Macrophage Transcriptional Profile Identifies Lipid Catabolic Pathways That Can Be Therapeutically Targeted after Spinal Cord Injury.

Although infiltrating macrophages influence many pathological processes after spinal cord injury (SCI), the intrinsic molecular mechanisms that regulate their function are poorly understood. A major hurdle has been dissecting macrophage-specific functions from those in other cell types as well as understanding how their functions change over time. Therefore, we used the RiboTag method to obtain macrophage-specific mRNA directly from the injured spinal cord in mice and performed RNA sequencing to investigate their transcriptional profile. Our data show that at 7 d after SCI, macrophages are best described as foam cells, with lipid catabolism representing the main biological process, and canonical nuclear receptor pathways as their potential mediators. Genetic deletion of a lipoprotein receptor, CD36, reduces macrophage lipid content and improves lesion size and locomotor recovery. Therefore, we report the first macrophage-specific transcriptional profile after SCI and highlight the lipid catabolic pathway as an important macrophage function that can be therapeutically targeted after SCI.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The intrinsic molecular mechanisms that regulate macrophage function after spinal cord injury (SCI) are poorly understood. We obtained macrophage-specific mRNA directly from the injured spinal cord and performed RNA sequencing to investigate their transcriptional profile. Our data show that at 7 d after SCI, macrophages are best described as foam cells, with lipid catabolism representing the main biological process and canonical nuclear receptor pathways as their potential mediators. Genetic deletion of a lipoprotein receptor, CD36, reduces macrophage lipid content and improves lesion size and locomotor recovery. Therefore, we report the first macrophage-specific transcriptional profile after SCI and highlight the lipid catabolic pathway as an important macrophage function that can be therapeutically targeted after SCI.

Heterophilic binding of L1 on unmyelinated sensory axons mediates Schwann cell adhesion and is required for axonal survival.

This study investigated the function of the adhesion molecule L1 in unmyelinated fibers of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) by analysis of L1- deficient mice. We demonstrate that L1 is present on axons and Schwann cells of sensory unmyelinated fibers, but only on Schwann cells of sympathetic unmyelinated fibers. In L1-deficient sensory nerves, Schwann cells formed but failed to retain normal axonal ensheathment. L1-deficient mice had reduced sensory function and loss of unmyelinated axons, while sympathetic unmyelinated axons appeared normal. In nerve transplant studies, loss of axonal-L1, but not Schwann cell-L1, reproduced the L1-deficient phenotype. These data establish that heterophilic axonal-L1 interactions mediate adhesion between unmyelinated sensory axons and Schwann cells, stabilize the polarization of Schwann cell surface membranes, and mediate a trophic effect that assures axonal survival.

Human neural cell adhesion molecule L1 and rat homologue NILE are ligands for integrin alpha v beta 3.

Integrin alpha v beta 3 is distinct in its capacity to recognize the sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) in many extra-cellular matrix (ECM) components. Here, we demonstrate that in addition to the recognition of ECM components, alpha v beta 3 can interact with the neural cell adhesion molecule L1-CAM; a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF). M21 melanoma cells displayed significant Ca(++)-dependent adhesion and spreading on immunopurified rat L1 (NILE). This adhesion was found to be dependent on the expression of the alpha v-integrin subunit and could be significantly inhibited by an antibody to the alpha v beta 3 heterodimer. M21 cells also displayed some alpha v beta 3-dependent adhesion and spreading on immunopurified human L1. Ligation between this ligand and alpha v beta 3 was also observed to promote significant haptotactic cell migration. To map the site of alpha v beta 3 ligation we used recombinant L1 fragments comprising the entire extracellular domain of human L1. Significant alpha v beta 3-dependent adhesion and spreading was evident on a L1 fragment containing Ig-like domains 4, 5, and 6. Importantly, mutation of an RGD sequence present in the sixth Ig-like domain of L1 abrogated M21 cell adhesion. We conclude that alpha v beta 3-dependent recognition of human L1 is dependent on ligation of this RGD site. Despite high levels of L1 expression the M21 melanoma cells did not display significant adhesion via a homophilic L1-L1 interaction. These data suggest that M21 melanoma cells recognize and adhere to L1 through a mechanism that is primarily heterophilic and integrin dependent. Finally, we present evidence that melanoma cells can shed and deposit L1 in occluding ECM. In this regard, alpha v beta 3 may recognize L1 in a cell-cell or cell-substrate interaction.

