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Sample records for level protein expression

  1. The predictive nature of transcript expression levels on protein expression in adult human brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauernfeind, Amy L; Babbitt, Courtney C

    2017-04-24

    Next generation sequencing methods are the gold standard for evaluating expression of the transcriptome. When determining the biological implications of such studies, the assumption is often made that transcript expression levels correspond to protein levels in a meaningful way. However, the strength of the overall correlation between transcript and protein expression is inconsistent, particularly in brain samples. Following high-throughput transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) and proteomic (liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry) analyses of adult human brain samples, we compared the correlation in the expression of transcripts and proteins that support various biological processes, molecular functions, and that are located in different areas of the cell. Although most categories of transcripts have extremely weak predictive value for the expression of their associated proteins (R 2 values of < 10%), transcripts coding for protein kinases and membrane-associated proteins, including those that are part of receptors or ion transporters, are among those that are most predictive of downstream protein expression levels. The predictive value of transcript expression for corresponding proteins is variable in human brain samples, reflecting the complex regulation of protein expression. However, we found that transcriptomic analyses are appropriate for assessing the expression levels of certain classes of proteins, including those that modify proteins, such as kinases and phosphatases, regulate metabolic and synaptic activity, or are associated with a cellular membrane. These findings can be used to guide the interpretation of gene expression results from primate brain samples.

  2. Protein Expression Analyses at the Single Cell Level

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    Masae Ohno

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The central dogma of molecular biology explains how genetic information is converted into its end product, proteins, which are responsible for the phenotypic state of the cell. Along with the protein type, the phenotypic state depends on the protein copy number. Therefore, quantification of the protein expression in a single cell is critical for quantitative characterization of the phenotypic states. Protein expression is typically a dynamic and stochastic phenomenon that cannot be well described by standard experimental methods. As an alternative, fluorescence imaging is being explored for the study of protein expression, because of its high sensitivity and high throughput. Here we review key recent progresses in fluorescence imaging-based methods and discuss their application to proteome analysis at the single cell level.

  3. High-level transient expression of recombinant protein in lettuce.

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    Joh, Lawrence D; Wroblewski, Tadeusz; Ewing, Nicholas N; VanderGheynst, Jean S

    2005-09-30

    Transient expression following agroinfiltration of plant tissue was investigated as a system for producing recombinant protein. As a model system, Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene was vacuum infiltrated into lettuce leaf disks. Infiltration with a suspension of 10(9) colony forming units/mL followed by incubation for 72 h at 22 degrees C in continuous darkness produced a maximum of 0.16% GUS protein based on dry tissue or 1.1% GUS protein based on total soluble protein. This compares favorably to expression levels for commercially manufactured GUS protein from transgenic corn seeds. A. tumefaciens culture medium pH between 5.6 and 7.0 and surfactant concentrations lettuce to produce GUS protein more rapidly, but final levels did not exceed the GUS production in leaves incubated in continuous darkness after 72 h at 22 degrees C. The kinetics of GUS expression during incubation in continuous light and dark were represented well using a logistic model, with rate constants of 0.30 and 0.29/h, respectively. To semi-quantitatively measure the GUS expression in large numbers of leaf disks, a photometric enhancement of the standard histochemical staining method was developed. A linear relationship with an R2 value of 0.90 was determined between log10 (% leaf darkness) versus log10 (GUS activity). Although variability in expression level was observed, agroinfiltration appears to be a promising technology that could potentially be scaled up to produce high-value recombinant proteins in planta. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

  4. Overexpression of pucC improves the heterologous protein expression level in a Rhodobacter sphaeroides expression system.

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    Cheng, L; Chen, G; Ding, G; Zhao, Z; Dong, T; Hu, Z

    2015-04-27

    The Rhodobacter sphaeroides system has been used to express membrane proteins. However, its low yield has substantially limited its application. In order to promote the protein expression capability of this system, the pucC gene, which plays a crucial role in assembling the R. sphaeroides light-harvesting 2 complex (LH2), was overexpressed. To build a pucC overexpression strain, a pucC overexpression vector was constructed and transformed into R. sphaeroides CQU68. The overexpression efficiency was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. A well-used reporter β-glucuronidase (GUS) was fusion-expressed with LH2 to evaluate the heterologous protein expression level. As a result, the cell culture and protein in the pucC overexpression strain showed much higher typical spectral absorption peaks at 800 and 850 nm compared with the non-overexpression strain, suggesting a higher expression level of LH2-GUS fusion protein in the pucC overexpression strain. This result was further confirmed by Western blot, which also showed a much higher level of heterologous protein expression in the pucC overexpression strain. We further compared GUS activity in pucC overexpression and non-overexpression strains, the results of which showed that GUS activity in the pucC overexpression strain was approximately ten-fold that in the non-overexpression strain. These results demonstrate that overexpressed pucC can promote heterologous protein expression levels in R. sphaeroides.

  5. Evolutionary tuning of protein expression levels of a positively autoregulated two-component system.

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    Rong Gao

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Cellular adaptation relies on the development of proper regulatory schemes for accurate control of gene expression levels in response to environmental cues. Over- or under-expression can lead to diminished cell fitness due to increased costs or insufficient benefits. Positive autoregulation is a common regulatory scheme that controls protein expression levels and gives rise to essential features in diverse signaling systems, yet its roles in cell fitness are less understood. It remains largely unknown how much protein expression is 'appropriate' for optimal cell fitness under specific extracellular conditions and how the dynamic environment shapes the regulatory scheme to reach appropriate expression levels. Here, we investigate the correlation of cell fitness and output response with protein expression levels of the E. coli PhoB/PhoR two-component system (TCS. In response to phosphate (Pi-depletion, the PhoB/PhoR system activates genes involved in phosphorus assimilation as well as genes encoding themselves, similarly to many other positively autoregulated TCSs. We developed a bacteria competition assay in continuous cultures and discovered that different Pi conditions have conflicting requirements of protein expression levels for optimal cell fitness. Pi-replete conditions favored cells with low levels of PhoB/PhoR while Pi-deplete conditions selected for cells with high levels of PhoB/PhoR. These two levels matched PhoB/PhoR concentrations achieved via positive autoregulation in wild-type cells under Pi-replete and -deplete conditions, respectively. The fitness optimum correlates with the wild-type expression level, above which the phosphorylation output saturates, thus further increase in expression presumably provides no additional benefits. Laboratory evolution experiments further indicate that cells with non-ideal protein levels can evolve toward the optimal levels with diverse mutational strategies. Our results suggest that the natural

  6. Impact of High-Level Expression of Heterologous Protein on Lactococcus lactis Host.

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    Kim, Mina; Jin, Yerin; An, Hyun-Joo; Kim, Jaehan

    2017-07-28

    The impact of overproduction of a heterologous protein on the metabolic system of host Lactococcus lactis was investigated. The protein expression profiles of L. lactis IL1403 containing two near-identical plasmids that expressed high- and low-level of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) were examined via shotgun proteomics. Analysis of the two strains via high-throughput LC-MS/MS proteomics identified the expression of 294 proteins. The relative amount of each protein in the proteome of both strains was determined by label-free quantification using the spectral counting method. Although expression level of most proteins were similar, several significant alterations in metabolic network were identified in the high GFP-producing strain. These changes include alterations in the pyruvate fermentation pathway, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and de novo synthesis pathway for pyrimidine RNA. Expression of enzymes for the synthesis of dTDP-rhamnose and N -acetylglucosamine from glucose was suppressed in the high GFP strain. In addition, enzymes involved in the amino acid synthesis or interconversion pathway were downregulated. The most noticeable changes in the high GFP-producing strain were a 3.4-fold increase in the expression of stress response and chaperone proteins and increase of caseinolytic peptidase family proteins. Characterization of these host expression changes witnessed during overexpression of GFP was might suggested the metabolic requirements and networks that may limit protein expression, and will aid in the future development of lactococcal hosts to produce more heterologous protein.

  7. Stable Plastid Transformation for High-Level Recombinant Protein Expression: Promises and Challenges

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    Meili Gao

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Plants are a promising expression system for the production of recombinant proteins. However, low protein productivity remains a major obstacle that limits extensive commercialization of whole plant and plant cell bioproduction platform. Plastid genetic engineering offers several advantages, including high levels of transgenic expression, transgenic containment via maternal inheritance, and multigene expression in a single transformation event. In recent years, the development of optimized expression strategies has given a huge boost to the exploitation of plastids in molecular farming. The driving forces behind the high expression level of plastid bioreactors include codon optimization, promoters and UTRs, genotypic modifications, endogenous enhancer and regulatory elements, posttranslational modification, and proteolysis. Exciting progress of the high expression level has been made with the plastid-based production of two particularly important classes of pharmaceuticals: vaccine antigens, therapeutic proteins, and antibiotics and enzymes. Approaches to overcome and solve the associated challenges of this culture system that include low transformation frequencies, the formation of inclusion bodies, and purification of recombinant proteins will also be discussed.

  8. An inducible expression system for high-level expression of recombinant proteins in slow growing mycobacteria.

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    Leotta, Lisa; Spratt, Joanne M; Kong, Carlyn U; Triccas, James A

    2015-09-01

    A novel protein expression vector utilising the inducible hspX promoter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was constructed and evaluated in this study. High-level induction of three mycobacterial antigens, comprising up to 9% of bacterial sonicate, was demonstrated in recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG when grown under low-oxygen tension, which serves to enhance hspX promoter activity. Recombinant proteins were efficiently purified from bacterial lysates in a soluble form by virtue of a C-terminal 6-histidine tag. Purification of the immunodominant M. tuberculosis Ag85B antigen using this system resulted in a recombinant protein that stimulated significant IFN-γ release from Ag85B-reactive T cells generated after vaccination of mice with an Ag85B-expressing vaccine. Further, the M. tuberculosis L-alanine dehydrogenase (Ald) protein purified from recombinant BCG displayed strong enzymatic activity in recombinant form. This study demonstrated that high levels of native-like recombinant mycobacterial proteins can be produced in mycobacterial hosts, and this may aid the analysis of mycobacterial protein function and the development of new treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. High-level expression of soluble recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli using an HE-maltotriose-binding protein fusion tag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Yingqian; Guo, Wanying; Su, Bingqian; Guo, Yujie; Wang, Jiang; Chu, Beibei; Yang, Guoyu

    2018-02-01

    Recombinant proteins are commonly expressed in prokaryotic expression systems for large-scale production. The use of genetically engineered affinity and solubility enhancing fusion proteins has increased greatly in recent years, and there now exists a considerable repertoire of these that can be used to enhance the expression, stability, solubility, folding, and purification of their fusion partner. Here, a modified histidine tag (HE) used as an affinity tag was employed together with a truncated maltotriose-binding protein (MBP; consisting of residues 59-433) from Pyrococcus furiosus as a solubility enhancing tag accompanying a tobacco etch virus protease-recognition site for protein expression and purification in Escherichia coli. Various proteins tagged at the N-terminus with HE-MBP(Pyr) were expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) cells to determine expression and solubility relative to those tagged with His6-MBP or His6-MBP(Pyr). Furthermore, four HE-MBP(Pyr)-fused proteins were purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography to assess the affinity of HE with immobilized Ni 2+ . Our results showed that HE-MBP(Pyr) represents an attractive fusion protein allowing high levels of soluble expression and purification of recombinant protein in E. coli. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Genome-Wide Tuning of Protein Expression Levels to Rapidly Engineer Microbial Traits.

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    Freed, Emily F; Winkler, James D; Weiss, Sophie J; Garst, Andrew D; Mutalik, Vivek K; Arkin, Adam P; Knight, Rob; Gill, Ryan T

    2015-11-20

    The reliable engineering of biological systems requires quantitative mapping of predictable and context-independent expression over a broad range of protein expression levels. However, current techniques for modifying expression levels are cumbersome and are not amenable to high-throughput approaches. Here we present major improvements to current techniques through the design and construction of E. coli genome-wide libraries using synthetic DNA cassettes that can tune expression over a ∼10(4) range. The cassettes also contain molecular barcodes that are optimized for next-generation sequencing, enabling rapid and quantitative tracking of alleles that have the highest fitness advantage. We show these libraries can be used to determine which genes and expression levels confer greater fitness to E. coli under different growth conditions.

  11. Development of multigene expression signature maps at the protein level from digitized immunohistochemistry slides.

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    Gregory J Metzger

    Full Text Available Molecular classification of diseases based on multigene expression signatures is increasingly used for diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of response to therapy. Immunohistochemistry (IHC is an optimal method for validating expression signatures obtained using high-throughput genomics techniques since IHC allows a pathologist to examine gene expression at the protein level within the context of histologically interpretable tissue sections. Additionally, validated IHC assays may be readily implemented as clinical tests since IHC is performed on routinely processed clinical tissue samples. However, methods have not been available for automated n-gene expression profiling at the protein level using IHC data. We have developed methods to compute expression level maps (signature maps of multiple genes from IHC data digitized on a commercial whole slide imaging system. Areas of cancer for these expression level maps are defined by a pathologist on adjacent, co-registered H&E slides, allowing assessment of IHC statistics and heterogeneity within the diseased tissue. This novel way of representing multiple IHC assays as signature maps will allow the development of n-gene expression profiling databases in three dimensions throughout virtual whole organ reconstructions.

  12. Geminivirus vectors for high-level expression of foreign proteins in plant cells.

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    Mor, Tsafrir S; Moon, Yong-Sun; Palmer, Kenneth E; Mason, Hugh S

    2003-02-20

    Bean yellow dwarf virus (BeYDV) is a monopartite geminivirus that can infect dicotyledonous plants. We have developed a high-level expression system that utilizes elements of the replication machinery of this single-stranded DNA virus. The replication initiator protein (Rep) mediates release and replication of a replicon from a DNA construct ("LSL vector") that contains an expression cassette for a gene of interest flanked by cis-acting elements of the virus. We used tobacco NT1 cells and biolistic delivery of plasmid DNA for evaluation of replication and expression of reporter genes contained within an LSL vector. By codelivery of a GUS reporter-LSL vector and a Rep-supplying vector, we obtained up to 40-fold increase in expression levels compared to delivery of the reporter-LSL vectors alone. High-copy replication of the LSL vector was correlated with enhanced expression of GUS. Rep expression using a whole BeYDV clone, a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter driving either genomic rep or an intron-deleted rep gene, or 35S-rep contained in the LSL vector all achieved efficient replication and enhancement of GUS expression. We anticipate that this system can be adapted for use in transgenic plants or plant cell cultures with appropriately regulated expression of Rep, with the potential to greatly increase yield of recombinant proteins. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 81: 430-437, 2003.

  13. A synthetic arabinose-inducible promoter confers high levels of recombinant protein expression in hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peng, Nan; Deng, Ling; Mei, Yuxia

    2012-01-01

    Despite major progresses in genetic studies of hyperthermophilic archaea, recombinant protein production in these organisms always suffers from low yields and a robust expression system is still in great demand. Here we report a versatile vector that confers high levels of protein expression...... to remove the peptide tags from expressed recombinant proteins. While pEXA employed an araS promoter for protein expression, pSeSD utilized P(araS-SD), an araS derivative promoter carrying an engineered ribosome-binding site (RBS; a Shine-Dalgarno [SD] sequence). We found that P(araS-SD) directed high...... levels of target gene expression. More strikingly, N-terminal amino acid sequencing of recombinant proteins unraveled that the protein synthesized from pEXA-N-lacS lacked the designed 6×His tag and that translation initiation did not start at the ATG codon of the fusion gene. Instead, it started...

  14. [High-level expression of heterologous protein based on increased copy number in Saccharomyces cerevisiae].

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    Zhang, Xinjie; He, Peng; Tao, Yong; Yang, Yi

    2013-11-04

    High-level expression system of heterologous protein mediated by internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was constructed, which could be used for other applications of S. cerevisiae in metabolic engineering. We constructed co-expression cassette (promoter-mCherry-TIF4631 IRES-URA3) containing promoters Pilv5, Padh2 and Ptdh3 and recombined the co-expression cassette into the genome of W303-1B-A. The URA3+ transformants were selected. By comparing the difference in the mean florescence value of mCherry in transformants, the effect of three promoters was detected in the co-expression cassette. The copy numbers of the interested genes in the genome were determined by Real-Time PCR. We analyzed genetic stability by continuous subculturing transformants in the absence of selection pressure. To verify the application of co-expression cassette, the ORF of mCherry was replaced by beta-galactosidase (LACZ) and xylose reductase (XYL1). The enzyme activities and production of beta-galactosidase and xylose reductase were detected. mCherry has been expressed in the highest-level in transformants with co-expression cassette containing Pilv5 promoter. The highest copy number of DNA fragment integrating in the genome was 47 in transformants containing Pilv5. The engineering strains showed good genetic stability. Xylose reductase was successfully expressed in the co-expression cassette containing Pilv5 promoter and TIF4631 IRES. The highest enzyme activity was 0. 209 U/mg crude protein in the transformants WIX-10. Beta-galactosidase was also expressed successfully. The transformants that had the highest enzyme activity was WIL-1 and the enzyme activity was 12.58 U/mg crude protein. The system mediated by Pilv5 promoter and TIF4631 IRES could express heterologous protein efficiently in S. cerevisiae. This study offered a new strategy for expression of heterologous protein in S. cerevisiae and provided sufficient experimental evidence for metabolic engineering

  15. The clinical expression of hereditary protein C and protein S deficiency: : a relation to clinical thrombotic risk-factors and to levels of protein C and protein S

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Henkens, C. M. A.; van der Meer, J.; Hillege, J. L.; Bom, V. J. J.; Halie, M. R.; van der Schaaf, W.

    We investigated 103 first-degree relatives of 13 unrelated protein C or protein S deficient patients to assess the role of additional thrombotic risk factors and of protein C and protein S levels in the clinical expression of hereditary protein C and protein S deficiency. Fifty-seven relatives were

  16. High-level intracellular expression of heterologous proteins in Brevibacillus choshinensis SP3 under the control of a xylose inducible promoter

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    D’Urzo Nunzia

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In past years research has focused on the development of alternative Gram positive bacterial expression systems to produce industrially relevant proteins. Brevibacillus choshinensis is an easy to handle non-sporulating bacterium, lacking extracellular proteases, that has been already shown to provide a high level of recombinant protein expression. One major drawback, limiting the applicability of the Brevibacillus expression system, is the absence of expression vectors based on inducible promoters. Here we used the PxylA inducible promoter, commonly employed in other Bacillae expression systems, in Brevibacillus. Results Using GFP, α-amylase and TcdA-GT as model proteins, high level of intracellular protein expression (up to 250 mg/L for the GFP was achieved in Brevibacillus, using the pHis1522 vector carrying the B. megaterium xylose-inducible promoter (PxylA. The GFP expression yields were more than 25 fold higher than those reported for B. megaterium carrying the same vector. All the tested proteins show significant increment in their expression levels (2-10 folds than those obtained using the available plasmids based on the P2 constitutive promoter. Conclusion Combining the components of two different commercially available Gram positive expression systems, such as Brevibacillus (from Takara Bio and B. megaterium (from Mobitec, we demonstrate that vectors based on the B. megaterium PxylA xylose inducible promoter can be successfully used to induce high level of intracellular expression of heterologous proteins in Brevibacillus.

  17. Correlation of mRNA and protein levels: Cell type-specific gene expression of cluster designation antigens in the prostate

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    Deutsch Eric W

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Expression levels of mRNA and protein by cell types exhibit a range of correlations for different genes. In this study, we compared levels of mRNA abundance for several cluster designation (CD genes determined by gene arrays using magnetic sorted and laser-capture microdissected human prostate cells with levels of expression of the respective CD proteins determined by immunohistochemical staining in the major cell types of the prostate – basal epithelial, luminal epithelial, stromal fibromuscular, and endothelial – and for prostate precursor/stem cells and prostate carcinoma cells. Immunohistochemical stains of prostate tissues from more than 50 patients were scored for informative CD antigen expression and compared with cell-type specific transcriptomes. Results: Concordance between gene and protein expression findings based on 'present' vs. 'absent' calls ranged from 46 to 68%. Correlation of expression levels was poor to moderate (Pearson correlations ranged from 0 to 0.63. Divergence between the two data types was most frequently seen for genes whose array signals exceeded background (> 50 but lacked immunoreactivity by immunostaining. This could be due to multiple factors, e.g. low levels of protein expression, technological sensitivities, sample processing, probe set definition or anatomical origin of tissue and actual biological differences between transcript and protein abundance. Conclusion: Agreement between these two very different methodologies has great implications for their respective use in both molecular studies and clinical trials employing molecular biomarkers.

  18. Effect of Dietary Protein Level on the Expression of Proteins in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Young Pigs.

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    Ma, Xianyong; Tian, Zhimei; Deng, Dun; Cui, Yiyan; Qiu, Yueqin

    2018-05-02

    The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of protein level on proteins expression in the gastrointestinal tract of young pigs. Eighteen piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) were weaned at 28 days of age and randomly assigned to three diets with 20%, 17%, and 14% CP level, and four essential amino acids, Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp, in three diets met the requirements of weaned piglets. The experimental period lasted 45 days. Compared with the control (20% CP level), the average daily feed intake, the average daily gain, and gain feed ratio of the 17% CP group did not decrease ( P > 0.05), but those of 14% CP group decreased ( P protein digestion and absorption, lipid or carbon digestion and absorption, etc. were up-regulated in 17% CP group, while most of them were down-regulated in 14% CP group. Amino acids metabolism of gastric, pancreatic secretion of duodenum or steroid hormone biosynthesis of jejunum was down-regulated in the 17% CP group, but the lipid metabolism was up-regulated in the 14% CP group. Six proteins were selected for identification by Western-blot, and their changes had the same trend as the proteomics results. The protein level decreased from 20% to 17%, the growth performance was not affected, while the nutrient digestion and absorption or the immune function were improved, which implied that 17% protein level maybe benefit for nutrients absorption of pigs.

  19. Changes in Hepatic TRβ Protein Expression, Lipogenic Gene Expression, and Long-Chain Acylcarnitine Levels During Chronic Hyperthyroidism and Triiodothyronine Withdrawal in a Mouse Model.

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    Ohba, Kenji; Sinha, Rohit Anthony; Singh, Brijesh Kumar; Iannucci, Liliana Felicia; Zhou, Jin; Kovalik, Jean-Paul; Liao, Xiao-Hui; Refetoff, Samuel; Sng, Judy Chia Ghee; Leow, Melvin Khee-Shing; Yen, Paul Michael

    2017-06-01

    Thyroid hormone (TH) has important roles in regulating hepatic metabolism. It was previously reported that most hepatic genes activated by a single triiodothyronine (T3) injection became desensitized after multiple injections, and that approximately 10% of target genes did not return to basal expression levels after T3 withdrawal, despite normalization of serum TH and thyrotropin (TSH) levels. To determine the possible mechanism(s) for desensitization and incomplete recovery of hepatic target gene transcription and their effects on metabolism, mRNA and/or protein expression levels of key regulators of TH action were measured, as well as metabolomic changes after chronic T3 treatment and withdrawal. Adult male mice were treated with daily injections of T3 (20 μg/100 g body weight) for 14 days followed by the cessation of T3 for 10 days. Livers were harvested at 6 hours, 24 hours, and 14 days after the first T3 injection, and at 10 days after withdrawal, and then analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and metabolomics. Although TH receptor (TRα and TRβ) mRNAs decreased slightly after chronic T3 treatment, only TRβ protein decreased before returning to basal expression level after withdrawal. The expression of other regulators of TH action was unchanged. TRβ protein expression was also decreased in adult male monocarboxylate transporter-8 (Mct8)-knockout mice, an in vivo model of chronic intrahepatic hyperthyroidism. Previously, increased hepatic long-chain acylcarnitine levels were found after acute TH treatment. However, in this study, long-chain acylcarnitine levels were unchanged after chronic T3, and paradoxically increased after T3 withdrawal. Pathway analyses of the previous microarray results showed upregulation of lipogenic genes after acute T3 treatment and withdrawal. Phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase also decreased after T3 withdrawal. Decreased hepatic TRβ protein expression occurred

  20. Maternal high-fat diet and offspring expression levels of vitamin K-dependent proteins.

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    Lanham, S A; Cagampang, F R; Oreffo, R O C

    2014-12-01

    Studies suggest that bone growth and development and susceptibility to vascular disease in later life are influenced by maternal nutrition during intrauterine and early postnatal life. There is evidence for a role of vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) including osteocalcin, matrix Gla protein, periostin, and growth-arrest specific- protein 6, in both bone and vascular development. We have examined whether there are alterations in these VKDPs in bone and vascular tissue from offspring of mothers subjected to a nutritional challenge: a high-fat diet during pregnancy and postnatally, using 6-week-old mouse offspring. Bone site-specific and sex-specific differences across femoral and vertebral bone in male and female offspring were observed. Overall a high-fat maternal diet and offspring diet exacerbated the bone changes observed. Sex-specific differences and tissue-specific differences were observed in VKDP levels in aorta tissue from high-fat diet-fed female offspring from high-fat diet-fed mothers displaying increased levels of Gas6 and Ggcx compared with those of female controls. In contrast, differences were seen in VKDP levels in femoral bone of female offspring with lower expression levels of Mgp in offspring of mothers fed a high-fat diet compared with those of controls. We observed a significant correlation in Mgp expression levels within the femur to measures of bone structure of the femur and vertebra, particularly in the male offspring cohort. In summary, the current study has highlighted the importance of maternal nutrition on offspring bone development and the correlation of VKDPs to bone structure.

  1. Study of p53 protein expression levels from irradiated peripheral blood lymphocytes for biodosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cavalcanti, M.B.; Fernandes, T.S.; Melo, J.A.; Neves, M.A.B.; Machado, C.G.F

    2005-01-01

    Biodosimetry can be defined as the investigation of radioinduced biological effects in order to correlate them with the absorbed dose. Scoring of unstable chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei, from in vitro irradiated peripheral blood lymphocytes, is commonly used for biodosimetry based on cytogenetic analysis. However, this method of analysis is time-consuming, which may represent a pitfall when fast investigation of a possible exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) is needed. The interaction of IR with the living cell can cause injuries in the DNA molecules. However, normal cells possess mechanisms of repair that are capable to correct those damages. During the repair process of the DNA various proteins are expressed. Among these proteins, p53 plays an important role. This protein is a transcription factor that helps in the maintenance of the genomic integrity. p53 protein is found into the cytoplasm in reduced concentrations and has a short average life. However, expression of p53 protein can be induced by DNA harmful radioinduced, which increases the concentration and the average life of this protein, making possible its detection. Thus, the correlation between the increasing of p53 expression and the irradiation may constitute a fast and reliable method of individual monitoring in cases of accidental or suspected exposures to IR. In this context, the objective of this research was to evaluate the p53 protein expression levels from lymphocytes of the human peripheral blood after in vitro irradiation. For this, samples of peripheral blood from healthy individuals were irradiated with known doses. Lymphocytes were separated on ficoll gradient by centrifugation and re-suspended at 1x 10 6 /mL in RPMI medium enriched with fetal calf serum. Hence, lymphocytes were incubated in 5% CO 2 at 37 deg C prior to the methodology of flow cytometry, using intranuclear antigens for the quantification of p53. In this report, the methodology performed and the results obtained

  2. Study of p53 protein expression levels from irradiated peripheral blood lymphocytes for biodosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cavalcanti, M.B.; Fernandes, T.S. [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Dept. de Energia Nuclear; Amaral, A. [Universite Paris XII (UPXII) (France); Melo, J.A. [Centro de Radioterapia de Pernambuco (CERAPE), PE (Brazil); Neves, M.A.B.; Machado, C.G.F, E-mail: maribrayner@yahoo.com.br [Fundacao de Hematologia e Hemoterapia de Pernambuco, PE (Brazil)

    2005-07-01

    Biodosimetry can be defined as the investigation of radioinduced biological effects in order to correlate them with the absorbed dose. Scoring of unstable chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei, from in vitro irradiated peripheral blood lymphocytes, is commonly used for biodosimetry based on cytogenetic analysis. However, this method of analysis is time-consuming, which may represent a pitfall when fast investigation of a possible exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) is needed. The interaction of IR with the living cell can cause injuries in the DNA molecules. However, normal cells possess mechanisms of repair that are capable to correct those damages. During the repair process of the DNA various proteins are expressed. Among these proteins, p53 plays an important role. This protein is a transcription factor that helps in the maintenance of the genomic integrity. p53 protein is found into the cytoplasm in reduced concentrations and has a short average life. However, expression of p53 protein can be induced by DNA harmful radioinduced, which increases the concentration and the average life of this protein, making possible its detection. Thus, the correlation between the increasing of p53 expression and the irradiation may constitute a fast and reliable method of individual monitoring in cases of accidental or suspected exposures to IR. In this context, the objective of this research was to evaluate the p53 protein expression levels from lymphocytes of the human peripheral blood after in vitro irradiation. For this, samples of peripheral blood from healthy individuals were irradiated with known doses. Lymphocytes were separated on ficoll gradient by centrifugation and re-suspended at 1x 10{sub 6}/mL in RPMI medium enriched with fetal calf serum. Hence, lymphocytes were incubated in 5% CO{sub 2} at 37 deg C prior to the methodology of flow cytometry, using intranuclear antigens for the quantification of p53. In this report, the methodology performed and the results

  3. Luciferase NanoLuc as a reporter for gene expression and protein levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masser, Anna E; Kandasamy, Ganapathi; Kaimal, Jayasankar Mohanakrishnan; Andréasson, Claes

    2016-05-01

    Reporter proteins are essential tools in the study of biological processes and are employed to monitor changes in gene expression and protein levels. Luciferases are reporter proteins that enable rapid and highly sensitive detection with an outstanding dynamic range. Here we evaluated the usefulness of the 19 kDa luciferase NanoLuc (Nluc), derived from the deep sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris, as a reporter protein in yeast. Cassettes with codon-optimized genes expressing yeast Nluc (yNluc) or its destabilized derivative yNlucPEST have been assembled in the context of the dominant drug resistance marker kanMX. The reporter proteins do not impair the growth of yeast cells and exhibit half-lives of 40 and 5 min, respectively. The commercial substrate Nano-Glo® is compatible with detection of yNluc bioluminescence in yeast using standard commercial substrate. © 2016 The Authors. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Recombinant Expression Screening of P. aeruginosa Bacterial Inner Membrane Proteins

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    Jeffery Constance J

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transmembrane proteins (TM proteins make up 25% of all proteins and play key roles in many diseases and normal physiological processes. However, much less is known about their structures and molecular mechanisms than for soluble proteins. Problems in expression, solubilization, purification, and crystallization cause bottlenecks in the characterization of TM proteins. This project addressed the need for improved methods for obtaining sufficient amounts of TM proteins for determining their structures and molecular mechanisms. Results Plasmid clones were obtained that encode eighty-seven transmembrane proteins with varying physical characteristics, for example, the number of predicted transmembrane helices, molecular weight, and grand average hydrophobicity (GRAVY. All the target proteins were from P. aeruginosa, a gram negative bacterial opportunistic pathogen that causes serious lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. The relative expression levels of the transmembrane proteins were measured under several culture growth conditions. The use of E. coli strains, a T7 promoter, and a 6-histidine C-terminal affinity tag resulted in the expression of 61 out of 87 test proteins (70%. In this study, proteins with a higher grand average hydrophobicity and more transmembrane helices were expressed less well than less hydrophobic proteins with fewer transmembrane helices. Conclusions In this study, factors related to overall hydrophobicity and the number of predicted transmembrane helices correlated with the relative expression levels of the target proteins. Identifying physical characteristics that correlate with protein expression might aid in selecting the "low hanging fruit", or proteins that can be expressed to sufficient levels using an E. coli expression system. The use of other expression strategies or host species might be needed for sufficient levels of expression of transmembrane proteins with other physical

  5. Low-level lasers affect uncoupling protein gene expression in skin and skeletal muscle tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canuto, K S; Sergio, L P S; Mencalha, A L; Fonseca, A S; Paoli, F

    2016-01-01

    Wavelength, frequency, power, fluence, and emission mode determine the photophysical, photochemical, and photobiological responses of biological tissues to low-level lasers. Free radicals are involved in these responses acting as second messengers in intracellular signaling processes. Irradiated cells present defenses against these chemical species to avoid unwanted effects, such as uncoupling proteins (UCPs), which are part of protective mechanisms and minimize the effects of free radical generation in mitochondria. In this work UCP2 and UCP3 mRNA gene relative expression in the skin and skeletal muscle tissues of Wistar rats exposed to low-level red and infrared lasers was evaluated. Samples of the skin and skeletal muscle tissue of Wistar rats exposed to low-level red and infrared lasers were withdrawn for total RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and the evaluation of gene expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. UCP2 and UCP3 mRNA expression was differently altered in skin and skeletal muscle tissues exposed to lasers in a wavelength-dependent effect, with the UCP3 mRNA expression dose-dependent. Alteration on UCP gene expression could be part of the biostimulation effect and is necessary to make cells exposed to red and infrared low-level lasers more resistant or capable of adapting in damaged tissues or diseases. (paper)

  6. Modifying a standard method allows simultaneous extraction of RNA and protein, enabling detection of enzymes in the rat retina with low expressions and protein levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agardh, Elisabet; Gustavsson, Carin; Hagert, Per; Nilsson, Marie; Agardh, Carl-David

    2006-02-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate messenger RNA and protein expression in limited amounts of tissue with low protein content. The Chomczynski method was used for simultaneous extraction of RNA, and protein was modified in the protein isolation step. Template mass and cycling time for the complementary DNA synthesis step of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for analysis of catalase, copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, manganese superoxide dismutase, the catalytic subunit of glutamylcysteine ligase, glutathione peroxidase 1, and the endogenous control cyclophilin B (CypB) were optimized before PCR. Polymerase chain reaction accuracy and efficacy were demonstrated by calculating the regression (R2) values of the separate amplification curves. Appropriate antibodies, blocking buffers, and running conditions were established for Western blot, and protein detection and multiplex assays with CypB were performed for each target. During the extraction procedure, the protein phase was dissolved in a modified washing buffer containing 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, followed by ultrafiltration. Enzyme expression on real-time RT-PCR was accomplished with high reliability and reproducibility (R2, 0.990-0.999), and all enzymes except for glutathione peroxidase 1 were detectable in individual retinas on Western blot. Western blot multiplexing with CypB was possible for all targets. In conclusion, connecting gene expression directly to protein levels in the individual rat retina was possible by simultaneous extraction of RNA and protein. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot allowed accurate detection of retinal protein expressions and levels.

  7. Complement inhibitory proteins expression in placentas of thrombophilic women Complement inhibitory proteins expression in placentas of thrombophilic women

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    Przemysław Krzysztof Wirstlein

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Factors controlling complement activation appear to exert a protective effect on pregnancy. This is
    particularly important in women with thrombophilia. The aim of this study was to determine the transcript and
    protein levels of complement decay-accelerating factor (DAF and membrane cofactor protein (MCP in the
    placentas of women with acquired and inherited thrombophilia. Also, we assessed immunohistochemistry staining
    of inhibitors of the complement cascade, DAF and MCP proteins, in the placentas of thrombophilic women.
    Placentas were collected from eight women with inherited thrombophilia and ten with acquired thrombophilia.
    The levels of DAF and MCP transcripts were evaluated by qPCR, the protein level was evaluated by Western
    blot. We observed a higher transcript (p < 0.05 and protein (p < 0.001 levels of DAF and MCP in the placentas
    of thrombophilic women than in the control group. DAF and MCP were localized on villous syncytiotrophoblast
    membranes, but the assessment of staining in all groups did not differ. The observed higher expression level of
    proteins that control activation of complement control proteins is only seemingly contradictory to the changes
    observed for example in the antiphospholipid syndrome. However, given the hitherto known biochemical changes
    associated with thrombophilia, a mechanism in which increased expression of DAF and MCP in the placentas is
    an effect of proinflammatory cytokines, which accompanies thrombophilia, is probable.Factors controlling complement activation appear to exert a protective effect on pregnancy. This is
    particularly important in women with thrombophilia. The aim of this study was to determine the transcript and
    protein levels of complement decay-accelerating factor (DAF and membrane cofactor protein (MCP in the
    placentas of women with acquired and inherited thrombophilia. Also, we assessed immunohistochemistry

  8. High-level expression and purification of soluble recombinant FGF21 protein by SUMO fusion in Escherichia coli

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    Huang Yadong

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21 is a promising drug candidate to combat metabolic diseases. However, high-level expression and purification of recombinant FGF21 (rFGF21 in Escherichia coli (E. coli is difficult because rFGF21 forms inclusion bodies in the bacteria making it difficult to purify and obtain high concentrations of bioactive rFGF21. To overcome this problem, we fused the FGF21 with SUMO (Small ubiquitin-related modifier by polymerase chain reaction (PCR, and expressed the fused gene in E. coli BL21(DE3. Results By inducing with IPTG, SUMO-FGF21 was expressed at a high level. Its concentration reached 30% of total protein, and exceeded 95% of all soluble proteins. The fused protein was purified by DEAE sepharose FF and Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Once cleaved by the SUMO protease, the purity of rFGF21 by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC was shown to be higher than 96% with low endotoxin level (in vivo animal experiments showed that rFGF21 produced by using this method, could decrease the concentration of plasma glucose in diabetic rats by streptozotocin (STZ injection. Conclusions This study demonstrated that SUMO, when fused with FGF21, was able to promote its soluble expression of the latter in E. coli, making it more convenient to purify rFGF21 than previously. This may be a better method to produce rFGF21 for pharmaceutical research and development.

  9. The Prognostic Role of NEDD9 and P38 Protein Expression Levels in Urinary Bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma

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    Ola A. Harb

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The most common malignant tumor of the urinary bladder is transitional cell carcinoma (TCC. Neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9 is found to be a cell adhesion mediator. P38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase is a serine/threonine kinases member which can mediate carcinogenesis through intracellular signaling. Methods. To assess their prognostic role; NEDD9 and p38 protein were evaluated in sections from 50 paraffin blocks of TCC. Results. The high expressions of NEDD9 and p38 protein were significantly associated with grade, stage, distant metastasis (p<0.001, number of tumors, lymph node metastasis, and tumor size (p<0.001, 0.002; 0.018, <0.001; and 0.004, 0.007, respectively. High NEDD9 and p38 detection had a worse 3-year OS (p=0.041 and <0.001, respectively. By multivariate analysis the NEDD9 and p38 protein expression levels and various clinicopathological criteria including gender, grade, stage of the tumor, and regional lymph node involvement were independent prognostic parameters of TCC of the urinary bladder patients’ outcome. Conclusion. NEDD9 and p38 protein expressions were poor prognostic markers of TCC.

  10. Translational up-regulation and high-level protein expression from plasmid vectors by mTOR activation via different pathways in PC3 and 293T cells.

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    Prashanthi Karyala

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Though 293T cells are widely used for expression of proteins from transfected plasmid vectors, the molecular basis for the high-level expression is yet to be understood. We recently identified the prostate carcinoma cell line PC3 to be as efficient as 293T in protein expression. This study was undertaken to decipher the molecular basis of high-level expression in these two cell lines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a survey of different cell lines for efficient expression of platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B, β-galactosidase (β-gal and green fluorescent protein (GFP from plasmid vectors, PC3 was found to express at 5-50-fold higher levels compared to the bone metastatic prostate carcinoma cell line PC3BM and many other cell lines. Further, the efficiency of transfection and level of expression of the reporters in PC3 were comparable to that in 293T. Comparative analyses revealed that the high level expression of the reporters in the two cell lines was due to increased translational efficiency. While phosphatidic acid (PA-mediated activation of mTOR, as revealed by drastic reduction in reporter expression by n-butanol, primarily contributed to the high level expression in PC3, multiple pathways involving PA, PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 appear to contribute to the abundant reporter expression in 293T. Thus the extent of translational up-regulation attained through the concerted activation of mTOR by multiple pathways in 293T could be achieved through its activation primarily by the PA pathway in PC3. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our studies reveal that the high-level expression of proteins from plasmid vectors is effected by translational up-regulation through mTOR activation via different signaling pathways in the two cell lines and that PC3 is as efficient as 293T for recombinant protein expression. Further, PC3 offers an advantage in that the level of expression of the protein can be regulated by simple addition of n-butanol to

  11. Gene and process level modulation to overcome the bottlenecks of recombinant proteins expression in Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabhu, Ashish A; Boro, Bibari; Bharali, Biju; Chakraborty, Shuchishloka; Dasu, V Venkata

    2018-03-28

    Process development involving system metabolic engineering and bioprocess engineering has become one of the major thrust for the development of therapeutic proteins or enzymes. Pichia pastoris has emerged as a prominent host for the production of therapeutic protein or enzymes. Despite of producing high protein titers, various cellular and process level bottlenecks hinders the expression of recombinant proteins in P. pastoris. In the present review, we have summarized the recent developments in the expression of foreign proteins in P. pastoris. Further, we have discussed various cellular engineering strategies which include codon optimization, pathway engineering, signal peptide processing, development of protease deficient strain and glyco-engineered strains for the high yield protein secretion of recombinant protein. Bioprocess development of recombinant proteins in large scale bioreactor including medium optimization, optimum feeding strategy and co-substrate feeding in fed batch as well as continuous cultivation have been described. The recent advances in system and synthetic biology studies including metabolic flux analysis in understanding the phenotypic characteristics of recombinant Pichia and genome editing with CRISPR-CAS system have also been summarized. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  12. Glutamate dehydrogenase and Na+-K+ ATPase expression and growth response of Litopenaeus vannamei to different salinities and dietary protein levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Erchao; Arena, Leticia; Lizama, Gabriel; Gaxiola, Gabriela; Cuzon, Gerard; Rosas, Carlos; Chen, Liqiao; van Wormhoudt, Alain

    2011-03-01

    Improvement in the osmoregulation capacity via nutritional supplies is vitally important in shrimp aquaculture. The effects of dietary protein levels on the osmoregulation capacity of the Pacific white shrimp ( L. vannamei) were investigated. This involved an examination of growth performance, glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and Na+-K+ ATPase mRNA expression,, and GDH activity in muscles and gills. Three experimental diets were formulated, containing 25%, 40%, and 50% dietary protein, and fed to the shrimp at a salinity of 25. After 20 days, no significant difference was observed in weight gain, though GDH and Na+-K+ ATPase gene expression and GDH activity increased with higher dietary protein levels. Subsequently, shrimp fed diets with 25% and 50% dietary protein were transferred into tanks with salinities of 38 and 5, respectively, and sampled at weeks 1 and 2. Shrimp fed with 40% protein at 25 in salinity (optimal conditions) were used as a control. Regardless of the salinities, shrimp fed with 50% dietary protein had significantly higher growth performance than other diets; no significant differences were found in comparison with the control. Shrimp fed with 25% dietary protein and maintained at salinities of 38 and 5 had significantly lower weight gain values after 2 weeks. Ambient salinity change also stimulated the hepatosomatic index, which increased in the first week and then recovered to a relatively normal level, as in the control, after 2 weeks. These findings indicate that in white shrimp, the specific protein nutrient and energy demands related to ambient salinity change are associated with protein metabolism. Increased dietary protein level could improve the osmoregulation capacity of L. vannamei with more energy resources allocated to GDH activity and expression.

  13. Expression of RNA virus proteins by RNA polymerase II dependent expression plasmids is hindered at multiple steps

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    Überla Klaus

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Proteins of human and animal viruses are frequently expressed from RNA polymerase II dependent expression cassettes to study protein function and to develop gene-based vaccines. Initial attempts to express the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV and the F protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV by eukaryotic promoters revealed restrictions at several steps of gene expression. Results Insertion of an intron flanked by exonic sequences 5'-terminal to the open reading frames (ORF of VSV-G and RSV-F led to detectable cytoplasmic mRNA levels of both genes. While the exonic sequences were sufficient to stabilise the VSV-G mRNA, cytoplasmic mRNA levels of RSV-F were dependent on the presence of a functional intron. Cytoplasmic VSV-G mRNA levels led to readily detectable levels of VSV-G protein, whereas RSV-F protein expression remained undetectable. However, RSV-F expression was observed after mutating two of four consensus sites for polyadenylation present in the RSV-F ORF. Expression levels could be further enhanced by codon optimisation. Conclusion Insufficient cytoplasmic mRNA levels and premature polyadenylation prevent expression of RSV-F by RNA polymerase II dependent expression plasmids. Since RSV replicates in the cytoplasm, the presence of premature polyadenylation sites and elements leading to nuclear instability should not interfere with RSV-F expression during virus replication. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the destabilisation of the RSV-F and VSV-G mRNAs and the different requirements for their rescue by insertion of an intron remain to be defined.

  14. Differential Protein Expressions in Virus-Infected and Uninfected Trichomonas vaginalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Ding; Pengtao, Gong; Ju, Yang; Jianhua, Li; He, Li; Guocai, Zhang; Xichen, Zhang

    2017-04-01

    Protozoan viruses may influence the function and pathogenicity of the protozoa. Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan that could contain a double stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, T. vaginalis virus (TVV). However, there are few reports on the properties of the virus. To further determine variations in protein expression of T. vaginalis , we detected 2 strains of T. vaginalis ; the virus-infected (V + ) and uninfected (V - ) isolates to examine differentially expressed proteins upon TVV infection. Using a stable isotope N-terminal labeling strategy (iTRAQ) on soluble fractions to analyze proteomes, we identified 293 proteins, of which 50 were altered in V + compared with V - isolates. The results showed that the expression of 29 proteins was increased, and 21 proteins decreased in V + isolates. These differentially expressed proteins can be classified into 4 categories: ribosomal proteins, metabolic enzymes, heat shock proteins, and putative uncharacterized proteins. Quantitative PCR was used to detect 4 metabolic processes proteins: glycogen phosphorylase, malate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase, and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, which were differentially expressed in V + and V - isolates. Our findings suggest that mRNA levels of these genes were consistent with protein expression levels. This study was the first which analyzed protein expression variations upon TVV infection. These observations will provide a basis for future studies concerning the possible roles of these proteins in host-parasite interactions.

  15. High-level HIV-1 Nef transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana using the P19 gene silencing suppressor protein of Artichoke Mottled Crinckle Virus

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    Bianco Linda

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In recent years, different HIV antigens have been successfully expressed in plants by either stable transformation or transient expression systems. Among HIV proteins, Nef is considered a promising target for the formulation of a multi-component vaccine due to its implication in the first steps of viral infection. Attempts to express Nef as a single protein product (not fused to a stabilizing protein in transgenic plants resulted in disappointingly low yields (about 0.5% of total soluble protein. In this work we describe a transient expression system based on co-agroinfiltration of plant virus gene silencing suppressor proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana, followed by a two-step affinity purification protocol of plant-derived Nef. Results The effect of three gene silencing viral suppressor proteins (P25 of Potato Virus X, P19 of either Artichoke Mottled Crinckle virus and Tomato Bushy Stunt virus on Nef transient expression yield was evaluated. The P19 protein of Artichoke Mottled Crinckle virus (AMCV-P19 gave the highest expression yield in vacuum co-agroinfiltration experiments reaching 1.3% of total soluble protein, a level almost three times higher than that previously reported in stable transgenic plants. The high yield observed in the co-agroinfiltrated plants was correlated to a remarkable decrease of Nef-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs indicating an effective modulation of RNA silencing mechanisms by AMCV-P19. Interestingly, we also showed that expression levels in top leaves of vacuum co-agroinfiltrated plants were noticeably reduced compared to bottom leaves. Moreover, purification of Nef from agroinfiltrated tissue was achieved by a two-step immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography protocol with yields of 250 ng/g of fresh tissue. Conclusion We demonstrated that expression level of HIV-1 Nef in plant can be improved using a transient expression system enhanced by the AMCV-P19 gene silencing suppressor

  16. High-level extracellular protein production in Bacillus subtilis using an optimized dual-promoter expression system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kang; Su, Lingqia; Duan, Xuguo; Liu, Lina; Wu, Jing

    2017-02-20

    We recently constructed a Bacillus subtilis strain (CCTCC M 2016536) from which we had deleted the srfC, spoIIAC, nprE, aprE and amyE genes. This strain is capable of robust recombinant protein production and amenable to high-cell-density fermentation. Because the promoter is among the factors that influence the production of target proteins, optimization of the initial promoter, P amyQ from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, should improve protein expression using this strain. This study was undertaken to develop a new, high-level expression system in B. subtilis CCTCC M 2016536. Using the enzyme β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (β-CGTase) as a reporter protein and B. subtilis CCTCC M 2016536 as the host, nine plasmids equipped with single promoters were screened using shake-flask cultivation. The plasmid containing the P amyQ' promoter produced the greatest extracellular β-CGTase activity; 24.1 U/mL. Subsequently, six plasmids equipped with dual promoters were constructed and evaluated using this same method. The plasmid containing the dual promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' produced the highest extracellular β-CGTase activity (30.5 U/mL) and was relatively glucose repressed. The dual promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' also mediated substantial extracellular pullulanase (90.7 U/mL) and α-CGTase expression (9.5 U/mL) during shake-flask cultivation, demonstrating the general applicability of this system. Finally, the production of β-CGTase using the dual-promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' system was investigated in a 3-L fermenter. Extracellular expression of β-CGTase reached 571.2 U/mL (2.5 mg/mL), demonstrating the potential of this system for use in industrial applications. The dual-promoter P HpaII -P amyQ' system was found to support superior expression of extracellular proteins in B. subtilis CCTCC M 2016536. This system appears generally applicable and is amenable to scale-up.

  17. Efficient protein production method for NMR using soluble protein tags with cold shock expression vector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Kokoro; Kojima, Chojiro

    2010-01-01

    The E. coli protein expression system is one of the most useful methods employed for NMR sample preparation. However, the production of some recombinant proteins in E. coli is often hampered by difficulties such as low expression level and low solubility. To address these problems, a modified cold-shock expression system containing a glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag, the pCold-GST system, was investigated. The pCold-GST system successfully expressed 9 out of 10 proteins that otherwise could not be expressed using a conventional E. coli expression system. Here, we applied the pCold-GST system to 84 proteins and 78 proteins were successfully expressed in the soluble fraction. Three other cold-shock expression systems containing a maltose binding protein tag (pCold-MBP), protein G B1 domain tag (pCold-GB1) or thioredoxin tag (pCold-Trx) were also developed to improve the yield. Additionally, we show that a C-terminal proline tag, which is invisible in 1 H- 15 N HSQC spectra, inhibits protein degradation and increases the final yield of unstable proteins. The purified proteins were amenable to NMR analyses. These data suggest that pCold expression systems combined with soluble protein tags can be utilized to improve the expression and purification of various proteins for NMR analysis.

  18. Dysregulation of gene expression in the striatum of BACHD rats expressing full-length mutant huntingtin and associated abnormalities on molecular and protein levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu-Taeger, Libo; Bonin, Michael; Stricker-Shaver, Janice; Riess, Olaf; Nguyen, Hoa Huu Phuc

    2017-05-01

    Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the gene coding for the huntingtin protein (HTT). Mutant HTT (mHTT) has been proposed to cause neuronal dysfunction and neuronal loss through multiple mechanisms. Transcriptional changes may be a core pathogenic feature of HD. Utilizing the Affymetrix platform we performed a genome-wide RNA expression analysis in two BACHD transgenic rat lines (TG5 and TG9) at 12 months of age, both of which carry full-length human mHTT but with different expression levels. By defining the threshold of significance at p < 0.01, we found 1608 genes and 871 genes differentially expressed in both TG5 and TG9 rats when compared to the wild type littermates, respectively. We only chose the highly up-/down-regulated genes for further analysis by setting an additional threshold of 1.5 fold change. Comparing gene expression profiles of human HD brains and BACHD rats revealed a high concordance in both functional and IPA (Ingenuity Pathway Analysis) canonical pathways relevant to HD. In addition, we investigated the causes leading to gene expression changes at molecular and protein levels in BACHD rats including the involvement of polyQ-containing transcription factors TATA box-binding protein (TBP), Sp1 and CBP as well as the chromatin structure. We demonstrate that the BACHD rat model recapitulates the gene expression changes of the human disease supporting its role as a preclinical research animal model. We also show for the first time that TFIID complex formation is reduced, while soluble TBP is increased in an HD model. This finding suggests that mHTT is a competitor instead of a recruiter of polyQ-containing transcription factors in the transcription process in HD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. TRPM4 protein expression in prostate cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Kasper Drimer; Soldini, Davide; Jung, Maria

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 4 (TRPM4) messenger RNA (mRNA) has been shown to be upregulated in prostate cancer (PCa) and might be a new promising tissue biomarker. We evaluated TRPM4 protein expression and correlated the expression level.......79-2.62; p = 0.01-0.03 for the two observers) when compared to patients with a lower staining intensity. CONCLUSIONS: TRPM4 protein expression is widely expressed in benign and cancerous prostate tissue, with highest staining intensities found in PCa. Overexpression of TRPM4 in PCa (combination of high...

  20. Efficient protein production method for NMR using soluble protein tags with cold shock expression vector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, Kokoro [Fujifilm Corporation, Analysis Technology Center (Japan); Kojima, Chojiro, E-mail: kojima@protein.osaka-u.ac.j [Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Graduate School of Biological Sciences (Japan)

    2010-11-15

    The E. coli protein expression system is one of the most useful methods employed for NMR sample preparation. However, the production of some recombinant proteins in E. coli is often hampered by difficulties such as low expression level and low solubility. To address these problems, a modified cold-shock expression system containing a glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag, the pCold-GST system, was investigated. The pCold-GST system successfully expressed 9 out of 10 proteins that otherwise could not be expressed using a conventional E. coli expression system. Here, we applied the pCold-GST system to 84 proteins and 78 proteins were successfully expressed in the soluble fraction. Three other cold-shock expression systems containing a maltose binding protein tag (pCold-MBP), protein G B1 domain tag (pCold-GB1) or thioredoxin tag (pCold-Trx) were also developed to improve the yield. Additionally, we show that a C-terminal proline tag, which is invisible in {sup 1}H-{sup 15}N HSQC spectra, inhibits protein degradation and increases the final yield of unstable proteins. The purified proteins were amenable to NMR analyses. These data suggest that pCold expression systems combined with soluble protein tags can be utilized to improve the expression and purification of various proteins for NMR analysis.

  1. MAP17 and SGLT1 protein expression levels as prognostic markers for cervical tumor patient survival.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Perez

    Full Text Available MAP17 is a membrane-associated protein that is overexpressed in human tumors. Because the expression of MAP17 increases reactive oxygen species (ROS generation through SGLT1 in cancer cells, in the present work, we investigated whether MAP17 and/or SGLT1 might be markers for the activity of treatments involving oxidative stress, such as cisplatin or radiotherapy. First, we confirmed transcriptional alterations in genes involved in the oxidative stress induced by MAP17 expression in HeLa cervical tumor cells and found that Hela cells expressing MAP17 were more sensitive to therapies that induce ROS than were parental cells. Furthermore, MAP17 increased glucose uptake through SGLT receptors. We then analyzed MAP17 and SGLT1 expression levels in cervical tumors treated with cisplatin plus radiotherapy and correlated the expression levels with patient survival. MAP17 and SGLT1 were expressed in approximately 70% and 50% of cervical tumors of different types, respectively, but they were not expressed in adenoma tumors. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between MAP17 and SGLT1 expression levels. High levels of either MAP17 or SGLT1 correlated with improved patient survival after treatment. However, the patients with high levels of both MAP17 and SGLT1 survived through the end of this study. Therefore, the combination of high MAP17 and SGLT1 levels is a marker for good prognosis in patients with cervical tumors after cisplatin plus radiotherapy treatment. These results also suggest that the use of MAP17 and SGLT1 markers may identify patients who are likely to exhibit a better response to treatments that boost oxidative stress in other cancer types.

  2. Downregulation of ATM Gene and Protein Expression in Canine Mammary Tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raposo-Ferreira, T M M; Bueno, R C; Terra, E M; Avante, M L; Tinucci-Costa, M; Carvalho, M; Cassali, G D; Linde, S D; Rogatto, S R; Laufer-Amorim, R

    2016-11-01

    The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene encodes a protein associated with DNA damage repair and maintenance of genomic integrity. In women, ATM transcript and protein downregulation have been reported in sporadic breast carcinomas, and the absence of ATM protein expression has been associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate ATM gene and protein expression in canine mammary tumors and their association with clinical outcome. ATM gene and protein expression was evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively, in normal mammary gland samples (n = 10), benign mammary tumors (n = 11), nonmetastatic mammary carcinomas (n = 19), and metastatic mammary carcinomas (n = 11). Lower ATM transcript levels were detected in benign mammary tumors and carcinomas compared with normal mammary glands (P = .011). Similarly, lower ATM protein expression was observed in benign tumors (P = .0003), nonmetastatic mammary carcinomas (P ATM gene or protein levels were detected among benign tumors and nonmetastatic and metastatic mammary carcinomas (P > .05). The levels of ATM gene or protein expression were not significantly associated with clinical and pathological features or with survival. Similar to human breast cancer, the data in this study suggest that ATM gene and protein downregulation is involved in canine mammary gland tumorigenesis. © The Author(s) 2016.

  3. Activation of p44/42 in Human Natural Killer Cells Decreases Cell-surface Protein Expression: Relationship to Tributyltin-induced alterations of protein expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudimah, Fred D.; Abraha, Abraham; Wang, Xiaofei; Whalen, Margaret M.

    2010-01-01

    Tributyltin (TBT) activates the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), p44/42 in human natural killer (NK) cells. TBT also reduces NK cytotoxic function and decreases the expression of several NK-cell proteins. To understand the role that p44/42 activation plays in TBT-induced loss of NK cell function, we have investigated how selective activation of p44/42 by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) affects NK cells. Previously we showed that PMA caused losses of lytic function similar to those seen with TBT exposures. Here we examined activation of p44/42 in the regulation of NK-cell protein expression and how this regulation may explain the protein expression changes seen with TBT exposures. NK cells exposed to PMA were examined for levels of cell-surface proteins, granzyme mRNA, and perforin mRNA expression. The expression of CD11a, CD16, CD18, and CD56 were reduced, perforin mRNA levels were unchanged and granzyme mRNA levels were increased. To verify that activation of p44/42 was responsible for the alterations seen in CD11a, CD16, CD18, and CD56 with PMA, NK cells were treated with the p44/42 pathway inhibitor (PD98059) prior to PMA exposures. In the presence of PD98059, PMA caused no decreases in the expression of the cell-surface proteins. Results of these studies indicate that the activation of p44/42 may lead to the loss of NK cell cytotoxic function by decreasing the expression of CD11a, CD16, CD18, and CD56. Further, activation of p44/42 appears to be at least in part responsible for the TBT-induced decreases in expression of CD16, CD18, and CD56. PMID:20883105

  4. Production of soluble mammalian proteins in Escherichia coli: identification of protein features that correlate with successful expression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Perera Rajika L

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the search for generic expression strategies for mammalian protein families several bacterial expression vectors were examined for their ability to promote high yields of soluble protein. Proteins studied included cell surface receptors (Ephrins and Eph receptors, CD44, kinases (EGFR-cytoplasmic domain, CDK2 and 4, proteases (MMP1, CASP2, signal transduction proteins (GRB2, RAF1, HRAS and transcription factors (GATA2, Fli1, Trp53, Mdm2, JUN, FOS, MAD, MAX. Over 400 experiments were performed where expression of 30 full-length proteins and protein domains were evaluated with 6 different N-terminal and 8 C-terminal fusion partners. Expression of an additional set of 95 mammalian proteins was also performed to test the conclusions of this study. Results Several protein features correlated with soluble protein expression yield including molecular weight and the number of contiguous hydrophobic residues and low complexity regions. There was no relationship between successful expression and protein pI, grand average of hydropathicity (GRAVY, or sub-cellular location. Only small globular cytoplasmic proteins with an average molecular weight of 23 kDa did not require a solubility enhancing tag for high level soluble expression. Thioredoxin (Trx and maltose binding protein (MBP were the best N-terminal protein fusions to promote soluble expression, but MBP was most effective as a C-terminal fusion. 63 of 95 mammalian proteins expressed at soluble levels of greater than 1 mg/l as N-terminal H10-MBP fusions and those that failed possessed, on average, a higher molecular weight and greater number of contiguous hydrophobic amino acids and low complexity regions. Conclusions By analysis of the protein features identified here, this study will help predict which mammalian proteins and domains can be successfully expressed in E. coli as soluble product and also which are best targeted for a eukaryotic expression system. In some cases

  5. RRE-dependent HIV-1 Env RNA effects on Gag protein expression, assembly and release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    López, Claudia S.; Sloan, Rachel; Cylinder, Isabel; Kozak, Susan L.; Kabat, David; Barklis, Eric

    2014-01-01

    The HIV-1 Gag proteins are translated from the full-length HIV-1 viral RNA (vRNA), whereas the envelope (Env) protein is translated from incompletely spliced Env mRNAs. Nuclear export of vRNAs and Env mRNAs is mediated by the Rev accessory protein which binds to the rev-responsive element (RRE) present on these RNAs. Evidence has shown there is a direct or indirect interaction between the Gag protein, and the cytoplasmic tail (CT) of the Env protein. Our current work shows that env gene expression impacts HIV-1 Gag expression and function in two ways. At the protein level, full-length Env expression altered Gag protein expression, while Env CT-deletion proteins did not. At the RNA level, RRE-containing Env mRNA expression reduced Gag expression, processing, and virus particle release from cells. Our results support models in which Gag is influenced by the Env CT, and Env mRNAs compete with vRNAs for nuclear export. - Highlights: • At the protein level, full-length HIV-1 Env alters Gag protein expression. • HIV-1 Env RNA expression reduces Gag levels and virus release. • Env RNA effects on Gag are dependent on the RRE. • RRE-containing Env RNAs compete with vRNAs for nuclear export

  6. Nucleic acid programmable protein array a just-in-time multiplexed protein expression and purification platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Ji; LaBaer, Joshua

    2011-01-01

    Systematic study of proteins requires the availability of thousands of proteins in functional format. However, traditional recombinant protein expression and purification methods have many drawbacks for such study at the proteome level. We have developed an innovative in situ protein expression and capture system, namely NAPPA (nucleic acid programmable protein array), where C-terminal tagged proteins are expressed using an in vitro expression system and efficiently captured/purified by antitag antibodies coprinted at each spot. The NAPPA technology presented in this chapter enable researchers to produce and display fresh proteins just in time in a multiplexed high-throughput fashion and utilize them for various downstream biochemical researches of interest. This platform could revolutionize the field of functional proteomics with it ability to produce thousands of spatially separated proteins in high density with narrow dynamic rand of protein concentrations, reproducibly and functionally. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Sequence variations and protein expression levels of the two immune evasion proteins Gpm1 and Pra1 influence virulence of clinical Candida albicans isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Shanshan; Hipler, Uta-Christina; Münzberg, Christin; Skerka, Christine; Zipfel, Peter F

    2015-01-01

    Candida albicans, the important human fungal pathogen uses multiple evasion strategies to control, modulate and inhibit host complement and innate immune attack. Clinical C. albicans strains vary in pathogenicity and in serum resistance, in this work we analyzed sequence polymorphisms and variations in the expression levels of two central fungal complement evasion proteins, Gpm1 (phosphoglycerate mutase 1) and Pra1 (pH-regulated antigen 1) in thirteen clinical C. albicans isolates. Four nucleotide (nt) exchanges, all representing synonymous exchanges, were identified within the 747-nt long GPM1 gene. For the 900-nt long PRA1 gene, sixteen nucleotide exchanges were identified, which represented synonymous, as well as non-synonymous exchanges. All thirteen clinical isolates had a homozygous exchange (A to G) at position 73 of the PRA1 gene. Surface levels of Gpm1 varied by 8.2, and Pra1 levels by 3.3 fold in thirteen tested isolates and these differences influenced fungal immune fitness. The high Gpm1/Pra1 expressing candida strains bound the three human immune regulators more efficiently, than the low expression strains. The difference was 44% for Factor H binding, 51% for C4BP binding and 23% for plasminogen binding. This higher Gpm1/Pra1 expressing strains result in enhanced survival upon challenge with complement active, Factor H depleted human serum (difference 40%). In addition adhesion to and infection of human endothelial cells was increased (difference 60%), and C3b surface deposition was less effective (difference 27%). Thus, variable expression levels of central immune evasion protein influences immune fitness of the human fungal pathogen C. albicans and thus contribute to fungal virulence.

  8. BAX protein expression and clinical outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Y T; Lee, S; Niloff, E; Weisman, C; Strobel, T; Cannistra, S A

    1998-08-01

    Expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX sensitizes ovarian cancer cell lines to paclitaxel in vitro by enhancing the pathway of programmed cell death. The present study was performed to determine the relationship between BAX expression and clinical outcome in 45 patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer. BAX protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and its relationship with clinical outcome was determined. Assessment of BAX mRNA transcript levels and mutational analysis of the BAX coding region were also performed. BAX protein was expressed at high levels (defined as > or = 50% of tumor cells positive) in tumor tissue from 60% of newly diagnosed patients. All patients whose tumors expressed high levels of BAX achieved a complete response (CR) to first-line chemotherapy that contained paclitaxel plus a platinum analogue, compared with 57% of patients in the low-BAX group (P = .036). After a median follow-up of 1.9 years, the median disease-free survival (DFS) of patients in the high-BAX group has not been reached, compared with a median DFS of 1.1 years for low-BAX expressors (P = .0061). BAX retained independent prognostic significance in multivariate analysis when corrected for stage and histology. BAX mRNA transcripts were easily detected in samples with low BAX protein expression, and no BAX mutations were identified. The correlation between high BAX levels and improved clinical outcome suggests that an intact apoptotic pathway is an important determinant of chemoresponsiveness in ovarian cancer patients who receive paclitaxel.

  9. Connecting protein and mRNA burst distributions for stochastic models of gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elgart, Vlad; Jia, Tao; Fenley, Andrew T; Kulkarni, Rahul

    2011-01-01

    The intrinsic stochasticity of gene expression can lead to large variability in protein levels for genetically identical cells. Such variability in protein levels can arise from infrequent synthesis of mRNAs which in turn give rise to bursts of protein expression. Protein expression occurring in bursts has indeed been observed experimentally and recent studies have also found evidence for transcriptional bursting, i.e. production of mRNAs in bursts. Given that there are distinct experimental techniques for quantifying the noise at different stages of gene expression, it is of interest to derive analytical results connecting experimental observations at different levels. In this work, we consider stochastic models of gene expression for which mRNA and protein production occurs in independent bursts. For such models, we derive analytical expressions connecting protein and mRNA burst distributions which show how the functional form of the mRNA burst distribution can be inferred from the protein burst distribution. Additionally, if gene expression is repressed such that observed protein bursts arise only from single mRNAs, we show how observations of protein burst distributions (repressed and unrepressed) can be used to completely determine the mRNA burst distribution. Assuming independent contributions from individual bursts, we derive analytical expressions connecting means and variances for burst and steady-state protein distributions. Finally, we validate our general analytical results by considering a specific reaction scheme involving regulation of protein bursts by small RNAs. For a range of parameters, we derive analytical expressions for regulated protein distributions that are validated using stochastic simulations. The analytical results obtained in this work can thus serve as useful inputs for a broad range of studies focusing on stochasticity in gene expression

  10. Evolutionary Divergence of Gene and Protein Expression in the Brains of Humans and Chimpanzees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauernfeind, Amy L; Soderblom, Erik J; Turner, Meredith E; Moseley, M Arthur; Ely, John J; Hof, Patrick R; Sherwood, Chet C; Wray, Gregory A; Babbitt, Courtney C

    2015-07-10

    Although transcriptomic profiling has become the standard approach for exploring molecular differences in the primate brain, very little is known about how the expression levels of gene transcripts relate to downstream protein abundance. Moreover, it is unknown whether the relationship changes depending on the brain region or species under investigation. We performed high-throughput transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) and proteomic (liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry) analyses on two regions of the human and chimpanzee brain: The anterior cingulate cortex and caudate nucleus. In both brain regions, we found a lower correlation between mRNA and protein expression levels in humans and chimpanzees than has been reported for other tissues and cell types, suggesting that the brain may engage extensive tissue-specific regulation affecting protein abundance. In both species, only a few categories of biological function exhibited strong correlations between mRNA and protein expression levels. These categories included oxidative metabolism and protein synthesis and modification, indicating that the expression levels of mRNA transcripts supporting these biological functions are more predictive of protein expression compared with other functional categories. More generally, however, the two measures of molecular expression provided strikingly divergent perspectives into differential expression between human and chimpanzee brains: mRNA comparisons revealed significant differences in neuronal communication, ion transport, and regulatory processes, whereas protein comparisons indicated differences in perception and cognition, metabolic processes, and organization of the cytoskeleton. Our results highlight the importance of examining protein expression in evolutionary analyses and call for a more thorough understanding of tissue-specific protein expression levels. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular

  11. EXPRESSION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ERK PROTEIN IN HUMAN BREAST CARCINOMA

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张秀梅; 李柏林; 宋敏; 宋继谒

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the expression of ERK and p-ERK protein in human breast cancer and their corresponding tissue, to assess the significance of ERK signal pathway in tumorigenesis and progression of breast carcinoma. Methods: 40 breast cancer cases were used in S-P immunohistochemistry technique and Western Blot study. Results: The expression of ERK1, ERK2, and p- ERK protein levels increased remarkably in breast cancer tissues in comparison to normal tissues (P<0.01). The expression was upregulated by 1.32-, 1.53-and 4.27-fold, respectively. The overexpressions of ERK1, ERK2, and p- ERK proteins were obviously correlated with clinical stage of breast cancer. Protein levels of ERK and p-ERK were higher in stage III patients than in stage I and stage II patients (P<0.05). These proteins were strongly related with axillary lymph node metastasis of breast cancer, but not correlated with histopathological type and status of ER and PR of breast cancer. Expression of ERK1, and ERK2, protein showed a positive linear correlation. Conclusion: ERK signal transduction pathway is a key factor during human breast tumorigenesis and breast cancer progression.

  12. Genome engineering for improved recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahalik, Shubhashree; Sharma, Ashish K; Mukherjee, Krishna J

    2014-12-19

    A metabolic engineering perspective which views recombinant protein expression as a multistep pathway allows us to move beyond vector design and identify the downstream rate limiting steps in expression. In E.coli these are typically at the translational level and the supply of precursors in the form of energy, amino acids and nucleotides. Further recombinant protein production triggers a global cellular stress response which feedback inhibits both growth and product formation. Countering this requires a system level analysis followed by a rational host cell engineering to sustain expression for longer time periods. Another strategy to increase protein yields could be to divert the metabolic flux away from biomass formation and towards recombinant protein production. This would require a growth stoppage mechanism which does not affect the metabolic activity of the cell or the transcriptional or translational efficiencies. Finally cells have to be designed for efficient export to prevent buildup of proteins inside the cytoplasm and also simplify downstream processing. The rational and the high throughput strategies that can be used for the construction of such improved host cell platforms for recombinant protein expression is the focus of this review.

