1 in the neurodegenerative process, SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were treated with Aß25-35 fragment in the presence or absence of MC2050, a new PARP-1 inhibitor. Aß25-35 induces an enhancement of PARP activity which is prevented by cell pre-treatment with MC2050. These data were confirmed by measuring PARP-1 activity in CHO cells transfected with amylod precursor protein and in vivo in brains specimens of TgCRND8 transgenic mice overproducing the amyloid peptide. Following Aß25-35 exposure a significant increase in intracellular ROS was observed. These data were supported by the finding that Aß25-35 induces DNA damage which in turn activates PARP-1. Challenge with Aß25-35 is also able to activate NF-kB via PARP-1, as demonstrated by NF-kB impairment upon MC2050 treatment. Moreover, Aß25-35 via PARP-1 induces a significant increase in the p53 protein level and a parallel decrease in the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. These overall data support the hypothesis of PARP-1 involvment in cellular responses induced by Aß and hence a possible rationale for the implication of PARP-1 in neurodegeneration is discussed.

Glycine consumption and mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase in cancer cells: the heme connection.

It was recently discovered that glycine consumption is strongly related to the rate of proliferation across cancer cells. This is very intriguing and raises the question of what is the actual role of this amino acid in cancer metabolism. Cancer cells are greedy for glycine. In particular, the mitochondrial production of glycine seems to be utterly important. Overexpression of mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase, the enzyme converting l-serine to glycine, assures an adequate supply of glycine to rapidly proliferating cancer cells. In fact, silencing of mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase was shown to halt cancer cell proliferation. Direct incorporation of glycine carbon atoms into the purine ring has been proposed to be one main reason for the importance of glycine in cancer cell metabolism. We believe that, as far as the importance of glycine in cancer is concerned, a central role of this amino acid, namely its participation to heme biosynthesis, has been neglected. In mitochondria, glycine condenses with succinyl-CoA to form 5-aminolevulinate, the universal precursor of the different forms of heme contained in cytochromes and oxidative phosphorylation complexes. Our hypothesis is that mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase is fundamental to sustain cancer metabolism since production of glycine fuels heme biosynthesis and therefore oxidative phosphorylation. Respiration of cancer cells may then ultimately rely on endogenous glycine synthesis by mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase. The link between mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity and heme biosynthesis represents an important and still unexplored aspect of the whole picture of cancer cell metabolism. Our hypothesis might be tested using a combination of metabolic tracing and gene silencing on different cancer cell lines. The experiments should be devised so as to assess the importance of mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase and the glycine deriving from its reaction as a precursor of heme. If the observed increase of glycine consumption in rapidly proliferating cancer cells has its basis in the need for heme biosynthesis, then mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase should be considered as a key target for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents.

Human papillomavirus-16 E7 interacts with glutathione S-transferase P1 and enhances its role in cell survival.

BACKGROUND: Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-16 is a paradigm for "high-risk" HPVs, the causative agents of virtually all cervical carcinomas. HPV E6 and E7 viral genes are usually expressed in these tumors, suggesting key roles for their gene products, the E6 and E7 oncoproteins, in inducing malignant transformation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By protein-protein interaction analysis, using mass spectrometry, we identified glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1) as a novel cellular partner of the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein. Following mapping of the region in the HPV-16 E7 sequence that is involved in the interaction, we generated a three-dimensional molecular model of the complex between HPV-16 E7 and GSTP1, and used this to engineer a mutant molecule of HPV-16 E7 with strongly reduced affinity for GSTP1.When expressed in HaCaT human keratinocytes, HPV-16 E7 modified the equilibrium between the oxidized and reduced forms of GSTP1, thereby inhibiting JNK phosphorylation and its ability to induce apoptosis. Using GSTP1-deficient MCF-7 cancer cells and siRNA interference targeting GSTP1 in HaCaT keratinocytes expressing either wild-type or mutant HPV-16 E7, we uncovered a pivotal role for GSTP1 in the pro-survival program elicited by its binding with HPV-16 E7. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides further evidence of the transforming abilities of this oncoprotein, setting the groundwork for devising unique molecular tools that can both interfere with the interaction between HPV-16 E7 and GSTP1 and minimize the survival of HPV-16 E7-expressing cancer cells.

Cystamine restores GSTA3 levels in Vanin-1 null mice.

Free cysteamine levels in mouse tissues have been strictly correlated to the presence of membrane-bound pantetheinase activity encoded by Vanin-1. Vanin-1 is involved in many biological processes in mouse, from thymus homing to sexual development. Vanin-1 -/- mice are fertile and grow and develop normally; they better control inflammation and most of the knockout effects were rescued by cystamine treatment. Gene structure analysis showed the presence of an oxidative stimuli-responsive ARE-like sequence in the promoter. In this paper we investigate antioxidant-detoxifying enzymatic activities at the tissue level, comparing Vanin-1 -/- and wild-type mice. In Vanin-1 null animals we pointed out a decrease in the Se-independent glutathione peroxidase activity. The decrease in enzymatic activity appeared to be correlated to an impairment of GST isoenzyme levels. In particular a significant drop in GSTA3 together with a minor decrement in GSTM1 and an increase in GSTP1 levels was detected in Vanin-1 -/- livers. Cystamine administration to Vanin-1 -/- mice restored specifically GSTA3 levels and the corresponding enzymatic activity without influencing protein expression. A possible role of cystamine on protein stability/folding can be postulated.

