Growth arrest by the antitumor steroidal lactone withaferin A in human breast cancer cells is associated with down-regulation and covalent binding at cysteine 303 of ß-tubulin.

Withaferin A (WA), a C5,C6-epoxy steroidal lactone derived from a medicinal plant (Withania somnifera), inhibits growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and prevents mammary cancer development in a transgenic mouse model. However, the mechanisms underlying the anticancer effect of WA are not fully understood. Herein, we report that tubulin is a novel target of WA-mediated growth arrest in human breast cancer cells. The G2 and mitotic arrest resulting from WA exposure in MCF-7, SUM159, and SK-BR-3 cells was associated with a marked decrease in protein levels of ß-tubulin. These effects were not observed with the naturally occurring C6,C7-epoxy analogs of WA (withanone and withanolide A). A non-tumorigenic normal mammary epithelial cell line (MCF-10A) was markedly more resistant to mitotic arrest by WA compared with breast cancer cells. Vehicle-treated control cells exhibited a normal bipolar spindle with chromosomes aligned along the metaphase plate. In contrast, WA treatment led to a severe disruption of normal spindle morphology. NMR analyses revealed that the A-ring enone in WA, but not in withanone or withanolide A, was highly reactive with cysteamine and rapidly succumbed to irreversible nucleophilic addition. Mass spectrometry demonstrated direct covalent binding of WA to Cys(303) of ß-tubulin in MCF-7 cells. Molecular docking indicated that the WA-binding pocket is located on the surface of ß-tubulin and characterized by a hydrophobic floor, a hydrophobic wall, and a charge-balanced hydrophilic entrance. These results provide novel insights into the mechanism of growth arrest by WA in breast cancer cells.

Proteomic View of Basement Membranes from Human Retinal Blood Vessels, Inner Limiting Membranes, and Lens Capsules.

Basement membranes (BMs) are extracellular matrix sheets comprising the laminins, type-IV collagens, nidogens, and the heparan sulfate proteoglycans, perlecan, collagen XVIII, and agrin. In intact BMs, BM proteins are physiologically insoluble and partially resistant to proteolytic digestion, making BMs a challenge to study. Here three types of BMs from adult human eyes, the inner limiting membrane (ILM), the retinal vascular BMs, and the lens capsule, were isolated for analysis by 1D-SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS. Peptide and protein identifications were done using MaxQuant. 1129 proteins were identified with a 1% false discovery rate. Data showed that BMs are composed of multiple laminins, collagen IVs, nidogens, and proteoglycans. The dominant laminin family member in all BMs was laminin α5ß2γ1. The dominant collagen IV trimer in lens capsule (LC) and blood vessel (BV) BMs had a chain composition of α1(IV)2, α2 (IV), whereas the dominant collagen IV in the ILM had the α3(IV), α4(IV), α5(IV) chain composition. The data also showed that the ratio of laminin and collagen IVs varied among different BM types: the ratio of collagen IV to the other BM proteins is highest in LC, followed by BV and lowest for the ILM. The data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001025.

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) protein regulates long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase by deacetylating conserved lysines near the active site.

Long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) is a key mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation enzyme. We previously demonstrated increased LCAD lysine acetylation in SIRT3 knockout mice concomitant with reduced LCAD activity and reduced fatty acid oxidation. To study the effects of acetylation on LCAD and determine sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) target sites, we chemically acetylated recombinant LCAD. Acetylation impeded substrate binding and reduced catalytic efficiency. Deacetylation with recombinant SIRT3 partially restored activity. Residues Lys-318 and Lys-322 were identified as SIRT3-targeted lysines. Arginine substitutions at Lys-318 and Lys-322 prevented the acetylation-induced activity loss. Lys-318 and Lys-322 flank residues Arg-317 and Phe-320, which are conserved among all acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and coordinate the enzyme-bound FAD cofactor in the active site. We propose that acetylation at Lys-318/Lys-322 causes a conformational change which reduces hydride transfer from substrate to FAD. Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase 9, two related enzymes with lysines at positions equivalent to Lys-318/Lys-322, were also efficiently deacetylated by SIRT3 following chemical acetylation. These results suggest that acetylation/deacetylation at Lys-318/Lys-322 is a mode of regulating fatty acid oxidation. The same mechanism may regulate other acyl-CoA dehydrogenases.

Complex changes in the liver mitochondrial proteome of short chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficient mice.

