GRP78/Dna K Is a Target for Nexavar/Stivarga/Votrient in the Treatment of Human Malignancies, Viral Infections and Bacterial Diseases.

Prior tumor cell studies have shown that the drugs sorafenib (Nexavar) and regorafenib (Stivarga) reduce expression of the chaperone GRP78. Sorafenib/regorafenib and the multi-kinase inhibitor pazopanib (Votrient) interacted with sildenafil (Viagra) to further rapidly reduce GRP78 levels in eukaryotes and as single agents to reduce Dna K levels in prokaryotes. Similar data were obtained in tumor cells in vitro and in drug-treated mice for: HSP70, mitochondrial HSP70, HSP60, HSP56, HSP40, HSP10, and cyclophilin A. Prolonged 'rafenib/sildenafil treatment killed tumor cells and also rapidly decreased the expression of: the drug efflux pumps ABCB1 and ABCG2; and NPC1 and NTCP, receptors for Ebola/Hepatitis A and B viruses, respectively. Pre-treatment with the 'Rafenib/sildenafil combination reduced expression of the Coxsackie and Adenovirus receptor in parallel with it also reducing the ability of a serotype 5 Adenovirus or Coxsackie virus B4 to infect and to reproduce. Sorafenib/pazopanib and sildenafil was much more potent than sorafenib/pazopanib as single agents at preventing Adenovirus, Mumps, Chikungunya, Dengue, Rabies, West Nile, Yellow Fever, and Enterovirus 71 infection and reproduction. 'Rafenib drugs/pazopanib as single agents killed laboratory generated antibiotic resistant E. coli which was associated with reduced Dna K and Rec A expression. Marginally toxic doses of 'Rafenib drugs/pazopanib restored antibiotic sensitivity in pan-antibiotic resistant bacteria including multiple strains of blakpc Klebsiella pneumoniae. Thus, Dna K is an antibiotic target for sorafenib, and inhibition of GRP78/Dna K has therapeutic utility for cancer and for bacterial and viral infections.

Cytokines link osteoblasts and inflammation: microarray analysis of interleukin-17- and TNF-alpha-induced genes in bone cells.

The novel cytokine interleukin (IL)-17 has been implicated in many infectious and autoimmune settings, especially rheumatoid arthritis. Consistent with its proinflammatory effects on bone, osteoblast cells are highly responsive to IL-17, particularly in combination with other inflammatory cytokines. To better understand the spectrum of activities controlled by IL-17, we globally profiled genes regulated by IL-17 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in the preosteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1. Using Affymetrix microarrays, 80-90 genes were up-regulated, and 19-50 genes were down-regulated with IL-17 and TNF-alpha as compared with TNF-alpha alone. These included proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines, inflammatory genes, transcriptional regulators, bone-remodeling genes, signal transducers, cytoskeletal genes, genes involved in apoptosis, and several unknown or unclassified genes. The CXC family chemokines were most dramatically induced by IL-17 and TNF-alpha, confirming the role of IL-17 as a potent mediator of inflammation and neutrophil recruitment. Several transcription factor-related genes involved in inflammatory gene expression were also enhanced, including molecule possessing ankyrin repeats induced by lipopolysaccharide/inhibitor of kappaBzeta (MAIL/kappaBzeta), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (C/EBPdelta), and C/EBPbeta. We also identified the acute-phase gene lipocalin-2 (LCN2/24p3) as a novel IL-17 target, which is regulated synergistically by TNF-alpha and IL-17 at the level of its promoter. A similar but not identical pattern of genes was induced by IL-17 and TNF-alpha in ST2 bone marrow stromal cells and murine embryonic fibroblasts. This study provides a profile of genes regulated by IL-17 and TNF-alpha in osteoblasts and suggests that in bone, the major function of IL-17 is to cooperate and/or synergize with other cytokines to amplify inflammation.

The collagenase activity of Porphyromonas gingivalis is due to Arg-gingipain.

