Crucial role of iron in epigenetic rewriting during adipocyte differentiation mediated by JMJD1A and TET2 activity.

Iron metabolism is closely associated with the pathogenesis of obesity. However, the mechanism of the iron-dependent regulation of adipocyte differentiation remains unclear. Here, we show that iron is essential for rewriting of epigenetic marks during adipocyte differentiation. Iron supply through lysosome-mediated ferritinophagy was found to be crucial during the early stage of adipocyte differentiation, and iron deficiency during this period suppressed subsequent terminal differentiation. This was associated with demethylation of both repressive histone marks and DNA in the genomic regions of adipocyte differentiation-associated genes, 　including Pparg, which encodes PPARγ, the master regulator of adipocyte differentiation. In addition, we identified several epigenetic demethylases to be responsible for iron-dependent adipocyte differentiation, with the histone demethylase jumonji domain-containing 1A and the DNA demethylase ten-eleven translocation 2 as the major enzymes. The interrelationship between repressive histone marks and DNA methylation was indicated by an integrated genome-wide association analysis, and was also supported by the findings that both histone and DNA demethylation were suppressed by either the inhibition of lysosomal ferritin flux or the knockdown of iron chaperone poly(rC)-binding protein 2. In summary, epigenetic regulations through iron-dependent control of epigenetic enzyme activities play an important role in the organized gene expression mechanisms of adipogenesis.

Both hemoglobin and hemin cause damage to retinal pigment epithelium through the iron ion accumulation.

Subretinal hemorrhages result in poor vision and visual field defects. During hemorrhage, several potentially toxic substances are released from iron-based hemoglobin and hemin, inducing cellular damage, the detailed mechanisms of which remain unknown. We examined the effects of excess intracellular iron on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. A Fe2+ probe, SiRhoNox-1 was used to investigate Fe2+ accumulation after treatment with hemoglobin or hemin in the human RPE cell line ARPE-19. We also evaluated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, the protective effect of-an iron chelator, 2,2'-bipyridyl (BP), and ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) on the cell damage, was evaluated. Fe2+ accumulation increased in the hemoglobin- or hemin-treated groups, as well as intracellular ROS production and lipid peroxidation. In contrast, BP treatment suppressed RPE cell death, ROS production, and lipid peroxidation. Pretreatment with Fer-1 ameliorated cell death in a concentration-dependent manner and suppressed ROS production and lipid peroxidation. Taken together, these findings indicate that hemoglobin and hemin, as well as subretinal hemorrhage, may induce RPE cell damage and visual dysfunction via intracellular iron accumulation.

Molecular Imaging of Labile Heme in Living Cells Using a Small Molecule Fluorescent Probe.

Labile heme (LH) is a complex of Fe(II) and protoporphyrin IX, an essential signaling molecule in various biological systems. Most of the subcellular dynamics of LH remain unclear because of the lack of efficient chemical tools for detecting LH in cells. Here, we report an activity-based fluorescence probe that can monitor the fluctuations of LH in biological events. H-FluNox is a selective fluorescent probe that senses LH using biomimetic N-oxide deoxygenation to trigger fluorescence. The selectivity of H-FluNox to LH is >100-fold against Fe(II), enabling the discrimination of LH from the labile Fe(II) pool in living cells. The probe can detect the acute release of LH upon NO stimulation and the accumulation of LH by inhibiting the heme exporter. In addition, imaging studies using the probe revealed a partial heme-export activity of the ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2), potential LH pooling ability of G-quadruplex, and involvement of LH in ferroptosis. The successful use of H-FluNox in identifying fluctuations of LH in living cells offers opportunities for studying the physiology and pathophysiology of LH in living systems.

Systemic Regulation of Iron Acquisition by Arabidopsis in Environments with Heterogeneous Iron Distributions.

