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O Ullrich

Publications and source records attributed to O Ullrich.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Close localization of DAP-kinase positive tumour-associated macrophages and apoptotic colorectal cancer cells.

The death-associated protein kinase (DAP-kinase) is a cytoskeleton-associated protein crucially involved in the induction of early apoptotic pathways. Aberrant hypermethylation of the DAP-kinase promoter plays a major role in tumorigenesis. We aimed to investigate the inactivation of DAP-kinase and its association with apoptotic cell death in 94 colorectal carcinomas. DAP-kinase promoter hypermethylation and mRNA expression were investigated using methylation-specific PCR and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. The expression of DAP-kinase, Fas, and Fas-ligand (FasL) proteins was studied by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Apoptosis of tumour cells was investigated using the TUNEL assay. DAP-kinase was expressed in tumour cells and tumour-invading macrophages and was closely associated with high numbers of apoptotic tumour cells. DAP-kinase expression co-localized with FasL overexpression in tumour-associated macrophages, and aberrant promoter hypermethylation was verified in more than 50% of carcinomas. There was a tendency for proximal tumours to show DAP-kinase promoter methylation more frequently (p = 0.07). Promoter methylation resulted in a decrease or loss of DAP-kinase protein expression in tumour cells and tumour-associated macrophages. Simultaneously, a decreased apoptotic count and loss of Fas/FasL expression was observed in tumour cells. Our study is the first to demonstrate DAP-kinase expression in invading tumour-associated macrophages in colorectal cancer. The presence of similar expression levels of DAP-kinase in tumour cells and associated macrophages, and their dependence on the promoter methylation status of the tumour cells, suggests cross talk between these cell types during apoptotic cell death.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Multiple receptors mediate apoJ-dependent clearance of cellular debris into nonprofessional phagocytes.

Phagocytosis of apoptotic, senescent, and dying cells by macrophages is a well characterized process. More recently it has been shown that in addition to macrophages vital neighboring cells in the affected tissue participate in the cellular clearance. While scavenger receptors have been shown to mediate uptake into macrophages, it is poorly understood how cellular debris is internalized by nonprofessional phagocytes. We here analyze the endocytic activity of vital fibroblasts and epithelial cells exposed to cellular debris and membrane remnants. We show a mutual stimulation in the endocytosis of debris and apolipoproteinJ (clusterin) in these cells. Experiments using RAP (receptor-associated protein) to block ligand binding to LRP and megalin as well as studies in LRP- and megalin-deficient cells suggest that the uptake of apoJ and cellular debris is mediated by megalin, LRP, and yet unidentified internalization mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Proteasomal degradation of oxidatively damaged endogenous histones in K562 human leukemic cells.

A number of antitumor drugs act via the oxidation of nuclear material in the tumor cell. It is therefore important to know if tumor cells can effectively and precisely cope not only with oxidatively induced DNA damage, but also with nuclear protein oxidation. In this study, we investigated the endogenous degradation of oxidatively damaged histones in K562 human leukemic cells after oxidative challenge and demonstrated a link to the overall cellular stress response pathways by poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase (PARP). After an oxidative challenge, endogenous nuclear protein degradation, as well as histone degradation, was enhanced. Among the histone fractions, histone H1 revealed the highest degradation rate, and more than 85% of the total degraded H1 disappeared in the first 30 min after oxidative challenge. Short-term degradation of histones up to 30 min, as well as long-term degradation up to 48 h after oxidative challenge, was significantly reduced in the presence of the PARP inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide, and nearly completely abrogated by the selective proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. Immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that the proteasome specifically degraded oxidized histones. Thus, we show that the nuclear proteosome system in tumor cells is capable of preventing the accumulation of oxidized proteins in this compartment and may suggest further treatment strategies to effectively interfere with the protein "repair" and replacement strategies of tumor cells.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed2001

Regulation of the nuclear proteasome activity in myelomonocytic human leukemia cells after adriamycin treatment.

