Metabolism and activation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Srinivasan.
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Bombesin (BN) is a 14-amino-acid neuropeptide with a high affinity for the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor. This receptor has been found to be expressed in a variety of tumours, including lung, breast, prostate and pancreas. A newly synthesized BN analogue, [DTPA-Pro(1),Tyr(4)]BN, was shown to be a high-affinity BN-receptor (BNR) agonist, stimulating prolactin secretion from 7315b cells with an IC(50) of 8 nM. The (111)In-labelled analogue was found to bind with high affinity to rat BNR in vitro and in vivo. The radioligand is internalized by BNR-expressing cells, in contrast to DTPA-conjugated BN antagonists. Therefore, we further studied the biodistribution of i.v. injected [(111)In-DTPA-Pro(1),Tyr(4)]BN in rats. High and specific uptake was found in tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, notably pancreas. Uptake of radioactivity was blocked by pre- or co-injection of 100 microgram [Tyr(4)]BN, but not when this was administered 30 min after the radioligand. This suggests BNR-mediated internalization of the radioligand within 30 min. The percentage injected dose (ID) taken up by BNR-positive tissues was a bell-shaped function of the amount (0.01-0.1 microgram) of injected ligand. Next to the pancreas, highest uptake was observed in the kidneys, which was not blocked by excess [Tyr(4)]BN. Dynamic gamma camera studies showed rapid clearance of radioactivity from the blood compartment. Urinary excretion amounted to about 35% ID after 1 hr and to 70% ID after 24 hr, with a total body retention of 10% ID. Specific uptake was found in the BNR-positive CA20948 pancreas tumour and CC531 colon carcinoma in tumour-bearing rats. The CA20948 tumour, inoculated in the hindleg, was also visualized scintigraphically. [(111)In-DTPA-Pro(1), Tyr(4)]BN appears to be a promising radioligand for scintigraphy of BNR-expressing tumours.
Many cell types undergo apoptosis under conditions of ischemia. Little is known, however, about the molecular pathways that mediate this response. A cellular and biochemical approach to elucidate such signaling pathways was undertaken in primary cultures of cardiac myocytes, a cell type that is especially sensitive to ischemia-induced apoptosis. Deprivation of serum and glucose, components of ischemia in vivo, resulted in myocyte apoptosis, as determined by nuclear fragmentation, internucleosomal cleavage of DNA, and processing of caspase substrates. These manifestations of apoptosis were blocked by zVAD-fmk, a peptide caspase inhibitor, indicating that caspase activity is necessary for the progression of apoptosis in this model. In contrast to control cells, apoptotic myocytes exhibited cytoplasmic accumulation of cytochrome c, indicating release from the mitochondria. Furthermore, both caspase-9 and caspase-3 were processed to their active forms in serum-/glucose-deprived myocytes. Caspase processing, but not cytochrome c release, was inhibited by zVAD-fmk, placing the latter event upstream of caspase activation. This evidence demonstrates that components of ischemia activate the mitochondrial death pathway in cardiac myocytes.
BACKGROUND: Cold ischemia/warm reperfusion (CI/WR) liver injury remains a problem in liver transplants. Sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) are a target of CI/WR injury, during which they undergo apoptosis. Because caspase proteases have been implicated in apoptosis, our aim was to determine whether liver CI/WR injury induces a caspase-dependent apoptosis of SEC. METHODS: Rat livers were stored in the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution for 24 hr at 4 degrees C and reperfused for 1 hr at 37 degrees C in vitro. Apoptosis was quantitated using the TUNEL assay, and caspase 3 activation determined by immunohistochemical analysis. Rat liver orthotopic liver transplants (OLT) were also performed using livers stored for 30 hr. RESULTS: Terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive hepatocytes were rare and did not increase during CI/WR injury. In contrast, TUNEL positive SEC increased 6-fold after reperfusion of livers stored under cold ischemic conditions, compared with controls or livers stored but not reperfused. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated active caspase 3 only in endothelial cells after CI/WR injury. When IDN-1965, a caspase inhibitor, was given i.v. to the donor animal and added to UW solution and the reperfusion media, TUNEL positive endothelial cells were reduced 63+/-11% (P<0.05). Similarly, the duration of survival after OLT was significantly increased in the presence of the inhibitor. CONCLUSION: During liver CI/WR injury: 1) selective apoptosis of endothelial cells occurs; 2) caspase 3 is activated only in endothelial cells; and 3) a caspase inhibitor reduces endothelial cell apoptosis and prolongs animal survival after OLT. The pharmacologic use of caspase inhibitors could prove useful in clinical transplantation.
