Innate Immune Training Initiates Efferocytosis to Protect against Lung Injury.

Innate immune training involves myelopoiesis, dynamic gene modulation, and functional reprogramming of myeloid cells in response to secondary heterologous challenges. The present study evaluates whether systemic innate immune training can protect tissues from local injury. Systemic pretreatment of mice with ß-glucan, a trained immunity agonist, reduces the mortality rate of mice with bleomycin-induced lung injury and fibrosis, as well as decreasing collagen deposition in the lungs. ß-Glucan pretreatment induces neutrophil accumulation in the lungs and enhances efferocytosis. Training of mice with ß-glucan results in histone modification in both alveolar macrophages (AMs) and neighboring lung epithelial cells. Training also increases the production of RvD1 and soluble mediators by AMs and efferocytes. Efferocytosis increases trained immunity in AMs by stimulating RvD1 release, thus inducing SIRT1 expression in neighboring lung epithelial cells. Elevated epithelial SIRT1 expression is associated with decreased epithelial cell apoptosis after lung injury, attenuating tissue damage. Further, neutrophil depletion dampens the effects of ß-glucan on macrophage accumulation, epigenetic modification in lung macrophages, epithelial SIRT1 expression, and injury-mediated fibrosis in the lung. These findings provide mechanistic insights into innate immune training and clues to the potential ability of centrally trained immunity to protect peripheral organs against injury-mediated disorders.

Heparins are potent inhibitors of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phospho-diesterase-1 (NPP1) - a promising target for the immunotherapy of cancer.

Introduction: Heparins, naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans, are widely used for thrombosis prevention. Upon application as anticoagulants in cancer patients, heparins were found to possess additional antitumor activities. Ectonucleotidases have recently been proposed as novel targets for cancer immunotherapy. Methods and results: In the present study, we discovered that heparin and its derivatives act as potent, selective, allosteric inhibitors of the poorly investigated ectonucleotidase NPP1 (nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1, CD203a). Structure-activity relationships indicated that NPP1 inhibition could be separated from the compounds' antithrombotic effect. Moreover, unfractionated heparin (UFH) and different low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) inhibited extracellular adenosine production by the NPP1-expressing glioma cell line U87 at therapeutically relevant concentrations. As a consequence, heparins inhibited the ability of U87 cell supernatants to induce CD4+ T cell differentiation into immunosuppressive Treg cells. Discussion: NPP1 inhibition likely contributes to the anti-cancer effects of heparins, and their specific optimization may lead to improved therapeutics for the immunotherapy of cancer.

A Validation Study of a Deep Learning-Based Doping Drug Text Recognition System to Ensure Safe Drug Use among Athletes.

This study aimed to develop an English version of a doping drug-recognition system using deep learning-based optical character recognition (OCR) technology. A database of 336 banned substances was built based on the World Anti-Doping Agency's International Standard Prohibited List and the Korean Pharmaceutical Information Center's Drug Substance Information. For accuracy and validity analysis, 886 drug substance images, including 152 images of prescriptions and drug substance labels collected using data augmentation, were used. The developed hybrid system, based on the Tesseract OCR model, can be accessed by both a smartphone and website. A total of 5379 words were extracted, and the system showed character recognition errors regarding 91 words, showing high accuracy (98.3%). The system correctly classified all 624 images for acceptable substances, 218 images for banned substances, and incorrectly recognized 44 of the banned substances as acceptable. The validity analysis showed a high level of accuracy (0.95), sensitivity (1.00), and specificity (0.93), suggesting system validity. The system has the potential of allowing athletes who lack knowledge about doping to quickly and accurately check whether they are taking banned substances. It may also serve as an efficient option to support the development of a fair and healthy sports culture.

Social informedness and investor sentiment in the GameStop short squeeze.

