Distinct subpopulations of FOXD1 stroma-derived cells regulate renal erythropoietin.

Renal peritubular interstitial fibroblast-like cells are critical for adult erythropoiesis, as they are the main source of erythropoietin (EPO). Hypoxia-inducible factor 2 (HIF-2) controls EPO synthesis in the kidney and liver and is regulated by prolyl-4-hydroxylase domain (PHD) dioxygenases PHD1, PHD2, and PHD3, which function as cellular oxygen sensors. Renal interstitial cells with EPO-producing capacity are poorly characterized, and the role of the PHD/HIF-2 axis in renal EPO-producing cell (REPC) plasticity is unclear. Here we targeted the PHD/HIF-2/EPO axis in FOXD1 stroma-derived renal interstitial cells and examined the role of individual PHDs in REPC pool size regulation and renal EPO output. Renal interstitial cells with EPO-producing capacity were entirely derived from FOXD1-expressing stroma, and Phd2 inactivation alone induced renal Epo in a limited number of renal interstitial cells. EPO induction was submaximal, as hypoxia or pharmacologic PHD inhibition further increased the REPC fraction among Phd2-/- renal interstitial cells. Moreover, Phd1 and Phd3 were differentially expressed in renal interstitium, and heterozygous deficiency for Phd1 and Phd3 increased REPC numbers in Phd2-/- mice. We propose that FOXD1 lineage renal interstitial cells consist of distinct subpopulations that differ in their responsiveness to Phd2 inactivation and thus regulation of HIF-2 activity and EPO production under hypoxia or conditions of pharmacologic or genetic PHD inactivation.

Renal epithelium regulates erythropoiesis via HIF-dependent suppression of erythropoietin.

The adult kidney plays a central role in erythropoiesis and is the main source of erythropoietin (EPO), an oxygen-sensitive glycoprotein that is essential for red blood cell production. Decreases of renal pO2 promote hypoxia-inducible factor 2-mediated (HIF-2-mediated) induction of EPO in peritubular interstitial fibroblast-like cells, which serve as the cellular site of EPO synthesis in the kidney. It is not clear whether HIF signaling in other renal cell types also contributes to the regulation of EPO production. Here, we used a genetic approach in mice to investigate the role of renal epithelial HIF in erythropoiesis. Specifically, we found that HIF activation in the proximal nephron via induced inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor, which targets the HIF-α subunit for proteasomal degradation, led to rapid development of hypoproliferative anemia that was associated with a reduction in the number of EPO-producing renal interstitial cells. Moreover, suppression of renal EPO production was associated with increased glucose uptake, enhanced glycolysis, reduced mitochondrial mass, diminished O2 consumption, and elevated renal tissue pO2. Our genetic analysis suggests that tubulointerstitial cellular crosstalk modulates renal EPO production under conditions of epithelial HIF activation in the kidney.

Hypoxia-inducible factor regulates hepcidin via erythropoietin-induced erythropoiesis.

Iron demand in bone marrow increases when erythropoiesis is stimulated by hypoxia via increased erythropoietin (EPO) synthesis in kidney and liver. Hepcidin, a small polypeptide produced by hepatocytes, plays a central role in regulating iron uptake by promoting internalization and degradation of ferroportin, the only known cellular iron exporter. Hypoxia suppresses hepcidin, thereby enhancing intestinal iron uptake and release from internal stores. While HIF, a central mediator of cellular adaptation to hypoxia, directly regulates renal and hepatic EPO synthesis under hypoxia, the molecular basis of hypoxia/HIF-mediated hepcidin suppression in the liver remains unclear. Here, we used a genetic approach to disengage HIF activation from EPO synthesis and found that HIF-mediated suppression of the hepcidin gene (Hamp1) required EPO induction. EPO induction was associated with increased erythropoietic activity and elevated serum levels of growth differentiation factor 15. When erythropoiesis was inhibited pharmacologically, Hamp1 was no longer suppressed despite profound elevations in serum EPO, indicating that EPO by itself is not directly involved in Hamp1 regulation. Taken together, we provide in vivo evidence that Hamp1 suppression by the HIF pathway occurs indirectly through stimulation of EPO-induced erythropoiesis.