Nutrient distribution within the soil is generally heterogeneous. Plants, therefore, have evolved sophisticated systemic processes enabling them to optimize their nutrient acquisition efficiency. By organ-to-organ communication in Arabidopsis thaliana, for instance, iron (Fe) starvation in one part of a root drives the upregulation of a high-affinity Fe-uptake system in other root regions surrounded by sufficient levels of Fe. This compensatory response through Fe-starvation-triggered organ-to-organ communication includes the upregulation of Iron-regulated transporter 1 (IRT1) gene expression on the Fe-sufficient side of the root; however, the molecular basis underlying this long-distance signaling remains unclear. Here, we analyzed gene expression by RNA-seq analysis of Fe-starved split-root cultures. Genome-wide expression analysis showed that localized Fe depletion in roots upregulated several genes involved in Fe uptake and signaling, such as IRT1, in a distant part of the root exposed to Fe-sufficient conditions. This result indicates that long-distance signaling for Fe demand alters the expression of a subset of genes responsible for Fe uptake and coumarin biosynthesis to maintain a level of Fe acquisition sufficient for the entire plant. Loss of IRON MAN/FE-UPTAKE-INDUCING PEPTIDE (IMA/FEP) leads to the disruption of compensatory upregulation of IRT1 in the root surrounded by sufficient Fe. In addition, our split-root culture-based analysis provides evidence that the IMA3/FEP1-MYB10/72 pathway mediates long-distance signaling in Fe homeostasis through the regulation of coumarin biosynthesis. These data suggest that the signaling of IMA/FEP, a ubiquitous family of metal-binding peptides, is critical for organ-to-organ communication in response to Fe starvation under heterogeneous Fe conditions in the surrounding environment.

Intracellular ferritin heavy chain plays the key role in artesunate-induced ferroptosis in ovarian serous carcinoma cells.

Artesunate, an antimalarial drug, induces ferroptosis, but the mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, we investigated how Artesunate induces ferroptosis in ovarian serous carcinoma. Experiments were performed using the ovarian serous carcinoma cell lines CaOV3 and SKOV3ip1, and the sensitivity of CaOV3 to Artesunate was higher than that of SKOV3ip1. Ferroptosis inhibitors inhibited Artesunate-induced intracellular lipid peroxi-dation and cell death. However, unlike class 1 ferroptosis inducer erastin, Artesunate had no effect on intracellular glutathione-SH levels. We found that Artesunate-induced changes in lysosomal Fe|2+ were parallel to the induction of ferroptosis. Therefore, ferritin, which oxidizes and binds intracellular Fe|2+, may have an inhibitory effect on ferroptosis. Knockdown of nuclear coactivator 4, a key molecule of ferritinophagy (ferritin-specific autophagy), suppressed Artesunate-induced cell death. Knockdown of ferritin heavy chain by siRNA greatly enhanced the sensitivity to Artesunate, and overexpression of ferritin heavy chain greatly reduced the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cell lines to Artesunate. These results can explain the differential sensitivity of CaOV3 and SKOV3ip1 to Artesunate. In conclusion, enhancement of ferritinophagy is an important step involved in the mechanism of Artesunate-induced ferroptosis, and ferritin heavy chain levels may contribute to the regulation of sensitivity in Artesunate-induced ferroptosis in ovarian serous carcinoma cells.

Asymmetric bismuth-rhodamines as an activatable fluorogenic photosensitizer.

Bismuth-rhodamine compounds stand out for their unique excitable photosensitizing properties and concomitant fluorescence; however, further knowledge of the structure-property relationship is required to expand the scope of their practical application. With this aim, this study describes the first examples of asymmetric bismuth-incorporated rhodamines, BiRNH and BiRAc, including their synthesis, photophysical properties, and photosensitizing abilities. Upon red light excitation, BiRNH exhibits detectable emission and photosensitizing properties, while the N-acetylated derivative BiRAc shows a hypsochromic shift in the absorption wavelength and attenuation of emission and photosensitizing ability. These significantly different photophysical properties enabled us to design an activatable fluorogenic photosensitizer, BiRGlu, which bears a γ-glutamyl group instead of the acetyl group in BiRAc. The γ-glutamyl group can be cleaved by γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) to produce BiRNH, which acts as a red-light-excitable fluorophore and photosensitizer. A cell study revealed that the phototoxicity and fluorescence of BiRGlu could be simultaneously and selectively activated in the cells with high GGT activity. Thus, we established that BiRNH could be envisaged as a versatile scaffold for activatable fluorogenic photosensitizers.