We examine investor behavior on social media platforms related to the GameStop (GME) short squeeze in early 2021. Individual investors stimulated the stock market via Reddit social posts in the presence of institutional investors who bet against GME's success as short sellers. We analyzed r/WallStreetBets subreddit posts related to GME's trading patterns. We performed text-based sentiment analysis and compared the social informedness of posting users for GME trading on two social media platforms. The short squeeze occurred due to coordinated trading by individual investors, who discussed trading strategies on the platforms and drove collective social informedness-based trading behavior. Our findings suggest that the valence and number of submissions influenced GME's intraday transaction volumes and precursors for irrational trading behavior patterns to have emerged. We provide a theoretical interpretation of what occurred and call for tighter monitoring of social news platforms. We also encourage effort to create an in-depth understanding of the observed patterns and the linkages between them and the larger equity markets.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of ticlopidine derivatives and analogs as inhibitors of ectonucleotidase CD39.

Ticlopidine is an antithrombotic prodrug of the thienotetrahydropyridine family. For platelet inhibition it has to undergo oxidative ring-opening by cytochrome P450 enzymes. The resulting thiol reacts with a cysteine residue of the purinergic P2Y12 receptor on thrombocytes resulting in covalent receptor blockade. Ticlopidine in its intact, not-metabolized form was previously shown to inhibit ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase1, also known as cluster of differentiation (CD) 39). CD39 catalyzes the extracellular hydrolysis of ATP via ADP to AMP, which is further hydrolyzed by ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) to adenosine. CD39 inhibition has been proposed as a novel strategy to increase the extracellular concentration of antiproliferative ATP, while decreasing immunosuppressive and cancer-promoting adenosine levels. In the present study, we performed an extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of ticlopidine derivatives and analogs as CD39 inhibitors followed by an in-depth characterization of selected compounds. Altogether 74 compounds were synthesized, 41 of which are new, not previously described in literature. Benzotetrahydropyridines, in which the metabolically labile thiophene is replaced by a benzene ring, were discovered as a new class of allosteric CD39 inhibitors.

2-Substituted thienotetrahydropyridine derivatives: Allosteric ectonucleotidase inhibitors.

The antithrombotic prodrugs ticlopidine and clopidogrel are thienotetrahydro-pyridine derivatives that are metabolized in the liver to produce thiols that irreversibly block adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-activated P2Y12 receptors on thrombocytes. In their native, nonmetabolized form, both drugs were reported to act as inhibitors of ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase1, CD39). CD39 catalyzes the extracellular hydrolysis of nucleoside tri- and diphosphates, mainly adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and ADP, yielding adenosine monophosphate, which is further hydrolyzed by ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) to produce adenosine. While ATP has proinflammatory effects, adenosine is a potent anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive agent. Inhibitors of CD39 and CD73 have potential as novel checkpoint inhibitors for the immunotherapy of cancer and infection. In the present study, we investigated 2-substituted thienotetrahydropyridine derivatives, structurally related to ticlopidine, as CD39 inhibitors. Due to their substituent on the 2-position, they will not be metabolically transformed into reactive thiols and can, therefore, be expected to be devoid of P2Y12 receptor-antagonistic activity in vivo. Several of the investigated 2-substituted thienotetrahydropyridine derivatives showed concentration-dependent inhibition of CD39. The most potent derivative, 32, showed similar CD39-inhibitory potency to ticlopidine, both acting as allosteric inhibitors. Compound 32 showed an improved selectivity profile: While ticlopidine blocked several NTPDase isoenzymes, 32 was characterized as a novel dual inhibitor of CD39 and CD73.

Discovery of potent nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase3 (NPP3) inhibitors with ancillary carbonic anhydrase inhibition for cancer (immuno)therapy.

Nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase3 (NPP3) catalyzes the hydrolysis of extracellular nucleotides. It is expressed by immune cells and some carcinomas, e.g. of kidney and colon. Together with ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73), NPP3 produces immunosuppressive, cancer-promoting adenosine, and has therefore been proposed as a target for cancer therapy. Here we report on the discovery of 4-[(4-methylphthalazin-1-yl)amino]benzenesulfonamide (1) as an inhibitor of human NPP3 identified by compound library screening. Subsequent structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies led to the potent competitive NPP3 inhibitor 2-methyl-5-{4-[(4-sulfamoylphenyl)amino]phthalazin-1-yl}benzenesulfonamide (23, K i 53.7 nM versus the natural substrate ATP). Docking studies predicted its binding pose and interactions. While 23 displayed high selectivity versus other ecto-nucleotidases, it showed ancillary inhibition of two proposed anti-cancer targets, the carbonic anhydrases CA-II (Ki 74.7 nM) and CA-IX (Ki 20.3 nM). Thus, 23 may act as multi-target anti-cancer drug. SARs for NPP3 were steeper than for CAs leading to the identification of potent dual CA-II/CA-IX (e.g. 34) as well as selective CA-IX inhibitors (e.g. 31).

