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The present study has identified a population of cone photoreceptors in the murine retina that are uniquely immunoreactive for protein kinase C (PKC). Wavelength-sensitive cone subtypes are segregated along the dorso-ventral axis in the mouse retina with ventral retina occupied exclusively by ultraviolet wavelength-sensitive (UVWS) cones, and dorsal retina dominated by middle wavelength-sensitive cones. PKC-positive cones are found primarily in the ventral retina, and double-label immunocytochemistry using a short wavelength-sensitive opsin antibody confirms that they specifically correspond to the UVWS cone subtype. The PKC antibody, as documented in other mammals, also identifies rod bipolar cells in the mouse retina. UVWS cones and bipolar cells have previously been shown to share transcriptional regulatory elements, as observed in transgenic mice encoding a portion of the human SWS-opsin promoter controlling the lacZ reporter gene. In such mice, the transgene product, beta-galactosidase, is expressed in populations of both cones and bipolar cells. The present study confirms that lacZ-expressing photoreceptors are indeed PKC-positive photoreceptors, but that the lacZ-expressing bipolar cells are not the PKC-positive rod bipolar cells. These cells must correspond to a type of cone bipolar cell.
S-Modulin shows a higher affinity for urea-stripped frog rod outer segment membranes than s26 (a cone homologue of S-modulin). NaCl at a concentration of several hundred millimolar reduced the membrane affinity of S-modulin to the s26 level. Chimeric S-modulin and s26 whose respective 23 and 29 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus were swapped showed membrane affinites similar to those of s26 and S-modulin, respectively. The membrane affinity of an S-modulin mutant lacking C-terminal positive charges was reduced to the s26 level, while another S-modulin mutant lacking C-terminal negative charges has a higher membrane affinity than wild-type S-modulin. When the molar ratio of recombinant S-modulins to rhodopsin is 0.5, there was no large difference in the inhibition efficiency. However, S-modulin and mutants with high membrane affinities inhibit rhodopsin phosphorylation more efficiently than s26 and mutants with low membrane affinities at the molar ratio of 0.1. These results indicate that the C-terminal positive charges of these Ca2+-binding proteins enhance the membrane affinity and the inhibitory effect on rhodopsin phosphorylation by increasing the concentration of S-modulin on the membrane.
Most early-onset familial Alzheimer disease (AD) cases are caused by mutations in the highly related genes presenilin 1 (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2). Presenilin mutations produce increases in beta-amyloid (Abeta) formation and apoptosis in many experimental systems. A cDNA (ALG-3) encoding the last 103 amino acids of PS2 has been identified as a potent inhibitor of apoptosis. Using this PS2 domain in the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified a neuronal protein that binds calcium and presenilin, which we call calsenilin. Calsenilin interacts with both PS1 and PS2 in cultured cells, and can regulate the levels of a proteolytic product of PS2. Thus, calsenilin may mediate the effects of wild-type and mutant presenilins on apoptosis and on Abeta formation. Further characterization of calsenilin may lead to an understanding of the normal role of the presenilins and of the role of the presenilins in Alzheimer disease.
During light-adaptation by the vertebrate eye, the rods are desensitized and the light response is accelerated. When light is absorbed by the rods, a phosphodiesterase is activated that hydrolyses cyclic GMP. A light-induced decrease in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration is part of this light-adaptation process. The protein S-modulin (M(r) 26,000) is known to increase the fraction of light-activated cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE) at high Ca2+ concentrations in frog rod photoreceptors. Here I present evidence that S-modulin lengthens the lifetime of active PDE (PDE*) at high Ca2+ concentrations. These S-modulin effects are observed in the physiological range of Ca2+ concentration (30 nM to 1 microM; half-maximum effects at 200-400 nM). At the high Ca2+ concentrations at which S-modulin prolongs the lifetime of PDE*, S-modulin inhibits rhodopsin phosphorylation (half-maximum effect at approximately 100 nM Ca2+). ATP is necessary for the S-modulin effects on PDE activation. I therefore conclude that the Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of PDE by S-modulin is mediated by rhodopsin phosphorylation. This regulation seems to be the principal mechanism of light adaptation in vertebrate photoreceptors.
