Novel CYP19A1 Mutations Extend the Genotype-Phenotype Correlation and Reveal the Impact on Ovarian Function.

CONTEXT: The steroidogenic enzyme aromatase (CYP19A1) is required for estrogen biosynthesis from androgen precursors in the ovary and extragonadal tissues. The role of aromatase, and thus estrogens, is best illustrated by genetic variations of the CYP19A1 gene leading to aromatase deficiency or excess. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work is to characterize novel CYP19A1 variants. DESIGN SETTING AND PATIENTS: Variants causing aromatase deficiency were suspected in four 46,XX children of African and Indian origin by careful clinical phenotyping. Sequencing of the CYP19A1 gene identified novel variants. Minigene experiments, aromatase activity assay, and computational, and histological analysis were used to characterize the variants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE AND RESULTS: CYP19A1 variants were found in all patients: a deletion in intron 9 leading to p.P423_H503del, a delins variant at p.P154, and point variants p.V161D, p.R264C, p.R375C. Except for R264C, all variants showed a loss of function. Protein structure and dynamics studies were in line with functional assays. The 2 female patients with delins variants manifested with ambiguous genitalia at birth. Histologic investigation revealed normal ovarian tissue on one side and a streak gonad on the other. Two female patients presented with abnormal pubertal development and polycystic ovaries. CONCLUSION: In girls, aromatase deficiency usually manifests at birth, but diagnosis may also be made because of abnormal pubertal development or ovarian torsion due to (poly)cystic ovaries. The ovary harboring CYP19A1 variants may present as streak gonad or appears normal at birth, but is then at very high risk to produce cysts with aging and is therefore prone to ovarian torsion.

Resveratrol inhibits androgen production of human adrenocortical H295R cells by lowering CYP17 and CYP21 expression and activities.

Resveratrol, a natural compound found in grapes, became very popular for its suggested protective effects against aging. It was reported to have similar positive effects on the human metabolism as caloric restriction. Recently, positive effects of resveratrol on steroid biosynthesis in cell systems and in humans suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome have also been reported, but the exact mechanism of this action remains unknown. Sirtuins seem targeted by resveratrol to mediate its action on energy homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of action of resveratrol on steroidogenesis in human adrenal H295R cells. Resveratrol was found to inhibit protein expression and enzyme activities of CYP17 and CYP21. It did not alter CYP17 and CYP21 mRNA expression, nor protein degradation. Only SIRT3 mRNA expression was found to be altered by resveratrol, but SIRT1, 3 and 5 overexpression did not result in a change in the steroid profile of H295R cells, indicating that resveratrol may not engage sirtuins to modulate steroid production. Previous studies showed that starvation leads to a hyperandrogenic steroid profile in H295R cells through inhibition of PKB/Akt signaling, and that resveratrol inhibits steroidogenesis of rat ovarian theca cells via the PKB/Akt pathway. Therefore, the effect of resveratrol on PKB/Akt signaling was tested in H295R cells and was found to be decreased under starvation growth conditions, but not under normal growth conditions. Overall, these properties of action together with recent clinical findings make resveratrol a candidate for the treatment of hyperandrogenic disorders such as PCOS.

Prolonged activity of the pestiviral RNase Erns as an interferon antagonist after uptake by clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

UNLABELLED: The RNase activity of the envelope glycoprotein E(rns) of the pestivirus bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is required to block type I interferon (IFN) synthesis induced by single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in bovine cells. Due to the presence of an unusual membrane anchor at its C terminus, a significant portion of E(rns) is also secreted. In addition, a binding site for cell surface glycosaminoglycans is located within the C-terminal region of E(rns). Here, we show that the activity of soluble E(rns) as an IFN antagonist is not restricted to bovine cells. Extracellularly applied E(rns) protein bound to cell surface glycosaminoglycans and was internalized into the cells within 1 h of incubation by an energy-dependent mechanism that could be blocked by inhibitors of clathrin-dependent endocytosis. E(rns) mutants that lacked the C-terminal membrane anchor retained RNase activity but lost most of their intracellular activity as an IFN antagonist. Surprisingly, once taken up into the cells, E(rns) remained active and blocked dsRNA-induced IFN synthesis for several days. Thus, we propose that E(rns) acts as an enzymatically active decoy receptor that degrades extracellularly added viral RNA mainly in endolysosomal compartments that might otherwise activate intracellular pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) in order to maintain a state of innate immunotolerance. IMPORTANCE: The pestiviral RNase E(rns) was previously shown to inhibit viral ssRNA- and dsRNA-induced interferon (IFN) synthesis. However, the localization of E(rns) at or inside the cells, its species specificity, and its mechanism of interaction with cell membranes in order to block the host's innate immune response are still largely unknown. Here, we provide strong evidence that the pestiviral RNase E(rns) is taken up within minutes by clathrin-mediated endocytosis and that this uptake is mostly dependent on the glycosaminoglycan binding site located within the C-terminal end of the protein. Remarkably, the inhibitory activity of E(rns) remains for several days, indicating the very potent and prolonged effect of a viral IFN antagonist. This novel mechanism of an enzymatically active decoy receptor that degrades a major viral pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) might be required to efficiently maintain innate and, thus, also adaptive immunotolerance, and it might well be relevant beyond the bovine species.