Recently, we have shown that inhibition of caspase-3-like caspases is the most effective treatment strategy to protect adult rat retinal ganglion cells from secondary death following optic nerve transection. In the present study, we localized active caspase-3 in axotomized retinal ganglion cells in vivo and demonstrated a co-localization of the active p20 fragment and TUNEL-staining in some of these cells. In line with this, we detected an enhanced cleavage and activity of caspase-3 protein in retinal tissue after lesion, while caspase-3 mRNA expression remained unchanged. These data suggest caspase-3 as an important mediator of secondary retinal ganglion cell death following axotomy in vivo.
Lactoferrin is a monomeric glycoprotein with a molecular mass of approximately 80 kDa. The three-dimensional structure of mare diferric lactoferrin (mlf) has been determined at 2.6 A resolution. The protein crystallizes in the space group P 212121with a=85.2 A, b=99.5 A, c=103.1 A with a solvent content of 55 % (v/v). The structure was solved by the molecular replacement method using human diferric lactoferrin as the model. The structure has been refined using XPLOR to a final R -factor of 0.194 for all data in the 15-2.6 A resolution range. The amino acid sequence of mlf was determined using a cDNA method. The final refined model comprises 5281 protein atoms, 2 Fe3+, 2 CO32-and 112 water molecules. The overall folding of mlf is similar to that of other proteins of the transferrin family. The protein folds into two globular lobes, N and C. The lobes are further divided into two domains, N1 and N2, and C1 and C2. The iron-binding cleft is situated between the domains in each lobe. The N lobe appears to be well ordered and is more stable than the C lobe in mlf unlike in other lactoferrins, where the C lobe is the more stable. The opening of the binding cleft in the N lobe of mlf is narrower than those in other proteins of the transferrin family. This is very unusual and is found only in mare lactoferrin. Apart from certain hydrophobic interactions at the mouth of the cleft, one salt-bridge (Lys301 . . . . . . . . Glu216) crosses between the two walls of the cleft. The two lobes are connected covalently by a three-turn alpha-helix involving residues 334-344. The N lobe displays a highly ordered structure with appreciably low temperature factors. The iron coordination is more symmetrical in the N lobe than in the C lobe. There are only 16 intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the structure of mlf.
The 14-aminoacid peptide bombesin (BN) has a high affinity for the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor which is expressed by a variety of tumours. Thus, radiometal-labelled DTPA-BN derivatives are potentially useful radioligands for receptor-targeted scintigraphy and radiotherapy of BN receptor-expressing tumours. A number of such DTPA-BN analogues, [DTPA-D-Tyr6]BN(6-13)NHEt (Et=ethyl), [DTPA-Tyr5,D-Phe6]BN(5-13)NHEt, [DTPA-D-Phe6,Leu13psiPhe14]BN(6-14), [DTPA-Tyr5,D-Phe6,Leu13psiPhe14]BN(5-14), [DTPA-Pro1,Tyr4]BN and [DTPA-Pro1,Tyr4,Nle14]BN, were synthesized and studied for their binding characteristics to the BN receptor on 7315b rat pituitary tumour cell membranes in competition with [125I-Tyr4]BN. The effects of the BN analogues were determined on basal and BN-stimulated prolactin secretion by 7315b cells to distinguish between their agonistic and antagonistic characteristics. Internalization of selected (111)In-labelled BN analogues was studied using the BN receptor-positive 7315b pituitary tumour and the CA20948 and AR42J exocrine pancreas tumour cell lines. The tissue distribution of these (111)In-labelled BN analogues was investigated in 7315b tumour-bearing rats. Two DTPA-conjugated analogues, the antagonist [DTPA-Tyr5,D-Phe6]BN(5-13)NHEt and the agonist [DTPA-Pro1,Tyr4]BN showed the highest affinity for the BN receptor on 7315b cell membranes. Despite similar affinity for the BN receptor, the (111)In-labelled agonist, but not the antagonist, was internalized by the BN receptor-positive tumour cells. Consonant with this observation, the agonist [(111)In-DTPA-Pro1,Tyr4]BN showed much higher specific uptake in BN receptor-positive tissues and tumour than the antagonist [(111)In-DTPA-Tyr5,D-Phe6]BN(5-13)NHEt, with concordant target to background ratios. We conclude that [(111)In-DTPA-Pro1,Tyr4]BN has promising characteristics for applications in nuclear medicine.