Myeloid cell-derived hypoxia-inducible factor attenuates inflammation in unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced kidney injury.

Renal fibrosis and inflammation are associated with hypoxia, and tissue pO(2) plays a central role in modulating the progression of chronic kidney disease. Key mediators of cellular adaptation to hypoxia are hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 and -2. In the kidney, they are expressed in a cell type-specific manner; to what degree activation of each homolog modulates renal fibrogenesis and inflammation has not been established. To address this issue, we used Cre-loxP recombination to activate or to delete both Hif-1 and Hif-2 either globally or cell type specifically in myeloid cells. Global activation of Hif suppressed inflammation and fibrogenesis in mice subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction, whereas activation of Hif in myeloid cells suppressed inflammation only. Suppression of inflammatory cell infiltration was associated with downregulation of CC chemokine receptors in renal macrophages. Conversely, global deletion or myeloid-specific inactivation of Hif promoted inflammation. Furthermore, prolonged hypoxia suppressed the expression of multiple inflammatory molecules in noninjured kidneys. Collectively, we provide experimental evidence that hypoxia and/or myeloid cell-specific HIF activation attenuates renal inflammation associated with chronic kidney injury.

Hepatic HIF-2 regulates erythropoietic responses to hypoxia in renal anemia.

The kidney is the main physiologic source of erythropoietin (EPO) in the adult and responds to decreases in tissue oxygenation with increased EPO production. Although studies in mice with liver-specific or global gene inactivation have shown that hypoxia-inducible factor 2 (Hif-2) plays a major role in the regulation of Epo during infancy and in the adult, respectively, the contribution of renal HIF-2 signaling to systemic EPO homeostasis and the role of extrarenal HIF-2 in erythropoiesis, in the absence of kidney EPO, have not been examined directly. Here, we used Cre-loxP recombination to ablate Hif-2α in the kidney, whereas Hif-2-mediated hypoxia responses in the liver and other Epo-producing tissues remained intact. We found that the hypoxic induction of renal Epo is completely Hif-2 dependent and that, in the absence of renal Hif-2, hepatic Hif-2 takes over as the main regulator of serum Epo levels. Furthermore, we provide evidence that hepatocyte-derived Hif-2 is involved in the regulation of iron metabolism genes, supporting a role for HIF-2 in the coordination of EPO synthesis with iron homeostasis.

Nek2 targets the mitotic checkpoint proteins Mad2 and Cdc20: a mechanism for aneuploidy in cancer.

In mitosis, the duplicated chromosomes are separated and equally distributed to progeny cells under the guidance of the spindle, a dynamic microtubule network. Previous studies revealed a mitotic checkpoint that prevents segregation of the chromosomes until all of the chromosomes are properly attached to microtubules through the kinetochores. A variety of kinetochore-localized proteins, including Mad2 and Cdc20, have been implicated in controlling the mitotic checkpoint. Here we report that both Mad2 and Cdc20 can physically associate with Nek2, a serine/threonine kinase implicated in centrosome functions. We show that, similar to Nek2, the endogenous Cdc20 protein can be detected in the centrosome and the spindle poles. Both Cdc20 and Mad2 can be phosphorylated by Nek2. Moreover, our studies demonstrate that overexpression of Nek2 enhances the ability of Mad2 to induce a delay in mitosis. These observations indicate that Nek2 may act upon the Mad2-Cdc20 protein complex and play a critical role in regulating the mitotic checkpoint protein complex. We propose that overexpression of Nek2 may promote aneuploidy by disrupting the control of the mitotic checkpoint.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 2 regulates hepatic lipid metabolism.