  13. Effects of Ethanol on the Expression Level of Various BDNF mRNA Isoforms and Their Encoded Protein in the Hippocampus of Adult and Embryonic Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahla Shojaei

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We aimed to compare the effects of oral ethanol (Eth alone or combined with the phytoestrogen resveratrol (Rsv on the expression of various brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF transcripts and the encoded protein pro-BDNF in the hippocampus of pregnant and embryonic rats. A low (0.25 g/kg body weight (BW/day dose of Eth produced an increase in the expression of BDNF exons I, III and IV and a decrease in that of the exon IX in embryos, but failed to affect BDNF transcript and pro-BDNF protein expression in adults. However, co-administration of Eth 0.25 g/kg·BW/day and Rsv led to increased expression of BDNF exons I, III and IV and to a small but significant increase in the level of pro-BDNF protein in maternal rats. A high (2.5 g/kg·BW/day dose of Eth increased the expression of BDNF exons III and IV in embryos, but it decreased the expression of exon IX containing BDNF mRNAs in the maternal rats. While the high dose of Eth alone reduced the level of pro-BDNF in adults, it failed to change the levels of pro-BDNF in embryos. Eth differentially affects the expression pattern of BDNF transcripts and levels of pro-BDNF in the hippocampus of both adult and embryonic rats.

  14. Ethylene-induced senescence-related gene expression requires protein synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawton, K.A.; Raghothama, K.G.; Woodson, W.R.

    1990-01-01

    We have investigated the effects of inhibiting protein synthesis on the ethylene-induced expression of 3 carnation senescence-related genes, pSR5, pSR8, and pSR12. Treatment of preclimacteric carnation petal discs with 1μg/ml of cycloheximide, a cytoplasmic protein synthesis inhibitor, for 3h inhibited protein synthesis by >80% as quantitated by the incorporation of [35S]methionine into protein. Pre-treatment of petal discs with cycloheximide prevented ethylene-induced SR transcript accumulation. Cycloheximide treatment of petal discs held in air did not result in increased levels of SR mRNA. These results indicate that ethylene does not interact with pre-formed factors but rather that the activation of SR gene expression by ethylene is mediated by labile protein factor(s) synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes. Experiments are currently underway to determine if cycloheximide exerts its effect at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level

  15. Rhythmic expression of DEC2 protein in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Fuyuki; Muragaki, Yasuteru; Kawamoto, Takeshi; Fujimoto, Katsumi; Kato, Yukio; Zhang, Yanping

    2016-06-01

    Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor DEC2 (bHLHE41/Sharp1) is one of the clock genes that show a circadian rhythm in various tissues. DEC2 regulates differentiation, sleep length, tumor cell invasion and apoptosis. Although studies have been conducted on the rhythmic expression of DEC2 mRNA in various tissues, the precise molecular mechanism of DEC2 expression is poorly understood. In the present study, we examined whether DEC2 protein had a rhythmic expression. Western blot analysis for DEC2 protein revealed a rhythmic expression in mouse liver, lung and muscle and in MCF-7 and U2OS cells. In addition, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity (phosphorylation of AMPK) in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) exhibited a rhythmic expression under the condition of medium change or glucose-depleted medium. However, the rhythmic expression of DEC2 in MEF gradually decreased in time under these conditions. The medium change affected the levels of DEC2 protein and phosphorylation of AMPK. In addition, the levels of DEC2 protein showed a rhythmic expression in vivo and in MCF-7 and U2OS cells. The results showed that the phosphorylation of AMPK immunoreactivity was strongly detected in the liver and lung of DEC2 knockout mice compared with that of wild-type mice. These results may provide new insights into rhythmic expression and the regulation between DEC2 protein and AMPK activity.

  16. Transcript-level annotation of Affymetrix probesets improves the interpretation of gene expression data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tu Kang

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The wide use of Affymetrix microarray in broadened fields of biological research has made the probeset annotation an important issue. Standard Affymetrix probeset annotation is at gene level, i.e. a probeset is precisely linked to a gene, and probeset intensity is interpreted as gene expression. The increased knowledge that one gene may have multiple transcript variants clearly brings up the necessity of updating this gene-level annotation to a refined transcript-level. Results Through performing rigorous alignments of the Affymetrix probe sequences against a comprehensive pool of currently available transcript sequences, and further linking the probesets to the International Protein Index, we generated transcript-level or protein-level annotation tables for two popular Affymetrix expression arrays, Mouse Genome 430A 2.0 Array and Human Genome U133A Array. Application of our new annotations in re-examining existing expression data sets shows increased expression consistency among synonymous probesets and strengthened expression correlation between interacting proteins. Conclusion By refining the standard Affymetrix annotation of microarray probesets from the gene level to the transcript level and protein level, one can achieve a more reliable interpretation of their experimental data, which may lead to discovery of more profound regulatory mechanism.

  17. High levels of stable p53 protein and the expression of c-myc in cultured human epithelial tissue after cobalt-60 irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mothersill, C.; Seymour, C.B.; Harney, J.; Hennessy, T.P.

    1994-01-01

    When explants of human uroepithelium or esophageal epithelium are exposed to acute doses of radiation (cobalt-60), the cells which grow out to form the primary cultures show a number of abnormal features. These include the development of characteristic nonsenescent foci. These foci have previously been shown to be c-myc positive and to have an abnormal, tumor-like ultrastructure. Expression of c-myc and the level of stable p53 proteins have now been examined in these cultures 2 weeks after irradiation. Both proteins occurred in dividing cells at the growing edge of the explant and in the foci. The expression of c-myc appeared to be correlated with growth. As expected, variation between individual cultures of normal human cells was noted in the expression of stable p53 protein. Most control uroepithelial cell cultures were negative, but a small cohort showed a wide range of values. The control cultures from the esophageal tissues had high expression of p53, and this decreased marginally after irradiation. Cells positive for p53 were always in cycle and were usually positive for c-myc as well. It would appear from these results that the expression of c-myc and the stable form of the p53 protein occur in irradiated primary cultures of normal human cells both in foci which also express a number of abnormalities and in open-quotes edgeclose quotes cells which are dividing. Cultures of unirradiated cells from esophagus and a small number of uroepithelial samples had high levels of p53. Possible reasons for this are discussed. 33 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

  18. Expression Pattern of Fatty Acid Binding Proteins in Celiac Disease Enteropathy

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    Natalia M. Bottasso Arias

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Celiac disease (CD is an immune-mediated enteropathy that develops in genetically susceptible individuals following exposure to dietary gluten. Severe changes at the intestinal mucosa observed in untreated CD patients are linked to changes in the level and in the pattern of expression of different genes. Fully differentiated epithelial cells express two isoforms of fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs: intestinal and liver, IFABP and LFABP, respectively. These proteins bind and transport long chain fatty acids and also have other important biological roles in signaling pathways, particularly those related to PPARγ and inflammatory processes. Herein, we analyze the serum levels of IFABP and characterize the expression of both FABPs at protein and mRNA level in small intestinal mucosa in severe enteropathy and normal tissue. As a result, we observed higher levels of circulating IFABP in untreated CD patients compared with controls and patients on gluten-free diet. In duodenal mucosa a differential FABPs expression pattern was observed with a reduction in mRNA levels compared to controls explained by the epithelium loss in severe enteropathy. In conclusion, we report changes in FABPs’ expression pattern in severe enteropathy. Consequently, there might be alterations in lipid metabolism and the inflammatory process in the small intestinal mucosa.

  19. The proteome response to amyloid protein expression in vivo.

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    Ricardo A Gomes

    Full Text Available Protein misfolding disorders such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and transthyretin amyloidosis are characterized by the formation of protein amyloid deposits. Although the nature and location of the aggregated proteins varies between different diseases, they all share similar molecular pathways of protein unfolding, aggregation and amyloid deposition. Most effects of these proteins are likely to occur at the proteome level, a virtually unexplored reality. To investigate the effects of an amyloid protein expression on the cellular proteome, we created a yeast expression system using human transthyretin (TTR as a model amyloidogenic protein. We used Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a living test tube, to express native TTR (non-amyloidogenic and the amyloidogenic TTR variant L55P, the later forming aggregates when expressed in yeast. Differential proteome changes were quantitatively analyzed by 2D-differential in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE. We show that the expression of the amyloidogenic TTR-L55P causes a metabolic shift towards energy production, increased superoxide dismutase expression as well as of several molecular chaperones involved in protein refolding. Among these chaperones, members of the HSP70 family and the peptidyl-prolyl-cis-trans isomerase (PPIase were identified. The latter is highly relevant considering that it was previously found to be a TTR interacting partner in the plasma of ATTR patients but not in healthy or asymptomatic subjects. The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO expression is also increased. Our findings suggest that refolding and degradation pathways are activated, causing an increased demand of energetic resources, thus the metabolic shift. Additionally, oxidative stress appears to be a consequence of the amyloidogenic process, posing an enhanced threat to cell survival.

  20. High SRPX2 protein expression predicts unfavorable clinical outcome in patients with prostate cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Meng; Li, Xiaoli; Fan, Zhirui; Zhao, Jing; Liu, Shuzheng; Zhang, Mingzhi; Li, Huixiang; Goscinski, Mariusz Adam; Fan, Huijie; Suo, Zhenhe

    2018-01-01

    Background Sushi repeat-containing protein X-linked 2 (SRPX2) is overexpressed in a variety of different tumor tissues and correlated with poor prognosis in patients. Little research focuses on the role of SRPX2 expression in prostate cancer (PCa), and the clinicopathological significance of the protein expression in this tumor is relatively unknown. However, our previous transcriptome data from those cancer stem-like cells indicated the role of SRPX2 in PCa. Materials and methods In this study, RT-PCR and Western blotting were firstly used to examine the SRPX2 expression in three PCa cell lines including LNCaP, DU145, and PC3, and then SRPX2 protein expression was immunohistochemically investigated and statistically analyzed in a series of 106 paraffin-embedded PCa tissue specimens. Results Significantly lower levels of SRPX2 expression were verified in the LNCaP cells, compared with the expression in the aggressive DU145 and PC3 cells, in both mRNA and protein levels. Immunohistochemically, there were variable SRPX2 protein expressions in the clinical samples. Moreover, high levels of SRPX2 expression in the PCa tissues were significantly associated with Gleason score (P=0.008), lymph node metastasis (P=0.009), and distant metastasis (P=0.021). Furthermore, higher levels of SRPX2 expression in the PCa tissues were significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (P<0.001). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that SRPX2 is highly expressed in aggressive PCa cells in vitro, and its protein expression in PCa is significantly associated with malignant clinical features and shorter OS, strongly indicating its prognostic value in prostate cancers. PMID:29881288

  1. Fragile X mental retardation protein expression in Alzheimer’s disease

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    Abigail J Renoux

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The FMR1 protein product, FMRP, is an mRNA binding protein associated with translational inhibition of target transcripts. One FMRP target is the amyloid precursor protein (APP mRNA, and APP levels are elevated in Fmr1 KO mice. Given that elevated APP protein expression can elicit Alzheimer’s disease (AD in patients and model systems, we evaluated whether FMRP expression might be altered in Alzheimer’s autopsy brain samples and mouse models compared to controls. In a double transgenic mouse model of AD (APP/PS1, we found no difference in FMRP expression in aged AD model mice compared to littermate controls. FMRP expression was also similar in AD and control patient frontal cortex and cerebellum samples. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS is an age related neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded CGG repeats in the 5’UTR of the FMR1 gene. Patients experience cognitive impairment and dementia in addition to motor symptoms. In parallel studies, we measured FMRP expression in cortex and cerebellum from three FXTAS patients and found reduced expression compared to both controls and Alzheimer’s patient brains, consistent with animal models. We also find increased APP levels in cerebellar, but not cortical, samples of FXTAS patients compared to controls. Taken together, these data suggest that a decrease in FMRP expression is unlikely to be a primary contributor to Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.

  2. Lamprey Prohibitin2 Arrest G2/M Phase Transition of HeLa Cells through Down-regulating Expression and Phosphorylation Level of Cell Cycle Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Ying; Guo, Sicheng; Wang, Ying; Liu, Xin; Li, Qingwei; Li, Tiesong

    2018-03-02

    Prohibitin 2(PHB2) is a member of the SFPH trans-membrane family proteins. It is a highly conserved and functionally diverse protein that plays an important role in preserving the structure and function of the mitochondria. In this study, the lamprey PHB2 gene was expressed in HeLa cells to investigate its effect on cell proliferation. The effect of Lm-PHB2 on the proliferation of HeLa cells was determined by treating the cells with pure Lm-PHB2 protein followed by MTT assay. Using the synchronization method with APC-BrdU and PI double staining revealed rLm-PHB2 treatment induced the decrease of both S phase and G0/G1 phase and then increase of G2/M phase. Similarly, cells transfected with pEGFP-N1-Lm-PHB2 also exhibited remarkable reduction in proliferation. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR) assays suggested that Lm-PHB2 caused cell cycle arrest in HeLa cells through inhibition of CDC25C and CCNB1 expression. According to our western blot analysis, Lm-PHB2 was also found to reduce the expression level of Wee1 and PLK1 and the phosphorylation level of CCNB1, CDC25C and CDK1 in HeLa cells. Lamprey prohibitin 2 could arrest G2/M phase transition of HeLa cells through down-regulating expression and phosphorylation level of cell cycle proteins.

  3. Calcium regulates caveolin-1 expression at the transcriptional level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Xiao-Yan; Huang, Cheng-Cheng; Kan, Qi-Ming; Li, Yan; Liu, Dan; Zhang, Xue-Cheng; Sato, Toshinori; Yamagata, Sadako; Yamagata, Tatsuya

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Caveolin-1 expression is regulated by calcium signaling at the transcriptional level. ► An inhibitor of or siRNA to L-type calcium channel suppressed caveolin-1 expression. ► Cyclosporine A or an NFAT inhibitor markedly reduced caveolin-1 expression. ► Caveolin-1 regulation by calcium signaling is observed in several mouse cell lines. -- Abstract: Caveolin-1, an indispensable component of caveolae serving as a transformation suppressor protein, is highly expressed in poorly metastatic mouse osteosarcoma FBJ-S1 cells while highly metastatic FBJ-LL cells express low levels of caveolin-1. Calcium concentration is higher in FBJ-S1 cells than in FBJ-LL cells; therefore, we investigated the possibility that calcium signaling positively regulates caveolin-1 in mouse FBJ-S1 cells. When cells were treated with the calcium channel blocker nifedipine, cyclosporin A (a calcineurin inhibitor), or INCA-6 (a nuclear factor of activated T-cells [NFAT] inhibitor), caveolin-1 expression at the mRNA and protein levels decreased. RNA silencing of voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel subunit alpha-1C resulted in suppression of caveolin-1 expression. This novel caveolin-1 regulation pathway was also identified in mouse NIH 3T3 cells and Lewis lung carcinoma cells. These results indicate that caveolin-1 is positively regulated at the transcriptional level through a novel calcium signaling pathway mediated by L-type calcium channel/Ca 2+ /calcineurin/NFAT.

  4. Retinol-binding protein 4 in twins: regulatory mechanisms and impact of circulating and tissue expression levels on insulin secretion and action

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ribel-Madsen, Rasmus; Friedrichsen, Martin; Vaag, Allan

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Retinol-binding protein (RBP) 4 is an adipokine of which plasma levels are elevated in obesity and type 2 diabetes. The aims of the study were to identify determinants of plasma RBP4 and RBP4 mRNA expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and skeletal muscle and to investigate...... expression was not associated with circulatory RBP4. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our data indicate that RBP4 levels in plasma, skeletal muscle, and fat may be linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in a secondary and noncausal manner....

  5. Photobiomodulation on Bax and Bcl-2 Proteins and SIRT1/PGC-1α Axis mRNA Expression Levels of Aging Rat Skeletal Muscle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Hui Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. This study aimed to analyze the effects of low level laser irradiation (LLLI on Bax and IGF-1 and Bcl-2 protein contents and SIRT1/PGC-1α axis mRNA expression levels to prevent sarcopenia in aged rats. Material and Methods. Twenty female Sprague Dawley rats (18 months old were randomly divided into two groups (n=10 per group: control (CON and LLLI groups. The gallium-aluminum-arsenium (GaAlAs laser irradiation at 810 nm was used in the single point contact mode (3.75 J/cm2; 0.4 cm2; 125 mW/cm2; 30 s. Bax, Bcl-2, and IGF-1 proteins and SIRT1/PGC-1α axis mRNA expression were assessed 24 h after LLLI on gastrocnemius in aged rat. Results. Gastrocnemius muscle weights, gastrocnemius mass/body mass, Bcl-2/BAX ratio, Bcl-2 protein, IGF-1 protein, and the mRNA contents in SIRT1, PGC-1α, NRF1, TMF, and SOD2 were significantly (P<0.05 increased by LLLI compared to CON group without LLLI. However, levels of BAX protein and caspase 3 mRNA were significantly attenuated by LLLI compared to CON group (P<0.05. Conclusion. LLLI at 810 nm inhibits sarcopenia associated with upregulation of Bcl-2/BAX ratio and IGF-1 and SIRT1/PGC-1α axis mRNA expression in aged rats. This indicates that LLLI has potential to decrease progression of myocyte apoptosis in sarcopenic muscles.

  6. PTEN gene and phosphorylation of Akt protein expression in the LPS-induced lung fibroblast

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    Mao-lin HUANG

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate PTEN gene expression and the Akt phosphorylation of protein expression in the LPS-induced lung fibroblast, to initially reveal the relation between PTEN gene and the Akt phosphorylated proteins to LPS-induced lung fibroblast proliferation mechanism. Methods: BrdU experiments was performed to evaluate the LPS-induced lung fibroblast proliferation,  RT-PCR and Western Blot analysis were used to analyze the PTEN gene expression and Western blot was performed to analyze Akt phosphorylated protein expression. Results: PTEN mRNA level of the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05 with LPS simulation for 24h and 72h , and there were no significant difference between the experimental group and control group the experimental group and control group (P>0.05 . PTEN protein expression levels of the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05 , at 72h, and PTEN mRNA levels had no significant differences between these of the experimental and control group at 6h,12h and 24h(p>0.05. Phosphorylation Akt protein level (relative to total Akt protein was significantly higer than the control group (P<0.05 at 24h and 72h, and phosphorylation Akt protein levels had no significant differences between these of the experimental and control group at 6h and 12h (P>0.05 .Conclusion: PTEN gene and phosphorylation Akt protein involve in LPS-induced lung fibroblast proliferation signal transduction pathway.

  7. Efficient Expression of Acetylcholine-Binding Protein from Aplysia californica in Bac-to-Bac System

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    Bo Lin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The Bac-to-Bac baculovirus expression system can efficiently produce recombinant proteins, but the system may have to be optimized to achieve high-level expression for different candidate proteins. We reported here the efficient expression of acetylcholine-binding proteins from sea hares Aplysia californica (Ac-AChBP and a convenient method to monitor protein expression level in this expression system. Three key factors affecting expression of Ac-AChBP were optimized for maximizing the yield, which included the cell density, volume of the infecting baculovirus inoculums, and the culturing time of postinfection. We have found it to reach a high yield of ∼5 mg/L, which needs 55 h incubation after infection at the cell density of 2 × 106 cells/mL with an inoculum volume ratio of 1 : 100. The optimized expression system in this study was also applied for expressing another protein Ls-AChBP from Lymnaea stagnalis successfully. Therefore, this established method is helpful to produce high yields of AChBP proteins for X-ray crystallographic structural and functional studies.

  8. Low levels of foot-and-mouth disease virus 3C protease expression are required to achieve optimal capsid protein expression and processing in mammalian cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Polacek, Charlotta; Gullberg, Maria; Li, Jiong

    2013-01-01

    transient-expression assays, within mammalian cells, it is possible to modify the relative amounts of the substrate and protease. It has now been shown that optimal production of the processed capsid proteins from P1-2A is achieved with reduced levels of 3Cpro expression, relative to the P1-2A, compared...... detected by FMDV antigen detection assays. Furthermore, the P1-2A and the processed forms each bind to the integrin αvβ6, the major FMDV receptor. These results contribute to the development of systems which efficiently express the components of empty capsid particles and may represent the basis for safer...... production of diagnostic reagents and improved vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease....

  9. Characterization and Oral Delivery of Proinsulin-Transferrin Fusion Protein Expressed Using ExpressTec

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    Yu-Sheng Chen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Proinsulin-transferrin fusion protein (ProINS-Tf has been designed and successfully expressed from the mammalian HEK293 cells (HEK-ProINS-Tf. It was found that HEK-ProINS-Tf could be converted into an activated form in the liver. Furthermore, HEK-ProINS-Tf was demonstrated as an extra-long acting insulin analogue with liver-specific insulin action in streptozotocin (STZ-induced type 1 diabetic mice. However, due to the low production yield from transfected HEK293 cells, there are other interesting features, including the oral bioavailability, which have not been fully explored and characterized. To improve the protein production yield, an alternative protein expression system, ExpressTec using transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L., was used. The intact and active rice-derived ProINS-Tf (ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf was successfully expressed from the transgenic rice expression system. Our results suggested that, although the insulin-like bioactivity of ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf was slightly lower in vitro, its potency of in vivo blood glucose control was considerably stronger than that of HEK-ProINS-Tf. The oral delivery studies in type 1 diabetic mice demonstrated a prolonged control of blood glucose to near-normal levels after oral administration of ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf. Results in this report suggest that ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf is a promising insulin analog with advantages including low cost, prolonged and liver targeting effects, and most importantly, oral bioactivity.

  10. Expression and activity of multidrug resistance proteins in mature endothelial cells and their precursors: A challenging correlation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krawczenko, Agnieszka; Bielawska-Pohl, Aleksandra; Wojtowicz, Karolina; Jura, Roksana; Paprocka, Maria; Wojdat, Elżbieta; Kozłowska, Urszula; Klimczak, Aleksandra; Grillon, Catherine; Kieda, Claudine; Duś, Danuta

    2017-01-01

    Active cellular transporters of harmful agents-multidrug resistance (mdr) proteins-are present in tumor, stem and endothelial cells, among others. While mdr proteins are broadly studied in tumor cells, their role in non-tumor cells and the significance of their action not connected with removal of harmful xenobiotics is less extensively documented. Proper assessment of mdr proteins expression is difficult. Mdr mRNA presence is most often evaluated but that does not necessarily correlate with the protein level. The protein expression itself is difficult to determine; usually cells with mdr overexpression are studied, not cells under physiological conditions, in which a low expression level of mdr protein is often insufficient for detection in vitro. Various methods are used to identify mdr mRNA and protein expression, together with functional tests demonstrating their biological drug transporting activities. Data comparing different methods of investigating expression of mdr mRNAs and their corresponding proteins are still scarce. In this article we present the results of a study concerning mdr mRNA and protein expression. Our goal was to search for the best method to investigate the expression level and functional activity of five selected mdr proteins-MDR1, BCRP, MRP1, MRP4 and MRP5-in established in vitro cell lines of human endothelial cells (ECs) and their progenitors. Endothelial cells demonstrated mdr presence at the mRNA level, which was not always confirmed at the protein level or in functional tests. Therefore, several different assays had to be applied for evaluation of mdr proteins expression and functions in endothelial cells. Among them functional tests seemed to be the most conclusive, although not very specific.

  11. Steady-state levels of G-protein beta-subunit expression are regulated by treatment of cells with bacterial toxins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watkins, D.C.; Northup, J.K.; Malbon, C.C.

    1987-01-01

    Cultures of 3T3-L1 cells were incubated with either 10 ng/ml cholera toxin or 10 ng/ml pertussis toxin from 4 days prior to the initiation of differentiation and throughout the subsequent incubation. Toxin concentrations were sufficient to completely prevent the labelling of alpha-subunits with [ 32 P]NAD + and pertussis toxin and to prevent by more than 90% the labelling with [ 32 P]NAD + and cholera toxin in membranes prepared from these cells. Neither toxin prevented the differentiation to the adipocyte phenotype. Neither toxin prevented the increases in the relative amounts of G-proteins which occur upon differentiation. Both toxins dramatically decreased the amount of beta-subunits. As measured by quantitative immunoblotting with antisera specific for both the 35 kDa and 36 kDa beta-subunits, levels of beta-subunit were decreased by more than 50% of steady-state level of control cells. Thus, bacterial toxins which modifies G-protein alpha-subunits are capable of modulating the levels of beta-subunits in vivo. The basis for the regulation of G-protein subunit expression by bacterial toxins is under study

  12. Combined protein construct and synthetic gene engineering for heterologous protein expression and crystallization using Gene Composer

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    Walchli John

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the goal of improving yield and success rates of heterologous protein production for structural studies we have developed the database and algorithm software package Gene Composer. This freely available electronic tool facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their engineered synthetic gene sequences, as detailed in the accompanying manuscript. Results In this report, we compare heterologous protein expression levels from native sequences to that of codon engineered synthetic gene constructs designed by Gene Composer. A test set of proteins including a human kinase (P38α, viral polymerase (HCV NS5B, and bacterial structural protein (FtsZ were expressed in both E. coli and a cell-free wheat germ translation system. We also compare the protein expression levels in E. coli for a set of 11 different proteins with greatly varied G:C content and codon bias. Conclusion The results consistently demonstrate that protein yields from codon engineered Gene Composer designs are as good as or better than those achieved from the synonymous native genes. Moreover, structure guided N- and C-terminal deletion constructs designed with the aid of Gene Composer can lead to greater success in gene to structure work as exemplified by the X-ray crystallographic structure determination of FtsZ from Bacillus subtilis. These results validate the Gene Composer algorithms, and suggest that using a combination of synthetic gene and protein construct engineering tools can improve the economics of gene to structure research.

  13. ERG protein expression over time

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Kasper Drimer; Brasso, Klaus; Thomsen, Frederik Birkebæk

    2015-01-01

    AIMS: We evaluated the consistency in ERG protein expression from diagnostic specimens through rebiopsies to radical prostatectomies in patients with clinically localised prostate cancer to investigate the validity of ERG status in biopsies. METHODS: ERG expression was assessed by immunohistochem......AIMS: We evaluated the consistency in ERG protein expression from diagnostic specimens through rebiopsies to radical prostatectomies in patients with clinically localised prostate cancer to investigate the validity of ERG status in biopsies. METHODS: ERG expression was assessed...

  14. Identification of differentially expressed proteins in vitamin B 12

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    Swati Varshney

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Vitamin B 12 (cobalamin is a water-soluble vitamin generally synthesized by microorganisms. Mammals cannot synthesize this vitamin but have evolved processes for absorption, transport and cellular uptake of this vitamin. Only about 30% of vitamin B 12 , which is bound to the protein transcobalamin (TC (Holo-TC [HoloTC] enters into the cell and hence is referred to as the biologically active form of vitamin B 12 . Vitamin B 12 deficiency leads to several complex disorders, including neurological disorders and anemia. We had earlier shown that vitamin B 12 deficiency is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD in Indian population. In the current study, using a proteomics approach we identified proteins that are differentially expressed in the plasma of individuals with low HoloTC levels. Materials and Methods: We used isobaric-tagging method of relative and absolute quantitation to identify proteins that are differently expressed in individuals with low HoloTC levels when compared to those with normal HoloTC level. Results: In two replicate isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation experiments several proteins involved in lipid metabolism, blood coagulation, cholesterol metabolic process, and lipoprotein metabolic process were found to be altered in individuals having low HoloTC levels. Conclusions: Our study indicates that low HoloTc levels could be a risk factor in the development of CAD.

  15. Expression of SET Protein in the Ovaries of Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boqun, Xu; Xiaonan, Dai; Yugui, Cui; Lingling, Gao; Xue, Dai; Gao, Chao; Feiyang, Diao; Jiayin, Liu; Gao, Li; Li, Mei; Zhang, Yuan; Ma, Xiang

    2013-01-01

    Background. We previously found that expression of SET gene was up-regulated in polycystic ovaries by using microarray. It suggested that SET may be an attractive candidate regulator involved in the pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this study, expression and cellular localization of SET protein were investigated in human polycystic and normal ovaries. Method. Ovarian tissues, six normal ovaries and six polycystic ovaries, were collected during transsexual operation and surgical treatment with the signed consent form. The cellular localization of SET protein was observed by immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of SET protein were analyzed by Western Blot. Result. SET protein was expressed predominantly in the theca cells and oocytes of human ovarian follicles in both PCOS ovarian tissues and normal ovarian tissues. The level of SET protein expression in polycystic ovaries was triple higher than that in normal ovaries (P polycystic ovaries more than that in normal ovaries. Combined with its localization in theca cells, SET may participate in regulating ovarian androgen biosynthesis and the pathophysiology of hyperandrogenism in PCOS.

  16. Differential expression of proteins and phosphoproteins during larval metamorphosis of the polychaete Capitella sp. I

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    Qian Pei-Yuan

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The spontaneous metamorphosis of the polychaete Capitella sp. I larvae into juveniles requires minor morphological changes, including segment formation, body elongation, and loss of cilia. In this study, we investigated changes in the expression patterns of both proteins and phosphoproteins during the transition from larvae to juveniles in this species. We used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE followed by multiplex fluorescent staining and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis to identify the differentially expressed proteins as well as the protein and phosphoprotein profiles of both competent larvae and juveniles. Results Twenty-three differentially expressed proteins were identified in the two developmental stages. Expression patterns of two of those proteins were examined at the protein level by Western blot analysis while seven were further studied at the mRNA level by real-time PCR. Results showed that proteins related to cell division, cell migration, energy storage and oxidative stress were plentifully expressed in the competent larvae; in contrast, proteins involved in oxidative metabolism and transcriptional regulation were abundantly expressed in the juveniles. Conclusion It is likely that these differentially expressed proteins are involved in regulating the larval metamorphosis process and can be used as protein markers for studying molecular mechanisms associated with larval metamorphosis in polychaetes.

  17. Tunable Control of an Escherichia coli Expression System for the Overproduction of Membrane Proteins by Titrated Expression of a Mutant lac Repressor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seong Keun; Lee, Dae-Hee; Kim, Oh Cheol; Kim, Jihyun F; Yoon, Sung Ho

    2017-09-15

    Most inducible expression systems suffer from growth defects, leaky basal induction, and inhomogeneous expression levels within a host cell population. These difficulties are most prominent with the overproduction of membrane proteins that are toxic to host cells. Here, we developed an Escherichia coli inducible expression system for membrane protein production based on titrated expression of a mutant lac repressor (mLacI). Performance of the mLacI inducible system was evaluated in conjunction with commonly used lac operator-based expression vectors using a T7 or tac promoter. Remarkably, expression of a target gene can be titrated by the dose-dependent addition of l-rhamnose, and the expression levels were homogeneous in the cell population. The developed system was successfully applied to overexpress three membrane proteins that were otherwise difficult to produce in E. coli. This gene expression control system can be easily applied to a broad range of existing protein expression systems and should be useful in constructing genetic circuits that require precise output signals.

  18. Improved protein quality in transgenic soybean expressing a de novo synthetic protein, MB-16.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yunfang; Schernthaner, Johann; Labbé, Natalie; Hefford, Mary A; Zhao, Jiping; Simmonds, Daina H

    2014-06-01

    To improve soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] seed nutritional quality, a synthetic gene, MB-16 was introduced into the soybean genome to boost seed methionine content. MB-16, an 11 kDa de novo protein enriched in the essential amino acids (EAAs) methionine, threonine, lysine and leucine, was originally developed for expression in rumen bacteria. For efficient seed expression, constructs were designed using the soybean codon bias, with and without the KDEL ER retention sequence, and β-conglycinin or cruciferin seed specific protein storage promoters. Homozygous lines, with single locus integrations, were identified for several transgenic events. Transgene transmission and MB-16 protein expression were confirmed to the T5 and T7 generations, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of developing seed showed that the transcript peaked in growing seed, 5-6 mm long, remained at this peak level to the full-sized green seed and then was significantly reduced in maturing yellow seed. Transformed events carrying constructs with the rumen bacteria codon preference showed the same transcription pattern as those with the soybean codon preference, but the transcript levels were lower at each developmental stage. MB-16 protein levels, as determined by immunoblots, were highest in full-sized green seed but the protein virtually disappeared in mature seed. However, amino acid analysis of mature seed, in the best transgenic line, showed a significant increase of 16.2 and 65.9 % in methionine and cysteine, respectively, as compared to the parent. This indicates that MB-16 elevated the sulfur amino acids, improved the EAA seed profile and confirms that a de novo synthetic gene can enhance the nutritional quality of soybean.

  19. Vascular endothelial growth factor A protein level and gene expression in intracranial meningiomas with brain edema

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nassehi, Damoun; Dyrbye, Henrik; Andresen, Morten

    2011-01-01

    (VEGF) is an endothelial cell-specific mitogen and angiogen. VEGF-A protein, which is identical to vascular permeability factor, is a regulator of angiogenesis. In this study, 101 patients with meningiomas, and possible co-factors to PTBE, such as meningioma subtypes and tumor location, were examined....... Forty-three patients had primary, solitary, supratentorial meningiomas with PTBE. In these, correlations in PTBE, edema index, VEGF-A protein, VEGF gene expression, capillary length, and tumor water content were investigated. DNA-branched hybridization was used for measuring VEGF gene expression...... in tissue homogenates prepared from frozen tissue samples. The method for VEGF-A analysis resembled an ELISA assay, but was based on chemiluminescence. The edema index was positively correlated to VEGF-A protein (p = 0.014) and VEGF gene expression (p

  20. Effect of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) on Akt protein expression is more effective in head and neck cancer cell lineages that retain PTEN protein expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontes, Flávia Sirotheau C; Pontes, Hélder A R; de Souza, Lucas L; de Jesus, Adriana S; Joaquim, Andrea M C; Miyahara, Ligia A N; Fonseca, Felipe P; Pinto Junior, Décio S

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of Akt, PTEN, Mdm2 and p53 proteins in three different head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines (HN6, HN19 and HN30), all of them treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), an inhibitor of Hsp90 protein. Immunofluorescence and western blot were performed in order to analyze the location and quantification, respectively, of proteins under the action 17-AAG and EGF. Treatment with EGF resulted in increased levels of Akt, PTEN and p53 in all cell lineages. The expression of Mdm2 was constant in HN30 and HN6 lineages, while in HN19 showed slightly decreased expression. Under the action 17-AAG, in HN6 and HN19, the expression of PTEN and p53 proteins was suppressed, while Akt and Mdm2 expression was reduced. Finally, in the HN30 cell lineage were absolute absence of expression of Akt, Mdm2 and p53 and decreased expression of PTEN. These data allow us to speculate on the particular utility of 17-AAG for HNSCC treatment through the inhibition of Akt protein expression, especially in the cases that retain the expression of PTEN protein. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Transient Expression and Cellular Localization of Recombinant Proteins in Cultured Insect Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabrick, Jeffrey A; Hull, J Joe

    2017-04-20

    Heterologous protein expression systems are used for the production of recombinant proteins, the interpretation of cellular trafficking/localization, and the determination of the biochemical function of proteins at the sub-organismal level. Although baculovirus expression systems are increasingly used for protein production in numerous biotechnological, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications, nonlytic systems that do not involve viral infection have clear benefits but are often overlooked and underutilized. Here, we describe a method for generating nonlytic expression vectors and transient recombinant protein expression. This protocol allows for the efficient cellular localization of recombinant proteins and can be used to rapidly discern protein trafficking within the cell. We show the expression of four recombinant proteins in a commercially available insect cell line, including two aquaporin proteins from the insect Bemisia tabaci, as well as subcellular marker proteins specific for the cell plasma membrane and for intracellular lysosomes. All recombinant proteins were produced as chimeras with fluorescent protein markers at their carboxyl termini, which allows for the direct detection of the recombinant proteins. The double transfection of cells with plasmids harboring constructs for the genes of interest and a known subcellular marker allows for live cell imaging and improved validation of cellular protein localization.

  2. The Expression of Genes Encoding Secreted Proteins in Medicago truncatula A17 Inoculated Roots

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    LUCIA KUSUMAWATI

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Subtilisin-like serine protease (MtSBT, serine carboxypeptidase (MtSCP, MtN5, non-specific lipid transfer protein (MtnsLTP, early nodulin2-like protein (MtENOD2-like, FAD-binding domain containing protein (MtFAD-BP1, and rhicadhesin receptor protein (MtRHRE1 were among 34 proteins found in the supernatant of M. truncatula 2HA and sickle cell suspension cultures. This study investigated the expression of genes encoding those proteins in roots and developing nodules. Two methods were used: quantitative real time RT-PCR and gene expression analysis (with promoter:GUS fusion in roots. Those proteins are predicted as secreted proteins which is indirectly supported by the findings that promoter:GUS fusions of six of the seven genes encoding secreted proteins were strongly expressed in the vascular bundle of transgenic hairy roots. All six genes have expressed in 14-day old nodule. The expression levels of the selected seven genes were quantified in Sinorhizobium-inoculated and control plants using quantitative real time RT-PCR. In conclusion, among seven genes encoding secreted proteins analyzed, the expression level of only one gene, MtN5, was up-regulated significantly in inoculated root segments compared to controls. The expression of MtSBT1, MtSCP1, MtnsLTP, MtFAD-BP1, MtRHRE1 and MtN5 were higher in root tip than in other tissues examined.

  3. Bcl-2 protein expression is associated with p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts in breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsutsui, Shinichi; Yasuda, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Kosuke; Takeuchi, Hideya; Nishizaki, Takashi; Higashi, Hidefumi; Era, Shoichi

    2006-01-01

    Recent experimental studies have shown that Bcl-2, which has been established as a key player in the control of apoptosis, plays a role in regulating the cell cycle and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Bcl-2 and p27 protein expression, p53 protein expression and the proliferation activity as defined by the MIB-1 counts. The prognostic implication of Bcl-2 protein expression in relation to p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts for breast cancer was also evaluated. The immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 protein was evaluated in a series of 249 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast, in which p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts had been determined previously. The Bcl-2 protein expression was found to be decreased in 105 (42%) cases. A decreased Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly correlated with a nuclear grade of III, a negative estrogen receptor, a decreased p27 protein expression, a positive p53 protein expression, positive MIB-1 counts and a positive HER2 protein expression. The incidence of a nuclear grade of III and positive MIB-1 counts increased as the number of abnormal findings of Bcl-2, p27 and p53 protein expressions increased. A univariate analysis indicated a decreased Bcl-2 protein expression to be significantly (p = 0.0089) associated with a worse disease free survival (DFS), while a multivariate analysis indicated the lymph node status and MIB-1 counts to be independently significant prognostic factors for the DFS. The Bcl-2 protein expression has a close correlation with p27 and p53 protein expressions and the proliferation activity determined by MIB-1 counts in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The prognostic value of Bcl-2 as well as p27 and p53 protein expressions was dependent on the proliferation activity in breast cancer

  4. Bcl-2 protein expression is associated with p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts in breast cancer

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    Nishizaki Takashi

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent experimental studies have shown that Bcl-2, which has been established as a key player in the control of apoptosis, plays a role in regulating the cell cycle and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Bcl-2 and p27 protein expression, p53 protein expression and the proliferation activity as defined by the MIB-1 counts. The prognostic implication of Bcl-2 protein expression in relation to p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts for breast cancer was also evaluated. Methods The immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 protein was evaluated in a series of 249 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast, in which p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts had been determined previously. Results The Bcl-2 protein expression was found to be decreased in 105 (42% cases. A decreased Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly correlated with a nuclear grade of III, a negative estrogen receptor, a decreased p27 protein expression, a positive p53 protein expression, positive MIB-1 counts and a positive HER2 protein expression. The incidence of a nuclear grade of III and positive MIB-1 counts increased as the number of abnormal findings of Bcl-2, p27 and p53 protein expressions increased. A univariate analysis indicated a decreased Bcl-2 protein expression to be significantly (p = 0.0089 associated with a worse disease free survival (DFS, while a multivariate analysis indicated the lymph node status and MIB-1 counts to be independently significant prognostic factors for the DFS. Conclusion The Bcl-2 protein expression has a close correlation with p27 and p53 protein expressions and the proliferation activity determined by MIB-1 counts in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The prognostic value of Bcl-2 as well as p27 and p53 protein expressions was dependent on the proliferation activity in breast cancer.

  5. Facile promoter deletion in Escherichia coli in response to leaky expression of very robust and benign proteins from common expression vectors

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    Kawe Martin

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Overexpression of proteins in Escherichia coli is considered routine today, at least when the protein is soluble and not otherwise toxic for the host. We report here that the massive overproduction of even such "benign" proteins can cause surprisingly efficient promoter deletions in the expression plasmid, leading to the growth of only non-producers, when expression is not well repressed in the newly transformed bacterial cell. Because deletion is so facile, it might impact on high-throughput protein production, e.g. for structural genomics, where not every expression parameter will be monitored. Results We studied the high-level expression of several robust non-toxic proteins using a T5 promoter under lac operator control. Full induction leads to no significant growth retardation. We compared expression from almost identical plasmids with or without the lacI gene together in strains expressing different levels of LacI. Any combination without net overexpression of LacI led to an efficient promoter deletion in the plasmid, although the number of growing colonies and even the plasmid size – all antibiotic-resistant non-producers – was almost normal, and thus the problem not immediately recognizable. However, by assuring sufficient repression during the initial establishment phase of the plasmid, deletion was completely prevented. Conclusion The deletions in the insufficiently repressed system are caused entirely by the burden of high-level translation. Since the E. coli Dps protein, known to protect DNA against stress in the stationary phase, is accumulated in the deletion mutants, the mutation may have taken place during a transient stationary phase. The cause of the deletion is thus distinct from the well known interference of high-level transcription with plasmid replication. The deletion can be entirely prevented by overexpressing LacI, a useful precaution even without any signs of stress caused by the protein.

  6. Cellular prion protein expression is not regulated by the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain.

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    Victoria Lewis

    Full Text Available There is increasing evidence of molecular and cellular links between Alzheimer's disease (AD and prion diseases. The cellular prion protein, PrP(C, modulates the post-translational processing of the AD amyloid precursor protein (APP, through its inhibition of the β-secretase BACE1, and oligomers of amyloid-β bind to PrP(C which may mediate amyloid-β neurotoxicity. In addition, the APP intracellular domain (AICD, which acts as a transcriptional regulator, has been reported to control the expression of PrP(C. Through the use of transgenic mice, cell culture models and manipulation of APP expression and processing, this study aimed to clarify the role of AICD in regulating PrP(C. Over-expression of the three major isoforms of human APP (APP(695, APP(751 and APP(770 in cultured neuronal and non-neuronal cells had no effect on the level of endogenous PrP(C. Furthermore, analysis of brain tissue from transgenic mice over-expressing either wild type or familial AD associated mutant human APP revealed unaltered PrP(C levels. Knockdown of endogenous APP expression in cells by siRNA or inhibition of γ-secretase activity also had no effect on PrP(C levels. Overall, we did not detect any significant difference in the expression of PrP(C in any of the cell or animal-based paradigms considered, indicating that the control of cellular PrP(C levels by AICD is not as straightforward as previously suggested.

  7. Exploring sequence characteristics related to high-level production of secreted proteins in Aspergillus niger.

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    Bastiaan A van den Berg

    Full Text Available Protein sequence features are explored in relation to the production of over-expressed extracellular proteins by fungi. Knowledge on features influencing protein production and secretion could be employed to improve enzyme production levels in industrial bioprocesses via protein engineering. A large set, over 600 homologous and nearly 2,000 heterologous fungal genes, were overexpressed in Aspergillus niger using a standardized expression cassette and scored for high versus no production. Subsequently, sequence-based machine learning techniques were applied for identifying relevant DNA and protein sequence features. The amino-acid composition of the protein sequence was found to be most predictive and interpretation revealed that, for both homologous and heterologous gene expression, the same features are important: tyrosine and asparagine composition was found to have a positive correlation with high-level production, whereas for unsuccessful production, contributions were found for methionine and lysine composition. The predictor is available online at http://bioinformatics.tudelft.nl/hipsec. Subsequent work aims at validating these findings by protein engineering as a method for increasing expression levels per gene copy.

  8. The expression of selenium-binding protein 1 is decreased in uterine leiomyoma

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    Quddus M Ruhul

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Selenium has been shown to inhibit cancer development and growth through the mediation of selenium-binding proteins. Decreased expression of selenium-binding protein 1 has been reported in cancers of the prostate, stomach, colon, and lungs. No information, however, is available concerning the roles of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma. Methods Using Western Blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, we examined the expression of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma and normal myometrium in 20 patients who had undergone hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma. Results and Discussion The patient age ranged from 34 to 58 years with a mean of 44.3 years. Proliferative endometrium was seen in 8 patients, secretory endometrium in 7 patients, and atrophic endometrium in 5 patients. Two patients showed solitary leiomyoma, and eighteen patients revealed 2 to 5 tumors. Tumor size ranged from 1 to 15.5 cm with a mean of 4.3 cm. Both Western Blot analysis and immunohistochemistry showed a significant lower level of selenium-binding protein 1 in leiomyoma than in normal myometrium. Larger tumors had a tendency to show a lower level of selenium-binding protein 1 than smaller ones, but the difference did not reach a statistical significance. The expression of selenium-binding protein 1 was the same among patients with proliferative, secretory, and atrophic endometrium in either leiomyoma or normal myometrium. Also, we did not find a difference of selenium-binding protein 1 level between patients younger than 45 years and older patients in either leiomyoma or normal myometrium. Conclusions Decreased expression of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma may indicate a role of the protein in tumorigenesis. Our findings may provide a basis for future studies concerning the molecular mechanisms of selenium-binding protein 1 in tumorigenesis as well as the possible use of selenium in prevention and treatment of uterine

  9. Noradrenaline represses PPAR (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor) gamma2 gene expression in brown adipocytes: intracellular signalling and effects on PPARgamma2 and PPARgamma1 protein levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindgren, Eva M; Nielsen, Ronni; Petrovic, Natasa

    2004-01-01

    phases, with the highest mRNA levels being found at the time of transition between the phases. PPARgamma2 mRNA levels were downregulated by noradrenaline treatment (EC50, 0.1 microM) in both proliferative and differentiating cells, with a lagtime of 1 h and lasting up to 4 h, after which expression...... was thus to investigate the influence of noradrenaline on PPARgamma gene expression in brown adipocytes. In primary cultures of brown adipocytes, PPARgamma2 mRNA levels were 20-fold higher than PPARgamma1 mRNA levels. PPARgamma expression occurred during both the proliferation and the differentiation...... gradually recovered. The down-regulation was beta-adrenoceptor-induced and intracellularly mediated via cAMP and protein kinase A; the signalling pathway did not involve phosphoinositide 3-kinase, Src, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase or extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2. Treatment...

  10. Short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of protein expression in Entamoeba histolytica

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    Singh Upinder

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Entamoeba histolytica is an intestinal protozoan parasite of humans. The genome has been sequenced, but the study of individual gene products has been hampered by the lack of the ability to generate gene knockouts. We chose to test the use of RNA interference to knock down gene expression in Entamoeba histolytica. Results An episomal vector-based system, using the E. histolytica U6 promoter to drive expression of 29-basepair short hairpin RNAs, was developed to target protein-encoding genes in E. histolytica. The short hairpin RNAs successfully knocked down protein levels of all three unrelated genes tested with this system: Igl, the intermediate subunit of the galactose- and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-inhibitable lectin; the transcription factor URE3-BP; and the membrane binding protein EhC2A. Igl levels were reduced by 72%, URE3-BP by 89%, and EhC2A by 97%. Conclusion Use of the U6 promoter to drive expression of 29-basepair short hairpin RNAs is effective at knocking down protein expression for unrelated genes in Entamoeba histolytica, providing a useful tool for the study of this parasite.

  11. Short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of protein expression in Entamoeba histolytica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linford, Alicia S; Moreno, Heriberto; Good, Katelyn R; Zhang, Hanbang; Singh, Upinder; Petri, William A

    2009-02-17

    Entamoeba histolytica is an intestinal protozoan parasite of humans. The genome has been sequenced, but the study of individual gene products has been hampered by the lack of the ability to generate gene knockouts. We chose to test the use of RNA interference to knock down gene expression in Entamoeba histolytica. An episomal vector-based system, using the E. histolytica U6 promoter to drive expression of 29-basepair short hairpin RNAs, was developed to target protein-encoding genes in E. histolytica. The short hairpin RNAs successfully knocked down protein levels of all three unrelated genes tested with this system: Igl, the intermediate subunit of the galactose- and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-inhibitable lectin; the transcription factor URE3-BP; and the membrane binding protein EhC2A. Igl levels were reduced by 72%, URE3-BP by 89%, and EhC2A by 97%. Use of the U6 promoter to drive expression of 29-basepair short hairpin RNAs is effective at knocking down protein expression for unrelated genes in Entamoeba histolytica, providing a useful tool for the study of this parasite.

  12. Generation and evaluation of mammalian secreted and membrane protein expression libraries for high-throughput target discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panavas, Tadas; Lu, Jin; Liu, Xuesong; Winkis, Ann-Marie; Powers, Gordon; Naso, Michael F; Amegadzie, Bernard

    2011-09-01

    Expressed protein libraries are becoming a critical tool for new target discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. In order to get the most meaningful and comprehensive results from protein library screens, it is essential to have library proteins in their native conformation with proper post-translation modifications. This goal is achieved by expressing untagged human proteins in a human cell background. We optimized the transfection and cell culture conditions to maximize protein expression in a 96-well format so that the expression levels were comparable with the levels observed in shake flasks. For detection purposes, we engineered a 'tag after stop codon' system. Depending on the expression conditions, it was possible to express either native or tagged proteins from the same expression vector set. We created a human secretion protein library of 1432 candidates and a small plasma membrane protein set of about 500 candidates. Utilizing the optimized expression conditions, we expressed and analyzed both libraries by SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Two thirds of secreted proteins could be detected by Western-blot analyses; almost half of them were visible on Coomassie stained gels. In this paper, we describe protein expression libraries that can be easily produced in mammalian expression systems in a 96-well format, with one protein expressed per well. The libraries and methods described allow for the development of robust, high-throughput functional screens designed to assay for protein specific functions associated with a relevant disease-specific activity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. The protein expression landscape of mitosis and meiosis in diploid budding yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Emmanuelle; Com, Emmanuelle; Lavigne, Régis; Guilleux, Marie-Hélène; Evrard, Bertrand; Pineau, Charles; Primig, Michael

    2017-03-06

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an established model organism for the molecular analysis of fundamental biological processes. The genomes of numerous strains have been sequenced, and the transcriptome and proteome ofmajor phases during the haploid and diploid yeast life cycle have been determined. However, much less is known about dynamic changes of the proteome when cells switch from mitotic growth to meiotic development. We report a quantitative protein profiling analysis of yeast cell division and differentiation based on mass spectrometry. Information about protein levels was integrated with strand-specific tiling array expression data. We identified a total of 2366 proteins in at least one condition, including 175 proteins showing a statistically significant>5-fold change across the sample set, and 136 proteins detectable in sporulating but not respiring cells. We correlate protein expression patterns with biological processes and molecular function by Gene Ontology term enrichment, chemoprofiling, transcription interference and the formation of double stranded RNAs by overlapping sense/antisense transcripts. Our work provides initial quantitative insight into protein expression in diploid respiring and differentiating yeast cells. Critically, it associates developmentally regulated induction of antisense long noncoding RNAs and double stranded RNAs with fluctuating protein concentrations during growth and development. This integrated genomics analysis helps better understand how the transcriptome and the proteome correlate in diploid yeast cells undergoing mitotic growth in the presence of acetate (respiration) versus meiotic differentiation (Meiosis I and II). The study (i) provides quantitative expression data for 2366 proteins and their cognate mRNAs in at least one sample, (ii) shows strongly fluctuating protein levels during growth and differentiation for 175 cases, and (iii) identifies 136 proteins absent in mitotic but present in meiotic yeast cells. We

  14. Expression of livin protein in lung cancer and its relation with the expression of pro-caspase3 protein

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    Hongru LI

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Background and objective Livin is a novel inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP, recent studies showed it overexpresses in a variety of carcinomas including lung cancer and contributes much to the cancerous development. The objective of this study is to explore the expression of livin in tissues of lung cancer and its relationshipwith histological types, chemotherapy, Lymph node metastasis and to study its correlation with the expression of pro-caspase3 as well. Methods Expressions of Livin and caspase3 were detected by Western blot assay in lung cancer tissues as well as in controls. Results Livin was expressed in 15 of 27 lung cancer, significantly more than those in lung para-cancerous (1/5 or benign disease lung tissues (2/12 (P 0.05. Conclusion Livin are differently expressed in different histological types of lung cancer; High levels of livin expression do not relate to chemotherapy, lymph node metastasis (P >0.05. The levels of livin tends to be positively associated with those of accordingly pro-caspase3, it is presumed that livin could bind pro-caspase3 and suppress its activation.

  15. C-reactive protein inhibits survivin expression via Akt/mTOR pathway downregulation by PTEN expression in cardiac myocytes.

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    Beom Seob Lee

    Full Text Available C-reactive protein (CRP is one of the most important biomarkers for arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have shown that CRP affects cell cycle and inflammatory process in cardiac myocytes. Survivin is also involved in cardiac myocytes replication and apoptosis. Reduction of survivin expression is associated with less favorable cardiac remodeling in animal models. However, the effect of CRP on survivin expression and its cellular mechanism has not yet been studied. We demonstrated that treatment of CRP resulted in a significant decrease of survivin protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner in cardiac myocytes. The upstream signaling proteins of survivin, such as Akt, mTOR and p70S6K, were also downregulated by CRP treatment. In addition, CRP increased the protein and mRNA levels of PTEN. The siRNA transfection or specific inhibitor treatment for PTEN restored the CRP-induced downregulation of Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway and survivin protein expression. Moreover, pretreatment with a specific p53 inhibitor decreased the CRP-induced PTEN expression. ERK-specific inhibitor also blocked the p53 phosphorylation and PTEN expression induced by CRP. Our study provides a novel insight into CRP-induced downregulation of survivin protein expression in cardiac myocytes through mechanisms that involved in downregulation of Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway by expression of PTEN.

  16. Differential expression of proteins and phosphoproteins during larval metamorphosis of the polychaete Capitella sp. I

    KAUST Repository

    Chandramouli, Kondethimmanahalli

    2011-09-03

    Background: The spontaneous metamorphosis of the polychaete Capitella sp. I larvae into juveniles requires minor morphological changes, including segment formation, body elongation, and loss of cilia. In this study, we investigated changes in the expression patterns of both proteins and phosphoproteins during the transition from larvae to juveniles in this species. We used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by multiplex fluorescent staining and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis to identify the differentially expressed proteins as well as the protein and phosphoprotein profiles of both competent larvae and juveniles.Results: Twenty-three differentially expressed proteins were identified in the two developmental stages. Expression patterns of two of those proteins were examined at the protein level by Western blot analysis while seven were further studied at the mRNA level by real-time PCR. Results showed that proteins related to cell division, cell migration, energy storage and oxidative stress were plentifully expressed in the competent larvae; in contrast, proteins involved in oxidative metabolism and transcriptional regulation were abundantly expressed in the juveniles.Conclusion: It is likely that these differentially expressed proteins are involved in regulating the larval metamorphosis process and can be used as protein markers for studying molecular mechanisms associated with larval metamorphosis in polychaetes. © 2011 Chandramouli et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  17. Differential expression of proteins and phosphoproteins during larval metamorphosis of the polychaete Capitella sp. I

    KAUST Repository

    Chandramouli, Kondethimmanahalli; Soo, Lisa; Qian, Pei-Yuan

    2011-01-01

    Background: The spontaneous metamorphosis of the polychaete Capitella sp. I larvae into juveniles requires minor morphological changes, including segment formation, body elongation, and loss of cilia. In this study, we investigated changes in the expression patterns of both proteins and phosphoproteins during the transition from larvae to juveniles in this species. We used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by multiplex fluorescent staining and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis to identify the differentially expressed proteins as well as the protein and phosphoprotein profiles of both competent larvae and juveniles.Results: Twenty-three differentially expressed proteins were identified in the two developmental stages. Expression patterns of two of those proteins were examined at the protein level by Western blot analysis while seven were further studied at the mRNA level by real-time PCR. Results showed that proteins related to cell division, cell migration, energy storage and oxidative stress were plentifully expressed in the competent larvae; in contrast, proteins involved in oxidative metabolism and transcriptional regulation were abundantly expressed in the juveniles.Conclusion: It is likely that these differentially expressed proteins are involved in regulating the larval metamorphosis process and can be used as protein markers for studying molecular mechanisms associated with larval metamorphosis in polychaetes. © 2011 Chandramouli et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  18. Tuning protein expression using synonymous codon libraries targeted to the 5' mRNA coding region

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goltermann, Lise; Borch Jensen, Martin; Bentin, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    intermediate expression levels of green fluorescent protein in Escherichia coli. At least in one case, no apparent effect on protein stability was observed, pointing to RNA level effects as the principal reason for the observed expression differences. Targeting a synonymous codon library to the 5' coding...

  19. ERBB2 in Cat Mammary Neoplasias Disclosed a Positive Correlation between RNA and Protein Low Expression Levels: A Model for erbB-2 Negative Human Breast Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abreu, Rui M. V.; Bastos, Estela; Amorim, Irina; Gut, Ivo G.; Gärtner, Fátima; Chaves, Raquel

    2013-01-01

    Human ERBB2 is a proto-oncogene that codes for the erbB-2 epithelial growth factor receptor. In human breast cancer (HBC), erbB-2 protein overexpression has been repeatedly correlated with poor prognosis. In more recent works, underexpression of this gene has been described in HBC. Moreover, it is also recognised that oncogenes that are commonly amplified or deleted encompass point mutations, and some of these are associated with HBC. In cat mammary lesions (CMLs), the overexpression of ERBB2 (27%–59.6%) has also been described, mostly at the protein level and although cat mammary neoplasias are considered to be a natural model of HBC, molecular information is still scarce. In the present work, a cat ERBB2 fragment, comprising exons 10 to 15 (ERBB2_10–15) was achieved for the first time. Allelic variants and genomic haplotype analyses were also performed, and differences between normal and CML populations were observed. Three amino acid changes, corresponding to 3 non-synonymous genomic sequence variants that were only detected in CMLs, were proposed to damage the 3D structure of the protein. We analysed the cat ERBB2 gene at the DNA (copy number determination), mRNA (expression levels assessment) and protein levels (in extra- and intra protein domains) in CML samples and correlated the last two evaluations with clinicopathological features. We found a positive correlation between the expression levels of the ERBB2 RNA and erbB-2 protein, corresponding to the intracellular region. Additionally, we detected a positive correlation between higher mRNA expression and better clinical outcome. Our results suggest that the ERBB2 gene is post-transcriptionally regulated and that proteins with truncations and single point mutations are present in cat mammary neoplastic lesions. We would like to emphasise that the recurrent occurrence of low erbB-2 expression levels in cat mammary tumours, suggests the cat mammary neoplasias as a valuable model for erbB-2 negative HBC

  20. Effects of immunosuppressive treatment on protein expression in rat kidney

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    Kędzierska K

    2014-09-01

    were observed between the group receiving cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and glucocorticoids (CMG and the control group. In contrast, compared to the control group, animals receiving tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and glucocorticoids (TMG exhibited higher expression of proteins responsible for renal drug metabolism and lower expression levels of cytoplasmic actin and the major urinary protein. In the TMG group, we observed higher expression of proteins responsible for drug metabolism and a decrease in the expression of respiratory chain enzymes (thioredoxin-2 and markers of distal renal tubular damage (heart fatty acid-binding protein compared to expression in the CMG group. The consequences of the reported changes in protein expression require further study. Keywords: Proteomics, drug effects, immunosuppression, rats

  1. Ebola virus infection inversely correlates with the overall expression levels of promyelocytic leukaemia (PML protein in cultured cells

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    Szekely Laszlo

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ebola virus causes severe, often fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans. The mechanism of escape from cellular anti-viral mechanisms is not yet fully understood. The promyelocytic leukaemia (PML associated nuclear body is part of the interferon inducible cellular defense system. Several RNA viruses have been found to interfere with the anti-viral function of the PML body. The possible interaction between Ebola virus and the PML bodies has not yet been explored. Results We found that two cell lines, Vero E6 and MCF7, support virus production at high and low levels respectively. The expression of viral proteins was visualized and quantified using high resolution immunofluorescence microscopy. Ebola encoded NP and VP35 accumulated in cytoplasmic inclusion bodies whereas VP40 was mainly membrane associated but it was also present diffusely in the cytoplasm as well as in the euchromatic areas of the nucleus. The anti-VP40 antibody also allowed the detection of extracellular virions. Interferon-alpha treatment decreased the production of all three viral proteins and delayed the development of cytopathic effects in both cell lines. Virus infection and interferon-alpha treatment induced high levels of PML protein expression in MCF7 but much less in Vero E6 cells. No disruption of PML bodies, a common phenomenon induced by a variety of different viruses, was observed. Conclusion We have established a simple fixation and immunofluorescence staining procedure that allows specific co-detection and precise sub-cellular localization of the PML nuclear bodies and the Ebola virus encoded proteins NP, VP35 and VP40 in formaldehyde treated cells. Interferon-alpha treatment delays virus production in vitro. Intact PML bodies may play an anti-viral role in Ebola infected cells.

  2. Low expression levels of hepsin and TMPRSS3 are associated with poor breast cancer survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pelkonen, Mikko; Luostari, Kaisa; Tengström, Maria; Ahonen, Hermanni; Berdel, Bozena; Kataja, Vesa; Soini, Ylermi; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Mannermaa, Arto

    2015-01-01

    Hepsin, (also called TMPRSS1) and TMPRSS3 are type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) that are involved in cancer progression. TTSPs can remodel extracellular matrix (ECM) and, when dysregulated, promote tumor progression and metastasis by inducing defects in basement membrane and ECM molecules. This study investigated whether the gene and protein expression levels of these TTSPs were associated with breast cancer characteristics or survival. Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate hepsin levels in 372 breast cancer samples and TMPRSS3 levels in 373 samples. TMPRSS1 mRNA expression was determined in 125 invasive and 16 benign breast tumor samples, and TMPRSS3 mRNA expression was determined in 167 invasive and 23 benign breast tumor samples. The gene and protein expression levels were analyzed for associations with breast cancer-specific survival and clinicopathological parameters. Low TMPRSS1 and TMPRSS3 mRNA expression levels were independent prognostic factors for poor breast cancer survival during the 20-year follow-up (TMPRSS1, P = 0.023; HR, 2.065; 95 % CI, 1.106–3.856; TMPRSS3, P = 0.013; HR, 2.106; 95 % CI, 1.167–3.800). Low expression of the two genes at the mRNA and protein levels associated with poorer survival compared to high levels (log rank P-values 0.015–0.042). Low TMPRSS1 mRNA expression was also an independent marker of poor breast cancer prognosis in patients treated with radiotherapy (P = 0.034; HR, 2.344; 95 % CI, 1.065–5.160). Grade III tumors, large tumor size, and metastasis were associated with low mRNA and protein expression levels. The results suggest that the TTSPs hepsin and TMPRSS3 may have similar biological functions in the molecular pathology of breast cancer. Low mRNA and protein expression levels of the studied TTSPs were prognostic markers of poor survival in breast cancer. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1440-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized

  3. Induction of Ski Protein Expression upon Luteinization in Rat Granulosa Cells

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    Hyun Kim

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Ski protein is implicated in proliferation/differentiation in a variety of cells. We had previously reported that Ski protein is present in granulosa cells of atretic follicles, but not in preovulatory follicles, suggesting that Ski has a role in apoptosis of granulosa cells. The alternative fate of granulosa cells other than apoptosis is to differentiate to luteal cells; however, it is unknown whether Ski is expressed and has a role in granulosa cells undergoing luteinization. Thus, the aim of the present study was to locate Ski protein in the rat ovary during luteinizationto predict the possible role of Ski. In order to examine the expression pattern of Ski protein along with the progress of luteinization, follicular growth was induced by administration of equine chorionic gonadtropin to immature female rats, and luteinization was induced by human chorionic gonadtropin treatment to mimic luteinizing hormone (LH surge. While no Ski-positive granulosa cells were present in preovulatory follicle, Ski protein expression was induced in response to LH surge, and was maintained after the formation of the corpus luteum (CL. Though Ski protein is absent in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicle, its mRNA (c-Ski was expressed and the level was unchanged even after LH surge. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Ski protein expression is induced in granulosa cells upon luteinization, and suggests that its expression is regulated post-transcriptionally.

  4. Expression of β-catenin protein in hepatocellular carcinoma and its relationship with alpha-fetoprotein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Ya-Jun; Huang, Tao; Yu, Hong-Lu; Zhang, Li; He, Qian-Jin; Xiong, Zhi-Fan; Peng, Hua

    2016-12-01

    This study aimed to investigate the expression of β-catenin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and its relationship with α-fetoprotein (AFP) in HCC. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of β-catenin in normal liver tissues (n=10), liver cirrhosis tissues (n=20), and primary HCC tissues (n=60). The relationship between β-catenin expression and clinical parameters of HCC was investigated. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of β-catenin in the liver cancer cell line SMMC-7721 transfected with a plasmid encoding AFP, and also the mRNA and protein expression levels of β-catenin were measured in the liver cancer cell line Huh7 before and after the transfection with AFP shRNA plasmids. The results showed that β-catenin was only expressed on the cell membrane in normal liver tissues. Its localization to the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells was observed in a small proportion of cirrhotic tissues or adjacent HCC tissues, and such ectopic expression of β-catenin was predominant in HCC tissues. The abnormal expression of β-catenin was correlated with serum AFP levels, cancer cell differentiation and vascular invasion (P<0.05). Additionally, the increased expression of AFP resulted in the upregulation of β-catenin mRNA and protein levels, while knockdown of AFP with AFP shRNA led to significantly decreased β-catenin mRNA and protein levels (P<0.05). It was suggested that the abnormal expression of β-catenin is implicated in hepatic carcinogenesis and development. AFP can lead to increased expression of β-catenin, which may account for the poor prognosis of AFP-associated HCC patients.

  5. Roles of HMGA proteins in cancer: Expression, pathways, and redundancies

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    Giancotti V

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The expression of the High Mobility Group A (HMGA proteins, their participation in cancer signalling pathways, and their redundant functions have been reviewed in seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, prostate, lung, ovarian, thyroid, and brain. The analysis of cell lines and tumours revealed an elevated level of their expression in all fully transformed cancer systems, which represents a step of the main cancer signalling pathways. In breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a master inducer of cell transformation in which are deeply involved HMG A1 and A2 proteins. On the other hand, IL-6/Stat3 pathway is responsible for cancer transformation in breast, lung, and prostate. The expression of HMGA1 in lung and ovarian cancers is due to an active PI3K/Akt pathway. The let-7 family of microRNA represses the expression of HMGA showing specificity by its different forms: the let-7b form is able to inhibit both proteins A1 and A2, the last also inhibited by a, c, d, and g forms. Moreover, both proteins are down-regulated by the repressor couple p53/microRNA-34a. The protein A1 and A2 participate to the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition cooperating with the three couples of factors Twist1/2, Snai1/2, and Zeb1/2. Through a combination of pathways, there is the simultaneous presence of high levels of both A1 and A2 together with the expression of other factors: a high co-operating efficiency is reached that supplies the tumour cells with properties of self-renewal, resistance, and invasiveness.

  6. Parasitization by Scleroderma guani influences protein expression in Tenebrio molitor pupae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jia-Ying; Wu, Guo-Xing; Ze, Sang-Zi; Stanley, David W; Yang, Bin

    2014-07-01

    Ectoparasitoid wasps deposit their eggs onto the surface and inject venom into their hosts. Venoms are chemically complex and they exert substantial impact on hosts, including permanent or temporary paralysis and developmental arrest. These visible venom effects are due to changes in expression of genes encoding physiologically relevant proteins. While the influence of parasitization on gene expression in several lepidopterans has been reported, the molecular details of parasitoid/beetle relationships remain mostly unknown. This shortcoming led us to pose the hypothesis that envenomation by the ectoparasitic ant-like bethylid wasp Scleroderma guani leads to changes in protein expression in the yellow mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor. We tested our hypothesis by comparing the proteomes of non-parasitized and parasitized host pupae using iTRAQ-based proteomics. We identified 41 proteins that were differentially expressed (32↑- and 9↓-regulated) in parasitized pupae. We assigned these proteins to functional categories, including immunity, stress and detoxification, energy metabolism, development, cytoskeleton, signaling and others. We recorded parallel changes in mRNA levels and protein abundance in 14 selected proteins following parasitization. Our findings support our hypothesis by documenting changes in protein expression in parasitized hosts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Frame-Insensitive Expression Cloning of Fluorescent Protein from Scolionema suvaense

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    Yuki Horiuchi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Expression cloning from cDNA is an important technique for acquiring genes encoding novel fluorescent proteins. However, the probability of in-frame cDNA insertion following the first start codon of the vector is normally only 1/3, which is a cause of low cloning efficiency. To overcome this issue, we developed a new expression plasmid vector, pRSET-TriEX, in which transcriptional slippage was induced by introducing a DNA sequence of (dT14 next to the first start codon of pRSET. The effectiveness of frame-insensitive cloning was validated by inserting the gene encoding eGFP with all three possible frames to the vector. After transformation with one of these plasmids, E. coli cells expressed eGFP with no significant difference in the expression level. The pRSET-TriEX vector was then used for expression cloning of a novel fluorescent protein from Scolionema suvaense. We screened 3658 E. coli colonies transformed with pRSET-TriEX containing Scolionema suvaense cDNA, and found one colony expressing a novel green fluorescent protein, ScSuFP. The highest score in protein sequence similarity was 42% with the chain c of multi-domain green fluorescent protein like protein “ember” from Anthoathecata sp. Variations in the N- and/or C-terminal sequence of ScSuFP compared to other fluorescent proteins indicate that the expression cloning, rather than the sequence similarity-based methods, was crucial for acquiring the gene encoding ScSuFP. The absorption maximum was at 498 nm, with an extinction efficiency of 1.17 × 105 M−1·cm−1. The emission maximum was at 511 nm and the fluorescence quantum yield was determined to be 0.6. Pseudo-native gel electrophoresis showed that the protein forms obligatory homodimers.