Zinc excess increases cellular demand for iron and decreases tolerance to copper in Escherichia coli.

Transition metals serve as an important class of micronutrients that are indispensable for bacterial physiology but are cytotoxic when they are in excess. Bacteria have developed exquisite homeostatic systems to control the uptake, storage, and efflux of each of biological metals and maintain a thermodynamically balanced metal quota. However, whether the pathways that control the homeostasis of different biological metals cross-talk and render cross-resistance or sensitivity in the host-pathogen interface remains largely unknown. Here, we report that zinc (Zn) excess perturbs iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) homeostasis in Escherichia coli, resulting in increased Fe and decreased Cu levels in the cell. Gene expression analysis revealed that Zn excess transiently up-regulates Fe-uptake genes and down-regulates Fe-storage genes and thereby increases the cellular Fe quota. In vitro and in vivo protein-DNA binding assays revealed that the elevated intracellular Fe poisons the primary Cu detoxification transcription regulator CueR, resulting in dysregulation of its target genes copA and cueO and activation of the secondary Cu detoxification system CusSR-cusCFBA Supplementation with the Fe chelator 2,2'-dipyridyl (DIP) or with the reducing agent GSH abolished the induction of cusCFBA during Zn excess. Consistent with the importance of this metal homeostatic network in cell physiology, combined metal treatment, including simultaneously overloading cells with both Zn (0.25 mm) and Cu (0.25 mm) and sequestering Fe with DIP (50 µm), substantially inhibited E. coli growth. These results advance our understanding of bacterial metallobiology and may inform the development of metal-based antimicrobial regimens to manage infectious diseases.

Iron accumulation causes impaired myogenesis correlated with MAPK signaling pathway inhibition by oxidative stress.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is caused by disruption in the homeostatic balance of muscle degeneration and regeneration under various pathophysiological conditions. We have previously reported that iron accumulation induces skeletal muscle atrophy via a ubiquitin ligase-dependent pathway. However, the potential effect of iron accumulation on muscle regeneration remains unclear. To examine the effect of iron accumulation on myogenesis, we used a mouse model with cardiotoxin (CTX)-induced muscle regeneration in vivo and C2C12 mouse myoblast cells in vitro. In mice with iron overload, the skeletal muscles exhibited increased oxidative stress and decreased expression of satellite cell markers. Following CTX-induced muscle injury, these mice also displayed delayed muscle regeneration with a decrease in the size of regenerating myofibers, reduced expression of myoblast differentiation markers, and decreased phosphorylation of MAPK signaling pathways. In vitro, iron overload also suppressed the differentiation of C2C12 myoblast cells but the suppression could be reversed by superoxide scavenging using tempol. Excess iron inhibits myogenesis via oxidative stress, leading to an imbalance in skeletal muscle homeostasis.-Ikeda, Y., Satoh, A., Horinouchi, Y., Hamano, H., Watanabe, H., Imao, M., Imanishi, M., Zamami, Y., Takechi, K., Izawa-Ishizawa, Y., Miyamoto, L., Hirayama, T., Nagasawa, H., Ishizawa, K., Aihara, K.-I., Tsuchiya, K., Tamaki, T. Iron accumulation causes impaired myogenesis correlated with MAPK signaling pathway inhibition by oxidative stress.

A 19F-MRI probe for the detection of Fe(ii) ions in an aqueous system.

Iron deposits are often observed in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. This study outlines the development of F-Nox-1 as the first example of a 19F-MRI probe that can selectively detect Fe(ii) in aqueous solutions. The use of tetrafluoro-p-phenylenediamine (TFPDA) as a 19F signal emitter with an Fe(ii)-selective chemical switch, based on our previously reported N-oxide chemistry, yielded a readout of a symmetry-dependent 19F signal change in response to Fe(ii). The addition of Fe(ii) ions to F-Nox-1 triggered a 19F signal change, both in the chemical shift and signal intensity, and the response was highly selective to Fe(ii) over other biologically relevant metal ions. The probe could also detect Fe(ii) in serum containing various biological contaminants by 19F magnetic resonance imaging (19F-MRI). Imaging of soluble Fe(ii) species, which is the major component of water-soluble iron species, by 19F-MRI will potentially enable the direct monitoring of the elevation of Fe(ii) levels prior to the formation of iron deposits, which is a potential risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases.