Sulfated Polysaccharides from Macroalgae Are Potent Dual Inhibitors of Human ATP-Hydrolyzing Ectonucleotidases NPP1 and CD39.

Extracellular ATP mediates proinflammatory and antiproliferative effects via activation of P2 nucleotide receptors. In contrast, its metabolite, the nucleoside adenosine, is strongly immunosuppressive and enhances tumor proliferation and metastasis. The conversion of ATP to adenosine is catalyzed by ectonucleotidases, which are expressed on immune cells and typically upregulated on tumor cells. In the present study, we identified sulfopolysaccharides from brown and red sea algae to act as potent dual inhibitors of the main ATP-hydrolyzing ectoenzymes, ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (NPP1) and ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase1, CD39), showing nano- to picomolar potency and displaying a non-competitive mechanism of inhibition. We showed that one of the sulfopolysaccharides tested as a representative example reduced adenosine formation at the surface of the human glioblastoma cell line U87 in a concentration-dependent manner. These natural products represent the most potent inhibitors of extracellular ATP hydrolysis known to date and have potential as novel therapeutics for the immunotherapy of cancer.

Particulate Matter Exposure During Oocyte Maturation: Cell Cycle Arrest, ROS Generation, and Early Apoptosis in Mice.

Particulate matter (PM) is a general atmospheric pollutant released into the air by an anthropogenic and naturally derived mixture of substances. Current studies indicate that fine dust can result in different health defects, including endothelial dysfunction, asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, uterine leiomyoma, deterioration in sperm quality, and overall birth impairment. However, the most prominent effects of PM10 (diameter < 10 µM) exposure on the female reproductive system, especially with respect to oocyte maturation, remain unclear. In the present study, maturing mouse oocytes were treated with PM10 and the phenotypes of the resulting toxic effects were investigated. Exposure to PM10 led to impairment of maturation capacity by inducing cell cycle arrest and blocking normal polar body extrusion during in vitro maturation and activation of fertilization of mouse oocytes. Additionally, defects in tubulin formation and DNA alignment were observed in PM10-treated oocytes during metaphase I to anaphase/telophase I transition. Moreover, PM10 induced reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, and early apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicate that PM10 exposure leads to a decline in oocyte quality and affects the subsequent embryonic development potential of mammalian oocytes.

Nucleotide Analog ARL67156 as a Lead Structure for the Development of CD39 and Dual CD39/CD73 Ectonucleotidase Inhibitors.

Nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase1 (NTPDase1, CD39) inhibitors have potential as novel drugs for the (immuno)therapy of cancer. They increase the extracellular concentration of immunostimulatory ATP and reduce the formation of AMP, which can be further hydrolyzed by ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) to immunosuppressive, cancer-promoting adenosine. In the present study, we synthesized analogs and derivatives of the standard CD39 inhibitor ARL67156, a nucleotide analog which displays a competitive mechanism of inhibition. Structure-activity relationships were analyzed at the human enzyme with respect to substituents in the N 6- and C8-position of the adenine core, and modifications of the triphosph(on)ate chain. Capillary electrophoresis coupled to laser-induced fluorescence detection employing a fluorescent-labeled ATP derivative was employed to determine the compounds' potency. Selected inhibitors were additionally evaluated in an orthogonal, malachite green assay versus the natural substrate ATP. The most potent CD39 inhibitors of the present series were ARL67156 and its derivatives 31 and 33 with Ki values of around 1 µM. Selectivity studies showed that all three nucleotide analogs additionally blocked CD73 acting as dual-target inhibitors. Docking studies provided plausible binding modes to both targets. The present study provides a full characterization of the frequently applied CD39 inhibitor ARL67156, presents structure-activity relationships, and provides a basis for future optimization towards selective CD39 and dual CD39/CD73 inhibitors.