  8. The correlation of serum S100β protein levels and hippocampal Seladin-1 gene expression in a rat model of sporadic Alzheimer\\\\\\'s disease

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    Soheila Hosseinzadeh

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Seladin-1 protein protects the neural cells against amyloid beta toxicity and its expression decreased in vulnerable regions of Alzheimer's disease (AD brains. On the other hand, changes in serum levels of S100 have been considered as a marker of brain damage in neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, this study was carried out to determine the relation between the change profile of serum S100β protein levels and hippocampal Seladin-1 gene expression in a rat model of sporadic AD. Methods: In this experimental study that established in Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, from March 2011 to April 2013, 72 animals were randomly divided into control, 4, 7, 14, and 21days ICV-STZ/Saline administrated rats. Alzheimer's model was induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV injections of streptozotocin (STZ [3 mg/kg] on days 1 and 3. Serum levels of S100β and hippocampal Seladin-1 gene expression were evalu-ated in experimental groups. The initial and step-through latencies (STL were deter-mined using passive avoidance test. Results: Serum levels of S100β were significantly different between the STZ-7 day and STZ-14 day groups in comparison with the control, saline and STZ-4 day groups. As well as, there was a significant difference between the STZ-7 day group in comparison with the STZ-14 day and STZ-21 day groups (P=0.0001. Hippocampal Seladin-1 gene expression in STZ-14 day and STZ-21 day groups significantly decreased as compared to the control, saline and STZ-4 day groups (P=0.0001. However, significant correla-tion was detected between serum S100β protein decrement and Seladin-1 down regula-tion (P=0.001. Also, the STL was significantly decreased in 21 days ICV-STZ adminis-trated rats as compared to the control or saline groups (P=0.001. Conclusion: Monitoring the changes of serum S100β protein levels by relationship with changes in hippocampal Seladin-1

  9. Expression Levels and Localizations of DVL3 and sFRP3 in Glioblastoma

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    Anja Kafka

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The expression patterns of critical molecular components of Wnt signaling, sFRP3 and DVL3, were investigated in glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of primary brain tumors, with the aim to offer potential biomarkers. The protein expression levels and localizations in tumor tissue were revealed by immunohistochemistry and evaluated by the semiquantitative method and immunoreactivity score. Majority of glioblastomas had moderate expression levels for both DVL3 (52.4% and sFRP3 (52.3%. Strong expression levels were observed in 23.1% and 36.0% of samples, respectively. DVL3 was localized in cytoplasm in 97% of glioblastomas, of which 44% coexpressed the protein in the nucleus. sFRP3 subcellular distribution showed that it was localized in the cytoplasm in 94% of cases. Colocalization in the cytoplasm and nucleus was observed in 50% of samples. Wilcox test indicated that the domination of the strong signal is in connection with simultaneous localization of DVL3 protein in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Patients with strong expression of DVL3 will significantly more often have the protein in the nucleus (P=6.33×10−5. No significant correlation between the two proteins was established, nor were their signal strengths correlated with epidemiological parameters. Our study contributes to better understanding of glioblastoma molecular profile.

  10. Hypoxic-induced stress protein expression in rat cardiac myocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howard, G.; Geoghegan, T.E.

    1986-01-01

    Mammalian stress proteins can be induced in cells and tissues exposed to a variety of conditions including hyperthermia and diminished O 2 supply. The authors have previously shown that the expression of three stress proteins (71, 85, and 95 kDa) was induced in cardiac tissue from mice exposed to hypoxic conditions. The expression of mRNAs coding for the 85 and 95 kDa proteins increase with time of exposure to hypoxia, while the mRNA coding for the 71 kDa protein is transiently induced. The authors extended these studies to investigate the expression of stress proteins in isolated rat cardiac myocytes. Freshly prepared myocytes were exposed to control, hypoxic, anoxic, or heat-shock environments for up to 16 h. The proteins were then labeled for 6 hours with [ 35 S]methionine. Analysis of the solubilized proteins by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography showed that there was a 6-fold increase in synthesis of the 85 kDa protein upon exposure to hypoxia but not heat-shock conditions. The 71 kDa protein was present at high levels in both control and treated myocyte protein preparations, and presumably had been induced during the isolation procedure. Total RNA isolated from intact rat heart and isolated myocytes was compared by cell-free translation analysis and showed induction of RNAs coding for several stress proteins in the myocyte preparation. The induced proteins at 85 and 95 kDa have molecular weights similar to reported cell stress and/or glucose-regulated proteins

  11. A New Strain Collection for Improved Expression of Outer Membrane Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ina Meuskens

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Almost all integral membrane proteins found in the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria belong to the transmembrane β-barrel family. These proteins are not only important for nutrient uptake and homeostasis, but are also involved in such processes as adhesion, protein secretion, biofilm formation, and virulence. As surface exposed molecules, outer membrane β-barrel proteins are also potential drug and vaccine targets. High production levels of heterologously expressed proteins are desirable for biochemical and especially structural studies, but over-expression and subsequent purification of membrane proteins, including outer membrane proteins, can be challenging. Here, we present a set of deletion mutants derived from E. coli BL21(DE3 designed for the over-expression of recombinant outer membrane proteins. These strains harbor deletions of four genes encoding abundant β-barrel proteins in the outer membrane (OmpA, OmpC, OmpF, and LamB, both single and in all combinations of double, triple, and quadruple knock-outs. The sequences encoding these outer membrane proteins were deleted completely, leaving only a minimal scar sequence, thus preventing the possibility of genetic reversion. Expression tests in the quadruple mutant strain with four test proteins, including a small outer membrane β-barrel protein and variants thereof as well as two virulence-related autotransporters, showed significantly improved expression and better quality of the produced proteins over the parent strain. Differences in growth behavior and aggregation in the presence of high salt were observed, but these phenomena did not negatively influence the expression in the quadruple mutant strain when handled as we recommend. The strains produced in this study can be used for outer membrane protein production and purification, but are also uniquely useful for labeling experiments for biophysical measurements in the native membrane environment.

  12. Human trabecular meshwork cells express BMP antagonist mRNAs and proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tovar-Vidales, Tara; Fitzgerald, Ashley M; Clark, Abbot F

    2016-06-01

    Glaucoma patients have elevated aqueous humor and trabecular meshwork (TM) levels of transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-β2). TGF-β2 has been associated with increased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition (i.e. fibronectin), which is attributed to the increased resistance of aqueous humor outflow through the TM. We have previously demonstrated that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4 selectively counteracts the profibrotic effect of TGF-β2 with respect to ECM synthesis in the TM, and this action is reversed by the BMP antagonist gremlin. Thus, the BMP and TGF-β signaling pathways antagonize each other's antifibrotic and profibrotic roles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cultured human TM cells: (a) express other BMP antagonists including noggin, chordin, BMPER, BAMBI, Smurf1 and 2, and (b) whether expression of these proteins is regulated by exogenous TGF-β2 treatment. Primary human trabecular meshwork (TM) cells were grown to confluency and treated with TGF-β2 (5 ng/ml) for 24 or 48 h in serum-free medium. Untreated cell served as controls. qPCR and Western immunoblots (WB) determined that human TM cells expressed mRNAs and proteins for the BMP antagonist proteins: noggin, chordin, BMPER, BAMBI, and Smurf1/2. Exogenous TGF-β2 decreased chordin, BMPER, BAMBI, and Smurf1 mRNA and protein expression. In contrast, TGF-β2 increased secreted noggin and Smurf2 mRNA and protein levels. BMP antagonist members are expressed in the human TM. These molecules may be involved in the normal function of the TM as well as TM pathogenesis. Altered expression of BMP antagonist members may lead to functional changes in the human TM. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. The Wnt Signaling Pathway Is Differentially Expressed during the Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Latency-Reactivation Cycle: Evidence That Two Protein Kinases Associated with Neuronal Survival, Akt3 and BMPR2, Are Expressed at Higher Levels during Latency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Workman, Aspen; Zhu, Liqian; Keel, Brittney N; Smith, Timothy P L; Jones, Clinton

    2018-04-01

    Sensory neurons in trigeminal ganglia (TG) of calves latently infected with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) abundantly express latency-related (LR) gene products, including a protein (ORF2) and two micro-RNAs. Recent studies in mouse neuroblastoma cells (Neuro-2A) demonstrated ORF2 interacts with β-catenin and a β-catenin coactivator, high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) protein, which correlates with increased β-catenin-dependent transcription and cell survival. β-Catenin and HMGA1 are readily detected in a subset of latently infected TG neurons but not TG neurons from uninfected calves or reactivation from latency. Consequently, we hypothesized that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is differentially expressed during the latency and reactivation cycle and an active Wnt pathway promotes latency. RNA-sequencing studies revealed that 102 genes associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were differentially expressed in TG during the latency-reactivation cycle in calves. Wnt agonists were generally expressed at higher levels during latency, but these levels decreased during dexamethasone-induced reactivation. The Wnt agonist bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) was intriguing because it encodes a serine/threonine receptor kinase that promotes neuronal differentiation and inhibits cell death. Another differentially expressed gene encodes a protein kinase (Akt3), which is significant because Akt activity enhances cell survival and is linked to herpes simplex virus 1 latency and neuronal survival. Additional studies demonstrated ORF2 increased Akt3 steady-state protein levels and interacted with Akt3 in transfected Neuro-2A cells, which correlated with Akt3 activation. Conversely, expression of Wnt antagonists increased during reactivation from latency. Collectively, these studies suggest Wnt signaling cooperates with LR gene products, in particular ORF2, to promote latency. IMPORTANCE Lifelong BoHV-1 latency primarily occurs in sensory neurons

  14. Bcl-2 Protein Expression in Egyptian Acute Myeloid Leukemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Shakankiry, N.; El-Sayed, Gh.M.M.; El-Maghraby, Sh.; Moneer, M.M.

    2009-01-01

    Objective: The primary cause of treatment failure in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the emergence of both resistant disease and early relapse. The bcl-2 gene encodes a 26-kDa protein that promotes cell survival by blocking programmed cell death (apoptosis). In the present study, bcl-2 protein expression was evaluated in newly diagnosed AML patients and correlated with the induction of remission and overall survival (OS), in an attempt to define patients who might benefit from modified therapeutic strategies. Patients and methods: Pretreatment cellular bcl-2 protein expression was measured in bone marrow samples obtained from 68 patients of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and 10 healthy controls by western blotting. Results: The mean bcl-2 protein expression was significantly higher in patients (0.68610.592) compared to controls (0.313±0.016) (p=0.002). The overall survival for patients with mean bcl-2 expression of less, and more than or equal to 0.315, was 67% and 56%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups 0»=0.86). Conclusion: Even though we did not observe a significant difference in overall survival between patients with high and low levels of bcl-2, modulation of this protein might still be considered as an option for enhancing the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy.

  15. Use of a protein engineering strategy to overcome limitations in the production of "Difficult to Express" recombinant proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Hirra; Fisher, David I; Abbott, W Mark; Roth, Robert G; Dickson, Alan J

    2017-10-01

    Certain recombinant proteins are deemed "difficult to express" in mammalian expression systems requiring significant cell and/or process engineering to abrogate expression bottlenecks. With increasing demand for the production of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells, low protein yields can have significant consequences for industrial processes. To investigate the molecular mechanisms that restrict expression of recombinant proteins, naturally secreted model proteins were analyzed from the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) protein family. In particular, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 were subjected to detailed study. TIMP proteins share significant sequence homology (∼50% identity and ∼70% similarity in amino acid sequence). However, they show marked differences in secretion in mammalian expression systems despite this extensive sequence homology. Using these two proteins as models, this study characterized the molecular mechanisms responsible for poor recombinant protein production. Our results reveal that both TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 are detectable at mRNA and protein level within the cell but only TIMP-2 is secreted effectively into the extracellular medium. Analysis of protein localization and the nature of intracellular protein suggest TIMP-3 is severely limited in its post-translational processing. To overcome this challenge, modification of the TIMP-3 sequence to include a furin protease-cleavable pro-sequence resulted in secretion of the modified TIMP-3 protein, however, incomplete processing was observed. Based on the TIMP-3 data, the protein engineering approach was optimized and successfully applied in combination with cell engineering, the overexpression of furin, to another member of the TIMP protein family (the poorly expressed TIMP-4). Use of the described protein engineering strategy resulted in successful secretion of poorly (TIMP-4) and non-secreted (TIMP-3) targets, and presents a novel strategy to enhance the production of "difficult" recombinant

  16. Heterologous Protein Expression in Pichia pastoris: Latest Research Progress and Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juturu, Veeresh; Wu, Jin Chuan

    2018-01-04

    Pichia pastoris is a well-known platform strain for heterologous protein expression. Over the past five years, different strategies to improve the efficiency of recombinant protein expression by this yeast strain have been developed; these include a patent-free protein expression kit, construction of the P. pastoris CBS7435Ku70 platform strain with its high efficiency in site-specific recombination of plasmid DNA into the genomic DNA, the design of synthetic promoters and their variants by combining different core promoters with multiple putative transcription factors, the generation of mutant GAP promoter variants with various promoter strengths, codon optimization, engineering the α-factor signal sequence by replacing the native glutamic acid at the Kex2 cleavage site with the other 19 natural amino acids and the addition of mammalian signal sequence to the yeast signal sequence, and the co-expression of single chaperones, multiple chaperones or helper proteins that aid in recombinant protein folding. Publically available high-quality genome data from multiple strains of P. pastoris GS115, DSMZ 70382, and CBS7435 and the continuous development of yeast expression kits have successfully promoted the metabolic engineering of this strain to produce carotenoids, xanthophylls, nootkatone, ricinoleic acid, dammarenediol-II, and hyaluronic acid. The cell-surface display of enzymes has obviously increased enzyme stability, and high-level intracellular expression of acyl-CoA and ethanol O-acyltransferase, lipase and d-amino acid oxidase has opened up applications in whole-cell biocatalysis for producing flavor molecules and biodiesel, as well as the deracemization of racemic amino acids. High-level expression of various food-grade enzymes, cellulases, and hemicellulases for applications in the food, feed and biorefinery industries is in its infancy and needs strengthening. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Evolved Escherichia coli strains for amplified, functional expression of membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gul, Nadia; Linares, Daniel M; Ho, Franz Y; Poolman, Bert

    2014-01-09

    The major barrier to the physical characterization and structure determination of membrane proteins is low protein yield and/or low functionality in recombinant expression. The enteric bacterium Escherichia coli is the most widely employed organism for producing recombinant proteins. Beside several advantages of this expression host, one major drawback is that the protein of interest does not always adopt its native conformation and may end up in large insoluble aggregates. We describe a robust strategy to increase the likelihood of overexpressing membrane proteins in a functional state. The method involves fusion in tandem of green fluorescent protein and the erythromycin resistance protein (23S ribosomal RNA adenine N-6 methyltransferase, ErmC) to the C-terminus of a target membrane protein. The fluorescence of green fluorescent protein is used to report the folding state of the target protein, whereas ErmC is used to select for increased expression. By gradually increasing the erythromycin concentration of the medium and testing different membrane protein targets, we obtained a number of evolved strains of which four (NG2, NG3, NG5 and NG6) were characterized and their genome was fully sequenced. Strikingly, each of the strains carried a mutation in the hns gene, whose product is involved in genome organization and transcriptional silencing. The degree of expression of (membrane) proteins correlates with the severity of the hns mutation, but cells in which hns was deleted showed an intermediate expression performance. We propose that (partial) removal of the transcriptional silencing mechanism changes the levels of proteins essential for the functional overexpression of membrane proteins. © 2013.

  18. Expression of goose parvovirus whole VP3 protein and its epitopes in Escherichia coli cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarasiuk, K; Woźniakowski, G; Holec-Gąsior, L

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was the expression of goose parvovirus capsid protein (VP3) and its epitopes in Escherichia coli cells. Expression of the whole VP3 protein provided an insufficient amount of protein. In contrast, the expression of two VP3 epitopes (VP3ep4, VP3ep6) in E. coli, resulted in very high expression levels. This may suggest that smaller parts of the GPV antigenic determinants are more efficiently expressed than the complete VP3 gene.

  19. Expression of the cytoskeleton regulatory protein Mena in human gastric carcinoma and its prognostic significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Lihua; Tan, Huo; Liu, Ruiming; Huang, Qungai; Zhang, Nana; Li, Xi; Wang, Jiani

    2017-11-01

    The cytoskeleton regulatory protein Mena is reportedly overexpressed in breast cancer; however, data regarding its expression level and clinical significance in gastric carcinoma (GC) is limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate Mena expression levels and prognostic significance in GC. Mena mRNA expression level was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 10 paired GC and adjacent normal tissues. The Mena protein expression level was analyzed in paraffin-embedded GC samples and adjacent normal tissues by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses were also performed to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of Mena. The results revealed that the mRNA expression level of Mena was significantly higher in G Ct issues compared with in adjacent normal tissues from10 paired samples. In the paraffin-embedded tissue samples, the protein expression level of Mena was higher in G Ct issues compared with in adjacent normal tissues. Compared with adjacent normal tissues, Mena overexpression was observed in 52.83% (56/106) of patients. The overexpression of Mena was significantly associated with the T stage (P=0.033), tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (PMena expression level was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival time. In conclusion, Mena wasoverexpressed in G C tissues and significantly associated with the T stage, TNM stage and overall survival time. Mena may therefore be suitable as a prognostic indicator for patients with GC.

  20. Transcript and protein expression profile of PF11_0394, a Plasmodium falciparum protein expressed in salivary gland sporozoites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schlarman Maggie S

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a significant problem around the world today, thus there is still a need for new control methods to be developed. Because the sporozoite displays dual infectivity for both the mosquito salivary glands and vertebrate host tissue, it is a good target for vaccine development. Methods The P. falciparum gene, PF11_0394, was chosen as a candidate for study due to its potential role in the invasion of host tissues. This gene, which was selected using a data mining approach from PlasmoDB, is expressed both at the transcriptional and protein levels in sporozoites and likely encodes a putative surface protein. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and green fluorescent protein (GFP-trafficking studies, a transcript and protein expression profile of PF11_0394 was determined. Results The PF11_0394 protein has orthologs in other Plasmodium species and Apicomplexans, but none outside of the group Apicomplexa. PF11_0394 transcript was found to be present during both the sporozoite and erythrocytic stages of the parasite life cycle, but no transcript was detected during axenic exoerythrocytic stages. Despite the presence of transcript throughout several life cycle stages, the PF11_0394 protein was only detected in salivary gland sporozoites. Conclusions PF11_0394 appears to be a protein uniquely detected in salivary gland sporozoites. Even though a specific function of PF11_0394 has not been determined in P. falciparum biology, it could be another candidate for a new vaccine.

  1. CIP2A protein expression in high-grade, high-stage bladder cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Lisa P; Savoly, Diana; Sidi, Abraham A; Adelson, Martin E; Mordechai, Eli; Trama, Jason P

    2012-01-01

    Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Numerous markers have been evaluated for suitability of bladder cancer detection and surveillance. However, few of them are acceptable as a routine tool. Therefore, there exists a continuing need for an assay that detects the presence of bladder cancer in humans. It would be advantageous to develop an assay with a protein that is associated with the development of bladder cancer. We have identified the cancerous inhibitor of PP2A (CIP2A) protein as a novel bladder cancer biomarker. In this study, Western blot analysis was used to assess the expression level of CIP2A protein in bladder cancer cell lines and bladder cancer patient tissues (n = 43). Our studies indicated CIP2A protein was abundantly expressed in bladder cancer cell lines but not in nontumor epithelial cell lines. Furthermore, CIP2A was specifically expressed in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder tumor tissues but not in adjacent nontumor bladder tissue. Our data showed that CIP2A protein detection in high-grade TCC tissues had a sensitivity of 65%, which is 3.4-fold higher than that seen in low-grade TCC tissues (19%). The level of CIP2A protein expression increased with the stage of disease (12%, 27%, 67%, and 100% for pTa, pT1, pT2, and pT3 tumor, respectively). In conclusion, our studies suggest that CIP2A protein is specifically expressed in human bladder tumors. CIP2A is preferentially expressed in high-grade and high-stage TCC tumors, which are high-risk and invasive tumors. Our studies reported here support the role of CIP2A in bladder cancer progression and its usefulness for the surveillance of recurrence or progression of human bladder cancer

  2. Vascular endothelial growth factor A protein level and gene expression in intracranial meningiomas with brain edema

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nassehi, Damoun; Dyrbye, Henrik; Andresen, Morten

    2011-01-01

    Meningiomas are the second most common primary intracranial tumors in adults. Although meningiomas are mostly benign, more than 50% of patients with meningioma develop peritumoral brain edema (PTBE), which may be fatal because of increased intracranial pressure. Vascular endothelial growth factor....... Forty-three patients had primary, solitary, supratentorial meningiomas with PTBE. In these, correlations in PTBE, edema index, VEGF-A protein, VEGF gene expression, capillary length, and tumor water content were investigated. DNA-branched hybridization was used for measuring VEGF gene expression...... in tissue homogenates prepared from frozen tissue samples. The method for VEGF-A analysis resembled an ELISA assay, but was based on chemiluminescence. The edema index was positively correlated to VEGF-A protein (p = 0.014) and VEGF gene expression (p

  3. WWOX protein expression varies among ovarian carcinoma histotypes and correlates with less favorable outcome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nunez, María I; Mills, Gordon B; Aldaz, C Marcelo; Rosen, Daniel G; Ludes-Meyers, John H; Abba, Martín C; Kil, Hyunsuk; Page, Robert; Klein-Szanto, Andres JP; Godwin, Andrew K; Liu, Jinsong

    2005-01-01

    The putative tumor suppressor WWOX gene spans the common chromosomal fragile site 16D (FRA16D) at chromosome area 16q23.3-24.1. This region is a frequent target for loss of heterozygosity and chromosomal rearrangement in ovarian, breast, hepatocellular, prostate carcinomas and other neoplasias. The goal of these studies was to evaluate WWOX protein expression levels in ovarian carcinomas to determine if they correlated with clinico-pathological parameters, thus providing additional support for WWOX functioning as a tumor suppressor. We performed WWOX protein expression analyses by means of immunobloting and immunohistochemistry on normal ovaries and specific human ovarian carcinoma Tissue Microarrays (n = 444). Univariate analysis of clinical-pathological parameters based on WWOX staining was determined by χ 2 test with Yates' correction. The basic significance level was fixed at p < 0.05. Immunoblotting analysis from normal ovarian samples demonstrated consistently strong WWOX expression while 37% ovarian carcinomas showed reduced or undetectable WWOX protein expression levels. The immunohistochemistry of normal human ovarian tissue sections confirmed strong WWOX expression in ovarian surface epithelial cells and in epithelial inclusion cysts within the cortex. Out of 444 ovarian carcinoma samples analyzed 30% of tumors showed lack of or barely detectable WWOX expression. The remaining ovarian carcinomas (70%) stained moderately to strongly positive for this protein. The two histotypes showing significant loss of WWOX expression were of the Mucinous (70%) and Clear Cell (42%) types. Reduced WWOX expression demonstrated a significant association with clinical Stage IV (FIGO) (p = 0.007), negative Progesterone Receptor (PR) status (p = 0.008) and shorter overall survival (p = 0.03). These data indicate that WWOX protein expression is highly variable among ovarian carcinoma histotypes. It was also observed that subsets of ovarian tumors demonstrated loss of

  4. Expression of uncoupling protein 1 in bovine muscle cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abd Eldaim, M A; Hashimoto, O; Ohtsuki, H; Yamada, T; Murakami, M; Onda, K; Sato, R; Kanamori, Y; Qiao, Y; Tomonaga, S; Matsui, T; Funaba, M

    2016-12-01

    Uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) is predominantly expressed in brown/beige adipocytes in mammals. Although myogenic cells have been suggested to commit to a brown adipocyte lineage through the induction of Prdm16 expression, Prdm16 is also expressed in skeletal muscle. Thus, we examined expression of Ucp1 in bovine myogenic cells. Considering that Ucp1 is a principle molecule that induces energy expenditure in brown/beige adipocytes, expression of Ucp1 is not preferable in beef cattle because of potential decrease in energy (fattening) efficiency. The RT-PCR analyses revealed the expression of Ucp1 in the skeletal muscle of cattle; expression levels were markedly lower than those in the brown fat of calves. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that Ucp1 surrounded muscle fibers, but not adipocytes residing in skeletal muscle. Myosatellite cells cultured in myogenic medium showed an increase in the expression levels of myogenic regulatory factors ( levels were greater in cells after myogenic culture for 12 d than in those after myogenic culture for 6 d ( bovine skeletal muscle, which suggests the necessity for further studies on Ucp1-mediated energy expenditure in bovine skeletal muscle.

  5. Expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli tagged with the metal-binding protein CusF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantu-Bustos, J Enrique; Vargas-Cortez, Teresa; Morones-Ramirez, Jose Ruben; Balderas-Renteria, Isaias; Galbraith, David W; McEvoy, Megan M; Zarate, Xristo

    2016-05-01

    Production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli has been improved considerably through the use of fusion proteins, because they increase protein solubility and facilitate purification via affinity chromatography. In this article, we propose the use of CusF as a new fusion partner for expression and purification of recombinant proteins in E. coli. Using a cell-free protein expression system, based on the E. coli S30 extract, Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was expressed with a series of different N-terminal tags, immobilized on self-assembled protein microarrays, and its fluorescence quantified. GFP tagged with CusF showed the highest fluorescence intensity, and this was greater than the intensities from corresponding GFP constructs that contained MBP or GST tags. Analysis of protein production in vivo showed that CusF produces large amounts of soluble protein with low levels of inclusion bodies. Furthermore, fusion proteins can be exported to the cellular periplasm, if CusF contains the signal sequence. Taking advantage of its ability to bind copper ions, recombinant proteins can be purified with readily available IMAC resins charged with this metal ion, producing pure proteins after purification and tag removal. We therefore recommend the use of CusF as a viable alternative to MBP or GST as a fusion protein/affinity tag for the production of soluble recombinant proteins in E. coli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Machine learning in computational biology to accelerate high-throughput protein expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sastry, Anand; Monk, Jonathan; Tegel, Hanna; Uhlen, Mathias; Palsson, Bernhard O; Rockberg, Johan; Brunk, Elizabeth

    2017-08-15

    The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) enables the simultaneous characterization of thousands of proteins across various tissues to pinpoint their spatial location in the human body. This has been achieved through transcriptomics and high-throughput immunohistochemistry-based approaches, where over 40 000 unique human protein fragments have been expressed in E. coli. These datasets enable quantitative tracking of entire cellular proteomes and present new avenues for understanding molecular-level properties influencing expression and solubility. Combining computational biology and machine learning identifies protein properties that hinder the HPA high-throughput antibody production pipeline. We predict protein expression and solubility with accuracies of 70% and 80%, respectively, based on a subset of key properties (aromaticity, hydropathy and isoelectric point). We guide the selection of protein fragments based on these characteristics to optimize high-throughput experimentation. We present the machine learning workflow as a series of IPython notebooks hosted on GitHub (https://github.com/SBRG/Protein_ML). The workflow can be used as a template for analysis of further expression and solubility datasets. ebrunk@ucsd.edu or johanr@biotech.kth.se. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  7. The E4 protein; structure, function and patterns of expression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doorbar, John, E-mail: jdoorba@nimr.mrc.ac.uk

    2013-10-15

    The papillomavirus E4 open reading frame (ORF) is contained within the E2 ORF, with the primary E4 gene-product (E1{sup ∧}E4) being translated from a spliced mRNA that includes the E1 initiation codon and adjacent sequences. E4 is located centrally within the E2 gene, in a region that encodes the E2 protein′s flexible hinge domain. Although a number of minor E4 transcripts have been reported, it is the product of the abundant E1{sup ∧}E4 mRNA that has been most extensively analysed. During the papillomavirus life cycle, the E1{sup ∧}E4 gene products generally become detectable at the onset of vegetative viral genome amplification as the late stages of infection begin. E4 contributes to genome amplification success and virus synthesis, with its high level of expression suggesting additional roles in virus release and/or transmission. In general, E4 is easily visualised in biopsy material by immunostaining, and can be detected in lesions caused by diverse papillomavirus types, including those of dogs, rabbits and cattle as well as humans. The E4 protein can serve as a biomarker of active virus infection, and in the case of high-risk human types also disease severity. In some cutaneous lesions, E4 can be expressed at higher levels than the virion coat proteins, and can account for as much as 30% of total lesional protein content. The E4 proteins of the Beta, Gamma and Mu HPV types assemble into distinctive cytoplasmic, and sometimes nuclear, inclusion granules. In general, the E4 proteins are expressed before L2 and L1, with their structure and function being modified, first by kinases as the infected cell progresses through the S and G2 cell cycle phases, but also by proteases as the cell exits the cell cycle and undergoes true terminal differentiation. The kinases that regulate E4 also affect other viral proteins simultaneously, and include protein kinase A, Cyclin-dependent kinase, members of the MAP Kinase family and protein kinase C. For HPV16 E1{sup

  8. Optimization of translation profiles enhances protein expression and solubility.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Katrin Hess

    Full Text Available mRNA is translated with a non-uniform speed that actively coordinates co-translational folding of protein domains. Using structure-based homology we identified the structural domains in epoxide hydrolases (EHs and introduced slow-translating codons to delineate the translation of single domains. These changes in translation speed dramatically improved the solubility of two EHs of metagenomic origin in Escherichia coli. Conversely, the importance of transient attenuation for the folding, and consequently solubility, of EH was evidenced with a member of the EH family from Agrobacterium radiobacter, which partitions in the soluble fraction when expressed in E. coli. Synonymous substitutions of codons shaping the slow-transiting regions to fast-translating codons render this protein insoluble. Furthermore, we show that low protein yield can be enhanced by decreasing the free folding energy of the initial 5'-coding region, which can disrupt mRNA secondary structure and enhance ribosomal loading. This study provides direct experimental evidence that mRNA is not a mere messenger for translation of codons into amino acids but bears an additional layer of information for folding, solubility and expression level of the encoded protein. Furthermore, it provides a general frame on how to modulate and fine-tune gene expression of a target protein.

  9. HIV-1 Tat protein induces glial cell autophagy through enhancement of BAG3 protein levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruno, Anna Paola; De Simone, Francesca Isabella; Iorio, Vittoria; De Marco, Margot; Khalili, Kamel; Sariyer, Ilker Kudret; Capunzo, Mario; Nori, Stefania Lucia; Rosati, Alessandra

    2014-01-01

    BAG3 protein has been described as an anti-apoptotic and pro-autophagic factor in several neoplastic and normal cells. We previously demonstrated that BAG3 expression is elevated upon HIV-1 infection of glial and T lymphocyte cells. Among HIV-1 proteins, Tat is highly involved in regulating host cell response to viral infection. Therefore, we investigated the possible role of Tat protein in modulating BAG3 protein levels and the autophagic process itself. In this report, we show that transfection with Tat raises BAG3 levels in glioblastoma cells. Moreover, BAG3 silencing results in highly reducing Tat- induced levels of LC3-II and increasing the appearance of sub G0/G1 apoptotic cells, in keeping with the reported role of BAG3 in modulating the autophagy/apoptosis balance. These results demonstrate for the first time that Tat protein is able to stimulate autophagy through increasing BAG3 levels in human glial cells.

  10. Expression and Location of Glucose-regulated Protein 78 in Testis and Epididymis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W Wang

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To know the role of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78/BiP/HSPA5 in spermatogenesis and its expression and location in the testis and epididymis. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect GRP78 location and expression in the testis and epididymis. Results: Glucose-regulated protein 78 was observed in spermatocytes, round spermatids and interstitial cells of the testis and in principal cells of the epididymis. Glucose-regulated protein 78 was first detected in the rat testis at postnatal day 14. Thereafter, the protein level increased gradually with age and was maintained at a high and stable state after postnatal day 28. In the rat, GRP78 was expressed in the principal cells but not in clear cells of the epididymis. Conclusion: Glucose-regulated protein 78 participates in the process of spermatogenesis.

  11. [Relationship and interaction between folate and expression of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 in cervical cancerization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Q L; Ding, L; Nan, J; Liu, C L; Yang, Z K; Chen, F; Liang, Y L; Wang, J T

    2016-07-01

    To explore the interaction between folate and the expression of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2(MeCP2)in cervical cancerization. Forty one patients diagnosed with cervical squamous cell carcinoma(SCC), 71 patients diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasm(CIN1, n=34; CIN2 +, n=37)and 61 women with normal cervix(NC)were recruited in this study. Microbiological assay was conducted to detect the levels of serum folate and RBC folate, Western blot assay and real-time PCR were performed to detect the expression levels of MeCP2 protein and mRNA, respectively. The data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis H test, χ(2) test, trend χ(2) test and Spearman correlation with SPSS statistical software(version 20.0), and the interaction were evaluated by using generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction(GMDR)model. The levels of serum folate(H=44.71, Pfolate(H=5.28, Pfolate level and RBC folate level(r=0.270, Pfolate level and the expression level of MeCP2 protein(serum folate: r=-0.226, P=0.003; RBC folate: r=-0.164, P=0.004). Moreover, the results by GMDR model revealed there were interaction among serum folate deficiency, RBC folate deficiency, MeCP2 protein high expression and MeCP2 mRNA high expression in SCC and CIN2 + patients. Folate deficiency and high expression of MeCP2 gene might increase the risk of cervical cancer and its precancerous lesions through interaction among serum folate deficiency, RBC folate deficiency, MeCP2 protein high expression and mRNA high expression in the progression of cervical cancerization.

  12. Marker Protein Expression Combined With Expression Heterogeneity is a Powerful Indicator of Malignancy in Acral Lentiginous Melanomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cintra Lopes Carapeto, Fernando; Neves Comodo, Andréia; Germano, Andressa; Pereira Guimarães, Daiane; Barcelos, Denise; Fernandes, Mariana; Landman, Gilles

    2017-02-01

    Samples of acral lentiginous melanomas (ALMs) were obtained from the Department of Pathology at Escola Paulista de Medicina-Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil. Demographic, clinical, and follow-up data were obtained from the charts of Hospital São Paulo. From 2 tissue microarrays containing 60 nevi and quadruplicate samples of ≥1.0-mm of 49 ALM, sections were stained to evaluate SCF, KIT, BRAF, CYCLIND1, MYC, and PTEN immunohistochemical protein expression. Nevi and ALM from 2006 to 2010 were reviewed and collected. All specimens were in the vertical growth phase, and histopathological parameters indicated that tumors were at an advanced stage at diagnosis. Average tumor thickness was 6.95 mm, 63% were ulcerated, average mitotic index was 5 mitotic cells per mm, and 43% were at Clark's level V. Compared with nevi, the χ test showed that ALM significantly correlated with SCF protein expression (P = 0.001) and expression heterogeneity (P < 0.000). Similar findings were observed for KIT (P = 0.005, P = 0.003, respectively), MYC (P < 0.000, P < 0.000), and PTEN (P = 0.005, P < 0.000). Malignancy did not correlate with BRAF and CYCLIN D1 expression (P = 0.053 and P = 0.259, respectively), but it did significantly correlate with their heterogeneous expression (P < 0.000, P = 0.024, respectively). Combined protein expression had an odds ratio of greater malignancy when BRAF and MYC were positive and/or heterogeneously expressed (OR of 78 and 95, respectively). We show that marker protein expression, when combined with heterogeneous expression as shown by immunohistochemistry, is a powerful indicator of malignancy in ALMs, especially, when protein pairs are combined.

  13. Altered protein expression in gestational diabetes mellitus placentas provides insight into insulin resistance and coagulation/fibrinolysis pathways.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Liu

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To investigate the placental proteome differences between pregnant women complicated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM and those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT. METHODS: We used two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE to separate and compare placental protein levels from GDM and NGT groups. Differentially expressed proteins between the two groups were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry and further confirmed by Western blotting. The mRNA levels of related proteins were measured by realtime RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry (IHC was performed to examine the cellular location of the proteins expressed in placenta villi. RESULTS: Twenty-one protein spots were differentially expressed between GDM and NGT placenta villi in the tested samples, fifteen of which were successfully identified by mass spectrometry. The molecular functions of these differentially expressed proteins include blood coagulation, signal transduction, anti-apoptosis, ATP binding, phospholipid binding, calcium ion binding, platelet activation, and tryptophan-tRNA ligase activity. Both protein and mRNA levels of Annexin A2, Annexin A5 and 14-3-3 protein ζ/δ were up-regulated, while the expression of the Ras-related protein Rap1A was down-regulated in the GDM placenta group. CONCLUSION: Placenta villi derived from GDM pregnant women exhibit significant proteome differences compared to those of NGT mothers. The identified differentially expressed proteins are mainly associated with the development of insulin resistance, transplacental transportation of glucose, hyperglucose-mediated coagulation and fibrinolysis disorders in the GDM placenta villi.

  14. Up-regulated EMMPRIN/CD147 protein expression might play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis and its subsequent progression without an alteration of its glycosylation and mRNA level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Hua-chuan; Wang, Wei; Xu, Xiao-yan; Xia, Pu; Yu, Miao; Sugiyama, Toshiro; Takano, Yasuo

    2011-04-01

    Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) was reported to involve in the invasion and metastasis of malignancies by regulating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in stromal and cancer cells. The study aimed to clarify the role of EMMPRIN expression in tumorigenesis and progression of colorectal carcinomas (CRC). EMMPRIN expression was examined on tissue microarray containing colorectal carcinomas, adenoma and non-neoplastic mucosa (NNM) by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization (ISH). Colorectal carcinoma cell lines (DLD-1, HCT-15, SW480 and WiDr) and tissues were studied for EMMPRIN expression by Western blot or RT-PCR, followed by sequencing. All carcinoma cell lines showed EMMPRIN expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Two synonymous mutations were found in carcinoma cell lines at codon109 (GCT → GCC: Ala) or 179 (GAT → GAC: Asp). Frozen CRC tissues displayed higher EMMPRIN expression than paired NNM (P EMMPRIN expression was immunohistochemically stronger in colorectal high-grade adenoma, adenocarcinoma and metastatic carcinoma than non-neoplastic superficial epithelium and low-grade adenoma (P 0.05). Immunohistochemically, EMMPRIN expression was positively correlated with tumor size, depth of invasion, vascular or lymphatic invasion, grade of infiltration (INF), ki-67 and VEGF expression of CRCs (P EMMPRIN expression in CRCs (P EMMPRIN protein expression might contribute to colorectal carcinogenesis without the alteration of its glycosylation and mRNA level. Aberrant EMMPRIN protein expression might promote growth or invasion of CRCs possibly through increased ki-67 expression and inducible angiogenesis via up-regulating VEGF expression.

  15. Endostatin gene variation and protein levels in breast cancer susceptibility and severity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balasubramanian, Sabapathy P; Cross, Simon S; Globe, Jenny; Cox, Angela; Brown, Nicola J; Reed, Malcolm W

    2007-01-01

    Endostatin is a potent endogenous anti-angiogenic agent which inhibits tumour growth. A non-synonymous coding polymorphism in the Endostatin gene is thought to affect Endostatin activity. We aimed to determine the role of this Endostatin polymorphism in breast cancer pathogenesis and any influence on serum Endostatin levels in healthy volunteers. Endostatin protein expression on a breast cancer micro array was also studied to determine any relationship to genotype and to breast cancer prognosis. The 4349G > A (coding non-synonymous) polymorphism in exon 42 of the Endostatin gene was genotyped in approximately 846 breast cancer cases and 707 appropriate controls. In a separate healthy cohort of 57 individuals, in addition to genotyping, serum Endostatin levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). A semi-quantitative assessment of Endostatin protein expression on immunostained tissue micro arrays (TMA) constructed from breast cancer samples of patients with genotype data was performed. The rare allele (A) was significantly associated with invasive breast cancers compared to non-invasive tumours (p = 0.03), but there was no association with tumour grade, nodal status, vascular invasion or overall survival. There was no association with breast cancer susceptibility. Serum Endostatin levels and Endostatin protein expression on the tissue micro array were not associated with genotype. The Endostatin 4349A allele is associated with invasive breast cancer. The Endostatin 4349G > A polymorphism however does not appear to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility or severity in invasive disease. By studying circulating levels and tumour Endostatin protein expression, we have shown that any influence of this polymorphism is unlikely to be through an effect on the levels of protein produced

  16. The effect of HCV Core protein on the expression of miR-150

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sayad Khanizadeh

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background : Hepatitis C virus (HCV is considered as one of the major pathogenic agents of chronic liver diseases. Previous studies have shown that HCV proteins can interaction with gene regulatory networks such as microRNAs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HCV core protein on the expression of miR-150 in a cell culture model. Materials and Methods: Plasmids expressing full HCV core protein was transfected into Huh7 cell lines while a GFP expressing plasmid employed as negative control. Subsequently, total RNA extracted and Real-Time PCR performed to measure the expression level of miR-150 expression. Moreover, trypan blue exclusion assay was performed to investigate the effect of core protein on cell viability. Results: The gene expression analysis of miR-150 in Huh7 cells showed that endogenous HCV core protein could significantly down regulation of miR-150 when compared to GFP control plasmid and normal cells (P<0.01. Beside, core protein induced no significant proliferative or cytotoxic effects on hepatic cells as determined by trypan blue exclusion assay (P<0.05. Conclusion: Our study suggests that HCV core protein can led to down regulation of miR-150 expression. This data revealed that HCV protein interactions with cell regulatory machinery may contribute to pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases.

  17. Vernonia DGATs can complement the disrupted oil and protein metabolism in epoxygenase-expressing soybean seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Runzhi; Yu, Keshun; Wu, Yongmei; Tateno, Mizuki; Hatanaka, Tomoko; Hildebrand, David F

    2012-01-01

    Plant oils can be useful chemical feedstocks such as a source of epoxy fatty acids. High seed-specific expression of a Stokesia laevis epoxygenase (SlEPX) in soybeans only results in 3-7% epoxide levels. SlEPX-transgenic soybean seeds also exhibited other phenotypic alterations, such as altered seed fatty acid profiles, reduced oil accumulation, and variable protein levels. SlEPX-transgenic seeds showed a 2-5% reduction in total oil content and protein levels of 30.9-51.4%. To address these pleiotrophic effects of SlEPX expression on other traits, transgenic soybeans were developed to co-express SlEPX and DGAT (diacylglycerol acyltransferase) genes (VgDGAT1 & 2) isolated from Vernonia galamensis, a high accumulator of epoxy fatty acids. These side effects of SlEPX expression were largely overcome in the DGAT co-expressing soybeans. Total oil and protein contents were restored to the levels in non-transgenic soybeans, indicating that both VgDGAT1 and VgDGAT2 could complement the disrupted phenotypes caused by over-expression of an epoxygenase in soybean seeds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Kiss-1/GPR54 protein expression in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papaoiconomou, Eleni; Lymperi, Maria; Petraki, Constantina; Philippou, Anastassios; Msaouel, Pavlos; Michalopoulou, Fani; Kafiri, Georgia; Vassilakos, George; Zografos, Georgios; Koutsilieris, Michael

    2014-03-01

    Numerous studies have shown that the Kiss-1 gene countervails the metastatic aptitude of several cancer cell lines and solid-tumor neoplasias. However, there still remains ambiguity regarding its role in breast cancer and literature has arisen asserting that Kiss-1 expression may be linked to an aggressive phenotype and malignant progression. Herein, we investigated the protein expression of Kiss-1 and its receptor GPR54 in breast cancer tissues compared to non-cancerous mammary tissues. Paraffin-fixed cancer tissues from 43 women with resected breast adenocarcinomas and 11 specimens derived from women suffering from fibrocystic disease, serving as controls, were immunostained with Kiss-1 and GPR54 antibodies. Kiss-1 and GPR54 protein expression levels were significantly higher in breast cancer compared to fibrocystic tissues (pbreast cancer and fibrocystic disease specimens. Kiss-1/GPR54 expression was found to be significantly higher in breast cancer compared to non-malignant mammary tissues.

  19. Expression of insulin-like growth factor I receptors at mRNA and protein levels during metamorphosis of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Junling; Shi, Zhiyi; Cheng, Qi; Chen, Xiaowu

    2011-08-01

    Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an important regulator of fish growth and development, and its biological actions are initiated by binding to IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR). Our previous study has revealed that IGF-I could play an important role during metamorphosis of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The analysis of IGF-IR expression thus helps further elucidate the IGF-I regulation of metamorphic processes. In this study, the spatial-temporal expression of two distinct IGF-IR mRNAs was investigated by real-time RT-PCR. The spatial distribution of two IGF-IR mRNAs in adult tissues is largely overlapped, but they exhibit distinct temporal expression patterns during larval development. A remarkable decrease in IGF-IR-2 mRNA was detected during metamorphosis. In contrast, a significant increase in IGF-IR-1 mRNA was determined from pre-metamorphosis to metamorphic completion. These indicate that they may play different function roles during the flounder metamorphosis. The levels and localization of IGF-IR proteins during larval development were further studied by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactive IGF-IRs were detected throughout larval development, and the IGF-IR proteins displayed a relatively abundant expression during metamorphosis. Moreover, the IGF-IR proteins appeared in key tissues, such as thickened skin beneath the migrating eye, developing intestine, gills and kidney during metamorphosis. These results further suggest that the IGF-I system may be involved in metamorphic development of Japanese flounder. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Differentially expressed proteins on postoperative 3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jialili Ainuer

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available 【Abstract】Objectives: Surgical repair of Achilles tendon (AT rupture should immediately be followed by active tendon mobilization. The optimal time as to when the mobilization should begin is important yet controversial. Early kinesitherapy leads to reduced rehabilitation period. However, an insight into the detailed mechanism of this process has not been gained. Proteomic technique can be used to separate and purify the proteins by differential expression profile which is related to the function of different proteins, but research in the area of proteomic analysis of AT 3 days after repair has not been studied so far. Methods: Forty-seven New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into 3 groups. Group A (immobilization group, n=16 received postoperative cast immobilization; Group B (early motion group, n=16 received early active motion treatments immediately following the repair of AT rupture from tenotomy. Another 15 rabbits served as control group (Group C. The AT samples were prepared 3 days following the microsurgery. The proteins were separated employing twodimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE. PDQuest software version 8.0 was used to identify differentially expressed proteins, followed by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF and tandem mass spectrum analysis, using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI protein database retrieval and then for bioinformatics analysis. Results: A mean of 446.33, 436.33 and 462.67 protein spots on Achilles tendon samples of 13 rabbits in Group A, 14 rabbits in Group B and 13 rabbits in Group C were successfully detected in the 2D-PAGE. There were 40, 36 and 79 unique proteins in Groups A, B and C respectively. Some differentially expressed proteins were enzyme with the gel, matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS. We successfully identified 9 and 11 different proteins in Groups A and B, such as GAPDH, phosphoglycerate kinase 1

  1. Expression, Delivery and Function of Insecticidal Proteins Expressed by Recombinant Baculoviruses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroemer, Jeremy A.; Bonning, Bryony C.; Harrison, Robert L.

    2015-01-01

    Since the development of methods for inserting and expressing genes in baculoviruses, a line of research has focused on developing recombinant baculoviruses that express insecticidal peptides and proteins. These recombinant viruses have been engineered with the goal of improving their pesticidal potential by shortening the time required for infection to kill or incapacitate insect pests and reducing the quantity of crop damage as a consequence. A wide variety of neurotoxic peptides, proteins that regulate insect physiology, degradative enzymes, and other potentially insecticidal proteins have been evaluated for their capacity to reduce the survival time of baculovirus-infected lepidopteran host larvae. Researchers have investigated the factors involved in the efficient expression and delivery of baculovirus-encoded insecticidal peptides and proteins, with much effort dedicated to identifying ideal promoters for driving transcription and signal peptides that mediate secretion of the expressed target protein. Other factors, particularly translational efficiency of transcripts derived from recombinant insecticidal genes and post-translational folding and processing of insecticidal proteins, remain relatively unexplored. The discovery of RNA interference as a gene-specific regulation mechanism offers a new approach for improvement of baculovirus biopesticidal efficacy through genetic modification. PMID:25609310

  2. Functional redundancy and/or ongoing pseudogenization among F-box protein genes expressed in Arabidopsis male gametophyte.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikram, Sobia; Durandet, Monique; Vesa, Simona; Pereira, Serge; Guerche, Philippe; Bonhomme, Sandrine

    2014-06-01

    F-box protein genes family is one of the largest gene families in plants, with almost 700 predicted genes in the model plant Arabidopsis. F-box proteins are key components of the ubiquitin proteasome system that allows targeted protein degradation. Transcriptome analyses indicate that half of these F-box protein genes are found expressed in microspore and/or pollen, i.e., during male gametogenesis. To assess the role of F-box protein genes during this crucial developmental step, we selected 34 F-box protein genes recorded as highly and specifically expressed in pollen and isolated corresponding insertion mutants. We checked the expression level of each selected gene by RT-PCR and confirmed pollen expression for 25 genes, but specific expression for only 10 of the 34 F-box protein genes. In addition, we tested the expression level of selected F-box protein genes in 24 mutant lines and showed that 11 of them were null mutants. Transmission analysis of the mutations to the progeny showed that none of the single mutations was gametophytic lethal. These unaffected transmission efficiencies suggested leaky mutations or functional redundancy among F-box protein genes. Cytological observation of the gametophytes in the mutants confirmed these results. Combinations of mutations in F-box protein genes from the same subfamily did not lead to transmission defect either, further highlighting functional redundancy and/or a high proportion of pseudogenes among these F-box protein genes.

  3. Differential expression of myocardial heat shock proteins in rats acutely exposed to fluoride.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panneerselvam, Lakshmikanthan; Raghunath, Azhwar; Perumal, Ekambaram

    2017-09-01

    Acute fluoride (F - ) toxicity is known to cause severe cardiac complications and leads to sudden heart failure. Previously, we reported that increased myocardial oxidative damage, apoptosis, altered cytoskeleton and AMPK signaling proteins associated with energy deprivation in acute F - induced cardiac dysfunction. The present study was aimed to decipher the status of myocardial heat shock proteins (Hsps-Hsp27, Hsp32, Hsp40, Hsp60, Hsp70, Hsp90) and heat shock transcription factor 1 (Hsf1) in acute F - -intoxicated rats. In order to study the expression of myocardial Hsps, male Wistar rats were treated with single oral doses of 45 and 90 mg/kg F - for 24 h. The expression levels of myocardial Hsps were determined using RT-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemical studies. Acute F - -intoxicated rats showed elevated levels of both the transcripts and protein expression of Hsf1, Hsp27, Hsp32, Hsp60, and Hsp70 when compared to control. In addition, the expression levels of Hsp40 and Hsp90 were significantly declined in a dose-dependent fashion in F - -treated animals. Our result suggests that differential expression of Hsps in the rat myocardium could serve as a balance between pro-survival and death signal during acute F - -induced heart failure.

  4. Effect of heterologous expression of acyl-CoA-binding protein on acyl-CoA level and composition in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandrup, S; Jepsen, R; Skøtt, H

    1993-01-01

    We have expressed a bovine synthetic acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) gene in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) under the control of the GAL1 promoter. The heterologously expressed bovine ACBP constituted up to 6.4% of total cellular protein and the processing was identical with that of native bovi...

  5. High Expression of Cry1Ac Protein in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum by Combining Independent Transgenic Events that Target the Protein to Cytoplasm and Plastids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amarjeet Kumar Singh

    Full Text Available Transgenic cotton was developed using two constructs containing a truncated and codon-modified cry1Ac gene (1,848 bp, which was originally characterized from Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki strain HD73 that encodes a toxin highly effective against many lepidopteran pests. In Construct I, the cry1Ac gene was cloned under FMVde, a strong constitutively expressing promoter, to express the encoded protein in the cytoplasm. In Construct II, the encoded protein was directed to the plastids using a transit peptide taken from the cotton rbcSIb gene. Genetic transformation experiments with Construct I resulted in a single copy insertion event in which the Cry1Ac protein expression level was 2-2.5 times greater than in the Bacillus thuringiensis cotton event Mon 531, which is currently used in varieties and hybrids grown extensively in India and elsewhere. Another high expression event was selected from transgenics developed with Construct II. The Cry protein expression resulting from this event was observed only in the green plant parts. No transgenic protein expression was observed in the non-green parts, including roots, seeds and non-green floral tissues. Thus, leucoplasts may lack the mechanism to allow entry of a protein tagged with the transit peptide from a protein that is only synthesized in tissues containing mature plastids. Combining the two events through sexual crossing led to near additive levels of the toxin at 4-5 times the level currently used in the field. The two high expression events and their combination will allow for effective resistance management against lepidopteran insect pests, particularly Helicoverpa armigera, using a high dosage strategy.

  6. Escherichia coli Protein Expression System for Acetylcholine Binding Proteins (AChBPs.

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    Nikita Abraham

    Full Text Available Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR are ligand gated ion channels, identified as therapeutic targets for a range of human diseases. Drug design for nAChR related disorders is increasingly using structure-based approaches. Many of these structural insights for therapeutic lead development have been obtained from co-crystal structures of nAChR agonists and antagonists with the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP. AChBP is a water soluble, structural and functional homolog of the extracellular, ligand-binding domain of nAChRs. Currently, AChBPs are recombinantly expressed in eukaryotic expression systems for structural and biophysical studies. Here, we report the establishment of an Escherichia coli (E. coli expression system that significantly reduces the cost and time of production compared to the existing expression systems. E. coli can efficiently express unglycosylated AChBP for crystallography and makes the expression of isotopically labelled forms feasible for NMR. We used a pHUE vector containing an N-terminal His-tagged ubiquitin fusion protein to facilitate AChBP expression in the soluble fractions, and thus avoid the need to recover protein from inclusion bodies. The purified protein yield obtained from the E. coli expression system is comparable to that obtained from existing AChBP expression systems. E. coli expressed AChBP bound nAChR agonists and antagonists with affinities matching those previously reported. Thus, the E. coli expression system significantly simplifies the expression and purification of functional AChBP for structural and biophysical studies.

  7. Autoimmune Regulator (AIRE) Is Expressed in Spermatogenic Cells, and It Altered the Expression of Several Nucleic-Acid-Binding and Cytoskeletal Proteins in Germ Cell 1 Spermatogonial (GC1-spg) Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radhakrishnan, Karthika; Bhagya, Kongattu P; Kumar, Anil Tr; Devi, Anandavalli N; Sengottaiyan, Jeeva; Kumar, Pradeep G

    2016-08-01

    Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a gene associated with autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED). AIRE is expressed heavily in the thymic epithelial cells and is involved in maintaining self-tolerance through regulating the expression of tissue-specific antigens. The testes are the most predominant extrathymic location where a heavy expression of AIRE is reported. Homozygous Aire-deficient male mice were infertile, possibly due to impaired spermatogenesis, deregulated germ cell apoptosis, or autoimmunity. We report that AIRE is expressed in the testes of neonatal, adolescent, and adult mice. AIRE expression was detected in glial cell derived neurotrophic factor receptor alpha (GFRα)(+) (spermatogonia), GFRα(-)/synaptonemal complex protein (SCP3)(+) (meiotic), and GFRα(-)/Phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2)(+) (postmeiotic) germ cells in mouse testes. GC1-spg, a germ-cell-derived cell line, did not express AIRE. Retinoic acid induced AIRE expression in GC1-spg cells. Ectopic expression of AIRE in GC1-spg cells using label-free LC-MS/MS identified a total of 371 proteins that were differentially expressed. 100 proteins were up-regulated, and 271 proteins were down-regulated. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002511. Functional analysis of the differentially expressed proteins showed increased levels of various nucleic-acid-binding proteins and transcription factors and a decreased level of various cytoskeletal and structural proteins in the AIRE overexpressing cells as compared with the empty vector-transfected controls. The transcripts of a select set of the up-regulated proteins were also elevated. However, there was no corresponding decrease in the mRNA levels of the down-regulated set of proteins. Molecular function network analysis indicated that AIRE influenced gene expression in GC1-spg cells by acting at multiple levels, including transcription, translation, RNA processing, protein transport, protein

  8. The relationship among gene expression, the evolution of gene dosage, and the rate of protein evolution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-François Gout

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The understanding of selective constraints affecting genes is a major issue in biology. It is well established that gene expression level is a major determinant of the rate of protein evolution, but the reasons for this relationship remain highly debated. Here we demonstrate that gene expression is also a major determinant of the evolution of gene dosage: the rate of gene losses after whole genome duplications in the Paramecium lineage is negatively correlated to the level of gene expression, and this relationship is not a byproduct of other factors known to affect the fate of gene duplicates. This indicates that changes in gene dosage are generally more deleterious for highly expressed genes. This rule also holds for other taxa: in yeast, we find a clear relationship between gene expression level and the fitness impact of reduction in gene dosage. To explain these observations, we propose a model based on the fact that the optimal expression level of a gene corresponds to a trade-off between the benefit and cost of its expression. This COSTEX model predicts that selective pressure against mutations changing gene expression level or affecting the encoded protein should on average be stronger in highly expressed genes and hence that both the frequency of gene loss and the rate of protein evolution should correlate negatively with gene expression. Thus, the COSTEX model provides a simple and common explanation for the general relationship observed between the level of gene expression and the different facets of gene evolution.

  9. Cellular responses to the expression of unstable secretory proteins in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokota, Jun-Ichi; Shiro, Daisuke; Tanaka, Mizuki; Onozaki, Yasumichi; Mizutani, Osamu; Kakizono, Dararat; Ichinose, Sakurako; Shintani, Tomoko; Gomi, Katsuya; Shintani, Takahiro

    2017-03-01

    Filamentous fungi are often used as cell factories for recombinant protein production because of their ability to secrete large quantities of hydrolytic enzymes. However, even using strong transcriptional promoters, yields of nonfungal proteins are generally much lower than those of fungal proteins. Recent analyses revealed that expression of certain nonfungal secretory proteins induced the unfolded protein response (UPR), suggesting that they are recognized as proteins with folding defects in filamentous fungi. More recently, however, even highly expressed endogenous secretory proteins were found to evoke the UPR. These findings raise the question of whether the unfolded or misfolded state of proteins is selectively recognized by quality control mechanisms in filamentous fungi. In this study, a fungal secretory protein (1,2-α-D-mannosidase; MsdS) with a mutation that decreases its thermostability was expressed at different levels in Aspergillus oryzae. We found that, at moderate expression levels, wild-type MsdS was secreted to the medium, while the mutant was not. In the strain with a deletion for the hrdA gene, which is involved in the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation pathway, mutant MsdS had specifically increased levels in the intracellular fraction but was not secreted. When overexpressed, the mutant protein was secreted to the medium to a similar extent as the wild-type protein; however, the mutant underwent hyperglycosylation and induced the UPR. Deletion of α-amylase (the most abundant secretory protein in A. oryzae) alleviated the UPR induction by mutant MsdS overexpression. These findings suggest that misfolded MsdS and unfolded species of α-amylase might act synergistically for UPR induction.

  10. Integrative analysis of RNA, translation, and protein levels reveals distinct regulatory variation across humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cenik, Can; Cenik, Elif Sarinay; Byeon, Gun W; Grubert, Fabian; Candille, Sophie I; Spacek, Damek; Alsallakh, Bilal; Tilgner, Hagen; Araya, Carlos L; Tang, Hua; Ricci, Emiliano; Snyder, Michael P

    2015-11-01

    Elucidating the consequences of genetic differences between humans is essential for understanding phenotypic diversity and personalized medicine. Although variation in RNA levels, transcription factor binding, and chromatin have been explored, little is known about global variation in translation and its genetic determinants. We used ribosome profiling, RNA sequencing, and mass spectrometry to perform an integrated analysis in lymphoblastoid cell lines from a diverse group of individuals. We find significant differences in RNA, translation, and protein levels suggesting diverse mechanisms of personalized gene expression control. Combined analysis of RNA expression and ribosome occupancy improves the identification of individual protein level differences. Finally, we identify genetic differences that specifically modulate ribosome occupancy--many of these differences lie close to start codons and upstream ORFs. Our results reveal a new level of gene expression variation among humans and indicate that genetic variants can cause changes in protein levels through effects on translation. © 2015 Cenik et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  11. Transient Co-Expression of Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing Suppressors for Increased in Planta Expression of a Recombinant Anthrax Receptor Fusion Protein

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    Kittipong Rattanaporn

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Potential epidemics of infectious diseases and the constant threat of bioterrorism demand rapid, scalable, and cost-efficient manufacturing of therapeutic proteins. Molecular farming of tobacco plants provides an alternative for the recombinant production of therapeutics. We have developed a transient production platform that uses Agrobacterium infiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana plants to express a novel anthrax receptor decoy protein (immunoadhesin, CMG2-Fc. This chimeric fusion protein, designed to protect against the deadly anthrax toxins, is composed of the von Willebrand factor A (VWA domain of human capillary morphogenesis 2 (CMG2, an effective anthrax toxin receptor, and the Fc region of human immunoglobulin G (IgG. We evaluated, in N. benthamiana intact plants and detached leaves, the expression of CMG2-Fc under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter, and the co-expression of CMG2-Fc with nine different viral suppressors of post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS: p1, p10, p19, p21, p24, p25, p38, 2b, and HCPro. Overall, transient CMG2-Fc expression was higher on intact plants than detached leaves. Maximum expression was observed with p1 co-expression at 3.5 days post-infiltration (DPI, with a level of 0.56 g CMG2-Fc per kg of leaf fresh weight and 1.5% of the total soluble protein, a ten-fold increase in expression when compared to absence of suppression. Co-expression with the p25 PTGS suppressor also significantly increased the CMG2-Fc expression level after just 3.5 DPI.

  12. Transient co-expression of post-transcriptional gene silencing suppressors for increased in planta expression of a recombinant anthrax receptor fusion protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arzola, Lucas; Chen, Junxing; Rattanaporn, Kittipong; Maclean, James M; McDonald, Karen A

    2011-01-01

    Potential epidemics of infectious diseases and the constant threat of bioterrorism demand rapid, scalable, and cost-efficient manufacturing of therapeutic proteins. Molecular farming of tobacco plants provides an alternative for the recombinant production of therapeutics. We have developed a transient production platform that uses Agrobacterium infiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana plants to express a novel anthrax receptor decoy protein (immunoadhesin), CMG2-Fc. This chimeric fusion protein, designed to protect against the deadly anthrax toxins, is composed of the von Willebrand factor A (VWA) domain of human capillary morphogenesis 2 (CMG2), an effective anthrax toxin receptor, and the Fc region of human immunoglobulin G (IgG). We evaluated, in N. benthamiana intact plants and detached leaves, the expression of CMG2-Fc under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter, and the co-expression of CMG2-Fc with nine different viral suppressors of post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS): p1, p10, p19, p21, p24, p25, p38, 2b, and HCPro. Overall, transient CMG2-Fc expression was higher on intact plants than detached leaves. Maximum expression was observed with p1 co-expression at 3.5 days post-infiltration (DPI), with a level of 0.56 g CMG2-Fc per kg of leaf fresh weight and 1.5% of the total soluble protein, a ten-fold increase in expression when compared to absence of suppression. Co-expression with the p25 PTGS suppressor also significantly increased the CMG2-Fc expression level after just 3.5 DPI.

  13. Changes in HSP gene and protein expression in natural scrapie with brain damage

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Heat shock proteins (Hsp) perform cytoprotective functions such as apoptosis regulation and inflammatory response control. These proteins can also be secreted to the extracellular medium, acting as inflammatory mediators, and their chaperone activity permits correct folding of proteins and avoids the aggregation of anomalous isoforms. Several studies have proposed the implication of Hsp in prion diseases. We analysed the gene expression and protein distribution of different members of the Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 families in the central nervous system of sheep naturally infected with scrapie. Different expression profiles were observed in the areas analysed. Whereas changes in transcript levels were not observed in the cerebellum or medulla oblongata, a significant decrease in HSP27 and HSP90 was detected in the prefrontal cortex. In contrast, HSP73 was over-expressed in diencephalons of scrapie animals. Western blotting did not reveal significant differences in Hsp90 and Hsp70 protein expression between scrapie and control animals. Expression rates identified by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting were compared with the extent of classical scrapie lesions using stepwise regression. Changes in Hsp gene and protein expression were associated with prion protein deposition, gliosis and spongiosis rather than with apoptosis. Finally, immunohistochemistry revealed intense Hsp70 and Hsp90 immunolabelling in Purkinje cells of scrapie sheep. In contrast, controls displayed little or no staining in these cells. The observed differences in gene expression and protein distribution suggest that the heat shock proteins analysed play a role in the natural form of the disease. PMID:21314976

  14. Changes in HSP gene and protein expression in natural scrapie with brain damage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serrano Carmen

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Heat shock proteins (Hsp perform cytoprotective functions such as apoptosis regulation and inflammatory response control. These proteins can also be secreted to the extracellular medium, acting as inflammatory mediators, and their chaperone activity permits correct folding of proteins and avoids the aggregation of anomalous isoforms. Several studies have proposed the implication of Hsp in prion diseases. We analysed the gene expression and protein distribution of different members of the Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 families in the central nervous system of sheep naturally infected with scrapie. Different expression profiles were observed in the areas analysed. Whereas changes in transcript levels were not observed in the cerebellum or medulla oblongata, a significant decrease in HSP27 and HSP90 was detected in the prefrontal cortex. In contrast, HSP73 was over-expressed in diencephalons of scrapie animals. Western blotting did not reveal significant differences in Hsp90 and Hsp70 protein expression between scrapie and control animals. Expression rates identified by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting were compared with the extent of classical scrapie lesions using stepwise regression. Changes in Hsp gene and protein expression were associated with prion protein deposition, gliosis and spongiosis rather than with apoptosis. Finally, immunohistochemistry revealed intense Hsp70 and Hsp90 immunolabelling in Purkinje cells of scrapie sheep. In contrast, controls displayed little or no staining in these cells. The observed differences in gene expression and protein distribution suggest that the heat shock proteins analysed play a role in the natural form of the disease.

  15. Homer1a protein expression in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leber, Stefan L; Llenos, Ida C; Miller, Christine L; Dulay, Jeannette R; Haybaeck, Johannes; Weis, Serge

    2017-10-01

    In recent years, there was growing interest in postsynaptic density proteins in the central nervous system. Of the most important candidates of this specialized region are proteins belonging to the Homer protein family. This family of scaffolding proteins is suspected to participate in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. The present study aims to compare Homer1a expression in the hippocampus and cingulate gyrus of patients with major psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze changes of Homer1a protein expression in the hippocampal formation and the cingulate gyrus from the respective disease groups. Glial cells of the cingulate gyrus gray matter showed decreased Homer1a levels in bipolar disorder when compared to controls. The same results were seen when comparing cingulate gyrus gray matter glial cells in bipolar disorder with major depression. Stratum oriens glial cells of the hippocampus showed decreased Homer1a levels in bipolar disorder when compared to controls and major depression. Stratum lacunosum glial cells showed decreased Homer1a levels in bipolar disorder when compared to major depression. In stratum oriens interneurons Homer1a levels were increased in all disease groups when compared to controls. Stratum lucidum axons showed decreased Homer1a levels in bipolar disorder when compared to controls. Our data demonstrate altered Homer1a levels in specific brain regions and cell types of patients suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. These findings support the role of Homer proteins as interesting candidates in neuropsychiatric pathophysiology and treatment.

  16. Expression of Tau Pathology-Related Proteins in Different Brain Regions: A Molecular Basis of Tau Pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Wen; Wu, Feng; Zhang, Yanchong; Gong, Cheng-Xin; Iqbal, Khalid; Liu, Fei

    2017-01-01

    Microtubule-associated protein tau is hyperphosphorylated and aggregated in affected neurons in Alzheimer disease (AD) brains. The tau pathology starts from the entorhinal cortex (EC), spreads to the hippocampus and frontal and temporal cortices, and finally to all isocortex areas, but the cerebellum is spared from tau lesions. The molecular basis of differential vulnerability of different brain regions to tau pathology is not understood. In the present study, we analyzed brain regional expressions of tau and tau pathology-related proteins. We found that tau was hyperphosphorylated at multiple sites in the frontal cortex (FC), but not in the cerebellum, from AD brain. The level of tau expression in the cerebellum was about 1/4 of that seen in the frontal and temporal cortices in human brain. In the rat brain, the expression level of tau with three microtubule-binding repeats (3R-tau) was comparable in the hippocampus, EC, FC, parietal-temporal cortex (PTC), occipital-temporal cortex (OTC), striatum, thalamus, olfactory bulb (OB) and cerebellum. However, the expression level of 4R-tau was the highest in the EC and the lowest in the cerebellum. Tau phosphatases, kinases, microtubule-related proteins and other tau pathology-related proteins were also expressed in a region-specific manner in the rat brain. These results suggest that higher levels of tau and tau kinases in the EC and low levels of these proteins in the cerebellum may accounts for the vulnerability and resistance of these representative brain regions to the development of tau pathology, respectively. The present study provides the regional expression profiles of tau and tau pathology-related proteins in the brain, which may help understand the brain regional vulnerability to tau pathology in neurodegenerative tauopathies.

  17. Loss of Pnn expression attenuates expression levels of SR family splicing factors and modulates alternative pre-mRNA splicing in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiu Yali; Ouyang Pin

    2006-01-01

    SR and SR-related proteins have been implicated as trans-acting factors that play an important role in splice selection and are involved at specific stages of spliceosome formation. A well-established property of SR protein splicing factors is their ability to influence selection of alternative splice sites in a concentration-dependent manner. Identification of molecules that regulate SR family protein expression is therefore of vital importance in RNA biology. Here we report that depletion of Pnn expression, a SR-related protein with functions involved in pre-mRNA splicing and mRNA export, induces reduced expression of a subset of cellular proteins, especially that of SR family proteins, including SC35, SRm300, SRp55, and SRp40, but not that of other nuclear proteins, such as p53, Mdm2, and ki67. Knocking down Pnn expression was achieved in vitro by siRNA transfection. Expression levels of SR and SR-related proteins in Pnn-depleted cells as compared to those in control cells were evaluated by immunofluorescent staining and Western blot with specific antibodies. In addition, we also demonstrate that loss of Pnn expression could modulate splice site selection of model reporter gene in vivo. Our finding is significant in terms of regulation of SR protein cellular concentration because it reveals that Pnn may play a general role in the control of the cellular amount of family SR proteins through down-regulation of its own expression, thereby providing us with a better understanding of the cellular mechanism by which Pnn fulfills its biological function

  18. Surface expression and subunit specific control of steady protein levels by the Kv7.2 helix A-B linker.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paloma Aivar

    Full Text Available Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 are the main components of the neuronal voltage-dependent M-current, which is a subthreshold potassium conductance that exerts an important control on neuronal excitability. Despite their predominantly intracellular distribution, these channels must reach the plasma membrane in order to control neuronal activity. Thus, we analyzed the amino acid sequence of Kv7.2 to identify intrinsic signals that may control its surface expression. Removal of the interlinker connecting helix A and helix B of the intracellular C-terminus produces a large increase in the number of functional channels at the plasma membrane. Moreover, elimination of this linker increased the steady-state amount of protein, which was not associated with a decrease of protein degradation. The magnitude of this increase was inversely correlated with the number of helix A - helix B linkers present in the tetrameric channel assemblies. In contrast to the remarkable effect on the amount of Kv7.2 protein, removal of the Kv7.2 linker had no detectable impact on the steady-state levels of Kv7.3 protein.