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Previous investigations have revealed that bladder cancer cells are generally resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis by conventional Fas agonists. However, the ability of these cell lines to undergo Fas-mediated apoptosis may have been underappreciated. As a result, we investigated the in vitro efficacy of Fas ligand gene therapy for bladder cancer. Three human bladder cancer lines (T24, J82, and 5637) were treated with the conventional Fas agonist CH-11, a monoclonal antibody to the Fas receptor. Cells were also treated with a replication-deficient adenovirus containing a modified murine Fas ligand gene fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), AdGFPFasL. A virus containing the GFP gene alone was used to control for viral toxicity (AdGFP). Cell death was quantified using a tetrazolium-based (MTS) assay. Cells were also evaluated by Western blotting to evaluate poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, caspase 8, and caspase 9 cleavage and by flow cytometry to determine the presence of coxsackie/adenovirus receptor (CAR). These studies confirmed bladder cancer resistance to cell death by the anti-Fas monoclonal antibody CH-11. This resistance was overcome with AdGFPFasL at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1000 achieving over 80% cell death in all cell lines. Furthermore, greater than 80% cell death was evident in 5637 cells treated with low-dose AdGFPFasL (MOI=10). 5637 cells expressed significantly higher levels of surface CAR than J82 or T24 cells (P<.05). AdGFPFasL is cytotoxic to bladder cancer cells that would otherwise be considered Fas resistant, supporting its in vivo potential. Enhanced sensitivity to AdGFPFasL may be in part due to increased cell surface CAR levels.
There is growing evidence from in vitro studies that subgroup B adenoviruses (Ad) can overcome the limitations in safety and tumor transduction efficiency seen with commonly used subgroup C serotype 5-based vectors. In this study, we confirm that the expression level of the B-group Ad receptor, CD46, correlates with the grade of malignancy of cervical cancer in situ. We also demonstrate the in vivo properties of Ad5-based vectors that contain the B-group Ad serotype 35 fiber (Ad5/35) in transgenic mice that express CD46 in a pattern and at a level similar to humans. Upon intravenous and intraperitoneal injection, an Ad5/35 vector did not efficiently transduce normal tissue, but was able to target metastatic or intraperitoneal tumors that express CD46 at levels comparable to human tumors. When an oncolytic Ad5/35-based vector was employed, in both tumor models antitumor effects were observed. Furthermore, injection of Ad5/35 vectors into CD46 transgenic mice caused less innate toxicity than Ad5 vectors. Our data demonstrate that Ad vectors that target CD46 offer advantages over Ad5-based vectors for treatment of cancer.
The development of genetically modified adenoviral vectors capable of specifically transducing a given cell population requires the addition and functional presentation of particular tropism determinants within the virus capsid, together with the abrogation of the molecular determinants that dictate their natural tropism in vivo. The human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) first attaches to the cell surface following high-affinity binding of the C-terminal knob of the fiber capsid protein to the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR). Here we have assessed whether genetic shortening of the fiber shaft (virus BS1), or replacing the Ad5 fiber shaft and knob with their Ad3 counterparts (virus DB6), could cripple this interaction in vitro and in vivo. A 10-fold decrease in the binding of the modified capsids to soluble CAR was evidenced, which correlated with a similar reduction of their ability to transduce CAR-positive cells in vitro. The ability of BS1 to interact with cellular integrins was also impaired, suggesting that the penton base and the short-shafted fiber when embedded in the capsid preclude each other from efficiently interacting with their cognate cell surface receptors (CAR and integrins respectively). BS1 and DB6 intravenous injections in mice further supported a profound impairment of the ability of the capsid-modified viruses to transduce the liver as demonstrated by a 10-fold reduction of intracellular viral DNA and transgene expression. Interestingly enough, the host humoral response was also specifically weakened in BS1- and DB6-inoculated animals. Taken together, these observations indicate that (i) fiber shortening and (ii) pseudo-typing of Ad5-based vectors with the shaft and knob from non-CAR-binding serotypes constitute two promising strategies to successfully attenuate their native tropism in vitro and most importantly in vivo.
