Direct monitoring of pulmonary disease treatment biomarkers using plasmonic gold nanorods with diffusion-sensitive OCT.

The solid concentration of pulmonary mucus (wt%) is critical to respiratory health. In patients with respiratory disease, such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), mucus hydration is impaired, resulting in high wt%. Mucus with high wt% is a hallmark of pulmonary disease that leads to obstructed airways, inflammation, and infection. Methods to measure mucus hydration in situ and in real-time are needed for drug development and personalized therapy. We employed plasmonic gold nanorod (GNR) biosensors that intermittently collide with macromolecules comprising the mucus mesh as they self-diffuse, such that GNR translational diffusion (DT) is sensitive to wt%. GNRs are attractive candidates for bioprobes due to their anisotropic optical scattering that makes them easily distinguishable from native tissue using polarization-sensitive OCT. Using principles of heterodyne dynamic light scattering, we developed diffusion-sensitive optical coherence tomography (DS-OCT) to spatially-resolve changing DT in real-time. DS-OCT enables, for the first time, direct monitoring of changes in nanoparticle diffusion rates that are sensitive to nanoporosity with spatial and temporal resolutions of 4.7 µm and 0.2 s. DS-OCT therefore enables us to measure spatially-resolved changes in mucus wt% over time. In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of DS-OCT on well-differentiated primary human bronchial epithelial cells during a clinical mucus-hydrating therapy, hypertonic saline treatment (HST), to reveal, for the first time, mucus mixing, cellular secretions, and mucus hydration on the micrometer scale that translate to long-term therapeutic effects.

Persistence or rapid generation of DNA length polymorphism at the zeta-globin locus of humans.

Extensive restriction mapping of 76 human genomic DNAs defines multiple sites of length and point mutation near the zeta-globin locus, which codes for an embryonic alpha-like globin chain. There are two major sites of DNA length variation: one in the intergenic region with three alleles and one in the first intron of the zeta 1 gene with at least four alleles. Our mapping establishes that the intronic polymorphism is associated with a tandem array of short, repeated sequences. The length alleles occur in each of four human populations sampled, suggesting an ancient origin with persistence of several length alleles, or rapid regeneration of these particular variants. Four polymorphic restriction sites were also found; the frequency of polymorphic sites is comparable to that found in the human beta-globin gene region. Analysis of haplotypes indicates either that multiple recombinations have occurred near the 5' end of the zeta 1 gene or that this region is prone to recurrent length mutation.

Modeled structure of the 75-kDa neurotrophin receptor.

Motifs in ligand-binding domains of the neurotrophin (NTR) and lymphotoxin (TNFR-I) receptors define a family of receptors that mediates programmed cell death. We have explored relationships of architecture and function in this family through a molecular model of NTR, also called p75NGFR or LANR. Modeling by homology took advantage of four modular subdomains in the crystal structure of TNFR-I that also occur in NTR. Hypothetical complexes between the model and a ligand structure (for nerve growth factor, NGF) were then examined using docking software. NTR appears to bind in the dimer interface of NGF, making two sets of contacts. NTR subdomains III and IV provide the ligand-contact surfaces, in contrast to TNFR, in which subdomains II and III contact TNF-beta. NTR subdomain II appears to have been evolutionarily modified, potentially contributing to an interface between receptor subunits. These and other specific predictions of the model will require experimental confirmation.

A region of the 75 kDa neurotrophin receptor homologous to the death domains of TNFR-I and Fas.

Members of the NTR/TNFR family mediate apoptosis in many tissues, yet sequence homology has not been detected in their intracellular domains except for a 'death domain' in TNFR-I and Fas. Here, a region of the 75 kDa neurotrophin receptor (NTR) has been aligned with this apoptosis-inducing motif. Peptides at the carboxyl terminus of each domain potentially form amphiphilic helices, one of which (in NTR) resembles mastoparan, a G-protein activating peptide. Molecular models of three death-region peptides suggest that observed sequence similarities reflect a common structure, perhaps capable of undergoing an induced coil to helix transition.

A cytoplasmic peptide of the neurotrophin receptor p75NTR: induction of apoptosis and NMR determined helical conformation.

The neurotrophin receptor (NTR) and tumor necrosis factor receptor family of receptors regulate apoptotic cell death during development and in adult tissues [Beutler and van Huffel, Science 264 (1994) 667-668]. We have examined a fragment of p75NTR from the carboxyl terminus of the receptor and a variant form of this peptide via NMR techniques and in vitro assays for apoptotic activity. The wild type peptide induces apoptosis and adopts a helical conformation oriented parallel to the surface of lipid micelles, whereas the variant form adopts a non-helical conformation in the presence of lipid and shows no activity. These experiments suggest a link between structure and function of the two peptides.

Minor early embryonic chick hemoglobin M. Amino acid sequences of the epsilon and alpha D chains.

Erythrocytes of the early chick embryo contain four hemoglobins, two major and two minor. In this paper, we present amino acid sequences for the beta-like and alpha-like chains of HbM, the least abundant of the four early chick hemoglobins. The complete amino acid sequence of the beta-like chain of HbM is identical with that of the epsilon chain of HbE, the other minor early embryonic hemoglobin in the domestic chicken. Analysis of the alpha-like chain of HbM (92 of 141 residues) reveals a globin sequence closely related to the minor adult alpha D chain. Comparison of our sequence data with the nucleotide sequence of the alpha D globin gene suggests that a single gene encodes both the embryonic and adult alpha D globin polypeptides. We discuss the structure, possible function, and evolution of the HbM globin chains.

Amino acid sequences of the epsilon and alpha E globins of HbE, a minor early embryonic hemoglobin of the chicken.