  19. Alterations of type IV collagen alpha chains in patients with chronic acquired glomerulopathies: mRNA levels, protein expression and urinary loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanna-Cherchi, Simone; Carnevali, Maria Luisa; Martorana, Davide; Cravedi, Paolo; Maggiore, Umberto; Alinovi, Rossella; Bovino, Achiropita; Mattei, Silvia; Orlandini, Guido; Gatti, Rita; Savi, Mario; Sado, Yoshikazu; Neri, Tauro M; Allegri, Landino

    2007-01-01

    Type IV collagen is a major structural component of the normal kidney glomerulus. However, its role in chronic acquired glomerulopathies has been only partially elucidated. Urinary levels of col(IV)alpha1, col(IV)alpha3 and col(IV)alpha5 collagen chains were analyzed in 107 patients with chronic acquired glomerulopathies. In a subgroup of 33 patients, tissue mRNA levels, protein expression and urinary excretion were evaluated for all col(IV)alpha chains, from col(IV)alpha1 to col(IV)alpha5. The renal specimens were examined to get a semiquantitative score of the acute and chronic activity of the histological lesions. Urines obtained from 13 healthy subjects and 10 normal renal tissue samples were used as controls. Urinary levels of col(IV)alpha1, col(IV)alpha3, col(IV)alpha5 chains were significantly higher in patients than in controls [p < 0.01 for all], while only col(IV)alpha1 and col(IV)alpha3 urinary excretion correlated with the degree of chronic histological damage [col(IV)alpha1 R = 0.44, p < 0.001; col(IV)alpha3: R = 0.47, p < 0.001]. Compared with controls, patients showed a renal expression of mRNA for col(IV)alpha5 chain significantly higher [p = 0.001], while having a significantly lower protein expression of col(IV)alpha3, col(IV)alpha4 and col(IV)alpha5 chains [p < 0.01 for all]. Patients with chronic acquired glomerulopathies show important alterations in the col(IV)alpha chain network mimicking some molecular features of the X-linked Alport's syndrome. Further studies are needed to show whether urinary levels of the col(IV)alpha chains may be used as markers for monitoring renal injury. Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. A family of E. coli expression vectors for laboratory scale and high throughput soluble protein production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bottomley Stephen P

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the past few years, both automated and manual high-throughput protein expression and purification has become an accessible means to rapidly screen and produce soluble proteins for structural and functional studies. However, many of the commercial vectors encoding different solubility tags require different cloning and purification steps for each vector, considerably slowing down expression screening. We have developed a set of E. coli expression vectors with different solubility tags that allow for parallel cloning from a single PCR product and can be purified using the same protocol. Results The set of E. coli expression vectors, encode for either a hexa-histidine tag or the three most commonly used solubility tags (GST, MBP, NusA and all with an N-terminal hexa-histidine sequence. The result is two-fold: the His-tag facilitates purification by immobilised metal affinity chromatography, whilst the fusion domains act primarily as solubility aids during expression, in addition to providing an optional purification step. We have also incorporated a TEV recognition sequence following the solubility tag domain, which allows for highly specific cleavage (using TEV protease of the fusion protein to yield native protein. These vectors are also designed for ligation-independent cloning and they possess a high-level expressing T7 promoter, which is suitable for auto-induction. To validate our vector system, we have cloned four different genes and also one gene into all four vectors and used small-scale expression and purification techniques. We demonstrate that the vectors are capable of high levels of expression and that efficient screening of new proteins can be readily achieved at the laboratory level. Conclusion The result is a set of four rationally designed vectors, which can be used for streamlined cloning, expression and purification of target proteins in the laboratory and have the potential for being adaptable to a high

  1. Utilizing Biotinylated Proteins Expressed in Yeast to Visualize DNA–Protein Interactions at the Single-Molecule Level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huijun Xue

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Much of our knowledge in conventional biochemistry has derived from bulk assays. However, many stochastic processes and transient intermediates are hidden when averaged over the ensemble. The powerful technique of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy has made great contributions to the understanding of life processes that are inaccessible when using traditional approaches. In single-molecule studies, quantum dots (Qdots have several unique advantages over other fluorescent probes, such as high brightness, extremely high photostability, and large Stokes shift, thus allowing long-time observation and improved signal-to-noise ratios. So far, however, there is no convenient way to label proteins purified from budding yeast with Qdots. Based on BirA–Avi and biotin–streptavidin systems, we have established a simple method to acquire a Qdot-labeled protein and visualize its interaction with DNA using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. For proof-of-concept, we chose replication protein A (RPA and origin recognition complex (ORC as the proteins of interest. Proteins were purified from budding yeast with high biotinylation efficiency and rapidly labeled with streptavidin-coated Qdots. Interactions between proteins and DNA were observed successfully at the single-molecule level.

  2. Exploring Sequence Characteristics Related to High- Level Production of Secreted Proteins in Aspergillus niger

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van den Berg, B.A.; Reinders, M.J.T.; Hulsman, M.; Wu, L.; Pel, H.J.; Roubos, J.A.; De Ridder, D.

    2012-01-01

    Protein sequence features are explored in relation to the production of over-expressed extracellular proteins by fungi. Knowledge on features influencing protein production and secretion could be employed to improve enzyme production levels in industrial bioprocesses via protein engineering. A large

  3. S100A10 protein expression is associated with oxaliplatin sensitivity in human colorectal cancer cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzuki Sayo

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Individual responses to oxaliplatin (L-OHP-based chemotherapy remain unpredictable. The objective of our study was to find candidate protein markers for tumor sensitivity to L-OHP from intracellular proteins of human colorectal cancer (CRC cell lines. We performed expression difference mapping (EDM analysis of whole cell lysates from 11 human CRC cell lines with different sensitivities to L-OHP by using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS, and identified a candidate protein by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry ion trap time-of-flight (LCMS-IT-TOF. Results Of the qualified mass peaks obtained by EDM analysis, 41 proteins were differentially expressed in 11 human colorectal cancer cell lines. Among these proteins, the peak intensity of 11.1 kDa protein was strongly correlated with the L-OHP sensitivity (50% inhibitory concentrations (P R2 = 0.80. We identified this protein as Protein S100-A10 (S100A10 by MS/MS ion search using LCMS-IT-TOF. We verified its differential expression and the correlation between S100A10 protein expression levels in drug-untreated CRC cells and their L-OHP sensitivities by Western blot analyses. In addition, S100A10 protein expression levels were not correlated with sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil, suggesting that S100A10 is more specific to L-OHP than to 5-fluorouracil in CRC cells. S100A10 was detected in cell culture supernatant, suggesting secretion out of cells. Conclusions By proteomic approaches including SELDI technology, we have demonstrated that intracellular S100A10 protein expression levels in drug-untreated CRC cells differ according to cell lines and are significantly correlated with sensitivity of CRC cells to L-OHP exposure. Our findings provide a new clue to searching predictive markers of the response to L-OHP, suggesting that S100A10 is expected to be one of the candidate protein markers.

  4. Increased tolerance to two oomycete pathogens in transgenic tobacco expressing pathogenesis-related protein 1a.

    OpenAIRE

    Alexander, D; Goodman, R M; Gut-Rella, M; Glascock, C; Weymann, K; Friedrich, L; Maddox, D; Ahl-Goy, P; Luntz, T; Ward, E

    1993-01-01

    Expression of pathogenesis-related protein 1a (PR-1a), a protein of unknown biochemical function, is induced to high levels in tobacco in response to pathogen infection. The induction of PR-1a expression is tightly correlated with the onset of systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a defense response effective against a variety of fungal, viral, and bacterial pathogens. While PR-1a has been postulated to be involved in SAR, and is the most highly expressed of the PR proteins, evidence for its ro...

  5. Improved methodology for the affinity isolation of human protein complexes expressed at near endogenous levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Domanski, Michal; Molloy, Kelly; Jiang, Hua

    2012-01-01

    An efficient and reliable procedure for the capture of affinity-tagged proteins and associated complexes from human cell lines is reported. Through multiple optimizations, high yield and low background affinity-purifications are achieved from modest quantities of human cells expressing endogenous...

  6. Lactococcus lactis, an alternative system for functional expression of peripheral and intrinsic Arabidopsis membrane proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annie Frelet-Barrand

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Despite their functional and biotechnological importance, the study of membrane proteins remains difficult due to their hydrophobicity and their low natural abundance in cells. Furthermore, into established heterologous systems, these proteins are frequently only produced at very low levels, toxic and mis- or unfolded. Lactococcus lactis, a gram-positive lactic bacterium, has been traditionally used in food fermentations. This expression system is also widely used in biotechnology for large-scale production of heterologous proteins. Various expression vectors, based either on constitutive or inducible promoters, are available for this system. While previously used to produce bacterial and eukaryotic membrane proteins, the ability of this system to produce plant membrane proteins was until now not tested. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The aim of this work was to test the expression, in Lactococcus lactis, of either peripheral or intrinsic Arabidopsis membrane proteins that could not be produced, or in too low amount, using more classical heterologous expression systems. In an effort to easily transfer genes from Gateway-based Arabidopsis cDNA libraries to the L. lactis expression vector pNZ8148, we first established a cloning strategy compatible with Gateway entry vectors. Interestingly, the six tested Arabidopsis membrane proteins could be produced, in Lactococcus lactis, at levels compatible with further biochemical analyses. We then successfully developed solubilization and purification processes for three of these proteins. Finally, we questioned the functionality of a peripheral and an intrinsic membrane protein, and demonstrated that both proteins were active when produced in this system. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Altogether, these data suggest that Lactococcus lactis might be an attractive system for the efficient and functional production of difficult plant membrane proteins.

  7. Glucose-regulated protein 78 regulates the expression of mitochondrial genesis proteins in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a clinical analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LI Yaping

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78 in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC and its association with clinicopathological features, as well as its regulatory effect on mitochondrial genesis proteins in hepatoma cells, and to provide a basis for new strategies for the prevention and treatment of HCC. MethodsTissue samples were collected from 54 patients with HBV-HCC, and immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to measure the expression of GRP78, Lon, TFAM, and cytochrome C oxidase Ⅳ (COXⅣ. The expression of GRP78 in hepatoma cells was interfered by siRNA, and then the expression of GRP78, Lon, mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM, and COX Ⅳ was measured. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the level of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA in clinical specimens and HCC cells after GRP78 expression was interfered with. A statistical analysis was performed for clinical and experimental data. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, the Fisher′s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Results Compared with the adjacent tissues, HBV-HCC tissues had significantly higher expression of GRP78 and Lon (t=9.135 and 5523, both P<0.0001 and significantly lower expression of the mitochondrial genesis proteins TFAM and COX Ⅳ and mtDNA level (t=2.765, 4260, and 12.280, P=0.011, <0.001, and <0.001. There were significant increases in the expression of the mitochondrial genesis proteins TFAM and COX Ⅳ and mtDNA level after the interference with GRP78 expression in hepatoma cells (all P<0.05. There were significant differences in the expression of GRP78 between patients with different numbers of tumors, patients with and without portal vein tumor thrombus, and patients with different tumor stages (P=0.016, 0.003, and 0.045. The patients with low GRP78

  8. Grizzly bear corticosteroid binding globulin: Cloning and serum protein expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chow, Brian A; Hamilton, Jason; Alsop, Derek; Cattet, Marc R L; Stenhouse, Gordon; Vijayan, Mathilakath M

    2010-06-01

    Serum corticosteroid levels are routinely measured as markers of stress in wild animals. However, corticosteroid levels rise rapidly in response to the acute stress of capture and restraint for sampling, limiting its use as an indicator of chronic stress. We hypothesized that serum corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), the primary transport protein for corticosteroids in circulation, may be a better marker of the stress status prior to capture in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). To test this, a full-length CBG cDNA was cloned and sequenced from grizzly bear testis and polyclonal antibodies were generated for detection of this protein in bear sera. The deduced nucleotide and protein sequences were 1218 bp and 405 amino acids, respectively. Multiple sequence alignments showed that grizzly bear CBG (gbCBG) was 90% and 83% identical to the dog CBG nucleotide and amino acid sequences, respectively. The affinity purified rabbit gbCBG antiserum detected grizzly bear but not human CBG. There were no sex differences in serum total cortisol concentration, while CBG expression was significantly higher in adult females compared to males. Serum cortisol levels were significantly higher in bears captured by leg-hold snare compared to those captured by remote drug delivery from helicopter. However, serum CBG expression between these two groups did not differ significantly. Overall, serum CBG levels may be a better marker of chronic stress, especially because this protein is not modulated by the stress of capture and restraint in grizzly bears. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Growth Arrest-Specific 6 Protein in Patients with Sjögren Syndrome: Determination of the Plasma Level and Expression in the Labial Salivary Gland.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen-Hung Chen

    Full Text Available Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6 is a vitamin K-dependent protein expressed by endothelial cells and leukocytes that are involved in cell survival, migration, and proliferation in response to inflammatory processes. The aim of this study was to assess the implications of Gas6 in Sjögren syndrome (SS and its expression in the labial salivary gland.A total of 254 adults, including 159 with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS, 34 with secondary Sjögren syndrome (sSS, and 61 normal controls, were recruited. Plasma Gas6 concentrations were determined, and Gas6 expressions in labial salivary gland (LSG tissues from controls and pSS and sSS patients were also evaluated. Plasma Gas6 concentrations were significantly lower among patients with pSS than normal controls (13.5 ± 8.6 vs. 19.9 ± 13.4 ng/ml, p < 0.001. There were, however, no significant differences in plasma Gas6 levels between pSS and sSS patients (13.5 ± 8.6 vs. 16.9 ± 11.2 ng/ml, p = 0.068. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for white blood cell count, hemoglobin level, platelet count, lymphocyte count, and C3 and C4 levels, lower plasma Gas6 concentrations were significantly associated with an increased risk of SS. Moreover, by using a semi-quantitative scale to evaluate Gas6 expression in LSG tissues, Gas6 expression was found to be markedly lower in LSG tissues from pSS patients than in tissues from normal controls.Decreased plasma Gas6 concentration and LSG expression were associated with pSS. As such, Gas6 may represent a novel independent risk factor for pSS, with a potential role in salivary gland inflammation and dysfunction.

  10. LPS-Toll-Like Receptor-Mediated Signaling on Expression of Protein S and C4b-Binding Protein in the Liver

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatsuya Hayashi

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Protein S (PS, mainly synthesized in hepatocytes and endothelial cells, plays a critical role as a cofactor of anticoagulant activated protein C (APC. PS activity is regulated by C4b-binding protein (C4BP, structurally composed of seven α-chains (C4BPα and a β-chain (C4BPβ. In this paper, based primarily on our previous studies, we review the lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced signaling which affects expression of PS and C4BP in the liver. Our in vivo studies in rats showed that after LPS injection, plasma PS levels are significantly decreased, whereas plasma C4BP levels first are transiently decreased after 2 to 12 hours and then significantly increased after 24 hours. LPS decreases PS antigen and mRNA levels in both hepatocytes and sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs, and decreases C4BP antigen and both C4BPα and C4BPβ mRNA levels in hepatocytes. Antirat CD14 and antirat Toll-like receptor (TLR-4 antibodies inhibited LPS-induced NFκB activation in both hepatocytes and SECs. Furthermore, inhibitors of NFκB and MEK recovered the LPS-induced decreased expression of PS in both cell types and the LPS-induced decreased expression of C4BP in hepatocytes. These data suggest that the LPS-induced decrease in PS expression in hepatocytes and SECs and LPS-induced decrease in C4BP expression in hepatocytes are mediated by MEK/ERK signaling and NFκB activation and that membrane-bound CD14 and TLR-4 are involved in this mechanism.

  11. Effect of crude oil petroleum hydrocarbons on protein expression of the prawn Macrobrachium borellii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasquevich, M Y; Dreon, M S; Gutierrez Rivera, J N; Vázquez Boucard, C; Heras, H

    2013-05-01

    Hydrocarbon pollution is a major environmental threat to ecosystems in marine and freshwater environments, but its toxicological effect on aquatic organisms remains little studied. A proteomic approach was used to analyze the effect of a freshwater oil spill on the prawn Macrobrachium borellii. To this aim, proteins were extracted from midgut gland (hepatopancreas) of male and female prawns exposed 7 days to a sublethal concentration (0.6 ppm) of water-soluble fraction of crude oil (WSF). Exposure to WSF induced responses at the protein expression level. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) revealed 10 protein spots that were differentially expressed by WSF exposure. Seven proteins were identified using MS/MS and de novo sequencing. Nm23 oncoprotein, arginine methyltransferase, fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase and glutathione S-transferase were down-regulated, whereas two glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase isoforms and a lipocalin-like crustacyanin (CTC) were up-regulated after WSF exposure. CTC mRNA levels were further analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR showing an increased expression after WSF exposure. The proteins identified are involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, detoxification, transport of hydrophobic molecules and cellular homeostasis among others. These results provide evidence for better understanding the toxic mechanisms of hydrocarbons. Moreover, some of these differentially expressed proteins would be employed as potential novel biomarkers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Expression of Separate Proteins in the Same Plant Leaves and Cells Using Two Independent Virus-Based Gene Vectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria R. Mendoza

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Plant viral vectors enable the expression of proteins at high levels in a relatively short time. For many purposes (e.g., cell biological interaction studies it may be desirable to express more than one protein in a single cell but that is often not feasible when using a single virus vector. Such a co-expression strategy requires the simultaneous delivery by two compatible and non-competitive viruses that can co-exist to each express a separate protein. Here, we report on the use of two agro-launchable coat-protein gene substitution GFP-expressing virus vector systems based on Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV referred to as TG, and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV annotated as TRBO-G. TG expressed GFP in Nicotiana benthamiana, tomato, lettuce and cowpea, whereas expression from TRBO-G was detected only in the first two species. Upon co-infiltration of the two vectors co-expression was monitored by: molecular detection of the two slightly differently sized GFPs, suppressor-complementation assays, and using TG in combination with TRBO-RFP. All the results revealed that in N. benthamiana and tomato the TBSV and TMV vectors accumulated and expressed proteins in the same plants, the same leaves, and in the same cells. Therefore, co-expression by these two vectors provides a platform for fast and high level expression of proteins to study their cell biology or other properties.

  13. Expression levels of transcription factors c-Fos and c-Jun and transmembrane protein HAb18G/CD147 in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huhe, Muren; Liu, Shuangshuang; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Zheng; Chen, Zhinan

    2017-05-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the expression of transcription factors, c-Fos, c-Jun and transmembrane protein CD147, in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). The current study investigated the clinical significance of these factors in the development, progression and survival analysis of UCB. Immunohistochemistry was employed to analyze c‑Fos, c‑Jun and CD147 expression in 41 UCB cases and 34 non‑cancerous human bladder tissues. These results were scored in a semi‑quantitative manner based on the intensity and percentage of tumor cells that presented immunoreactivity. Protein levels of CD147, c‑Fos and c‑Jun expression were upregulated in 22 (53.7%), 10 (24.4%) and 9 (22.0%) UCB cases, respectively. High levels of c‑Jun correlated with the AJCC cancer staging manual (7th edition; P=0.038). Univariate analysis revealed that upregulated CD147 (P=0.038) or c‑Jun (P=0.008) was associated with poor overall survival (OS), respectively. Further analysis revealed that either CD147‑c‑Fos‑c‑Jun co‑expression (P=0.004), or CD147‑c‑Jun co‑expression (P=0.037) and c‑Fos‑c‑Jun co‑expression (PCD147, c‑Jun or c‑Fos were independent risk indicators for death in UCB patients. Increased expression of c‑Jun or CD147, as well as co‑expression of CD147‑c‑Jun, c‑Jun‑c‑Fos or CD147‑c‑Jun‑c‑Fos has prognostic significance for UCB patients. Therefore, high CD147 and c‑Jun expression may serve roles in tumor progression and may be diagnostic and therapeutic targets in UCB whether alone or in combination.

  14. Optimizing FRET-FLIM Labeling Conditions to Detect Nuclear Protein Interactions at Native Expression Levels in Living Arabidopsis Roots

    KAUST Repository

    Long, Yuchen

    2018-05-15

    Protein complex formation has been extensively studied using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measured by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM). However, implementing this technology to detect protein interactions in living multicellular organism at single-cell resolution and under native condition is still difficult to achieve. Here we describe the optimization of the labeling conditions to detect FRET-FLIM in living plants. This study exemplifies optimization procedure involving the identification of the optimal position for the labels either at the N or C terminal region and the selection of the bright and suitable, fluorescent proteins as donor and acceptor labels for the FRET study. With an effective optimization strategy, we were able to detect the interaction between the stem cell regulators SHORT-ROOT and SCARECROW at endogenous expression levels in the root pole of living Arabidopsis embryos and developing lateral roots by FRET-FLIM. Using this approach we show that the spatial profile of interaction between two transcription factors can be highly modulated in reoccurring and structurally resembling organs, thus providing new information on the dynamic redistribution of nuclear protein complex configurations in different developmental stages. In principle, our optimization procedure for transcription factor complexes is applicable to any biological system.

  15. Expression of GIMAP1, a GTPase of the immunity-associated protein family, is not up-regulated in malaria

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    Carter Christine

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background GIMAP (GTPase of the immunity-associated protein family proteins are a family of putative GTPases believed to be regulators of cell death in lymphomyeloid cells. GIMAP1 was the first reported member of this gene family, identified as a gene up-regulated at the RNA level in the spleens of mice infected with the malarial parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi. Methods A monoclonal antibody against mouse GIMAP1 was developed and was used to analyse the expression of the endogenous protein in tissues of normal mice and in defined sub-populations of cells prepared from lymphoid tissues using flow cytometry. It was also used to assess the expression of GIMAP1 protein after infection and/or immunization of mice with P. chabaudi. Real-time PCR analysis was employed to measure the expression of GIMAP1 for comparison with the protein level analysis. Results GIMAP1 protein expression was detected in all lineages of lymphocytes (T, B, NK, in F4/80+ splenic macrophages and in some lymphoid cell lines. Additional evidence is presented suggesting that the strong expression by mature B cells of GIMAP1 and other GIMAP genes and proteins seen in mice may be a species-dependent characteristic. Unexpectedly, no increase was found in the expression of GIMAP1 in P. chabaudi infected mice at either the mRNA or protein level, and this remained so despite applying a number of variations to the protocol. Conclusion The model of up-regulation of GIMAP1 in response to infection/immunization with P. chabaudi is not a robustly reproducible experimental system. The GIMAP1 protein is widely expressed in lymphoid cells, with an interesting increase in expression in the later stages of B cell development. Alternative approaches will be required to define the functional role of this GTPase in immune cells.

  16. Cannabidiol normalizes caspase 3, synaptophysin, and mitochondrial fission protein DNM1L expression levels in rats with brain iron overload: implications for neuroprotection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Vanessa Kappel; de Freitas, Betânia Souza; da Silva Dornelles, Arethuza; Nery, Laura Roesler; Falavigna, Lucio; Ferreira, Rafael Dal Ponte; Bogo, Maurício Reis; Hallak, Jaime Eduardo Cecílio; Zuardi, Antônio Waldo; Crippa, José Alexandre S; Schröder, Nadja

    2014-02-01

    We have recently shown that chronic treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) was able to recover memory deficits induced by brain iron loading in a dose-dependent manner in rats. Brain iron accumulation is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and has been related to cognitive deficits in animals and human subjects. Deficits in synaptic energy supply have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, evidencing the key role played by mitochondria in maintaining viable neural cells and functional circuits. It has also been shown that brains of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases have increased expression of apoptosisrelated proteins and specific DNA fragmentation. Here, we have analyzed the expression level of brain proteins involved with mitochondrial fusion and fission mechanisms (DNM1L and OPA1), the main integral transmembrane protein of synaptic vesicles (synaptophysin), and caspase 3, an apoptosis-related protein, to gain a better understanding of the potential of CBD in restoring the damage caused by iron loading in rats. We found that CBD rescued iron-induced effects, bringing hippocampal DNM1L, caspase 3, and synaptophysin levels back to values comparable to the control group. Our results suggest that iron affects mitochondrial dynamics, possibly trigging synaptic loss and apoptotic cell death and indicate that CBD should be considered as a potential molecule with memory-rescuing and neuroprotective properties to be used in the treatment of cognitive deficits observed in neurodegenerative disorders.

  17. Decreased expression of thyroid receptor-associated protein 220 in temporal lobe tissue of patients with refractory epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jinmei; Wang Xuefeng; Xi Zhiqin; Gong Yun; Liu Fengying; Sun Jijun; Wu Yuan; Luan Guoming; Wang Yuping; Li Yunlin; Zhang Jianguo; Lu Yong; Li Hongwei

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: TRAP220 (thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein) functions as a coactivator for nuclear receptors and stimulates transcription by recruiting the TRAP mediator complex to hormone responsive promoter regions. Thus, TRAP220 enhances the function of thyroid/steroid hormone receptors such as thyroid hormone and oestrogen receptors. This study investigated the expression of TRAP220 mRNA and protein level in epileptic brains comparing with human control. Methods: We examined the expression of TRAP220 mRNA and protein levels in temporal lobes from patients with chronic pharmacoresistant epilepsy who have undergone surgery. Results: Expression of TRAP220 mRNA and protein was shown to be decreased significantly in the temporal cortex of the patients with epilepsy. Conclusions: Our work showed that a decrease in TRAP220 mRNA and protein levels may be involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and may be associated with impairment of the brain caused by frequent seizures

  18. Predictable tuning of protein expression in bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonde, Mads; Pedersen, Margit; Klausen, Michael Schantz

    2016-01-01

    We comprehensively assessed the contribution of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence to protein expression and used the data to develop EMOPEC (Empirical Model and Oligos for Protein Expression Changes; http://emopec.biosustain.dtu.dk). EMOPEC is a free tool that makes it possible to modulate the expressi...

  19. A new essential protein discovery method based on the integration of protein-protein interaction and gene expression data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Min

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Identification of essential proteins is always a challenging task since it requires experimental approaches that are time-consuming and laborious. With the advances in high throughput technologies, a large number of protein-protein interactions are available, which have produced unprecedented opportunities for detecting proteins' essentialities from the network level. There have been a series of computational approaches proposed for predicting essential proteins based on network topologies. However, the network topology-based centrality measures are very sensitive to the robustness of network. Therefore, a new robust essential protein discovery method would be of great value. Results In this paper, we propose a new centrality measure, named PeC, based on the integration of protein-protein interaction and gene expression data. The performance of PeC is validated based on the protein-protein interaction network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The experimental results show that the predicted precision of PeC clearly exceeds that of the other fifteen previously proposed centrality measures: Degree Centrality (DC, Betweenness Centrality (BC, Closeness Centrality (CC, Subgraph Centrality (SC, Eigenvector Centrality (EC, Information Centrality (IC, Bottle Neck (BN, Density of Maximum Neighborhood Component (DMNC, Local Average Connectivity-based method (LAC, Sum of ECC (SoECC, Range-Limited Centrality (RL, L-index (LI, Leader Rank (LR, Normalized α-Centrality (NC, and Moduland-Centrality (MC. Especially, the improvement of PeC over the classic centrality measures (BC, CC, SC, EC, and BN is more than 50% when predicting no more than 500 proteins. Conclusions We demonstrate that the integration of protein-protein interaction network and gene expression data can help improve the precision of predicting essential proteins. The new centrality measure, PeC, is an effective essential protein discovery method.

  20. Circulating PCSK9 affects serum LDL and cholesterol levels more than SREBP-2 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, Asghar; Shabani, Mohamad; Naseri, Faezeh; Hosseni, Bita; Soltanmohammadi, Elham; Piran, Sadegh; Najafi, Mohammad

    2017-07-01

    Cholesterol homeostasis is dependent upon the sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP-2) regulatory system and the functioning of plasma proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). Many studies have also reported that low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) levels in cellular membranes are related to the functioning of these proteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of lipid profiles with circulating PCSK9 protein values and SREBP-2 expression levels in normal subjects. The study involved 120 randomly chosen healthy subjects. Their lipid profiles were measured using routine laboratory techniques, and the plasma PCSK9 protein and SREBP-2 expression levels were determined by ELISA and real time quantitative PCR methods, respectively. A statistical analysis was carried out using a statistical software package. Linear regression analyses showed a significant correlation between total cholesterol and PCSK9 (3.54 ± 1.31 ng/mL), as well as between total cholesterol and SREBP-2 (0.1-35.38) (p = 0.002 and p = 0.02, respectively). Furthermore, multiple regression analyses showed strict correlations between PCSK9 and cholesterol-related parameters especially the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (β = 3.53, p = 0.001). There was no significant correlation between circulating PCSK9 and SREBP-2 expression levels (r = 1.2, p = 0.3). The study results revealed that serum cholesterol-related parameters are strictly associated with plasma PCSK9 values, suggesting that PCSK9 function has a greater effect on serum total cholesterol levels than SREBP-2 expression does. Furthermore, the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio was a better indicator for evaluating PCSK9 level than total cholesterol.

  1. Suppression of lipin-1 expression increases monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Nobuhiko; Yoshizaki, Takayuki; Hiranaka, Natsumi; Suzuki, Takeshi; Yui, Tomoo; Akanuma, Masayasu; Oka, Kazuya; Kanazawa, Kaoru; Yoshida, Mika; Naito, Sumiyoshi; Fujiya, Mikihiro; Kohgo, Yutaka; Ieko, Masahiro

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► Lipin-1 affects lipid metabolism, adipocyte differentiation, and transcription. ► Adipose lipin-1 expression is reduced in obesity. ► Lipin-1 depletion using siRNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes increased MCP-1 expression. ► Lipin-1 is involved in adipose inflammation. -- Abstract: Lipin-1 plays a crucial role in the regulation of lipid metabolism and cell differentiation in adipocytes. Expression of adipose lipin-1 is reduced in obesity, and metabolic syndrome. However, the significance of this reduction remains unclear. This study investigated if and how reduced lipin-1 expression affected metabolism. We assessed mRNA expression levels of various genes related to adipocyte metabolism in lipin-1-depleted 3T3-L1 adipocytes by introducing its specific small interfering RNA. In lipin-1-depleted adipocytes, mRNA and protein expression levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were significantly increased, although the other genes tested were not altered. The conditioned media from the cells promoted monocyte chemotaxis. The increase in MCP-1 expression was prevented by treatment with quinazoline or salicylate, inhibitors of nuclear factor-κB activation. Because MCP-1 is related to adipose inflammation and systemic insulin resistance, these results suggest that a reduction in adipose lipin-1 in obesity may exacerbate adipose inflammation and metabolism.

  2. Suppression of lipin-1 expression increases monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takahashi, Nobuhiko, E-mail: ntkhs@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp [Department of Internal Medicine, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Ishikari-Toubetsu, Hokkaido 061-0023 (Japan); Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa, Hokkaido 078-8510 (Japan); Yoshizaki, Takayuki [Innovation Center, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065 (Japan); Hiranaka, Natsumi; Suzuki, Takeshi [Department of Internal Medicine, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Ishikari-Toubetsu, Hokkaido 061-0023 (Japan); Yui, Tomoo; Akanuma, Masayasu; Oka, Kazuya [Department of Fixed Prosthodontics and Oral Implantology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Ishikari-Toubetsu, Hokkaido 061-0023 (Japan); Kanazawa, Kaoru [Department of Dental Anesthesiology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Ishikari-Toubetsu, Hokkaido 061-0023 (Japan); Yoshida, Mika; Naito, Sumiyoshi [Department of Clinical Laboratory, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Ishikari-Toubetsu, Hokkaido 061-0023 (Japan); Fujiya, Mikihiro; Kohgo, Yutaka [Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa, Hokkaido 078-8510 (Japan); Ieko, Masahiro [Department of Internal Medicine, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Ishikari-Toubetsu, Hokkaido 061-0023 (Japan)

    2011-11-11

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lipin-1 affects lipid metabolism, adipocyte differentiation, and transcription. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adipose lipin-1 expression is reduced in obesity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lipin-1 depletion using siRNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes increased MCP-1 expression. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lipin-1 is involved in adipose inflammation. -- Abstract: Lipin-1 plays a crucial role in the regulation of lipid metabolism and cell differentiation in adipocytes. Expression of adipose lipin-1 is reduced in obesity, and metabolic syndrome. However, the significance of this reduction remains unclear. This study investigated if and how reduced lipin-1 expression affected metabolism. We assessed mRNA expression levels of various genes related to adipocyte metabolism in lipin-1-depleted 3T3-L1 adipocytes by introducing its specific small interfering RNA. In lipin-1-depleted adipocytes, mRNA and protein expression levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were significantly increased, although the other genes tested were not altered. The conditioned media from the cells promoted monocyte chemotaxis. The increase in MCP-1 expression was prevented by treatment with quinazoline or salicylate, inhibitors of nuclear factor-{kappa}B activation. Because MCP-1 is related to adipose inflammation and systemic insulin resistance, these results suggest that a reduction in adipose lipin-1 in obesity may exacerbate adipose inflammation and metabolism.

  3. StAR protein and steroidogenic enzyme expressions in the rat Harderian gland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falvo, Sara; Chieffi Baccaria, Gabriella; Spaziano, Giuseppe; Rosati, Luigi; Venditti, Massimo; Di Fiore, Maria Maddalena; Santillo, Alessandra

    2018-03-01

    The Harderian gland (HG) of the rat (Rattus norvegicus) secretes copious amounts of lipids, such as cholesterol. Here we report a study of the expressions of the StAR protein and key steroidogenic enzymes in the HG of male and female rats. The objective of the present investigation was to ascertain (a) whether the rat HG is involved in steroid production starting with cholesterol, and (b) whether the pattern of gene and protein expressions together with the enzymatic activities display sexual dimorphism. The results demonstrate, for the first time, the expression of StAR gene and protein, and Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, Hsd17b3, Srd5a1, Srd5a2 and Cyp19a1 genes in the rat HG. StAR mRNA and protein expressions were much greater in males than in females. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a non-homogeneous StAR distribution among glandular cells. Hsd17b3 and Cyp19a1 mRNA levels were higher in males than in females, whereas Srd5a1 mRNA levels were higher in females than in males. No significant differences were observed in mRNA levels of Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1 and Srd5a2 between sexes. Furthermore, the in vitro experiments demonstrated a higher 5α-reductase activity in the female as compared to the male HG vice versa a higher P450 aro activity in males as compared to females. These results suggest that the Harderian gland can be classified as a steroidogenic tissue because it synthesizes cholesterol, expresses StAR and steroidogenic enzymes involved in both androgen and estrogen synthesis. The dimorphic expression and activity of the steroidogenic enzymes may suggest sex-specific hormonal effects into the HG physiology. Copyright © 2018 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. SGLT2 Protein Expression Is Increased in Human Diabetic Nephropathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoxin X.; Levi, Jonathan; Luo, Yuhuan; Myakala, Komuraiah; Herman-Edelstein, Michal; Qiu, Liru; Wang, Dong; Peng, Yingqiong; Grenz, Almut; Lucia, Scott; Dobrinskikh, Evgenia; D'Agati, Vivette D.; Koepsell, Hermann; Kopp, Jeffrey B.; Rosenberg, Avi Z.; Levi, Moshe

    2017-01-01

    There is very limited human renal sodium gradient-dependent glucose transporter protein (SGLT2) mRNA and protein expression data reported in the literature. The first aim of this study was to determine SGLT2 mRNA and protein levels in human and animal models of diabetic nephropathy. We have found that the expression of SGLT2 mRNA and protein is increased in renal biopsies from human subjects with diabetic nephropathy. This is in contrast to db-db mice that had no changes in renal SGLT2 protein expression. Furthermore, the effect of SGLT2 inhibition on renal lipid content and inflammation is not known. The second aim of this study was to determine the potential mechanisms of beneficial effects of SGLT2 inhibition in the progression of diabetic renal disease. We treated db/db mice with a selective SGLT2 inhibitor JNJ 39933673. We found that SGLT2 inhibition caused marked decreases in systolic blood pressure, kidney weight/body weight ratio, urinary albumin, and urinary thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances. SGLT2 inhibition prevented renal lipid accumulation via inhibition of carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein-β, pyruvate kinase L, SCD-1, and DGAT1, key transcriptional factors and enzymes that mediate fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis. SGLT2 inhibition also prevented inflammation via inhibition of CD68 macrophage accumulation and expression of p65, TLR4, MCP-1, and osteopontin. These effects were associated with reduced mesangial expansion, accumulation of the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin and type IV collagen, and loss of podocyte markers WT1 and synaptopodin, as determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. In summary, our study showed that SGLT2 inhibition modulates renal lipid metabolism and inflammation and prevents the development of nephropathy in db/db mice. PMID:28196866

  5. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and higher expression levels of Nrf2 and NQO1 proteins in the airways of women chronically exposed to biomass fuel smoke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondal, Nandan Kumar; Saha, Hirak; Mukherjee, Bidisha; Tyagi, Neetu; Ray, Manas Ranjan

    2018-01-24

    The study was carried out to examine whether chronic exposure to smoke during daily household cooking with biomass fuel (BMF) elicits changes in airway cytology and expressions of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2 [NF-E2]-related factor 2 [Nrf2]), Keap1 (Kelch-like erythroid-cell-derived protein with CNC homology [ECH]-associated protein 1), and NQO1 (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1) proteins in the airways. For this, 282 BMF-using women (median age 34 year) and 236 age-matched women who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were enrolled. Particulate matter with diameters of LPG. Compared with LPG users, BMF users had 32% more leukocytes in circulation and their sputa were 1.4-times more cellular with significant increase in absolute number of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and alveolar macrophages, suggesting airway inflammation. ROS generation was 1.5-times higher in blood neutrophils and 34% higher in sputum cells of BMF users while erythrocyte SOD was 31% lower and plasma catalase was relatively unchanged, suggesting oxidative stress. In BMF users, Keap1 expression was reduced, the percentage of AEC with nuclear expression of Nrf2 was two- to three-times more, and NQO1 level in sputum cell lysate was two-times higher than that of LPG users. In conclusion, cooking with BMF was associated with Nrf2 activation and elevated NQO1 protein level in the airways. The changes may be adaptive cellular response to counteract biomass smoke-elicited oxidative stress and inflammation-related tissue injury in the airways.

  6. Intrathecal injection of naked plasmid DNA provides long-term expression of secreted proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Travis S; Langer, Stephen J; Johnson, Kirk W; Chavez, Raymond A; Watkins, Linda R; Milligan, Erin D; Leinwand, Leslie A

    2009-01-01

    Therapeutic benefit has been reported to result from intrathecal (i.t.) injection of transgene vectors, including naked DNA. However, most studies using naked DNA have measured only the transgene expression of intracellular proteins. Here we demonstrate that i.t. injection of naked DNA can result in long-term expression of secreted proteins. Plasmids expressing either secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) or human interleukin-10 (hIL-10) were injected into the i.t. space in rats, and transgene products were repeatedly measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Both SEAP and hIL-10 were maximal at 1 and 2 days after the injection and still detectable at 4 months. The utilization of a plasmid having two features that are hypothesized to increase gene expression (matrix attachment regions (MARs) and lack of CpG dinucleotides) resulted in a significant increase in gene expression. Reinjection of SEAP or hIL-10 plasmids after 4 months significantly increased protein levels at 1 and 14 days after the reinjection. SEAP was uniformly distributed between the DNA delivery site (approximately vertebral level T13) and the lumbar puncture site (L5/L6 inter-vertebral space), was reduced at the cisterna magna, and was detectable, though at much lower levels, in serum. These data suggest that naked DNA has the potential to be used as a therapeutic tool for applications that require long-term release of transgenes into the CSF.

  7. Differential expression patterns of metastasis suppressor proteins in basal cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozdogan, Onder; Yulug, Isik G; Vargel, Ibrahim; Cavusoglu, Tarik; Karabulut, Ayse A; Karahan, Gurbet; Sayar, Nilufer

    2015-08-01

    Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are common malignant skin tumors. Despite having a significant invasion capacity, they metastasize only rarely. Our aim in this study was to detect the expression patterns of the NM23-H1, NDRG1, E-cadherin, RHOGDI2, CD82/KAI1, MKK4, and AKAP12 metastasis suppressor proteins in BCCs. A total of 96 BCC and 10 normal skin samples were included for the immunohistochemical study. Eleven frozen BCC samples were also studied by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect the gene expression profile. NM23-H1 was strongly and diffusely expressed in all types of BCC. Significant cytoplasmic expression of NDRG1 and E-cadherin was also detected. However, AKAP12 and CD82/KAI1 expression was significantly decreased. The expressions of the other proteins were somewhere between the two extremes. Similarly, qRT-PCR analysis showed down-regulation of AKAP12 and up-regulation of NM23-H1 and NDRG1 in BCC. Morphologically aggressive BCCs showed significantly higher cytoplasmic NDRG1 expression scores and lower CD82/KAI1 scores than non-aggressive BCCs. The relatively preserved levels of NM23-H1, NDRG1, and E-cadherin proteins may have a positive effect on the non-metastasizing features of these tumors. © 2014 The International Society of Dermatology.

  8. Age-Related Changes in the Expression of the Circadian Clock Protein PERIOD in Drosophila Glial Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dani M. Long

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Circadian clocks consist of molecular negative feedback loops that coordinate physiological, neurological, and behavioral variables into “circa” 24-h rhythms. Rhythms in behavioral and other circadian outputs tend to weaken during aging, as evident in progressive disruptions of sleep-wake cycles in aging organisms. However, less is known about the molecular changes in the expression of clock genes and proteins that may lead to the weakening of circadian outputs. Western blot studies have demonstrated that the expression of the core clock protein PERIOD (PER declines in the heads of aged Drosophila melanogaster flies. This age-related decline in PER does not occur in the central pacemaker neurons but has been demonstrated so far in retinal photoreceptors. Besides photoreceptors, clock proteins are also expressed in fly glia, which play important roles in neuronal homeostasis and are further categorized into subtypes based on morphology and function. While previous studies of mammalian glial cells have demonstrated the presence of functional clocks in astrocytes and microglia, it is not known which glial cell types in Drosophila express clock proteins and how their expression may change in aged individuals. Here, we conducted immunocytochemistry experiments to identify which glial subtypes express PER protein suggestive of functional circadian clocks. Glial cell subtypes that showed night-time accumulation and day-time absence in PER consistent with oscillations reported in the pacemaker neurons were selected to compare the level of PER protein between young and old flies. Our data demonstrate that some glial subtypes show rhythmic PER expression and the relative PER levels become dampened with advanced age. Identification of glial cell types that display age-related dampening of PER levels may help to understand the cellular changes that contribute to the loss of homeostasis in the aging brain.

  9. Functional heterologous protein expression by genetically engineered probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lauren E Hudson

    Full Text Available Recent studies have suggested the potential of probiotic organisms to be adapted for the synthesis and delivery of oral therapeutics. The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii would be especially well suited for this purpose due to its ability, in contrast to probiotic prokaryotes, to perform eukaryotic post translational modifications. This probiotic yeast thus has the potential to express a broad array of therapeutic proteins. Currently, however, use of wild type (WT S. boulardii relies on antibiotic resistance for the selection of transformed yeast. Here we report the creation of auxotrophic mutant strains of S. boulardii that can be selected without antibiotics and demonstrate that these yeast can express functional recombinant protein even when recovered from gastrointestinal immune tissues in mice. A UV mutagenesis approach was employed to generate three uracil auxotrophic S. boulardii mutants that show a low rate of reversion to wild type growth. These mutants can express recombinant protein and are resistant in vitro to low pH, bile acid salts, and anaerobic conditions. Critically, oral gavage experiments using C57BL/6 mice demonstrate that mutant S. boulardii survive and are taken up into gastrointestinal immune tissues on a similar level as WT S. boulardii. Mutant yeast recovered from gastrointestinal immune tissues furthermore retain expression of functional recombinant protein. These data show that auxotrophic mutant S. boulardii can safely express recombinant protein without antibiotic selection and can deliver recombinant protein to gastrointestinal immune tissues. These auxotrophic mutants of S. boulardii pave the way for future experiments to test the ability of S. boulardii to deliver therapeutics and mediate protection against gastrointestinal disorders.

  10. Functional heterologous protein expression by genetically engineered probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, Lauren E; Fasken, Milo B; McDermott, Courtney D; McBride, Shonna M; Kuiper, Emily G; Guiliano, David B; Corbett, Anita H; Lamb, Tracey J

    2014-01-01

    Recent studies have suggested the potential of probiotic organisms to be adapted for the synthesis and delivery of oral therapeutics. The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii would be especially well suited for this purpose due to its ability, in contrast to probiotic prokaryotes, to perform eukaryotic post translational modifications. This probiotic yeast thus has the potential to express a broad array of therapeutic proteins. Currently, however, use of wild type (WT) S. boulardii relies on antibiotic resistance for the selection of transformed yeast. Here we report the creation of auxotrophic mutant strains of S. boulardii that can be selected without antibiotics and demonstrate that these yeast can express functional recombinant protein even when recovered from gastrointestinal immune tissues in mice. A UV mutagenesis approach was employed to generate three uracil auxotrophic S. boulardii mutants that show a low rate of reversion to wild type growth. These mutants can express recombinant protein and are resistant in vitro to low pH, bile acid salts, and anaerobic conditions. Critically, oral gavage experiments using C57BL/6 mice demonstrate that mutant S. boulardii survive and are taken up into gastrointestinal immune tissues on a similar level as WT S. boulardii. Mutant yeast recovered from gastrointestinal immune tissues furthermore retain expression of functional recombinant protein. These data show that auxotrophic mutant S. boulardii can safely express recombinant protein without antibiotic selection and can deliver recombinant protein to gastrointestinal immune tissues. These auxotrophic mutants of S. boulardii pave the way for future experiments to test the ability of S. boulardii to deliver therapeutics and mediate protection against gastrointestinal disorders.

  11. High-level production of α-amylase by manipulating the expression of alanine racamase in Bacillus licheniformis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Penghui; Zhang, Zeying; Cai, Dongbo; Chen, Yaozhong; Wang, Hao; Wei, Xuetuan; Li, Shunyi; Chen, Shouwen

    2017-09-01

    To improve target protein production by manipulating expression levels of alanine racemase in Bacillus licheniformis. The gene of dal was identified to be responsible for alanine racemase function. Based on the selection marker of dal, a food-grade expression system was constructed in B. licheniformis, and effects of different dal expression levels mediated by promoters on α-amylase production were investigated. The highest α-amylase activity (155 U/ml) was obtained in BL10D/pP43SAT-PtetDal, increased by 27% compared with that of the control strain BL10/pP43SAT in tetracycline-based system (123 U/ml). Moreover, the dal transcriptional level was not correlated positively with that of amyL. A food-grade system for high-level production of α-amylase was constructed in B. licheniformis, revealing that expression levels of selection marker significantly affected target protein production.

  12. Expression of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 in experimentally infected humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lavstsen, Thomas; Magistrado, Pamela; Hermsen, Cornelus C

    2005-01-01

    -encoded Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family, which is expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes where it mediates binding to endothelial receptors. Thus, severe malaria may be caused by parasites expressing PfEMP1 variants that afford parasites optimal sequestration...... in immunologically naive individuals and high effective multiplication rates. METHODS: var gene transcription was analysed using real time PCR and PfEMP1 expression by western blots as well as immune plasma recognition of parasite cultures established from non-immune volunteers shortly after infection with NF54...... compared to parasites expressing other var genes. The differential expression of PfEMP1 was confirmed at the protein level by immunoblot analysis. In addition, serological typing showed that immune sera more often recognized second and third generation parasites than first generation parasites. CONCLUSION...

  13. Inhibition of interleukin-6 expression by the V protein of parainfluenza virus 5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Yuan; Sun Minghao; Fuentes, Sandra M.; Keim, Celia D.; Rothermel, Terri; He Biao

    2007-01-01

    The V protein of parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) plays an important role in the evasion of host immune responses. The V protein blocks interferon (IFN) signaling in human cells by causing degradation of the STAT1 protein, a key component of IFN signaling, and blocks IFN-β production by preventing nuclear translocation of IRF3, a key transcription factor for activating IFN-β promoter. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), along with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-1β, is a major proinflammatory cytokine that plays important roles in clearing virus infection through inflammatory responses. Many viruses have developed strategies to block IL-6 expression. Wild-type PIV5 infection induces little, if any, expression of cytokines such as IL-6 or TNF-α, whereas infection by a mutant PIV5 lacking the conserved C-terminal cysteine rich domain (rPIV5VΔC) induced high levels of IL-6 expression. Examination of mRNA levels of IL-6 indicated that the transcription activation of IL-6 played an important role in the increased IL-6 expression. Co-infection with wild-type PIV5 prevented the activation of IL-6 transcription by rPIV5VΔC, and a plasmid encoding the full-length PIV5 V protein prevented the activation of IL-6 promoter-driven reporter gene expression by rPIV5VΔC, indicating that the V protein played a role in inhibiting IL-6 transcription. The activation of IL-6 was independent of IFN-β even though rPIV5VΔC-infected cells produced IFN-β. Using reporter gene assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), it was found that NF-κB played an important role in activating expression of IL-6. We have proposed a model of activating and inhibiting IL-6 transcription by PIV5

  14. Design of chimeric expression elements that confer high-level gene activity in chromoplasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caroca, Rodrigo; Howell, Katharine A; Hasse, Claudia; Ruf, Stephanie; Bock, Ralph

    2013-02-01

    Non-green plastids, such as chromoplasts, generally have much lower activity of gene expression than chloroplasts in photosynthetically active tissues. Suppression of plastid genes in non-green tissues occurs through a complex interplay of transcriptional and translational control, with the contribution of regulation of transcript abundance versus translational activity being highly variable between genes. Here, we have investigated whether the low expression of the plastid genome in chromoplasts results from inherent limitations in gene expression capacity, or can be overcome by designing appropriate combinations of promoters and translation initiation signals in the 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR). We constructed chimeric expression elements that combine promoters and 5'-UTRs from plastid genes, which are suppressed during chloroplast-to-chromoplast conversion in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) fruit ripening, either just at the translational level or just at the level of mRNA accumulation. These chimeric expression elements were introduced into the tomato plastid genome by stable chloroplast transformation. We report the identification of promoter-UTR combinations that confer high-level gene expression in chromoplasts of ripe tomato fruits, resulting in the accumulation of reporter protein GFP to up to 1% of total cellular protein. Our work demonstrates that non-green plastids are capable of expressing genes to high levels. Moreover, the chimeric cis-elements for chromoplasts developed here are widely applicable in basic and applied research using transplastomic methods. © 2012 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. Expression of Insoluble Influenza Neuraminidase Type 1 (NA1 Protein in Tobacco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teen Lee Pua

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The avian influenza virus, particularly H5N1 strain, is highly virulent to poultry and mankind. Several expression systems, like yeast, baculovirus and mammalian cells, have been adopted to produce vaccine candidate for this lethal disease. The present research aimed at developing a recombinant vaccine candidate, neuraminidase type 1 (NA1, for the Malaysia isolate of H5N1 in Nicotiana benthamiana. The NA1 gene was fused directly in-frame in cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV-based pEAQ-HT vector with C-terminal polyhistidine-tag incorporated to ease the subsequent purification step. The expression of the NA1 gene in tobacco was confirmed at RNA and protein levels at 6 days post-infiltration (Dpi. From the insoluble fraction of the protein, a recombinant glycosylated NA1 protein with a molecular weight of ~56 kDa was immunogenically detected by a specific anti-NA polyclonal antibody. We report for the first time the insolubility of the plant-made NA1 protein where a native sequence was used for its expression. This study signifies the necessity of the use of optimised sequences for expression work and provides great opportunity for the exploration of plant-manufactured NA1 protein as vaccine candidate.

  16. High-level expression of the native barley alpha-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor in Pichia pastoris

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Micheelsen, Pernille Ollendorff; Ostergaard, Peter Rahbek; Lange, Lene

    2008-01-01

    An expression system for high-level expression of the native Hordeum vulgare alpha-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (BASI) has been developed in Pichia pastoris, using the methanol inducible alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) promoter. To optimize expression, two codon-optimized coding regions have been designed...... and expressed alongside the wild-type coding region. To ensure secretion of the native mature protein, a truncated version of the alpha mating factor secretion signal from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used. In order to be able to compare expression levels from different clones, single insertion transformants...

  17. Modulation of SOCS protein expression influences the interferon responsiveness of human melanoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lesinski, Gregory B; Zimmerer, Jason M; Kreiner, Melanie; Trefry, John; Bill, Matthew A; Young, Gregory S; Becknell, Brian; Carson, William E III

    2010-01-01

    Endogenously produced interferons can regulate the growth of melanoma cells and are administered exogenously as therapeutic agents to patients with advanced cancer. We investigated the role of negative regulators of interferon signaling known as suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) in mediating interferon-resistance in human melanoma cells. Basal and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) or interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-induced expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3 proteins was evaluated by immunoblot analysis in a panel of n = 10 metastatic human melanoma cell lines, in human embryonic melanocytes (HEM), and radial or vertical growth phase melanoma cells. Over-expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3 proteins in melanoma cells was achieved using the PINCO retroviral vector, while siRNA were used to inhibit SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression. Tyr 701 -phosphorylated STAT1 (P-STAT1) was measured by intracellular flow cytometry and IFN-stimulated gene expression was measured by Real Time PCR. SOCS1 and SOCS3 proteins were expressed at basal levels in melanocytes and in all melanoma cell lines examined. Expression of the SOCS1 and SOCS3 proteins was also enhanced following stimulation of a subset of cell lines with IFN-α or IFN-γ. Over-expression of SOCS proteins in melanoma cell lines led to significant inhibition of Tyr 701 -phosphorylated STAT1 (P-STAT1) and gene expression following stimulation with IFN-α (IFIT2, OAS-1, ISG-15) or IFN-γ (IRF1). Conversely, siRNA inhibition of SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression in melanoma cells enhanced their responsiveness to interferon stimulation. These data demonstrate that SOCS proteins are expressed in human melanoma cell lines and their modulation can influence the responsiveness of melanoma cells to IFN-α and IFN-γ

  18. Cell cycle, differentiation and tissue-independent expression of ribosomal protein L37.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, S; Bird, R C

    1995-09-15

    A unique human cDNA (hG1.16) that encodes a mRNA of 450 nucleotides was isolated from a subtractive library derived from HeLa cells. The relative expression level of hG1.16 during different cell-cycle phases was determined by Northern-blot analysis of cells synchronized by double-thymidine block and serum deprivation/refeeding. hG1.16 was constitutively expressed during all phases of the cell cycle, including the quiescent phase when even most constitutively expressed genes experience some suppression of expression. The expression level of hG1.16 did not change during terminal differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes, during which cells become permanently post-mitotic. Examination of other tissues revealed that the relative expression level of hG1.16 was constitutive in all embryonic mouse tissues examined, including brain, eye, heart, kidney, liver, lung and skeletal muscle. This was unusual in that expression was not down-modulated during differentiation and did not vary appreciably between tissue types. Analysis by inter-species Northern-blot analysis revealed that hG1.16 was highly conserved among all vertebrates studied (from fish to humans but not in insects). DNA sequence analysis of hG1.16 revealed a high level of similarity to rat ribosomal protein L37, identifying hG1.16 as a new member of this multigene family. The deduced amino acid sequence of hG1.16 was identical to rat ribosomal protein L37 that contained 97 amino acids, many of which are highly positively charged (15 arginine and 14 lysine residues with a predicted M(r) of 11,065). hG1.16 protein has a single C2-C2 zinc-finger-like motif which is also present in rat ribosomal protein L37. Using primers designed from the sequence of hG1.16, unique bovine and rat cDNAs were also isolated by 5'-rapid-amplification of cDNA ends. DNA sequences of bovine and rat G1.16, clones were 92.8% and 92.2% similar to human G1.16 while the deduced amino acid sequences derived from bovine and rat cDNAs each differed

  19. Expression of multidrug resistance proteins in retinoblastoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Shukla

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To elucidate the mechanism of multidrug resistance in retinoblastoma, and to acquire more insights into in vivo drug resistance. METHODS: Three anticancer drug resistant Y79 human RB cells were generated against vincristine, etoposide or carboplatin, which are used for conventional chemotherapy in RB. Primary cultures from enucleated eyes after chemotherapy (PCNC were also prepared. Their chemosensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents (vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin were measured using MTT assay. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of p53, Bcl-2 and various multidrug resistant proteins in retinoblastoma cells. RESULTS: Following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs, PCNC showed less sensitivity to drugs. No significant changes observed in the p53 expression, whereas Bcl-2 expression was found to be increased in the drug resistant cells as well as in PCNC. Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp was observed in drug resistant Y79 cells; however there was no significant change in the expression of P-gp found between primary cultures of primarily enucleated eyes and PCNC. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mrp-1 expression was found to be elevated in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. No significant change in the expression of lung resistance associated protein (Lrp was observed in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that multidrug resistant proteins are intrinsically present in retinoblastoma which causes treatment failure in managing retinoblastoma with chemotherapy.

  20. Expression of multidrug resistance proteins in retinoblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, Swati; Srivastava, Arpna; Kumar, Sunil; Singh, Usha; Goswami, Sandeep; Chawla, Bhavna; Bajaj, Mandeep Singh; Kashyap, Seema; Kaur, Jasbir

    2017-01-01

    To elucidate the mechanism of multidrug resistance in retinoblastoma, and to acquire more insights into in vivo drug resistance. Three anticancer drug resistant Y79 human RB cells were generated against vincristine, etoposide or carboplatin, which are used for conventional chemotherapy in RB. Primary cultures from enucleated eyes after chemotherapy (PCNC) were also prepared. Their chemosensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents (vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin) were measured using MTT assay. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of p53, Bcl-2 and various multidrug resistant proteins in retinoblastoma cells. Following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs, PCNC showed less sensitivity to drugs. No significant changes observed in the p53 expression, whereas Bcl-2 expression was found to be increased in the drug resistant cells as well as in PCNC. Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was observed in drug resistant Y79 cells; however there was no significant change in the expression of P-gp found between primary cultures of primarily enucleated eyes and PCNC. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mrp-1) expression was found to be elevated in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. No significant change in the expression of lung resistance associated protein (Lrp) was observed in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. Our results suggest that multidrug resistant proteins are intrinsically present in retinoblastoma which causes treatment failure in managing retinoblastoma with chemotherapy.

  1. Expression of multidrug resistance proteins in retinoblastoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, Swati; Srivastava, Arpna; Kumar, Sunil; Singh, Usha; Goswami, Sandeep; Chawla, Bhavna; Bajaj, Mandeep Singh; Kashyap, Seema; Kaur, Jasbir

    2017-01-01

    AIM To elucidate the mechanism of multidrug resistance in retinoblastoma, and to acquire more insights into in vivo drug resistance. METHODS Three anticancer drug resistant Y79 human RB cells were generated against vincristine, etoposide or carboplatin, which are used for conventional chemotherapy in RB. Primary cultures from enucleated eyes after chemotherapy (PCNC) were also prepared. Their chemosensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents (vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin) were measured using MTT assay. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of p53, Bcl-2 and various multidrug resistant proteins in retinoblastoma cells. RESULTS Following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs, PCNC showed less sensitivity to drugs. No significant changes observed in the p53 expression, whereas Bcl-2 expression was found to be increased in the drug resistant cells as well as in PCNC. Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was observed in drug resistant Y79 cells; however there was no significant change in the expression of P-gp found between primary cultures of primarily enucleated eyes and PCNC. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mrp-1) expression was found to be elevated in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. No significant change in the expression of lung resistance associated protein (Lrp) was observed in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that multidrug resistant proteins are intrinsically present in retinoblastoma which causes treatment failure in managing retinoblastoma with chemotherapy. PMID:29181307

  2. Enzyme-treated asparagus extract promotes expression of heat shock protein and exerts antistress effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Tomohiro; Maeda, Takahiro; Goto, Kazunori; Miura, Takehito; Wakame, Koji; Nishioka, Hiroshi; Sato, Atsuya

    2014-03-01

    A novel enzyme-treated asparagus extract (ETAS) has been developed as a functional material produced from asparagus stem. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of ETAS on heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression and alleviation of stress. HeLa cells were treated with ETAS, and HSP70 mRNA and protein levels were measured using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. ETAS showed significant increases in HSP70 mRNA at more than 0.125 mg/mL and the protein at more than 1.0 mg/mL. The antistress effect was evaluated in a murine sleep-deprivation model. A sleep-deprivation stress load resulted in elevation of blood corticosterone and lipid peroxide concentrations, while supplementation with ETAS at 200 and 1000 mg/kg body weight was associated with significantly reduced levels of both stress markers, which were in the normal range. The HSP70 protein expression level in mice subjected to sleep-deprivation stress and supplemented with ETAS was significantly enhanced in stomach, liver, and kidney, compared to ETAS-untreated mice. A preliminary and small-sized human study was conducted among healthy volunteers consuming up to 150 mg/d of ETAS daily for 7 d. The mRNA expression of HSP70 in peripheral leukocytes was significantly elevated at intakes of 100 or 150 mg/d, compared to their baseline levels. Since HSP70 is known to be a stress-related protein and its induction leads to cytoprotection, the present results suggest that ETAS might exert antistress effects under stressful conditions, resulting from enhancement of HSP70 expression. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

  3. Enhanced expression of G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30) in lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jala, Venkatakrishna Rao; Radde, Brandie N; Haribabu, Bodduluri; Klinge, Carolyn M

    2012-01-01

    G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30) was reported to bind 17β-estradiol (E 2 ), tamoxifen, and ICI 182,780 (fulvestrant) and promotes activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated signaling in breast, endometrial and thyroid cancer cells. Although lung adenocarcinomas express estrogen receptors α and β (ERα and ERβ), the expression of GPER in lung cancer has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of GPER in lung cancer. The expression patterns of GPER in various lung cancer lines and lung tumors were investigated using standard quantitative real time PCR (at mRNA levels), Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods (at protein levels). The expression of GPER was scored and the pairwise comparisons (cancer vs adjacent tissues as well as cancer vs normal lung tissues) were performed. Analysis by real-time PCR and Western blotting revealed a significantly higher expression of GPER at both mRNA and protein levels in human non small cell lung cancer cell (NSCLC) lines relative to immortalized normal lung bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). The virally immortalized human small airway epithelial cell line HPL1D showed higher expression than HBECs and similar expression to NSCLC cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of tissue sections of murine lung adenomas as well as human lung adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and non-small cell lung carcinomas showed consistently higher expression of GPER in the tumor relative to the surrounding non-tumor tissue. The results from this study demonstrate increased GPER expression in lung cancer cells and tumors compared to normal lung. Further evaluation of the function and regulation of GPER will be necessary to determine if GPER is a marker of lung cancer progression

  4. HEAT INDUCIBLE EXPRESSION OF ANTIFREEZE PROTEIN GENES FROM THE BEETLES Tenebrio molitor AND Microdera punctipennis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jieqiong; Ma, Wenjing; Ma, Ji

    2016-01-01

    Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) play important roles in protecting poikilothermic organisms from cold damage. The expression of AFP genes (afps) is induced by low temperature. However, it is reported that heat can influence the expression of afps in the desert beetle Microdera punctipennis. To further detect whether heat also induce the expression of afps in other insects, and to determine the expression profiling of insect afps at different temperatures. The expression of antifreeze protein genes in the two beetles, Microdera punctipennis and Tenebrio molitor that have quite different living environment, under different temperatures were studied by using real-time quantitative PCR. Mild low temperatures (5~15 degree C), high temperature (38~47 degree C for M. punctipennis, or 37~42 degree C for T. molitor) and temperature difference (10~30 degree C) all stimulated strongly to the expression of AFP genes (Mpafps) in M. punctipennis which lives in the wild filed in desert. The mRNA level of Mpafps after M. punctipennis were exposed to these temperatures for 1h~5h was at least 30-fold of the control at 25 degree C. For T. molitor which is breeding in door with wheat bran all these temperatures stimulated significantly to the expression of Tmafps, while the extent and degree of the temperature stimulation on Tmafps expression were much lower than on Mpafps. After T. molitor were exposed to 5 degree C and 15 degree C for 1h~5h, the mRNA level of Tmafps was over 6-fold and 45-fold of the control at 25 degree C. High temperature (37~42 degree C) for 1h~3h treatments increased Tmafps mRNA level 4.8-fold of the control. Temperature difference of 10 degree C was effective in stimulating Tmafps expression. The expression of insect antifreeze protein genes both in M. punctipennis and T. molitor was induced by heat, suggesting that this phenomenon may be common in insects; the extent and degree of the influence differ in species that have different living conditions. The heat

  5. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein a gene expression in Egyptian patients with acute myeloid leukemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kassem, N.; Fahmy, A.; Desoky, M.; Zawam, H.M.; Medhat, N.; Medhat, N.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Transcription factors play a crucial role in myeloid differentiation and lineage determination. Tumor suppressor protein C/EBPa is a key regulator of granulocytic differentiation whose functional inactivation has become a pathophysiological signature of myeloid leukemia. Given the role that CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBP α) plays in myelopoiesis, we anticipated that their expression might be disrupted in myeloid neoplasms. Purpose: To estimate the expression of C/EBP α mRNA in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and correlate its expression with the pathogenesis of the disease. Patients and methods: Forty AML patients and 20 age and sex matched healthy controls were included in the study. Blood samples of patients and controls were analyzed for CEBP α mRNA expression by quantitative RT-real time PCR using TaqMan technology and δδct method for calculation of gene expression. Results: Twenty-nine (72.5%) patients out of the 40 showed low expression levels of CEBP α mRNA below the cutoff value with median of 0.19 (range:0-0.87). While eleven (27.5%) patients out of the 40 showed higher expression levels of CEBP α above the cutoff value with median of 1.52 (range: 1.07-2). Seven patients out of the 11 showed higher expression levels of CEBP α mRNA belong to the M3 subtype of AML harboring the t(15;17) PML-RARa translocation. Conclusion: We conclude that the majority of the AML patients analyzed, express low levels of C/EBPa mRN. However, a subset of patients represented by the M3 subtype, express higher levels of C/EBPa

  6. RNAi reduces expression and intracellular retention of mutant cartilage oligomeric matrix protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen L Posey

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP, a large extracellular glycoprotein expressed in musculoskeletal tissues, cause two skeletal dysplasias, pseudoachondroplasia and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. These mutations lead to massive intracellular retention of COMP, chondrocyte death and loss of growth plate chondrocytes that are necessary for linear growth. In contrast, COMP null mice have only minor growth plate abnormalities, normal growth and longevity. This suggests that reducing mutant and wild-type COMP expression in chondrocytes may prevent the toxic cellular phenotype causing the skeletal dysplasias. We tested this hypothesis using RNA interference to reduce steady state levels of COMP mRNA. A panel of shRNAs directed against COMP was tested. One shRNA (3B reduced endogenous and recombinant COMP mRNA dramatically, regardless of expression levels. The activity of the shRNA against COMP mRNA was maintained for up to 10 weeks. We also demonstrate that this treatment reduced ER stress. Moreover, we show that reducing steady state levels of COMP mRNA alleviates intracellular retention of other extracellular matrix proteins associated with the pseudoachondroplasia cellular pathology. These findings are a proof of principle and the foundation for the development of a therapeutic intervention based on reduction of COMP expression.

  7. Nutlin-3 down-regulates retinoblastoma protein expression and inhibits muscle cell differentiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walsh, Erica M. [Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 (United States); Niu, MengMeng; Bergholz, Johann [Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610014 China (China); Jim Xiao, Zhi-Xiong, E-mail: jxiao@bu.edu [Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 (United States); Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610014 China (China)

    2015-05-29

    The p53 tumor suppressor gene plays a critical role in regulation of proliferation, cell death and differentiation. The MDM2 oncoprotein is a major negative regulator for p53 by binding to and targeting p53 for proteasome-mediated degradation. The small molecule inhibitor, nutlin-3, disrupts MDM2-p53 interaction resulting in stabilization and activation of p53 protein. We have previously shown that nutlin-3 activates p53, leading to MDM2 accumulation as concomitant of reduced retinoblastoma (Rb) protein stability. It is well known that Rb is important in muscle development and myoblast differentiation and that rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), or cancer of the skeletal muscle, typically harbors MDM2 amplification. In this study, we show that nutlin-3 inhibited myoblast proliferation and effectively prevented myoblast differentiation, as evidenced by lack of expression of muscle differentiation markers including myogenin and myosin heavy chain (MyHC), as well as a failure to form multinucleated myotubes, which were associated with dramatic increases in MDM2 expression and decrease in Rb protein levels. These results indicate that nutlin-3 can effectively inhibit muscle cell differentiation. - Highlights: • Nutlin-3 inhibits myoblast proliferation and prevents differentiation into myotubes. • Nutlin-3 increases MDM2 expression and down-regulates Rb protein levels. • This study has implication in nutlin-3 treatment of rhabdomyosarcomas.

  8. Parts Characterization for Tunable Protein Expression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klausen, Michael Schantz; Sommer, Morten Otto Alexander

    2018-01-01

    Flow-seq combines flexible genome engineering methods with flow cytometry-based cell sorting and deep DNA sequencing to enable comprehensive interrogation of genotype to phenotype relationships. One application is to study the effect of specific regulatory elements on protein expression. Construc......Flow-seq combines flexible genome engineering methods with flow cytometry-based cell sorting and deep DNA sequencing to enable comprehensive interrogation of genotype to phenotype relationships. One application is to study the effect of specific regulatory elements on protein expression...

  9. Screening and large-scale expression of membrane proteins in mammalian cells for structural studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goehring, April; Lee, Chia-Hsueh; Wang, Kevin H; Michel, Jennifer Carlisle; Claxton, Derek P; Baconguis, Isabelle; Althoff, Thorsten; Fischer, Suzanne; Garcia, K Christopher; Gouaux, Eric

    2014-11-01

    Structural, biochemical and biophysical studies of eukaryotic membrane proteins are often hampered by difficulties in overexpression of the candidate molecule. Baculovirus transduction of mammalian cells (BacMam), although a powerful method to heterologously express membrane proteins, can be cumbersome for screening and expression of multiple constructs. We therefore developed plasmid Eric Gouaux (pEG) BacMam, a vector optimized for use in screening assays, as well as for efficient production of baculovirus and robust expression of the target protein. In this protocol, we show how to use small-scale transient transfection and fluorescence-detection size-exclusion chromatography (FSEC) experiments using a GFP-His8-tagged candidate protein to screen for monodispersity and expression level. Once promising candidates are identified, we describe how to generate baculovirus, transduce HEK293S GnTI(-) (N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I-negative) cells in suspension culture and overexpress the candidate protein. We have used these methods to prepare pure samples of chicken acid-sensing ion channel 1a (cASIC1) and Caenorhabditis elegans glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) for X-ray crystallography, demonstrating how to rapidly and efficiently screen hundreds of constructs and accomplish large-scale expression in 4-6 weeks.