The coxsackie adenovirus receptor (CAR) has become of interest for gene therapy due to its crucial function in adenoviral cell entry. In clinical trials with adenoviral vectors, dexamethasone is applied to reduce side effects such as inflammatory reactions or emesis. By using a beta-galactosidase-expressing adenovirus (AdGal), we observed that dexamethasone treatment resulted in decreased adenoviral gene transfer into human cancer cells. Expression of CAR and integrin alpha5beta1 was transcriptionally downregulated by dexamethasone as shown for HeLa cervical cancer cells and U87MG glioblastoma cells. TNFalpha increased CAR expression in HeLa and ovarian cancer cells but decreased CAR expression in U87MG cells. In all tested cancer cell lines, TNFalpha induced a significant increase in the expression of adenovirus-binding integrins alpha5beta1, alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5. Pretreatment with TNFalpha increased AdGal gene transfer into cancer cells and enhanced the cytotoxic effect of a p53-expressing adenovirus. In contrast, TGFbeta reduced CAR expression level and adenoviral gene transfer into OV-UL-2 ovarian cancer cells. Confocal immunofluorescence analysis revealed localization of CAR at cell-cell adhesions in several human cancer cell lines and disruption of cell-cell contacts increased adenoviral gene transfer into human cancer cells. In clinical cancer gene therapy, efficiency of adenoviral gene delivery could be altered by cell adhesion, TNFalpha, TGFbeta, and dexamethasone.
Polyclonal antibodies which recognize the rho-subunits of the GABA(C) receptor were applied to sections of the rat retina. Strong punctate immunoreactivity was found in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), which was shown by electron microscopy to represent a clustering of the GABA(C) receptors at synaptic sites. During postnatal development diffuse rho-immunoreactivity was first observed at postnatal day P3. Distinct labelling of bipolar cells appeared at P7 and punctate, synaptic labelling was observed at P10. In order to show that the rho-immunoreactive puncta coincide with the axons of bipolar cells, double immunostainings of retinal sections with an antiserum against syntaxin 3 and with the rho-antiserum were performed. The experiments showed that rho-immunoreactive puncta are preferentially located on the axon terminals of rod and cone bipolar cells. In order to determine whether GABA(C) receptor rho-subunits coassemble with GABA(A) receptor subunits, double-labelling experiments were performed with subunit specific antisera. Punctate, putative synaptic clustering was observed with all antisera applied, however, GABA(C) receptor expressing puncta did not coincide with GABA(A) receptor containing puncta. This suggests that there are no synaptic GABA receptors in the retina in which GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptor subunits are coassembled. Similar double-labelling experiments were also performed to find out whether GABA(C) receptors and glycine receptors are colocalized. They were clustered at different synapses. This suggests that synaptic GABA(C) receptors consist of rho-subunits and are not coassembled with GABA(A)- or glycine-receptor subunits.
Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome. In this survey we report about two further patients with CAR, who were referred to the University Eye Hospital of Tuebingen within a few months. The most common primary tumor associated with CAR is small cell carcinoma of the lung. Case reports about rhabdomyosarcoma, carcinoma of the endometrium, prostate and mamma were also described. The exact pathogenesis of CAR is still unknown. Specific autoantibodies were found against the photoreceptor protein recovering (23-kd retinal CAR antigen). However, this reaction is not present in all patients, and probably other antigens are also involved. Most of the patients experience symptoms of CAR before the primary tumor is detected. Besides glare sensitivity and flashing lights, a rapidly progressive, often asymmetric visual loss may occur. Although paracentral and mid-peripheral scotomas can be found frequently, visual field defects are often quite heterogeneous. Typically, the responses in the electroretinogram (ERG) are markedly reduced, but normal ERGs were also described. The fundus picture in CAR shows sheathing of the retinal vessels, narrowing of the arterioles and clumbing of the retinal pigment epithelium. The prognosis is poor. Frequently there is progression to bilateral loss of vision within a few months. Treatment of the primary tumor does not seem to alter the ocular prognosis. Systemic corticosteroids may be helpful in some patients. Nevertheless, no proven therapeutic regimen is currently available.