The response of HEK293 cells transfected with bovine TLR2 to established pathogen-associated molecular patterns and to bacteria causing mastitis in cattle.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key sensors of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Their role in immunity is difficult to examine in species of veterinary interest, due to restricted access to the knockout technology and TLR-specific antibodies. An alternative approach is to generate cell lines transfected with various TLRs and to examine the recognition of PAMPs or relevant bacteria. In this report, we examined whether recognition of various PAMPs and mastitis-causing bacteria is achieved by transfection of recombinant bovine TLR2 (boTLR2). Therefore, human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were transfected by whole boTLR2. A clonal analysis of stably transfected cells disclosed variable recognition of several putative TLR2 agonists although expressing similar amounts of the transgene and endogenous TLR6. One clone (clone 25) reacted by copious interleukin-8 (IL-8) production to several stimulants of TLR2 such as di-palmitoylated cysteyl-seryl-lysyl-lysyl-lysyl-lysine (Pam2), a biochemical preparation of lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus, a commercial preparation of peptidoglycan from S. aureus, and heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes (HKLM). TLR2-dependent induction of IL-8 release was stronger in medium containing human serum albumin than in medium containing fetal calf serum. Clone 25 cells responded to high concentrations of S. aureus and to Escherichia coli causing mastitis, but not to Streptococcus uberis and to Streptococcus agalactiae which also cause mastitis. Stimulation by S. aureus was relatively weak when compared (i) with stimulation of the same cells by HKLM and PAMPs derived from S. aureus, (ii) with a clone stably transfected with TLR4 and MD-2 and stimulated by E. coli causing mastitis, and (iii) with interferon-gamma-costimulated bovine macrophages stimulated by S. aureus and S. agalactiae. Thus, clone 25 is suitable for studying the interaction of putative TLR2 agonists with bovine TLR2-transfected cells, provides a cell to search for TLR2-specific antibodies, and is a tool for studying the interaction of TLR2 with bacteria causing disease, e.g. mastitis, in cattle.

Stable transduction of bovine TLR4 and bovine MD-2 into LPS-nonresponsive cells and soluble CD14 promote the ability to respond to LPS.