Degradation of type I collagen by Porphyromonas gingivalis was monitored by fluorogenic, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and growth assays. All three assays showed that inactivation of both the rgpA and rgpB genes was necessary to completely eliminate the capacity of P. gingivalis to cleave type I collagen. Leupeptin, an Arg-gingipain-specific protease inhibitor, almost completely inhibited collagen degradation by P. gingivalis cells whereas cathepsin B inhibitor II, a Lys-gingipain inhibitor, did not. A purified preparation of Arg-gingipains A and B hydrolyzed gelatin but did not cleave type I collagen, suggesting that the enzymes must be attached to the cell surface to exert collagenase activity. A number of substances used as adjuncts in periodontal therapy were also tested for their capacity to inhibit collagenase activity of P. gingivalis. Tetracycline, doxycycline, and chlorhexidine strongly inhibited collagenase activity.

Identification of a novel two-partner secretion locus in Moraxella catarrhalis.

Although Moraxella catarrhalis continues to be a significant cause of disease in both children and adults, the steps involved in pathogenesis remain poorly understood. We have identified three open reading frames in the M. catarrhalis genome that encode homologues of the two-partner secretion system (TPS). The sequenced M. catarrhalis hemagglutinin-like locus of strain 7169 has a unique gene organization composed in the order of mchA1, mchB, and mchA2, where mchA1 is divergent. MchA1 and MchA2 are 74% identical at the amino acid level and diverge only in the C-terminal regions. The TPS motif identified in the common N-terminal regions of MchA1 and MchA2 was found to be homologous to the filamentous hemagglutinin of Bordetella pertussis, and MchB has homology to other TpsB transporters. The presence of MchA1 and MchA2 in outer membrane protein preparations and concentrated culture supernatants (CCSs) of strain 7169 was confirmed by immunoblotting using specific antisera. Nanoscale liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry peptide sequencing of the antibody-reactive bands from the CCSs was performed and demonstrated that 13 different peptides mapped to identical regions of MchA1 and MchA2. Quantitative adherence assays revealed a decrease of binding to primary normal human bronchial epithelial cells by the mch mutants 7169mchB and 7169mchA1A2B compared to that by the wild-type strain. These studies show that MchA1, MchA2, and MchB are components of a novel TPS identified in M. catarrhalis and suggest that these proteins may be involved in colonization.

Binding of pro-matrix metalloproteinase 9 by Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum as a mechanism to promote the invasion of a reconstituted basement membrane.

In this study, we investigated the ability of Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum to increase its tissue-invasive potential by acquiring cell-associated human matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) activity. Binding of pro-MMP-9 to fusobacteria was demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Zymography and a colorimetric assay showed that bound pro-MMP-9 can be converted into a proteolytically active form. The potential contribution of this acquired host activity in tissue invasion was demonstrated using a reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel).

Effect of inactivation of the Arg- and/or Lys-gingipain gene on selected virulence and physiological properties of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Proteolytic enzymes produced by Porphyromonas gingivalis are thought to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gingipain cysteine proteinase gene inactivation on selected pathological and physiological functions of P. gingivalis. Our results showed that Arg- and Lys-gingipain activities are critical components for the efficient growth of P. gingivalis in human serum. However, when the serum was supplemented with peptides provided as pancreatic casein hydrolysate, the gingipains did not appear to be essential for growth. The effect of gingipain gene inactivation on the susceptibility of P. gingivalis to serum bactericidal activity was investigated using standardized human serum. The wild-type strain, P. gingivalis ATCC 33277, was largely unaffected by the bactericidal activity of human serum complement. On the other hand, mutants lacking Arg-gingipain A, Arg-gingipain B, or Lys-gingipain activity were susceptible to complement. Since gingipains are mostly located on the outer membrane of P. gingivalis, inactivation of the genes for these enzymes may modify cell surface properties. We showed that gingipain-deficient mutants differed in their capacities to assimilate radiolabeled amino acids, cause hemolysis, express adhesins, hemagglutinate, and form biofilms. Lastly, the gingipains, more specifically Arg-gingipains, were responsible for causing major cell damage to human gingival fibroblasts. In conclusion, our study indicated that, in addition to being critical in the pathogenic process, gingipains may play a variety of physiological roles in P. gingivalis, including controlling the expression and/or processing of virulence factors. Mutations in gingipain genes thus give rise to pleiotropic effects.