Hypoxia-induced disruption of neural vascular barrier is mediated by the intracellular induction of Fe(II) ion.

Neural vascular barrier maintains the optimal tissue microenvironment of central nervous system in which neural cells can function normally. In various neural diseases, the decrease in oxygen concentration, hypoxia, of affected tissues is known to accelerate the disease progression through disruption of neural vascular barrier. Therefore, the clarification of mechanisms underlying hypoxia-induced disruption of neural vascular barrier would definitely lead to the establishment of new effective therapies for intractable neural diseases. In the present study, we first found that hypoxia disrupts neural vascular barrier through pathways independent of HIF-1α and HIF-2α. Then, with a specific fluorescence probe for ferrous, Fe(II) ion, we have obtained the interesting data showing that hypoxia increased the intracellular level of Fe(II) ion in endothelial cells of our in vitro model for neural vascular barrier, and that hypoxia-induced disruption of neural vascular barrier could be inhibited by chelating Fe(II) ion in endothelial cells. Furthermore, in the presence of a reducing reagent for reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypoxia could not disrupt the neural vascular barrier despite that the hypoxic increase in intracellular level of Fe(II) ion was confirmed in endothelial cells. These results indicate that hypoxia-triggered increase in the level of intracellular Fe(II) ion and subsequent production of ROS, probably through Fenton reaction, are the essential pathway mediating the disruption of neural vascular barrier under hypoxia.

Non-thermal plasma specifically kills oral squamous cell carcinoma cells in a catalytic Fe(II)-dependent manner.

Oral cancer accounts for ~2% of all cancers worldwide, and therapeutic intervention is closely associated with quality of life. Here, we evaluated the effects of non-thermal plasma on oral squamous cell carcinoma cells with special reference to catalytic Fe(II). Non-thermal plasma exerted a specific killing effect on oral squamous cell carcinoma cells in comparison to fibroblasts. Furthermore, the effect was dependent on the amounts of catalytic Fe(II), present especially in lysosomes. After non-thermal plasma application, lipid peroxidation occurred and peroxides and mitochondrial superoxide were generated. Cancer cell death by non-thermal plasma was promoted dose-dependently by prior application of ferric ammonium citrate and prevented by desferrioxamine, suggesting the association of ferroptosis. Potential involvement of apoptosis was also observed with positive terminal deoxynucleaotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and annexin V results. Non-thermal plasma exposure significantly suppressed the migratory, invasive and colony-forming abilities of squamous cell carcinoma cells. The oral cavity is easily observable; therefore, non-thermal plasma can be directly applied to the oral cavity to kill oral squamous cell carcinoma without damaging fibroblasts. In conclusion, non-thermal plasma treatment is a potential therapeutic option for oral cancer.

Iron-chelating agents attenuate NMDA-Induced neuronal injury via reduction of oxidative stress in the rat retina.