Recombinant expression of ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 4 (NPP4) and development of a luminescence-based assay to identify inhibitors.

Nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 4 (NPP4) is a membrane-bound enzyme that hydrolyzes extracellular diadenosine polyphosphates such as diadenosine triphosphate (Ap3A) and diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) yielding mononucleotides. NPP4 on the surface of endothelial cells was reported to promote platelet aggregation by hydrolyzing Ap3A to ADP, which activates pro-thrombotic G protein-coupled P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors. Thus, NPP4 inhibitors have potential as novel antithrombotic drugs. In the present study we expressed soluble human NPP4 in Sf9 insect cells and established an enzyme assay using diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) as a substrate. The reaction product ATP was quantified by luciferin-luciferase reaction in a 96-well plate format. The sensitive method displayed a limit of detection (LOD) of 14.6 nM, and a Z'-factor of 0.68 indicating its suitability for high-throughput screening. The new assay was applied for studying enzyme kinetics and led to the identification of the first NPP4 inhibitors.

2-Substituted α,ß-Methylene-ADP Derivatives: Potent Competitive Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) Inhibitors with Variable Binding Modes.

CD73 inhibitors are promising drugs for the (immuno)therapy of cancer. Here, we present the synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and cocrystal structures of novel derivatives of the competitive CD73 inhibitor α,ß-methylene-ADP (AOPCP) substituted in the 2-position. Small polar or lipophilic residues increased potency, 2-iodo- and 2-chloro-adenosine-5'-O-[(phosphonomethyl)phosphonic acid] (15, 16) being the most potent inhibitors with Ki values toward human CD73 of 3-6 nM. Subject to the size and nature of the 2-substituent, variable binding modes were observed by X-ray crystallography. Depending on the binding mode, large species differences were found, e.g., 2-piperazinyl-AOPCP (21) was >12-fold less potent against rat CD73 compared to human CD73. This study shows that high CD73 inhibitory potency can be achieved by simply introducing a small substituent into the 2-position of AOPCP without the necessity of additional bulky N6-substituents. Moreover, it provides valuable insights into the binding modes of competitive CD73 inhibitors, representing an excellent basis for drug development.

A novel secreted-cAMP pathway inhibits pulmonary hypertension via a feed-forward mechanism.

AIMS: Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is the predominant intracellular second messenger that transduces signals from Gs-coupled receptors. Intriguingly, there is evidence from various cell types that an extracellular cAMP pathway is active in the extracellular space. Herein, we investigated the role of extracellular cAMP in the lung and examined whether it may act on pulmonary vascular cell proliferation and pulmonary vasculature remodelling in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS AND RESULTS: The expression of cyclic AMP-metabolizing enzymes was increased in lungs from patients with PH as well as in rats treated with monocrotaline and mice exposed to Sugen/hypoxia. We report that inhibition of the endogenous extracellular cAMP pathway exacerbated Sugen/hypoxia-induced lung remodelling. We found that application of extracellular cAMP induced an increase in intracellular cAMP levels and inhibited proliferation and migration of pulmonary vascular cells in vitro. Extracellular cAMP infusion in two in vivo PH models prevented and reversed pulmonary and cardiac remodelling associated with PH. Using protein expression analysis along with luciferase assays, we found that extracellular cAMP acts via the A2R/PKA/CREB/p53/Cyclin D1 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our data reveal the presence of an extracellular cAMP pathway in pulmonary arteries that attempts to protect the lung during PH, and suggest targeting of the extracellular cAMP signalling pathway to limit pulmonary vascular remodelling and PH.

Potential Applications of Non-thermal Plasma in Animal Husbandry to Improve Infrastructure.

Infrastructure in animal husbandry refers to fundamental facilities and services necessary for better living conditions of animals and its economy to function through better productivity. Mainly, infrastructure can be divided into two categories: hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure. Physical infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and water supplying systems, belongs to hard infrastructure. Soft infrastructure includes services which are required to maintain economic, health, cultural and social standards of animal husbandry. Therefore, the proper management of infrastructure in animal husbandry is necessary for animal welfare and its economy. Among various technologies to improve the quality of infrastructure, non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology is an effectively applicable technology in different stages of animal husbandry. NTP is mainly helpful in maintaining better health conditions of animals in several ways via decontamination from microorganisms present in air, water, food, instruments and surfaces of animal farming systems. Furthermore, NTP is used in the treatment of waste water, vaccine production, wound healing in animals, odor-free ventilation, and packaging of animal food or animal products. This review summarizes the recent studies of NTP which can be related to the infrastructure in animal husbandry.