  10. Pentraxin 3, long expression in mononuclear cells of patients with acute coronary syndrome: Correlation with C-reactive protein and matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ruilian; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Tiansong; He, Ximin; Huang, Zichong; Zhu, Jinguo; Yao, Zhen

    2014-06-01

    To investigate expression of pentraxin 3, long (PTX3) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and its correlation with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Patients with ACS were randomly assigned to the ACS group (subdivided into unstable angina pectoris [UAP] and acute myocardial infarction [AMI]). Healthy participants and patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) were enrolled as controls. Mononuclear cell PTX3 expression, and serum MMP-9 and CRP levels, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The ACS group comprised 200 patients (80 in the UAP subgroup; 120 in the AMI subgroup). The control group comprised 130 participants (80 healthy volunteers and 50 patients with SAP). PTX3 expression was significantly higher in the ACS group compared with controls (3.64 ± 0.49 versus 1.85 ± 0.65 ng/ml), and significantly higher in the AMI compared with the UAP subgroup (5.44 ± 0.47 versus 3.39 ± 0.59 ng/ml). Serum MMP-9 and CRP levels were significantly higher in the ACS group compared with controls (48.55 ± 14.22 versus 23.14 ± 0.62 ng/ml; 4.88 ± 1.76 versus 1.26 ± 0.19 ng/ml, respectively), and significantly higher in the AMI compared with the UAP subgroup (58.13 ± 7.24 versus 31.77 ± 3.61 ng/ml; 5.80 ± 1.46 versus 3.27 ± 0.83 ng/ml, respectively). PTX3 expression, and MMP-9 and CRP levels in the SAP subgroup, were not significantly different from the healthy participants. PTX3 expression positively correlated with MMP-9 and CRP levels. In patients with ACS, peripheral blood mononuclear cell PTX3 expression, and serum MMP-9 and CRP levels, were significantly enhanced compared with controls; in addition, PTX3 expression positively correlated with MMP-9 and CRP levels. PTX3 may be involved in ACS pathogenesis. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  11. Differential Protein Expression in Congenital and Acquired Cholesteatomas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seung-Ho Shin

    Full Text Available Congenital cholesteatomas are epithelial lesions that present as an epithelial pearl behind an intact eardrum. Congenital and acquired cholesteatomas progress quite differently from each other and progress patterns can provide clues about the unique origin and pathogenesis of the abnormality. However, the exact pathogenic mechanisms by which cholesteatomas develop remain unknown. In this study, key proteins that directly affect cholesteatoma pathogenesis are investigated with proteomics and immunohistochemistry. Congenital cholesteatoma matrices and retroauricular skin were harvested during surgery in 4 patients diagnosed with a congenital cholesteatoma. Tissue was also harvested from the retraction pocket in an additional 2 patients during middle ear surgery. We performed 2-dimensional (2D electrophoresis to detect and analyze spots that are expressed only in congenital cholesteatoma and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS to separate proteins by molecular weight. Protein expression was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. The image analysis of 2D electrophoresis showed that 4 congenital cholesteatoma samples had very similar protein expression patterns and that 127 spots were exclusively expressed in congenital cholesteatomas. Of these 127 spots, 10 major spots revealed the presence of titin, forkhead transcription activator homolog (FKH 5-3, plectin 1, keratin 10, and leucine zipper protein 5 by MALDI-TOF/MS analysis. Immunohistochemical staining showed that FKH 5-3 and titin were expressed in congenital cholesteatoma matrices, but not in acquired cholesteatomas. Our study shows that protein expression patterns are completely different in congenital cholesteatomas, acquired cholesteatomas, and skin. Moreover, non-epithelial proteins, including FKH 5-3 and titin, were unexpectedly expressed in congenital cholesteatoma tissue. Our data indicates that congenital cholesteatoma origins

  12. Serum-dependent expression of promyelocytic leukemia protein suppresses propagation of influenza virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iki, Shigeo; Yokota, Shin-ichi; Okabayashi, Tamaki; Yokosawa, Noriko; Nagata, Kyosuke; Fujii, Nobuhiro

    2005-01-01

    The rate of propagation of influenza virus in human adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells was found to negatively correlate with the concentration of fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the culture medium. Virus replicated more rapidly at lower FBS concentrations (0 or 2%) than at higher concentrations (10 or 20%) during an early stage of infection. Basal and interferon (IFN)-induced levels of typical IFN-inducible anti-viral proteins, such as 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase, dsRNA-activated protein kinase and MxA, were unaffected by variation in FBS concentrations. But promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) was expressed in a serum-dependent manner. In particular, the 65 to 70 kDa isoform of PML was markedly upregulated following the addition of serum. In contrast, other isoforms were induced by IFN treatment, and weakly induced by FBS concentrations. Immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that PML was mainly formed nuclear bodies in Caco-2 cells at various FBS concentrations, and the levels of the PML-nuclear bodies were upregulated by FBS. Overexpression of PML isoform consisting of 560 or 633 amino acid residues by transfection of expression plasmid results in significantly delayed viral replication rate in Caco-2 cells. On the other hand, downregulation of PML expression by RNAi enhanced viral replication. These results indicate that PML isoforms which are expressed in a serum-dependent manner suppress the propagation of influenza virus at an early stage of infection

  13. Clofazimine modulates the expression of lipid metabolism proteins in Mycobacterium leprae-infected macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degang, Yang; Akama, Takeshi; Hara, Takeshi; Tanigawa, Kazunari; Ishido, Yuko; Gidoh, Masaichi; Makino, Masahiko; Ishii, Norihisa; Suzuki, Koichi

    2012-01-01

    Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) lives and replicates within macrophages in a foamy, lipid-laden phagosome. The lipids provide essential nutrition for the mycobacteria, and M. leprae infection modulates expression of important host proteins related to lipid metabolism. Thus, M. leprae infection increases the expression of adipophilin/adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) and decreases hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), facilitating the accumulation and maintenance of lipid-rich environments suitable for the intracellular survival of M. leprae. HSL levels are not detectable in skin smear specimens taken from leprosy patients, but re-appear shortly after multidrug therapy (MDT). This study examined the effect of MDT components on host lipid metabolism in vitro, and the outcome of rifampicin, dapsone and clofazimine treatment on ADRP and HSL expression in THP-1 cells. Clofazimine attenuated the mRNA and protein levels of ADRP in M. leprae-infected cells, while those of HSL were increased. Rifampicin and dapsone did not show any significant effects on ADRP and HSL expression levels. A transient increase of interferon (IFN)-β and IFN-γ mRNA was also observed in cells infected with M. leprae and treated with clofazimine. Lipid droplets accumulated by M. leprae-infection were significantly decreased 48 h after clofazimine treatment. Such effects were not evident in cells without M. leprae infection. In clinical samples, ADRP expression was decreased and HSL expression was increased after treatment. These results suggest that clofazimine modulates lipid metabolism in M. leprae-infected macrophages by modulating the expression of ADRP and HSL. It also induces IFN production in M. leprae-infected cells. The resultant decrease in lipid accumulation, increase in lipolysis, and activation of innate immunity may be some of the key actions of clofazimine.

  14. Evolution, diversification and expression of KNOX proteins in plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie eGao

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The KNOX (KNOTTED1-like homeobox transcription factors play a pivotal role in leaf and meristem development. The majority of these proteins are characterized by the KNOX1, KNOX2, ELK and homeobox domains whereas the proteins of the KNATM family contain only the KNOX domains. We carried out an extensive inventory of these proteins and here report on a total of 394 KNOX proteins from 48 species. The land plant proteins fall into two classes (I and II as previously shown where the class I family seems to be most closely related to the green algae homologs. The KNATM proteins are restricted to Eudicots and some species have multiple paralogs of this protein. Certain plants are characterized by a significant increase in the number of KNOX paralogs; one example is Glycine max. Through the analysis of public gene expression data we show that the class II proteins of this plant have a relatively broad expression specificity as compared to class I proteins, consistent with previous studies of other plants. In G. max, class I protein are mainly distributed in axis tissues and KNATM paralogs are overall poorly expressed; highest expression is in the early plumular axis. Overall, analysis of gene expression in G. max demonstrates clearly that the expansion in gene number is associated with functional diversification.

  15. Exact protein distributions for stochastic models of gene expression using partitioning of Poisson processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendar, Hodjat; Platini, Thierry; Kulkarni, Rahul V

    2013-04-01

    Stochasticity in gene expression gives rise to fluctuations in protein levels across a population of genetically identical cells. Such fluctuations can lead to phenotypic variation in clonal populations; hence, there is considerable interest in quantifying noise in gene expression using stochastic models. However, obtaining exact analytical results for protein distributions has been an intractable task for all but the simplest models. Here, we invoke the partitioning property of Poisson processes to develop a mapping that significantly simplifies the analysis of stochastic models of gene expression. The mapping leads to exact protein distributions using results for mRNA distributions in models with promoter-based regulation. Using this approach, we derive exact analytical results for steady-state and time-dependent distributions for the basic two-stage model of gene expression. Furthermore, we show how the mapping leads to exact protein distributions for extensions of the basic model that include the effects of posttranscriptional and posttranslational regulation. The approach developed in this work is widely applicable and can contribute to a quantitative understanding of stochasticity in gene expression and its regulation.

  16. Exact protein distributions for stochastic models of gene expression using partitioning of Poisson processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendar, Hodjat; Platini, Thierry; Kulkarni, Rahul V.

    2013-04-01

    Stochasticity in gene expression gives rise to fluctuations in protein levels across a population of genetically identical cells. Such fluctuations can lead to phenotypic variation in clonal populations; hence, there is considerable interest in quantifying noise in gene expression using stochastic models. However, obtaining exact analytical results for protein distributions has been an intractable task for all but the simplest models. Here, we invoke the partitioning property of Poisson processes to develop a mapping that significantly simplifies the analysis of stochastic models of gene expression. The mapping leads to exact protein distributions using results for mRNA distributions in models with promoter-based regulation. Using this approach, we derive exact analytical results for steady-state and time-dependent distributions for the basic two-stage model of gene expression. Furthermore, we show how the mapping leads to exact protein distributions for extensions of the basic model that include the effects of posttranscriptional and posttranslational regulation. The approach developed in this work is widely applicable and can contribute to a quantitative understanding of stochasticity in gene expression and its regulation.

  17. TIMP-1 increases expression and phosphorylation of proteins associated with drug resistance in breast cancer cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hekmat, Omid; Munk, Stephanie; Fogh, Louise

    2013-01-01

    may explain the resistance phenotype to topoisomerase inhibitors that was observed in cells with high TIMP-1 levels. Pathway analysis showed an enrichment of proteins from functional categories such as apoptosis, cell cycle, DNA repair, transcription factors, drug targets and proteins associated......Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) is a protein with a potential biological role in drug resistance. To elucidate the unknown molecular mechanisms underlying the association between high TIMP-1 levels and increased chemotherapy resistance, we employed SILAC-based quantitative mass...... spectrometry to analyze global proteome and phosphoproteome differences of MCF-7 breast cancer cells expressing high or low levels of TIMP-1. In TIMP-1 high expressing cells, 312 proteins and 452 phosphorylation sites were up-regulated. Among these were the cancer drug targets topoisomerase 1, 2A and 2B, which...

  18. Altered protein expression in serum from endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cong Qing

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common gynecological malignancies in women. The diagnosis of the disease at early or premalignant stages is crucial for the patient's prognosis. To date, diagnosis and follow-up of endometrial carcinoma and hyperplasia require invasive procedures. Therefore, there is considerable demand for the identification of biomarkers to allow non-invasive detection of these conditions. Methods In this study, we performed a quantitative proteomics analysis on serum samples from simple endometrial hyperplasia, complex endometrial hyperplasia, atypical endometrial hyperplasia, and endometrial carcinoma patients, as well as healthy women. Serum samples were first depleted of high-abundance proteins, labeled with isobaric tags (iTRAQ™, and then analyzed via two-dimensional liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Protein identification and quantitation information were acquired by comparing the mass spectrometry data against the International Protein Index Database using ProteinPilot software. Bioinformatics annotation of identified proteins was performed by searching against the PANTHER database. Results In total, 74 proteins were identified and quantified in serum samples from endometrial lesion patients and healthy women. Using a 1.6-fold change as the benchmark, 12 proteins showed significantly altered expression levels in at least one disease group compared with healthy women. Among them, 7 proteins were found, for the first time, to be differentially expressed in atypical endometrial hyperplasia. These proteins are orosomucoid 1, haptoglobin, SERPINC 1, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, apolipoprotein A-IV, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4, and histidine-rich glycoprotein. Conclusions The differentially expressed proteins we discovered in this study may serve as biomarkers in the diagnosis and follow-up of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma.

  19. The study on highly expressed proteins as a function of an elevated ultraviolet radiation in the copepod, Tigriopus japonicus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zubrzycki, Igor Z.; Lee, Seunghan; Lee, Kanghyun; Wiacek, Magdalena; Lee, Wonchoel

    2012-06-01

    The objective of the study was to analyze constantlyhighly expressed proteins as a function of elevated midultraviolet (UVB, 280-315 nm) radiation in Tigriopus japonicus sensu lato ( T. japonicus s.l). We also analyzed associations between kinetics of radiation avoidance, measured as a covered distance per time unit, and highly expressed proteins. The obtained results indicate an increase in T. japonicus s.l. mobility between the control (no radiation) and mild UV radiation levels (15 kJ·m-2). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with MALDI-MS-MS resulted in 2D protein map comprising of 686 protein spots, of which 19 were identified as highly expressed proteins across all experimental conditions. Obtained results indicate that calpain, vitellogenin, and collagenase are housekeeping protein that are expressed at a constant level independently of environmental changes and that adoption of a locomotive system for the avoidance of a UV source may be, at least partially, supported by hepatopancreas-driven metabolism.

  20. Expression of activator protein-1 (AP-1) family members in breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kharman-Biz, Amirhossein; Gao, Hui; Ghiasvand, Reza; Zhao, Chunyan; Zendehdel, Kazem; Dahlman-Wright, Karin

    2013-01-01

    The activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor is believed to be important in tumorigenesis and altered AP-1 activity was associated with cell transformation. We aimed to assess the potential role of AP-1 family members as novel biomarkers in breast cancer. We studied the expression of AP-1 members at the mRNA level in 72 primary breast tumors and 37 adjacent non-tumor tissues and evaluated its correlation with clinicopathological parameters including estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu status. Expression levels of Ubiquitin C (UBC) were used for normalization. Protein expression of AP-1 members was assessed using Western blot analysis in a subset of tumors. We used student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA, logistic regression and Pearson’s correlation coefficient for statistical analyses. We found significant differences in the expression of AP-1 family members between tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues for all AP-1 family members except Fos B. Fra-1, Fra-2, Jun-B and Jun-D mRNA levels were significantly higher in tumors compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues (p < 0.001), whilst c-Fos and c-Jun mRNA levels were significantly lower in tumors compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues (p < 0.001). In addition, Jun-B overexpression had outstanding discrimination ability to differentiate tumor tissues from adjacent non-tumor tissues as determined by ROC curve analysis. Moreover, Fra-1 was significantly overexpressed in the tumors biochemically classified as ERα negative (p = 0.012) and PR negative (p = 0.037). Interestingly, Fra-1 expression was significantly higher in triple-negative tumors compared with luminal carcinomas (p = 0.01). Expression levels of Fra-1 and Jun-B might be possible biomarkers for prognosis of breast cancer

  1. N-MYC down-regulated-like proteins regulate meristem initiation by modulating auxin transport and MAX2 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudgil, Yashwanti; Ghawana, Sanjay; Jones, Alan M

    2013-01-01

    N-MYC down-regulated-like (NDL) proteins interact with the Gβ subunit (AGB1) of the heterotrimeric G protein complex and play an important role in AGB1-dependent regulation of lateral root formation by affecting root auxin transport, auxin gradients and the steady-state levels of mRNA encoding the PIN-FORMED 2 and AUXIN 1 auxin transport facilitators. Auxin transport in aerial tissue follows different paths and utilizes different transporters than in roots; therefore, in the present study, we analyzed whether NDL proteins play an important role in AGB1-dependent, auxin-mediated meristem development. Expression levels of NDL gene family members need to be tightly regulated, and altered expression (both over-expression and down-regulation) confers ectopic growth. Over-expression of NDL1 disrupts vegetative and reproductive organ development. Reduced expression of the NDL gene family members results in asymmetric leaf emergence, twinning of rosette leaves, defects in leaf formation, and abnormal silique distribution. Reduced expression of the NDL genes in the agb1-2 (null allele) mutant rescues some of the abnormal phenotypes, such as silique morphology, silique distribution, and peduncle angle, suggesting that proper levels of NDL proteins are maintained by AGB1. We found that all of these abnormal aerial phenotypes due to altered NDL expression were associated with increases in basipetal auxin transport, altered auxin maxima and altered MAX2 expression within the inflorescence stem. NDL proteins, together with AGB1, act as positive regulators of meristem initiation and branching. AGB1 and NDL1 positively regulate basipetal inflorescence auxin transport and modulate MAX2 expression in shoots, which in turn regulates organ and lateral meristem formation by the establishment and maintenance of auxin gradients.

  2. N-MYC down-regulated-like proteins regulate meristem initiation by modulating auxin transport and MAX2 expression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yashwanti Mudgil

    Full Text Available N-MYC down-regulated-like (NDL proteins interact with the Gβ subunit (AGB1 of the heterotrimeric G protein complex and play an important role in AGB1-dependent regulation of lateral root formation by affecting root auxin transport, auxin gradients and the steady-state levels of mRNA encoding the PIN-FORMED 2 and AUXIN 1 auxin transport facilitators. Auxin transport in aerial tissue follows different paths and utilizes different transporters than in roots; therefore, in the present study, we analyzed whether NDL proteins play an important role in AGB1-dependent, auxin-mediated meristem development.Expression levels of NDL gene family members need to be tightly regulated, and altered expression (both over-expression and down-regulation confers ectopic growth. Over-expression of NDL1 disrupts vegetative and reproductive organ development. Reduced expression of the NDL gene family members results in asymmetric leaf emergence, twinning of rosette leaves, defects in leaf formation, and abnormal silique distribution. Reduced expression of the NDL genes in the agb1-2 (null allele mutant rescues some of the abnormal phenotypes, such as silique morphology, silique distribution, and peduncle angle, suggesting that proper levels of NDL proteins are maintained by AGB1. We found that all of these abnormal aerial phenotypes due to altered NDL expression were associated with increases in basipetal auxin transport, altered auxin maxima and altered MAX2 expression within the inflorescence stem.NDL proteins, together with AGB1, act as positive regulators of meristem initiation and branching. AGB1 and NDL1 positively regulate basipetal inflorescence auxin transport and modulate MAX2 expression in shoots, which in turn regulates organ and lateral meristem formation by the establishment and maintenance of auxin gradients.

  3. Expression of phosphorylated raf kinase inhibitor protein (pRKIP) is a predictor of lung cancer survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huerta-Yepez, Sara; Chia, David; Bonavida, Benjamin; Goodglick, Lee; Yoon, Nam K; Hernandez-Cueto, Angeles; Mah, Vei; Rivera-Pazos, Clara M; Chatterjee, Devasis; Vega, Mario I; Maresh, Erin L; Horvath, Steve

    2011-01-01

    Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) has been reported to negatively regulate signal kinases of major survival pathways. RKIP activity is modulated in part by phosphorylation on Serine 153 by protein kinase C, which leads to dissociation of RKIP from Raf-1. RKIP expression is low in many human cancers and represents an indicator of poor prognosis and/or induction of metastasis. The prognostic power has typically been based on total RKIP expression and has not considered the significance of phospho-RKIP. The present study examined the expression levels of both RKIP and phospho-RKIP in human lung cancer tissue microarray proteomics technology. Total RKIP and phospho-RKIP expression levels were similar in normal and cancerous tissues. phospho-RKIP levels slightly decreased in metastatic lesions. However, the expression levels of phospho-RKIP, in contrast to total RKIP, displayed significant predictive power for outcome with normal expression of phospho-RKIP predicting a more favorable survival compared to lower levels (P = 0.0118); this was even more pronounced in more senior individuals and in those with early stage lung cancer. This study examines for the first time, the expression profile of RKIP and phospho-RKIP in lung cancer. Significantly, we found that phospho-RKIP was a predictive indicator of survival

  4. C-reactive protein expression is up-regulated in apical lesions of endodontic origin in association with interleukin-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrido, Mauricio; Dezerega, Andrea; Bordagaray, María José; Reyes, Montserrat; Vernal, Rolando; Melgar-Rodríguez, Samantha; Ciuchi, Pía; Paredes, Rodolfo; García-Sesnich, Jocelyn; Ahumada-Montalva, Pablo; Hernández, Marcela

    2015-04-01

    C-reactive protein (CRP) is the prototype component of acute-phase proteins induced ultimately by interleukin (IL)-6 in the liver, but it is unknown whether periradicular tissues locally express CRP. The present study aimed to identify whether CRP messenger RNA synthesis occurs in situ within apical lesions of endodontic origin (ALEOs) and healthy periodontal ligament and its association with IL-6 and to determine their protein levels and tissue localization. Patients with asymptomatic apical periodontitis and healthy volunteers presenting at the School of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile, were enrolled. ALEOs and healthy teeth were obtained and processed for either immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence to assess IL-6 and CRP tissue localization, whereas healthy periodontal ligaments were processed as controls for real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction for their RNA expression levels and multiplex assay to determine their protein levels. Statistic analysis was performed using the unpaired t test or Mann-Whitney test according to data distribution and Pearson correlation. IL-6 and CRP were synthesized in ALEOs, whereas their RNA expression and protein levels were significantly higher when compared with healthy periodontal ligament. IL-6 and CRP immunolocalized to the inflammatory cells, vascular endothelial cells, and mesenchymal cells. Both, IL-6 and CRP colocalized in ALEOs, and a positive correlation was found between their expression levels (P periodontal ligament and up-regulated in ALEOs along with higher protein levels. Given their pleiotropic effects, IL-6 and CRP protein levels in apical tissues might partially explain the development and progression of ALEOs as well as potentially asymptomatic apical periodontitis-associated systemic low-grade inflammation. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Do cysteine residues regulate transient receptor potential canonical type 6 (TRPC6) channel protein expression?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thilo, Florian; Liu, Ying; Krueger, Katharina

    2012-01-01

    The regulation of calcium influx through transient receptor potential canonical type 6 channel is mandatory for the activity of human monocytes. We submit the first evidence that cysteine residues of homocysteine or acetylcysteine affect TRPC6 expression in human monocytes. We observed that patie......The regulation of calcium influx through transient receptor potential canonical type 6 channel is mandatory for the activity of human monocytes. We submit the first evidence that cysteine residues of homocysteine or acetylcysteine affect TRPC6 expression in human monocytes. We observed...... that patients with chronic renal failure had significantly elevated homocysteine levels and TRPC6 mRNA expression levels in monocytes compared to control subjects. We further observed that administration of homocysteine or acetylcysteine significantly increased TRPC6 channel protein expression compared...... to control conditions. We therefore hypothesize that cysteine residues increase TRPC6 channel protein expression in humans....

  6. Induction of feline immunodeficiency virus specific antibodies in cats with an attenuated Salmonella strain expressing the Gag protein.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    E.J. Tijhaar (Edwin); C.H.J. Siebelink (Kees); J.A. Karlas (Jos); M.C. Burger; F.R. Mooi (Frits); A.D.M.E. Osterhaus (Albert)

    1997-01-01

    textabstractSalmonella typhimurium aroA strains (SL3261), expressing high levels of the Gag protein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) fused with maltose binding protein (SL3261-MFG), were constructed using an invertible promoter system that allows the stable expression of heterologous antigens

  7. Once for All: A Novel Robust System for Co-expression of Multiple Chimeric Fluorescent Fusion Proteins in Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guitao Zhong

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Chimeric fluorescent fusion proteins have been employed as a powerful tool to reveal the subcellular localizations and dynamics of proteins in living cells. Co-expression of a fluorescent fusion protein with well-known organelle markers in the same cell is especially useful in revealing its spatial and temporal functions of the protein in question. However, the conventional methods for co-expressing multiple fluorescent tagged proteins in plants have the drawbacks of low expression efficiency, variations in the expression level and time-consuming genetic crossing. Here, we have developed a novel robust system that allows for high-efficient co-expression of multiple chimeric fluorescent fusion proteins in plants in a time-saving fashion. This system takes advantage of employing a single expression vector which consists of multiple semi-independent expressing cassettes for the protein co-expression thereby overcoming the limitations of using multiple independent expressing plasmids. In addition, it is a highly manipulable DNA assembly system, in which modification and recombination of DNA molecules are easily achieved through an optimized one-step assembly reaction. By employing this effective system, we demonstrated that co-expression of two chimeric fluorescent fusion reporter proteins of vacuolar sorting receptor and secretory carrier membrane protein gave rise to their perspective subcellular localizations in plants via both transient expression and stable transformation. Thus, we believed that this technical advance represents a promising approach for multi-color-protein co-expression in plant cells.

  8. Bcmimp1, a Botrytis cinerea gene transiently expressed in planta, encodes a mitochondrial protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David eBenito-Pescador

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Botrytis cinerea is a widespread necrotrophic fungus which infects more than 200 plant species. In an attempt to characterize the physiological status of the fungus in planta and to identify genetic factors contributing to its ability to infect the host cells, a differential gene expression analysis during the interaction B. cinerea-tomato was carried out. Gene Bcmimp1 codes for a mRNA detected by differential display in the course of this analysis. During the interaction with the host, it shows a transient expression pattern with maximal expression levels during the colonization and maceration of the infected tissues. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that BCMIMP1 is an integral membrane protein located in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Co-localization experiments with a BCMIMP1-GFP fusion protein confirmed that the protein is targeted to the mitochondria. ΔBcmimp1 mutants do not show obvious phenotypic differences during saprophytic growth and their infection ability was unaltered as compared to the wild-type. Interestingly, the mutants produced increased levels of ROS, likely as a consequence of disturbed mitochondrial function. Although Bcmimp1 expression is enhanced in planta it cannot be considered a pathogenicity factor.

  9. Protein Expression Profiling of Giant Cell Tumors of Bone Treated with Denosumab.

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    Kenta Mukaihara

    Full Text Available Giant cell tumors of bone (GCTB are locally aggressive osteolytic bone tumors. Recently, some clinical trials have shown that denosumab is a novel and effective therapeutic option for aggressive and recurrent GCTB. This study was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of denosumab. Comparative proteomic analyses were performed using GCTB samples which were taken before and after denosumab treatment. Each expression profile was analyzed using the software program to further understand the affected biological network. One of identified proteins was further evaluated by gelatin zymography and an immunohistochemical analysis. We identified 13 consistently upregulated proteins and 19 consistently downregulated proteins in the pre- and post-denosumab samples. Using these profiles, the software program identified molecular interactions between the differentially expressed proteins that were indirectly involved in the RANK/RANKL pathway and in several non-canonical subpathways including the Matrix metalloproteinase pathway. The data analysis also suggested that the identified proteins play a critical functional role in the osteolytic process of GCTB. Among the most downregulated proteins, the activity of MMP-9 was significantly decreased in the denosumab-treated samples, although the residual stromal cells were found to express MMP-9 by an immunohistochemical analysis. The expression level of MMP-9 in the primary GCTB samples was not correlated with any clinicopathological factors, including patient outcomes. Although the replacement of tumors by fibro-osseous tissue or the diminishment of osteoclast-like giant cells have been shown as therapeutic effects of denosumab, the residual tumor after denosumab treatment, which is composed of only stromal cells, might be capable of causing bone destruction; thus the therapeutic application of denosumab would be still necessary for these lesions. We believe that the

  10. Phaseolin expression in tobacco chloroplast reveals an autoregulatory mechanism in heterologous protein translation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Marchis, Francesca; Bellucci, Michele; Pompa, Andrea

    2016-02-01

    Plastid DNA engineering is a well-established research area of plant biotechnology, and plastid transgenes often give high expression levels. However, it is still almost impossible to predict the accumulation rate of heterologous protein in transplastomic plants, and there are many cases of unsuccessful transgene expression. Chloroplasts regulate their proteome at the post-transcriptional level, mainly through translation control. One of the mechanisms to modulate the translation has been described in plant chloroplasts for the chloroplast-encoded subunits of multiprotein complexes, and the autoregulation of the translation initiation of these subunits depends on the availability of their assembly partners [control by epistasy of synthesis (CES)]. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, autoregulation of endogenous proteins recruited in the assembly of functional complexes has also been reported. In this study, we revealed a self-regulation mechanism triggered by the accumulation of a soluble recombinant protein, phaseolin, in the stroma of chloroplast-transformed tobacco plants. Immunoblotting experiments showed that phaseolin could avoid this self-regulation mechanism when targeted to the thylakoids in transplastomic plants. To inhibit the thylakoid-targeted phaseolin translation as well, this protein was expressed in the presence of a nuclear version of the phaseolin gene with a transit peptide. Pulse-chase and polysome analysis revealed that phaseolin mRNA translation on plastid ribosomes was repressed due to the accumulation in the stroma of the same soluble polypeptide imported from the cytosol. We suggest that translation autoregulation in chloroplast is not limited to heteromeric protein subunits but also involves at least some of the foreign soluble recombinant proteins, leading to the inhibition of plastome-encoded transgene expression in chloroplast. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Six1 induces protein synthesis signaling expression in duck myoblasts mainly via up-regulation of mTOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haohan Wang

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract As a critical transcription factor, Six1 plays an important role in the regulation of myogenesis and muscle development. However, little is known about its regulatory mechanism associated with muscular protein synthesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of overexpression ofSix1 on the expression of key protein metabolism-related genes in duck myoblasts. Through an experimental model where duck myoblasts were transfected with a pEGFP-duSix1 construct, we found that overexpression of duckSix1 could enhance cell proliferation activity and increase mRNA expression levels of key genes involved in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, while the expression of FOXO1, MuRF1and MAFbx was not significantly altered, indicating thatSix1 could promote protein synthesis in myoblasts through up-regulating the expression of several related genes. Additionally, in duck myoblasts treated with LY294002 and rapamycin, the specific inhibitors ofPI3K and mTOR, respectively, the overexpression of Six1 could significantly ameliorate inhibitive effects of these inhibitors on protein synthesis. Especially, the mRNA expression levels of mTOR and S6K1 were observed to undergo a visible change, and a significant increase in protein expression of S6K1 was seen. These data suggested that Six1plays an important role in protein synthesis, which may be mainly due to activation of the mTOR signaling pathway.

  12. Ligand Binding Domain Protein in Tetracycline-Inducible Expression

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To investigate tetracycline-inducible expression system for producing clinically usable, highquality liver X receptor ligand-binding domain recombinant protein. Methods: In this study, we have expressed and purified the recombinant liver X receptor β-ligand binding domain proteins in E. coli using a tetracycline ...

  13. Chitooligosaccharides suppress the level of protein expression and acetylcholinesterase activity induced by Abeta25-35 in PC12 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sang-Hoon; Park, Jin-Sook; Kim, Se-Kwon; Ahn, Chang-Bum; Je, Jae-Young

    2009-02-01

    Clinical applications of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are widespread in Alzheimer's sufferers in order to activate central cholinergic system and alleviate cognitive deficits by inhibiting the hydrolysis of acetylcholine. In this study, six kinds of chitooligosaccharides (COSs) with different molecular weight and degree of deacetylation were examined for their inhibitory effects against AChE. The 90-COSs exhibited potent AChE inhibitory activities compared to 50-COSs, while 90-MMWCOS (1000-5000 Da) in the 90-COSs showed the highest activity. Cell culture experiment revealed that 90-MMWCOS suppressed the level of AChE protein expression and AChE activity induced by Abeta(25-35) in PC12 cell lines.

  14. FABP4 dynamics in obesity: discrepancies in adipose tissue and liver expression regarding circulating plasma levels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Isabel Queipo-Ortuño

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: FABP4 is predominantly expressed in adipose tissue, and its circulating levels are linked with obesity and a poor atherogenic profile. OBJECTIVE: In patients with a wide BMI range, we analyze FABP4 expression in adipose and hepatic tissues in the settings of obesity and insulin resistance. Associations between FABP4 expression in adipose tissue and the FABP4 plasma level as well as the main adipogenic and lipolytic genes expressed in adipose tissue were also analyzed. METHODS: The expression of several lipogenic, lipolytic, PPAR family and FABP family genes was analyzed by real time PCR. FABP4 protein expression in total adipose tissues and its fractions were determined by western blot. RESULTS: In obesity FABP4 expression was down-regulated (at both mRNA and protein levels, with its levels mainly predicted by ATGL and inversely by the HOMA-IR index. The BMI appeared as the only determinant of the FABP4 variation in both adipose tissue depots. FABP4 plasma levels showed a significant progressive increase according to BMI but no association was detected between FABP4 circulating levels and SAT or VAT FABP4 gene expression. The gene expression of FABP1, FABP4 and FABP5 in hepatic tissue was significantly higher in tissue from the obese IR patients compared to the non-IR group. CONCLUSION: The inverse pattern in FABP4 expression between adipose and hepatic tissue observed in morbid obese patients, regarding the IR context, suggests that both tissues may act in a balanced manner. These differences may help us to understand the discrepancies between circulating plasma levels and adipose tissue expression in obesity.

  15. Effects of octacosanol extracted from rice bran on blood hormone levels and gene expressions of glucose transporter protein-4 and adenosine monophosphate protein kinase in weaning piglets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Long

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The object of this study was to explore the regulatory mechanism of octacosanol to the body of animals and the effects of octacosanol on blood hormone levels and gene expressions of glucose transporter protein (GLUT-4 and adenosine monophosphate protein kinase (AMPK in liver and muscle tissue of weaning piglets. A total of 105 crossbred piglets ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc with an initial BW of 5.70 ± 1.41 kg (21 d of age were used in a 6-wk trial to evaluate the effects of octacosanol and tiamulin supplementation on contents of triiodothyronine (T3, thyroxine (T4, growth hormone (GH, glucagon (GU and adrenaline (AD in blood and gene expressions of GLUT-4 and AMPK in liver and muscle. Piglets were randomly distributed into 3 dietary treatments on the basis of BW and sex. Each treatment had 7 replicate pens with 5 piglets per pen. Treatments were as followed: control group, tiamulin group and octacosanol group. The results showed that compared with control group and tiamulin group, octacosanol greatly promoted the secretion of T3, GH, GU and AD (P  0.05. Results of the present study has confirmed that octacosanol affects energy metabolism of body by regulating secretion of blood hormones and related gene expression in tissue of weaning piglets, which can reduce stress response and has an impact on performance.

  16. The Common Inhalational Anesthetic Sevoflurane Induces Apoptosis and Increases β-Amyloid Protein Levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yuanlin; Zhang, Guohua; Zhang, Bin; Moir, Robert D.; Xia, Weiming; Marcantonio, Edward R.; Culley, Deborah J.; Crosby, Gregory; Tanzi, Rudolph E.; Xie, Zhongcong

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To assess the effects of sevoflurane, the most commonly used inhalation anesthetic, on apoptosis and β-amyloid protein (Aβ) levels in vitro and in vivo. Subjects: Naive mice, H4 human neuroglioma cells, and H4 human neuroglioma cells stably transfected to express full-length amyloid precursor protein. Interventions: Human H4 neuroglioma cells stably transfected to express full-length amyloid precursor protein were exposed to 4.1% sevoflurane for 6 hours. Mice received 2.5% sevoflurane for 2 hours. Caspase-3 activation, apoptosis, and Aβ levels were assessed. Results: Sevoflurane induced apoptosis and elevated levels of β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme and Aβ in vitro and in vivo. The caspase inhibitor Z-VAD decreased the effects of sevoflurane on apoptosis and Aβ. Sevoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation was attenuated by the γ-secretase inhibitor L-685,458 and was potentiated by Aβ. These results suggest that sevoflurane induces caspase activation which, in turn, enhances β-site amyloid precursor protein–cleaving enzyme and Aβ levels. Increased Aβ levels then induce further rounds of apoptosis. Conclusions: These results suggest that inhalational anesthetic sevoflurane may promote Alzheimer disease neuropathogenesis. If confirmed in human subjects, it may be prudent to caution against the use of sevoflurane as an anesthetic, especially in those suspected of possessing excessive levels of cerebral Aβ. PMID:19433662

  17. Benzo[a]pyrene treatment leads to changes in nuclear protein expression and alternative splicing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan Chunlan; Wu Wei [Department of Toxicology, Zhejiang University School of Public Health, 388 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 (China); Li Haiyan [Department of Toxicology, Zhejiang University School of Public Health, 388 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 (China); Huzhou Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000 (China); Zhang Guanglin [Department of Toxicology, Zhejiang University School of Public Health, 388 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 (China); Duerksen-Hughes, Penelope J. [Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354 (United States); Zhu Xinqiang, E-mail: zhuxq@zju.edu.cn [Department of Toxicology, Zhejiang University School of Public Health, 388 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 (China); Yang Jun, E-mail: gastate@zju.edu.cn [Department of Toxicology, Zhejiang University School of Public Health, 388 Yu-Hang-Tang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 (China); Zhejiang-California International Nanosystems Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310029 (China)

    2010-04-01

    Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a potent pro-carcinogen generated from the combustion of fossil fuel and cigarette smoke. Previously, using a proteomic approach, we have shown that BaP can induce changes in the expression of many cellular proteins, including transcription regulators. In the present study, using a similar approach, we examined the nuclear protein response to BaP in HeLa cells and found that BaP treatment caused expression changes in many nuclear proteins. Twenty-four of these proteins were successfully identified, several of which are involved in the alternative splicing of mRNA, DNA replication, recombination, and repair. The changed expression levels were further confirmed by immunoblot analysis using specific antibodies for two proteins, Lamin A and mitotic checkpoint protein Bub3. The nuclear localization of these two proteins was also confirmed by confocal microscopy. To determine whether alternative splicing was activated following BaP treatment, we examined Fas and CD44, two genes previously shown to be targets of alternative splicing in respond to DNA damage. While no significant activation of alternative splicing was observed for Fas, CD44 splicing variants were found after BaP treatment. Together, these data show that DNA damage induces dramatic changes in nuclear protein expression, and that alternative splicing might be involved in the cellular response to DNA damage.

  18. [Expression of c-jun protein after experimental rat brain concussion].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feng; Li, Yong-hong

    2010-02-01

    To observe e-jun protein expression after rat brain concussion and explore the forensic pathologic markers following brain concussion. Fifty-five rats were randomly divided into brain concussion group and control group. The expression of c-jun protein was observed by immunohistochemistry. There were weak positive expression of c-jun protein in control group. In brain concussion group, however, some neutrons showed positive expression of c-jun protein at 15 min after brain concussion, and reach to the peak at 3 h after brain concussion. The research results suggest that detection of c-jun protein could be a marker to determine brain concussion and estimate injury time after brain concussion.

  19. Proteomic analysis of tissue from α1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout mice reveals that a wide variety of proteins and protein fragments change expression level.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Louise Thorlacius-Ussing

    Full Text Available A barrier in a pig-to-man xenotransplantation is that the Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R carbohydrate (α-Gal epitope expressed on pig endothelial cells reacts with naturally occurring antibodies in the recipient's blood leading to rejection. Deletion of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene prevents the synthesis of the α-Gal epitope. Therefore, knockout models of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene are widely used to study xenotransplantation. We have performed proteomic studies on liver and pancreas tissues from wild type and α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene knockout mice. The tissues were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The analyses revealed that a wide variety of proteins and protein fragments are differentially expressed suggesting that knockout of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene affects the expression of several other genes.

  20. Limited prognostic value of tissue protein expression levels of cyclin E in Danish ovarian cancer patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heeran, Mel C; Høgdall, Claus K; Kjaer, Susanne K

    2012-01-01

    The primary objective of this study was to assess the expression of cyclin E in tumour tissues from 661 patients with epithelial ovarian tumours. The second was to evaluate whether cyclin E tissue expression levels correlate with clinico-pathological parameters and prognosis of the disease. Using...... tissue arrays (TA), we analysed the cyclin E expression levels in tissues from 168 women with borderline ovarian tumours (BOT) (147 stage I, 4 stage II, 17 stage III) and 493 Ovarian cancer (OC) patients (127 stage I, 45 stage II, 276 stage III, 45 stage IV). Using a 10% cut-off level for cyclin E......-off value showed that cyclin E had no independent prognostic value. In conclusion, we found cyclin E expression in tumour tissue to be of limited prognostic value to Danish OC patients....

  1. Mutant human torsinA, responsible for early-onset dystonia, dominantly suppresses GTPCH expression, dopamine levels and locomotion in Drosophila melanogaster

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    Noriko Wakabayashi-Ito

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Dystonia represents the third most common movement disorder in humans with over 20 genetic loci identified. TOR1A (DYT1, the gene responsible for the most common primary hereditary dystonia, encodes torsinA, an AAA ATPase family protein. Most cases of DYT1 dystonia are caused by a 3 bp (ΔGAG deletion that results in the loss of a glutamic acid residue (ΔE302/303 in the carboxyl terminal region of torsinA. This torsinAΔE mutant protein has been speculated to act in a dominant-negative manner to decrease activity of wild type torsinA. Drosophila melanogaster has a single torsin-related gene, dtorsin. Null mutants of dtorsin exhibited locomotion defects in third instar larvae. Levels of dopamine and GTP cyclohydrolase (GTPCH proteins were severely reduced in dtorsin-null brains. Further, the locomotion defect was rescued by the expression of human torsinA or feeding with dopamine. Here, we demonstrate that human torsinAΔE dominantly inhibited locomotion in larvae and adults when expressed in neurons using a pan-neuronal promoter Elav. Dopamine and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4 levels were significantly reduced in larval brains and the expression level of GTPCH protein was severely impaired in adult and larval brains. When human torsinA and torsinAΔE were co-expressed in neurons in dtorsin-null larvae and adults, the locomotion rates and the expression levels of GTPCH protein were severely reduced. These results support the hypothesis that torsinAΔE inhibits wild type torsinA activity. Similarly, neuronal expression of a Drosophila DtorsinΔE equivalent mutation dominantly inhibited larval locomotion and GTPCH protein expression. These results indicate that both torsinAΔE and DtorsinΔE act in a dominant-negative manner. We also demonstrate that Dtorsin regulates GTPCH expression at the post-transcriptional level. This Drosophila model of DYT1 dystonia provides an important tool for studying the differences in the molecular function between the

  2. Recombinant protein production data after expression in the bacterium Escherichia coli

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    J. Enrique Cantu-Bustos

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Fusion proteins have become essential for the expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. The metal-binding protein CusF has shown several features that make it an attractive fusion protein and affinity tag: "Expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli tagged with the metal-binding protein CusF" (Cantu-Bustos et al., 2016 [1]. Here we present accompanying data from protein expression experiments; we tested different protein tags, temperatures, expression times, cellular compartments, and concentrations of inducer in order to obtain soluble protein and low formation of inclusion bodies. Additionally, we present data from the purification of the green fluorescent protein (GFP tagged with CusF, using Ag(I metal affinity chromatography.

  3. Expression and purification of sea raven type II antifreeze protein from Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scotter, Andrew J; Kuntz, Douglas A; Saul, Michelle; Graham, Laurie A; Davies, Peter L; Rose, David R

    2006-06-01

    We present a system for the expression and purification of recombinant sea raven type II antifreeze protein, a cysteine-rich, C-type lectin-like globular protein that has proved to be a difficult target for recombinant expression and purification. The cDNAs encoding the pro- and mature forms of the sea raven protein were cloned into a modified pMT Drosophila expression vector. These constructs produced N-terminally His(6)-tagged pro- and mature forms of the type II antifreeze protein under the control of a metallothionein promoter when transfected into Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells. Upon induction of stable cell lines the two proteins were expressed at high levels and secreted into the medium. The proteins were then purified from the cell medium in a simple and rapid protocol using immobilized metal affinity chromatography and specific protease cleavage by tobacco etch virus protease. The proteins demonstrated antifreeze activity indistinguishable from that of wild-type sea raven antifreeze protein purified from serum as illustrated by ice affinity purification, ice crystal morphology, and their ability to inhibit ice crystal growth. This expression and purification system gave yields of 95 mg/L of fully active mature sea raven type II AFP and 9.6 mg/L of the proprotein. This surpasses all previous attempts to express this protein in Escherichia coli, baculovirus-infected fall armyworm cells and Pichia pastoris and will provide sufficient protein for structural analysis.

  4. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery suppresses hypothalamic PTP1B protein level and alleviates leptin resistance in obese rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jia-Yu; Mu, Song; Zhang, Shu-Ping; Guo, Wei; Li, Qi-Fu; Xiao, Xiao-Qiu; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Zhi-Hong

    2017-09-01

    The present study aimed to explore the effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) expression levels and leptin activity in hypothalami of obese rats. Obese rats induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) that underwent RYGB (n=11) or sham operation (SO, n=9), as well as an obese control cohort (Obese, n=10) and an additional normal-diet group (ND, n=10) were used. Food efficiency was measured at 8 weeks post-operation. Plasma leptin levels were evaluated and hypothalamic protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) levels and leptin signaling activity were examined at the genetic and protein levels. The results indicated that food efficiency was typically lower in RYGB rats compared with that in the Obese and SO rats. In the RYGB group, leptin receptor expression and proopiomelanocortin was significantly higher, while Neuropeptide Y levels were lower than those in the Obese and SO groups. Furthermore, the gene and protein expression levels of PTP1B in the RYGB group were lower, while levels of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 protein were much higher compared with those in the Obese and SO groups. In conclusion, RYGB surgery significantly suppressed hypothalamic PTP1B protein expression. PTP1B regulation may partially alleviate leptin resistance.

  5. Decreased blood riboflavin levels are correlated with defective expression of RFT2 gene in gastric cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eli, Maynur; Li, De-Sheng; Zhang, Wei-Wei; Kong, Bing; Du, Chen-Song; Wumar, Maimaitiaili; Mamtimin, Batur; Sheyhidin, Ilyar; Hasim, Ayshamgul

    2012-01-01

    AIM: To investigate the relationship between blood riboflavin levels and riboflavin transporter 2 (RFT2) gene expression in gastric carcinoma (GC) development. METHODS: High-performance liquid chromatography was used to detect blood riboflavin levels in patients with GC. Real-time fluorogenic quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression of RFT2 mRNA and protein in samples from 60 GC patients consisting of both tumor and normal tissue. RESULTS: A significant decrease in the RFT2 mRNA levels was detected in GC samples compared with those in the normal mucous membrane (0.398 ± 0.149 vs 1.479 ± 0.587; P = 0.040). Tumors exhibited low RFT2 protein expression (75%, 16.7%, 8.3% and 0% for no RFT2 staining, weak staining, medium staining and strong staining, respectively), which was significantly lower than that in the normal mucous membrane (10%, 16.7%, 26.7% and 46.7% for no RFT2 staining, weak staining, medium staining and strong staining, respectively; P riboflavin levels were reverse correlated with development of GC (1.2000 ± 0.97 569 ng/mL in high tumor stage patients vs 2.5980 ± 1.31 129 ng/mL in low tumor stage patients; P riboflavin levels with defective expression of RFT2 protein was found in GC patients (χ2 = 2.619; P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Defective expression of RFT2 is associated with the development of GC and this may represent a mechanism underlying the decreased plasma riboflavin levels in GC. PMID:22791947

  6. High levels of X-linked Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis Protein (XIAP) are indicative of radio chemotherapy resistance in rectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flanagan, L.; Kehoe, J.; Fay, J.; Bacon, O.; Lindner, A.U.; Kay, E.W.; Deasy, J.; McNamara, D.A.; Prehn, J.H.M.

    2015-01-01

    The mainstay of treatment in rectal cancer is neoadjuvant radio chemotherapy prior to surgery, in an attempt to downstage the tumour, allowing for more complete removal during surgery. In 40 % of cases however, this neoadjuvant radio chemotherapy fails to achieve tumour regression, partly due insufficient apoptosis signaling. X-linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (XIAP) is an anti-apoptotic protein that has been reported to contribute to disease progression and chemotherapy resistance. We obtained rectal biopsy normal and matched tumour tissue from 29 rectal cancer patients with varying degrees of tumour regression, and using Western blot, examined anti-apoptotic XIAP and pro-apoptotic Smac protein levels in these tissues, with the aim to examine whether disturbed XIAP/Smac levels may be an indicator of neoadjuvant radio chemotherapy resistance. Expression of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 was also examined. We found that levels of XIAP increased in accordance with the degree of radio chemotherapy resistance of the tissue. Levels of this protein were also significantly higher in tumour tissue, compared to matched normal tissue in highly resistant tissue. In contrast, Smac protein levels did not increase with radio chemotherapy resistance, and the protein was similarly expressed in normal and tumour tissue, indicating a shift in the balance of these proteins. Post treatment surgical resection tissue was available for 8 patients. When we compared matched tissue pre- and post- radio chemotherapy we found that XIAP levels increased significantly during treatment in both normal and tumour tissue, while Smac levels did not change. cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 levels were not differentially expressed in varying degrees of radio chemotherapy resistance, and neoadjuvant therapy did not alter expression of these proteins. These data indicate that disturbance of the XIAP/Smac balance may be a driver of radio chemotherapy resistance, and hence high levels of XIAP may

  7. Expression and localization of a novel phosducin-like protein from amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saren, Gaowa; Zhao, Yonggang

    2009-05-01

    A full length amphioxus cDNA, encoding a novel phosducin-like protein ( Amphi-PhLP), was identified for the first time from the gut cDNA library of Branchiostoma belcheri. It is comprised of 1 550 bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 241 amino acids, with a predicted molecular mass of approximately 28 kDa. In situ hybridization histochemistry revealed a tissue-specific expression pattern of Amphi-PhLP with the high levels in the ovary, and at a lower level in the hind gut and testis, hepatic caecum, gill, endostyle, and epipharyngeal groove, while it was absent in the muscle, neural tube and notochord. In the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells transfected with the expression plasmid pEGFP-N1/ Amphi-PhLP, the fusion protein was targeted in the cytoplasm of CHO cells, suggesting that Amphi-PhLP is a cytosolic protein. This work may provide a framework for further understanding of the physiological function of Amphi-PhLP in B. belcheri.

  8. Epithelial Cell Damage Activates Bactericidal/Permeability Increasing-Protein (BPI Expression in Intestinal Epithelium

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    Arjun Balakrishnan

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available As the first line of defense against invading pathogen, intestinal epithelium produces various antimicrobial proteins (AMP that help in clearance of pathogen. Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI is a 55 kDa AMP that is expressed in intestinal epithelium. Dysregulation of BPI in intestinal epithelium is associated with various inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative colitis, and Infectious enteritis’s. In this paper, we report a direct correlation between intestinal damage and BPI expression. In Caco-2 cells, we see a significant increase in BPI levels upon membrane damage mediated by S. aureus infection and pore-forming toxins (Streptolysin and Listeriolysin. Cells detect changes in potassium level as a Danger-associated molecular pattern associated with cell damage and induce BPI expression in a p38 dependent manner. These results are further supported by in vivo findings that the BPI expression in murine intestinal epithelium is induced upon infection with bacteria which cause intestinal damage (Salmonella Typhimurium and Shigella flexneri whereas mutants that do not cause intestinal damage (STM ΔfliC and STM ΔinvC did not induce BPI expression. Our results suggest that epithelial damage associated with infection act as a signal to induce BPI expression.

  9. Production of Polyclonal Antibody against Grapevine fanleaf virus Movement Protein Expressed in Escherichia coli

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    Davoud Koolivand

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The genomic region of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV encoding the movement protein (MP was cloned into pET21a and transformed into Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3 to express the protein. Induction was made with a wide range of isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG concentrations (1, 1.5, and 2 mM each for duration of 4, 6, or 16 h. However, the highest expression level was achieved with 1 mM IPTG for 4 h. Identity of the expressed protein was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting. The expressed 41 kDa protein was purified under denaturing condition by affinity chromatography, reconfirmed by Western blotting and plate-trapped antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PTA-ELISA before being used as a recombinant antigen to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. Purified anti-GFLV MP immunoglobulines (IgGs and conjugated IgGs detected the expressed MP and GFLV virions in infected grapevines when used in PTA-ELISA, double antibody sandwich-ELISA, and Western blotting. This is the first report on the production of anti-GFLV MP polyclonal antibodies and application for the virus detection.

  10. Re-partitioning of Cu and Zn isotopes by modified protein expression

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    Ragnarsdottir K Vala

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Cu and Zn have naturally occurring non radioactive isotopes, and their isotopic systematics in a biological context are poorly understood. In this study we used double focussing mass spectroscopy to determine the ratios for these isotopes for the first time in mouse brain. The Cu and Zn isotope ratios for four strains of wild-type mice showed no significant difference (δ65Cu -0.12 to -0.78 permil; δ66Zn -0.23 to -0.48 permil. We also looked at how altering the expression of a single copper binding protein, the prion protein (PrP, alters the isotope ratios. Both knockout and overexpression of PrP had no significant effect on the ratio of Cu isotopes. Mice brains expressing mutant PrP lacking the known metal binding domain have δ65Cu isotope values of on average 0.57 permil higher than wild-type mouse brains. This implies that loss of the copper binding domain of PrP increases the level of 65Cu in the brain. δ66Zn isotope values of the transgenic mouse brains are enriched for 66Zn to the wild-type mouse brains. Here we show for the first time that the expression of a single protein can alter the partitioning of metal isotopes in mouse brains. The results imply that the expression of the prion protein can alter cellular Cu isotope content.

  11. Variation of ATM protein expression in response to irradiation of lymphocytes in lung cancer patients and controls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lou Jianlin; He Jiliang; Jin Lifen; Zheng Wei; Chen Zhijian; Chen Shijie; Xu Shijie

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this research work was to study the cellular response to ionizing radiation (IR) and its relationship with the ATM protein expression levels in lung cancer patients. Heparinized blood samples were collected from 22 controls and 22 lung cancer patients. Each sample was divided into two parts: non-irradiated sample and irradiated sample, which was exposed to 3 Gy X-ray. The spontaneous and IR-induced genetic damage in both lung cancer patients and controls was measured with comet assay and micronucleus (MN) assay, and the ATM protein expression levels of non-irradiated samples in lung cancer patients and controls were detected by Western blotting. The results indicated that the baseline values of average mean tail moment (MTM) and micronucleus rate (MNR) in lung cancer patients were 0.86 and 11.41 per mille , respectively, which was significantly higher than those (0.64 and 6.77 per mille ) of controls (P < 0.05 for MTM, P < 0.01 for MNR). The IR-induced average MTM and MNR in lung cancer patients were 1.23 and 77.64 per mille , respectively, which was also significantly higher than those (0.71 and 66.05 per mille ) of controls (P < 0.05 for MTM, P < 0.01 for MNR). The results of Western blotting showed that the ATM protein expression levels in lung cancer patients and controls were 0.64 and 1.71, respectively, and there was significant (P < 0.01) difference between lung cancer patients and controls. In present investigation, it was found that the genetic instability measured with comet assay and MN assay in lung cancer patients were significantly higher than those in controls, on the contrary, ATM protein expression level in lung cancer patients were significantly lower than that in controls. However, no good correlation was found either between ATM protein expression and IR-induced MTM or between ATM protein expression and IR-induced MNR in lung cancer patients

  12. Integration of ethylene and jasmonic acid signaling pathways in the expression of maize defense protein Mir1-CP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ankala, A; Luthe, D S; Williams, W P; Wilkinson, J R

    2009-12-01

    In plants, ethylene and jasmonate control the defense responses to multiple stressors, including insect predation. Among the defense proteins known to be regulated by ethylene is maize insect resistance 1-cysteine protease (Mir1-CP). This protein is constitutively expressed in the insect-resistant maize (Zea mays) genotype Mp708; however, its abundance significantly increases during fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) herbivory. Within 1 h of herbivory by fall armyworm, Mir1-CP accumulates at the feeding site and continues to increase in abundance until 24 h without any increase in its transcript (mir1) levels. To resolve this discrepancy and elucidate the role of ethylene and jasmonate in the signaling of Mir1-CP expression, the effects of phytohormone biosynthesis and perception inhibitors on Mir1-CP expression were tested. Immunoblot analysis of Mir1-CP accumulation and quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction examination of mir1 levels in these treated plants demonstrate that Mir1-CP accumulation is regulated by both transcript abundance and protein expression levels. The results also suggest that jasmonate functions upstream of ethylene in the Mir1-CP expression pathway, allowing for both low-level constitutive expression and a two-stage defensive response, an immediate response involving Mir1-CP accumulation and a delayed response inducing mir1 transcript expression.

  13. Expression of a fatty acid-binding protein in yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scholz, H.

    1991-06-01

    The unicellular eukaryotic microorganism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transformed with a plasmid containing a cDNA fragment encoding bovine heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP C ) under the control of the inducible yeast GAL10 promoter, expressed FABP during growth on galactose. The maximum level of immunoreactive FABP, identical in size and isoelectric point to native protein, was reached after approximately 16 hours of induction. In contrast, transcription of the gene was induced within half an hour. Both, protein and mRNA were unstable and degraded within 1 h after repression of transcription. Analysis of subcellular fractions showed that FABP was exclusively associated with the cytosol. FABP expressed in yeast cells was functional as was demonstrated by its capacity to bind long chain fatty acids in an in vitro assay. Growth of all transformants on galactose as the carbon source showed no phenotype at temperatures up to 37 deg C, but the growth of FABP-expressing cells at 37 deg C was significantly retarded. Among the biochemical effects of FABP expression on lipid metabolism is a marked reduction of chain elongation and desaturation of exogenously added 14 C-palmitic acid. This effect is most pronounced in triacylglycerols and phospholipids when cells grow at 30 deg C and 37 deg C, respectively. In an in vitro assay determining the desaturation of palmitoyl CoA by microsomal membranes cytosol with or without exo- or endogenous FABP showed the same stimulation of the reaction. The desaturation of exogenously added 14 C-stearic acid, the pattern of unlabelled fatty acids (saturated vs. unsaturated) and the distribution of exogenously added radioactive fatty acids (palmitic, stearic or oleic acid) among lipid classes was not significantly affected. Using high concentrations (1 mM) the uptake of fatty acids was first stimulated and then inhibited when FABP was expressed. (author)

  14. The constrained maximal expression level owing to haploidy shapes gene content on the mammalian X chromosome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hurst, Laurence D.; Ghanbarian, Avazeh T.; Forrest, Alistair R R

    2015-01-01

    that the trend is shaped by the maximal expression level not the breadth of expression per se. Importantly, a limit to the maximal expression level explains biased tissue of expression profiles of X-linked genes. Tissues whose tissue-specific genes are very highly expressed (e.g., secretory tissues, tissues...... abundant in structural proteins) are also tissues in which gene expression is relatively rare on the X chromosome. These trends cannot be fully accounted for in terms of alternative models of biased expression. In conclusion, the notion that it is hard for genes on the Therian X to be highly expressed...

  15. Heritability and genetic basis of protein level variation in an outbred population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parts, Leopold; Liu, Yi-Chun; Tekkedil, Manu M; Steinmetz, Lars M; Caudy, Amy A; Fraser, Andrew G; Boone, Charles; Andrews, Brenda J; Rosebrock, Adam P

    2014-08-01

    The genetic basis of heritable traits has been studied for decades. Although recent mapping efforts have elucidated genetic determinants of transcript levels, mapping of protein abundance has lagged. Here, we analyze levels of 4084 GFP-tagged yeast proteins in the progeny of a cross between a laboratory and a wild strain using flow cytometry and high-content microscopy. The genotype of trans variants contributed little to protein level variation between individual cells but explained >50% of the variance in the population's average protein abundance for half of the GFP fusions tested. To map trans-acting factors responsible, we performed flow sorting and bulk segregant analysis of 25 proteins, finding a median of five protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs) per GFP fusion. Further, we find that cis-acting variants predominate; the genotype of a gene and its surrounding region had a large effect on protein level six times more frequently than the rest of the genome combined. We present evidence for both shared and independent genetic control of transcript and protein abundance: More than half of the expression QTLs (eQTLs) contribute to changes in protein levels of regulated genes, but several pQTLs do not affect their cognate transcript levels. Allele replacements of genes known to underlie trans eQTL hotspots confirmed the correlation of effects on mRNA and protein levels. This study represents the first genome-scale measurement of genetic contribution to protein levels in single cells and populations, identifies more than a hundred trans pQTLs, and validates the propagation of effects associated with transcript variation to protein abundance. © 2014 Parts et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  16. Alterations in gene expression in mutant amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice lacking Niemann-Pick type C1 protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahua Maulik

    Full Text Available Niemann-Pick type C (NPC disease, a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused mostly by mutation in NPC1 gene, is pathologically characterized by the accumulation of free cholesterol in brain and other tissues. This is accompanied by gliosis and loss of neurons in selected brain regions, including the cerebellum. Recent studies have shown that NPC disease exhibits intriguing parallels with Alzheimer's disease, including the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and increased levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP-derived β-amyloid (Aβ peptides in vulnerable brain neurons. To evaluate the role of Aβ in NPC disease, we determined the gene expression profile in selected brain regions of our recently developed bigenic ANPC mice, generated by crossing APP transgenic (Tg mice with heterozygous Npc1-deficient mice. The ANPC mice exhibited exacerbated neuronal and glial pathology compared to other genotypes [i.e., APP-Tg, double heterozygous (Dhet, Npc1-null and wild-type mice]. Analysis of expression profiles of 86 selected genes using real-time RT-PCR arrays showed a wide-spectrum of alterations in the four genotypes compared to wild-type controls. The changes observed in APP-Tg and Dhet mice are limited to only few genes involved mostly in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism, whereas Npc1-null and ANPC mice showed alterations in the expression profiles of a number of genes regulating cholesterol homeostasis, APP metabolism, vesicular trafficking and cell death mechanism in both hippocampus and cerebellum compared to wild-type mice. Intriguingly, ANPC and Npc1-null mice, with some exceptions, exhibited similar changes, although more genes were differentially expressed in the affected cerebellum than the relatively spared hippocampus. The altered gene profiles were found to match with the corresponding protein levels. These results suggest that lack of Npc1 protein can alter the expression profile of selected transcripts as well as proteins, and

  17. Pathology-Dependent Effects Linked to Small Heat Shock Proteins Expression: An Update

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    A.-P. Arrigo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Small heat shock proteins (small Hsps are stress-induced molecular chaperones that act as holdases towards polypeptides that have lost their folding in stress conditions or consequently of mutations in their coding sequence. A cellular protection against the deleterious effects mediated by damaged proteins is thus provided to cells. These chaperones are also highly expressed in response to protein conformational and inflammatory diseases and cancer pathologies. Through specific and reversible modifications in their phospho-oligomeric organization, small Hsps can chaperone appropriate client proteins in order to provide cells with resistance to different types of injuries or pathological conditions. By helping cells to better cope with their pathological status, their expression can be either beneficial, such as in diseases characterized by pathological cell degeneration, or deleterious when they are required for tumor cell survival. Moreover, small Hsps are actively released by cells and can act as immunogenic molecules that have dual effects depending on the pathology. The cellular consequences linked to their expression levels and relationships with other Hsps as well as therapeutic strategies are discussed in view of their dynamic structural organization required to interact with specific client polypeptides.

  18. Cloning and characterization of rat density-enhanced phosphatase-1, a protein tyrosine phosphatase expressed by vascular cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borges, L G; Seifert, R A; Grant, F J; Hart, C E; Disteche, C M; Edelhoff, S; Solca, F F; Lieberman, M A; Lindner, V; Fischer, E H; Lok, S; Bowen-Pope, D F

    1996-09-01

    We have cloned from cultured vascular smooth muscle cells a protein tyrosine phosphatase, rat density-enhanced phosphatase-1 (rDEP-1), which is a probable rat homologue of DEP-1/HPTP eta. rDEP-1 is encoded by an 8.7-kb transcript and is expressed as a 180- to 220-kD protein. The rDEP-1 gene is located on human chromosome 11 (region p11.2) and on mouse chromosome 2 (region 2E). The cDNA sequence predicts a transmembrane protein consisting of a single phosphatase catalytic domain in the intracellular region, a single transmembrane domain, and eight fibronectin type III repeats in the extracellular region (GenBank accession number U40790). In situ hybridization analysis demonstrates that rDEP-1 is widely expressed in vivo but that expression is highest in cells that form epithelioid monolayers. In cultured cells with epitheliod morphology, including endothelial cells and newborn smooth muscle cells, but not in fibroblast-like cells, rDEP-1 transcript levels are dramatically upregulated as population density increases. In vivo, quiescent endothelial cells in normal arteries express relatively high levels of rDEP-1. During repair of vascular injury, expression of rDEP-1 is downregulated in migrating and proliferating endothelial cells. In vivo, rDEP-1 transcript levels are present in very high levels in megakaryocytes, and circulating plates have high levels of the rDEP-1 protein. In vitro, initiation of differentiation of the human megakaryoblastic cell line CHRF-288-11 with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate leads to a very strong upregulation of rDEP-1 transcripts. The deduced structure and the regulation of expression of rDEP-1 suggest that it may play a role in adhesion and/or signaling events involving cell-cell and cell-matrix contact.

  19. NF-kappa B activity in T cells stably expressing the Tax protein of human T cell lymphotropic virus type I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacoste, J.; Cohen, L.; Hiscott, J.

    1991-01-01

    The effect of constitutive Tax expression on the interaction of NF-κ B with its recognition sequence and on NF-κ B-dependent gene expression was examined in T lymphoid Jurkat cell lines (19D and 9J) stably transformed with a Tax expression vector. Tax expressing T cell lines contained a constitutive level of NF-κ B binding activity, detectable by mobility shift assay and uv cross-linking using a palindromic NF-κ B probe homologous to the interferon beta PRDII site. In Jurkat and NC2.10 induction with phorbol esters resulted in the appearance of new DNA binding proteins of 85, 75, and 54 kDa, whereas in Tax expressing cells the 85-kDa protein and a 92-kDa DNA binding protein were constitutively induced. Expression of Tax protein in 19D and 9J resulted in transcription of the endogenous NF-kappa B-dependent granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor gene and increased basal level expression of transfected NF-kappa B-regulated promoters. Nonetheless transcription of both the endogenous and the transfected gene was inducible by PMA treatment. Tax expression in Jurkat T cells may alter the stoichiometry of NF-kappa B DNA binding proteins and thus change the expression of NF-kappa B-regulated promoters

  20. Genetic toolbox for controlled expression of functional proteins in Geobacillus spp.

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    Ivan Pogrebnyakov

    Full Text Available Species of genus Geobacillus are thermophilic bacteria and play an ever increasing role as hosts for biotechnological applications both in academia and industry. Here we screened a number of Geobacillus strains to determine which industrially relevant carbon sources they can utilize. One of the strains, G. thermoglucosidasius C56-YS93, was then chosen to develop a toolbox for controlled gene expression over a wide range of levels. It includes a library of semi-synthetic constitutive promoters (76-fold difference in expression levels and an inducible promoter from the xylA gene. A library of synthetic in silico designed ribosome binding sites was also created for further tuning of translation. The PxylA was further used to successfully express native and heterologous xylanases in G. thermoglucosidasius. This toolbox enables fine-tuning of gene expression in Geobacillus species for metabolic engineering approaches in production of biochemicals and heterologous proteins.

  1. Characterization and chondrocyte differentiation stage-specific expression of KRAB zinc-finger protein gene ZNF470

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hering, Thomas M.; Kazmi, Najam H.; Huynh, Tru D.; Kollar, John; Xu, Laura; Hunyady, Aaron B.; Johnstone, Brian

    2004-01-01

    As part of a study to identify novel transcriptional regulators of chondrogenesis-related gene expression, we have cloned and characterized cDNA for zinc-finger protein 470 (ZNF470), the human ortholog of which encodes a 717 amino acid residue protein containing 17 Cys 2 His 2 zinc-finger domains, as well as KRAB-A and KRAB-B motifs. The cDNA library used to isolate the initial ZNF470 clone was prepared from human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells at an intermediate stage of chondrogenic differentiation. We have determined the intron-exon structure of the human ZNF470 gene, which has been mapped to a zinc-finger cluster in a known imprinted region of human chromosome 19q13.4. ZNF470 is expressed at high levels in human testis and is expressed at low or undetectible levels in other adult tissues. Human ZNF470 expressed in mammalian cells as an EGFP fusion protein localizes predominantly to the nucleus, consistent with a role in transcriptional regulation. ZNF470, analyzed by quantitative real time PCR, was transiently expressed before the maximal expression of COL2A1 during chondrogenic differentiation in vitro. We have also characterized the bovine ortholog of human ZNF470, which encodes a 508 amino acid residue protein having 10 zinc-finger domains. A bovine ZNF470 cDNA clone was used to examine expression of ZNF470 in bovine articular chondrocytes treated with retinoic acid to stimulate dedifferentiation. Bovine ZNF470 expression was undetectable in freshly isolated bovine articular chondrocytes, but was dramatically upregulated in dedifferentiated retinoic acid-treated chondrocytes. These results, in two model systems, suggest a possible role for ZNF470 in the regulation of chondrogenesis-specific gene expression

  2. Analysis of p130 protein and mRNA expression in ten patients with uterine papillary serous carcinoma

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    Shao-ting XU

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective To examine p130 protein and mRNA expression in uterine papillary serous carcinoma(UPSC and their clinical and pathologic significance.Methods A total of 10 UPSC patients(Stage I were included,with 10 cases of high-level endometrial carcinoma of the same stage taken as the control group and 10 cases of normal proliferative stage endometrium(EM taken as the disease control group.The level of p130 protein expression was determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining,microscopic observation,and immunohistochemistry,whereas the p130 mRNA levels were examined through real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.The clinicopathologic analysis was carried out in combination with clinical data.Results The p130 protein and p130 mRNA expression levels in the UPSC group(0.46±0.01 and 0.56±0.06,respectively were apparently less than that of the normal proliferative stage endometrium group(0.91±0.04 and 2.81±0.40,respectively;P < 0.01 and also less than those in high-level endometrial carcinoma(P < 0.05.Clinicopathologic analysis shows that all patients are post-menopausal women with symptoms of irregular vaginal bleeding and the average tumor size was 7.5cm(range: 1.2-14.8cm.The pathologic features are same as that of high-level ovarian papillary serous carcinoma.Conclusion Reduced p130 protein and p130 mRNA expression in UPSC might correlate with poor prognosis in UPSC patients.

