Hsp70 affects memory formation and behaviorally relevant gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster.

Heat shock proteins, in particular Hsp70, play a central role in proteostasis in eukaryotic cells. Due to its chaperone properties, Hsp70 is involved in various processes after stress and under normal physiological conditions. In contrast to mammals and many Diptera species, inducible members of the Hsp70 family in Drosophila are constitutively synthesized at a low level and undergo dramatic induction after temperature elevation or other forms of stress. In the courtship suppression paradigm used in this study, Drosophila males that have been repeatedly rejected by mated females during courtship are less likely than naive males to court other females. Although numerous genes with known function were identified to play important roles in long-term memory, there is, to the best of our knowledge, no direct evidence implicating Hsp70 in this process. To elucidate a possible role of Hsp70 in memory formation, we used D. melanogaster strains containing different hsp70 copy numbers, including strains carrying a deletion of all six hsp70 genes. Our investigations exploring the memory of courtship rejection paradigm demonstrated that a low constitutive level of Hsp70 is apparently required for learning and the formation of short and long-term memories in males. The performed transcriptomic studies demonstrate that males with different hsp70 copy numbers differ significantly in the expression of a few definite groups of genes involved in mating, reproduction, and immunity in response to rejection. Specifically, our analysis reveals several major pathways that depend on the presence of hsp70 in the genome and participate in memory formation and consolidation, including the cAMP signaling cascade.

H2S counteracts proinflammatory effects of LPS through modulation of multiple pathways in human cells.

BACKGROUND: Hydrogen sulfide donors reduce inflammatory signaling in vitro and in vivo. The biological effect mediated by H2S donors depends on the kinetics of the gas release from the donor molecule. However, the molecular mechanisms of H2S-induced immunomodulation were poorly addressed. Here, we studied the effect of two different hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-producing agents on the generation of the LPS-induced inflammatory mediators. Importantly, we investigated the transcriptomic changes that take place in human cells after the LPS challenge, combined with the pretreatment with a slow-releasing H2S donor-GYY4137. METHODS: We investigated the effects of GYY4137 and sodium hydrosulfide on the release of proinflammatory molecules such as ROS, NO and TNF-α from LPS-treated human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma and the THP-1 promonocytic cell lines. Transcriptomic and RT-qPCR studies using THP-1 cells were performed to monitor the effects of the GYY4137 on multiple signaling pathways, including various immune-related and proinflammatory genes after combined action of LPS and GYY4137. RESULTS: The GYY4137 and sodium hydrosulfide differed in the ability to reduce the production of the LPS-evoked proinflammatory mediators. The pre-treatment with GYY4137 resulted in a drastic down-regulation of many TNF-α effectors that are induced by LPS treatment in THP-1 cells. Furthermore, GYY4137 pretreatment of LPS-exposed cells ameliorates the LPS-mediated induction of multiple pro-inflammatory genes and decreases expression of immunoproteasome genes. Besides, in these experiments we detected the up-regulation of several important pathways that are inhibited by LPS. CONCLUSION: Based on the obtained results we believe that our transcriptomic analysis significantly contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective activity of hydrogen sulfide donors, and highlights their potential against LPS challenges and other forms of inflammation.

Changes in the Metabolism of Sphingoid Bases in the Brain and Spinal Cord of Transgenic FUS(1-359) Mice, a Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the content of sphingoid bases - sphingosine (SPH), sphinganine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPH-1-P) - and in expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in their metabolism in the brain structures (hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum) and spinal cord of transgenic FUS(1-359) mice. FUS(1-359) mice are characterized by motor impairments and can be used as a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Lipids from the mouse brain structures and spinal cord after 2, 3, and 4 months of disease development were analyzed by chromatography/mass spectrometry, while changes in the expression of the SPHK1, SPHK2, SGPP2, SGPL1, ASAH1, and ASAH2 genes were assayed using RNA sequencing. The levels of SPH and sphinganine (i.e., sphingoid bases with pronounced pro-apoptotic properties) were dramatically increased in the spinal cord at the terminal stage of the disease. The ratio of the anti-apoptotic SPH-1-P to SPH and sphinganine sharply reduced, indicating massive apoptosis of spinal cord cells. Significant changes in the content of SPH and SPH-1-P and in the expression of genes related to their metabolism were found at the terminal ALS stage in the spinal cord. Expression of the SGPL gene (SPH-1-P lyase) was strongly activated, while expression of the SGPP2 (SPH-1-P phosphatase) gene was reduced. Elucidation of mechanisms for the regulation of sphingolipid metabolism in ALS will help to identify molecular targets for the new-generation drugs.

Amyloid-ß with isomerized Asp7 cytotoxicity is coupled to protein phosphorylation.

Neuronal dysfunction and loss associated with the accumulation of amyloid-ß (Aß) in the form of extracellular amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau in the form of intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles represent key features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid plaques found in the brains of AD patients are predominantly composed of Aß42 and its multiple chemically or structurally modified isoforms. Recently, we demonstrated that Aß42 with isomerised Asp7 (isoAß42) which is one of the most abundant Aß isoform in plaques, exhibited high neurotoxicity in human neuronal cells. Here, we show that, in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, the administration of synthetic isoAß42 rather than intact Aß42 resulted in a significantly higher level of protein phosphorylation, especially the phosphorylation of tau, tubulins, and matrin 3. IsoAß42 induced a drastic reduction of tau protein levels. Our data demonstrate, for the first time, that isoAß42, being to date the only known synthetic Aß species to cause AD-like amyloidogenesis in an animal AD model, induced cell death by disabling structural proteins in a manner characteristic of that observed in the neurons of AD patients. The data emphasize an important role of isoAß42 in AD progression and provide possible neurotoxicity paths for this particular isoform.

[The Effect of Beta-Amyloid Peptides and Main Stress Protein HSP70 on Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Proteome].

The accumulation and aggregation of ß-amyloids are major molecular events underlying the progression of Alzheimer's disease. In neural cells, recombinant HSP70 reduces the toxic effect of Aß and its isomeric forms. Here we describe the proteome of the neuroblastoma cell line after incubation with amyloid peptides Aß42 and isomerized Asp7 (isoAß42) without and with human recombinant heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Incubation of SH-SY5Y cell culture with the synthetic Aß-peptides leads to a decrease in the levels of several cytoskeleton proteins (e.g., ACTN1, VIME, TPM3) and several chaperonines involved in the folding of actin and tubulin (TCPQ, TCPG, TCPE, TCPB). These changes are accompanied by an increase in the expression of calmodulin and the proteins involved in folding in the endoplasmic reticulum and endoplasmic cell stress response. The presence of exogenous HSP70 has led to an increase in expression of several chaperones and a few other proteins including endogenous HSP70. A combined effect of recombinant HSP70 with Aß peptides reduced cell apoptosis and significantly decreased the level of tubulin phosphorylation caused by the addition of Aß peptides.