Correction to: Identification of adenine-N9-(methoxy)ethyl-ß-bisphosphonate as NPP1 inhibitor attenuates NPPase activity in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes.

The original version of the article unfortunately contained an error.

Identification of adenine-N9-(methoxy)ethyl-ß-bisphosphonate as NPP1 inhibitor attenuates NPPase activity in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes.

Overproduction of extracellular diphosphate due to hydrolysis of ATP by NPP1 leads to pathological calcium diphosphate (pyrophosphate) dihydrate deposition (CPPD) in cartilage, resulting in a degenerative joint disease that today lacks a cure. Here, we targeted the identification of novel NPP1 inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for CPPD deposition disease. Specifically, we synthesized novel analogs of AMP (NPP1 reaction product) and ADP (NPP1 inhibitor). These derivatives incorporate several chemical modifications of the natural nucleotides including (1) a methylene group replacing the Pα,ß-bridging oxygen atom to provide metabolic resistance, (2) sulfonate group(s) replacing phosphonate(s) to improve binding to NPP1's catalytic zinc ions, (3) an acyclic nucleotide analog to allow flexible binding in the NPP1 catalytic site, and (4) a benzimidazole base replacing adenine. Among the investigated compounds, adenine-N9-(methoxy)ethyl-ß-bisphosphonate, 10, was identified as an NPP1 inhibitor (Ki 16.3 µM vs. the artificial substrate p-nitrophenyl thymidine-5'-monophosphate (p-Nph-5'-TMP), and 9.60 µM vs. the natural substrate, ATP). Compound 10 was selective for NPP1 vs. human NPP3, human CD39, and tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), but also inhibited human CD73 (Ki 12.6 µM). Thus, 10 is a dual NPP1/CD73 inhibitor, which could not only be of interest for treating CPPD deposition disease and calcific aortic valve disease but may also be considered for the immunotherapy of cancer. Compound 10 proved to be a promising inhibitor, which almost completely reduces NPPase activity in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes at a concentration of 100 µM.

Koala and Wombat Gammaherpesviruses Encode the First Known Viral NTPDase Homologs and Are Phylogenetically Divergent from All Known Gammaherpesviruses.

There is a large taxonomic gap in our understanding of mammalian herpesvirus genetics and evolution corresponding to those herpesviruses that infect marsupials, which diverged from eutherian mammals approximately 150 million years ago (mya). We compare the genomes of two marsupial gammaherpesviruses, Phascolarctid gammaherpesvirus 1 (PhaHV1) and Vombatid gammaherpesvirus 1 (VoHV1), which infect koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and wombats (Vombatus ursinus), respectively. The core viral genomes were approximately 117 kbp and 110 kbp in length, respectively, sharing 69% pairwise nucleotide sequence identity. Phylogenetic analyses showed that PhaHV1 and VoHV1 formed a separate branch, which may indicate a new gammaherpesvirus genus. The genomes contained 60 predicted open reading frames (ORFs) homologous to those in eutherian herpesviruses and 20 ORFs not yet found in any other herpesvirus. Seven of these ORFs were shared by the two viruses, indicating that they were probably acquired prespeciation, approximately 30 to 40 mya. One of these shared genes encodes a putative nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase). NTPDases are usually found in mammals and higher-order eukaryotes, with a very small number being found in bacteria. This is the first time that an NTPDase has been identified in any viral genome. Interrogation of public transcriptomic data sets from two koalas identified PhaHV1-specific transcripts in multiple host tissues, including transcripts for the novel NTPDase. PhaHV1 ATPase activity was also demonstrated in vitro, suggesting that the encoded NTPDase is functional during viral infection. In mammals, NTPDases are important in downregulation of the inflammatory and immune responses, but the role of the PhaHV1 NTPDase during viral infection remains to be determined.IMPORTANCE The genome sequences of the koala and wombat gammaherpesviruses show that the viruses form a distinct branch, indicative of a novel genus within the Gammaherpesvirinae Their genomes contain several new ORFs, including ORFs encoding a ß-galactoside α-2,6-sialyltransferase that is phylogenetically closest to poxvirus and insect homologs and the first reported viral NTPDase. NTPDases are ubiquitously expressed in mammals and are also present in several parasitic, fungal, and bacterial pathogens. In mammals, these cell surface-localized NTPDases play essential roles in thromboregulation, inflammation, and immune suppression. In this study, we demonstrate that the virus-encoded NTPDase is enzymatically active and is transcribed during natural infection of the host. Understanding how these enzymes benefit viruses can help to inform how they may cause disease or evade host immune defenses.