Characterization of yeast clathrin and anticlathrin heavy-chain monoclonal antibodies.

Clathrin-coated vesicles (CVs) were isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using procedures developed by Mueller and Branton [17]. Triskelions were purified from this material by extraction of CVs to release clathrin and by subsequent fractionation on Sepharose CL-4B. Triskelions were composed of approximately 180,000 Mr heavy chains and a single light-chain type of approximately 38,000 Mr and were able to undergo self-assembly into polyhedral cages. Trypsin digestion of such reassembled cages showed a peptide pattern very similar to that obtained for mammalian clathrin with two fragments of 125,000 and 110,000 Mr, which represent the major portion of the heavy-chain arm, and a polypeptide of approximately 43,000 Mr, which is the presumptive terminal domain. Eight monoclonal antibodies reacting with yeast clathrin heavy chains were produced. All eight bind to the major portion of the heavy-chain arm, and none bind to the terminal domain fragment. Peptide digestion experiments also indicated that at least three major regions on the arm are recognized by these antibodies. These will be useful in further structural and functional studies of clathrin from yeast.

Monoclonal antibody 8A2-induced retraction appears to be mediated by protein phosphorylation in goldfish retinal ganglion cell axons.

We have recently demonstrated that binding by monoclonal antibody (mAb) 8A2 to regenerating retinal ganglion cell axons in goldfish explants specifically induces a sustained, actin-based retraction response that is similar in most respects to a spontaneous retraction (S.G. Finnegan, V. Lemmon, and E. Koenig, Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton, 1992). Experiments were conducted to evaluate potential signal transduction pathways that may play a role in mediating retraction, using the mAb 8A2 retraction model system. Potential roles of cAMP, elevated intracellular calcium, or calmodulin-dependent processes were probed and the results did not appear to implicate them in either the induction or the maintenance of the axon retraction response. In contrast, treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, but not with inactive phorbol esters, induced a retraction response, although the response was more variable and less robust than that produced by mAb 8A2. However, both forms of induction were blocked by staurosporine, a nonspecific kinase inhibitor. Okadaic acid, a potent serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitor produced a very robust retraction response, and subthreshold doses significantly potentiated the retraction response induced by mAb 8A2. Genistein inhibited the mAb 8A2-induced retraction response at concentrations selective for tyrosine kinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that an augmented phosphorylation state of one or more axonal proteins, perhaps catalyzed in part by protein kinase C, produces a sustained physiological retraction. In addition, tyrosine kinase may be involved in transducing surface-mediated interactions that trigger retraction, including the binding reaction signal of mAb 8A2.

A potential role for the plasmin(ogen) system in the posttranslational cleavage of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1.

L1 is a neural recognition molecule that promotes neural developmental and regenerative processes. Posttranslational cleavage of L1 is believed to be important for regulating its function in vivo, but little is known of the proteolytic systems responsible. In this study we present evidence that plasmin can regulate both L1 expression and function. The addition of plasmin to cell lines results in a dose-dependent loss of surface L1 expression, with the simultaneous appearance of soluble L1 species. The addition of plasminogen to primary neurons and melanoma cells also resulted in the generation of plasmin and the concomitant release of L1. One product of plasmin-mediated cleavage is an amino-terminal fragment of approximately 140 kDa that has been previously described as a natural posttranslational cleavage product in vivo. This fragment was confirmed to result from cleavage at two sites in the middle of the third fibronectin-like domain of L1. Cleavage at a further site, proximal to the transmembrane domain of L1, was also observed at higher plasmin concentrations. Plasmin was further confirmed to abrogate homophilic L1 interactions required for cellular aggregation. Based on these findings we propose that plasmin is likely to be an important regulator of L1-mediated processes including those documented in the nervous system.