Treatment of different human leukemia cell variants with the anthracycline adriamycin was associated with a rapid activation of the proteasome. Thus, proliferating U937, TUR, and retrodifferentiated U937 cells exhibited a 4.3-fold, 5.8-fold, and 4.3-fold proteasome activation within 15 minutes after adriamycin treatment, respectively. In contrast, little if any proteasome activation was detectable in a growth-arrested differentiated U937 population following adriamycin treatment. Further analysis of this mechanism revealed a significant reduction of adriamycin-induced proteasome activity after inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by 3-aminobenzamide (3-ABA) in the proliferating leukemic cell types. These findings suggested that PARP is involved in the regulation of drug-induced proteasome activation. Indeed, anti-PARP immunoprecipitation experiments of adriamycin-treated cells revealed increasing levels of coprecipitated, enzymatically active proteasome particularly in the proliferating cell variants in contrast to the differentiated U937 cells, with a maximum after 15 minutes, and sensitivity to PARP inhibition by 3-ABA. The specific role of the PARP was investigated in U937 and TUR cell clones stably transfected with a constitutively active antisense PARP (asPARP) vector. Thus, asPARP-TUR cells developed a 25-fold increased sensitivity to adriamycin treatment. Furthermore, we investigated leukemic blasts isolated from acute myelogenous leukemia patients and obtained a similarly enhanced proteasome activity after adriamycin treatment, which was dependent on the PARP and thus could be coprecipitated with anti-PARP antibodies. Transient transfection of leukemic blasts with the asPARP vector significantly reduced the adriamycin-induced proteasome activation. These data suggest that the PARP-associated nuclear proteasome activation represents a potential target within chemotherapeutic defense mechanisms developed by leukemia cells.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2001

Regulation of microglial expression of integrins by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1.

Excitotoxic brain lesions initially result in the primary destruction of brain parenchyma, after which microglial cells migrate towards the sites of injury. At these sites, the cells produce large quantities of oxygen radicals and cause secondary damage that accounts for most of the loss of brain function. Here we show that this microglial migration is strongly controlled in living brain tissue by expression of the integrin CD11a, regulated by the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) through the formation of a nuclear PARP-NF-kappaB-protein complex. Downregulation of PARP or CD11a by transfection with antisense DNA abrogated microglial migration almost completely and prevented neurons from secondary damage.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Hydrogen peroxide-induced structural alterations of RNAse A.

Proteins exposed to oxidative stress are degraded via proteolytic pathways. In the present study, we undertook a series of in vitro experiments to establish a correlation between the structural changes induced by mild oxidation of the model protein RNase A and the proteolytic rate found upon exposure of the modified protein toward the isolated 20 S proteasome. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used as a structure-sensitive probe. We report here strong experimental evidence for oxidation-induced conformational rearrangements of the model protein RNase A and, at the same time, for covalent modifications of amino acid side chains. Oxidation-related conformational changes, induced by H(2)O(2) exposure of the protein may be monitored in the amide I region, which is sensitive to changes in protein secondary structure. A comparison of the time- and H(2)O(2) concentration-dependent changes in the amide I region demonstrates a high degree of similarity to spectral alterations typical for temperature-induced unfolding of RNase A. In addition, spectral parameters of amino acid side chain marker bands (Tyr, Asp) revealed evidence for covalent modifications. Proteasome digestion measurements on oxidized RNase A revealed a specific time and H(2)O(2) concentration dependence; at low initial concentration of the oxidant, the RNase A turnover rate increases with incubation time and concentration. Based on these experimental findings, a correlation between structural alterations detected upon RNase A oxidation and proteolytic rates of RNase A is established, and possible mechanisms of the proteasome recognition process of oxidatively damaged proteins are discussed.

Hydrogen Peroxide↗
PubMed2000

Proteasome activation by poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase in human myelomonocytic cells after oxidative stress.