Development of a selective and highly sensitive fluorescence assay for nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase1 (NTPDase1, CD39).

Ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase1 (NTPDase1, CD39) is a major ectonucleotidase that hydrolyzes proinflammatory ATP via ADP to AMP, which is subsequently converted by ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) to immunosuppressive adenosine. Activation of CD39 has potential for treating inflammatory diseases, while inhibition was suggested as a novel strategy for the immunotherapy of cancer. In the present study, we developed a selective and highly sensitive capillary electrophoresis (CE) assay using a novel fluorescent CD39 substrate, a fluorescein-labelled ATP (PSB-170621A) that is converted to its AMP derivative. To accelerate the assays, a two-directional (forward and reverse) CE system was implemented using 96-well plates, which is suitable for the screening of compound libraries (Z'-factor: 0.7). The detection limits for the forward and reverse operation were 11.7 and 2.00 pM, respectively, indicating a large enhancement in sensitivity as compared to previous methods (e.g. malachite-green assay: 1 000 000-fold, CE-UV assay: 500 000-fold, fluorescence polarization immunoassay: 12 500-fold). Enzyme kinetic studies at human CD39 revealed a Km value of 19.6 µM, and a kcat value of 119 × 10-3 s-1 for PSB-170621A, which shows similar substrate properties as ATP (11.4 µM and 82.5 × 10-3 s-1). The compound displayed similar properties at rat and mouse CD39. Subsequent docking studies into a homology model of human CD39 revealed a hydrophobic pocket that accommodates the fluorescein tag. PSB-170621A was found to be preferably hydrolyzed by CD39 as compared to other ectonucleotidases. The new assay was validated by performing inhibition assays with several standard CD39 inhibitors yielding results that were consonant with data using the natural substrates.

Inhibition of Migration and Invasion in Melanoma Cells by ß-Escin via the ERK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

ß-Escin, a natural triterpene saponin was extracted from Aesculus hippocastanum seeds, which have been widely used to treat inflammation in traditional medicine. In an effort to study the possible anti-tumor effects of ß-escin, we performed wound healing, invasion, and adhesion assays to examine the effects of ß-escin on cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Our results revealed that ß-escin inhibits cell migration as well as motility in B16F10 and SK-MEL5 cells in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed that ß-escin increased TIMP-1, -2 while significantly downregulated phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) expression, and suppressing nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B (IκB) expression. Overall, the data from the current study suggest that ß-escin has the potential for inhibiting both metastatic and angiogenic activities, and are the earliest evidence for the involvement of the NF-κB/IκB signaling in ß-escin-induced anti-tumor effects.

Quantification of green fluorescent protein-(GFP-) tagged membrane proteins by capillary gel electrophoresis.

A fast and robust procedure for the quantification of GFP-tagged membrane proteins in cell homogenates was developed employing capillary gel electrophoresis coupled to laser-induced fluorescence detection (CGE-LIF). The new method was found to be highly sensitive and applicable to structurally diverse membrane proteins including synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A), adenosine A2A receptor (A2AAR), and connexin 43 (Cx43). Quantification of SV2A and A2AAR using radioligand binding assays confirmed the results obtained with CGE-LIF. The CGE-LIF method showed significantly higher sensitivity as compared to fluorimetric measurement in a microplate. Importantly, CGE-LIF involves separation of the target proteins and their degradation products prior to quantification and thereby ensures specificity. We anticipate broad applicability of the method for any fluorophore-tagged protein.