Excitoneurotoxicity is regarded as one of the mechanisms of the death of retinal ganglion cells induced by retinal central artery occlusion and glaucoma. Oxidative stress is at least in part involved in excitoneurotoxicity. Fenton reaction, which is catalyzed by Fe2+, is known to cause formation of hydroxyl radical, one of reactive oxygen species, suggesting that chelation of iron may be protective against excitoneurotoxicity. In the present study, we histologically evaluated whether zinc-deferoxamine (Zn-DFO) and deferasirox (DFX), common iron-chelating agents, were protective against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced retinal injury in the rat in vivo. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to intravitreal NMDA injection (200 nmol/eye). Zn-DFO (1, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg), Zn (0.1, 0.2 and 0.6 mg/kg) and DFX (20 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally administered. Morphometric evaluations using paraffin-embedded retinal sections, and detection of Fe2+ using SiRhoNox-1, a fluorescent probe of labile Fe2+ in the retinal frozen sections were carried out. Intravitreal NMDA resulted in strong positive signals of SiRhoNox-1 in the ganglion cell layer 24 h after NMDA injection, suggesting that intravitreal NMDA caused Fe2+ accumulation in the retinal ganglion cells. Intravitreal NMDA induced retinal ganglion cell loss 7 days after NMDA injection. Zn-DFO (1, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg), ZnCl2 (0.2 mg/kg, a corresponding dose of 1 mg/kg Zn-DFO) and DFX (20 mg/kg) prevented the damage of retinal ganglion cells, whereas 0.6 mg/kg ZnCl2, which is a corresponding dose of 3 mg/kg Zn-DFO, did not show any protective effects. Zn-DFO (30 mg/kg) significantly decreased the intensity of the fluorescence of SiRhoNox-1 and the transferrin immunofluorescence 24 h after NMDA injection, the number of TUNEL-positive cells 24 h after NMDA injection, that of 8-OHdG-positive cells, and that of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-positive cells 12 and 24 h after NMDA injection. These data suggest that iron-chelating agents protected retinal neurons against excitoneurotoxicity via reduction of iron content and oxidative stress in the rats in vivo. We proposed that treatment with iron-chelating agents would be a new strategy for the retinal diseases caused by excitoneurotoxicity.

Iron suppresses erythropoietin expression via oxidative stress-dependent hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha inactivation.

Renal anemia is a major complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Iron supplementation, as well as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, are widely used for treatment of renal anemia. However, excess iron causes oxidative stress via the Fenton reaction, and iron supplementation might damage remnant renal function including erythropoietin (EPO) production in CKD. EPO gene expression was suppressed in mice following direct iron treatment. Hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α), a positive regulator of the EPO gene, was also diminished in the kidney of mice following iron treatment. Anemia-induced increase in renal EPO and HIF-2α expression was inhibited by iron treatment. In in vitro experiments using EPO-producing HepG2 cells, iron stimulation reduced the expression of the EPO gene, as well as HIF-2α. Moreover, iron treatment augmented oxidative stress, and iron-induced reduction of EPO and HIF-2α expression was restored by tempol, an antioxidant compound. HIF-2α interaction with the Epo promoter was inhibited by iron treatment, and was restored by tempol. These findings suggested that iron supplementation reduced EPO gene expression via an oxidative stress-HIF-2α-dependent signaling pathway.

Iron regulatory protein 2 in ovarian endometrial cysts.

Ovarian endometrial cysts cause some kinds of ovarian cancer, and iron is considered as one factor of carcinogenesis. In contrast, hypoxia is associated with progression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and resistance to therapy in cancer. We investigated hypoxia-induced perturbation of iron homeostasis in terms of labile iron, iron deposition, and iron regulatory protein (IRP) in ovarian endometrial cysts. Iron deposition, expression of IRPs, and a protein marker of hypoxia in human ovarian endometrial cysts were analyzed histologically. The concentration of free iron and the pO2 level of the cyst fluid of human ovarian cysts (n = 9) were measured. The expression of IRP2 under hypoxia was investigated in vitro by using Ishikawa cells as a model of endometrial cells. Iron deposition and the expression of IRP2 and Carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) were strong in endometrial stromal cells in the human ovarian endometrial cysts. The average concentration of free iron in the cyst fluid was 8.1 ± 2.9 mg/L, and the pO2 was 22.4 ± 5.2 mmHg. A cell-based study using Ishikawa cells revealed that IRP2 expression was decreased by an overload of Fe(II) under normoxia but remained unchanged under hypoxia even in the presence of excess Fe(II). An increase in the expression of IRP2 caused upregulation of intracellular iron as a result of the response to iron deficiency, whereas the protein was degraded under iron-rich conditions. We found that iron-rich regions existed in ovarian endometrial cysts concomitantly with the high level of IRP2 expression, which should generally be decomposed upon an overload of iron. We revealed that an insufficient level of oxygen in the cysts is the main factor for the unusual stabilization of IRP2 against iron-mediated degradation, which provides aberrant uptake of iron in ovarian endometrial stromal cells and can potentially lead to carcinogenesis.