Short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) deficiency is an autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism that leads to the impaired mitochondrial fatty acid ß-oxidation of short chain fatty acids. It is heterogeneous in clinical presentation including asymptomatic in most patients identified by newborn screening. Multiple mutations have been identified in patients; however, neither clear genotype-phenotype relationships nor a good correlation between genotype and current biochemical markers for diagnosis has been identified. The definition and pathophysiology of this deficiency remain unclear. To better understand this disorder at a global level, quantitative alterations in the mitochondrial proteome in SCAD deficient mice were examined using a combined proteomics approach: two-dimensional gel difference electrophoresis (2DIGE) followed by protein identification with MALDI-TOF/TOF and iTRAQ labeling followed by nano-LC/MALDI-TOF/TOF. We found broad mitochondrial dysfunction in SCAD deficiency. Changes in the levels of multiple energy metabolism related proteins were identified indicating that a more complex mechanism for development of symptoms may exist. Affected pathways converge on disorders with neurologic symptoms, suggesting that even asymptomatic individuals with SCAD deficiency may be at risk to develop more severe disease. Our results also identified a pattern associated with hepatotoxicity implicated in mitochondrial dysfunction, fatty acid metabolism, decrease of depolarization of mitochondria and mitochondrial membranes, and swelling of mitochondria, demonstrating that SCAD deficiency relates more directly to mitochondrial dysfunction and alteration of fatty acid metabolism. We propose several candidate molecules that may serve as markers for recognition of clinical risk associated with this disorder.

Modification of ubiquitin-C-terminal hydrolase-L1 by cyclopentenone prostaglandins exacerbates hypoxic injury.

Cyclopentenone prostaglandins (CyPGs), such as 15-deoxy-Δ(12,14) -prostaglandin J(2) (15d-PGJ(2)), are active prostaglandin metabolites exerting a variety of biological effects that may be important in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. Ubiquitin-C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) is a brain specific deubiquitinating enzyme whose aberrant function has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders. We report that [15d-PGJ(2)] detected by quadrapole mass spectrometry (MS) increases in rat brain after temporary focal ischemia, and that treatment with 15d-PGJ(2) induces accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins and exacerbates cell death in normoxic and hypoxic primary neurons. 15d-PGJ(2) covalently modifies UCH-L1 and inhibits its hydrolase activity. Pharmacologic inhibition of UCH-L1 exacerbates hypoxic neuronal death while transduction with a TAT-UCH-L1 fusion protein protects neurons from hypoxia. These studies indicate that UCH-L1 function is important in hypoxic neuronal death and that excessive production of CyPGs after stroke may exacerbate ischemic injury by modification and inhibition of UCH-L1.

Identification of native Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) proteins that bind to immobilized metal affinity chromatography under high imidazole conditions and use of 2D-DIGE to evaluate contamination pools with respect to recombinant protein expression level.

Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a widely used purification tool for the production of active, soluble recombinant proteins. Escherichia coli proteins that routinely contaminate IMAC purifications have been characterized to date. The work presented here narrows that focus to the most problematic host proteins, those retaining nickel affinity under elevated imidazole conditions, using a single bind-and-elute step. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis, a favored technique for resolving complex protein mixtures and evaluating their expression, here discerns variation in the soluble extract pools that are loaded in IMAC and the remaining contaminants with respect to varied levels of recombinant protein expression. Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase SlyD and catabolite activator protein (CAP) are here shown to be the most persistent contaminants and have greater prevalence at low target protein expression.

Characterization and detection of cellular and proteomic alterations in stable stathmin-overexpressing, taxol-resistant BT549 breast cancer cells using offgel IEF/PAGE difference gel electrophoresis.

Stathmin/oncoprotein 18, a protein that regulates microtubule dynamics, is highly expressed in a number of tumors including leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. High stathmin levels have been associated with the development of resistance to the widely used anti-cancer drug taxol ((®)Taxol, paclitaxel). The mechanisms of stathmin-mediated taxol resistance are not well-understood at the molecular level. To better understand the role of stathmin in taxol resistance, we stably overexpressed stathmin twofold in BT549 human breast cancer cells and characterized several cell processes involved in the mechanism of action of taxol. After stable overexpression of stathmin, neither the cell doubling time nor the mitotic index was altered and the microtubule polymer mass was reduced only modestly (by 18%). Unexpectedly, microtubule dynamicity was reduced by 29% after stathmin overexpression, resulting primarily from reduction in the catastrophe frequency. Sensitivity to taxol was reduced significantly (by 44%) in a clonogenic assay, and stathmin appeared to protect the cells from the spindle-damaging effects of taxol. The results suggest that in the stably stathmin-overexpressing clones, compensatory gene expression occurred that resulted in normal rates of cell proliferation and prevented the increase in catastrophe frequency expected in response to stathmin. Stathmin overexpression protected the cells from taxol-induced abnormal mitoses, and thus induced taxol resistance. Using offgel IEF/PAGE difference gel electrophoresis, we identified a number of proteins whose expression is reduced in the taxol-resistant stathmin-overexpressing cell lines, including proteins involved in the cytoskeleton and cell structure, the stress response, protein folding, glycolysis, and catalysis.

