Regulation of CD38 expression in human airway smooth muscle cells: role of class I phosphatidylinositol 3 kinases.

The ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity of CD38 generates cyclic ADP-ribose, a Ca(2+)-mobilizing agent. In human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells, TNF-α mediates CD38 expression through mitogen-activated protein kinases and NF-κB and AP-1. The phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway is involved in TNF-α signaling and contributes to airway hyperresponsiveness and airway remodeling. We hypothesized that PI3Ks mediate CD38 expression and are involved in the differential induction of CD38 by TNF-α in asthmatic HASM cells. HASM cells were treated with pan-PI3K inhibitors (LY294002 or wortmannin) or class I-selective (GDC0941) or isoform-selective PI3K inhibitors (p110α-PIK-75 and p110ß-TGX-221) with or without TNF-α. HASM cells were transfected with a catalytically active form of PI3K or phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) or nontargeting or p110 isoform-targeting siRNAs before TNF-α exposure. CD38 expression and activation of Akt, NF-κB, and AP-1 were determined. LY294002 and wortmannin inhibited TNF-α-induced Akt activation, whereas only LY294002 inhibited CD38 expression. P110 expression caused Akt activation and basal and TNF-α-induced CD38 expression, whereas PTEN expression attenuated Akt activation and CD38 expression. Expression levels of p110 isoforms α, ß, and δ were comparable in nonasthmatic and asthmatic HASM cells. Silencing of p110α or -δ, but not p110ß, resulted in comparable attenuation of TNF-α-induced CD38 expression in asthmatic and nonasthmatic cells. NF-κB and AP-1 activation were unaltered by the PI3K inhibitors. In HASM cells, regulation of CD38 expression occurs by specific class I PI3K isoforms, independent of NF-κB or AP-1 activation, and PI3K signaling may not be involved in the differential elevation of CD38 in asthmatic HASM cells.

Regulation of the cd38 promoter in human airway smooth muscle cells by TNF-alpha and dexamethasone.

BACKGROUND: CD38 is expressed in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells, regulates intracellular calcium, and its expression is augmented by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). CD38 has a role in airway hyperresponsiveness, a hallmark of asthma, since deficient mice develop attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness compared to wild-type mice following intranasal challenges with cytokines such as IL-13 and TNF-alpha. Regulation of CD38 expression in HASM cells involves the transcription factor NF-kappaB, and glucocorticoids inhibit this expression through NF-kappaB-dependent and -independent mechanisms. In this study, we determined whether the transcriptional regulation of CD38 expression in HASM cells involves response elements within the promoter region of this gene. METHODS: We cloned a putative 3 kb promoter fragment of the human cd38 gene into pGL3 basic vector in front of a luciferase reporter gene. Sequence analysis of the putative cd38 promoter region revealed one NF-kappaB and several AP-1 and glucocorticoid response element (GRE) motifs. HASM cells were transfected with the 3 kb promoter, a 1.8 kb truncated promoter that lacks the NF-kappaB and some of the AP-1 sites, or the promoter with mutations of the NF-kappaB and/or AP-1 sites. Using the electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we determined the binding of nuclear proteins to oligonucleotides encoding the putative cd38 NF-kappaB, AP-1, and GRE sites, and the specificity of this binding was confirmed by gel supershift analysis with appropriate antibodies. RESULTS: TNF-alpha induced a two-fold activation of the 3 kb promoter following its transfection into HASM cells. In cells transfected with the 1.8 kb promoter or promoter constructs lacking NF-kappaB and/or AP-1 sites or in the presence of dexamethasone, there was no induction in the presence of TNF-alpha. The binding of nuclear proteins to oligonucleotides encoding the putative cd38 NF-kappaB site and some of the six AP-1 sites was increased by TNF-alpha, and to some of the putative cd38 GREs by dexamethasone. CONCLUSION: The EMSA results and the cd38 promoter-reporter assays confirm the functional role of NF-kappaB, AP-1 and GREs in the cd38 promoter in the transcriptional regulation of CD38.

Toll-like receptor responses to Peste des petits ruminants virus in goats and water buffalo.

Ovine rinderpest or goat plague is an economically important and contagious viral disease of sheep and goats, caused by the Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). Differences in susceptibility to goat plague among different breeds and water buffalo exist. The host innate immune system discriminates between pathogen associated molecular patterns and self antigens through surveillance receptors known as Toll like receptors (TLR). We investigated the role of TLR and cytokines in differential susceptibility of goat breeds and water buffalo to PPRV. We examined the replication of PPRV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of Indian domestic goats and water buffalo and demonstrated that the levels of TLR3 and TLR7 and downstream signalling molecules correlation with susceptibility vs resistance. Naturally susceptible goat breeds, Barbari and Tellichery, had dampened innate immune responses to PPRV and increased viral loads with lower basal expression levels of TLR 3/7. Upon stimulation of PBMC with synthetic TLR3 and TLR7 agonists or PPRV, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines were found to be significantly higher while immunosuppressive interleukin (IL) 10 levels were lower in PPRV resistant Kanni and Salem Black breeds and water buffalo at transcriptional level, correlating with reduced viralloads in infected PBMC. Water buffalo produced higher levels of interferon (IFN) α in comparison with goats at transcriptional and translational levels. Pre-treatment of Vero cells with human IFNα resulted in reduction of PPRV replication, confirming the role of IFNα in limiting PPRV replication. Treatment with IRS66, a TLR7 antagonist, resulted in the reduction of IFNα levels, with increased PPRV replication confirming the role of TLR7. Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of TLR7 of these goat breeds did not show any marked nucleotide differences that might account for susceptibility vs resistance to PPRV. Analyzing other host genetic factors might provide further insights on susceptibility to PPRV and genetic polymorphisms in the host.

Genotypic and pathotypic characterization of Newcastle disease viruses from India.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an avian paramyxovirus that causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry in most parts of the world. The susceptibility of a wide variety of avian species coupled with synanthropic bird reservoirs has contributed to the vast genomic diversity of this virus as well as diagnostic failures. Since the first panzootic in 1926, Newcastle disease (ND) became enzootic in India with recurrent outbreaks in multiple avian species. The genetic characteristics of circulating strains in India, however, are largely unknown. To understand the nature of NDV genotypes in India, we characterized two representative strains isolated 13 years apart from a chicken and a pigeon by complete genome sequence analysis and pathotyping. The viruses were characterized as velogenic by pathogenicity indices devised to distinguish these strains. The genome length was 15,186 nucleotides (nt) and consisted of six non-overlapping genes, with conserved and complementary 3' leader and 5' trailer regions, conserved gene starts, gene stops, and intergenic sequences similar to those in avian paramyxovirus 1 (APMV-1) strains. Matrix gene sequence analysis grouped the pigeon isolate with APMV-1 strains. Phylogeny based on the fusion (F), and hemagglutinin (HN) genes and complete genome sequence grouped these viruses into genotype IV. Genotype IV strains are considered to have "died out" after the first panzootic (1926-1960) of ND. But, our results suggest that there is persistence of genotype IV strains in India.