Glutathione S-transferase tissue profiling by reporter peptide monitoring.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) form a widespread enzyme superfamily mainly involved in phase II detoxification. Differential expression of the various GST isoforms, differing in catalytic and structural properties, correlates with physiological and pathological states. Fast and simple determination of the GST profile is expected to be an important diagnostic tool in disease analysis. Here we propose a combined approach of high resolution separation techniques and electrospray mass spectrometric analyses for characterizing the spectrum of GSTs in male mouse liver. In this approach, the sensitivity and speed required for tissue GST profiling studies is achieved by tracking the reconstructed ion current of selected reporter peptides following chromatographic separation. This simple procedure, in which an affinity protein bait is followed by a chemical fragmentation and mass spectrometric analysis, could be sufficiently sensitive to detect the qualitative differences between physiological and pathological states.

Prion (PrPres) allotypes profiling: a new perspectives from mass spectrometry.

Biochemical methods employed for PrPres allotypes profiling are reviewed and compared with the latest mass spectrometric approaches. Emphasis is put on the advantages offered by a recently proposed electrospray strategy.

Recombinant expression of Mus musculus myoglobin.

The cDNA encoding for Mus musculus myoglobin (Mb) was amplified using standard RT-PCR techniques and cloned in an appropriate bacterial expression vector. For the first time, mouse Mb was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli cells, BL21(DE3), and purified in sufficient amounts to carry out a preliminary characterization. As shown by mass spectrometry, the protein is found in complex with glutathione, which binds the Cys residue in the topological position E9, in the proximity of the heme group. In recombinant murine Mb, azide affinities are only slightly dependent on the Cys(E9) oxidation state. This suggests that Cys(E9) does not provide a relevant contribution for the stabilization of ligands bound to the heme iron atom. Recombinant expression of M. musculus Mb might have an important role in order to investigate the eventual involvement of Cys(E9) in the new physiological roles proposed for Mb.

Protein minimization: characterization of the synthetic cyclic dodecapeptide corresponding to the reactive site region of the oil rape trypsin inhibitor type-III.

The design of minimal units required for enzyme inhibition is a major field of interest in structural biology and biotechnology. The successful design of the cyclic dodecapeptide corresponding to the Phe17-Val28 reactive site amino acid sequence of the low-molecular-mass trypsin inhibitor RTI-III from Brassica napus (micro-RTI-III) and of the recombinant murine dihydrofolate reductase-(DHFR-)micro-RTI-III fusion protein (DHFR-micro-RTI-III) is reported here. Micro-RTI-III was synthesized using a stepwise solid-phase approach based on the standard Fmoc chemistry, purified by RP-HPLC, and oxidatively refolded. DHFR-micro-RTI-III was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified by metal-chelate affinity chromatography, and oxidatively refolded. The affinity of micro-RTI-III for bovine trypsin (K(d)=1.6x10(-9)M) is similar to that determined for DHFR-micro-RTI-III (K(d)=6.3x10(-10)M) and native RTI-III (K(d)=2.9x10(-10)M), at pH 8.2 and 22.0 degrees C. Remarkably, micro-RTI-III protects the DHFR domain of DHFR-micro-RTI-III from trypsin digestion. Micro-RTI-III is a new minimal trypsin inhibitor and may be regarded as a tool in protein structure-function studies and for developing multifunctional and multidomain proteinase inhibitors.

Cloning and expression of sterol Delta 14-reductase from bovine liver.

Biosynthesis of cholesterol represents one of the fundamental cellular metabolic processes. Sterol Delta 14-reductase (Delta 14-SR) is a microsomal enzyme involved in the conversion of lanosterol to cholesterol in mammals. Amino-acid sequence analysis of a 38-kDa protein purified from bovine liver in our laboratory revealed > 90% similarity with a human sterol reductase, SR-1, encoded by the TM7SF2 gene, and with the C-terminal domain of human lamin B receptor. A cDNA encoding the 38-kDa protein, similar to human TM7SF2, was identified by analysis of a bovine expressed sequence tag (EST) database. The cDNA was synthesized by RT-PCR, cloned, and sequenced. The cDNA encodes a 418 amino-acid polypeptide with nine predicted transmembrane domains. The deduced amino-acid sequence exhibits high similarity with Delta 14-SR from yeasts, fungi, and plants (55-59%), suggesting that the bovine cDNA encodes Delta 14-SR. Northern blot analysis of bovine tissues showed high expression of mRNA in liver and brain. The polypeptide encoded by the cloned cDNA was expressed in COS-7 cells. Immunofluorescence analysis of transfected cells revealed a distribution of the protein throughout the ER. COS-7 cells expressing the protein exhibited Delta 14-SR activity about sevenfold higher than control cells. These results demonstrate that the cloned bovine cDNA encodes Delta 14-SR and provide evidence that the human TM7SF2 gene encodes Delta 14-SR.