Apoptotic changes of the nucleus induced by Fas (Apo1/CD95) stimulation are completely blocked by reducing intracellular ATP level. In this study, we examined the ATP-dependent step(s) of Fas-mediated apoptotic signal transduction using two cell lines. In SKW6.4 (type I) cells characterized by rapid formation of the death-inducing signaling complex on Fas treatment, the activation of caspases 8, 9, and 3, cleavage of DFF45 (ICAD), and release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm were not affected by reduction of intracellular ATP, although chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation were inhibited. On the other hand, in the Fas-mediated apoptosis of Jurkat (type II) cells, which is characterized by involvement of mitochondria and, thus, shares signal transduction mechanisms with apoptosis induced by other stimuli such as genotoxins, activation of the three caspases, cleavage of DFF45 (ICAD), and nuclear changes were blocked by reduction of intracellular ATP, whereas release of cytochrome c was not affected. These results suggested that the ATP-dependent step(s) of Fas-mediated apoptotic signal transduction in type I cells are only located downstream of caspase 3 activation, whereas the activation of caspase 9 by released cytochrome c is the most upstream ATP-dependent step in type II cells. These observations also confirm the existence of two pathways for Fas-mediated apoptotic signal transduction and suggest that the Apaf-1 (Ced-4 homologue) system for caspase 9 activation operates in an ATP-dependent manner in vivo.
Previous studies have shown that modification of the somatostatin analogue octreotide (OC), by substitution of tyrosine for phenylalanine at position 3 and of a C-terminal carboxylic acid for an alcohol, to give Tyr3-octreotate (Y3-TATE) improved uptake of the peptide in somatostatin receptor-positive tissues. To determine which substitution best accounts for increased target tissue uptake, the peptides containing single modifications, Tyr3-octreotide (Y3-OC) and octreotate (TATE), were synthesized. These peptides were conjugated to the macrocyclic chelating agent 1,4,8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid (TETA) and radiolabeled with 64Cu(II). The in vitro receptor binding, in vitro tumor cell uptake, and in vivo distribution properties of 64Cu-labeled TETA-Y3-OC and TETA-TATE were compared to those of [64Cu]TETA-OC and [64Cu]TETA-Y3-TATE. Cu-TETA-TATE (IC50 = 0.297 +/- 0.0055 nM) and Cu-TETA-Y3-TATE (IC50 = 0.308 +/- 0.0375 nM) displayed significantly higher binding affinity to somatostatin receptors on CA20948 rat pancreatic tumor membranes than Cu-TETA-Y3-OC (IC50 = 0.397 +/- 0.0206 nM) and Cu-TETA-OC (IC50 = 0. 498 +/- 0.039 nM). Similarly, the uptakes of [64Cu]TETA-Y3-TATE (60. 75 +/- 1.21%) and [64Cu]TETA-TATE (55.62 +/- 0.16%) into AR42J rat pancreatic tumor cells over a 2-h time period were higher than those of [64Cu]TETA-Y3-OC (47.20 +/- 1.20%) and [64Cu]TETA-OC (34.07 +/- 2. 24%). The in vitro results suggest that the C-terminal carboxylate may contribute more to enhanced receptor binding and tumor cell uptake than the substitution at the 3-position. Biodistributions in CA20948 tumor-bearing rats showed receptor-mediated uptake of the 64Cu-labeled peptides in somatostatin-rich tissues, including the pituitary, adrenals, pancreas, and tumor. The structure-activity relationships of the four 64Cu-labeled peptides did not show consistent trends in all target tissues, but [64Cu]TETA-Y3-TATE exhibited tumor uptake 1.75-3.5 times higher than the other derivatives at 4 h postinjection. The greater tumor retention of [64Cu]TETA-Y3-TATE justifies the selection of this agent for future PET imaging and targeted radiotherapy studies.
Treatment with NGF causes long-term cultures of oligodendrocytes to die via a yet undefined mechanism mediated by the p75 neurotrophin receptor. The p75 receptor belongs to the TNF receptor superfamily of molecules, which includes Fas and p55 TNF receptors. The Fas and TNF receptors use adaptor molecules to recruit and activate caspase-8 to the receptor. Using a combination of immunohistochemical and Western blotting assays, we have examined caspase activity during NGF-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, although caspase-1 [interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE)], caspase-2, caspase-3, and caspase-8 were expressed in oligodendrocytes, only caspase-1, -2, and -3 were activated after NGF treatment, whereas caspase-8 was not. These data suggest that the mechanism of apoptosis by NGF through the p75 receptor is different from TNF and Fas-mediated killing. gamma Radiation of oligodendrocytes also activated a similar subset of caspases as NGF, indicating that NGF-induced oligodendrocyte apoptosis uses a similar cell death execution mechanism as injury models. This consolidates a potential role of the p75 neurotrophin receptor during stress and inflammatory conditions.
