A sandwich ELISA for porcine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (pAGP, ORM-1) and further demonstration of its use to evaluate growth potential in newborn pigs.

A simple, reproducible sandwich, ELISA was developed to measure porcine alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (pAGP, ORM-1) in pig plasma. Porcine AGP isolated from serum was purchased and a polyclonal antisera was prepared in rabbits using the whole pAGP molecule as immunogen. The antiserum was affinity purified, and a portion of the purified antibody fraction was labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Porcine AGP protein was used as a standard, whereas commercially available buffers and reagents were utilized throughout the assay. The assay was specific for pAGP, had a lower limit of detection of 3.2 ng/mL, and could be used to quantify pAGP in plasma or serum. Using this ELISA, we corroborated our previous findings obtained by RID assay, which demonstrated that the AGP concentration in newborn piglets is negatively associated with preweaning growth rate. The current data were obtained using piglets from a different geographical location and genetic background and showed that elevated AGP at birth was associated with reduced preweaning growth rate (P < 0.001, r = 0.433, n = 19 litters). In addition, litters with a greater average AGP at birth were at a growth disadvantage compared with litters with reduced average AGP plasma concentrations (P < 0.001, r = 0.708, n = 19 litters). Litter average plasma AGP was a better predictor of litter preweaning growth rate than average litter birth weight. The data represent further support for using perinatal AGP concentrations as a tool to identify potential slower growing pigs and as a plasma biomarker for predicting litter growth rate.

Product release is rate-limiting for catalytic processing by the Dengue virus protease.

Dengue Virus (DENV) is the most prevalent global arbovirus, yet despite an increasing burden to health care there are currently no therapeutics available to treat infection. A potential target for antiviral drugs is the two-component viral protease NS2B-NS3pro, which is essential for viral replication. Interactions between the two components have been investigated here by probing the effect on the rate of enzyme catalysis of key mutations in a mobile loop within NS2B that is located at the interface of the two components. Steady-state kinetic assays indicated that the mutations greatly affect catalytic turnover. However, single turnover and fluorescence experiments have revealed that the mutations predominantly affect product release rather than substrate binding. Fluorescence analysis also indicated that the addition of substrate triggers a near-irreversible change in the enzyme conformation that activates the catalytic centre. Based on this mechanistic insight, we propose that residues within the mobile loop of NS2B control product release and present a new target for design of potent Dengue NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitors.

Simultaneous uncoupled expression and purification of the Dengue virus NS3 protease and NS2B co-factor domain.

Dengue Virus (DENV) infection is responsible for the world's most significant insect-borne viral disease. Despite an increasing global impact, there are neither prophylactic nor therapeutic options available for the effective treatment of DENV infection. An attractive target for antiviral drugs is the virally encoded trypsin-like serine protease (NS3pro) and its associated cofactor (NS2B). The NS2B-NS3pro complex is responsible for cleaving the viral polyprotein into separate functional viral proteins, and is therefore essential for replication. Recombinant expression of an active NS2B-NS3 protease has primarily been based on constructs linking the C-terminus of the approximately 40 amino acid hydrophilic cofactor domain of NS2B to the N-terminus of NS3pro via a flexible glycine linker. The resulting complex can be expressed in high yield, is soluble and catalytically active and has been used for most in vitro screening, inhibitor, and X-ray crystallographic studies over the last 15 years. Despite extensive analysis, no inhibitor drug candidates have been identified yet. Moreover, the effect of the artificial linker introduced between the protease and its cofactor is unknown. Two alternate methods for bacterial expression of non-covalently linked, catalytically active, NS2B-NS3pro complex are described here along with a comparison of the kinetics of substrate proteolysis and binding affinities of substrate-based aldehyde inhibitors. Both expression methods produced high yields of soluble protein with improved substrate proteolysis kinetics and inhibitor binding compared to their glycine-linked equivalent. The non-covalent association between NS2B and NS3pro is predicted to be more relevant for examining inhibitors that target cofactor-protease interactions rather than the protease active site. Furthermore, these approaches offer alternative strategies for the high yield co-expression of other protein assemblies.