We have determined amino acid sequences for the alpha-like and beta-like globin components of HbE, one of the two minor hemoglobins in early chick embryos. The complete primary structure of the epsilon chain differs at 18 positions from the adult chicken beta globin, but there are no changes in heme-binding residues, alpha 1 beta 2 contact positions, or allosteric regulatory sites. By amino acid sequence analysis, we have identified a new alpha-like globin that we have called alpha E. The alpha E globin chain differs from the major adult alpha A chain at 22 amino acid positions. This paper discusses the structural and implied functional characteristics of these globins and presents hypotheses regarding the possible role of minor embryonic hemoglobins.

Complete amino acid sequence of the major early embryonic beta-like globin in chickens.

The rho globin is the major beta-like chain found in 5-day-old chick embryos. In association with two unique early embryonic alpha-like globins, it forms the two major hemoglobins of early chick development. This paper presents the complete amino acid sequence of the rho globin. There are no amino acid differences between the rho chain and the adult chicken beta chain at known Bohr effect or organophosphate-binding positions, and there are only 19 differences altogether. The rho globin ought to be functionally equivalent to the adult chicken beta globin. Since the adult and embryonic chains are very similar in sequence, they may be products of a relatively recent gene duplication in the chicken beta globin gene family. The possibility of a gene correction event is discussed.

Complete amino acid sequences of the major early embryonic alpha-like globins of the chicken.

Vertebrate embryos contain hemoglobins composed of globin polypeptides structurally distinct from those of adults. Together with fetal and adult globin chains, these early embryonic globins are encoded by two developmentally regulated multigene families. To facilitate analysis of the structure and evolution of early embryonic alpha-globin genes, we have determined the complete amino acid sequences of the pi and pi' alpha-like globins of the chick embryo. While differing from each other by an alanine/glutamic acid interchange at position 124, this pair of sequences differs from the major and minor adult alpha-globins by 43%. The early embryonic and adult alpha-like sequences appear to have diverged following an ancient gene duplication. We discuss specific amino acid substitutions in functional positions as possible mediators of the reduced Bohr effect and elevated oxygen affinity, which are characteristic of early embryonic hemoglobins.

Effect of intron A from human cytomegalovirus (Towne) immediate-early gene on heterologous expression in mammalian cells.

A 2.4 kb fragment of hCMV (Towne strain), containing the 5' end of the major immediate-early gene, has been cloned, sequenced, and used to construct a series of mammalian cell expression plasmids. The effects of regulatory regions present on this fragment were assessed using human glycoproteins as reporter molecules. We compared secreted levels of Factor VIII, t-PA, and HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins in cells transfected with plasmids in which intron A of the immediate-early gene was present or absent. Secretion of several glycoproteins was significantly higher when cells were transfected with intron A-containing plasmids. Mutation of three basepairs in the strong nuclear factor 1 (NF1) binding site in intron A led to reduced transient expression levels, but not to the level observed in the absence of intron A. Reduced expression from NF1 mutant plasmids was roughly correlated with reduced binding in vitro of NF1 proteins to a synthetic oligonucleotide containing the mutation. The evidence indicates that sequences in intron A positively regulate expression from the hCMV immediate-early enhancer/promoter in transformed monkey kidney cells.

Transient vesicle leakage initiated by a synthetic apoptotic peptide derived from the death domain of neurotrophin receptor, p75NTR.

Peptides that induce apoptosis have potential as anticancer therapeutics. The design of safe, effective cancer therapeutic peptides requires characterization of the physical and chemical properties that influence activation of cell death in neoplastic cells. NTR365 is a synthetic pro-apoptotic peptide with an amino acid sequence derived from the death domain of p75(NTR). These studies were initiated to identify a potential mechanism for the apoptotic activity of NTR365 identified by Rabizadeh et al. We examined the interactions of this synthetic pro-apoptotic peptide with phospholipid vesicles. Fluorescence experiments demonstrate that the peptide induces leakage from large unilamellar vesicles. Leakage activity is transient and dependent on the presence of anionic lipid in the vesicles. Circular dichroism studies show that the NTR365 adopts a different conformation and may have altered vesicle affinity under conditions conducive to leakage. The active conformation of NTR365 differs from that of the NMR derived conformation. A related peptide with a single substitution is not apoptotically active, does not form a helical structure in the presence of vesicles and does not induce appreciable vesicle leakage under the same conditions as NTR365. These studies suggest that the demonstrated apoptotic activity of a closely related NTR364 peptide is linked to disruption of a membrane barrier and to the ability of the peptide to form a helical structure.

O-linked oligosaccharide on the 75-kDa neurotrophin receptor.

Four neurotrophic factors, important for survival and function of neurons, bind a common receptor, the 75-kDa neurotrophin receptor (NTR). An O-glycosylated peptide connects the ligand-binding domain of NTR to its transmembrane helix. This peptide, the transmembrane helix, and intracellular sequences are highly conserved in vertebrate evolution. To investigate the structure and function of O-glycosylation on NTR, we produced the extracellular domains by expression in mammalian cells. Addition during biosynthesis of O-linked glycans was evaluated, and structures were characterized by lectin blotting and glycosidase digestion. Effects of disialylation, deglycosylation, and lectin attachment on the equilibrium binding constant were measured. Addition of O-linked glycans during biosynthesis was found to have a large effect on NTR structure assessed by mobility in polyacrylamide gels. NTR O-linked glycans synthesized by cultured cells had the structure (NeuNAc)(1-2-) Gal beta 1-3GalNAc. Modification of the O-linked oligosaccharide produced small, possibly significant effects on the binding constant of NTR for nerve growth factor. The results are discussed in reference to a potential role for the stalk region in ligand binding and signaling.