  3. Sugar regulation of SUGAR TRANSPORTER PROTEIN 1 (STP1) expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordoba, Elizabeth; Aceves-Zamudio, Denise Lizeth; Hernández-Bernal, Alma Fabiola; Ramos-Vega, Maricela; León, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    Sugars regulate the expression of many genes at the transcriptional level. In Arabidopsis thaliana, sugars induce or repress the expression of >1800 genes, including the STP1 (SUGAR TRANSPORTER PROTEIN 1) gene, which encodes an H+/monosaccharide cotransporter. STP1 transcript levels decrease more rapidly after the addition of low concentrations of sugars than the levels of other repressed genes, such as DIN6 (DARK-INDUCED 6). We found that this regulation is exerted at the transcriptional level and is initiated by phosphorylatable sugars. Interestingly, the sugar signal that modulates STP1 expression is transmitted through a HEXOKINASE 1-independent signalling pathway. Finally, analysis of the STP1 5′ regulatory region allowed us to delimit a region of 309bp that contains the cis elements implicated in the glucose regulation of STP1 expression. Putative cis-acting elements involved in this response were identified. PMID:25281700

  4. Time-dependent changes in protein expression in rainbow trout muscle following hypoxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wulff, Tune; Jokumsen, Alfred; Højrup, Peter; Jessen, Flemming

    2012-04-18

    Adaptation to hypoxia is a complex process, and individual proteins will be up- or down-regulated in order to address the main challenges at any given time. To investigate the dynamics of the adaptation, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was exposed to 30% of normal oxygen tension for 1, 2, 5 and 24 h respectively, after which muscle samples were taken. The successful investigation of numerous proteins in a single study was achieved by selectively separating the sarcoplasmic proteins using 2-DE. In total 46 protein spots were identified as changing in abundance in response to hypoxia using one-way ANOVA and multivariate data analysis. Proteins of interest were subsequently identified by MS/MS following tryptic digestion. The observed regulation following hypoxia in skeletal muscle was determined to be time specific, as only a limited number of proteins were regulated in response to more than one time point. The cellular response to hypoxia included regulation of proteins involved in maintaining iron homeostasis, energy levels and muscle structure. In conclusion, this proteome-based study presents a comprehensive investigation of the expression profiles of numerous proteins at four different time points. This increases our understanding of timed changes in protein expression in rainbow trout muscle following hypoxia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Enhanced green fluorescent protein is a nearly ideal long-term expression tracer for hematopoietic stem cells, whereas DsRed-express fluorescent protein is not.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Wen; Evans, Barbara-Graham; Yao, Jing; Cooper, Scott; Cornetta, Kenneth; Ballas, Christopher B; Hangoc, Giao; Broxmeyer, Hal E

    2007-03-01

    Validated gene transfer and expression tracers are essential for elucidating functions of mammalian genes. Here, we have determined the suitability and unintended side effects of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and DsRed-Express fluorescent protein as expression tracers in long-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Retrovirally transduced mouse bone marrow cells expressing either EGFP or DsRed-Express in single or mixed dual-color cell populations were clearly discerned by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The results from in vivo competitive repopulation assays demonstrated that EGFP-expressing HSCs were maintained nearly throughout the lifespan of the transplanted mice and retained long-term multilineage repopulating potential. All mice assessed at 15 months post-transplantation were EGFP positive, and, on average, 24% total peripheral white blood cells expressed EGFP. Most EGFP-expressing recipient mice lived at least 22 months. In contrast, Discosoma sp. red fluorescent protein (DsRed)-expressing donor cells dramatically declined in transplant-recipient mice over time, particularly in the competitive setting, in which mixed EGFP- and DsRed-expressing cells were cotransplanted. Moreover, under in vitro culture condition favoring preservation of HSCs, purified EGFP-expressing cells grew robustly, whereas DsRed-expressing cells did not. Therefore, EGFP has no detectable deteriorative effects on HSCs, and is nearly an ideal long-term expression tracer for hematopoietic cells; however, DsRed-Express fluorescent protein is not suitable for these cells.

  6. Heterogeneity mapping of protein expression in tumors using quantitative immunofluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faratian, Dana; Christiansen, Jason; Gustavson, Mark; Jones, Christine; Scott, Christopher; Um, InHwa; Harrison, David J

    2011-10-25

    Morphologic heterogeneity within an individual tumor is well-recognized by histopathologists in surgical practice. While this often takes the form of areas of distinct differentiation into recognized histological subtypes, or different pathological grade, often there are more subtle differences in phenotype which defy accurate classification (Figure 1). Ultimately, since morphology is dictated by the underlying molecular phenotype, areas with visible differences are likely to be accompanied by differences in the expression of proteins which orchestrate cellular function and behavior, and therefore, appearance. The significance of visible and invisible (molecular) heterogeneity for prognosis is unknown, but recent evidence suggests that, at least at the genetic level, heterogeneity exists in the primary tumor(1,2), and some of these sub-clones give rise to metastatic (and therefore lethal) disease. Moreover, some proteins are measured as biomarkers because they are the targets of therapy (for instance ER and HER2 for tamoxifen and trastuzumab (Herceptin), respectively). If these proteins show variable expression within a tumor then therapeutic responses may also be variable. The widely used histopathologic scoring schemes for immunohistochemistry either ignore, or numerically homogenize the quantification of protein expression. Similarly, in destructive techniques, where the tumor samples are homogenized (such as gene expression profiling), quantitative information can be elucidated, but spatial information is lost. Genetic heterogeneity mapping approaches in pancreatic cancer have relied either on generation of a single cell suspension(3), or on macrodissection(4). A recent study has used quantum dots in order to map morphologic and molecular heterogeneity in prostate cancer tissue(5), providing proof of principle that morphology and molecular mapping is feasible, but falling short of quantifying the heterogeneity. Since immunohistochemistry is, at best, only semi

  7. Endoplasmic reticulum stress and N-glycosylation modulate expression of WFS1 protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, Suguru; Ishihara, Hisamitsu; Tamura, Akira; Yamada, Takahiro; Takahashi, Rui; Takei, Daisuke; Katagiri, Hideki; Oka, Yoshitomo

    2004-01-01

    Mutations of the WFS1 gene are responsible for two hereditary diseases, Wolfram syndrome and low frequency sensorineural hearing loss. The WFS1 protein is a glycoprotein located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane but its function is poorly understood. Herein we show WFS1 mRNA and protein levels in pancreatic islets to be increased with ER-stress inducers, thapsigargin and dithiothreitol. Another ER-stress inducer, the N-glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin, also raised WFS1 mRNA but not protein levels. Site-directed mutagenesis showed both Asn-663 and Asn-748 to be N-glycosylated in mouse WFS1 protein. The glycosylation-defective WFS1 protein, in which Asn-663 and Asn-748 had been substituted with aspartate, exhibited an increased protein turnover rate. Consistent with this, the WFS1 protein was more rapidly degraded in the presence of tunicamycin. These data indicate that ER-stress and N-glycosylation play important roles in WFS1 expression and stability, and also suggest regulatory roles for this protein in ER-stress induced cell death

  8. Expression of G-protein inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs in lung cancer cell lines

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    Schuller Hildegard M

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous data from our laboratory has indicated that there is a functional link between the β-adrenergic receptor signaling pathway and the G-protein inwardly rectifying potassium channel (GIRK1 in human breast cancer cell lines. We wanted to determine if GIRK channels were expressed in lung cancers and if a similar link exists in lung cancer. Methods GIRK1-4 expression and levels were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and real-time PCR. GIRK protein levels were determined by western blots and cell proliferation was determined by a 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU assay. Results GIRK1 mRNA was expressed in three of six small cell lung cancer (SCLC cell lines, and either GIRK2, 3 or 4 mRNA expression was detected in all six SCLC cell lines. Treatment of NCI-H69 with β2-adrenergic antagonist ICI 118,551 (100 μM daily for seven days led to slight decreases of GIRK1 mRNA expression levels. Treatment of NCI-H69 with the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (10 μM decreased growth rates in these cells. The GIRK inhibitor U50488H (2 μM also inhibited proliferation, and this decrease was potentiated by isoproterenol. In the SCLC cell lines that demonstrated GIRK1 mRNA expression, we also saw GIRK1 protein expression. We feel these may be important regulatory pathways since no expression of mRNA of the GIRK channels (1 & 2 was found in hamster pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, a suggested cell of origin for SCLC, nor was GIRK1 or 2 expression found in human small airway epithelial cells. GIRK (1,2,3,4 mRNA expression was also seen in A549 adenocarcinoma and NCI-H727 carcinoid cell lines. GIRK1 mRNA expression was not found in tissue samples from adenocarcinoma or squamous cancer patients, nor was it found in NCI-H322 or NCI-H441 adenocarcinoma cell lines. GIRK (1,3,4 mRNA expression was seen in three squamous cell lines, GIRK2 was only expressed in one squamous cell line. However, GIRK1 protein

  9. Expression of cytoskeleton regulatory protein Mena in human hepatocellular carcinoma and its prognostic significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Kunpeng; Wang, Jiani; Yao, Zhicheng; Liu, Bo; Lin, Yuan; Liu, Lei; Xu, Lihua

    2014-05-01

    The molecular mechanisms of the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to analyze the expression of Enabled [mammalian Ena (Mena)] protein and its clinical significance in human HCC. The Mena expression was examined at mRNA and protein levels by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis in ten paired HCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues. The expression of Mena protein in 81 specimens of HCC tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. Associations of Mena expression with the clinicopathological features were analyzed, and prognosis of HCC patients was evaluated. The result shows the expression of Mena mRNA and protein was higher in HCC than in the adjacent normal tissues in ten paired samples. Mena was mainly accumulated in the cytoplasm of tumor cells and over-expressed in 40.74% (33/81) patients by immunohistochemical staining. Over-expression of Mena was significantly associated with poor cellular differentiation (P = 0.025), advanced tumor stage (P = 0.003) and worse disease-free survival (DFS, P Mena is an independent prognostic factor for DFS in multivariate analysis (HR 2.309, 95% CI 1.104-4.828; P = 0.026). Mena is up-regulated in HCC and associated with tumor differentiation and clinical stage. Mena may be an independent prognostic marker for DFS of HCC patients.

  10. Mycobacterium tuberculosis HspX/EsxS Fusion Protein: Gene Cloning, Protein Expression, and Purification in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khademi, Farzad; Yousefi-Avarvand, Arshid; Derakhshan, Mohammad; Meshkat, Zahra; Tafaghodi, Mohsen; Ghazvini, Kiarash; Aryan, Ehsan; Sankian, Mojtaba

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to clone, express, and purify a novel multidomain fusion protein of Micobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in a prokaryotic system. An hspX/esxS gene construct was synthesized and ligated into a pGH plasmid, E. coli TOP10 cells were transformed, and the vector was purified. The vector containing the construct and pET-21b (+) plasmid were digested with the same enzymes and the construct was ligated into pET-21b (+). The accuracy of cloning was confirmed by colony PCR and sequencing. E. coli BL21 cells were transformed with the pET-21b (+)/hspX/esxS expression vector and protein expression was evaluated. Finally, the expressed fusion protein was purified on a Ni-IDA column and verified by SDS-PAGE and western blotting. The hspX/esxS gene construct was inserted into pET-21b (+) and recombinant protein expression was induced with IPTG in E. coli BL21 cells. Various concentrations of IPTG were tested to determine the optimum concentration for expression induction. The recombinant protein was expressed in insoluble inclusion bodies. Three molar guanidine HCl was used to solubilize the insoluble protein. An HspX/EsxS Mtb fusion protein was expressed in E. coli and the recombinant protein was purified. After immunological analysis, the HspX/EsxS fusion protein might be an anti-tuberculosis vaccine candidate in future clinical trial studies.

  11. Overcoming the Refractory Expression of Secreted Recombinant Proteins in Mammalian Cells through Modification of the Signal Peptide and Adjacent Amino Acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Güler-Gane, Gülin; Kidd, Sara; Sridharan, Sudharsan; Vaughan, Tristan J; Wilkinson, Trevor C I; Tigue, Natalie J

    2016-01-01

    The expression and subsequent purification of mammalian recombinant proteins is of critical importance to many areas of biological science. To maintain the appropriate tertiary structure and post-translational modifications of such proteins, transient mammalian expression systems are often adopted. The successful utilisation of these systems is, however, not always forthcoming and some recombinant proteins prove refractory to expression in mammalian hosts. In this study we focussed on the role of different N-terminal signal peptides and residues immediately downstream, in influencing the level of secreted recombinant protein obtained from suspension HEK293 cells. Using secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) as a model protein, we identified that the +1/+2 downstream residues flanking a heterologous signal peptide significantly affect secreted levels. By incorporating these findings we conducted a comparison of different signal peptide sequences and identified the most productive as secrecon, a computationally-designed sequence. Importantly, in the context of the secrecon signal peptide and SEAP, we also demonstrated a clear preference for specific amino acid residues at the +1 position (e.g. alanine), and a detrimental effect of others (cysteine, proline, tyrosine and glutamine). When proteins that naturally contain these "undesirable" residues at the +1 position were expressed with their native signal peptide, the heterologous secrecon signal peptide, or secrecon with an additional alanine at the +1 or +1 and +2 position, the level of expression differed significantly and in an unpredictable manner. For each protein, however, at least one of the panel of signal peptide/adjacent amino acid combinations enabled successful recombinant expression. In this study, we highlight the important interplay between a signal peptide and its adjacent amino acids in enabling protein expression, and we describe a strategy that could enable recombinant proteins that have so far

  12. [Expression of Ki-67 and P53 protein in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Wei; Xiao, Yan; Chen, Wei-min

    2015-04-01

    To investigate the clinical and pathological features and its relationship with the expression of Ki-67 and p53 protein in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical SP staining method was used to quantify the protein expression levels of Ki-67 and p53 protein in 10 cases of normal oral mucosa, 16 cases of oral leukoplakia (OLK) tissue, and 48 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma. The relationship of the expression of Ki-67 and p53 protein to clinical and pathological data was analyzed, and SPSS17.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. The positive expression rate of Ki-67 protein in normal oral mucosa, oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma was 30%, 56.3% and 79.2%, respectively; The positive expression rate of p53 was 0%, 43.8%, and 70.8%, respectively; Ki-67 and p53 expression had significant difference among normal oral mucosa, oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (Poral squamous cell carcinoma (Poral squamous cell carcinoma tissues may play an important role in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

  13. Comparative transcriptional and translational analysis of leptospiral outer membrane protein expression in response to temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Miranda; Cordwell, Stuart J; Bulach, Dieter M; Adler, Ben

    2009-12-08

    Leptospirosis is a global zoonosis affecting millions of people annually. Transcriptional changes in response to temperature were previously investigated using microarrays to identify genes potentially expressed upon host entry. Past studies found that various leptospiral outer membrane proteins are differentially expressed at different temperatures. However, our microarray studies highlighted a divergence between protein abundance and transcript levels for some proteins. Given the abundance of post-transcriptional expression control mechanisms, this finding highlighted the importance of global protein analysis systems. To complement our previous transcription study, we evaluated differences in the proteins of the leptospiral outer membrane fraction in response to temperature upshift. Outer membrane protein-enriched fractions from Leptospira interrogans grown at 30 degrees C or overnight upshift to 37 degrees C were isolated and the relative abundance of each protein was determined by iTRAQ analysis coupled with two-dimensional liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (2-DLC/MS-MS). We identified 1026 proteins with 99% confidence; 27 and 66 were present at elevated and reduced abundance respectively. Protein abundance changes were compared with transcriptional differences determined from the microarray studies. While there was some correlation between the microarray and iTRAQ data, a subset of genes that showed no differential expression by microarray was found to encode temperature-regulated proteins. This set of genes is of particular interest as it is likely that regulation of their expression occurs post-transcriptionally, providing an opportunity to develop hypotheses about the molecular dynamics of the outer membrane of Leptospira in response to changing environments. This is the first study to compare transcriptional and translational responses to temperature shift in L. interrogans. The results thus provide an insight into the mechanisms used by L

  14. Comparative transcriptional and translational analysis of leptospiral outer membrane protein expression in response to temperature.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miranda Lo

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a global zoonosis affecting millions of people annually. Transcriptional changes in response to temperature were previously investigated using microarrays to identify genes potentially expressed upon host entry. Past studies found that various leptospiral outer membrane proteins are differentially expressed at different temperatures. However, our microarray studies highlighted a divergence between protein abundance and transcript levels for some proteins. Given the abundance of post-transcriptional expression control mechanisms, this finding highlighted the importance of global protein analysis systems. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To complement our previous transcription study, we evaluated differences in the proteins of the leptospiral outer membrane fraction in response to temperature upshift. Outer membrane protein-enriched fractions from Leptospira interrogans grown at 30 degrees C or overnight upshift to 37 degrees C were isolated and the relative abundance of each protein was determined by iTRAQ analysis coupled with two-dimensional liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (2-DLC/MS-MS. We identified 1026 proteins with 99% confidence; 27 and 66 were present at elevated and reduced abundance respectively. Protein abundance changes were compared with transcriptional differences determined from the microarray studies. While there was some correlation between the microarray and iTRAQ data, a subset of genes that showed no differential expression by microarray was found to encode temperature-regulated proteins. This set of genes is of particular interest as it is likely that regulation of their expression occurs post-transcriptionally, providing an opportunity to develop hypotheses about the molecular dynamics of the outer membrane of Leptospira in response to changing environments. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to compare transcriptional and translational responses to temperature

  15. Prioritizing orphan proteins for further study using phylogenomics and gene expression profiles in Streptomyces coelicolor

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    Takano Eriko

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Streptomyces coelicolor, a model organism of antibiotic producing bacteria, has one of the largest genomes of the bacterial kingdom, including 7825 predicted protein coding genes. A large number of these genes, nearly 34%, are functionally orphan (hypothetical proteins with unknown function. However, in gene expression time course data, many of these functionally orphan genes show interesting expression patterns. Results In this paper, we analyzed all functionally orphan genes of Streptomyces coelicolor and identified a list of "high priority" orphans by combining gene expression analysis and additional phylogenetic information (i.e. the level of evolutionary conservation of each protein. Conclusions The prioritized orphan genes are promising candidates to be examined experimentally in the lab for further characterization of their function.

  16. Differential proteomics study of platelets in asymptomatic constitutional macrothrombocytopenia: altered levels of cytoskeletal proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karmakar, Shilpita; Saha, Sutapa; Banerjee, Debasis; Chakrabarti, Abhijit

    2015-01-01

    Harris platelet syndrome (HPS), also known as asymptomatic constitutional macrothrombocytopenia (ACMT), is an autosomal dominant platelet disorder characterized by mild-to-severe thrombocytopenia and giant platelets with normal platelet aggregation and absence of bleeding symptoms. We have attempted a comparative proteomics study for profiling of platelet proteins in healthy vs. pathological states to discover characteristic protein expression changes in macrothrombocytes and decipher the factors responsible for the functionally active yet morphologically distinct platelets. We have used 2-D gel-based protein separation techniques coupled with MALDI-ToF/ToF-based mass spectrometric identification and characterization of the proteins to investigate the differential proteome profiling of platelet proteins isolated from the peripheral blood samples of patients and normal volunteers. Our study revealed altered levels of actin-binding proteins such as myosin light chain, coactosin-like protein, actin-related protein 2/3 complex, and transgelin2 that hint toward the cytoskeletal changes necessary to maintain the structural and functional integrity of macrothrombocytes. We have also observed over expressed levels of peroxiredoxin2 that signifies the prevailing oxidative stress in these cells. Additionally, altered levels of protein disulfide isomerase and transthyretin provide insights into the measures adapted by the macrothrombocytes to maintain their normal functional activity. This first proteomics study of platelets from ACMT may provide an understanding of the structural stability and normal functioning of these platelets in spite of their large size. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Direct inhibition of RNAse T2 expression by the HTLV-1 viral protein Tax.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polakowski, Nicholas; Han, Hongjin; Lemasson, Isabelle

    2011-08-01

    Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is one of the primary diseases caused by Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. The virally-encoded Tax protein is believed to initiate early events in the development of this disease, as it is able to promote immortalization of T-cells and transformation of other cell types. These processes may be aided by the ability of the viral protein to directly deregulate expression of specific cellular genes through interactions with numerous transcriptional regulators. To identify gene promoters where Tax is localized, we isolated Tax-DNA complexes from an HTLV-1-infected T-cell line through a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and used the DNA to probe a CpG island microarray. A site within the RNASET2 gene was found to be occupied by Tax. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed this result, and transient expression of Tax in uninfected cells led to the recruitment of the viral protein to the promoter. This event correlated with a decrease in the level of RNase T2 mRNA and protein, suggesting that Tax represses expression of this gene. Loss of RNase T2 expression occurs in certain hematological malignancies and other forms of cancer, and RNase T2 was recently reported to function as a tumor suppressor. Consequently, a reduction in the level of RNase T2 by Tax may play a role in ATL development.

  18. Direct Inhibition of RNAse T2 Expression by the HTLV-1 Viral Protein Tax

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    Isabelle Lemasson

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL is one of the primary diseases caused by Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1 infection. The virally-encoded Tax protein is believed to initiate early events in the development of this disease, as it is able to promote immortalization of T-cells and transformation of other cell types. These processes may be aided by the ability of the viral protein to directly deregulate expression of specific cellular genes through interactions with numerous transcriptional regulators. To identify gene promoters where Tax is localized, we isolated Tax-DNA complexes from an HTLV-1-infected T-cell line through a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP assay and used the DNA to probe a CpG island microarray. A site within the RNASET2 gene was found to be occupied by Tax. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed this result, and transient expression of Tax in uninfected cells led to the recruitment of the viral protein to the promoter. This event correlated with a decrease in the level of RNase T2 mRNA and protein, suggesting that Tax represses expression of this gene. Loss of RNase T2 expression occurs in certain hematological malignancies and other forms of cancer, and RNase T2 was recently reported to function as a tumor suppressor. Consequently, a reduction in the level of RNase T2 by Tax may play a role in ATL development.

  19. Inhibition of muscle-specific gene expression by Id3: requirement of the C-terminal region of the protein for stable expression and function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, B; Han, B H; Sun, X H; Lim, R W

    1997-01-15

    We have examined the role of an Id-like protein, Id3 (also known as HLH462), in the regulation of muscle-specific gene expression. Id proteins are believed to block expression of muscle-specific genes by preventing the dimerization between ubiquitous bHLH proteins (E proteins) and myogenic bHLH proteins such as MyoD. Consistent with its putative role as an inhibitor of differentiation, Id3 mRNA was detected in proliferating skeletal muscle cells, was further induced by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and was down-regulated in differentiated muscle cultures. Overexpression of Id3 efficiently inhibited the MyoD-mediated activation of the muscle-specific creatine kinase (MCK) reporter gene. Deletion analysis indicated that the C-terminal 15 amino acids of Id3 are critical for the full inhibitory activity while deleting up to 42 residues from the C-terminus of the related protein, Id2, did not affect its ability to inhibit the MCK reporter gene. Chimeric protein containing the N-terminal region of Id3 and the C-terminus of Id2 was also non-functional in transfected cells. In contrast, wild-type Id3, the C-terminal mutants, and the Id3/Id2 chimera could all interact with the E-protein E47in vitro. Additional studies indicated that truncation of the Id3 C-terminus might have adversely affected the expression level of the mutant proteins but the Id3/Id2 chimera was stably expressed. Taken together, our results revealed a more complex requirement for the expression and proper function of the Id family proteins than was hitherto expected.

  20. Coffee induces breast cancer resistance protein expression in Caco-2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isshiki, Marina; Umezawa, Kazuo; Tamura, Hiroomi

    2011-01-01

    Coffee is a beverage that is consumed world-wide on a daily basis and is known to induce a series of metabolic and pharmacological effects, especially in the digestive tract. However, little is known concerning the effects of coffee on transporters in the gastrointestinal tract. To elucidate the effect of coffee on intestinal transporters, we investigated its effect on expression of the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) in a human colorectal cancer cell line, Caco-2. Coffee induced BCRP gene expression in Caco-2 cells in a coffee-dose dependent manner. Coffee treatment of Caco-2 cells also increased the level of BCRP protein, which corresponded to induction of gene expression, and also increased cellular efflux activity, as judged by Hoechst33342 accumulation. None of the major constituents of coffee tested could induce BCRP gene expression. The constituent of coffee that mediated this induction was extractable with ethyl acetate and was produced during the roasting process. Dehydromethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), an inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, inhibited coffee-mediated induction of BCRP gene expression, suggesting involvement of NF-κB in this induction. Our data suggest that daily consumption of coffee might induce BCRP expression in the gastrointestinal tract and may affect the bioavailability of BCRP substrates.

  1. Hepatitis B Virus X Protein Induces Hepatic Steatosis by Enhancing the Expression of Liver Fatty Acid Binding Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yun-Li; Peng, Xian-E; Zhu, Yi-Bing; Yan, Xiao-Li; Chen, Wan-Nan; Lin, Xu

    2016-02-15

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been implicated as a potential trigger of hepatic steatosis although molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HBV-associated hepatic steatosis still remain elusive. Our prior work has revealed that the expression level of liver fatty acid binding protein 1 (FABP1), a key regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism, was elevated in HBV-producing hepatoma cells. In this study, the effects of HBV X protein (HBx) mediated FABP1 regulation on hepatic steatosis and the underlying mechanism were determined. mRNA and protein levels of FABP1 were measured by quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting. HBx-mediated FABP1 regulation was evaluated by luciferase assay, coimmunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Hepatic lipid accumulation was measured by using Oil-Red-O staining and the triglyceride level. It was found that expression of FABP1 was increased in HBV-producing hepatoma cells, the sera of HBV-infected patients, and the sera and liver tissues of HBV-transgenic mice. Ectopic overexpression of HBx resulted in upregulation of FABP1 in HBx-expressing hepatoma cells, whereas HBx abolishment reduced FABP1 expression. Mechanistically, HBx activated the FABP1 promoter in an HNF3β-, C/EBPα-, and PPARα-dependent manner, in which HBx increased the gene expression of HNF3β and physically interacted with C/EBPα and PPARα. On the other hand, knockdown of FABP1 remarkably blocked lipid accumulation both in long-chain free fatty acids treated HBx-expressing HepG2 cells and in a high-fat diet-fed HBx-transgenic mice. Therefore, FABP1 is a key driver gene in HBx-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via regulation of HNF3β, C/EBPα, and PPARα. FABP1 may represent a novel target for treatment of HBV-associated hepatic steatosis. Accumulating evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies has indicated that chronic HBV infection is associated with hepatic steatosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying HBV

  2. Elevated Dengue Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 Serum Levels and Altered Toll-Like Receptor 4 Expression, Nitric Oxide, and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Production in Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Patients

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    Denise Maciel Carvalho

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. During dengue virus (DV infection, monocytes produce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α and nitric oxide (NO which might be critical to immunopathogenesis. Since intensity of DV replication may determine clinical outcomes, it is important to know the effects of viral nonstructural protein 1 (NS1 on innate immune parameters of infected patients. The present study investigates the relationships between dengue virus nonstructural protein 1 (NS1 serum levels and innate immune response (TLR4 expression and TNF-α/NO production of DV infected patients presenting different clinical outcomes. Methodology/Principal Findings. We evaluated NO, NS1 serum levels (ELISA, TNF-α production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs, and TLR4 expression on CD14+ cells from 37 dengue patients and 20 healthy controls. Early in infection, increased expression of TLR4 in monocytes of patients with dengue fever (DF was detected compared to patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF. Moreover, PBMCs of DHF patients showed higher NS1 and lower NO serum levels during the acute febrile phase and a reduced response to TLR4 stimulation by LPS (with a reduced TNF-α production when compared to DF patients. Conclusions/Significance. During DV infection in humans, some innate immune parameters change, depending on the NS1 serum levels, and phase and severity of the disease which may contribute to development of different clinical outcomes.

  3. Systematic Characterisation of Cellular Localisation and Expression Profiles of Proteins Containing MHC Ligands

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juncker, Agnieszka; Larsen, Mette Voldby; Weinhold, Nils

    2009-01-01

    Background: Presentation of peptides on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules is the cornerstone in immune system activation and increased knowledge of the characteristics of MHC ligands and their source proteins is highly desirable. Methodology/Principal Finding: In the present large......-scale study, we used a large data set of proteins containing experimentally identified MHC class I or II ligands and examined the proteins according to their expression profiles at the mRNA level and their Gene Ontology (GO) classification within the cellular component ontology. Proteins encoded by highly...

  4. Estrogen decreases tight junction protein ZO-1 expression in human primary gut tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zejun; Zhang, Lumin; Ding, Miao; Luo, Zhenwu; Yuan, Shao; Bansal, Meena B; Gilkeson, Gary; Lang, Ren; Jiang, Wei

    2017-10-01

    Females have a higher prevalence of most autoimmune diseases; however, the mechanism is unknown. In this study, we examined the expression of tight junction protein zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) and estrogen receptor (ER)-α/β in human primary gut tissues by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and qPCR. The expression of ZO-1 and ER-β but not ER-α was present in both male and female gut tissues. There was no sex difference in ER-β expression, but ZO-1 expression was decreased in females compared to males. In vitro, estrogen treatment decreased ZO-1 mRNA and protein expression, ZO-1 promoter activity, IL-6 production, and NF-κB activation in human primary gut tissues or the Caco-2 cells, but increased the ER-β expression in Caco-2 cells. Consistently, plasma IL-6 levels in females were reduced relative to males in vivo. Our finding indicates that estrogen may play a role in gut tight junction expression and permeability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. A Comparison of Red Fluorescent Proteins to Model DNA Vaccine Expression by Whole Animal In Vivo Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinnear, Ekaterina; Caproni, Lisa J; Tregoning, John S

    2015-01-01

    DNA vaccines can be manufactured cheaply, easily and rapidly and have performed well in pre-clinical animal studies. However, clinical trials have so far been disappointing, failing to evoke a strong immune response, possibly due to poor antigen expression. To improve antigen expression, improved technology to monitor DNA vaccine transfection efficiency is required. In the current study, we compared plasmid encoded tdTomato, mCherry, Katushka, tdKatushka2 and luciferase as reporter proteins for whole animal in vivo imaging. The intramuscular, subcutaneous and tattooing routes were compared and electroporation was used to enhance expression. We observed that overall, fluorescent proteins were not a good tool to assess expression from DNA plasmids, with a highly heterogeneous response between animals. Of the proteins used, intramuscular delivery of DNA encoding either tdTomato or luciferase gave the clearest signal, with some Katushka and tdKatushka2 signal observed. Subcutaneous delivery was weakly visible and nothing was observed following DNA tattooing. DNA encoding haemagglutinin was used to determine whether immune responses mirrored visible expression levels. A protective immune response against H1N1 influenza was induced by all routes, even after a single dose of DNA, though qualitative differences were observed, with tattooing leading to high antibody responses and subcutaneous DNA leading to high CD8 responses. We conclude that of the reporter proteins used, expression from DNA plasmids can best be assessed using tdTomato or luciferase. But, the disconnect between visible expression level and immunogenicity suggests that in vivo whole animal imaging of fluorescent proteins has limited utility for predicting DNA vaccine efficacy.

  6. High-level expression of Bacillus naganoensis pullulanase from recombinant Escherichia coli with auto-induction: effect of lac operator.

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    Yao Nie

    Full Text Available Pullulanase plays an important role in specific hydrolysis of branch points in amylopectin and is generally employed as an important enzyme in starch-processing industry. So far, however, the production level of pullulanase is still somewhat low from wide-type strains and even heterologous expression systems. Here the gene encoding Bacillus naganoensis pullulanase was amplified and cloned. For expression of the protein, two recombinant systems, Escherichia coli BL21(DE3/pET-20b(+-pul and E. coli BL21(DE3/pET-22b(+-pul, were constructed, both bearing T7 promoter and signal peptide sequence, but different in the existance of lac operator and lacI gene encoding lac repressor. Recombinant pullulanase was initially expressed with the activity of up to 14 U/mL by E. coli BL21(DE3/pET-20b(+-pul with IPTG induction in LB medium, but its expression level reduced continually with the extension of cryopreservation time and basal expression was observed. However, E. coli BL21(DE3/pET-22b(+-pul , involving lac operator downstream of T7 promoter to regulate foreign gene transcription, exhibited pullulanase activity consistently without detected basal expression. By investigating the effect of lac operator, basal expression of foreign protein was found to cause expression instability and negative effect on production of target protein. Thus double-repression strategy was proposed that lac operators in both chromosome and plasmid were bound with lac repressor to repress T7 RNA polymerase synthesis and target protein expression before induction. Consequently, the total activity of pullulanase was remarkably increased to 580 U/mL with auto-induction by lac operator-involved E. coli BL21(DE3/pET-22b(+-pul. When adding 0.6% glycine in culture, the extracellular production of pullulanase was significantly improved with the extracellular activity of 502 U/mL, which is a relatively higher level achieved to date for extracellular production of pullulanase. The

  7. Altered expressions of endothelial junction protein of placental capillaries in premature infants with intraventricular hemorrhage

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    Maria Ekawati

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Placental hypoxia may lead to oxidative stress, which inflicts damage to capillary protein junction. The aim of this study was to evaluate altered expression of endothelial junction protein of capillaries in hypoxia condition and to observe its correlation with the incidence of  intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by using placental tissues of premature infants as amodel of capillary integrity (29 hypoxic and 29 non-hypoxic. Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1α was measured to define placental tissue response to hypoxia; malondialdehyde (MDA and glutathione (GSH served as markers of oxidative stress. The expressions of junctional proteins, N-cadherin and occludin were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH was detected by cranial ultrasound at the third day. Unpaired t test, Mann-Whitney, and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the data.Results: The HIF-1α and MDA levels were slightly, but not significantly, higher in hypoxia group {13.64±8.70 pg/mg protein and 10.31 pmol/mg tissue (ranged 1.92–93.61, respectively}  compared to non- hypoxia group {10.65±5.35 pg/mg protein and 9.77 pmol/mg tissue (ranged 2.42–93.31}. GSH levels were not different in both groups (38.14 (ranged 9.44–118.91 and  38.47(ranged 16.49–126.76 ng/mg protein, respectively. mRNA expression of N-cadherin (0.13 and occludin (0.096 were significantly lower in hypoxia comparedto non-hypoxia group (p=0,001, while protein expression of  N-cadherin (3.4; 75.9; 6.9; 13.8% and occludin  (20.7; 3.4; 69.0; 3.4; 6.9%  in hypoxia group was not associated with IVH (p=0.783 and p=0.743.Conclusion: Hypoxia altered expression of endothelial junction protein in placental capillaries, but no association with intraventricular hemorrhage was observed.

  8. LCR/MEL: A versatile system for high-level expression of heterologous proteins in erythroid cells.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Needham; C. Gooding; K. Hudson; M. Antoniou (Michael); F.G. Grosveld (Frank); M. Hollis

    1992-01-01

    textabstractWe have used the human globin locus control region (LCR) to assemble an expression system capable of high-level, integration position-independent expression of heterologous genes and cDNAs in murine erythroleukaemia (MEL) cells. The cDNAs are inserted between the human beta-globin

  9. IGF-1 modulates gene expression of proteins involved in inflammation, cytoskeleton, and liver architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lara-Diaz, V J; Castilla-Cortazar, I; Martín-Estal, I; García-Magariño, M; Aguirre, G A; Puche, J E; de la Garza, R G; Morales, L A; Muñoz, U

    2017-05-01

    Even though the liver synthesizes most of circulating IGF-1, it lacks its receptor under physiological conditions. However, according to previous studies, a damaged liver expresses the receptor. For this reason, herein, we examine hepatic histology and expression of genes encoding proteins of the cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix, and cell-cell molecules and inflammation-related proteins. A partial IGF-1 deficiency murine model was used to investigate IGF-1's effects on liver by comparing wild-type controls, heterozygous igf1 +/- , and heterozygous mice treated with IGF-1 for 10 days. Histology, microarray for mRNA gene expression, RT-qPCR, and lipid peroxidation were assessed. Microarray analyses revealed significant underexpression of igf1 in heterozygous mice compared to control mice, restoring normal liver expression after treatment, which then normalized its circulating levels. IGF-1 receptor mRNA was overexpressed in Hz mice liver, while treated mice displayed a similar expression to that of the controls. Heterozygous mice showed overexpression of several genes encoding proteins related to inflammatory and acute-phase proteins and underexpression or overexpression of genes which coded for extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and cell junction components. Histology revealed an altered hepatic architecture. In addition, liver oxidative damage was found increased in the heterozygous group. The mere IGF-1 partial deficiency is associated with relevant alterations of the hepatic architecture and expression of genes involved in cytoskeleton, hepatocyte polarity, cell junctions, and extracellular matrix proteins. Moreover, it induces hepatic expression of the IGF-1 receptor and elevated acute-phase and inflammation mediators, which all resulted in liver oxidative damage.

  10. Hypothyroidism coordinately and transiently affects myelin protein gene expression in most rat brain regions during postnatal development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibarrola, N; Rodríguez-Peña, A

    1997-03-28

    To assess the role of thyroid hormone on myelin gene expression, we have studied the effect of hypothyroidism on the mRNA steady state levels for the major myelin protein genes: myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) in different rat brain regions, during the first postnatal month. We found that hypothyroidism reduces the levels of every myelin protein transcript, with striking differences between the different brain regions. Thus, in the more caudal regions, the effect of hypothyroidism was extremely modest, being only evident at the earlier stages of myelination. In contrast, in the striatum and the cerebral cortex the important decrease in the myelin protein transcripts is maintained beyond the first postnatal month. Therefore, thyroid hormone modulates in a synchronous fashion the expression of the myelin genes and the length of its effect depends on the brain region. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism leads to an increase of the major myelin protein transcripts above control values. Finally, lack of thyroid hormone does not change the expression of the oligodendrocyte progenitor-specific gene, the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha.

  11. AR-v7 protein expression is regulated by protein kinase and phosphatase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yinan; Xie, Ning; Gleave, Martin E.; Rennie, Paul S.; Dong, Xuesen

    2015-01-01

    Failure of androgen-targeted therapy and progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are often attributed to sustained expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and its major splice variant, AR-v7. Although the new generation of anti-androgens such as enzalutamide effectively inhibits AR activity, accumulating pre-clinical and clinical evidence indicates that AR-v7 remains constitutively active in driving CRPC progression. However, molecular mechanisms which control AR-v7 protein expression remain unclear. We apply multiple prostate cancer cell models to demonstrate that enzalutamide induces differential activation of protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) and Akt kinase depending on the gene context of cancer cells. The balance between PP-1 and Akt activation governs AR phosphorylation status and activation of the Mdm2 ubiquitin ligase. Mdm2 recognizes phosphorylated serine 213 of AR-v7, and induces AR-v7 ubiquitination and protein degradation. These findings highlight the decisive roles of PP-1 and Akt for AR-v7 protein expression and activities when AR is functionally blocked. PMID:26378044

  12. Genome-wide screens for expressed hypothetical proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Claus Desler; Durhuus, Jon Ambæk; Rasmussen, Lene Juel

    2012-01-01

    A hypothetical protein (HP) is defined as a protein that is predicted to be expressed from an open reading frame, but for which there is no experimental evidence of translation. HPs constitute a substantial fraction of proteomes of human as well as of other organisms. With the general belief that...... that the majority of HPs are the product of pseudogenes, it is essential to have a tool with the ability of pinpointing the minority of HPs with a high probability of being expressed....

  13. MZDASoft: a software architecture that enables large-scale comparison of protein expression levels over multiple samples based on liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanat Bari, Mehrab; Ramirez, Nelson; Wang, Zhiwei; Zhang, Jianqiu Michelle

    2015-10-15

    Without accurate peak linking/alignment, only the expression levels of a small percentage of proteins can be compared across multiple samples in Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) due to the selective nature of tandem MS peptide identification. This greatly hampers biomedical research that aims at finding biomarkers for disease diagnosis, treatment, and the understanding of disease mechanisms. A recent algorithm, PeakLink, has allowed the accurate linking of LC/MS peaks without tandem MS identifications to their corresponding ones with identifications across multiple samples collected from different instruments, tissues and labs, which greatly enhanced the ability of comparing proteins. However, PeakLink cannot be implemented practically for large numbers of samples based on existing software architectures, because it requires access to peak elution profiles from multiple LC/MS/MS samples simultaneously. We propose a new architecture based on parallel processing, which extracts LC/MS peak features, and saves them in database files to enable the implementation of PeakLink for multiple samples. The software has been deployed in High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments. The core part of the software, MZDASoft Parallel Peak Extractor (PPE), can be downloaded with a user and developer's guide, and it can be run on HPC centers directly. The quantification applications, MZDASoft TandemQuant and MZDASoft PeakLink, are written in Matlab, which are compiled with a Matlab runtime compiler. A sample script that incorporates all necessary processing steps of MZDASoft for LC/MS/MS quantification in a parallel processing environment is available. The project webpage is http://compgenomics.utsa.edu/zgroup/MZDASoft. The proposed architecture enables the implementation of PeakLink for multiple samples. Significantly more (100%-500%) proteins can be compared over multiple samples with better quantification accuracy in test cases. MZDASoft

  14. Supplementation of branched-chain amino acids in protein-restricted diets modulates the expression levels of amino acid transporters and energy metabolism associated regulators in the adipose tissue of growing pigs

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    Yinghui Li

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA supplemented in protein-restricted diets on the growth performance and the expression profile of amino acid transporters and energy metabolism related regulators in the white adipose tissue (WAT of different regional depots including dorsal subcutaneous adipose (DSA and abdominal subcutaneous adipose (ASA. A total of 24 crossbred barrows (7.40 ± 0.70 kg were randomly divided into 4 groups and were fed the following isocaloric diets for 33 days: 1 a recommended adequate protein diet (AP, 20% CP, as a positive control; 2 a low protein diet (LP, 17% CP; 3 the LP diet supplemented with BCAA (LP + B, 17% CP to reach the same level of the AP diet group; 4 the LP diet supplemented with 2 times the amount of BCAA (LP + 2B, 17% CP. The daily gain and daily feed intake of the LP diet group were the lowest among all the treatments (P  0.05. Moreover, BCAA supplementation down-regulated the expression levels of amino acid transporters including L-type amino acid transporter 1 and sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 in DSA, but up-regulated the expression level of L-type amino acid transporter 4 in ASA (P < 0.05. Meanwhile, the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase α was activated in the DSA of pigs fed LP diet and in the ASA of the pigs fed AP or LP + 2B diets (P < 0.05. The mRNA expression profile of the selected mitochondrial component and mitochondrial biogenesis associated regulators in DSA and ASA also responded differently to dietary BCAA supplementation. These results suggested that the growth performance of growing pigs fed protein restricted diets supplemented with BCAA could catch up to that of the pigs fed AP diets. The results also partly demonstrated that the regulation mechanisms of BCAA are different in the adipose tissues of different depots.

  15. SHuffle, a novel Escherichia coli protein expression strain capable of correctly folding disulfide bonded proteins in its cytoplasm

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    Lobstein Julie

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Production of correctly disulfide bonded proteins to high yields remains a challenge. Recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli is the popular choice, especially within the research community. While there is an ever growing demand for new expression strains, few strains are dedicated to post-translational modifications, such as disulfide bond formation. Thus, new protein expression strains must be engineered and the parameters involved in producing disulfide bonded proteins must be understood. Results We have engineered a new E. coli protein expression strain named SHuffle, dedicated to producing correctly disulfide bonded active proteins to high yields within its cytoplasm. This strain is based on the trxB gor suppressor strain SMG96 where its cytoplasmic reductive pathways have been diminished, allowing for the formation of disulfide bonds in the cytoplasm. We have further engineered a major improvement by integrating into its chromosome a signal sequenceless disulfide bond isomerase, DsbC. We probed the redox state of DsbC in the oxidizing cytoplasm and evaluated its role in assisting the formation of correctly folded multi-disulfide bonded proteins. We optimized protein expression conditions, varying temperature, induction conditions, strain background and the co-expression of various helper proteins. We found that temperature has the biggest impact on improving yields and that the E. coli B strain background of this strain was superior to the K12 version. We also discovered that auto-expression of substrate target proteins using this strain resulted in higher yields of active pure protein. Finally, we found that co-expression of mutant thioredoxins and PDI homologs improved yields of various substrate proteins. Conclusions This work is the first extensive characterization of the trxB gor suppressor strain. The results presented should help researchers design the appropriate protein expression conditions using

  16. Ectopic High Expression of E2-EPF Ubiquitin Carrier Protein Indicates a More Unfavorable Prognosis in Brain Glioma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaohui; Zhao, Fangbo; Zhang, Shujun; Song, Yichun

    2017-04-01

    Ubiquitination of proteins meant for elimination is a primary method of eukaryotic cellular protein degradation. The ubiquitin carrier protein E2-EPF is a key degradation enzyme that is highly expressed in many tumors. However, its expression and prognostic significance in brain glioma are still unclear. The aim of this study was to reveal how the level of E2-EPF relates to prognosis in brain glioma. Thirty low-grade and 30 high-grade brain glioma samples were divided into two tissue microarrays each. Levels of E2-EPF protein were examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the level of E2-EPF in 60 glioma and 3 normal brain tissue samples. The relationship between E2-EPF levels and prognosis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves. E2-EPF levels were low in normal brain tissue samples but high in glioma nuclei. E2-EPF levels gradually increased as glioma grade increased (p EPF levels in high-grade glioma were significantly higher than in low-grade glioma (p EPF levels was shorter than in patients with low expression (p EPF was significantly shorter than patients with only nuclear E2-EPF (p EPF levels, especially ectopic, are associated with higher grade glioma and shorter survival. E2-EPF levels may play a key role in predicting the prognosis for patients with brain glioma.

  17. Protein expression analysis of inflammation-related colon carcinogenesis

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    Yasui Yumiko

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC development. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in protein expression between CRC and the surrounding nontumorous colonic tissues in the mice that received azoxymethane (AOM and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS using a proteomic analysis. Materials and Methods: Male ICR mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of AOM (10 mg/kg body weight, followed by 2% (w/v DSS in their drinking water for seven days, starting one week after the AOM injection. Colonic adenocarcinoma developed after 20 weeks and a proteomics analysis based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and ultraflex TOF/TOF mass spectrometry was conducted in the cancerous and nontumorous tissue specimens. Results: The proteomic analysis revealed 21 differentially expressed proteins in the cancerous tissues in comparison to the nontumorous tissues. There were five markedly increased proteins (beta-tropomyosin, tropomyosin 1 alpha isoform b, S100 calcium binding protein A9, and an unknown protein and 16 markedly decreased proteins (Car1 proteins, selenium-binding protein 1, HMG-CoA synthase, thioredoxin 1, 1 Cys peroxiredoxin protein 2, Fcgbp protein, Cytochrome c oxidase, subunit Va, ETHE1 protein, and 7 unknown proteins. Conclusions: There were 21 differentially expressed proteins in the cancerous tissues of the mice that received AOM and DSS. Their functions include metabolism, the antioxidant system, oxidative stress, mucin production, and inflammation. These findings may provide new insights into the mechanisms of inflammation-related colon carcinogenesis and the establishment of novel therapies and preventative strategies to treat carcinogenesis in the inflamed colon.

  18. Identifying and engineering promoters for high level and sustainable therapeutic recombinant protein production in cultured mammalian cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Steven C L; Yang, Yuansheng

    2014-08-01

    Promoters are essential on plasmid vectors to initiate transcription of the transgenes when generating therapeutic recombinant proteins expressing mammalian cell lines. High and sustained levels of gene expression are desired during therapeutic protein production while gene expression is useful for cell engineering. As many finely controlled promoters exhibit cell and product specificity, new promoters need to be identified, optimized and carefully evaluated before use. Suitable promoters can be identified using techniques ranging from simple molecular biology methods to modern high-throughput omics screenings. Promoter engineering is often required after identification to either obtain high and sustained expression or to provide a wider range of gene expression. This review discusses some of the available methods to identify and engineer promoters for therapeutic recombinant protein expression in mammalian cells.

  19. Effect of Plasmid Design and Type of Integration Event on Recombinant Protein Expression in Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogl, Thomas; Gebbie, Leigh; Palfreyman, Robin W; Speight, Robert

    2018-03-15

    Pichia pastoris (syn. Komagataella phaffii ) is one of the most common eukaryotic expression systems for heterologous protein production. Expression cassettes are typically integrated in the genome to obtain stable expression strains. In contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae , where short overhangs are sufficient to target highly specific integration, long overhangs are more efficient in P. pastoris and ectopic integration of foreign DNA can occur. Here, we aimed to elucidate the influence of ectopic integration by high-throughput screening of >700 transformants and whole-genome sequencing of 27 transformants. Different vector designs and linearization approaches were used to mimic the most common integration events targeted in P. pastoris Fluorescence of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter protein was highly uniform among transformants when the expression cassettes were correctly integrated in the targeted locus. Surprisingly, most nonspecifically integrated transformants showed highly uniform expression that was comparable to specific integration, suggesting that nonspecific integration does not necessarily influence expression. However, a few clones (integrated cassettes showed a greater variation spanning a 25-fold range, surpassing specifically integrated reference strains up to 6-fold. High-expression strains showed a correlation between increased gene copy numbers and high reporter protein fluorescence levels. Our results suggest that for comparing expression levels between strains, the integration locus can be neglected as long as a sufficient numbers of transformed strains are compared. For expression optimization of highly expressible proteins, increasing copy number appears to be the dominant positive influence rather than the integration locus, genomic rearrangements, deletions, or single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). IMPORTANCE Yeasts are commonly used as biotechnological production hosts for proteins and metabolites. In the yeast

  20. Hydroxychloroquine induces inhibition of collagen type II and oligomeric matrix protein COMP expression in chondrocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Li

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hydroxychloroquine on the level of collagen type II and oligomeric matrix protein COMP expression in chondrocytes of knee osteoarthritis. The rate of growth in cartilage cells was analyzed using MTT assay whereas the Col-2 and COMP expression levels were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting analyses. For the determination of MMP-13 expression, ELISA test was used. The results revealed no significant change in the rate of cartilage cell proliferation in hydroxychloroquine-treated compared to untreated cells. Hydroxychloro-quine treatment exhibited concentration- and time-dependent effect on the inhibition of collagen type II and COMP expression in chondrocytes. However, its treatment caused a significant enhancement in the expression levels of MMP-13 compared to the untreated cells. Therefore, hydroxychloro-quine promotes expression of MMP-13 and reduces collagen type II and COMP expression levels in chondrocytes without any significant change in the growth of cells.

  1. Cloning, Expression and Purification of the Recombinant HIV-1 Tat-Nef Fusion Protein in Prokaryotic Expression System

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    Somayeh Kadkhodayan

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Nef is one of the HIV-1 critical proteins, because it is essential for viral replication and AIDS disease progression and induction of immune response against it can partially inhibit viral infection. Moreover, a domain of the HIV-1 Trans-Activator of Transcription (Tat, 48-60 aa could act as a cell penetrating peptide (CPP. In current study, cloning and expression of Tat-Nef fusion protein was performed in E. coli for the first time. The protein expression was confirmed by western blot analysis and was purified using reverse staining method. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, primarily, cloning of Tat-Nef fusion gene was done in pGEX6p2 expression vector. Then, the expression of Tat-Nef recombinat protein in E.coli BL21 (DE3 strain was performed by using IPTG inducer. The protein expression was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and western blotting using anti-Nef monoclonal antibody. Then, the recombinant fusion protein was purified from gel using reverse staining method. Results: The results of PCR analysis and enzyme digestion showed a clear band of ~ 726 bp in agarose gel indicating the correct Tat-Nef fusion cloning in pGEX6p2 prokaryotic expression vector. In addition, a 54 kDa band of Tat-Nef on SDS-PAGE revealed Tat-Nef protein expression that western blot analysis using anti-Nef monoclonal antibody confirmed it. Conclusion: The purified Tat-Nef recombinant fusion protein will be used as an antigen for protein vaccine design against HIV infection.

  2. [A hydroponic cultivation system for rapid high-yield transient protein expression in Nicotiana plants under laboratory conditions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mo, Qianzhen; Mai, Rongjia; Yang, Zhixiao; Chen, Minfang; Yang, Tiezhao; Lai, Huafang; Yang, Peiliang; Chen, Qiang; Zhou, Xiaohong

    2012-06-01

    To develop a hydroponic Nicotiana cultivation system for rapid and high-yield transient expression of recombinant proteins under laboratory conditions. To establish the hydroponic cultivation system, several parameters were examined to define the optimal conditions for the expression of recombinant proteins in plants. We used the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the geminiviral plant transient expression vector as the model protein/expression vector. We examined the impact of Nicotiana species, the density and time of Agrobacterium infiltration, and the post-infiltration growth period on the accumulation of GFP. The expression levels of GFP in Nicotiana leaves were then examined by Western blotting and ELISA. Our data indicated that a hydroponic Nicotiana cultivation system with a light intensity of 9000 LX/layer, a light cycle of 16 h day/8 h night, a temperature regime of 28 degrees celsius; day/21 degrees celsius; night, and a relative humidity of 80% could support the optimal plant growth and protein expression. After agroinfiltration with pBYGFPDsRed.R/LBA4404, high levels of GFP expression were observed in both N. benthamiana and N. tobaccum (cv. Yuyan No.5) plants cultured with this hydroponic cultivation system. An optimal GFP expression was achieved in both Nicotiana species leaves 4 days after infiltration by Agrobacterium with an OD(600) of 0.8. At a given time point, the average biomass of N. tobaccum (cv. Yuyan No.5) was significantly higher than that of N. benthamiana. The leaves from 6-week-old N. benthamiana plants and 5-week-old N. tobaccum (cv. Yuyan No.5) plants could be the optimal material for agroinfiltration. We have established a hydroponic cultivation system that allows robust growth of N. benthamiana and N. tobaccum (cv. Yuyan No.5) plants and the optimal GFP expression in the artificial climate box.

  3. Molecular characterization and expression analysis of chloroplast protein import components in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum.

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    Jianmin Yan

    Full Text Available The translocon at the outer envelope membrane of chloroplasts (Toc mediates the recognition and initial import into the organelle of thousands of nucleus-encoded proteins. These proteins are translated in the cytosol as precursor proteins with cleavable amino-terminal targeting sequences called transit peptides. The majority of the known Toc components that mediate chloroplast protein import were originally identified in pea, and more recently have been studied most extensively in Arabidopsis. With the completion of the tomato genome sequencing project, it is now possible to identify putative homologues of the chloroplast import components in tomato. In the work reported here, the Toc GTPase cDNAs from tomato were identified, cloned and analyzed. The analysis revealed that there are four Toc159 homologues (slToc159-1, -2, -3 and -4 and two Toc34 homologues (slToc34-1 and -2 in tomato, and it was shown that tomato Toc159 and Toc34 homologues share high sequence similarity with the comparable import apparatus components from Arabidopsis and pea. Thus, tomato is a valid model for further study of this system. The expression level of Toc complex components was also investigated in different tissues during tomato development. The two tomato Toc34 homologues are expressed at higher levels in non-photosynthetic tissues, whereas, the expression of two tomato Toc159 homologues, slToc159-1 and slToc159-4, were higher in photosynthetic tissues, and the expression patterns of slToc159-2 was not significantly different in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic tissues, and slToc159-3 expression was limited to a few select tissues.

  4. Genetic regulation ofmethylation and IL1RL1-a protein levels in asthma

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijk, F Nicole; Xu, Chengjian; Melén, Erik; Carsin, Anne-Elie; Kumar, Asish; Nolte, Ilja M; Gruzieva, Olena; Pershagen, Goran; Grotenboer, Neomi S; Savenije, Olga E M; Antó, Josep Maria; Lavi, Iris; Dobaño, Carlota; Bousquet, Jean; van der Vlies, Pieter; van der Valk, Ralf J P; de Jongste, Johan C; Nawijn, Martijn C; Guerra, Stefano; Postma, Dirkje S; Koppelman, Gerard H

    2018-01-01

    Interleukin-1 receptor-like 1 (IL1RL1) is an important asthma gene. (Epi)genetic regulation ofIL1RL1protein expression has not been established. We assessed the association betweenIL1RL1single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs),IL1RL1methylation and serum IL1RL1-a protein levels, and aimed to identify

  5. Robust expression of a bioactive mammalian protein in chlamydomonas chloroplast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayfield, Stephen P.

    2010-03-16

    Methods and compositions are disclosed to engineer chloroplast comprising heterologous mammalian genes via a direct replacement of chloroplast Photosystem II (PSII) reaction center protein coding regions to achieve expression of recombinant protein above 5% of total protein. When algae is used, algal expressed protein is produced predominantly as a soluble protein where the functional activity of the peptide is intact. As the host algae is edible, production of biologics in this organism for oral delivery or proteins/peptides, especially gut active proteins, without purification is disclosed.

  6. Expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vierstra, Richard D.; Walker, Joseph M.

    2002-01-01

    A method is disclosed for the production of multiple proteins in transgenic plants. A DNA construct for introduction into plants includes a provision to express a fusion protein of two proteins of interest joined by a linking domain including plant ubiquitin. When the fusion protein is produced in the cells of a transgenic plant transformed with the DNA construction, native enzymes present in plant cells cleave the fusion protein to release both proteins of interest into the cells of the transgenic plant. Since the proteins are produced from the same fusion protein, the initial quantities of the proteins in the cells of the plant are approximately equal.

  7. Prognostic value of O‐6‐methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) protein expression in glioblastoma excluding nontumour cells from the analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahlrot, Rikke H; Dowsett, Joseph; Fosmark, Sigurd

    2018-01-01

    AIMS: It is important to predict response to treatment with temozolomide (TMZ) in glioblastoma (GBM) patients. Both MGMT protein expression and MGMT promoter methylation have been reported to predict the response to TMZ. We investigated the prognostic value of quantified MGMT protein levels...... in tumour cells and the prognostic importance of combining information of MGMT protein level and MGMT promoter methylations status. METHODS: MGMT protein expression was quantified in tumour cells in 171 GBMs from the population-based Region of Southern Denmark (RSD)-cohort using a double immunofluorescence...... approach. Pyrosequencing was performed in 157 patients. For validation we used GBM-patients from a Nordic Study (NS) investigating the effect of radiotherapy and different TMZ schedules. RESULTS: When divided at the median, patients with low expression of MGMT protein (AF-low) had the best prognosis (HR 1...

  8. Expression of the human blood coagulation protein factor XIIIa in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: dependence of the expression levels from host-vector systems and medium conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bröker, M; Bäuml, O; Göttig, A; Ochs, J; Bodenbenner, M; Amann, E

    1991-03-01

    The human blood coagulation protein Factor XIIIa (FXIIIa) was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae employing Escherichia coli-yeast shuttle vectors based on a 2-mu plasmid. Several factors affecting high production yield of recombinant FXIIIa were analysed. The use of the regulatable GAL-CYC1 hybrid promoter resulted in higher FXIIIa expression when compared with the constitutive ADCI promoter. Screening for suitable yeast strains for expression of FXIIIa under the transcriptional control of the GAL-CYC1 hybrid promoter revealed a broad spectrum of productivity. No obvious correlation between the expression rate and the genetic markers of the strains could be identified. The medium composition markedly influenced the FXIIIa expression rates. The expression of FXIIIa was strictly regulated by the carbon source. Glucose as the only sugar and energy source repressed the synthesis of FXIIIa, whereas addition of galactose induced FXIIIa expression. Special feeding schemes resulted in a productivity of up to 100 mg FXIIIa/l in shake flasks.

  9. SCA-1 Expression Level Identifies Quiescent Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

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    Mina N.F. Morcos

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Blood cell generation depends on continuous cellular output by the sequential hierarchy of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC and progenitor populations that all contain quiescent and actively cycling cells. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs express the surface molecule Stem cell antigen 1 (SCA-1/LY6A. Using histone 2B-red fluorescent fusion protein label retention and cell-cycle reporter mice, we demonstrate that high SCA-1 expression (SCA-1hi identifies not only quiescent HSCs but quiescent cells on all hierarchical levels within the lineage−SCA-1+KIT+ (LSK population. Each transplanted SCA-1hi HSPC population also displayed self-renewal potential superior to that of the respective SCA-1lo population. SCA-1 expression is inducible by type I interferon (IFN. We show, however, that quiescence and high self-renewal capacity of cells with brighter SCA-1 expression at steady state were independent of type I IFN signaling. We conclude that SCA-1 expression levels can be used to prospectively isolate functionally heterogeneous HSPC subpopulations.

  10. Protein kinase B/Akt1 inhibits autophagy by down-regulating UVRAG expression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Wonseok; Ju, Ji-hyun; Lee, Kyung-min; Nam, KeeSoo; Oh, Sunhwa [Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Incheol, E-mail: incheol@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-02-01

    Autophagy, or autophagocytosis, is a selective intracellular degradative process involving the cell's own lysosomal apparatus. An essential component in cell development, homeostasis, repair and resistance to stress, autophagy may result in either cell death or survival. The targeted region of the cell is sequestered within a membrane structure, the autophagosome, for regulation of the catabolic process. A key factor in both autophagosome formation and autophagosome maturation is a protein encoded by the ultraviolet irradiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG). Conversely, the serine/threonine-specific protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt), which regulates survival in various cancers, inhibits autophagy through mTOR activation. We found that Akt1 may also directly inhibit autophagy by down-regulating UVRAG both in a 293T transient transfection system and breast cancer cells stably expressing Akt1. The UVRAG with mutations at putative Akt1-phosphorylation sites were still inhibited by Akt1, and dominant-negative Akt1 also inhibited UVRAG expression, suggesting that Akt1 down-regulates UVRAG by a kinase activity-independent mechanism. We showed that Akt1 overexpression in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells down-regulated UVRAG transcription. Cells over-expressing Akt1 were more resistant than control cells to ultraviolet light-induced autophagy and exhibited the associated reduction in cell viability. Levels of the autophagosome indicator protein LC3B-II and mRFP-GFP-LC3 were reduced in cells that over-expressing Akt1. Inhibiting Akt1 by siRNA or reintroducing UVRAG gene rescued the level of LC3B-II in UV-irradiation. Altogether, these data suggest that Akt1 may inhibit autophagy by decreasing UVRAG expression, which also sensitizes cancer cells to UV irradiation.

  11. The level of CD147 expression correlates with cyclophilin-induced signalling and chemotaxis

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    Constant Stephanie

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies identified CD147 as the chemotactic receptor on inflammatory leukocytes for extracellular cyclophilins (eCyp. However, CD147 is not known to associate with signal transducing molecules, so other transmembrane proteins, such as proteoglycans, integrins, and CD98, were suggested as receptor or co-receptor for eCyp. CD147 is ubiquitously expressed on many cell types, but relationship between the level of CD147 expression and cellular responses to eCyp has never been analyzed. Given the role of eCyp in pathogenesis of many diseases, it is important to know whether cellular responses to eCyp are regulated at the level of CD147 expression. Results Here, we manipulated CD147 expression levels on HeLa cells using RNAi and investigated the signalling and chemotactic responses to eCypA. Both Erk activation and chemotaxis correlated with the level of CD147 expression, with cells exhibiting low level expression being practically unresponsive to eCypA. Conclusions Our results provide the first demonstration of a chemotactic response of HeLa cells to eCypA, establish a correlation between the level of CD147 expression and the magnitude of cellular responses to eCypA, and indicate that CD147 may be a limiting factor in the receptor complex determining cyclophilin-induced Erk activation and cell migration.

  12. Bombyx mori Serpin6 regulates prophenoloxidase activity and the expression of antimicrobial proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bing; Yu, Hai-Zhong; Ye, Chong-Jun; Ma, Yan; Li, Xing; Fan, Tao; Chen, Fu-Sheng; Xu, Jia-Ping

    2017-04-30

    Serpins are a family of serine protease inhibitors that are found widely in insects. They play an important role in insect physiological responses, such as innate immunity and development. In this study, we obtained the Bombyx mori serpin6 (BmSerpin6) sequence from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the silkworm genome database (SilkDB). Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) results showed that BmSerpin6 was expressed highly in hemocytes, the midgut, and the fat body. After challenging with Micrococcus luteus (Mi) and Serratia marcescens (Sm), the BmSerpin6 expression level was induced significantly. Transcript levels of gloverin2 and prophenoloxidase (PPO) activity were reduced significantly in the fat body and hemocytes after injecting the recombinant BmSerpin6 protein into silkworm larvae. A BmSerpin6 recombinant plasmid (BmSerpin6-pAC 5.1) was constructed successfully and transfected into Drosophila S2 cells, which resulted in significantly reduced expression of the drosomycin protein. These results indicated that BmSerpin6 might regulate silkworm immune responses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Differential regulation of amyloid-β-protein mRNA expression within hippocampal neuronal subpopulations in Alzheimer disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Higgins, G.A.; Lewis, D.A.; Bahmanyar, S.; Goldgaber, D.; Gajdusek, D.C.; Young, W.G.; Morrison, J.H.; Wilson, M.C.

    1988-01-01

    The authors have mapped the neuroanatomical distribution of amyloid-β-protein mRNA within neuronal subpopulations of the hippocampal formation in the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis), normal aged human, and patients with Alzheimer disease. Amyloid-β-protein mRNA appears to be expressed in all hippocampal neurons, but at different levels of abundance. In the central nervous system of monkey and normal aged human, image analysis shows that neurons of the dentate gyrus and cornu Ammonis fields contain a 2.5-times-greater hybridization signal than is present in neurons of the subiculum and entorhinal cortex. In contrast, in the Alzheimer disease hippocampal formation, the levels of amyloid-β-protein mRNA in the cornu Ammonis field 3 and parasubiculum are equivalent. These findings suggest that within certain neuronal subpopulations cell type-specific regulation of amyloid-β-protein gene expression may be altered in Alzheimer disease

  14. Multiplexed expression and screening for recombinant protein production in mammalian cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McCafferty John

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A variety of approaches to understanding protein structure and function require production of recombinant protein. Mammalian based expression systems have advantages over bacterial systems for certain classes of protein but can be slower and more laborious. Thus the availability of a simple system for production and rapid screening of constructs or conditions for mammalian expression would be of great benefit. To this end we have coupled an efficient recombinant protein production system based on transient transfection in HEK-293 EBNA1 (HEK-293E suspension cells with a dot blot method allowing pre-screening of proteins expressed in cells in a high throughput manner. Results A nested PCR approach was used to clone 21 extracellular domains of mouse receptors as CD4 fusions within a mammalian GATEWAY expression vector system. Following transient transfection, HEK-293E cells grown in 2 ml cultures in 24-deep well blocks showed similar growth kinetics, viability and recombinant protein expression profiles, to those grown in 50 ml shake flask cultures as judged by western blotting. Following optimisation, fluorescent dot blot analysis of transfection supernatants was shown to be a rapid method for analysing protein expression yielding similar results as western blot analysis. Addition of urea enhanced the binding of glycoproteins to a nitrocellulose membrane. A good correlation was observed between the results of a plate based small scale transient transfection dot blot pre-screen and successful purification of proteins expressed at the 50 ml scale. Conclusion The combination of small scale multi-well plate culture and dot blotting described here will allow the multiplex analysis of different mammalian expression experiments enabling a faster identification of high yield expression constructs or conditions prior to large scale protein production. The methods for parallel GATEWAY cloning and expression of multiple constructs in cell

  15. Unique protein expression signatures of survival time in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma through a pan-cancer screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Guangchun; Zhao, Wei; Song, Xiaofeng; Kwok-Shing Ng, Patrick; Karam, Jose A; Jonasch, Eric; Mills, Gordon B; Zhao, Zhongming; Ding, Zhiyong; Jia, Peilin

    2017-10-03

    In 2016, it is estimated that there will be 62,700 new cases of kidney cancer in the United States, and 14,240 patients will die from the disease. Because the incidence of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), the most common type of kidney cancer, is expected to continue to increase in the US, there is an urgent need to find effective diagnostic biomarkers for KIRC that could help earlier detection of and customized treatment strategies for the disease. Accordingly, in this study we systematically investigated KIRC's prognostic biomarkers for survival using the reverse phase protein array (RPPA) data and the high throughput sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). With comprehensive data available in TCGA, we systematically screened protein expression based survival biomarkers in 10 major cancer types, among which KIRC presented many protein prognostic biomarkers of survival time. This is in agreement with a previous report that expression level changes (mRNAs, microRNA and protein) may have a better performance for prognosis of KIRC. In this study, we also identified 52 prognostic genes for KIRC, many of which are involved in cell-cycle and cancer signaling, as well as 15 tumor-stage-specific prognostic biomarkers. Notably, we found fewer prognostic biomarkers for early-stage than for late-stage KIRC. Four biomarkers (the RPPA protein IDs: FASN, ACC1, Cyclin_B1 and Rad51) were found to be prognostic for survival based on both protein and mRNA expression data. Through pan-cancer screening, we found that many protein biomarkers were prognostic for patients' survival in KIRC. Stage-specific survival biomarkers in KIRC were also identified. Our study indicated that these protein biomarkers might have potential clinical value in terms of predicting survival in KIRC patients and developing individualized treatment strategies. Importantly, we found many biomarkers in KIRC at both the mRNA expression level and the protein expression level. These

  16. Trichohyalin-like 1 protein, a member of fused S100 proteins, is expressed in normal and pathologic human skin

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    Yamakoshi, Takako [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Makino, Teruhiko, E-mail: tmakino@med.u-toyama.ac.jp [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Ur Rehman, Mati; Yoshihisa, Yoko [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Sugimori, Michiya [Department of Integrative Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Shimizu, Tadamichi, E-mail: shimizut@med.u-toyama.ac.jp [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan)

    2013-03-01

    Highlights: ► Trichohyalin-like 1 protein is a member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. ► Specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein were generated. ► TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. ► TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in tumor nests of BCC and SCC. ► The expression of TCHHL1 proteins increased in epidermis of psoriasis vulgaris. - Abstract: Trichohyalin-like 1 (TCHHL1) protein is a novel member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. The deduced amino acid sequence of TCHHL1 contains an EF-hand domain in the N-terminus, one trans-membrane domain and a nuclear localization signal. We generated specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein and examined the expression of TCHHL1 proteins in normal and pathological human skin. An immunohistochemical study showed that TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. In addition, signals of TCHHL1 proteins were observed around the nuclei of cultured growing keratinocytes. Accordingly, TCHHL1 mRNA has been detected in normal skin and cultured growing keratinocytes. Furthermore, TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in the peripheral areas of tumor nests in basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. A dramatic increase in the number of Ki67 positive cells was observed in TCHHL1-expressing areas. The expression of TCHHL1 proteins also increased in non-cancerous hyperproliferative epidermal tissues such as those of psoriasis vulgaris and lichen planus. These findings highlight the possibility that TCHHL1 proteins are expressed in growing keratinocytes of the epidermis and might be associated with the proliferation of keratinocytes.