Regulation of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein synthesis by porcine hepatocytes in monolayer culture.

Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP, orosomucoid, ORM-1) is a highly glycosylated mammalian acute-phase protein, which is synthesized primarily in the liver and represents the major serum protein in newborn pigs. Recent data have suggested that the pig is unique in that AGP is a negative acute-phase protein in this species, and its circulating concentration appears to be associated with growth rate. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the regulation of AGP synthesis in hepatocytes prepared from suckling piglets and to provide a framework to compare its regulation with that of haptoglobin (HP), a positive acute-phase protein. Hepatocytes were isolated from preweaned piglets and maintained in serum-free monolayer culture for up to 72 h. The influences of hormones, cytokines, and redox modifiers on the expression and secretion of AGP and HP were determined by relative polymerase chain reaction and by measuring the concentration of each protein secreted into culture medium. The messenger RNA abundance and/or secretion of AGP protein was enhanced by interleukin (IL)-17a, IL-1, and resveratrol and inhibited by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), oncostatin M, and thyroid hormone (P < 0.05). HP expression and synthesis were upregulated by oncostatin M, IL-6, and dexamethasone and downregulated by TNF (P < 0.01). The overall messenger RNA expression at 24 h was in agreement with the secreted protein patterns confirming that control of these proteins in hepatocytes is largely transcriptional. Moreover, these data support the consideration that AGP is a negative acute-phase reactant and appears to be regulated by cytokines (with the exception of TNF) and hormones primarily in a manner opposite to that of the positive acute-phase protein, HP.

Identification and characterization of a nuclear factor-κ B-p65 proteolytic fragment in nuclei of porcine hepatocytes in monolayer culture.

Hepatic responses to proinflammatory signals are controlled by the activation of several transcription factors, including, nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB). In this study, hepatocytes prepared from suckling pigs and maintained in serum-free monolayer culture were used to define a novel proinflammatory cytokine-specific NF-κB subunit modification. The immunoreactive p65 protein was detected by Western blot analysis at the appropriate molecular weight in the cytosol of control cultures and those incubated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF). However, in nuclei, the p65 antisera cross-reacted with a protein of approximately 38 kDa (termed p38) after TNF addition, which was not observed in the cytosol of control or cytokine-treated cells. Specifically, incubation with TNF also resulted in phosphorylation (P < 0.05) of the inhibitor complex protein (IκB), whereas incubation with other cytokines, IL-6, IL-17a, or oncostatin M was not associated with either phosphorylation of IκB or nuclear translocation of p65. Intracellular endothelial nitric oxide synthase was deceased (P < 0.05) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 secretion was increased (P < 0.05) after TNF incubation. The TNF-induced p38 protein was purified from hepatocyte nuclei by immunoprecipitation, concentrated by electrophoresis, and subsequently analyzed by mass spectrometry. Ten unique NF-κB p65 peptides were identified after digestion with trypsin and chymotrypsin; however, all were mapped to the N-terminus and within the first 310 amino acid residues of the intact p65 protein. Although low molecular weight immunoreactive p65 molecules were previously observed in various human and rodent systems, this is the first report to positively identify the p38 fragment within hepatocyte nuclei or after specific cytokine (TNF) induction.

Iron dextran treatment does not induce serum protein carbonyls in the newborn pig.