Chemical tools for detecting Fe ions.

Owing to its distinctive electrochemical properties with interconvertible multiple oxidation states, iron plays a significant role in various physiologically important functions such as respiration, oxygen transport, energy production, and enzymatic reactions. This redox activity can also potentially produce cellular damage and death, and numerous diseases are related to iron overload resulting from the dysfunction of the iron regulatory system. In this case, "free iron" or "labile iron," which refers to iron ion weakly bound or not bound to proteins, causes aberrant production of reactive oxygen species. With the aim of elucidating the variation of labile iron involved in pathological processes, some chemical tools that can qualitatively and/or quantitatively monitor iron have been utilized to investigate the distribution, accumulation, and flux of biological iron species. Since iron ions show unique reactivity depending on its redox state, i.e., Fe2+ or Fe3+ (or transiently higher oxidative states), methods for the separate detection of iron species with different redox states are preferred to understand its physiological and pathological roles more in detail. The scope of this review article covers from classical chromogenic to newly emerging chemical tools for the detection of Fe ions. In particular, chemical tools applicable to biological studies will be presented.

Role of catalytic iron and oxidative stress in nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia and its amelioration by Saireito (TJ-114).

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening neonatal disease that leads to lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. We recently found that maternal prenatal administration of Saireito (TJ-114) ameliorates fetal CDH in a nitrofen-induced rat model. Here, we studied the role of iron and oxidative stress in neonates of this model and in lung fibroblasts IMR90-SV in association with nitrofen and Saireito. We observed increased immunostaining of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in the lungs of neonates with CDH, which was ameliorated by maternal Saireito intake. Pulmonary transferrin receptor expression was significantly decreased in both CDH and CDH after Saireito in comparison to normal controls, indicating functional lung immaturity, whereas catalytic Fe(II) and pulmonary DMT1/ferroportin expression remained constant among the three groups. Saireito revealed a dose-dependent scavenging capacity with electron spin resonance spin trapping in vitro against hydroxyl radicals but not against superoxide. Finally, nitrofen revealed dose-dependent cytotoxicity to IMR90-SV cells, accompanied by an increase in oxidative stress, as seen by 5(6)-chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and catalytic Fe(II). Saireito ameliorated all of these in IMR90-SV cells. In conclusion, catalytic Fe(II)-dependent oxidative stress by nitrofen may be the pathogenic cause of CDH, and the antioxidative activity of Saireito is at least partially responsible for improving nitrofen-induced CDH.

Role of hemoglobin and transferrin in multi-wall carbon nanotube-induced mesothelial injury and carcinogenesis.

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are a form of flexible fibrous nanomaterial with high electrical and thermal conductivity. However, 50-nm MWCNT in diameter causes malignant mesothelioma (MM) in rodents and, thus, the International Agency of Research on Cancer has designated them as a possible human carcinogen. Little is known about the molecular mechanism through which MWCNT causes MM. To elucidate the carcinogenic mechanisms of MWCNT in mesothelial cells, we used a variety of lysates to comprehensively identify proteins specifically adsorbed on pristine MWCNT of different diameters (50 nm, NT50; 100 nm, NT100; 150 nm, NT150; and 15 nm/tangled, NTtngl) using mass spectrometry. We identified >400 proteins, which included hemoglobin, histone, transferrin and various proteins associated with oxidative stress, among which we selected hemoglobin and transferrin for coating MWCNT to further evaluate cytotoxicity, wound healing, intracellular catalytic ferrous iron and oxidative stress in rat peritoneal mesothelial cells (RPMC). Cytotoxicity to RPMC was observed with pristine NT50 but not with NTtngl. Coating NT50 with hemoglobin or transferrin significantly aggravated cytotoxicity to RPMC, with an increase in cellular catalytic ferrous iron and DNA damage also observed. Knockdown of transferrin receptor with ferristatin II decreased not only NT50 uptake but also cellular catalytic ferrous iron. Our results suggest that adsorption of hemoglobin and transferrin on the surface of NT50 play a role in causing mesothelial iron overload, contributing to oxidative damage and possibly subsequent carcinogenesis in mesothelial cells. Uptake of NT50 at least partially depends on transferrin receptor 1. Modifications of NT50 surface may decrease this human risk.