Cytotoxic action of a variety of antitumor drugs generate oxidatively modified proteins that are predominantly metabolized via the proteasome. In the present study, a differentiation-retrodifferentiation cell system was exposed to oxidative stress by hydrogen peroxide treatment. Thus, the activity of the nuclear proteasome in proliferating human U937 leukemic cells increased by 2.5-fold after hydrogen peroxide treatment. In contrast, growth-arrested differentiated U937 cells demonstrated 40% less constitutive proteasomal activity, which was not inducible after hydrogen peroxide exposure. After a retrodifferentiation process, however, in which differentiated U937 cells resume autonomous growth again, the proteasomal activity was indistinguishable from that in U937 control cells, both constitutively and after induction of oxidative stress. Moreover, cells of TUR, a differentiation-resistant U937 subclone, expressed an elevated constitutive proteasomal activity that increased by 2.5-fold after oxidative stress. Immunoblot analysis revealed that these differences in proteasomal activities did not correlate with proteasome protein expression but with protein levels of the nuclear enzyme poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase (PARP). Further studies using specific PARP inhibitors revealed that the noninducible proteasome activity in differentiated U937 cells was PARP independent, whereas the increased activity level in oxidatively stressed TUR cells was downregulated upon PARP inhibition. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated a protein-protein interaction of the functional active PARP with the proteasome in correlation with the proteasome activity. Similar results were obtained by analyzing protein carbonyls after oxidative stress. Taken together, these data suggest that proliferating, rather than growth-arrested, cells metabolize oxidatively damaged nuclear proteins via the proteasome by expressing high levels of PARP.

Cell Differentiation↗
PubMed2000

Differential impairment of 20S and 26S proteasome activities in human hematopoietic K562 cells during oxidative stress.

The 20S proteasome and the 26S proteasome are major components of the cytosolic and nuclear proteasomal proteolytic systems. Since proteins are known to be highly susceptible targets for reactive oxygen species, the effect of H(2)O(2) treatment of K562 human hematopoietic cells toward the activities of 20S and 26S proteasomes was investigated. While the ATP-independent degradation of the fluorogenic peptide suc-LLVY-MCA was not affected by H(2)O(2) concentrations of up to 5 mM, the ATP-stimulated degradation of suc-LLVY-MCA by the 26S proteasome began to decline at 400 microM and was completely abolished at 1 mM oxidant treatment. A combination of nondenaturing electrophoresis and Western blotting let us believe that the high oxidant susceptibility of the 26S proteasome is due to oxidation of essential amino acids in the proteasome activator PA 700 which mediates the ATP-dependent proteolysis of the 26S-proteasome. The activity of the 26S-proteasome could be recovered within 24 h after exposure of cells to 1 mM H(2)O(2) but not after 2 mM H(2)O(2). In view of the specific functions of the 26S proteasome in cell cycle control and other important physiological functions, the consequences of the higher susceptibility of this protease toward oxidative stress needs to be considered.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed2000

Mobilization of late-endosomal cholesterol is inhibited by Rab guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor.

Cholesterol entering cells in low-density lipoproteins (LDL) via receptor-mediated endocytosis is transported to organelles of the late endocytic pathway for degradation of the lipoprotein particles. The fate of the free cholesterol released remains poorly understood, however. Recent observations suggest that late-endosomal cholesterol sequestration is regulated by the dynamics of lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA)-rich membranes [1]. Genetic studies have pinpointed a protein, Niemann-Pick C-1 (NPC-1), that is required for the mobilization of late-endosomal/lysosomal cholesterol by an unknown mechanism [2]. Here, we report the removal of accumulated cholesterol by overexpression of the NPC-1 protein in NPC-1-deficient fibroblasts from patients with Niemann-Pick disease, and in normal fibroblasts upon release of a progesterone-induced block of cholesterol transport. We show that late-endosomal/lysosomal cholesterol mobilization is specifically inhibited by microinjection of Rab GDP-dissociation inhibitor (Rab-GDI). Moreover, clearance of the cholesterol deposits by NPC-1 in patients' fibroblasts is accompanied by the redistribution of LBPA and of a lysosomal hydrolase that utilizes the mannose-6-phosphate receptor. Our results reveal, for the first time, the involvement of a specific molecular component of the membrane-trafficking machinery in cholesterol transport and the coupling of late-endosomal cholesterol egress to the trafficking of other lipid and protein cargo.