Genetic and biochemical analyses of the Gag protein of HIV-1 indicate a crucial role for this protein in several functions related to viral replication, including viral assembly. It has been suggested that Gag may fulfill some of the functions by recruiting host cellular protein(s). In our effort to identify structural and functional homologies between Gag and cellular cytoskeletal and secretory proteins involved in transport, we observed that HIV-1 Gag contains a unique PGQM motif in the capsid region. This motif was initially noted in the regulatory domain of synexin the membrane fusion protein of Xenopus laevis. To evaluate the functional significance of the highly conserved PGQM motif, we introduced alanine (A) in place of individual residues of the PGQM and deleted the motif altogether in a Gag expression plasmid and in an HIV-1 proviral DNA. The proviral DNA containing mutations in the PGQM motif showed altered expression, assembly, and release of viral particles in comparison to parental (NL4-3) DNA. When tested in multiple- and single-round replication assays, the mutant viruses exhibited distinct replication phenotypes; the viruses containing the A for the G and Q residues failed to replicate, whereas A in place of the P and M residues did not inhibit viral replication. Deletion of the tetrapeptide also resulted in the inhibition of replication. These results suggest that the PGQM motif may play an important role in the infection process of HIV-1 by facilitating protein-protein interactions between viral and/or viral and cellular proteins.
Vpr, a 96 amino acid protein, encoded by the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1), is important for efficient infection of mononuclear phagocytic cells. These cells are abundant in whole bone marrow, which can easily be cultured in vitro to support hematopoiesis. Our experiments indicate that Vpr plays a role in the potent activation of murine and human mononuclear phagocytic cells within a hematopoietic microenvironment. In murine cultures, avid erythrophagocytosis is triggered by transduction of marrow cells with supernatant derived from PA317 cells transfected with a murine retroviral delivery vector bearing a Vpr expression cassette. Supernatants derived from cells transfected with the same vector carrying sequences for the expression of other relevant viral and nonviral proteins do not induce erythrophagocytosis to any marked degree. The effect on human marrow cells is similar, where treatment promotes adhesion of mononuclear phagocytic cells to culture plates in association with other nucleated and nonnucleated cells that undergo subsequent engulfment. The differential effects of Vpr point and deletion mutants in both marrow culture systems fortify the view that the effect is specific to HIV-1 Vpr. Addition of low molar quantities of purified Vpr to marrow cultures is also capable of promoting cell adhesion and phagocytosis, suggesting that extracellular Vpr is the effector of the phenomenon. Accelerated phagocytosis is a hallmark of promonocyte, monocyte, and macrophage activation and its occurrence within a hematopoietic microenvironment may account for critical in vivo pathogenic features of HIV-1 infection. First, activation of mononuclear phagocytes may promote productive viral infection; and second, premature phagocytosis could provide, at least in part, a molecular explanation for the induction of the idiopathic cytopenias that are typical of individuals infected with HIV-1.
The mechanism by which membrane-bound Bcl-2 inhibits the activation of cytoplasmic procaspases is unknown. Here we characterize an intracellular, membrane-associated form of procaspase-3 whose activation is controlled by Bcl-2. Heavy membranes isolated from control cells contained a spontaneously activatable caspase-3 zymogen. In contrast, in Bcl-2 overexpressing cells, although the caspase-3 zymogen was still associated with heavy membranes, its spontaneous activation was blocked. However, Bcl-2 expression had little effect on the levels of cytoplasmic caspase activity in unstimulated cells. Furthermore, the membrane-associated caspase-3 differed from cytosolic caspase-3 in its responsiveness to activation by exogenous cytochrome c. Our results demonstrate that intracellular membranes can generate active caspase-3 by a Bcl-2-inhibitable mechanism, and that control of caspase activation in membranes is distinct from that observed in the cytoplasm. These data suggest that Bcl-2 may control cytoplasmic events in part by blocking the activation of membrane-associated procaspases.
The crystal structure of a bifunctional inhibitor of alpha-amylase and trypsin from the seeds of ragi (Indian finger millet, Eleusine coracana Gaertneri) has been determined by an X-ray diffraction method. The inhibitor consists of 122 amino acids with five disulfide bridges and belongs to the plant alpha-amylase/trypsin-inhibitor family. This is the first crystal structure determination of a member of this family. The protein, purified from the seeds of ragi, has a molecular mass of 13300 Da with a pI of 10.3. Crystals were grown by a microdialysis method using ammonium sulfate as precipitant. The improved purification protocol and the modified crystallization conditions enabled reproducible growth of the crystals. The cell parameters are a = 41. 2, b = 47.4, c = 55.9 A. The intensity data were collected to 2.9 A resolution, and the crystal structure was determined using the molecular-replacement method. The structure was refined using the X-PLOR and CCP4 program packages to a conventional R factor of 21%. The structure contains four alpha-helices between residues 19-29, 37-51, 56-65 and 90-95, and two short antiparallel beta-strands between residues 67-70 and 73-75.
