Shear-dependent eosinophil transmigration on interleukin 4-stimulated endothelial cells: a role for endothelium-associated eotaxin-3.

Leukocyte infiltration into inflammatory sites is regulated by the expression of adhesion and activation proteins, yet the role of these proteins in shear-dependent transmigration is poorly understood. We examined eosinophil recruitment on cytokine-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under laminar flow conditions. Eosinophils rapidly transmigrated on interleukin (IL)-4-, but not TNF-stimulated HUVECs. Transmigration was shear dependent, with up to 90% of eosinophils transmigrating in the presence of shear and less than 25% of cells transmigrating under static conditions. Eosinophils express CC chemokine receptor CCR3 and are responsive to various CC chemokines. The effects of chemokines are mediated primarily through G(alpha)i, which is pertussis toxin sensitive. Greater than 65% of shear-dependent eosinophil transmigration on IL-4-stimulated HUVECs was blocked by either pertussis toxin or by an anti-CCR3 monoclonal antibody. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blots, we found that IL-4-stimulated HUVECs produce both mRNA and protein for eotaxin-3. Eotaxin-3 was both released by HUVECs and expressed on the endothelial cell surface. Pretreatment of HUVECs with an anti-eotaxin-3 antibody blocked eosinophil transmigration to the same extent as an anti-CCR3 antibody. These results indicate that IL-4-stimulated HUVECs support shear-dependent eosinophil transmigration by upregulating eotaxin-3, and that surface association is critical for the role of eotaxin-3 in transmigration.

Mass spectrometric study of the Escherichia coli repressor proteins, Ic1R and Gc1R, and their complexes with DNA.

In Escherichia coli, the IclR protein regulates both the aceBAK operon and its own synthesis. Database homology searches have identified many IclR-like proteins, now known as the IclR family, which can be identified by a conserved C-terminal region. We have cloned and purified one of these proteins, which we have named GclR (glyoxylate carboligase repressor). Although purification is straightforward, both the IclR and GclR proteins are difficult to manipulate, requiring high salt (up to 0.6 M KCl) for solubility. With the advent of nanospray ionization, we could transfer the proteins into much higher concentrations of volatile buffer than had been practical with ordinary electrospray. In 0.5 M ammonium bicarbonate buffer, both proteins were stable as tetramers, with a small amount of dimer. In a separate experiment, we found that IclR protein selected from a random pool a sequence which matched exactly that of the presumed binding region of the GclR protein, although IclR does not regulate the gcl gene. We designed a 29 bp synthetic DNA to which IclR and GclR bind, and with which we were able to form noncovalent DNA-protein complexes for further mass spectrometry analysis. These complexes were far more stable than the proteins alone, and we have evidence of a stoichiometry which has not been described previously with (protein monomer : dsDNA) = (4 : 1).