Oxidation of serum proteins can lead to carbonyl formation that alters their function and is often associated with stress-related diseases. As it is recommended that all pigs reared in modern production facilities be given supplemental iron at birth to prevent anemia, and metals can catalyze the carbonylation of proteins, the primary objective of this study was to determine whether standard iron dextran treatment was associated with enhanced serum protein oxidation in newborn piglets. Piglets were treated with 100 mg of iron dextran intramuscularly either on the day of birth, or on the third day after birth. Blood samples were collected from piglets 48 or 96 h after treatment and serum was harvested. For quantification, serum protein carbonyls were converted to hydrazones with dinitrophenyl hydrazine and analyzed spectrophotometrically. To identify and determine relative distribution of carbonylated proteins, serum protein carbonyls were derivatized with biotin hydrazide, separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, stained with avidin-fluorescein and identified by mass spectrometry. The standard iron dextran treatment was associated with no increase in total oxidized proteins if given either on the first or third day of life. In addition, with a few noted exceptions, the overall distribution and identification of oxidized proteins were similar between control and iron dextran-treated pigs. These results indicate that while iron dextran treatment is associated with a marked increase in circulating iron, it does not appear to specifically induce the oxidation of serum proteins.

Hormonal regulation of leptin receptor expression in primary cultures of porcine hepatocytes.

A study was conducted to elucidate hormonal control of leptin receptor gene expression in primary cultures of porcine hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were isolated from pigs (52 kg) and seeded into collagen-coated T-25 flasks. Monolayer cultures were established in medium containing fetal bovine serum for 1 day and switched to a serum-free medium for the remainder of the 3-day culture period. To establish basal conditions hepatocytes were maintained in serum-free William's E medium containing 10 nM dexamethasone and 1 ng/ml insulin. For the final 24 h, insulin (1 or 100 ng/ml) or glucagon (100 ng/ml), were added in the presence or absence of 100 nM triiodothyronine (T3). RNA was extracted and quantitative RT-PCR was performed with primers specific for the long form and total porcine leptin receptors. Leptin receptor expression was calculated relative to co-amplified 18S rRNA. Expression of the long form of the leptin receptor was confirmed under basal conditions. Insulin, glucagon and synthetic human proteins (ghrelin and GLP-1) at 100 ng/ml had no influence on leptin receptor expression; the addition of T3 was associated with a marked increase (P < 0.001) in expression of total and long forms of the leptin receptor by 1.6 and 2.4-fold, respectively. Addition of leptin to cells which were pre-treated with T3 for 24 h (to up-regulate leptin receptor expression), confirmed the lack of a direct effect of leptin on glucagon-induced glycogen turnover and cAMP production. These data suggest that porcine hepatocytes may be insensitive to leptin stimulation even when leptin receptor expression is enhanced by T3.

The role of insulin, glucagon, dexamethasone, and leptin in the regulation of ketogenesis and glycogen storage in primary cultures of porcine hepatocytes prepared from 60 kg pigs.

A study was conducted to elucidate hormonal control of ketogenesis and glycogen deposition in primary cultures of porcine hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were isolated from pigs (54-68 kg) by collagenase perfusion and seeded into collagen-coated T-25 flasks. Monolayers were established in medium containing fetal bovine serum for 1 day and switched to a serum-free medium for the remainder of the culture period. Hepatocytes were maintained in DMEM/M199 containing 1% DMSO, dexamethasone (10(-6) or 10(-7) M), linoleic acid (3.4 x 10(-5) M), and carnitine (10(-3) M) for 3 days. On the first day of serum-free culture, insulin was added at 1 or 100 ng/ml and glucagon was added at 0, 1, or 100 ng/ml. Recombinant human leptin (200 ng/ml) was added during the final 24 h; medium and all cells were harvested on the third day. Concentrations of acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate (ketone bodies) in media and glycogen deposition in the cellular compartment were determined. Ketogenesis was highly stimulated by glucagon (1 and 100 ng/ml) and inhibited by insulin. In contrast, glycogen deposition was stimulated by insulin and attenuated by glucagon; high insulin was also associated with a reduction in the ketone body ratio (acetoacetate:beta-hydroxybutyrate). High levels of dexamethasone stimulated ketogenesis, but inhibited glycogen deposition at low insulin. Culture of cells with leptin for 24 h, over the range of insulin, glucagon, and dexamethasone concentrations had no effect on either glycogen deposition or ketogenesis. These data suggest that while adult porcine hepatocytes are indeed sensitive to hormonal manipulation, leptin has no direct influence on hepatic energy metabolism in swine.