  17. Trichohyalin-like 1 protein, a member of fused S100 proteins, is expressed in normal and pathologic human skin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamakoshi, Takako; Makino, Teruhiko; Ur Rehman, Mati; Yoshihisa, Yoko; Sugimori, Michiya; Shimizu, Tadamichi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Trichohyalin-like 1 protein is a member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. ► Specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein were generated. ► TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. ► TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in tumor nests of BCC and SCC. ► The expression of TCHHL1 proteins increased in epidermis of psoriasis vulgaris. - Abstract: Trichohyalin-like 1 (TCHHL1) protein is a novel member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. The deduced amino acid sequence of TCHHL1 contains an EF-hand domain in the N-terminus, one trans-membrane domain and a nuclear localization signal. We generated specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein and examined the expression of TCHHL1 proteins in normal and pathological human skin. An immunohistochemical study showed that TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. In addition, signals of TCHHL1 proteins were observed around the nuclei of cultured growing keratinocytes. Accordingly, TCHHL1 mRNA has been detected in normal skin and cultured growing keratinocytes. Furthermore, TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in the peripheral areas of tumor nests in basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. A dramatic increase in the number of Ki67 positive cells was observed in TCHHL1-expressing areas. The expression of TCHHL1 proteins also increased in non-cancerous hyperproliferative epidermal tissues such as those of psoriasis vulgaris and lichen planus. These findings highlight the possibility that TCHHL1 proteins are expressed in growing keratinocytes of the epidermis and might be associated with the proliferation of keratinocytes

  18. Boosted expression of the SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein in tobacco and its immunogenicity in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Nuoyan; Xia, Ran; Yang, Cuiping; Yin, Bojiao; Li, Yin; Duan, Chengguo; Liang, Liming; Guo, Huishan; Xie, Qi

    2009-08-06

    Vaccines produced in plant systems are safe and economical; however, the extensive application of plant-based vaccines is mainly hindered by low expression levels of heterologous proteins in plant systems. Here, we demonstrated that the post-transcriptional gene silencing suppressor p19 protein from tomato bushy stunt virus substantially enhanced the transient expression of recombinant SARS-CoV nucleocapsid (rN) protein in Nicotiana benthamiana. The rN protein in the agrobacteria-infiltrated plant leaf accumulated up to a concentration of 79 microg per g fresh leaf weight at 3 days post infiltration. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally vaccinated with pre-treated plant extract emulsified in Freund's adjuvant. The rN protein-specific IgG in the mouse sera attained a titer about 1:1,800 following three doses of immunization, which suggested effective B-cell maturation and differentiation in mice. Antibodies of the subclasses IgG1 and IgG2a were abundantly present in the mouse sera. During vaccination of rN protein, the expression of IFN-gamma and IL-10 was evidently up-regulated in splenocytes at different time points, while the expression of IL-2 and IL-4 was not. Up to now, this is the first study that plant-expressed recombinant SARS-CoV N protein can induce strong humoral and cellular responses in mice.

  19. Expression and Clinical Significance of the Autophagy Proteins BECLIN 1 and LC3 in Ovarian Cancer

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    Guido Valente

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Autophagy is dysregulated in cancer and might be involved in ovarian carcinogenesis. BECLIN-1, a protein that interacts with either BCL-2 or PI3k class III, plays a critical role in the regulation of both autophagy and cell death. Induction of autophagy is associated with the presence of vacuoles characteristically labelled with the protein LC3. We have studied the biological and clinical significance of BECLIN 1 and LC3 in ovary tumours of different histological types. The positive expression of BECLIN 1 was well correlated with the presence of LC3-positive autophagic vacuoles and was inversely correlated with the expression of BCL-2. The latter inhibits the autophagy function of BECLIN 1. We found that type I tumours, which are less aggressive than type II, were more frequently expressing high level of BECLIN 1. Of note, tumours of histologic grade III expressed low level of BECLIN 1. Consistently, high level of expression of BECLIN 1 and LC3 in tumours is well correlated with the overall survival of the patients. The present data are compatible with the hypotheses that a low level of autophagy favours cancer progression and that ovary cancer with upregulated autophagy has a less aggressive behaviour and is more responsive to chemotherapy.

  20. Expression of cancer-associated fibroblast-related proteins differs between invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive ductal carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Cheol Keun; Jung, Woo Hee; Koo, Ja Seung

    2016-08-01

    Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are classified into various functional subtypes such as fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α), fibroblast specific protein-1 (FSP-1), platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFR-α), and PDGFR-β. In this study, we compared the expression of CAF-related proteins in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) with those in invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST) and assessed the implications of the differences observed. Using tissue microarrays of 104 ILC and 524 invasive carcinoma (NST) cases, immunohistochemistry for CAF-related proteins [podoplanin, prolyl 4-hydroxylase, FAP-α, FSP-1/S100A4, PDGFR-α, PDGFR-β, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (NG2)] was conducted. In invasive carcinoma (NST), tumor cells expressed a high level of PDGFR-α, whereas ILC tumor cells expressed high levels of podoplanin, prolyl 4-hydroxylase, FAP-α, and FSP-1/S100A4. In stromal cells of invasive carcinoma (NST), high expression levels of prolyl 4-hydroxylase, PDGFR-α, and NG2 were observed, whereas ILC stromal cells expressed high levels of FAP-α, FSP-1/S100A4, and PDGFR-β. In ILC, tumoral FSP-1/S100A4 positivity was associated with higher Ki-67 labeling index (p = 0.010) and non-luminal A type cancer (p = 0.014). Stromal PDGFR-α positivity was associated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.011). On survival analysis of entire cases, tumoral FSP-1/S100A4 positivity (p = 0.002), stromal podoplanin positivity (p = 0.041), and stromal FSP-1/S100A4 negativity (p = 0.041) were associated with shorter disease-free survival; only tumoral FSP-1/S100A4 positivity (p = 0.044) was associated with shorter overall survival. In ILC, the expression of FAP-α and FSP-1/S100A4 was higher in both tumor and stromal cells than that observed in invasive carcinoma (NST). These results indicate that CAFs are a potential target in ILC treatment.

  1. Expression of Leaf Proteins in Two Cultivars of Bread Wheat under Cadmium and Mercury Stress Using Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis

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    S. Y. Raeesi Sadati

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Wheat is an important source of human food. Cadmium and mercury bind to sulfhydryl groups of structural proteins and enzymes and cause inhibition in activity and decrease in protein production or interfere with the regulation of the enzymes. To study the effect of protein expression under different levels of cadmium and mercury, the experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran. Experimental factors consisted of two Gonbad and Tajan bread what cultivars, heavy metals in seven levels (four concentrations of mercuric chloride in 5, 10, 15 and 20 µM and cadmium chloride at two concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 mM and sampling time after 8 and 16 hours of treatment. The Bradford method was used for quantitative analysis of proteins and 12% SDS-PAGE and two dimensional electrophorese techniques were hired for analysis of their expression. The results showed that under cadmium and mercury stresses, the total protein content increased compared to the control. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins under cadmium stress showed differential expression of the protein spots on the plant leaves, than the control. In general, changes in the expression of proteins under the effect of cadmium stress were divided into two main categories: Spots 9, 10, 13, 14 and 16 belonged to proteins with reduced expression and the spots 1, 2, 8, 19 and 20 belonged to proteins with increased expression, in comparison to non-stressed control. These spots of up regulated proteins were directly related to the defense system against the heavy metal stress.

  2. Arabidopsis mRNA polyadenylation machinery: comprehensive analysis of protein-protein interactions and gene expression profiling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mo Min

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The polyadenylation of mRNA is one of the critical processing steps during expression of almost all eukaryotic genes. It is tightly integrated with transcription, particularly its termination, as well as other RNA processing events, i.e. capping and splicing. The poly(A tail protects the mRNA from unregulated degradation, and it is required for nuclear export and translation initiation. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that the polyadenylation process is also involved in the regulation of gene expression. The polyadenylation process requires two components, the cis-elements on the mRNA and a group of protein factors that recognize the cis-elements and produce the poly(A tail. Here we report a comprehensive pairwise protein-protein interaction mapping and gene expression profiling of the mRNA polyadenylation protein machinery in Arabidopsis. Results By protein sequence homology search using human and yeast polyadenylation factors, we identified 28 proteins that may be components of Arabidopsis polyadenylation machinery. To elucidate the protein network and their functions, we first tested their protein-protein interaction profiles. Out of 320 pair-wise protein-protein interaction assays done using the yeast two-hybrid system, 56 (~17% showed positive interactions. 15 of these interactions were further tested, and all were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and/or in vitro co-purification. These interactions organize into three distinct hubs involving the Arabidopsis polyadenylation factors. These hubs are centered around AtCPSF100, AtCLPS, and AtFIPS. The first two are similar to complexes seen in mammals, while the third one stands out as unique to plants. When comparing the gene expression profiles extracted from publicly available microarray datasets, some of the polyadenylation related genes showed tissue-specific expression, suggestive of potential different polyadenylation complex configurations. Conclusion An

  3. Differential protein expression using proteomics from a crustacean brine shrimp (Artemia sinica) under CO2-driven seawater acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Xue-Jiao; Zheng, Chao-Qun; Wang, Yu-Wei; Meng, Chuang; Xie, Xiao-Lu; Liu, Hai-Peng

    2016-11-01

    Gradually increasing atmospheric CO 2 partial pressure (pCO 2 ) has caused an imbalance in carbonate chemistry and resulted in decreased seawater pH in marine ecosystems, termed seawater acidification. Anthropogenic seawater acidification is postulated to affect the physiology of many marine calcifying organisms. To understand the possible effects of seawater acidification on the proteomic responses of a marine crustacean brine shrimp (Artemia sinica) three groups of cysts were hatched and further raised in seawater at different pH levels (8.2 as control and 7.8 and 7.6 as acidification stress levels according to the predicted levels at the end of this century and next century, respectively) for 1, 7 and 14 days followed by examination of the protein expression changes via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Searches of protein databases revealed that 67 differential protein spots were altered due to lower pH level (7.6 and 7.8) stress in comparison to control groups (pH 8.2) by mass spectrometry. Generally, these differentially expressed proteins included the following: 1) metabolic process-related proteins involved in glycolysis and glucogenesis, nucleotide/amino acid/fatty acid metabolism, protein biosynthesis, DNA replication and apoptosis; 2) stress response-related proteins, such as peroxiredoxin, thioredoxin peroxidase, 70-kDa heat shock protein, Na/K ATPase, and ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase; 3) immune defence-related proteins, such as prophenoloxidase and ferritin; 4) cytoskeletal-related proteins, such as myosin light chain, TCP1 subunit 2, tropomyosin and tubulin alpha chain; and 5) signal transduction-related proteins, such as phospholipase C-like protein, 14-3-3 zeta, translationally controlled tumour protein and RNA binding motif protein. Taken together, these data support the idea that CO 2 -driven seawater acidification may affect protein expression in the crustacean A. sinica and possibly also in other species that feed on brine shrimp in the

  4. SRSF3 represses the expression of PDCD4 protein by coordinated regulation of alternative splicing, export and translation

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    Park, Seung Kuk; Jeong, Sunjoo, E-mail: sjsj@dankook.ac.kr

    2016-02-05

    Gene expression is regulated at multiple steps, such as transcription, splicing, export, degradation and translation. Considering diverse roles of SR proteins, we determined whether the tumor-related splicing factor SRSF3 regulates the expression of the tumor-suppressor protein, PDCD4, at multiple steps. As we have reported previously, knockdown of SRSF3 increased the PDCD4 protein level in SW480 colon cancer cells. More interestingly, here we showed that the alternative splicing and the nuclear export of minor isoforms of pdcd4 mRNA were repressed by SRSF3, but the translation step was unaffected. In contrast, only the translation step of the major isoform of pdcd4 mRNA was repressed by SRSF3. Therefore, overexpression of SRSF3 might be relevant to the repression of all isoforms of PDCD4 protein levels in most types of cancer cell. We propose that SRSF3 could act as a coordinator of the expression of PDCD4 protein via two mechanisms on two alternatively spliced mRNA isoforms.

  5. Structure and expression of the maize (Zea mays L. SUN-domain protein gene family: evidence for the existence of two divergent classes of SUN proteins in plants

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    Simmons Carl R

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The nuclear envelope that separates the contents of the nucleus from the cytoplasm provides a surface for chromatin attachment and organization of the cortical nucleoplasm. Proteins associated with it have been well characterized in many eukaryotes but not in plants. SUN (Sad1p/Unc-84 domain proteins reside in the inner nuclear membrane and function with other proteins to form a physical link between the nucleoskeleton and the cytoskeleton. These bridges transfer forces across the nuclear envelope and are increasingly recognized to play roles in nuclear positioning, nuclear migration, cell cycle-dependent breakdown and reformation of the nuclear envelope, telomere-led nuclear reorganization during meiosis, and karyogamy. Results We found and characterized a family of maize SUN-domain proteins, starting with a screen of maize genomic sequence data. We characterized five different maize ZmSUN genes (ZmSUN1-5, which fell into two classes (probably of ancient origin, as they are also found in other monocots, eudicots, and even mosses. The first (ZmSUN1, 2, here designated canonical C-terminal SUN-domain (CCSD, includes structural homologs of the animal and fungal SUN-domain protein genes. The second (ZmSUN3, 4, 5, here designated plant-prevalent mid-SUN 3 transmembrane (PM3, includes a novel but conserved structural variant SUN-domain protein gene class. Mircroarray-based expression analyses revealed an intriguing pollen-preferred expression for ZmSUN5 mRNA but low-level expression (50-200 parts per ten million in multiple tissues for all the others. Cloning and characterization of a full-length cDNA for a PM3-type maize gene, ZmSUN4, is described. Peptide antibodies to ZmSUN3, 4 were used in western-blot and cell-staining assays to show that they are expressed and show concentrated staining at the nuclear periphery. Conclusions The maize genome encodes and expresses at least five different SUN-domain proteins, of which the PM3

  6. A Protein Disulfide Isomerase Gene Fusion Expression System That Increases the Extracellular Productivity of Bacillus brevis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kajino, Tsutomu; Ohto, Chikara; Muramatsu, Masayoshi; Obata, Shusei; Udaka, Shigezo; Yamada, Yukio; Takahashi, Haruo

    2000-01-01

    We have developed a versatile Bacillus brevis expression and secretion system based on the use of fungal protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) as a gene fusion partner. Fusion with PDI increased the extracellular production of heterologous proteins (light chain of immunoglobulin G, 8-fold; geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase, 12-fold). Linkage to PDI prevented the aggregation of the secreted proteins, resulting in high-level accumulation of fusion proteins in soluble and biologically active forms. We also show that the disulfide isomerase activity of PDI in a fusion protein is responsible for the suppression of the aggregation of the protein with intradisulfide, whereas aggregation of the protein without intradisulfide was prevented even when the protein was fused to a mutant PDI whose two active sites were disrupted, suggesting that another PDI function, such as chaperone-like activity, synergistically prevented the aggregation of heterologous proteins in the PDI fusion expression system. PMID:10653729

  7. Uncovering methods for the prevention of protein aggregation and improvement of product quality in a transient expression system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estes, Bram; Hsu, Yueh-Rong; Tam, Lei-Ting; Sheng, Jackie; Stevens, Jennitte; Haldankar, Raj

    2015-01-01

    Mammalian expression systems are used routinely for the production of recombinant proteins as therapeutic molecules as well as research tools. Transient expression has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its rapid timeline and improvements in expression level. While improvements to transient expression systems have focused mainly on the level of protein expression, the aspect of protein quality has received little attention. The removal of undesirable products, such as aggregation, depends primarily on purification, requiring additional cumbersome steps, which can lead to a lower product yield and longer timelines. In this study, we show that reducing the level of transcription by transfecting at a lower gene dose improves the quality of secreted molecules prone to aggregation. For gene dosing to have this effect, it is critical for the carrier DNA to be an empty vector containing the same elements as the gene containing plasmid. This approach can be used in combination with a temperature shift to hypothermic conditions during production to enhance the effect. The observed improvements not only minimized aggregation levels, but also generated products with overall superior quality, including more homogeneous signal peptide cleavage and N-linked glycosylation profiles. These techniques have produced a similar improvement in product quality with a variety of other molecules, suggesting that this may be a general approach to enhance product quality from transient expression systems. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  8. Elevated endogenous expression of the dominant negative basic helix-loop-helix protein ID1 correlates with significant centrosome abnormalities in human tumor cells

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    Gutmann Anja

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background ID proteins are dominant negative inhibitors of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that have multiple functions during development and cellular differentiation. Ectopic (over-expression of ID1 extends the lifespan of primary human epithelial cells. High expression levels of ID1 have been detected in multiple human malignancies, and in some have been correlated with unfavorable clinical prognosis. ID1 protein is localized at the centrosomes and forced (over-expression of ID1 results in errors during centrosome duplication. Results Here we analyzed the steady state expression levels of the four ID-proteins in 18 tumor cell lines and assessed the number of centrosome abnormalities. While expression of ID1, ID2, and ID3 was detected, we failed to detect protein expression of ID4. Expression of ID1 correlated with increased supernumerary centrosomes in most cell lines analyzed. Conclusions This is the first report that shows that not only ectopic expression in tissue culture but endogenous levels of ID1 modulate centrosome numbers. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that ID1 interferes with centrosome homeostasis, most likely contributing to genomic instability and associated tumor aggressiveness.

  9. The new pLAI (lux regulon based auto-inducible expression system for recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nocadello Salvatore

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background After many years of intensive research, it is generally assumed that no universal expression system can exist for high-level production of a given recombinant protein. Among the different expression systems, the inducible systems are the most popular for their tight regulation. However, induction is in many cases less favorable due to the high cost and/or toxicity of inducers, incompatibilities with industrial scale-up or detrimental growth conditions. Expression systems using autoinduction (or self-induction prove to be extremely versatile allowing growth and induction of recombinant proteins without the need to monitor cell density or add inducer. Unfortunately, almost all the actual auto inducible expression systems need endogenous or induced metabolic changes during the growth to trigger induction, both frequently linked to detrimental condition to cell growth. In this context, we use a simple modular approach for a cell density-based genetic regulation in order to assemble an autoinducible recombinant protein expression system in E. coli. Result The newly designed pLAI expression system places the expression of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli under control of the regulatory genes of the lux regulon of Vibrio fischeri's Quorum Sensing (QS system. The pLAI system allows a tight regulation of the recombinant gene allowing a negligible basal expression and expression only at high cell density. Sequence optimization of regulative genes of QS of V. fischeri for expression in E. coli upgraded the system to high level expression. Moreover, partition of regulative genes between the plasmid and the host genome and introduction of a molecular safety lock permitted tighter control of gene expression. Conclusion Coupling gene expression to cell density using cell-to-cell communication provides a promising approach for recombinant protein production. The system allows the control of expression of the target recombinant gene

  10. Iron Loading Selectively Increases Hippocampal Levels of Ubiquitinated Proteins and Impairs Hippocampus-Dependent Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueiredo, Luciana Silva; de Freitas, Betânia Souza; Garcia, Vanessa Athaíde; Dargél, Vinícius Ayub; Köbe, Luiza Machado; Kist, Luiza Wilges; Bogo, Maurício Reis; Schröder, Nadja

    2016-11-01

    Alterations of brain iron levels have been observed in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. We have previously demonstrated that iron overload in the neonatal period results in severe and persistent memory deficits in the adulthood. Protein degradation mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a central regulatory role in several cellular processes. Impairment of the UPS has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we examined the effects of iron exposure in the neonatal period (12th-14th day of postnatal life) on the expression of proteasome β-1, β-2, and β-5 subunits, and ubiquitinated proteins in brains of 15-day-old rats, to evaluate the immediate effect of the treatment, and in adulthood to assess long-lasting effects. Two different memory types, emotionally motivated conditioning and object recognition were assessed in adult animals. We found that iron administered in the neonatal period impairs both emotionally motivated and recognition memory. Polyubiquitinated protein levels were increased in the hippocampus, but not in the cortex, of adult animals treated with iron. Gene expression of subunits β1 and β5 was affected by age, being higher in the early stages of development in the hippocampus, accompanied by an age-related increase in polyubiquitinated protein levels in adults. In the cortex, gene expression of the three proteasome subunits was significantly higher in adulthood than in the neonatal period. These findings suggest that expression of proteasome subunits and activity are age-dependently regulated. Iron exposure in the neonatal period produces long-lasting harmful effects on the UPS functioning, which may be related with iron-induced memory impairment.

  11. FAM20: an evolutionarily conserved family of secreted proteins expressed in hematopoietic cells

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    Cobos Everardo

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hematopoiesis is a complex developmental process controlled by a large number of factors that regulate stem cell renewal, lineage commitment and differentiation. Secreted proteins, including the hematopoietic growth factors, play critical roles in these processes and have important biological and clinical significance. We have employed representational difference analysis to identify genes that are differentially expressed during experimentally induced myeloid differentiation in the murine EML hematopoietic stem cell line. Results One identified clone encoded a previously unidentified protein of 541 amino acids that contains an amino terminal signal sequence but no other characterized domains. This protein is a member of family of related proteins that has been named family with sequence similarity 20 (FAM20 with three members (FAM20A, FAM20B and FAM20C in mammals. Evolutionary comparisons revealed the existence of a single FAM20 gene in the simple vertebrate Ciona intestinalis and the invertebrate worm Caenorhabditis elegans and two genes in two insect species, Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae. Six FAM20 family members were identified in the genome of the pufferfish, Fugu rubripes and five members in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. The mouse Fam20a protein was ectopically expressed in a mammalian cell line and found to be a bona fide secreted protein and efficient secretion was dependent on the integrity of the signal sequence. Expression analysis revealed that the Fam20a gene was indeed differentially expressed during hematopoietic differentiation and that the other two family members (Fam20b and Fam20c were also expressed during hematcpoiesis but that their mRNA levels did not vary significantly. Likewise FAM20A was expressed in more limited set of human tissues than the other two family members. Conclusions The FAM20 family represents a new family of secreted proteins with potential functions in regulating

  12. The apoptotic response in HCT116BAX-/- cancer cells becomes rapidly saturated with increasing expression of a GFP-BAX fusion protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semaan, Sheila J; Nickells, Robert W

    2010-01-01

    Many chemotherapeutic agents promote tumor cell death by activating the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Intrinsic apoptosis involves permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane and the release of cytochrome c, a process that is controlled by proteins of the BCL2 gene family. Chemoresistance is often associated with abnormalities in concentrations of BCL2 family proteins. Although stoichiometirc interactions between anti-apoptotic and BH3-only BCL2 family proteins have been well documented as affecting cell death, the association between changes in BAX concentration and intrinsic apoptosis are poorly understood. Exogenous GFP-murine Bax fusion constructs were transfected into BAX-deficient HCT116 cells. To titrate the expression of the fusion protein, GFP-BAX was cloned into a tetracycline sensitive expression cassette and cotransfected with a plasmid expressing the rtTA transcription factor into HCT116 BAX-/- cells. Linear expression of the fusion gene was induced with doxycycline and monitored by quantitative PCR and immunoblotting. Cell death was assayed by DAPI staining cells after exposure to indomethacin, and scoring nuclei for condensed chromatin and fragmented nuclei. HCT116 BAX-/- cells were resistant to indomethacin, but susceptibility could be recovered in cells expressing a GFP-BAX fusion protein. Titration of GFP-BAX expression revealed that the concentration of BAX required to induce a saturating apoptosis response from baseline, was rapidly achieved. Increased levels of GFP-BAX were unable to stimulate higher levels of cell death. Examination of GFP-BAX distribution before and after indomethacin treatment indicated that BAX protein did not form aggregates when present at sub-lethal concentrations. Within the limitations of this experimental system, BAX-dependent apoptosis in HCT116 cells exhibits an all-or-none response depending on the level of BAX protein present. The lack of BAX aggregation at sub-saturation levels suggests that the

  13. Cytosolic Hsp70/Hsc70 protein expression in lymphocytes exposed to low gamma-ray dose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manzanares A, E.; Vega C, H.R.; Letechipia de Leon, C.; Guzman E, L.J.; Garcia T, M.

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of low gamma ray intensity upon Hsp70 expression in human Iymphocytes. The heat shock proteins (Hsp) family, are a group of proteins present in all living organism, therefore there are highly conserved and are related to adaptation and evolution. At cellular level these proteins acts as chaperones correcting denatured proteins. When a stress agent, such heavy metals, UV, heat, etc. is affecting a cell a response to this aggression is triggered only through over expression of Hsp. Several studies has been carried out in which the cellular effect are observed, mostly of these studies uses large doses, but very few studies are related with low doses. Blood of healthy volunteers was obtained and the Iymphocytes were isolated by ficoll- histopaque gradient. Experimental lots were irradiated in a 137 Cs gamma-ray. Hsp70 expression was found since 0.5 c Gy, indicating a threshold to very low doses of gamma rays. (Author)

  14. Cytosolic Hsp70/Hsc70 protein expression in lymphocytes exposed to low gamma-ray dose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manzanares A, E.; Vega C, H.R.; Letechipia de Leon, C. [Unidades Academicas de Estudios Nucleares, UAZ, A.P. 336, 98000 Zacatecas (Mexico)]. E-mail: emanz@cantera.reduaz.mx; Guzman E, L.J. [Unidad Academica de Biologia Experimental, Guadalupe, Zacatecas (Mexico); Garcia T, M. [LIBRA, Centro I and D, Campus Miguel Delibes, Valladolid 47011 (Spain)

    2004-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of low gamma ray intensity upon Hsp70 expression in human Iymphocytes. The heat shock proteins (Hsp) family, are a group of proteins present in all living organism, therefore there are highly conserved and are related to adaptation and evolution. At cellular level these proteins acts as chaperones correcting denatured proteins. When a stress agent, such heavy metals, UV, heat, etc. is affecting a cell a response to this aggression is triggered only through over expression of Hsp. Several studies has been carried out in which the cellular effect are observed, mostly of these studies uses large doses, but very few studies are related with low doses. Blood of healthy volunteers was obtained and the Iymphocytes were isolated by ficoll- histopaque gradient. Experimental lots were irradiated in a {sup 137} Cs gamma-ray. Hsp70 expression was found since 0.5 c Gy, indicating a threshold to very low doses of gamma rays. (Author)

  15. Determination of Six Transmembrane Protein of Prostate 2 Gene Expression and Intracellular Localization in Prostate Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bora İrer

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between the RNA and protein expression profile of six transmembrane protein of prostate 2 (STAMP2 gene and androgen and the intracellular localization of STAMP2. Materials and Methods: RNA and protein were obtained from androgen treated lymph node carcinoma of the prostate (LNCaP cells, untreated LNCaP cells, DU145 cells with no androgen receptor, and STAMP2 transfected COS-7 cells. The expression profile of STAMP2 gene and the effect of androgenes on the expression was shown in RNA and protein levels by using Northern and Western blotting methods. In addition, intracellular localization of the naturally synthesized STAMP2 protein and the transfected STAMP2 protein in COS-7 cells after androgen administration in both LNCaP cells was determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. Results: We found that the RNA and protein expression of STAMP2 gene in LNCaP cells are regulated by androgenes, the power of expression is increased with the duration of androgen treatment and there is no STAMP2 expression in DU145 cells which has no androgen receptor. As a result of the immunofluorescence microscopy study we observed that STAMP2 protein was localized at golgi complex and cell membrane. Conclusion: In conclusion, we have demonstrated that STAMP2 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the prostate cancer and in the androgen-dependent androgen-independent staging of prostate cancer. In addition, STAMP2 protein, which is localized in the intracellular golgi complex and cell membrane, may be a new target molecule for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

  16. Anti-Apoptotic Protein Bcl-xL Expression in the Midbrain Raphe Region Is Sensitive to Stress and Glucocorticoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shishkina, Galina T; Kalinina, Tatyana S; Bulygina, Veta V; Lanshakov, Dmitry A; Babluk, Ekaterina V; Dygalo, Nikolay N

    2015-01-01

    Anti-apoptotic proteins are suggested to be important for the normal health of neurons and synapses as well as for resilience to stress. In order to determine whether stressful events may influence the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL in the midbrain and specifically in the midbrain serotonergic (5-HT) neurons involved in neurobehavioral responses to adverse stimuli, adult male rats were subjected to short-term or chronic forced swim stress. A short-term stress rapidly increased the midbrain bcl-xl mRNA levels and significantly elevated Bcl-xL immunoreactivity in the midbrain 5-HT cells. Stress-induced increase in glucocorticoid secretion was implicated in the observed effect. The levels of bcl-xl mRNA were decreased after stress when glucocorticoid elevation was inhibited by metyrapone (MET, 150 mg/kg), and this decrease was attenuated by glucocorticoid replacement with dexamethasone (DEX; 0.2 mg/kg). Both short-term stress and acute DEX administration, in parallel with Bcl-xL, caused a significant increase in tph2 mRNA levels and slightly enhanced tryptophan hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the midbrain. The increasing effect on the bcl-xl expression was specific to the short-term stress. Forced swim repeated daily for 2 weeks led to a decrease in bcl-xl mRNA in the midbrain without any effects on the Bcl-xL protein expression in the 5-HT neurons. In chronically stressed animals, an increase in tph2 gene expression was not associated with any changes in tryptophan hydroxylase protein levels. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that both short-term stress and acute glucocorticoid exposures induce Bcl-xL protein expression in the midbrain 5-HT neurons concomitantly with the activation of the 5-HT synthesis pathway in these neurons.

  17. Anti-Apoptotic Protein Bcl-xL Expression in the Midbrain Raphe Region Is Sensitive to Stress and Glucocorticoids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galina T Shishkina

    Full Text Available Anti-apoptotic proteins are suggested to be important for the normal health of neurons and synapses as well as for resilience to stress. In order to determine whether stressful events may influence the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL in the midbrain and specifically in the midbrain serotonergic (5-HT neurons involved in neurobehavioral responses to adverse stimuli, adult male rats were subjected to short-term or chronic forced swim stress. A short-term stress rapidly increased the midbrain bcl-xl mRNA levels and significantly elevated Bcl-xL immunoreactivity in the midbrain 5-HT cells. Stress-induced increase in glucocorticoid secretion was implicated in the observed effect. The levels of bcl-xl mRNA were decreased after stress when glucocorticoid elevation was inhibited by metyrapone (MET, 150 mg/kg, and this decrease was attenuated by glucocorticoid replacement with dexamethasone (DEX; 0.2 mg/kg. Both short-term stress and acute DEX administration, in parallel with Bcl-xL, caused a significant increase in tph2 mRNA levels and slightly enhanced tryptophan hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the midbrain. The increasing effect on the bcl-xl expression was specific to the short-term stress. Forced swim repeated daily for 2 weeks led to a decrease in bcl-xl mRNA in the midbrain without any effects on the Bcl-xL protein expression in the 5-HT neurons. In chronically stressed animals, an increase in tph2 gene expression was not associated with any changes in tryptophan hydroxylase protein levels. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that both short-term stress and acute glucocorticoid exposures induce Bcl-xL protein expression in the midbrain 5-HT neurons concomitantly with the activation of the 5-HT synthesis pathway in these neurons.

  18. Influence of heart failure on nucleolar organization and protein expression in human hearts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roselló-Lletí, Esther; Rivera, Miguel; Cortés, Raquel; Azorín, Inmaculada; Sirera, Rafael; Martínez-Dolz, Luis; Hove, Leif; Cinca, Juan; Lago, Francisca; González-Juanatey, José R.; Salvador, Antonio; Portolés, Manuel

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Heart failure alters nucleolar morphology and organization. ► Nucleolin expression is significant increased in ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy. ► Ventricular function of heart failure patients was related with nucleolin levels. -- Abstract: We investigate for the first time the influence of heart failure (HF) on nucleolar organization and proteins in patients with ischemic (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A total of 71 human hearts from ICM (n = 38) and DCM (n = 27) patients, undergoing heart transplantation and control donors (n = 6), were analysed by western-blotting, RT-PCR and cell biology methods. When we compared protein levels according to HF etiology, nucleolin was increased in both ICM (117%, p < 0.05) and DCM (141%, p < 0.01). Moreover, mRNA expression were also upregulated in ICM (1.46-fold, p < 0.05) and DCM (1.70-fold, p < 0.05. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the highest intensity of nucleolin was into nucleolus (p < 0.0001), and it was increased in pathological hearts (p < 0.0001). Ultrastructure analysis by electron microscopy showed an increase in the nucleus and nucleolus size in ICM (17%, p < 0.05 and 131%, p < 0.001) and DCM (56%, p < 0.01 and 69%, p < 0.01). Nucleolar organization was influenced by HF irrespective of etiology, increasing fibrillar centers (p < 0.001), perinucleolar chromatin (p < 0.01) and dense fibrillar components (p < 0.01). Finally, left ventricular function parameters were related with nucleolin levels in ischemic hearts (p < 0.0001). The present study demonstrates that HF influences on morphology and organization of nucleolar components, revealing changes in the expression and in the levels of nucleolin protein.

  19. Inhibitory PAS domain protein is a negative regulator of hypoxia-inducible gene expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makino, Yuichi; Cao, Renhai; Svensson, Kristian; Bertilsson, Göran; Asman, Mikael; Tanaka, Hirotoshi; Cao, Yihai; Berkenstam, Anders; Poellinger, Lorenz

    2001-11-01

    Alteration of gene expression is a crucial component of adaptive responses to hypoxia. These responses are mediated by hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs). Here we describe an inhibitory PAS (Per/Arnt/Sim) domain protein, IPAS, which is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)/PAS protein structurally related to HIFs. IPAS contains no endogenous transactivation function but demonstrates dominant negative regulation of HIF-mediated control of gene expression. Ectopic expression of IPAS in hepatoma cells selectively impairs induction of genes involved in adaptation to a hypoxic environment, notably the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene, and results in retarded tumour growth and tumour vascular density in vivo. In mice, IPAS was predominantly expressed in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and in corneal epithelium of the eye. Expression of IPAS in the cornea correlates with low levels of expression of the VEGF gene under hypoxic conditions. Application of an IPAS antisense oligonucleotide to the mouse cornea induced angiogenesis under normal oxygen conditions, and demonstrated hypoxia-dependent induction of VEGF gene expression in hypoxic corneal cells. These results indicate a previously unknown mechanism for negative regulation of angiogenesis and maintenance of an avascular phenotype.

  20. CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins regulate expression of the human steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christenson, L K; Johnson, P F; McAllister, J M; Strauss, J F

    1999-09-10

    Two putative CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) response elements were identified in the proximal promoter of the human steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene, which encodes a key protein-regulating steroid hormone synthesis. Expression of C/EBPalpha and -beta increased StAR promoter activity in COS-1 and HepG2 cells. Cotransfection of C/EBPalpha or -beta and steroidogenic factor 1, a transcription factor required for cAMP regulation of StAR expression, into COS-1 augmented 8-bromoadenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP)-stimulated promoter activity. When the putative C/EBP response elements were mutated, individually or together, a pronounced decline in basal StAR promoter activity in human granulosa-lutein cells resulted, but the fold stimulation of promoter activity by 8-Br-cAMP was unaffected. Recombinant C/EBPalpha and -beta bound to the two identified sequences but not the mutated elements. Human granulosa-lutein cell nuclear extracts also bound these elements but not the mutated sequences. An antibody to C/EBPbeta, but not C/EBPalpha, supershifted the nuclear protein complex associated with the more distal element. The complex formed by nuclear extracts with the proximal element was not supershifted by either antibody. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of C/EBPalpha and C/EBPbeta in human granulosa-lutein cell nuclear extracts. C/EBPbeta levels were up-regulated 3-fold by 8-Br-cAMP treatment. Our studies demonstrate a role for C/EBPbeta as well as yet to be identified proteins, which can bind to C/EBP response elements, in the regulation of StAR gene expression and suggest a mechanism by which C/EBPbeta participates in the cAMP regulation of StAR gene transcription.

  1. High-throughput Cloning and Expression of Integral Membrane Proteins in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruni, Renato

    2014-01-01

    Recently, several structural genomics centers have been established and a remarkable number of three-dimensional structures of soluble proteins have been solved. For membrane proteins, the number of structures solved has been significantly trailing those for their soluble counterparts, not least because over-expression and purification of membrane proteins is a much more arduous process. By using high throughput technologies, a large number of membrane protein targets can be screened simultaneously and a greater number of expression and purification conditions can be employed, leading to a higher probability of successfully determining the structure of membrane proteins. This unit describes the cloning, expression and screening of membrane proteins using high throughput methodologies developed in our laboratory. Basic Protocol 1 deals with the cloning of inserts into expression vectors by ligation-independent cloning. Basic Protocol 2 describes the expression and purification of the target proteins on a miniscale. Lastly, for the targets that express at the miniscale, basic protocols 3 and 4 outline the methods employed for the expression and purification of targets at the midi-scale, as well as a procedure for detergent screening and identification of detergent(s) in which the target protein is stable. PMID:24510647

  2. Molecular cloning and expression of a novel keratinocyte protein (psoriasis-associated fatty acid-binding protein [PA-FABP]) that is highly up-regulated in psoriatic skin and that shares similarity to fatty acid-binding proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Peder; Rasmussen, H H; Leffers, H

    1992-01-01

    termed PA-FABP (psoriasis-associated fatty acid-binding protein). The deduced sequence predicted a protein with molecular weight of 15,164 daltons and a calculated pI of 6.96, values that are close to those recorded in the keratinocyte 2D gel protein database. The protein comigrated with PA......-FABP as determined by 2D gel analysis of [35S]-methionine-labeled proteins expressed by transformed human amnion (AMA) cells transfected with clone 1592 using the vaccinia virus expression system and reacted with a rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against 2D gel purified PA-FABP. Structural analysis of the amino...... with epidermal growth factor (EGF), pituitary extract, and 10% fetal calf serum] revealed a strong up-regulation of PA-FABP, psoriasin, calgranulins A and B, and a few other proteins that are highly expressed in psoriatic skin. The levels of these proteins exceeded by far those observed in non-cultured normal...

  3. YKL-40 tissue expression and plasma levels in patients with ovarian cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Høgdall, Estrid VS; Christensen, Lise H; Ringsholt, Merete; Høgdall, Claus K; Christensen, Ib Jarle; Johansen, Julia S; Kjaer, Susanne K; Blaakaer, Jan; Ostenfeld-Møller, Lene; Price, Paul A

    2009-01-01

    YKL-40 (chitinase-3-like-1) is a member of 'mammalian chitinase-like proteins'. The protein is expressed in many types of cancer cells and the highest plasma YKL-40 levels have been found in patients with metastatic disease, short recurrence/progression-free intervals, and short overall survival. The aim of the study was to determine the expression of YKL-40 in tumor tissue and plasma in patients with borderline ovarian tumor or epithelial ovarian cancer (OC), and investigate prognostic value of this marker. YKL-40 protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in tissue arrays from 181 borderline tumors and 473 OC. Plasma YKL-40 was determined by ELISA in preoperative samples from 19 patients with borderline tumor and 76 OC patients. YKL-40 protein expression was found in cancer cells, tumor associated macrophages, neutrophils and mast cells. The tumor cell expression was higher in OC than in borderline tumors (p = 0.001), and associated with FIGO stage (p < 0.0001) and histological subtype (p = 0.0009). Positive YKL-40 expression (≥ 5% staining) was not associated with reduced survival. Plasma YKL-40 was also higher in patients with OC than in patients with borderline tumors (p < 0.0001), and it was positively correlated to serum CA-125 (p < 0.0001) and FIGO stage (p = 0.0001). Univariate Cox analysis of plasma YKL-40 showed association with overall survival (p < 0.0001). Multivariate Cox analysis, including plasma YKL-40, serum CA125, FIGO stage, age and radicality after primary surgery as variables, showed that elevated plasma YKL-40 was associated with a shorter survival (HR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.40–3.25, p = 0.0004). YKL-40 in OC tissue and plasma are related to stage and histology, but only plasma YKL-40 is a prognostic biomarker in patients with OC

  4. Fos and jun proteins are specifically expressed during differentiation of human keratinocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehic, Denis; Bakiri, Latifa; Ghannadan, Minoo; Wagner, Erwin F; Tschachler, Erwin

    2005-01-01

    Activator protein 1 (AP-1) proteins play key roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. In this study we investigated the expression of Fos and Jun proteins in different models of terminal differentiation of human keratinocytes and in skin from psoriasis patients. All Jun and Fos proteins, with the exception of FosB, were efficiently expressed in keratinocytes in monolayer cultures. In contrast, in normal epidermis as well as in organotypic epidermal cultures, the expression pattern of AP-1 proteins was dependent on the differentiation stage. Fos proteins were readily detected in nuclei of keratinocytes of basal and suprabasal layers. JunB and JunD were expressed in all layers of normal epidermis. Interestingly, expression of c-Jun started suprabasally, then disappeared and became detectable again in distinct cells of the outermost granular layer directly at the transition zone to the stratum corneum. In psoriatic epidermis, c-Jun expression was prominent in both hyperproliferating basal and suprabasal keratinocytes, whereas c-Fos expression was unchanged. These data indicate that AP-1 proteins are expressed in a highly specific manner during terminal differentiation of keratinocytes and that the enhanced expression of c-Jun in basal and suprabasal keratinocytes might contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

  5. Specific Increase of Protein Levels by Enhancing Translation Using Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting Upstream Open Frames.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xue-Hai; Shen, Wen; Crooke, Stanley T

    2017-01-01

    A number of diseases are caused by low levels of key proteins; therefore, increasing the amount of specific proteins in human bodies is of therapeutic interest. Protein expression is downregulated by some structural or sequence elements present in the 5' UTR of mRNAs, such as upstream open reading frames (uORF). Translation initiation from uORF(s) reduces translation from the downstream primary ORF encoding the main protein product in the same mRNA, leading to a less efficient protein expression. Therefore, it is possible to use antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to specifically inhibit translation of the uORF by base-pairing with the uAUG region of the mRNA, redirecting translation machinery to initiate from the primary AUG site. Here we review the recent findings that translation of specific mRNAs can be enhanced using ASOs targeting uORF regions. Appropriately designed and optimized ASOs are highly specific, and they act in a sequence- and position-dependent manner, with very minor off-target effects. Protein levels can be increased using this approach in different types of human and mouse cells, and, importantly, also in mice. Since uORFs are present in around half of human mRNAs, the uORF-targeting ASOs may thus have valuable potential as research tools and as therapeutics to increase the levels of proteins for a variety of genes.

  6. 5,7-Dimethoxycoumarin prevents chronic mild stress induced depression in rats through increase in the expression of heat shock protein-70 and inhibition of monoamine oxidase-A levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Yang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The current study was aimed to investigate the role of 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin in the prevention of chronic mild stress induced depression in rats. The chronic mild stress rat model was prepared using the known protocols. The results from open-field test showed that rats in the chronic mild stress group scored very low in terms of crossings and rearings than those of the normal rats. However, pre-treatment of the rats with 10 mg/kg doses of 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin prevented decline in the locomotor activity by chronic mild stress. The level of monoamine oxidase-A in the chronic mild stress rat hippocampus was markedly higher. Chronic mild stress induced increase in the monoamine oxidase-A level was inhibited by pre-treatment with 10 mg/kg doses of 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin in the rats. Chronic mild stress caused a marked increase in the level of caspase-3 mRNA and proteins in rat hippocampus tissues. The increased level of caspase-3 mRNA and protein level was inhibited by treatment of rats with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin (10 mg/kg. 5,7-Dimethoxycoumarin administration into the rats caused a marked increase in the levels of heat shock protein-70 mRNA and protein. The levels of heat shock protein-70 were markedly lower both in normal and chronic mild stress groups of rats compared to the 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin treated groups. Thus 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin prevented the chronic mild stress induced depression in rats through an increase in the expression of heat shock protein-70 and inhibition of monoamine oxidase-A levels.

  7. 5,7-Dimethoxycoumarin prevents chronic mild stress induced depression in rats through increase in the expression of heat shock protein-70 and inhibition of monoamine oxidase-A levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Wei; Wang, Huanlin

    2018-02-01

    The current study was aimed to investigate the role of 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin in the prevention of chronic mild stress induced depression in rats. The chronic mild stress rat model was prepared using the known protocols. The results from open-field test showed that rats in the chronic mild stress group scored very low in terms of crossings and rearings than those of the normal rats. However, pre-treatment of the rats with 10 mg/kg doses of 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin prevented decline in the locomotor activity by chronic mild stress. The level of monoamine oxidase-A in the chronic mild stress rat hippocampus was markedly higher. Chronic mild stress induced increase in the monoamine oxidase-A level was inhibited by pre-treatment with 10 mg/kg doses of 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin in the rats. Chronic mild stress caused a marked increase in the level of caspase-3 mRNA and proteins in rat hippocampus tissues. The increased level of caspase-3 mRNA and protein level was inhibited by treatment of rats with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin (10 mg/kg). 5,7-Dimethoxycoumarin administration into the rats caused a marked increase in the levels of heat shock protein-70 mRNA and protein. The levels of heat shock protein-70 were markedly lower both in normal and chronic mild stress groups of rats compared to the 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin treated groups. Thus 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin prevented the chronic mild stress induced depression in rats through an increase in the expression of heat shock protein-70 and inhibition of monoamine oxidase-A levels.

  8. Prokaryotic expression of chicken interferon-γ fusion protein and its effect on expression of poultry heat shock protein 70 under heat stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jinhua; Chen, Yinglin; Qin, Feiyue; Guan, Xueting; Xu, Wei; Xu, Liangmei

    2017-06-01

    Interferons have attracted considerable attention due to their vital roles in the host immune response and low induction of antibiotic resistance. In this study, total RNA was extracted from spleen cells of chicken embryos inoculated with Newcastle disease vaccine, and the full-length chicken interferon-γ (ChIFN-γ) gene was amplified by RT-PCR. The full complementary DNA sequence of the ChIFN-γ gene was 495 bp long and was cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pProEX™HT b . The plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α and the expression of ChIFN-γ was induced by isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside. Sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot results showed the expressed fusion protein had a molecular weight of approximately 18 kDa and was recognized by an anti-His mAb. Moreover, ChIFN-γ was found to demonstrate anti-viral activity in vitro. To test the in vivo function of ChIFN-γ in broilers under heat stress, a total of 100 broilers were randomly assigned to either a control group or a treated group, in which they were hypodermically injected with recombinant ChIFN-γ. Results demonstrated ChIFN-γ affects the messenger RNA expression levels of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in the heart and lung tissues, and decreases the concentration of HSP70 in serum. Therefore, we conclude recombinant ChIFN-γ can reduce heat stress to some extent in vivo. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  9. Comparative proteomics analysis of chronic atrophic gastritis: changes of protein expression in chronic atrophic gastritis with out Helicobacter pylori infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Lin; Hou, Yanhong; Wu, Kai; Li, Dan

    2012-01-01

    Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a very common gastritis and one of the major precursor lesions of gastric cancer, one of the most common cancers worldwide. The molecular mechanism underlying CAG is unclear, but its elucidation is essential for the prevention and early detection of gastric cancer and appropriate intervention. A combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry was used in the present study to analyze the differentially expressed proteins. Samples from 21 patients (9 females and 12 males; mean age: 61.8 years) were used. We identified 18 differentially expressed proteins in CAG compared with matched normal mucosa. Eight proteins were up-regulated and 10 down-regulated in CAG when compared with the same amounts of proteins in individually matched normal gastric mucosa. Two novel proteins, proteasome activator subunit 1 (PSME1), which was down-regulated in CAG, and ribosomal protein S12 (RPS12), which was up-regulated in CAG, were further investigated. Their expression was validated by Western blot and RT-PCR in 15 CAG samples matched with normal mucosa. The expression level of RPS12 was significantly higher in CAG than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). In contrast, the expression level of PSME1 in CAG was significantly lower than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). This study clearly demonstrated that there are some changes in protein expression between CAG and normal mucosa. In these changes, down-regulation of PSME1 and up-regulation of RPS12 could be involved in the development of CAG. Thus, the differentially expressed proteins might play important roles in CAG as functional molecules

  10. Comparative proteomics analysis of chronic atrophic gastritis: changes of protein expression in chronic atrophic gastritis with out Helicobacter pylori infection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Lin; Hou, Yanhong; Wu, Kai; Li, Dan [Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The 309 Hospital of People' s Liberation Army, Beijing (China)

    2012-03-02

    Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a very common gastritis and one of the major precursor lesions of gastric cancer, one of the most common cancers worldwide. The molecular mechanism underlying CAG is unclear, but its elucidation is essential for the prevention and early detection of gastric cancer and appropriate intervention. A combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry was used in the present study to analyze the differentially expressed proteins. Samples from 21 patients (9 females and 12 males; mean age: 61.8 years) were used. We identified 18 differentially expressed proteins in CAG compared with matched normal mucosa. Eight proteins were up-regulated and 10 down-regulated in CAG when compared with the same amounts of proteins in individually matched normal gastric mucosa. Two novel proteins, proteasome activator subunit 1 (PSME1), which was down-regulated in CAG, and ribosomal protein S12 (RPS12), which was up-regulated in CAG, were further investigated. Their expression was validated by Western blot and RT-PCR in 15 CAG samples matched with normal mucosa. The expression level of RPS12 was significantly higher in CAG than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). In contrast, the expression level of PSME1 in CAG was significantly lower than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). This study clearly demonstrated that there are some changes in protein expression between CAG and normal mucosa. In these changes, down-regulation of PSME1 and up-regulation of RPS12 could be involved in the development of CAG. Thus, the differentially expressed proteins might play important roles in CAG as functional molecules.

  11. Differentially expressed and survival-related proteins of lung adenocarcinoma with bone metastasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Mengdi; Sun, Yi; Sun, Jing; Wang, Zhiyu; Zhou, Yiyi; Yao, Guangyu; Gu, Yifeng; Zhang, Huizhen; Zhao, Hui

    2018-04-01

    Despite recent advances in targeted and immune-based therapies, the poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with bone metastasis (BM) remains a challenge. First, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to identify proteins that were differentially expressed in LUAD with BM, and then matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was used to identify these proteins. Second, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to identify mutations in these differentially expressed proteins and Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM Plotter) was used to generate survival curves for the analyzed cases. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to check the expression of proteins in 28 patients with BM and nine patients with LUAD. Lastly, the results were analyzed with respect to clinical features and patient's follow-up. We identified a number of matched proteins from 2-DE. High expression of enolase 1 (ENO1) (HR = 1.67, logrank P = 1.9E-05), ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P2 (RPLP2) (HR = 1.77, logrank P = 2.9e-06), and NME/NM23 nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NME1-NME2) (HR = 2.65, logrank P = 3.9E-15) was all significantly associated with poor survival (P < 0.05). Further, ENO1 was upregulated (P = 0.0004) and calcyphosine (CAPS1) was downregulated (P = 5.34E-07) in TCGA LUAD RNA-seq expression data. IHC revealed that prominent ENO1 staining (OR = 7.5, P = 0.034) and low levels of CAPS1 (OR = 0.01, P < 0.0001) staining were associated with BM incidence. Finally, we found that LUAD patients with high expression of ENO1 and RPLP2 had worse overall survival. This is the first instance where the genes ENO1, RPLP2, NME1-NME2 and CAPS1 were associated with disease severity and progression in LUAD patients with BM. Thus, with this study, we have identified potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for this disease. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. The Effect of a High-Protein Diet and Exercise on Cardiac AQP7 and GLUT4 Gene Expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palabiyik, Orkide; Karaca, Aziz; Taştekin, Ebru; Yamasan, Bilge Eren; Tokuç, Burcu; Sipahi, Tammam; Vardar, Selma Arzu

    2016-10-01

    High-protein (HP) diets are commonly consumed by athletes despite their potential health hazard, which is postulated to enforce a negative effect on bone and renal health. However, its effects on heart have not been known yet. Aquaporin-7 (AQP7) is an aquaglyceroporin that facilitates glycerol and water transport. Glycerol is an important cardiac energy production substrate, especially during exercise, in conjunction with fatty acids and glucose. Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is an insulin-sensitive glucose transporter in heart. We aimed to investigate the effect of HPD on AQP7 and GLUT4 levels in the rat heart subjected to exercise. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control (n = 12), exercise (E) training (n = 10), HPD (n = 12), and HPD-E training (n = 9) groups. The HPD groups were fed a 45 % protein-containing diet 5 weeks. The HPD-E and E groups were performed the treadmill exercise during the 5-week study period. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry techniques were used to determine the gene expression and localization of AQP7 and GLUT4 in heart tissue. Results of relative gene expression were calculated by the 'Pfaffl' mathematical method using the REST program. Differences in AQP7 and GLUT4 gene expression were expressed as fold change compared to the control group. Heart weight/tibia ratio and ventricular wall thickness were evaluated as markers of cardiac hypertrophy. Further, serum glucose, glycerol, and insulin levels were also measured. AQP7 gene expression was found to be increased in the E (3.47-fold, p protein expression was also increased in the HPD and HPD-E groups (p protein expression was significantly increased in the E, HPD, and HPD-E groups compared to the control group (p = 0.024, p protein diet groups (C and E). Serum insulin levels were higher for HPD groups compared with the normal-protein diet groups (p < 0.001), whereas no differences were observed between the exercise and sedentary

  13. RNA Binding Protein RBM38 Regulates Expression of the 11-Kilodalton Protein of Parvovirus B19, Which Facilitates Viral DNA Replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganaie, Safder S; Chen, Aaron Yun; Huang, Chun; Xu, Peng; Kleiboeker, Steve; Du, Aifang; Qiu, Jianming

    2018-04-15

    Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) expresses a single precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA), which undergoes alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation to generate 12 viral mRNA transcripts that encode two structural proteins (VP1 and VP2) and three nonstructural proteins (NS1, 7.5-kDa protein, and 11-kDa protein). Splicing at the second 5' donor site (D2 site) of the B19V pre-mRNA is essential for the expression of VP2 and the 11-kDa protein. We previously identified that cis -acting intronic splicing enhancer 2 (ISE2) that lies immediately after the D2 site facilitates the recognition of the D2 donor for its efficient splicing. In this study, we report that ISE2 is critical for the expression of the 11-kDa viral nonstructural protein. We found that ISE2 harbors a consensus RNA binding motif protein 38 (RBM38) binding sequence, 5'-UGUGUG-3'. RBM38 is expressed during the middle stage of erythropoiesis. We first confirmed that RBM38 binds specifically with the ISE2 element in vitro The knockdown of RBM38 significantly decreases the level of spliced mRNA at D2 that encodes the 11-kDa protein but not that of the D2-spliced mRNA that encodes VP2. Importantly, we found that the 11-kDa protein enhances viral DNA replication and virion release. Accordingly, the knockdown of RBM38 decreases virus replication via downregulating 11-kDa protein expression. Taken together, these results suggest that the 11-kDa protein facilitates B19V DNA replication and that RBM38 is an essential host factor for B19V pre-mRNA splicing and for the expression of the 11-kDa protein. IMPORTANCE B19V is a human pathogen that can cause fifth disease, arthropathy, anemia in immunocompromised patients and sickle cell disease patients, myocarditis, and hydrops fetalis in pregnant women. Human erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) are most susceptible to B19V infection and fully support viral DNA replication. The exclusive tropism of B19V for erythroid-lineage cells is dependent not only on the expression of viral

  14. Quantitative analysis of differentially expressed saliva proteins in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected individuals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Nawei; Zhang, Zhenyu; Feng, Shan; Wang, Qingtao; Malamud, Daniel; Deng, Haiteng

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A high-throughput method for profiling and quantification of the differentially expressed proteins in saliva samples was developed. ► Identified that DMBT1, S100A7, S100A8, S100A9 and alpha defensin were up-regulated in saliva from HIV-1 seropositive patients. ► Established analytical strategies are translatable to the clinical setting. -- Abstract: In the present study, we have established a new methodology to analyze saliva proteins from HIV-1-seropositive patients before highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and seronegative controls. A total of 593 and 601 proteins were identified in the pooled saliva samples from 5 HIV-1 subjects and 5 controls, respectively. Forty-one proteins were found to be differentially expressed. Bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed salivary proteins showed an increase of antimicrobial proteins and decrease of protease inhibitors upon HIV-1 infection. To validate some of these differentially expressed proteins, a high-throughput quantitation method was established to determine concentrations of 10 salivary proteins in 40 individual saliva samples from 20 seropositive patients before HAART and 20 seronegative subjects. This method was based on limited protein separation within the zone of the stacking gel of the 1D SDS PAGE and using isotope-coded synthetic peptides as internal standards. The results demonstrated that a combination of protein profiling and targeted quantitation is an efficient method to identify and validate differentially expressed salivary proteins. Expression levels of members of the calcium-binding S100 protein family and deleted in malignant brain tumors 1 protein (DMBT1) were up-regulated while that of Mucin 5B was down-regulated in HIV-1 seropositive saliva samples, which may provide new perspectives for monitoring HIV-infection and understanding the mechanism of HIV-1 infectivity

  15. Quantitative analysis of differentially expressed saliva proteins in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected individuals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Nawei; Zhang, Zhenyu [Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing (China); Feng, Shan [MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); Wang, Qingtao [Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University, Beijing (China); Malamud, Daniel [NYU College of Dentistry, 345 East 24th Street, New York, NY 10010 (United States); Deng, Haiteng, E-mail: dht@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

    2013-04-24

    Highlights: ► A high-throughput method for profiling and quantification of the differentially expressed proteins in saliva samples was developed. ► Identified that DMBT1, S100A7, S100A8, S100A9 and alpha defensin were up-regulated in saliva from HIV-1 seropositive patients. ► Established analytical strategies are translatable to the clinical setting. -- Abstract: In the present study, we have established a new methodology to analyze saliva proteins from HIV-1-seropositive patients before highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and seronegative controls. A total of 593 and 601 proteins were identified in the pooled saliva samples from 5 HIV-1 subjects and 5 controls, respectively. Forty-one proteins were found to be differentially expressed. Bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed salivary proteins showed an increase of antimicrobial proteins and decrease of protease inhibitors upon HIV-1 infection. To validate some of these differentially expressed proteins, a high-throughput quantitation method was established to determine concentrations of 10 salivary proteins in 40 individual saliva samples from 20 seropositive patients before HAART and 20 seronegative subjects. This method was based on limited protein separation within the zone of the stacking gel of the 1D SDS PAGE and using isotope-coded synthetic peptides as internal standards. The results demonstrated that a combination of protein profiling and targeted quantitation is an efficient method to identify and validate differentially expressed salivary proteins. Expression levels of members of the calcium-binding S100 protein family and deleted in malignant brain tumors 1 protein (DMBT1) were up-regulated while that of Mucin 5B was down-regulated in HIV-1 seropositive saliva samples, which may provide new perspectives for monitoring HIV-infection and understanding the mechanism of HIV-1 infectivity.

  16. A mammalianized synthetic nitroreductase gene for high-level expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grohmann, Maik; Paulmann, Nils; Fleischhauer, Sebastian; Vowinckel, Jakob; Priller, Josef; Walther, Diego J

    2009-01-01

    The nitroreductase/5-(azaridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (NTR/CB1954) enzyme/prodrug system is considered as a promising candidate for anti-cancer strategies by gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) and has recently entered clinical trials. It requires the genetic modification of tumor cells to express the E. coli enzyme nitroreductase that bioactivates the prodrug CB1954 to a powerful cytotoxin. This metabolite causes apoptotic cell death by DNA interstrand crosslinking. Enhancing the enzymatic NTR activity for CB1954 should improve the therapeutical potential of this enzyme-prodrug combination in cancer gene therapy. We performed de novo synthesis of the bacterial nitroreductase gene adapting codon usage to mammalian preferences. The synthetic gene was investigated for its expression efficacy and ability to sensitize mammalian cells to CB1954 using western blotting analysis and cytotoxicity assays. In our study, we detected cytoplasmic protein aggregates by expressing GFP-tagged NTR in COS-7 cells, suggesting an impaired translation by divergent codon usage between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Therefore, we generated a synthetic variant of the nitroreductase gene, called ntro, adapted for high-level expression in mammalian cells. A total of 144 silent base substitutions were made within the bacterial ntr gene to change its codon usage to mammalian preferences. The codon-optimized ntro either tagged to gfp or c-myc showed higher expression levels in mammalian cell lines. Furthermore, the ntro rendered several cell lines ten times more sensitive to the prodrug CB1954 and also resulted in an improved bystander effect. Our results show that codon optimization overcomes expression limitations of the bacterial ntr gene in mammalian cells, thereby improving the NTR/CB1954 system at translational level for cancer gene therapy in humans

  17. The Burkholderia pseudomallei Proteins BapA and BapC Are Secreted TTSS3 Effectors and BapB Levels Modulate Expression of BopE.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puthayalai Treerat

    Full Text Available Many Gram-negative pathogens use a type III secretion system (TTSS for the injection of bacterial effector proteins into host cells. The injected effector proteins play direct roles in modulation of host cell pathways for bacterial benefit. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, expresses three different TTSSs. One of these systems, the TTSS3, is essential for escape from host endosomes and therefore intracellular survival and replication. Here we have characterized three putative TTSS3 proteins; namely BapA, BapB and BapC. By employing a tetracysteine (TC-FlAsH™ labelling technique to monitor the secretion of TC-tagged fusion proteins, BapA and BapC were shown to be secreted during in vitro growth in a TTSS3-dependant manner, suggesting a role as TTSS3 effectors. Furthermore, we constructed B. pseudomallei bapA, bapB and bapC mutants and used the well-characterized TTSS3 effector BopE as a marker of secretion to show that BapA, BapB and BapC are not essential for the secretion process. However, BopE transcription and secretion were significantly increased in the bapB mutant, suggesting that BapB levels modulate BopE expression. In a BALB/c mouse model of acute melioidosis, the bapA, bapB and bapC mutants showed a minor reduction of in vivo fitness. Thus, this study defines BapA and BapC as novel TTSS3 effectors, BapB as a regulator of BopE production, and all three as necessary for full B. pseudomallei in vivo fitness.

  18. Not changes in membrane fluidity but proteotoxic stress triggers heat shock protein expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rütgers, Mark; Muranaka, Ligia Segatto; Schulz-Raffelt, Miriam; Thoms, Sylvia; Schurig, Juliane; Willmund, Felix; Schroda, Michael

    2017-12-01

    A conserved reaction of all organisms exposed to heat stress is an increased expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs). Several studies have proposed that HSP expression in heat-stressed plant cells is triggered by an increased fluidity of the plasma membrane. Among the main lines of evidence in support of this model are as follows: (a) the degree of membrane lipid saturation was higher in cells grown at elevated temperatures and correlated with a lower amplitude of HSP expression upon a temperature upshift, (b) membrane fluidizers induce HSP expression at physiological temperatures, and (c) membrane rigidifier dimethylsulfoxide dampens heat-induced HSP expression. Here, we tested whether this holds also for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We show that heat-induced HSP expression in cells grown at elevated temperatures was reduced because they already contained elevated levels of cytosolic HSP70A/90A that apparently act as negative regulators of heat shock factor 1. We find that membrane rigidifier dimethylsulfoxide impaired translation under heat stress conditions and that membrane fluidizer benzyl alcohol not only induced HSP expression but also caused protein aggregation. These findings support the classical model for the cytosolic unfolded protein response, according to which HSP expression is induced by the accumulation of unfolded proteins. Hence, the membrane fluidity model should be reconsidered. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Protein expression of Myt272-3 recombinant clone and in silico ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To investigate the expression of Myt272-3 recombinant protein and also to predict a possible protein vaccine candidate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods: Myt272-3 protein was expressed in pET30a+-Myt272-3 clone. The purity of the protein was determined using Dynabeads® His-Tag Isolation ...

  20. Oestradiol and progesterone differentially alter cytoskeletal protein expression and flame cell morphology in Taenia crassiceps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosio, Javier R; Ostoa-Saloma, Pedro; Palacios-Arreola, M Isabel; Ruíz-Rosado, Azucena; Sánchez-Orellana, Pedro L; Reynoso-Ducoing, Olivia; Nava-Castro, Karen E; Martínez-Velázquez, Nancy; Escobedo, Galileo; Ibarra-Coronado, Elizabeth G; Valverde-Islas, Laura; Morales-Montor, Jorge

    2014-09-01

    We examined the effects of oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) on cytoskeletal protein expression in the helminth Taenia crassiceps - specifically actin, tubulin and myosin. These proteins assemble into flame cells, which constitute the parasite excretory system. Total protein extracts were obtained from E2- and P4-treated T. crassiceps cysticerci and untreated controls, and analysed by one- and two-dimensional protein electrophoresis, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and videomicroscopy. Exposure of T. crassiceps cysticerci to E2 and P4 induced differential protein expression patterns compared with untreated controls. Changes in actin, tubulin and myosin expression were confirmed by flow cytometry of parasite cells and immunofluorescence. In addition, parasite morphology was altered in response to E2 and P4 versus controls. Flame cells were primarily affected at the level of the ciliary tuft, in association with the changes in actin, tubulin and myosin. We conclude that oestradiol and progesterone act directly on T. crassiceps cysticerci, altering actin, tubulin and myosin expression and thus affecting the assembly and function of flame cells. Our results increase our understanding of several aspects of the molecular crosstalk between host and parasite, which might be useful in designing anthelmintic drugs that exclusively impair parasitic proteins which mediate cell signaling and pathogenic reproduction and establishment. Copyright © 2014 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Expression of LDL receptor-related proteins (LRPs in common solid malignancies correlates with patient survival.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven L Gonias

    Full Text Available LDL receptor-related proteins (LRPs are transmembrane receptors involved in endocytosis, cell-signaling, and trafficking of other cellular proteins. Considerable work has focused on LRPs in the fields of vascular biology and neurobiology. How these receptors affect cancer progression in humans remains largely unknown. Herein, we mined provisional databases in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA to compare expression of thirteen LRPs in ten common solid malignancies in patients. Our first goal was to determine the abundance of LRP mRNAs in each type of cancer. Our second goal was to determine whether expression of LRPs is associated with improved or worsened patient survival. In total, data from 4,629 patients were mined. In nine of ten cancers studied, the most abundantly expressed LRP was LRP1; however, a correlation between LRP1 mRNA expression and patient survival was observed only in bladder urothelial carcinoma. In this malignancy, high levels of LRP1 mRNA were associated with worsened patient survival. High levels of LDL receptor (LDLR mRNA were associated with decreased patient survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. High levels of LRP10 mRNA were associated with decreased patient survival in hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. LRP2 was the only LRP for which high levels of mRNA expression correlated with improved patient survival. This correlation was observed in renal clear cell carcinoma. Insights into LRP gene expression in human cancers and their effects on patient survival should guide future research.

  2. Human Cementum Protein 1 induces expression of bone and cementum proteins by human gingival fibroblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carmona-Rodriguez, Bruno; Alvarez-Perez, Marco Antonio; Narayanan, A. Sampath; Zeichner-David, Margarita; Reyes-Gasga, Jose; Molina-Guarneros, Juan; Garcia-Hernandez, Ana Lilia; Suarez-Franco, Jose Luis; Chavarria, Ivet Gil; Villarreal-Ramirez, Eduardo; Arzate, Higinio

    2007-01-01

    We recently presented evidence showing that a human cementoblastoma-derived protein, named Cementum Protein 1 (CEMP1) may play a role as a local regulator of cementoblast differentiation and cementum-matrix mineralization. This protein was shown to be expressed by cementoblasts and progenitor cells localized in the periodontal ligament. In this study we demonstrate that transfection of CEMP1 into human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) induces mineralization and expression of bone and cementum-matrix proteins. The transfected HGF cells had higher alkaline phosphatase activity and proliferation rate and they expressed genes for alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, osteocalcin, osteopontin, the transcription factor Runx2/Cbfa1, and cementum attachment protein (CAP). They also produced biological-type hydroxyapatite. These findings indicate that the CEMP1 might participate in differentiation and mineralization of nonosteogenic cells, and that it might have a potential function in cementum and bone formation

  3. Form-deprivation myopia induces decreased expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2, 5 in guinea pig sclera

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    Qing Wang

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To identify the presence of various bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs and their receptors in normal sclera of human, rat and guinea pigs, and to determine whether their expression changed with form-deprivation myopia (FDM in guinea pig sclera. METHODS: The expression of BMPs and BMP receptors were detected using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. Two-week-old guinea pigs were monocularly form-deprived with a translucent lens. After fourteen days induction of FDM, total RNA was isolated and subjected to RT-PCR to examine the changes of BMPs and BMP receptors in tissues from the posterior sclera. Western blotting analysis was used to investigate their changes in protein levels. RESULTS: Human sclera expressed mRNAs for BMP-2, -4, -5, -7, -RIA, -RIB and BMP-RII. Conversely, rat sclera only expressed mRNA for BMP-7 and BMP-RIB, while the expression of BMPs and BMP receptors in guinea pigs were similar to that of humans. Human sclera also expresses BMP-2, -4, -5,-7 in protein level. Fourteen days after the induction of myopia, significant decreased expressions for BMP-2 and BMP-5 in the posterior sclera of FDM-affected eyes (PCONCLUSION: Various BMPs were expressed in human and guinea pig sclera. In the posterior sclera, expressions of BMP-2 and BMP-5 significantly decreased in FDM eyes. This finding indicates that various BMPs as components of the scleral cytokines regulating tissue homeostasis and provide evidence that alterations in the expression of BMP-2 and BMP-5 are associated with sclera remodeling during myopia induction.

  4. Cloning and expression of Tenebrio molitor antifreeze protein in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Chang-Wu; Zhang, Yi-Zheng

    2009-03-01

    A novel antifreeze protein cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR from the larva of the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor. The coding fragment of 339 bp encodes a protein of 112 amino acid residues and was fused to the expression vectors pET32a and pTWIN1. The resulted expression plasmids were transformed into Escherischia coli strains BL21 (DE3), ER2566, and Origami B (DE3), respectively. Several strategies were used for expression of the highly disulfide-bonded beta-helix-contained protein with the activity of antifreeze in different expression systems. A protocol for production of refolded and active T. molitor antifreeze protein in bacteria was obtained.