Cell Line↗
PubMed2000

[beta-Catenine as a genomic target of high-grade microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer].

AIMS: Various inherited and acquired alterations affecting the genes and gene products of the WNT pathway appear to be involved in the different molecular routes leading to colorectal cancer (CRC). This study was initiated to investigate the prevalence of somatic mutations in the beta-catenin gene (CTNNB1) and the associated pathology in CRC with defective DNA mismatch repair. METHODS: Paraffin and/or frozen sections of 33 primary CRC (including any liver and lymph node metastases present) with high-grade microsatellite instability (MSI-H; i.e. with > or = 5 unstable microsatellite markers of 10 tested) were polytopically fractionated by microdissection. Genomic and c-DNA samples were sequenced across exons 2-4 of CTNNB1 and the expression patterns of beta-catenin (beta-C) analyzed by immunohistology and Western blotting. RESULTS: Seven somatic mutations affecting phosphorylation sites of exon 3 (2 deletions also encompassing parts of either intron 2 or exon 4 [delta X2/3 bzw. delta X3/4] and 5 missense mutations [2 x T41A, 2 x S45F, S45P]) were identified. Two mutations (delta X3/4 and S45F) were concordantly present in CRC primaries and their respective metastases whereas the S45P mutation was restricted to a hepatic metastasis. In the delta X2/3 CRC primary only a shortened 66 kD CTNNB1 gene product was present while its associated liver metastasis showed a total loss of beta-C expression. CONCLUSIONS: Both exon 3 and the entire locus coding for beta-C are somatically altered in approximately 20% of CRC with MSI-H at different stages of tumor progression. Thus CTNNB1 appears to be a genomic target for complex oncogenic mutations and deletional processes in a substantial fraction of this molecular subset of CRC.

Cadherins↗
PubMed1999

Functional interaction of poly(ADP-ribose) with the 20S proteasome in vitro.

The nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribosyl) transferase (pADPRT) catalyzes the formation of poly(ADP-ribose) from NAD+. Several nuclear proteins and pADPRT itself are targets for the modification by poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. It is demonstrated here that poly(ADP-ribose) or pADPRT automodified with poly(ADP-ribose) interacts noncovalently with the 20S proteasome in vitro. The interaction of pADPRT with the 20S proteasome requires the long ADP-ribose polymers formed by automodification of the pADPRT with poly(ADP-ribose). As a result pADPRT automodified with short ADP-ribose oligomers is unable to associate with the 20S proteasome. The interaction with poly(ADP-ribose) causes a specific stimulation of the peptidase activity of the 20S proteasome. Modified pADPRT does not serve as a substrate for the degradation by the 20S proteasome. No covalent modification of the 20S proteasome by ADP-ribosylation was observed. The results may point to a functional relationship between pADPRT and the 20S proteasome in a pathway protecting the cell from oxidative damage.

Cysteine Endopeptidases↗
PubMed1999

Poly-ADP ribose polymerase activates nuclear proteasome to degrade oxidatively damaged histones.

The 20S proteasome has been shown to be largely responsible for the degradation of oxidatively modified proteins in the cytoplasm. Nuclear proteins are also subject to oxidation, and the nucleus of mammalian cells contains proteasome. In human beings, tumor cells frequently are subjected to oxidation as a consequence of antitumor chemotherapy, and K562 human myelogenous leukemia cells have a higher nuclear proteasome activity than do nonmalignant cells. Adaptation to oxidative stress appears to be one element in the development of long-term resistance to many chemotherapeutic drugs and the mechanisms of inducible tumor resistance to oxidation are of obvious importance. After hydrogen peroxide treatment of K562 cells, degradation of the model proteasome peptide substrate suc-LLVY-MCA and degradation of oxidized histones in nuclei increases significantly within minutes. Both increased proteolytic susceptibility of the histone substrates (caused by modification by oxidation) and activation of the proteasome enzyme complex occur independently during oxidative stress. This rapid up-regulation of 20S proteasome activity is accompanied by, and depends on, poly-ADP ribosylation of the proteasome, as shown by inhibitor experiments, 14C-ADP ribose incorporation assays, immunoblotting, in vitro reconstitution experiments, and immunoprecipitation of (activated) proteasome with anti-poly-ADP ribose polymerase antibodies. The poly-ADP ribosylation-mediated activated nuclear 20S proteasome is able to remove oxidatively damaged histones more efficiently and therefore is proposed as an oxidant-stimulatable defense or repair system of the nucleus in K562 leukemia cells.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1999

Influence of DNA binding on the degradation of oxidized histones by the 20S proteasome.