Contrasting intra- and extracellular distribution of catalytic ferrous iron in ovalbumin-induced peritonitis.

Iron is an essential nutrient for every type of life on earth. However, excess iron is cytotoxic and can lead to an increased cancer risk in humans. Catalytic ferrous iron [Fe(II)] is an initiator of the Fenton reaction, which causes oxidative stress by generating hydroxyl radicals. Recently, it became possible to localize catalytic Fe(II) in situ with a turn-on fluorescent probe, RhoNox-1. Here, we screened each organ/cell of rats to globally evaluate the distribution of catalytic Fe(II) and found that eosinophils showed the highest abundance. In various cells, lysosomes were the major organelle, sharing ∼40-80% of RhoNox-1 fluorescence. We then used an ovalbumin-induced allergic peritonitis model to study the dynamics of catalytic Fe(II). Peritoneal lavage revealed that the total iron contents per cell were significantly decreased, whereas an increase in the number of inflammatory cells (macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes) resulted in an increased total iron content of the peritoneal inflammatory cells. Notably, macrophages, eosinophils and neutrophils exhibited significantly increased catalytic Fe(II) with increased DMT1 expression and decreased ferritin expression, though catalytic Fe(II) was significantly decreased in the peritoneal lavage fluid. In conclusion, catalytic Fe(II) in situ more directly reflects cellular activity and the accompanying pathology than total iron does.

Solution-phase synthesis and biological evaluation of triostin A and its analogues.

Triostin A is a biosynthetic precursor of echinomycin which is one of the most potent hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) inhibitors. An improved solution-phase synthesis of triostin A on a preparative scale has been achieved in 17.5% total yield in 13 steps. New analogues of triostin A with various aromatic chromophores, oxidized intra-peptide disulfide bridges and diastereoisomeric cyclic depsipeptide cores were also successfully synthesized. All analogues had a significant inhibitory effect on HIF-1 transcriptional activation in hypoxia and cytotoxicity on MCF-7 cells, with the exception of the derivatives containing a naphthalene chromophore or a thiosulfonate bridge. For the first time, triostin A, echinomycin and the thiosulfinate analogue of triostin A have been revealed to inhibit not only DNA binding of HIF-1 but also HIF-1α protein accumulation in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the thiosulfinate analogue and triostin A exhibited a hypoxia-selective cytotoxicity on MCF-7 cells. The improved solution-phase synthetic procedure described herein will contribute to the development of diverse bicyclic depsipeptide drug candidates with the potential to act as novel anti-cancer agents targeting hypoxic tumor microenvironments.

Near-infrared fluorescent sensor for in vivo copper imaging in a murine Wilson disease model.

Copper is an essential metal nutrient that is tightly regulated in the body because loss of its homeostasis is connected to severe diseases such as Menkes and Wilson diseases, Alzheimer's disease, prion disorders, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The complex relationships between copper status and various stages of health and disease remain challenging to elucidate, in part due to a lack of methods for monitoring dynamic changes in copper pools in whole living organisms. Here we present the synthesis, spectroscopy, and in vivo imaging applications of Coppersensor 790, a first-generation fluorescent sensor for visualizing labile copper pools in living animals. Coppersensor 790 combines a near-infrared emitting cyanine dye with a sulfur-rich receptor to provide a selective and sensitive turn-on response to copper. This probe is capable of monitoring fluctuations in exchangeable copper stores in living cells and mice under basal conditions, as well as in situations of copper overload or deficiency. Moreover, we demonstrate the utility of this unique chemical tool to detect aberrant increases in labile copper levels in a murine model of Wilson disease, a genetic disorder that is characterized by accumulation of excess copper. The ability to monitor real-time copper fluxes in living animals offers potentially rich opportunities to examine copper physiology in health and disease.