Ceramide has been implicated as a second messenger in intracellular signaling pathways leading to apoptosis in nonhepatic cells. To determine whether ceramide can mediate hepatocyte apoptosis, the cytotoxicity of ceramide was determined in rat hepatocytes. The rat hepatocyte cell line, RALA255-10G, and primary rat hepatocytes were completely resistant to toxicity from 10 to 100 micromol/L C2 ceramide. Resistance was not the result of a failure to take up ceramide, because ceramide treatment did cause nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation. Because ceramide may mediate cell death from tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), the ability of RNA synthesis inhibition and NF-kappaB inactivation to sensitize hepatocytes to ceramide toxicity was examined. RALA hepatocytes were sensitized to ceramide toxicity by coadministration of actinomycin D (ActD). Cell death occurred by apoptosis as determined by the presence of morphological evidence of apoptosis, caspase activation, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) degradation, and DNA hypoploidy. Despite the induction of apoptosis associated with caspase activation, cell death from ActD/ceramide was not blocked by caspase inhibition. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activation also sensitized RALA hepatocytes to ceramide toxicity, but to a lesser extent than for TNF-alpha. Thus, unlike many nonhepatic cell types, rat hepatocytes are resistant to cell death from ceramide because of the transcriptionally dependent up-regulation of a protective gene(s). The ability of ActD and NF-kappaB inactivation to sensitize RALA hepatocytes to ceramide toxicity suggests that ceramide may act as a downstream mediator of TNF-alpha toxicity.
Neuronal loss is prominent in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its mechanisms remain unresolved. Apoptotic cell death has been implicated on the basis of studies demonstrating DNA fragmentation and an up-regulation of proapoptotic proteins in the AD brain. However, DNA fragmentation in neurons is too frequent to account for the continuous neuronal loss in a degenerative disease extending over many years. Furthermore, the typical apoptotic morphology has not been convincingly documented in AD neurons with fragmented DNA. We report the detection of the activated form of caspase-3, the central effector enzyme of the apoptotic cascade, in AD and Down's syndrome (DS) brain using an affinity-purified antiserum. In AD and DS, single neurons with apoptotic morphology showed cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for activated caspase-3, whereas no neurons were labeled in age-matched controls. Apoptotic neurons were identified at an approximate frequency of 1 in 1100 to 5000 neurons in the cases examined. Furthermore, caspase-3 immunoreactivity was detected in granules of granulovacuolar degeneration. Our results provide direct evidence for apoptotic neuronal death in AD with a frequency compatible with the progression of neuronal degeneration in this chronic disease and identify autophagic vacuoles of granulovacuolar degeneration as possible means for the protective segregation of early apoptotic alterations in the neuronal cytoplasm.
Radiolabeled somatostatin analogs have demonstrated potential as cancer therapeutic agents. Many of these agents are based on the analog octreotide (OC). Recently it has been shown that substitution of a tyrosine for phenylalanine in the 3-position and changing the C-terminus from an alcohol to an acid improves the targeting of somatostatin-rich tissues. The compound, 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid-Tyr3-octreotate (TETA-Y3-TATE), was synthesized and radiolabeled with 64Cu. The receptor binding properties of 64Cu-TETA-Y3-TATE showed an estimated Kd value of 549 pM in somatostatin receptor-positive CA20948 tissue membrane. High tumor uptake was observed in two animal tumor models. Tumor uptakes of 2.37 %ID/g in CA20948 tumor-bearing rats and 21.60 %ID/g in AR42J tumor-bearing SCID mice were observed at 1 h, compared with 1.09 %ID/g and 11.24 %ID/g for 64Cu-TETA-OC. Higher uptake in other somatostatin-receptor rich tissues was also observed, compared with 64Cu-TETA-OC. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with 64Cu-TETA-Y3-TATE in a baboon showed significant uptake in the pituitary and adrenals, and clearance through the kidneys. 64Cu-TETA-Y3-TATE, a new OC analog for binding somatostatin receptors, demonstrated significantly greater uptake in somatostatin-rich tissues in two tumor-bearing animal models, and demonstrated great potential as a radiopharmaceutical for imaging and therapy of somatostatin receptor-positive tissues.