The 20S proteasome is localized in the cytosol and nuclei of mammalian cells. Previous work has shown that the cytosolic 20S proteasome is largely responsible for the selective recognition and degradation of oxidatively damaged cytosolic proteins. Since nuclear proteins are also susceptible to oxidative damage (e.g., from metabolic free radical production, ionizing radiation, xenobiotics, chemotherapy) we investigated the degradation of oxidatively damaged histones, in the presence and in the absence of DNA, by the 20S proteasome. We find that both soluble histones and DNA-bound histones are susceptible to selective proteolytic degradation by the 20S proteasome following mild oxidative damage. In contrast, more severe oxidative damage actually decreases the proteolytic susceptibility of histones. Soluble H1 showed the highest basal and maximal absolute proteolytic rates. Histone fraction H4 exhibited the greatest relative increase in proteolytic susceptibility following oxidation, almost 14-fold, and this occurred at a peroxide exposure of 5 mM. At the other end of the spectrum, histone H2A exhibited a maximal proteolytic response to H2O2 of only 6-fold, and this required an H2O2 exposure of 15 mM. An oxidation of reconstituted linear DNA plasmid-histone complex makes up to 95% of the histones bound to DNA susceptible to degradation, whereas undamaged protein-DNA complexes are not substrates for the proteasome. Severe oxidation by high concentrations of H2O2 appears to decreases the proteolytic susceptibility of histones due to the formation of cross-linked histone-DNA aggregates which appear to inhibit the proteasome. We conclude that the degradation of nuclear proteins is highly selective and requires prior damage of the substrate protein, such as that caused by oxidation.

Cysteine Endopeptidases↗
PubMed1999

Degradation of hypochlorite-damaged glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by the 20S proteasome.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was treated with various concentrations of hypochlorite, which is produced by myeloperoxidase and is one of the most important oxidants during inflammatory processes. Inhibition of enzymatic activity, protein fragmentation, and proteolytic susceptibility toward the isolated 20S proteasome of G6PD were investigated. With rising hypochlorite concentrations, an increased proteasomal degradation of G6PD was measured. This occurred at higher hypochlorite concentrations than G6PD inactivation and at lower levels than G6PD fragmentation. The proteolytic activities of the 20S proteasome itself was determined by degradation of oxidized model proteins and cleavage of the synthetic proteasome substrate suc-LLVY-MCA. Proteasome activities remained intact at hypochlorite concentrations in which G6PD is maximally susceptible to proteasomal degradation. Only higher hypochlorite concentrations could decrease the proteolytic activities of the proteasome, which was accompanied by disintegration and fragmentation of the proteasome and proteasome subunits. Therefore, we conclude that the 20S proteasome can degrade proteins moderately damaged by hypochlorite and could contribute to an increased protein turnover in cells exposed to inflammatory stress.

Coumarins↗
PubMed1999

Biochemical analysis of distinct Rab5- and Rab11-positive endosomes along the transferrin pathway.