The interaction of bovine cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was explored using human embryo kidney (HEK) 293 cell line stably transduced with bovine toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) alone or in combination with bovine MD-2. These lines and mock-transduced HEK293 cells were tested by flow cytometry for LPS-fluorescein isothiocyanate (LPS-FITC) binding, nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) activation, interleukin-8 (IL-8) production and interferon-beta mRNA expression/interferon (IFN) type I production. Whereas bovine TLR4 was sufficient to promote binding of high concentrations of LPS-FITC, both bovine TLR4 and MD-2 were required for activation by LPS, as assessed by NFkappaB activation and IL-8 production. Induction of IFN bioactivity was not observed in doubly transduced HEK293 cells, and no evidence for IFN-beta mRNA induction in response to LPS was obtained, although cells responded by IFN-beta mRNA expression to stimulation by Sendai virus and poly-inosinic acid-poly-cytidylic acid (poly(I:C)). Cells stably transduced with both bovine TLR4 and bovine MD-2 responded to LPS by IL-8 production, in decreasing order, in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FCS), of human serum, and of human serum albumin (HSA). The reduced activity in the presence of HSA could be restored by the addition of soluble CD14 (sCD14) but not of LPS binding protein (LBP). This is in contrast to macrophages which show a superior response to LPS in the presence of HSA when compared with macrophages stimulated by LPS in the presence of FCS. This suggests that macrophages but not HEK293 cells express factors rendering LPS stimulation serum-independent. Stably double-transduced cells reacted, in decreasing order, to LPS from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, to LPS from Escherichia coli, to synthetic lipd-IVa (compound 406), to diphosphoryl-lipid-A (S. minnesota) and to monophosphoryl-lipid-A (S. minnesota). They failed to react to the murine MD-2/TLR4 ligand taxol. This resembles the reactivity of bovine macrophages with regard to sensitivity (ED(50)) and order of potency but is distinct from the reactivity pattern of other species. This formally establishes that in order to react to LPS, cattle cells require serum factors (e.g. sCD14) and cell-expressed factors such as MD-2 and TLR4. The cell lines described are the first of a series expressing defined pattern recognition receptors (PRR) of bovine origin. They will be useful in the study of the interaction of the bovine TLR4-MD-2 complex and Gram-negative bovine pathogens, e.g. the agents causing Gram-negative bovine mastitis.

Human monocytoid cells as a model to study Toll-like receptor-mediated activation.

THP-1 2A9, a subclone of the monocytoid cell line THP-1 and known to be exquisitely sensitive to LPS, was tested for TNF production following triggering by excess doses of TLR ligands. TLR2, TLR4 and TLR5 agonists, but neither TLR3 nor TLR9 agonists, induced TNF production. When used at lower concentrations, priming by calcitriol strongly influenced the sensitivity of cells to LPS and different TLR2 triggers (lipoteichoic acid (LTA), trispalmitoyl-cysteyl-seryl-lysyl-lysyl-lysyl-lysine (Pam3Cys) and peptidoglycan (PGN)). Priming by calcitriol failed to modulate TLR2 and TLR4 mRNA and cell surface expression of these receptors. TNF signals elicited by TLR2 agonists were blocked by the TLR-specific antibody 2392. CD14-specific antibodies showed variable effects. CD14-specific antibodies inhibited TNF induction by LTA. High concentrations partially inhibited TNF induction by Pam3Cys. The same antibodies failed to inhibit TNF induction by PGN. Thus, THP-1 2A9 cells respond by TNF production to some, but not all TLR agonists, and the wide variety of putative TLR2 agonists interact to variable degrees also with other cell-surface-expressed binding sites such as CD14. THP-1 2A9 cells might provide a model by which to investigate in more detail the interaction of pathogen-associated molecular patterns and monocytoid cell-surface-expressed pattern recognition receptors.

Evidence for dissociation of TLR mRNA expression and TLR agonist-mediated functions in bovine macrophages.

Toll-like receptors are of key importance in the recognition of and response to infectious agents by cells of the innate immune system. TLR mRNA expression and TLR-mediated functions were determined in bovine macrophages (MPhi) infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) or stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in order to see whether they are correlated under these conditions. As parameters quantitative real time RT-PCR (QRT-PCR) for TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4, NO and TNF production were measured. Triggering of bovine MPhi with bona fide TLR2 and TLR4 agonists (lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid, peptidoglycan, lipopetide) led to NO and TNF production but neither TLR3 nor TLR9 agonists (double-stranded RNA, CpG DNA) showed this effect. The mRNA expression of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4 was neither influenced by MPhi costimulation with IFN-gamma nor by MPhi preinfection with BVDV nor by the ligands themselves. However, NO production induced by TLR2 or TLR4 agonists was strongly modulated either by IFN-gamma costimulation or BVDV preinfection. Thus costimulation of MPhi with IFN-gamma resulted in an increase of both NO synthesis and TNF expression by cells stimulated simultaneously by TLR2 or TLR4 agonists. Preinfection of bovine MPhi by BVDV resulted in upregulation of TLR2- and TLR4-mediated NO synthesis. Collectively, these data show that TLR-mediated functions may be modulated by viral infection or activation via IFN-gamma of MPhi whereas the mRNA concentrations of relevant TLR members were not significantly influenced. Thus, the amount of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4 mRNA transcripts is stable at least under the conditions tested. More importantly, modulation of TLR-mediated responses was dissociated from mRNA expression of TLR members.