A frog retinal protein named s26 is a 26-kDa protein found during purification of S-modulin in frog retina (Kawamura, S. (1992) Photochem. Photobiol. 56, 1173-1180). To identify its role in frog retina, first s26 was purified to nearly homogeneity with three chromatographical steps. Based on the partial amino acid sequences of the proteolysed fragments of s26, we isolated cDNAs that encode s26. The analysis of its amino acid sequence revealed that s26 is an S-modulin-like protein, while it shows higher homology to visinin. Visinin is a Ca2+-binding protein reported to be present in chicken cones, but its localization in the retina had been a subject in dispute. The present study showed that s26 is present in cone photoreceptors. The study also showed that s26 inhibits phosphorylation of rhodopsin after a light flash at high Ca2+ concentrations as S-modulin does. From these results, we concluded that s26 is a cone homologue of S-modulin. The result is consistent with the idea that each type of photoreceptors expresses each cell-type specific version of phototransduction proteins.
S-modulin controls rhodopsin phosphorylation in a calcium-dependent manner, and it has been suggested that it modulates the light sensitivity of the photoreceptor cell. S-modulin binds to the ROS membrane at high Ca2+ concentration, and N-terminal myristoylation is necessary for this property (the calcium-myristoyl switch). S-modulin has four EF-hand motifs, of which two (EF-2 and -3) are functional. Here, we report on the roles of EF-2 and -3 in S-modulin function (calcium binding, membrane association, and inhibition of rhodopsin phosphorylation) by site-directed mutants (E85M and E121M). Surprisingly, E121M, which has a mutation in EF-3, neither binds Ca2+ nor inhibits phosphorylation. In contrast, E85M binds one Ca2+ and has the same membrane affinity as wild-type S-modulin, but has lost the ability to inhibit rhodopsin phosphorylation. It is suggested that the binding of Ca2+ to EF-3 is probably required for EF-2 to be a functional Ca2+-binding site and to induce exposure of the myristoyl group; and that the binding of Ca2+ to EF-2 is important for the interaction with rhodopsin kinase.
In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that 17beta-estradiol (betaE2) is a neuroprotectant in the retina, using two experimental approaches: 1) hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced retinal neuron degeneration in vitro, and 2) light-induced photoreceptor degeneration in vivo. We demonstrated that both betaE2 and 17alpha-estradiol (alphaE2) significantly protected against H(2)O(2)-induced retinal neuron degeneration; however, progesterone had no effect. betaE2 transiently increased the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity, when phosphoinositide 4,5-bisphosphate and [(32)gammaATP] were used as substrate. Phospho-Akt levels were also transiently increased by betaE2 treatment. Addition of the estrogen receptor antagonist tamoxifen did not reverse the protective effect of betaE2, whereas the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 inhibited the protective effect of betaE2, suggesting that betaE2 mediates its effect through some PI3K-dependent pathway, independent of the estrogen receptor. Pull-down experiments with glutathione S-transferase fused to the N-Src homology 2 domain of p85, the regulatory subunit of PI3K, indicated that betaE2 and alphaE2, but not progesterone, identified phosphorylated insulin receptor beta-subunit (IRbeta) as a binding partner. Pretreatment with insulin receptor inhibitor, HNMPA, inhibited IRbeta activation of PI3K. Systemic administration of betaE2 significantly protected the structure and function of rat retinas against light-induced photoreceptor cell degeneration and inhibited photoreceptor apoptosis. In addition, systemic administration of betaE2 activated retinal IRbeta, but not the insulin-like growth factor receptor-1, and produced a transient increase in PI3K activity and phosphorylation of Akt in rat retinas. The results show that estrogen has retinal neuroprotective properties in vivo and in vitro and suggest that the insulin receptor/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is involved in estrogen-mediated retinal neuroprotection.