Protein disulfide isomerase as a novel target for cyclopentenone prostaglandins: implications for hypoxic ischemic injury.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an important contributor to ischemic brain injury. Identification of the downstream mediators of COX-2 toxicity may allow the development of targeted therapies. Of particular interest is the cyclopentenone family of prostaglandin metabolites. Cyclopentenone prostaglandins (CyPGs) are highly reactive molecules that form covalent bonds with cellular thiols. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an important molecule for the restoration of denatured proteins following ischemia. Because PDI has several thiols, including thiols within the active thioredoxin-like domain, we hypothesized that PDI is a target of CyPGs and that CyPG binding of PDI is detrimental. CyPG-PDI binding was detected in vitro via immunoprecipitation and MS. CyPG-PDI binding decreased PDI enzymatic activity in recombinant PDI treated with CyPG, and PDI immunoprecipitated from neuronal culture treated with CyPG or anoxia. Toxic effects of binding were demonstrated in experiments showing that: (a) pharmacologic inhibition of PDI increased cell death in anoxic neurons, (b) PDI overexpression protected neurons exposed to anoxia and SH-SY5Y cells exposed to CyPG, and (c) PDI overexpression in SH-SY5Y cells attenuated ubiquitination of proteins and decreased activation of pro-apoptotic caspases. In conclusion, CyPG production and subsequent binding of PDI is a novel and potentially important mechanism of ischemic brain injury. We show that CyPGs bind to PDI, cyclopentenones inhibit PDI activity, and CyPG-PDI binding is associated with increased neuronal susceptibility to anoxia. Additional studies are necessary to determine the relative role of CyPG-dependent inhibition of PDI activity in ischemia and other neurodegenerative disorders.

ERK-mediated phosphorylation of TFAM downregulates mitochondrial transcription: implications for Parkinson's disease.

Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) regulates mitochondrial biogenesis, which is downregulated by extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2) in cells treated chronically with the complex I inhibitor 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). We utilized mass spectrometry to identify ERK1/2-dependent TFAM phosphorylation sites. Mutation of TFAM at serine 177 to mimic phosphorylation recapitulated the effects of MPP+ in decreasing the binding of TFAM to the light strand promoter, suppressing mitochondrial transcription. Mutant TFAM was unable to affect respiratory function or rescue the effects of MPP+ on respiratory complexes. These data disclose a novel mechanism by which ERK1/2 regulates mitochondrial function through direct phosphorylation of TFAM.

The bi-functional organization of human basement membranes.

The current basement membrane (BM) model proposes a single-layered extracellular matrix (ECM) sheet that is predominantly composed of laminins, collagen IVs and proteoglycans. The present data show that BM proteins and their domains are asymmetrically organized providing human BMs with side-specific properties: A) isolated human BMs roll up in a side-specific pattern, with the epithelial side facing outward and the stromal side inward. The rolling is independent of the curvature of the tissue from which the BMs were isolated. B) The epithelial side of BMs is twice as stiff as the stromal side, and C) epithelial cells adhere to the epithelial side of BMs only. Side-selective cell adhesion was also confirmed for BMs from mice and from chick embryos. We propose that the bi-functional organization of BMs is an inherent property of BMs and helps build the basic tissue architecture of metazoans with alternating epithelial and connective tissue layers.

Perfusion-decellularized pancreas as a natural 3D scaffold for pancreatic tissue and whole organ engineering.

Approximately 285 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, with insulin supplementation as the most common treatment measure. Regenerative medicine approaches such as a bioengineered pancreas has been proposed as potential therapeutic alternatives. A bioengineered pancreas will benefit from the development of a bioscaffold that supports and enhances cellular function and tissue development. Perfusion-decellularized organs are a likely candidate for use in such scaffolds since they mimic compositional, architectural and biomechanical nature of a native organ. In this study, we investigate perfusion-decellularization of whole pancreas and the feasibility to recellularize the whole pancreas scaffold with pancreatic cell types. Our result demonstrates that perfusion-decellularization of whole pancreas effectively removes cellular and nuclear material while retaining intricate three-dimensional microarchitecture with perfusable vasculature and ductal network and crucial extracellular matrix (ECM) components. To mimic pancreatic cell composition, we recellularized the whole pancreas scaffold with acinar and beta cell lines and cultured up to 5 days. Our result shows successful cellular engraftment within the decellularized pancreas, and the resulting graft gave rise to strong up-regulation of insulin gene expression. These findings support biological utility of whole pancreas ECM as a biomaterials scaffold for supporting and enhancing pancreatic cell functionality and represent a step toward bioengineered pancreas using regenerative medicine approaches.

Regulation of the autophagy protein LC3 by phosphorylation.

Macroautophagy is a major catabolic pathway that impacts cell survival, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and neurodegeneration. Although bulk degradation sustains carbon sources during starvation, autophagy contributes to shrinkage of differentiated neuronal processes. Identification of autophagy-related genes has spurred rapid advances in understanding the recruitment of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) in autophagy induction, although braking mechanisms remain less understood. Using mass spectrometry, we identified a direct protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation site on LC3 that regulates its participation in autophagy. Both metabolic (rapamycin) and pathological (MPP(+)) inducers of autophagy caused dephosphorylation of endogenous LC3. The pseudophosphorylated LC3 mutant showed reduced recruitment to autophagosomes, whereas the nonphosphorylatable mutant exhibited enhanced puncta formation. Finally, autophagy-dependent neurite shortening induced by expression of a Parkinson disease-associated G2019S mutation in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 was inhibited by dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cytoplasmic expression of the PKA catalytic subunit, or the LC3 phosphorylation mimic. These data demonstrate a role for phosphorylation in regulating LC3 activity.