In mammals, the liver integrates nutrient uptake and delivery of carbohydrates and lipids to peripheral tissues to control overall energy balance. Hepatocytes maintain metabolic homeostasis by coordinating gene expression programs in response to dietary and systemic signals. Hepatic tissue oxygenation is an important systemic signal that contributes to normal hepatocyte function as well as disease. Hypoxia-inducible factors 1 and 2 (HIF-1 and HIF-2, respectively) are oxygen-sensitive heterodimeric transcription factors, which act as key mediators of cellular adaptation to low oxygen. Previously, we have shown that HIF-2 plays an important role in both physiologic and pathophysiologic processes in the liver. HIF-2 is essential for normal fetal EPO production and erythropoiesis, while constitutive HIF-2 activity in the adult results in polycythemia and vascular tumorigenesis. Here we report a novel role for HIF-2 in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism. We found that constitutive activation of HIF-2 in the adult results in the development of severe hepatic steatosis associated with impaired fatty acid beta-oxidation, decreased lipogenic gene expression, and increased lipid storage capacity. These findings demonstrate that HIF-2 functions as an important regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and identify HIF-2 as a potential target for the treatment of fatty liver disease.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-2 (HIF-2) regulates hepatic erythropoietin in vivo.

Erythropoiesis is critically dependent on erythropoietin (EPO), a glycoprotein hormone that is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Hepatocytes are the primary source of extrarenal EPO in the adult and express HIF-1 and HIF-2, whose roles in the hypoxic induction of EPO remain controversial. In order to define the role of HIF-1 and HIF-2 in the regulation of hepatic EPO expression, we have generated mice with conditional inactivation of Hif-1alpha and/or Hif-2alpha (Epas1) in hepatocytes. We have previously shown that inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor pVHL, which targets both HIFs for proteasomal degradation, results in increased hepatic Epo production and polycythemia independent of Hif-1alpha. Here we show that conditional inactivation of Hif-2alpha in pVHL-deficient mice suppressed hepatic Epo and the development of polycythemia. Furthermore, we found that physiological Epo expression in infant livers required Hif-2alpha but not Hif-1alpha and that the hypoxic induction of liver Epo in anemic adults was Hif-2alpha dependent. Since other Hif target genes such phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (Pgk) were Hif-1alpha dependent, we provide genetic evidence that HIF-1 and HIF-2 have distinct roles in the regulation of hypoxia-inducible genes and that EPO is preferentially regulated by HIF-2 in the liver.

Characterization of Su48, a centrosome protein essential for cell division.

The centrosome functions as the major microtubule-organizing center and plays a vital role in guiding chromosome segregation during mitosis. Centrosome abnormalities are frequently seen in a variety of cancers, suggesting that dysfunction of this organelle may contribute to malignant transformation. In our efforts to identify the protein components of the centrosome and to understand the structure features involved in the assembly and functions of this organelle, we cloned and characterized a centrosome-associated protein called Su48. We found that a coiled coil-containing subdomain of Su48 was both sufficient and required for its centrosome localization. In addition, this structure also modulates Su48 dimerization. Moreover, ectopic expression of Su48 causes abnormal mitosis, and a mutant form of Su48 disrupts the localization of gamma-tubulin to the centrosome. Finally, by microinjection of an anti-Su48 antibody, we found that disruption of normal Su48 functions leads to mitotic failure, possibly due to centrosome defects or incomplete cytokinesis. Thus, Su48 represents a previously unrecognized centrosome protein that is essential for cell division. We speculate that Su48 abnormalities may cause aberrant chromosome segregation and may contribute to aneuploidy and malignant transformation.

UXT is a novel centrosomal protein essential for cell viability.

Ubiquitously expressed transcript (UXT) is a prefoldinlike protein that has been suggested to be involved in human tumorigenesis. Here, we have found that UXT is overexpressed in a number of human tumor tissues but not in the matching normal tissues. We demonstrate that UXT is located in human centrosomes and is associated with gamma-tubulin. In addition, overexpression of UXT disrupts centrosome structure. Furthermore, abrogation of UXT protein expression by small interfering RNA knockdown leads to cell death. Together, our findings suggest that UXT is a component of centrosome and is essential for cell viability. We propose that UXT may facilitate transformation by corrupting regulated centrosome functions.

The centrosome in normal and transformed cells.