Rab GTPases are associated with distinct cellular compartments and function as specific regulators of intracellular transport. In the endocytic pathway, it is well documented that Rab5 regulates transport from plasma membrane to early (sorting) endosomes. In contrast, little is known about the precise localization and function of Rab4 and Rab11, which are believed to control endocytic recycling. In the present study we have analysed the protein composition of Rab5- and Rab11-carrying endosomes to gain further insight into the compartmental organization of the endocytic and recycling pathway. Endosome populations of this transport route were purified by immunoadsorption from endosome-enriched subcellular fractions using antibodies directed against the cytoplasmic tail of the transferrin receptor, Rab5 or Rab11. Endocytosed transferrin moved sequentially through compartments that could be immunoadsorbed with anti-Rab5 and anti-Rab11, consistent with the theory that Rab5 and Rab11 localise to sorting and recycling endosomes, respectively. These compartments exhibited morphological differences, as determined by electron microscopy. Although their overall protein compositions were very similar, some proteins were found to be selectively enriched. While Rab4 was present on all endosome populations, Rab5 and Rab11 were strikingly segregated. Furthermore, the Rab11-positive endosomes were rich in annexin II, actin and the t-SNARE syntaxin 13, compared to Rab5-containing endosomes. In an in vitro assay, the Rab5 effector protein EEA1 was preferentially recruited by Rab5-positive endosomes. Taken together, our data suggest an organization of the transferrin pathway into distinct Rab5- and Rab11-positive compartments.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

In vitro fusion of phagosomes with different endocytic organelles from J774 macrophages.

We describe novel biochemical and electron microscopy assays to investigate in vitro fusion of latex bead phagosomes with three different endocytic organelle fractions from J774 macrophages. After formation, early phagosomes fuse avidly with early and late endosomes and for a longer period of time with lysosomes, but they subsequently become fusion-incompetent. The fusion of early, but not late, phagosomes with all three endocytic fractions could be significantly stimulated by Rab5. In contrast to other cell types investigated, this Rab is uniquely enriched on both early and late endosomes in J774 macrophages. Moreover, exogenous Rab5 stimulates homotypic fusion between both sets of organelles. This was shown by a quantitative electron microscopy fusion assay that can directly assay fusion between any combination of morphologically defined organelles. By the same approach, we discovered an unexpected Rab5-stimulatable fusion between early and late endosomes in J774, but not in BHK cells. Thus, in J774 cells both Rab5 and the endocytic pathway seem to have evolved additional functions not yet seen in nonphagocytic cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Comparative resistance of the 20S and 26S proteasome to oxidative stress.

Oxidatively modified ferritin is selectively recognized and degraded by the 20S proteasome. Concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) higher than 10 micromol/mg of protein are able to prevent proteolytic degradation. Exposure of the protease to high amounts of oxidants (H2O2, peroxynitrite and hypochlorite) inhibits the enzymic activity of the 20S proteasome towards the fluorogenic peptide succinyl-leucine-leucine-valine-tyrosine-methylcoumarylamide (Suc-LLVY-MCA), as well as the proteolytic degradation of normal and oxidant-treated ferritin. Fifty per cent inhibition of the degradation of the protein substrates was achieved using 40 micromol of H2O2/mg of proteasome. No change in the composition of the enzyme was revealed by electrophoretic analysis up to concentrations of 120 micromol of H2O2/mg of proteasome. In further experiments, it was found that the 26S proteasome, the ATP- and ubiquitin-dependent form of the proteasomal system, is much more susceptible to oxidative stress. Whereas degradation of the fluorogenic peptide, Suc-LLVY-MCA, by the 20S proteasome was inhibited by 50% with 12 micromol of H2O2/mg, 3 micromol of H2O2/mg was enough to inhibit ATP-stimulated degradation by the 26S proteasome by 50%. This loss in activity could be followed by the loss of band intensity in the non-denaturing gel. Therefore we concluded that the 20S proteasome was more resistant to oxidative stress than the ATP- and ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasome. Furthermore, we investigated the activity of both proteases in K562 cells after H2O2 treatment. Lysates from K562 cells are able to degrade oxidized ferritin at a higher rate than non-oxidized ferritin, in an ATP-independent manner. This effect could be followed even after treatment of the cells with H2O2 up to a concentration of 2mM. The lactacystin-sensitive ATP-stimulated degradation of the fluorogenic peptide Suc-LLVY-MCA declined, after treatment of the cells with 1mM H2O2, to the same level as that obtained without ATP stimulation. Therefore, we conclude that the regulation of the 20S proteasome by various regulators takes place during oxidative stress. This provides further evidence for the role of the 20S proteasome in the secondary antioxidative defences of mammalian cells.

Coumarins↗