We investigated the response of SUDHL-1 and L428 cells, derived from t(2;5)-anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD), respectively, to recombinant adenoviruses expressing cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) p27Kip1 (Adp27), p21Waf1 (Adp21) and p16INK4A (Adp16). Cell cycle analysis of SUDHL-1 cells after 24 h of infection with 200 multiplicity of infection (MOI) of Adp27, Adp21, and Adp16, showed very high levels of cell debris in the subG1 area. The magnitude of cell debris-events was Adp27/Adp21 > Adp16. Cell cycle analysis of L428 cells revealed absence of cell debris and increased G2 phase in all the groups of cells tested as compared to the controls (mock and AdNull). A minimal increase in G1 phase was also evident in cells infected with Adp27 (52%) compared to uninfected cells (43%), AdNull (45%) and to cells infected with Adp21 (37%) and Adp16 (31%). The presence of significant levels of Coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (CAR) on the cell surface of L428 cells excluded the cell membrane-barrier as responsible for the differences in cell observed in response to the recombinant adenovirus-mediated CDKIs expression as compared to SUDHL-1. We also showed that the recombinant adenovirus-mediated cytotoxicity measured as apoptosis was MOI- and vector-dependent in SUDHL-1 cells at lower MOI (100). In conclusion, the therapeutic effect induced by recombinant adenoviruses expressing p27Kip1, p21Waf1 and p16INK4A is cell-dependent in cells derived from selected lymphoid malignancies. Biochemical cellular differences more than cell surface barriers seem to be responsible for differences in response to recombinant adenovirus-mediated expression of cytotoxic genes. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of recombinant adenoviruses expressing p27Kip1, p21Waf1 and p16INK4A may be further explored as a tool for gene therapy of t(2;5)-derived ALCL.
Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR), a paraneoplastic syndrome, is characterized by the degeneration of retinal photoreceptors under conditions where the tumor and its metastases have not invaded the eye. The retinopathy often is apparent before the diagnosis of cancer and may be associated with autoantibodies that react with specific sites in the retina. We have examined the sera from patients with CAR to further characterize the retinal antigen. Western blot analysis of human retinal proteins reveals a prominent band at 26 kD that is labeled by the CAR antisera. Antibodies to the 26-kD protein were affinity-purified from complex CAR antisera and used for EM-immunocytochemical localization of the protein to the nuclei, inner and outer segments of both rod and cone cells. Other antibodies obtained from the CAR sera did not label photoreceptors. Using the affinity-purified antibodies for detection, the 26-kD protein, designated p26, was purified to homogeneity from the outer segments of bovine rod photoreceptor cells by Phenyl-Sepharose and ion exchange chromatography. Partial amino acid sequence of p26 was determined by gas phase Edman degradation and revealed extensive homology with a cone-specific protein, visinin. Based upon structural relatedness, both the p26 rod protein and visinin are members of the calmodulin family and contain calcium binding domains of the E-F hand structure.
We report a mutation (Y99C) in guanylate cyclase activator 1A (GUCA1A), the gene for guanylate cyclase activating protein (GCAP1), in a family with autosomal dominant cone dystrophy. Linkage analysis excluded all the known cone and cone-rod dystrophy loci, except the chromosome 6p21.1 region. This is known to contain the RDS gene, which is associated with dominant cone-rod dystrophy. Screening of the RDS gene by heteroduplex analysis and direct sequencing failed to demonstrate sequence changes in the coding region of this gene. The gene for GCAP1, a calcium binding protein which is highly expressed in photoreceptor outer segments, is also located in 6p21.1. It was screened for mutations, and all affected individuals showed a single base pair missense mutation (A-->G) at codon 99 in exon 2 of this gene generating a tyrosine-to-cysteine change in the GCAP1 protein. This change was absent from 206 unrelated normal controls. We propose that this change would at least disrupt the EF3handof GCAP1 thereby preventing calcium binding and consequently interfere with activation. The resulting effect on cGMP production would predictably modify the number of open cGMP gated cation channels, and could explain the ultimate demise of cone photoreceptor cells.