The centrosome is a unique organelle that functions as the microtubule organizing center in most animal cells. During cell division, the centrosomes form the poles of the bipolar mitotic spindle. In addition, the centrosomes are also needed for cytokinesis. Each mammalian somatic cell typically contains one centrosome, which is duplicated in coordination with DNA replication. Just like the chromosomes, the centrosome is precisely reproduced once and only once during each cell cycle. However, it remains a mystery how this protein-based structure undergoes accurate duplication in a semiconservative manner. Intriguingly, amplification of the centrosome has been found in numerous forms of cancers. Cells with multiple centrosomes tend to form multipolar spindles, which result in abnormal chromosome segregation during mitosis. It has therefore been postulated that centrosome aberration may compromise the fidelity of cell division and cause chromosome instability. Here we review the current understanding of how the centrosome is assembled and duplicated. We also discuss the possible mechanisms by which centrosome abnormality contributes to the development of malignant phenotype.

Disabling receptor ensembles with rationally designed interface peptidomimetics.

Members of the erbB family receptor tyrosine kinases (erbB1, erbB2, erbB3, and erbB4) are overexpressed in a variety of human cancers and represent important targets for the structure-based drug design. Homo- and heterodimerization (oligomerization) of the erbB receptors are known to be critical events for receptor signaling. To block receptor self-associations, we have designed a series of peptides derived from potential dimerization surfaces in the extracellular subdomain IV of the erbB receptors (erbB peptides). In surface plasmon resonance (BIAcore) studies, the designed peptides have been shown to selectively bind to the erbB receptor ectodomains and isolated subdomain IV of erbB2 with submicromolar affinities and to inhibit heregulin-induced interactions of erbB3 with different erbB receptors. A dose-dependent inhibition of native erbB receptor dimerization by the erbB peptides has been observed in 32D cell lines transfected with different combinations of erbB receptors. The peptides effectively inhibited growth of two types of transformed cells overexpressing different erbB receptors, T6-17 and 32D, in standard MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and cell viability assays. The study identifies distinct loops within the membrane-proximal part of the subdomain IV as potential receptor-receptor interaction sites for the erbB receptors and demonstrates the possibility of disabling receptor activity by structure-based targeting of the dimerization interfaces. Molecular models for possible arrangement of the erbB1.EGF complex, consistent with the involvement of subdomain IV in inter-receptor interactions, are proposed. Small dimerization inhibitors described herein can be useful as probes to elucidate different erbB signaling pathways and may be developed as therapeutic agents.

Purification and Characterization of a Platelet Agglutinating Inhibiting Protein (Agkisacutacin) from Agkistrodon acutus Venom.

A platelet agglutinating inhibiting protein (agkisacutacin) was isolated from the venom of Agkistrodon acutus by DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow and size exclusion chromatography. The purified product was a 29 kD protein composed of two disulfide bond-linked polypeptide chains of molecular weight of 14 kD, 15 kD, respectively. It completely inhibited ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination with an IC(50) value of 18.5 mg/L. It also inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation with an IC(50) value of 1.22 g/L, but it did not affect the platelet aggregation induced by collagen and ADP. No fibrinolytic activity, phospholipase A(2) activity, anticoagulant activity, haemorrhagic activity or lethal activity were detected in agkisacutacin. Therefore this protein may offer considerable therapeutic potential in treatment of platelet-rich thrombosis.

Molecular Cloning and Sequence Analysis of cDNA Encoding Acutolysin C, a Hemorrhagic Metalloproteinase, from Agkistrodon acutus.

A full-length cDNA of 1 650 bp was amplified from the snake venom gland cDNA library of Agkistrodon acutus. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence indicated that the amplified cDNA contained a complete open reading frame encoding 417 amino acid residues including signal peptide sequence, zymogen sequence and proteinase domain. The zymogen sequence contained CGVT motif that was highly conserved in almost all venom metalloproteinases. The metalloproteinase domain contained a conserved signature zinc-binding motif HEXXHXXGXXH in the catalytic region and the CIM turn. It shares high similarity with the sequence of acutolysin C deduced from crystallographic data, and with other class P-I snake venom hemorrhagic toxins.