  5. Renal and urinary levels of endothelial protein C receptor correlate with acute renal allograft rejection.

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    Lionel Lattenist

    Full Text Available The Endothelial Protein C Receptor (EPCR is expressed on leukocytes, on endothelium of large blood vessels and to a lesser extent on capillaries. Membrane bound EPCR plays an important role in the activation of protein C which has anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects. After cleavage by a protease EPCR is also found as a soluble protein. Acute rejection of kidney allografts can be divided in T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR and antibody-mediated (ABMR rejection. The latter is characterized by strong activation of coagulation. Currently no reliable non-invasive biomarkers are available to monitor rejection. Renal biopsies were available from 81 renal transplant patients (33 without rejection, 26 TCMR and 22 ABMR, we had access to mRNA material, matched plasma and urine samples for a portion of this cohort. Renal EPCR expression was assessed by RT-PCR and immunostaining. Plasma and urine sEPCR levels were measured by ELISA. ABMR patients showed higher levels of EPCR mRNA than TCMR patients. EPCR expression on glomeruli was significantly elevated in ABMR patients than in TCMR or control patients. In the peritubular capillaries EPCR expression was higher in ABMR patients than in control patients. EPCR expression was higher in tubules and arteries of rejection patients than in control patients. Plasma sEPCR levels did not differ. Urine sEPCR levels were more elevated in the ABMR group than in patients with TCMR or without rejection. ROC analysis demonstrated that urinary sEPCR is appropriate to discriminate between ABMR patients and TCMR or control patients. We conclude that urinary sEPCR could be a novel non-invasive biomarker of antibody mediated rejection in renal transplantation.

  6. Cortical deficits of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 expression in schizophrenia: clinical, protein, and cell type-specific features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curley, Allison A; Arion, Dominique; Volk, David W; Asafu-Adjei, Josephine K; Sampson, Allan R; Fish, Kenneth N; Lewis, David A

    2011-09-01

    Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are associated with altered activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which has been attributed to lower expression of the 67 kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), the major γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-synthesizing enzyme. However, little is known about the relationship of prefrontal GAD67 mRNA levels and illness severity, translation of the transcript into protein, and protein levels in axon terminals, the key site of GABA production and function. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure GAD67 mRNA levels in postmortem specimens of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from subjects with schizophrenia and matched comparison subjects with no known history of psychiatric or neurological disorders (N=42 pairs). In a subset of this cohort in which potential confounds of protein measures were controlled (N=19 pairs), Western blotting was used to quantify tissue levels of GAD67 protein in tissue. In five of these pairs, multilabel confocal immunofluorescence was used to quantify GAD67 protein levels in the axon terminals of parvalbumin-containing GABA neurons, which are known to have low levels of GAD67 mRNA in schizophrenia. GAD67 mRNA levels were significantly lower in schizophrenia subjects (by 15%), but transcript levels were not associated with predictors or measures of illness severity or chronicity. In schizophrenia subjects, GAD67 protein levels were significantly lower in total gray matter (by 10%) and in parvalbumin axon terminals (by 49%). The findings that lower GAD67 mRNA expression is common in schizophrenia, that it is not a consequence of having the illness, and that it leads to less translation of the protein, especially in the axon terminals of parvalbumin-containing neurons, support the hypothesis that lower GABA synthesis in parvalbumin neurons contributes to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex dysfunction and impaired cognition in schizophrenia.

  7. Aberrant expression and secretion of heat shock protein 90 in patients with bullous pemphigoid.

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    Stefan Tukaj

    Full Text Available The cell stress chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90 has been implicated in inflammatory responses and its inhibition has proven successful in different mouse models of autoimmune diseases, including epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Here, we investigated expression levels and secretory responses of Hsp90 in patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP, the most common subepidermal autoimmune blistering skin disease. In comparison to healthy controls, the following observations were made: (i Hsp90 was highly expressed in the skin of BP patients, whereas its serum levels were decreased and inversely associated with IgG autoantibody levels against the NC16A immunodominant region of the BP180 autoantigen, (ii in contrast, neither aberrant levels of circulating Hsp90 nor any correlation of this protein with serum autoantibodies was found in a control cohort of autoimmune bullous disease patients with pemphigus vulgaris, (iii Hsp90 was highly expressed in and restrictedly released from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of BP patients, and (iv Hsp90 was potently induced in and restrictedly secreted from human keratinocyte (HaCaT cells by BP serum and isolated anti-BP180 NC16A IgG autoantibodies, respectively. Our results reveal an upregulated Hsp90 expression at the site of inflammation and an autoantibody-mediated dysregulation of the intracellular and extracellular distribution of this chaperone in BP patients. These findings suggest that Hsp90 may play a pathophysiological role and represent a novel potential treatment target in BP.

  8. Dietary ascorbic acid modulates the expression profile of stress protein genes in hepatopancreas of adult Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chenglong; Wang, Jia; Xu, Wei; Zhang, Wenbing; Mai, Kangsen

    2014-12-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary ascorbic acid (AA) on transcriptional expression patterns of antioxidant proteins, heat shock proteins (HSP) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in the hepatopancreas of Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino (initial average length: 84.36 ± 0.24 mm) using real-time quantitative PCR assays. L-ascorbyl-2-molyphosphate (LAMP) was added to the basal diet to formulate four experimental diets containing 0.0, 70.3, 829.8 and 4967.5 mg AA equivalent kg(-1) diets, respectively. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of adult abalone in acrylic tanks (200 L) in a flow-through seawater system. Each tank was stocked with 15 abalone. Animals were fed once daily (17:00) to apparent satiation for 24 weeks. The results showed that the dietary AA (70.3 mg kg(-1)) could significantly up-regulate the expression levels of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), feritin (FT) and heat shock protein 26 (HSP26) in the hepatopancreas of abalone in this treatment compared to the controls. However, the expression levels of Mn-SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), thioredoxin peroxidase (TPx), selenium-binding protein (SEBP), HSP70 and HSP90 were significantly down-regulated. Compared with those in the group with 70.3 mg kg(-1) dietary AA, the expression levels of CAT, GST and HSP26 were decreased in abalone fed with very high dietary AA (4967.5 mg kg(-1)). In addition, significant up-regulations of expression levels of Mn-SOD, GPX, TPx, SEBP, FT, HSP70, HSP90 and NF-κB were observed in abalone fed with apparently excessive dietary AA (829.8 and 4967.5 mg kg(-1)) as compared to those fed 70.3 mg kg(-1) dietary AA. These findings showed that dietary AA influenced the expression levels of antioxidant proteins, heat shock proteins and NF-κB in the hepatopancreas of abalone at transcriptional level. Levels of dietary AA that appeared adequate (70.3 mg kg(-1)) reduced the oxidative stress

  9. mRNA secondary structure at start AUG codon is a key limiting factor for human protein expression in Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Weici; Xiao Weihua; Wei Haiming; Zhang Jian; Tian Zhigang

    2006-01-01

    Codon usage and thermodynamic optimization of the 5'-end of mRNA have been applied to improve the efficiency of human protein production in Escherichia coli. However, high level expression of human protein in E. coli is still a challenge that virtually depends upon each individual target genes. Using human interleukin 10 (huIL-10) and interferon α (huIFN-α) coding sequences, we systematically analyzed the influence of several major factors on expression of human protein in E. coli. The results from huIL-10 and reinforced by huIFN-α showed that exposing AUG initiator codon from base-paired structure within mRNA itself significantly improved the translation of target protein, which resulted in a 10-fold higher protein expression than the wild-type genes. It was also noted that translation process was not affected by the retained short-range stem-loop structure at Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequences. On the other hand, codon-optimized constructs of huIL-10 showed unimproved levels of protein expression, on the contrary, led to a remarkable RNA degradation. Our study demonstrates that exposure of AUG initiator codon from long-range intra-strand secondary structure at 5'-end of mRNA may be used as a general strategy for human protein production in E. coli

  10. Cryptochrome 2 expression level is critical for adrenocorticotropin stimulation of cortisol production in the capuchin monkey adrenal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres-Farfan, C; Abarzua-Catalan, L; Valenzuela, F J; Mendez, N; Richter, H G; Valenzuela, G J; Serón-Ferré, M

    2009-06-01

    Timely production of glucocorticoid hormones in response to ACTH is essential for survival by coordinating energy intake and expenditure and acting as homeostatic regulators against stress. Adrenal cortisol response to ACTH is clock time dependent, suggesting that an intrinsic circadian oscillator in the adrenal cortex contributes to modulate the response to ACTH. Circadian clock gene expression has been reported in the adrenal cortex of several species. However, there are no reports accounting for potential involvement of adrenal clock proteins on cortisol response to ACTH. Here we explored whether the clock protein cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) knockdown modifies the adrenal response to ACTH in a primate. Adrenal gland explants from adult capuchin monkey (n = 5) were preincubated for 6 h with transfection vehicle (control) or with two different Cry2 antisense and sense probes followed by 48 h incubation in medium alone (no ACTH) or with 100 nm ACTH. Under control and sense conditions, ACTH increased cortisol production, whereas CRY2 suppression inhibited ACTH-stimulated cortisol production. Expression of the steroidogenic enzymes steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase at 48 h of incubation was increased by ACTH in control explants and suppressed by Cry2 knockdown. Additionally, we found that Cry2 knockdown decreased the expression of the clock gene brain and muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein (Bmal1) at the mRNA and protein levels. Altogether these results strongly support that the clock protein CRY2 is involved in the mechanism by which ACTH increases the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Thus, adequate expression levels of components of the adrenal circadian clock are required for an appropriate cortisol response to ACTH.

  11. Fish protein intake induces fast-muscle hypertrophy and reduces liver lipids and serum glucose levels in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawabata, Fuminori; Mizushige, Takafumi; Uozumi, Keisuke; Hayamizu, Kohsuke; Han, Li; Tsuji, Tomoko; Kishida, Taro

    2015-01-01

    In our previous study, fish protein was proven to reduce serum lipids and body fat accumulation by skeletal muscle hypertrophy and enhancing basal energy expenditure in rats. In the present study, we examined the precise effects of fish protein intake on different skeletal muscle fiber types and metabolic gene expression of the muscle. Fish protein increased fast-twitch muscle weight, reduced liver triglycerides and serum glucose levels, compared with the casein diet after 6 or 8 weeks of feeding. Furthermore, fish protein upregulated the gene expressions of a fast-twitch muscle-type marker and a glucose transporter in the muscle. These results suggest that fish protein induces fast-muscle hypertrophy, and the enhancement of basal energy expenditure by muscle hypertrophy and the increase in muscle glucose uptake reduced liver lipids and serum glucose levels. The present results also imply that fish protein intake causes a slow-to-fast shift in muscle fiber type.

  12. Effects of UVB-induced oxidative stress on protein expression and specific protein oxidation in normal human epithelial keratinocytes: a proteomic approach

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    De Marco Federico

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The UVB component of solar ultraviolet irradiation is one of the major risk factors for the development of skin cancer in humans. UVB exposure elicits an increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS, which are responsible for oxidative damage to proteins, DNA, RNA and lipids. In order to examine the biological impact of UVB irradiation on skin cells, we used a parallel proteomics approach to analyze the protein expression profile and to identify oxidatively modified proteins in normal human epithelial keratinocytes. Results The expression levels of fifteen proteins - involved in maintaining the cytoskeleton integrity, removal of damaged proteins and heat shock response - were differentially regulated in UVB-exposed cells, indicating that an appropriate response is developed in order to counteract/neutralize the toxic effects of UVB-raised ROS. On the other side, the redox proteomics approach revealed that seven proteins - involved in cellular adhesion, cell-cell interaction and protein folding - were selectively oxidized. Conclusions Despite a wide and well orchestrated cellular response, a relevant oxidation of specific proteins concomitantly occurs in UVB-irradiated human epithelial Keratinocytes. These modified (i.e. likely dysfunctional proteins might result in cell homeostasis impairment and therefore eventually promote cellular degeneration, senescence or carcinogenesis.

  13. Neisseria meningitidis rifampicin resistant strains: analysis of protein differentially expressed

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    Schininà Maria

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several mutations have been described as responsible for rifampicin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis. However, the intriguing question on why these strains are so rare remains open. The aim of this study was to investigate the protein content and to identify differential expression in specific proteins in two rifampicin resistant and one susceptible meningococci using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE combined with mass spectrometry. Results In our experimental conditions, able to resolve soluble proteins with an isoelectric point between 4 and 7, twenty-three proteins have been found differentially expressed in the two resistant strains compared to the susceptible. Some of them, involved in the main metabolic pathways, showed an increased expression, mainly in the catabolism of pyruvate and in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. A decreased expression of proteins belonging to gene regulation and to those involved in the folding of polypeptides has also been observed. 2-DE analysis showed the presence of four proteins displaying a shift in their isoelectric point in both resistant strains, confirmed by the presence of amino acid changes in the sequence analysis, absent in the susceptible. Conclusions The analysis of differentially expressed proteins suggests that an intricate series of events occurs in N. meningitidis rifampicin resistant strains and the results here reported may be considered a starting point in understanding their decreased invasion capacity. In fact, they support the hypothesis that the presence of more than one protein differentially expressed, having a role in the metabolism of the meningococcus, influences its ability to infect and to spread in the population. Different reports have described and discussed how a drug resistant pathogen shows a high biological cost for survival and that may also explain why, for some pathogens, the rate of resistant organisms is relatively low considering the

  14. Cellular and Tumor Radiosensitivity is Correlated to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Protein Expression Level in Tumors Without EGFR Amplification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasten-Pisula, Ulla; Saker, Jarob; Eicheler, Wolfgang; Krause, Mechthild; Yaromina, Ala; Meyer-Staeckling, Soenke; Scherkl, Benjamin; Kriegs, Malte; Brandt, Burkhard; Grenman, Reidar; Petersen, Cordula; Baumann, Michael; Dikomey, Ekkehard

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: There is conflicting evidence for whether the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in human tumors can be used as a marker of radioresponse. Therefore, this association was studied in a systematic manner using squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines grown as cell cultures and xenografts. Methods and Materials: The study was performed with 24 tumor cell lines of different tumor types, including 10 SCC lines, which were also investigated as xenografts on nude mice. Egfr gene dose and the length of CA-repeats in intron 1 were determined by polymerase chain reaction, protein expression in vitro by Western blot and in vivo by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and radiosensitivity in vitro by colony formation. Data were correlated with previously published tumor control dose 50% data after fractionated irradiation of xenografts of the 10 SCC. Results: EGFR protein expression varies considerably, with most tumor cell lines showing moderate and only few showing pronounced upregulation. EGFR upregulation could only be attributed to massive gene amplification in the latter. In the case of little or no amplification, in vitro EGFR expression correlated with both cellular and tumor radioresponse. In vivo EGFR expression did not show this correlation. Conclusions: Local tumor control after the fractionated irradiation of tumors with little or no gene amplification seems to be dependent on in vitro EGFR via its effect on cellular radiosensitivity.

  15. Dynamic changes in protein functional linkage networks revealed by integration with gene expression data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shubhada R Hegde

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Response of cells to changing environmental conditions is governed by the dynamics of intricate biomolecular interactions. It may be reasonable to assume, proteins being the dominant macromolecules that carry out routine cellular functions, that understanding the dynamics of protein:protein interactions might yield useful insights into the cellular responses. The large-scale protein interaction data sets are, however, unable to capture the changes in the profile of protein:protein interactions. In order to understand how these interactions change dynamically, we have constructed conditional protein linkages for Escherichia coli by integrating functional linkages and gene expression information. As a case study, we have chosen to analyze UV exposure in wild-type and SOS deficient E. coli at 20 minutes post irradiation. The conditional networks exhibit similar topological properties. Although the global topological properties of the networks are similar, many subtle local changes are observed, which are suggestive of the cellular response to the perturbations. Some such changes correspond to differences in the path lengths among the nodes of carbohydrate metabolism correlating with its loss in efficiency in the UV treated cells. Similarly, expression of hubs under unique conditions reflects the importance of these genes. Various centrality measures applied to the networks indicate increased importance for replication, repair, and other stress proteins for the cells under UV treatment, as anticipated. We thus propose a novel approach for studying an organism at the systems level by integrating genome-wide functional linkages and the gene expression data.

  16. 2A and the auxin-based degron system facilitate control of protein levels in Plasmodium falciparum.

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    Andrea Kreidenweiss

    Full Text Available Analysis of gene function in Plasmodium falciparum, the most important human malaria parasite, is restricted by the lack of robust and simple reverse genetic tools. Approaches to manipulate protein levels post-translationally are powerful tools to study protein-off effects especially in the haploid malaria parasite where genetic knockouts of essential genes are lethal. We investigated if the auxin-inducible degron system is functional in P. falciparum and found that degron-tagged yellow fluorescent protein levels were efficiently reduced upon addition of auxin which otherwise had no effect on parasite viability. The genetic components required in this conditional approach were co-expressed in P. falciparum by applying the small peptide 2A. 2A is a self-processing peptide from Foot-And-Mouth Disease virus that allows the whole conditional system to be accommodated on a single plasmid vector and ensures stoichiometric expression levels.

  17. Expression of Duodenal Iron Transporter Proteins in Diabetic Patients with and without Iron Deficiency Anemia

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    Efrat Broide

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The role of iron transport proteins in the pathogenesis of anemia in patients with diabetes mellitus (T2DM is still unclear. We investigated the expression of duodenal transporter proteins in diabetic patients with and without iron deficiency anemia (IDA. Methods. Overall, 39 patients were included: 16 with T2DM and IDA (group A, 11 with T2DM without IDA (group B, and 12 controls (group C. Duodenal mucosal expression of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1, ferroportin 1 (FPN, hephaestin (HEPH, and transferrin receptor 1 (TfR was evaluated by Western blotting. Chronic disease activity markers were measured as well. Results. FPN expression was increased in group A compared to group B and controls: 1.17 (0.72–1.46, 0.76 (0.53–1.04, and 0.71 (0.64–0.86, respectively (p=0.011. TfR levels were over expressed in groups A and B compared to controls: 0.39 (0.26–0.61, 0.36 (0.24–0.43, and 0.18 (0.16–0.24, respectively, (p=0.004. The three groups did not differ significantly with regard to cellular HEPH and DMT1 expression. The normal CRP and serum ferritin levels, accompanied with normal FPN among diabetic patients without IDA, do not support the association of IDA with chronic inflammatory state. Conclusion. In patients with T2DM and IDA, duodenal iron transport protein expression might be dependent on body iron stores rather than by chronic inflammation or diabetes per se.

  18. Immunization with a recombinant vaccinia virus that encodes nonstructural proteins of the hepatitis C virus suppresses viral protein levels in mouse liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekiguchi, Satoshi; Kimura, Kiminori; Chiyo, Tomoko; Ohtsuki, Takahiro; Tobita, Yoshimi; Tokunaga, Yuko; Yasui, Fumihiko; Tsukiyama-Kohara, Kyoko; Wakita, Takaji; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Miyasaka, Masayuki; Mizuno, Kyosuke; Hayashi, Yukiko; Hishima, Tsunekazu; Matsushima, Kouji; Kohara, Michinori

    2012-01-01

    Chronic hepatitis C, which is caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is a global health problem. Using a mouse model of hepatitis C, we examined the therapeutic effects of a recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV) that encodes an HCV protein. We generated immunocompetent mice that each expressed multiple HCV proteins via a Cre/loxP switching system and established several distinct attenuated rVV strains. The HCV core protein was expressed consistently in the liver after polyinosinic acid-polycytidylic acid injection, and these mice showed chronic hepatitis C-related pathological findings (hepatocyte abnormalities, accumulation of glycogen, steatosis), liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunization with one rVV strain (rVV-N25), which encoded nonstructural HCV proteins, suppressed serum inflammatory cytokine levels and alleviated the symptoms of pathological chronic hepatitis C within 7 days after injection. Furthermore, HCV protein levels in liver tissue also decreased in a CD4 and CD8 T-cell-dependent manner. Consistent with these results, we showed that rVV-N25 immunization induced a robust CD8 T-cell immune response that was specific to the HCV nonstructural protein 2. We also demonstrated that the onset of chronic hepatitis in CN2-29((+/-))/MxCre((+/-)) mice was mainly attributable to inflammatory cytokines, (tumor necrosis factor) TNF-α and (interleukin) IL-6. Thus, our generated mice model should be useful for further investigation of the immunological processes associated with persistent expression of HCV proteins because these mice had not developed immune tolerance to the HCV antigen. In addition, we propose that rVV-N25 could be developed as an effective therapeutic vaccine.

  19. Immunization with a recombinant vaccinia virus that encodes nonstructural proteins of the hepatitis C virus suppresses viral protein levels in mouse liver.

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    Satoshi Sekiguchi

    Full Text Available Chronic hepatitis C, which is caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV, is a global health problem. Using a mouse model of hepatitis C, we examined the therapeutic effects of a recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV that encodes an HCV protein. We generated immunocompetent mice that each expressed multiple HCV proteins via a Cre/loxP switching system and established several distinct attenuated rVV strains. The HCV core protein was expressed consistently in the liver after polyinosinic acid-polycytidylic acid injection, and these mice showed chronic hepatitis C-related pathological findings (hepatocyte abnormalities, accumulation of glycogen, steatosis, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunization with one rVV strain (rVV-N25, which encoded nonstructural HCV proteins, suppressed serum inflammatory cytokine levels and alleviated the symptoms of pathological chronic hepatitis C within 7 days after injection. Furthermore, HCV protein levels in liver tissue also decreased in a CD4 and CD8 T-cell-dependent manner. Consistent with these results, we showed that rVV-N25 immunization induced a robust CD8 T-cell immune response that was specific to the HCV nonstructural protein 2. We also demonstrated that the onset of chronic hepatitis in CN2-29((+/-/MxCre((+/- mice was mainly attributable to inflammatory cytokines, (tumor necrosis factor TNF-α and (interleukin IL-6. Thus, our generated mice model should be useful for further investigation of the immunological processes associated with persistent expression of HCV proteins because these mice had not developed immune tolerance to the HCV antigen. In addition, we propose that rVV-N25 could be developed as an effective therapeutic vaccine.

  20. Susceptibility to viral infection is enhanced by stable expression of 3A or 3AB proteins from foot-and-mouth disease virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosas, Maria F.; Vieira, Yuri A.; Postigo, Raul; Martin-Acebes, Miguel A.; Armas-Portela, Rosario; Martinez-Salas, Encarnacion; Sobrino, Francisco

    2008-01-01

    The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 3A protein is involved in virulence and host range. A distinguishing feature of FMDV 3B among picornaviruses is that three non-identical copies are encoded in the viral RNA and required for optimal replication in cell culture. Here, we have studied the involvement of the 3AB region on viral infection using constitutive and transient expression systems. BHK-21 stably transformed clones expressed low levels of FMDV 3A or 3A(B) proteins in the cell cytoplasm. Transformed cells stably expressing these proteins did not exhibit inner cellular rearrangements detectable by electron microscope analysis. Upon FMDV infection, clones expressing either 3A alone or 3A(B) proteins showed a significant increase in the percentage of infected cells, the number of plaque forming units and the virus yield. The 3A-enhancing effect was specific for FMDV as no increase in viral multiplication was observed in transformed clones infected with another picornavirus, encephalomyocarditis virus, or the negative-strand RNA virus vesicular stomatitis virus. A potential role of 3A protein in viral RNA translation was discarded by the lack of effect on FMDV IRES-dependent translation. Increased viral susceptibility was not caused by a released factor; neither the supernatant of transformed clones nor the addition of purified 3A protein to the infection medium was responsible for this effect. Unlike stable expression, high levels of 3A or 3A(B) protein transient expression led to unspecific inhibition of viral infection. Therefore, the effect observed on viral yield, which inversely correlated with the intracellular levels of 3A protein, suggests a transacting role operating on the FMDV multiplication cycle

  1. Alteration of protein expression pattern of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from soluble to cell-associated isoform during tumourigenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cressey, Ratchada; Wattananupong, Onusa; Lertprasertsuke, Nirush; Vinitketkumnuen, Usanee

    2005-01-01

    Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent mitogen for endothelial cells, and its expression has been correlated with increased tumour angiogenesis. Although numerous publications dealing with the measurement of circulating VEGF for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring have been published, the relationship between the production of tissue VEGF and its concentration in blood is still unclear. The aims of this study were to determine: 1) The expression pattern of VEGF isoforms at the protein level in colorectal and lung adenocarcinoma in comparison to the pattern in corresponding adjacent normal tissues 2) The relationship between the expression pattern of VEGF and total level of circulating VEGF in the blood to clarify whether the results of measuring circulating VEGF can be used to predict VEGF expression in tumour tissues. Ninety-four tissue samples were obtained from patients, 76 colorectal tumour tissues and 18 lung tumour tissues. VEGF protein expression pattern and total circulating VEGF were examined using western blot and capture ELISA, respectively. Three major protein bands were predominately detected in tumour samples with an apparent molecular mass under reducing conditions of 18, 23 and 26 kDa. The 18 kDa VEGF protein was expressed equally in both normal and colorectal tumour tissues and predominately expressed in normal tissues of lung, whereas the 23 and 26 kDa protein was only detected at higher levels in tumour tissues. The 18, 23 and 26 kDa proteins are believed to represent the VEGF 121 , the VEGF 165 and the VEGF 189 , respectively. There was a significant correlation of the expression of VEGF 165 with a smaller tumour size maximum diameter <5 cm (p < 0.05), and there was a significant correlation of VEGF 189 with advanced clinical stage of colorectal tumours. The measurement of total circulating VEGF in serum revealed that cancer patients significantly (p < 0.001) possessed a higher level of circulating VEGF (1081 ± 652 pg/ml in

  2. Increased expression of Myosin binding protein H in the skeletal muscle of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

    KAUST Repository

    Conti, Antonio

    2014-01-01

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe and fatal neurodegenerative disease of still unknown pathogenesis. Recent findings suggest that the skeletal muscle may play an active pathogenetic role. To investigate ALS\\'s pathogenesis and to seek diagnostic markers, we analyzed skeletal muscle biopsies with the differential expression proteomic approach. We studied skeletal muscle biopsies from healthy controls (CN), sporadic ALS (sALS), motor neuropathies (MN) and myopathies (M). Pre-eminently among several differentially expressed proteins, Myosin binding protein H (MyBP-H) expression in ALS samples was anomalously high. MyBP-H is a component of the thick filaments of the skeletal muscle and has strong affinity for myosin, but its function is still unclear. High MyBP-H expression level was associated with abnormal expression of Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2), LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) and cofilin2, that might affect the actin-myosin interaction. We propose that MyBP-H expression level serves, as a putative biomarker in the skeletal muscle, to discriminate ALS from motor neuropathies, and that it signals the onset of dysregulation in actin-myosin interaction; this in turn might contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

  3. Dietary soy and meat proteins induce distinct physiological and gene expression changes in rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Shangxin; Hooiveld, Guido J.; Li, Mengjie; Zhao, Fan; Zhang, Wei; Xu, Xinglian; Muller, Michael; Li, Chunbao; Zhou, Guanghong

    2016-01-01

    This study reports on a comprehensive comparison of the effects of soy and meat proteins given at the recommended level on physiological markers of metabolic syndrome and the hepatic transcriptome. Male rats were fed semi-synthetic diets for 1 wk that differed only regarding protein source, with casein serving as reference. Body weight gain and adipose tissue mass were significantly reduced by soy but not meat proteins. The insulin resistance index was improved by soy, and to a lesser extent by meat proteins. Liver triacylglycerol contents were reduced by both protein sources, which coincided with increased plasma triacylglycerol concentrations. Both soy and meat proteins changed plasma amino acid patterns. The expression of 1571 and 1369 genes were altered by soy and meat proteins respectively. Functional classification revealed that lipid, energy and amino acid metabolic pathways, as well as insulin signaling pathways were regulated differently by soy and meat proteins. Several transcriptional regulators, including NFE2L2, ATF4, Srebf1 and Rictor were identified as potential key upstream regulators. These results suggest that soy and meat proteins induce distinct physiological and gene expression responses in rats and provide novel evidence and suggestions for the health effects of different protein sources in human diets. PMID:26857845

  4. Influence of heart failure on nucleolar organization and protein expression in human hearts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosello-Lleti, Esther; Rivera, Miguel; Cortes, Raquel [Cardiocirculatory Unit, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Azorin, Inmaculada [Experimental Neurology, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Sirera, Rafael [Biotechnology Department, Universidad Politecnica, Valencia (Spain); Martinez-Dolz, Luis [Cardiology Unit, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Hove, Leif; Cinca, Juan [Cardiology Unit, Hospital San Pau, Barcelona (Spain); Lago, Francisca; Gonzalez-Juanatey, Jose R. [Cardiology Unit, Institute of Biomedical Research, Hospital Clinicode Santiagode Compostela (Spain); Salvador, Antonio [Experimental Neurology, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Portoles, Manuel, E-mail: portoles_man@gva.es [Cell Biology and Pathology Unit, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain)

    2012-02-10

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Heart failure alters nucleolar morphology and organization. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nucleolin expression is significant increased in ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ventricular function of heart failure patients was related with nucleolin levels. -- Abstract: We investigate for the first time the influence of heart failure (HF) on nucleolar organization and proteins in patients with ischemic (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A total of 71 human hearts from ICM (n = 38) and DCM (n = 27) patients, undergoing heart transplantation and control donors (n = 6), were analysed by western-blotting, RT-PCR and cell biology methods. When we compared protein levels according to HF etiology, nucleolin was increased in both ICM (117%, p < 0.05) and DCM (141%, p < 0.01). Moreover, mRNA expression were also upregulated in ICM (1.46-fold, p < 0.05) and DCM (1.70-fold, p < 0.05. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the highest intensity of nucleolin was into nucleolus (p < 0.0001), and it was increased in pathological hearts (p < 0.0001). Ultrastructure analysis by electron microscopy showed an increase in the nucleus and nucleolus size in ICM (17%, p < 0.05 and 131%, p < 0.001) and DCM (56%, p < 0.01 and 69%, p < 0.01). Nucleolar organization was influenced by HF irrespective of etiology, increasing fibrillar centers (p < 0.001), perinucleolar chromatin (p < 0.01) and dense fibrillar components (p < 0.01). Finally, left ventricular function parameters were related with nucleolin levels in ischemic hearts (p < 0.0001). The present study demonstrates that HF influences on morphology and organization of nucleolar components, revealing changes in the expression and in the levels of nucleolin protein.

  5. Effects of Leucine Supplementation and Serum Withdrawal on Branched-Chain Amino Acid Pathway Gene and Protein Expression in Mouse Adipocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vivar, Juan C.; Knight, Megan S.; Pointer, Mildred A.; Gwathmey, Judith K.; Ghosh, Sujoy

    2014-01-01

    The essential branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), leucine, valine and isoleucine, are traditionally associated with skeletal muscle growth and maintenance, energy production, and generation of neurotransmitter and gluconeogenic precursors. Recent evidence from human and animal model studies has established an additional link between BCAA levels and obesity. However, details of the mechanism of regulation of BCAA metabolism during adipogenesis are largely unknown. We interrogated whether the expression of genes and proteins involved in BCAA metabolism are sensitive to the adipocyte differentiation process, and responsive to nutrient stress from starvation or BCAA excess. Murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated to adipocytes under control conditions and under conditions of L-leucine supplementation or serum withdrawal. RNA and proteins were isolated at days 0, 4 and 10 of differentiation to represent pre-differentiation, early differentiation and late differentiation stages. Expression of 16 BCAA metabolism genes was quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. Expression of the protein levels of branched-chain amino acid transaminase 2 (Bcat2) and branched-chain alpha keto acid dehydrogenase (Bckdha) was quantified by immunoblotting. Under control conditions, all genes displayed induction of gene expression during early adipogenesis (Day 4) compared to Day 0. Leucine supplementation resulted in an induction of Bcat2 and Bckdha genes during early and late differentiation. Western blot analysis demonstrated condition-specific concordance between gene and protein expression. Serum withdrawal resulted in undetectable Bcat2 and Bckdha protein levels at all timepoints. These results demonstrate that the expression of genes related to BCAA metabolism are regulated during adipocyte differentiation and influenced by nutrient levels. These results provide additional insights on how BCAA metabolism is associated with adipose tissue function and extends our understanding of

  6. Effects of leucine supplementation and serum withdrawal on branched-chain amino acid pathway gene and protein expression in mouse adipocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abderrazak Kitsy

    Full Text Available The essential branched-chain amino acids (BCAA, leucine, valine and isoleucine, are traditionally associated with skeletal muscle growth and maintenance, energy production, and generation of neurotransmitter and gluconeogenic precursors. Recent evidence from human and animal model studies has established an additional link between BCAA levels and obesity. However, details of the mechanism of regulation of BCAA metabolism during adipogenesis are largely unknown. We interrogated whether the expression of genes and proteins involved in BCAA metabolism are sensitive to the adipocyte differentiation process, and responsive to nutrient stress from starvation or BCAA excess. Murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated to adipocytes under control conditions and under conditions of L-leucine supplementation or serum withdrawal. RNA and proteins were isolated at days 0, 4 and 10 of differentiation to represent pre-differentiation, early differentiation and late differentiation stages. Expression of 16 BCAA metabolism genes was quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. Expression of the protein levels of branched-chain amino acid transaminase 2 (Bcat2 and branched-chain alpha keto acid dehydrogenase (Bckdha was quantified by immunoblotting. Under control conditions, all genes displayed induction of gene expression during early adipogenesis (Day 4 compared to Day 0. Leucine supplementation resulted in an induction of Bcat2 and Bckdha genes during early and late differentiation. Western blot analysis demonstrated condition-specific concordance between gene and protein expression. Serum withdrawal resulted in undetectable Bcat2 and Bckdha protein levels at all timepoints. These results demonstrate that the expression of genes related to BCAA metabolism are regulated during adipocyte differentiation and influenced by nutrient levels. These results provide additional insights on how BCAA metabolism is associated with adipose tissue function and extends our

  7. Expression profiles of vault components MVP, TEP1 and vPARP and their correlation to other multidrug resistance proteins in ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szaflarski, Witold; Sujka-Kordowska, Patrycja; Pula, Bartosz; Jaszczyńska-Nowinka, Karolina; Andrzejewska, Małgorzata; Zawierucha, Piotr; Dziegiel, Piotr; Nowicki, Michał; Ivanov, Pavel; Zabel, Maciej

    2013-08-01

    Vaults are cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles composed of three proteins (MVP, TEP1, vPARP) and vault‑associated RNAs (vRNAs). Although the cellular functions of vaults remain unclear, vaults are strongly linked to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR), the major obstacle to the efficient treatment of cancers. Available published data suggest that vaults and their components are frequently upregulated in broad variety of multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines and tumors of different histological origin. Here, we provide detailed analysis of vault protein expression in post-surgery ovarian cancer samples from patients that were not exposed to chemotherapy. Our analysis suggests that vault proteins are expressed in the ovaries of healthy individuals but their expression in cancer patients is changed. Specifically, MVP, TEP1 and vPARP mRNA levels are significantly decreased in cancer samples with tendency of lower expression in higher-grade tumors. The pattern of vault protein mRNA expression is strongly correlated with the expression of other MDR-associated proteins such as MDR1, MRP1 and BCRP. Surprisingly, the protein levels of MVP, TEP1 and vPARP are actually increased in the higher‑grade tumors suggesting existence of post-transcriptional regulation of vault component production.

  8. Expression of XPG protein in the development, progression and prognosis of gastric cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Na Deng

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Xeroderma pigmentosum group G (XPG plays a critical role in preventing cells from oxidative DNA damage. This study aimed to investigate XPG protein expression in different gastric tissues and in patients with diverse prognoses, thus providing insights into its role in the development, progression and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC. METHODS: A total of 176 GC, 131 adjacent non-tumour tissues, 53 atrophic gastritis (AG and 49 superficial gastritis (SG samples were included. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect XPG protein expression. RESULTS: XPG expression was significantly higher in GC tissues compared with adjacent non-tumour tissues. In the progressive disease sequence SG→AG→GC, XPG expression was significantly higher in AG and GC compared with SG. Analysis of clinicopathological parameters and survival in GC patients demonstrated a significant association between XPG expression level and depth of tumour invasion, macroscopic type, Lauren's classification, smoking, Helicobacter pylori infection and family history. Cox multivariate survival analysis indicated that patients with positive XPG expression had significantly longer overall survival (P = 0.020, HR = 0.394, 95%CI 0.179-0.866, especially in aged younger than 60 years (P = 0.027, HR = 0.361, 95%CI 0.147-0.888 and male patients (P = 0.002, HR = 0.209, 95%CI 0.077-0.571. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that XPG protein expression was related to the development, progression and prognosis of GC, and might thus serve as a potential biomarker for its diagnosis and prognosis.

  9. Identification of CEA-interacting proteins in colon cancer cells and their changes in expression after irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Byong Chul [Colorectal Cancer Branch, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Yeo, Seung Gu [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-09-15

    The serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level has been recognized as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer, and associated with response of rectal cancer to radiotherapy. This study aimed to identify CEA-interacting proteins in colon cancer cells and observe post-irradiation changes in their expression. CEA expression in colon cancer cells was examined by Western blot analysis. Using an anti-CEA antibody or IgG as a negative control, immunoprecipitation was performed in colon cancer cell lysates. CEA and IgG immunoprecipitates were used for liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Proteins identified in the CEA immunoprecipitates but not in the IgG immunoprecipitates were selected as CEA-interacting proteins. After radiation treatment, changes in expression of CEA-interacting proteins were monitored by Western blot analysis. CEA expression was higher in SNU-81 cells compared with LoVo cells. The membrane localization of CEA limited the immunoprecipitation results and thus the number of CEA-interacting proteins identified. Only the Ras-related protein Rab-6B and lysozyme C were identified as CEA-interacting proteins in LoVo and SNU-81 cells, respectively. Lysozyme C was detected only in SNU-81, and CEA expression was differently regulated in two cell lines; it was down-regulated in LoVo but up-regulated in SNU-81 in radiation dosage-dependent manner. CEA-mediated radiation response appears to vary, depending on the characteristics of individual cancer cells. The lysozyme C and Rab subfamily proteins may play a role in the link between CEA and tumor response to radiation, although further studies are needed to clarify functional roles of the identified proteins.

  10. Identification of CEA-interacting proteins in colon cancer cells and their changes in expression after irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Byong Chul; Yeo, Seung Gu

    2017-01-01

    The serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level has been recognized as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer, and associated with response of rectal cancer to radiotherapy. This study aimed to identify CEA-interacting proteins in colon cancer cells and observe post-irradiation changes in their expression. CEA expression in colon cancer cells was examined by Western blot analysis. Using an anti-CEA antibody or IgG as a negative control, immunoprecipitation was performed in colon cancer cell lysates. CEA and IgG immunoprecipitates were used for liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Proteins identified in the CEA immunoprecipitates but not in the IgG immunoprecipitates were selected as CEA-interacting proteins. After radiation treatment, changes in expression of CEA-interacting proteins were monitored by Western blot analysis. CEA expression was higher in SNU-81 cells compared with LoVo cells. The membrane localization of CEA limited the immunoprecipitation results and thus the number of CEA-interacting proteins identified. Only the Ras-related protein Rab-6B and lysozyme C were identified as CEA-interacting proteins in LoVo and SNU-81 cells, respectively. Lysozyme C was detected only in SNU-81, and CEA expression was differently regulated in two cell lines; it was down-regulated in LoVo but up-regulated in SNU-81 in radiation dosage-dependent manner. CEA-mediated radiation response appears to vary, depending on the characteristics of individual cancer cells. The lysozyme C and Rab subfamily proteins may play a role in the link between CEA and tumor response to radiation, although further studies are needed to clarify functional roles of the identified proteins

  11. Elevated expression of ribosomal protein genes L37, RPP-1, and S2 in the presence of mutant p53.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loging, W T; Reisman, D

    1999-11-01

    The wild-type p53 protein is a DNA-binding transcription factor that activates genes such as p21, MDM2, GADD45, and Bax that are required for the regulation of cell cycle progression or apoptosis in response to DNA damage. Mutant forms of p53, which are transforming oncogenes and are expressed at high levels in tumor cells, generally have a reduced binding affinity for the consensus DNA sequence. Interestingly, some p53 mutants that are no longer effective at binding to the consensus DNA sequence and transactivating promoters containing this target site have acquired the ability to transform cells in culture, in part through their ability to transactivate promoters of a number of genes that are not targets of the wild-type protein. Certain p53 mutants are therefore considered to be gain-of-function mutants and appear to be promoting proliferation or transforming cells through their ability to alter the expression of novel sets of genes. Our goal is to identify genes that have altered expression in the presence of a specific mutant p53 (Arg to Trp mutation at codon 248) protein. Through examining differential gene expression in cells devoid of p53 expression and in cells that express high levels of mutant p53 protein, we have identified three ribosomal protein genes that have elevated expression in response to mutant p53. Consistent with these findings, the overexpression of a number of ribosomal protein genes in human tumors and evidence for their contribution to oncogenic transformation have been reported previously, although the mechanism leading to this overexpression has remained elusive. We show results that indicate that expression of these specific ribosomal protein genes is increased in the presence of the R248W p53 mutant, which provides a mechanism for their overexpression in human tumors.

  12. Growth-Phase-Specific Modulation of Cell Morphology and Gene Expression by an Archaeal Histone Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dulmage, Keely A; Todor, Horia; Schmid, Amy K

    2015-09-08

    In all three domains of life, organisms use nonspecific DNA-binding proteins to compact and organize the genome as well as to regulate transcription on a global scale. Histone is the primary eukaryotic nucleoprotein, and its evolutionary roots can be traced to the archaea. However, not all archaea use this protein as the primary DNA-packaging component, raising questions regarding the role of histones in archaeal chromatin function. Here, quantitative phenotyping, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays were performed on deletion and overexpression mutants of the sole histone protein of the hypersaline-adapted haloarchaeal model organism Halobacterium salinarum. This protein is highly conserved among all sequenced haloarchaeal species and maintains hallmark residues required for eukaryotic histone functions. Surprisingly, despite this conservation at the sequence level, unlike in other archaea or eukaryotes, H. salinarum histone is required to regulate cell shape but is not necessary for survival. Genome-wide expression changes in histone deletion strains were global, significant but subtle in terms of fold change, bidirectional, and growth phase dependent. Mass spectrometric proteomic identification of proteins from chromatin enrichments yielded levels of histone and putative nucleoid-associated proteins similar to those of transcription factors, consistent with an open and transcriptionally active genome. Taken together, these data suggest that histone in H. salinarum plays a minor role in DNA compaction but important roles in growth-phase-dependent gene expression and regulation of cell shape. Histone function in haloarchaea more closely resembles a regulator of gene expression than a chromatin-organizing protein like canonical eukaryotic histone. Histones comprise the major protein component of eukaryotic chromatin and are required for both genome packaging and global regulation of expression. The current paradigm maintains that archaea whose genes encode

  13. Ethanol extracts of black pepper or turmeric down-regulated SIRT1 protein expression in Daudi culture cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimura, Yuri; Kitagishi, Yasuko; Yoshida, Hitomi; Okumura, Naoko; Matsuda, Satoru

    2011-01-01

    SIRT1 is a mammalian candidate molecule involved in longevity and diverse metabolic processes. The present study aimed to determine the effects of certain herbs and spices on SIRT1 expression. Human cell lines Daudi, Jurkat, U937 and K562 were cultured in RPMI-1640. Herb and spice powders were prepared and the supernatants were collected. RT-PCR was used to quantify the expression level of the gene. Protein samples were then analyzed by Western blotting. Western blotting revealed the down-regulation of SIRT1 protein expression in Daudi cells treated with extracts of black pepper or turmeric. On the other hand, the effect on the SIRT1 gene expression examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was unaltered. In conclusion, component(s) of certain herbs and spices may induce the down-regulation of SIRT1 protein.

  14. Optimised 'on demand' protein arraying from DNA by cell free expression with the 'DNA to Protein Array' (DAPA) technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Ronny; Cook, Elizabeth A; Kastelic, Damjana; Taussig, Michael J; Stoevesandt, Oda

    2013-08-02

    We have previously described a protein arraying process based on cell free expression from DNA template arrays (DNA Array to Protein Array, DAPA). Here, we have investigated the influence of different array support coatings (Ni-NTA, Epoxy, 3D-Epoxy and Polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA)). Their optimal combination yields an increased amount of detected protein and an optimised spot morphology on the resulting protein array compared to the previously published protocol. The specificity of protein capture was improved using a tag-specific capture antibody on a protein repellent surface coating. The conditions for protein expression were optimised to yield the maximum amount of protein or the best detection results using specific monoclonal antibodies or a scaffold binder against the expressed targets. The optimised DAPA system was able to increase by threefold the expression of a representative model protein while conserving recognition by a specific antibody. The amount of expressed protein in DAPA was comparable to those of classically spotted protein arrays. Reaction conditions can be tailored to suit the application of interest. DAPA represents a cost effective, easy and convenient way of producing protein arrays on demand. The reported work is expected to facilitate the application of DAPA for personalized medicine and screening purposes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Evaluation of cyclooxygenase protein expression in traumatized versus normal tissues from eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royal, Lillian W; Lascelles, B Duncan X; Lewbart, Gregory A; Correa, Maria T; Jones, Samuel L

    2012-06-01

    This pilot study was designed to determine whether cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, or both are expressed in normal turtle tissues and whether level of expression changes when tissue becomes inflamed. Five eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina carolina, that either died or were euthanatized due to disease or injuries were used for this work. Tissues were obtained from the five turtles. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate tissues for COX-1 and COX-2 proteins. Densiometric analysis was used to compare Western blot bands within each turtle. COX-1 and COX-2 were found in the liver, kidney, grossly normal muscle, and grossly traumatized (inflamed) muscle of all study turtles. In all cases, COX-1 and COX-2 proteins were increased in traumatized muscle over grossly normal nontraumatized muscle. The highest levels of COX-1 and COX-2 proteins were found in kidney and liver. There was no statistical difference between the amount of COX-1 protein in liver and kidney, but traumatized muscle compared with grossly normal muscle had significantly greater COX-1 but not COX 2 protein concentrations. There was no statistical difference between the amount of COX-2 protein in liver and kidney. Traumatized muscle expressed nonstatistically significant greater amounts of COX-2 compared with grossly normal muscle. COX-1 and COX-2 proteins are expressed in turtle tissues, and both isoforms are upregulated during inflammation of muscle tissue. Traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that block both COX isoforms might be more efficacious than COX-2-selective drugs. This work suggests that NSAIDs should be evaluated for potential liver and kidney toxicity in turtles.

  16. [Eukaryotic Expression and Immunogenic Research of Recombination Ebola Virus Membrane Protein Gp-Fc].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoguang; Yang, Ren; Wang, Jiao; Wang, Xuan; Hou, Mieling; An, Lina; Zhu, Ying; Cao, Yuxi; Zeng, Yi

    2016-01-01

    We used 293 cells to express the recombinant membrane protein of the Ebola virus. Then, the immunogenicity of the recombinant protein was studied by immunized BALB/c mice. According to the codon use frequency of humans, the gene encoding the extracellular domain of the Ebola virus membrane protein was optimized, synthesized, and inserted into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pXG-Fc to construct the human IgG Fc and Ebola GP fusion protein expression plasmid pXG-modGP-Fc. To achieve expression, the fusion protein expression vector was transfected into high-density 293 cells using transient transfection technology. The recombinant protein was purified by protein A affinity chromatography. BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified fusion protein, and serum antibody titers evaluated by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Purification and analyses of the protein revealed that the eukaryotic expression vector could express the recombinant protein GP-Fc effectively, and that the recombinant protein in the supernatant of the cell culture was present as a dimer. After immunization with the purified recombinant protein, a high titer of antigen-specific IgG could be detected in the serum of immunized mice by indirect ELISA, showing that the recombinant protein had good immunogenicity. These data suggest that we obtained a recombinant protein with good immunogenicity. Our study is the basis for development of a vaccine against the Ebola virus and for screening of monoclonal antibodies.

  17. Dynamics of Hippocampal Protein Expression During Long-term Spatial Memory Formation*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borovok, Natalia; Nesher, Elimelech; Levin, Yishai; Reichenstein, Michal; Pinhasov, Albert

    2016-01-01

    Spatial memory depends on the hippocampus, which is particularly vulnerable to aging. This vulnerability has implications for the impairment of navigation capacities in older people, who may show a marked drop in performance of spatial tasks with advancing age. Contemporary understanding of long-term memory formation relies on molecular mechanisms underlying long-term synaptic plasticity. With memory acquisition, activity-dependent changes occurring in synapses initiate multiple signal transduction pathways enhancing protein turnover. This enhancement facilitates de novo synthesis of plasticity related proteins, crucial factors for establishing persistent long-term synaptic plasticity and forming memory engrams. Extensive studies have been performed to elucidate molecular mechanisms of memory traces formation; however, the identity of plasticity related proteins is still evasive. In this study, we investigated protein turnover in mouse hippocampus during long-term spatial memory formation using the reference memory version of radial arm maze (RAM) paradigm. We identified 1592 proteins, which exhibited a complex picture of expression changes during spatial memory formation. Variable linear decomposition reduced significantly data dimensionality and enriched three principal factors responsible for variance of memory-related protein levels at (1) the initial phase of memory acquisition (165 proteins), (2) during the steep learning improvement (148 proteins), and (3) the final phase of the learning curve (123 proteins). Gene ontology and signaling pathways analysis revealed a clear correlation between memory improvement and learning phase-curbed expression profiles of proteins belonging to specific functional categories. We found differential enrichment of (1) neurotrophic factors signaling pathways, proteins regulating synaptic transmission, and actin microfilament during the first day of the learning curve; (2) transcription and translation machinery, protein

  18. Dynamics of Hippocampal Protein Expression During Long-term Spatial Memory Formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borovok, Natalia; Nesher, Elimelech; Levin, Yishai; Reichenstein, Michal; Pinhasov, Albert; Michaelevski, Izhak

    2016-02-01

    Spatial memory depends on the hippocampus, which is particularly vulnerable to aging. This vulnerability has implications for the impairment of navigation capacities in older people, who may show a marked drop in performance of spatial tasks with advancing age. Contemporary understanding of long-term memory formation relies on molecular mechanisms underlying long-term synaptic plasticity. With memory acquisition, activity-dependent changes occurring in synapses initiate multiple signal transduction pathways enhancing protein turnover. This enhancement facilitates de novo synthesis of plasticity related proteins, crucial factors for establishing persistent long-term synaptic plasticity and forming memory engrams. Extensive studies have been performed to elucidate molecular mechanisms of memory traces formation; however, the identity of plasticity related proteins is still evasive. In this study, we investigated protein turnover in mouse hippocampus during long-term spatial memory formation using the reference memory version of radial arm maze (RAM) paradigm. We identified 1592 proteins, which exhibited a complex picture of expression changes during spatial memory formation. Variable linear decomposition reduced significantly data dimensionality and enriched three principal factors responsible for variance of memory-related protein levels at (1) the initial phase of memory acquisition (165 proteins), (2) during the steep learning improvement (148 proteins), and (3) the final phase of the learning curve (123 proteins). Gene ontology and signaling pathways analysis revealed a clear correlation between memory improvement and learning phase-curbed expression profiles of proteins belonging to specific functional categories. We found differential enrichment of (1) neurotrophic factors signaling pathways, proteins regulating synaptic transmission, and actin microfilament during the first day of the learning curve; (2) transcription and translation machinery, protein

  19. Technetium-99m-hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile scintigraphy and multidrug resistance-related protein expression in human primary lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duan Xiaoyi; Wang Jiansheng; Liu Min; Guo Youmin

    2008-01-01

    The occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents in patients with lung cancer, in part owing to the overexpression of MDR-related proteins. Technetium-99m-hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile ( 99m Tc-MIBI) has been shown to be a substrate for some MDR-related proteins. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of 99m Tc-MIBI scintigraphy for functional imaging of MDR-related protein phenotypes. To determine the correlation between 99m Tc-MIBI scintigraphy and the expression level of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), multidrug-resistance protein (MRP), and glutathione-S-transferase Pi (GSTπ), 26 patients (17 men and 9 women, median age 57.5 years) with primary lung cancer were investigated. Following intravenous administration of 925 MBq 99m Tc-MIBI, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT) were performed at 15 min and 2 h. On the basis of the fused images, tumor to background (T/B) ratio of both early and delayed images, and washout rate (WR%) of 99m Tc-MIBI were calculated. The immunohistochemical staining of Pgp, MRP, and GSTπ was performed, and the expression level was semiquantitated using a pathoimage analysis system. The imaging results were compared with the status of Pgp, MRP, and GSTπ expression. The WR% of 99m Tc-MIBI showed a significant positive correlation with Pgp expression (r=0.560, P=0.003), as no correlation was observed between WR% and MRP or GSTπ (r=0.354, P=0.076; r=0.324, P=0.106). Neither early T/B nor delayed T/B correlated with the expression level of Pgp, MRP, and GSTπ. WR%, Pgp, and GSTπ expression showed significant differences between squamous cell carcinoma (group A) and adenocarcinoma (group B). There was no significant difference among Pgp, MRP, and GSTπ expression levels in any cases (P>0.05). Our data confirmed that 99m Tc-MIBI scintigraphy is useful for determining the MDR caused by Pgp in patients with primary lung cancer. (author)

  20. A Generic Protocol for Intracellular Expression of Recombinant Proteins in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phan, Trang; Huynh, Phuong; Truong, Tuom; Nguyen, Hoang

    2017-01-01

    Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) is a potential and attractive host for the production of recombinant proteins. Different expression systems for B. subtilis have been developed recently, and various target proteins have been recombinantly synthesized and purified using this host. In this chapter, we introduce a generic protocol to express a recombinant protein in B. subtilis. It includes protocols for (1) using our typical expression vector (plasmid pHT254) to introduce a target gene, (2) transformation of the target vector into B. subtilis, and (3) evaluation of the actual expression of a recombinant protein.

  1. Expression of membrane-associated proteins within single emulsion cell facsimiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanasakulniyom, Mayuree; Martino, Chiara; Paterson, David; Horsfall, Louise; Rosser, Susan; Cooper, Jonathan M

    2012-07-07

    MreB is a structural membrane-associated protein which is one of the key components of the bacterial cytoskeleton. Although it plays an important role in shape maintenance of rod-like bacteria, the understanding of its mechanism of action is still not fully understood. This study shows how segmented flow and microdroplet technology can be used as a new tool for biological in vitro investigation of this protein. In this paper, we demonstrate cell-free expression in a single emulsion system to express red fluorescence protein (RFP) and MreB linked RFP (MreB-RFP). We follow the aggregation and localisation of the fusion protein MreB-RFP in this artificial cell-like environment. The expression of MreB-RFP in single emulsion droplets leads to the formation of micrometer-scale protein patches distributed at the water/oil interface.

  2. Molecular Characterization of Aquaporin 1 and Aquaporin 3 from the Gills of the African Lungfish, Protopterus annectens, and Changes in Their Branchial mRNA Expression Levels and Protein Abundance during Three Phases of Aestivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chng, You R; Ong, Jasmine L Y; Ching, Biyun; Chen, Xiu L; Hiong, Kum C; Wong, Wai P; Chew, Shit F; Lam, Siew H; Ip, Yuen K

    2016-01-01

    African lungfishes can undergo long periods of aestivation on land during drought. During aestivation, lungfishes are confronted with desiccation and dehydration, and their gills become non-functional and covered with a thick layer of dried mucus. Aquaporins (Aqps) are a superfamily of integral membrane proteins which generally facilitate the permeation of water through plasma membranes. This study aimed to obtain the complete cDNA coding sequences of aqp1 and aqp3 from the gills of Protopterus annectens , and to determine their branchial mRNA and protein expression levels during the induction, maintenance and arousal phases of aestivation. Dendrogramic analyses of the deduced Aqp1 and Aqp3 amino acid sequences of P. annectens revealed their close relationships with those of Latimeria chalumnae and tetrapods. During the induction phase, there were significant decreases in the transcript levels of aqp1 and aqp3 in the gills of P. annectens , but the branchial Aqp1 and Aqp3 protein abundance remained unchanged. As changes in transcription might precede changes in translation, this could be regarded as an adaptive response to decrease the protein abundance of Aqp1 and Aqp3 in the subsequent maintenance phase of aestivation. As expected, the branchial transcript levels and protein abundance of aqp1 /Aqp1 and aqp3 /Aqp3 were significantly down-regulated during the maintenance phase, probably attributable to the shutdown of branchial functions and the cessation of volume regulation of branchial epithelial cells. Additionally, these changes could reduce the loss of water through branchial epithelial surfaces, supplementing the anti-desiccating property of the dried mucus. Upon arousal, it was essential for the lungfish to restore branchial functions. Indeed, the protein abundance of Aqp1 recovered partially, with complete recovery of mRNA expression level and protein abundance of Aqp3, in the gills of P. annectens after 3 days of arousal. These results provide insights

  3. Expression of Iron-Related Proteins Differentiate Non-Cancerous and Cancerous Breast Tumors

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    Sara Pizzamiglio

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available We have previously reported hepcidin and ferritin increases in the plasma of breast cancer patients, but not in patients with benign breast disease. We hypothesized that these differences in systemic iron homeostasis may reflect alterations in different iron-related proteins also play a key biochemical and regulatory role in breast cancer. Thus, here we explored the expression of a bundle of molecules involved in both iron homeostasis and tumorigenesis in tissue samples. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA or reverse-phase protein array (RPPA, were used to measure the expression of 20 proteins linked to iron processes in 24 non-cancerous, and 56 cancerous, breast tumors. We found that cancerous tissues had higher level of hepcidin than benign lesions (p = 0.012. The univariate analysis of RPPA data highlighted the following seven proteins differentially expressed between non-cancerous and cancerous breast tissue: signal transducer and transcriptional activator 5 (STAT5, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3, bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6, cluster of differentiation 74 (CD74, transferrin receptor (TFRC, inhibin alpha (INHA, and STAT5_pY694. These findings were confirmed for STAT5, STAT3, BMP6, CD74 and INHA when adjusting for age. The multivariate statistical analysis indicated an iron-related 10-protein panel effective in separating non-cancerous from cancerous lesions including STAT5, STAT5_pY694, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MYD88, CD74, iron exporter ferroportin (FPN, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1, STAT3_pS727, TFRC, ferritin heavy chain (FTH, and ferritin light chain (FTL. Our results showed an association between some iron-related proteins and the type of tumor tissue, which may provide insight in strategies for using iron chelators to treat breast cancer.

  4. PSG gene expression is up-regulated by lysine acetylation involving histone and nonhistone proteins.

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    Soledad A Camolotto

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Lysine acetylation is an important post-translational modification that plays a central role in eukaryotic transcriptional activation by modifying chromatin and transcription-related factors. Human pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PSG are the major secreted placental proteins expressed by the syncytiotrophoblast at the end of pregnancy and represent early markers of cytotrophoblast differentiation. Low PSG levels are associated with complicated pregnancies, thus highlighting the importance of studying the mechanisms that control their expression. Despite several transcription factors having been implicated as key regulators of PSG gene family expression; the role of protein acetylation has not been explored. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we explored the role of acetylation on PSG gene expression in the human placental-derived JEG-3 cell line. Pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs up-regulated PSG protein and mRNA expression levels, and augmented the amount of acetylated histone H3 associated with PSG 5'regulatory regions. Moreover, PSG5 promoter activation mediated by Sp1 and KLF6, via the core promoter element motif (CPE, -147/-140, was markedly enhanced in the presence of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA. This effect correlated with an increase in Sp1 acetylation and KLF6 nuclear localization as revealed by immunoprecipitation and subcellular fractionation assays. The co-activators PCAF, p300, and CBP enhanced Sp1-dependent PSG5 promoter activation through their histone acetylase (HAT function. Instead, p300 and CBP acetyltransferase domain was dispensable for sustaining co-activation of PSG5 promoter by KLF6. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Results are consistent with a regulatory role of lysine acetylation on PSG expression through a relaxed chromatin state and an increase in the transcriptional activity of Sp1 and KLF6 following an augmented Sp1 acetylation and KLF6 nuclear localization.

  5. Lactococcus lactis is an Efficient Expression System for Mammalian Membrane Proteins Involved in Liver Detoxification, CYP3A4, and MGST1.

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    Bakari, Sana; Lembrouk, Mehdi; Sourd, Laura; Ousalem, Fares; André, François; Orlowski, Stéphane; Delaforge, Marcel; Frelet-Barrand, Annie

    2016-04-01

    Despite the great importance of human membrane proteins involved in detoxification mechanisms, their wide use for biochemical approaches is still hampered by several technical difficulties considering eukaryotic protein expression in order to obtain the large amounts of protein required for functional and/or structural studies. Lactococcus lactis has emerged recently as an alternative heterologous expression system to Escherichia coli for proteins that are difficult to express. The aim of this work was to check its ability to express mammalian membrane proteins involved in liver detoxification, i.e., CYP3A4 and two isoforms of MGST1 (rat and human). Genes were cloned using two different strategies, i.e., classical or Gateway-compatible cloning, and we checked the possible influence of two affinity tags (6×-His-tag and Strep-tag II). Interestingly, all proteins could be successfully expressed in L. lactis at higher yields than those previously obtained for these proteins with classical expression systems (E. coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or those of other eukaryotic membrane proteins expressed in L. lactis. In addition, rMGST1 was fairly active after expression in L. lactis. This study highlights L. lactis as an attractive system for efficient expression of mammalian detoxification membrane proteins at levels compatible with further functional and structural studies.

  6. Yes-Associated Protein Expression Is Correlated to the Differentiation of Prostate Adenocarcinoma

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    Myung-Giun Noh

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background Yes-associated protein (YAP in the Hippo signaling pathway is a growth control pathway that regulates cell proliferation and stem cell functions. Abnormal regulation of YAP was reported in human cancers including liver, lung, breast, skin, colon, and ovarian cancer. However, the function of YAP is not known in prostate adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of YAP in tumorigenesis, differentiation, and prognosis of prostate adenocarcinoma. Methods The nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of YAP was examined in 188 cases of prostate adenocarcinoma using immunohistochemistry. YAP expression levels were evaluated in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the prostate adenocarcinoma and the adjacent normal prostate tissue. The presence of immunopositive tumor cells was evaluated and interpreted in comparison with the patients’ clinicopathologic data. Results YAP expression levels were not significantly different between normal epithelial cells and prostate adenocarcinoma. However, YAP expression level was significantly higher in carcinomas with a high Gleason grades (8–10 than in carcinomas with a low Gleason grades (6–7 (p < .01. There was no statistical correlation between YAP expression and stage, age, prostate-specific antigen level, and tumor volume. Biochemical recurrence (BCR–free survival was significantly lower in patients with high YAP expressing cancers (p = .02. However high YAP expression was not an independent prognostic factor for BCR in the Cox proportional hazards model. Conclusions The results suggested that YAP is not associated with prostate adenocarcinoma development, but it may be associated with the differentiation of the adenocarcinoma. YAP was not associated with BCR.

  7. Protease Expression Levels in Prostate Cancer Tissue Can Explain Prostate Cancer-Associated Seminal Biomarkers—An Explorative Concept Study

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    Jochen Neuhaus

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Previously, we described prostate cancer (PCa detection (83% sensitivity; 67% specificity in seminal plasma by CE-MS/MS. Moreover, advanced disease was distinguished from organ-confined tumors with 80% sensitivity and 82% specificity. The discovered biomarkers were naturally occurring fragments of larger seminal proteins, predominantly semenogelin 1 and 2, representing endpoints of the ejaculate liquefaction. Here we identified proteases putatively involved in PCa specific protein cleavage, and examined gene expression and tissue protein levels, jointly with cell localization in normal prostate (nP, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH, seminal vesicles and PCa using qPCR, Western blotting and confocal laser scanning microscopy. We found differential gene expression of chymase (CMA1, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP3, MMP7, and upregulation of MMP14 and tissue inhibitors (TIMP1 and TIMP2 in BPH. In contrast tissue protein levels of MMP14 were downregulated in PCa. MMP3/TIMP1 and MMP7/TIMP1 ratios were decreased in BPH. In seminal vesicles, we found low-level expression of most proteases and, interestingly, we also detected TIMP1 and low levels of TIMP2. We conclude that MMP3 and MMP7 activity is different in PCa compared to BPH due to fine regulation by their inhibitor TIMP1. Our findings support the concept of seminal plasma biomarkers as non-invasive tool for PCa detection and risk stratification.

  8. Protease Expression Levels in Prostate Cancer Tissue Can Explain Prostate Cancer-Associated Seminal Biomarkers-An Explorative Concept Study.

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    Neuhaus, Jochen; Schiffer, Eric; Mannello, Ferdinando; Horn, Lars-Christian; Ganzer, Roman; Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe

    2017-05-04

    Previously, we described prostate cancer (PCa) detection (83% sensitivity; 67% specificity) in seminal plasma by CE-MS/MS. Moreover, advanced disease was distinguished from organ-confined tumors with 80% sensitivity and 82% specificity. The discovered biomarkers were naturally occurring fragments of larger seminal proteins, predominantly semenogelin 1 and 2, representing endpoints of the ejaculate liquefaction. Here we identified proteases putatively involved in PCa specific protein cleavage, and examined gene expression and tissue protein levels, jointly with cell localization in normal prostate (nP), benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), seminal vesicles and PCa using qPCR, Western blotting and confocal laser scanning microscopy. We found differential gene expression of chymase (CMA1), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP3, MMP7), and upregulation of MMP14 and tissue inhibitors (TIMP1 and TIMP2) in BPH. In contrast tissue protein levels of MMP14 were downregulated in PCa. MMP3/TIMP1 and MMP7/TIMP1 ratios were decreased in BPH. In seminal vesicles, we found low-level expression of most proteases and, interestingly, we also detected TIMP1 and low levels of TIMP2. We conclude that MMP3 and MMP7 activity is different in PCa compared to BPH due to fine regulation by their inhibitor TIMP1. Our findings support the concept of seminal plasma biomarkers as non-invasive tool for PCa detection and risk stratification.

  9. Peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP22 modulates alpha 6 integrin expression in the human endometrium

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    Braun Jonathan

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background PMP22, a member of the GAS3 family of tetraspan proteins, is associated with a variety of neurological diseases. Previous studies have shown that PMP22 is expressed in proliferative endometrium, but its function within this tissue is poorly understood. In this study, we first characterized the expression of PMP22 in the human menstrual cycle and began to characterize its function in the endometrium. Methods Using a combination of immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR, we characterized the expression of PMP22 in both proliferative and secretory endometrium. Differences in PMP22 expression between proliferative and secretory endometrium were determined using a Mann-Whitney U test. In order to investigate the influence of PMP22 on α6 integrin expression, cells were created that ectopically overexpressed PMP22 or expressed a siRNA to inhibit its expression. These cells were analyzed for changes in integrins and binding to extracellular matrices. Results In this study, we show that PMP22 expression is higher in proliferative phase than secretory phase. Functionally, we have begun to characterize the functional significance of this expression. Previous studies have suggested a link between PMP22 and α6 integrin, and therefore we asked whether PMP22 could associate or potentially modulate the expression of α6 integrin. Expression of both PMP22 and α6 integrin were detectable in endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and we show that both proteins can associate and colocalize with each other. To understand if PMP22 directly altered the expression of a6 integrin, we examined cell lines with modulated levels of the protein. Overexpression of PMP22 was sufficient to increase α6 integrin surface expression with a concominant increase in binding to the extracellular matrix laminin, while a reduction in PMP22 suppressed α6 integrin surface expression. Conclusion These findings suggest a physiologic role for PMP22 on the

  10. Peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP22) modulates alpha 6 integrin expression in the human endometrium.

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    Rao, Rajiv G; Sudhakar, Deepthi; Hogue, Claire P; Amici, Stephanie; Gordon, Lynn K; Braun, Jonathan; Notterpek, Lucia; Goodglick, Lee; Wadehra, Madhuri

    2011-04-25

    PMP22, a member of the GAS3 family of tetraspan proteins, is associated with a variety of neurological diseases. Previous studies have shown that PMP22 is expressed in proliferative endometrium, but its function within this tissue is poorly understood. In this study, we first characterized the expression of PMP22 in the human menstrual cycle and began to characterize its function in the endometrium. Using a combination of immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR, we characterized the expression of PMP22 in both proliferative and secretory endometrium. Differences in PMP22 expression between proliferative and secretory endometrium were determined using a Mann-Whitney U test. In order to investigate the influence of PMP22 on α6 integrin expression, cells were created that ectopically overexpressed PMP22 or expressed a siRNA to inhibit its expression. These cells were analyzed for changes in integrins and binding to extracellular matrices. In this study, we show that PMP22 expression is higher in proliferative phase than secretory phase. Functionally, we have begun to characterize the functional significance of this expression. Previous studies have suggested a link between PMP22 and α6 integrin, and therefore we asked whether PMP22 could associate or potentially modulate the expression of α6 integrin. Expression of both PMP22 and α6 integrin were detectable in endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and we show that both proteins can associate and colocalize with each other. To understand if PMP22 directly altered the expression of a6 integrin, we examined cell lines with modulated levels of the protein. Overexpression of PMP22 was sufficient to increase α6 integrin surface expression with a concominant increase in binding to the extracellular matrix laminin, while a reduction in PMP22 suppressed α6 integrin surface expression. These findings suggest a physiologic role for PMP22 on the expression of α6 integrin. We predict that this may be important for the

  11. Characterization of the Expression of the RNA Binding Protein eIF4G1 and Its Clinicopathological Correlation with Serous Ovarian Cancer.

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    Lanfang Li

    Full Text Available Ovarian cancer is the most lethal type of malignant tumor in gynecological cancers and is associated with a high percentage of late diagnosis and chemotherapy resistance. Thus, it is urgent to identify a tumor marker or a molecular target that allows early detection and effective treatment. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs are crucial in various cellular processes at the post-transcriptional level. The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma, 1(eIF4G1, an RNA-binding protein, facilitates the recruitment of mRNA to the ribosome, which is a rate-limiting step during the initiation phase of protein synthesis. However, little is known regarding the characteristics of eIF4G1 expression and its clinical significance in ovarian cancer. Therefore, we propose to investigate the expression and clinicopathological significance of eIF4G1 in ovarian cancer patients.We performed Real-time PCR in 40 fresh serous ovarian cancer tissues and 27 normal ovarian surface epithelial cell specimens to assess eIF4G1mRNA expression. Immunohistochemistry (IHC was used to examine the expression of eIF4G1 at the protein level in 134 patients with serous ovarian cancer and 18 normal ovarian tissues. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine the correlation of the eIF4G1 protein levels with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in ovarian cancer.The expression of eIF4G1 was upregulated in serous ovarian cancer tissues at both the mRNA (P = 0.0375 and the protein (P = 0.0007 levels. The eIF4G1 expression was significantly correlated with the clinical tumor stage (P = 0.0004 and omentum metastasis (P = 0.024. Moreover, patients with low eIF4G1 protein expression had a longer overall survival time (P = 0.026.These data revealed that eIF4G1 is markedly expressed in serous ovarian cancer and that upregulation of the eIF4G1 protein expression is significantly associated with an advanced tumor stage. Besides, the patients with lower expression of eIF4G1 tend

  12. Prognostic implications of carboxyl-terminus of Hsc70 interacting protein and lysyl-oxidase expression in human breast cancer

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    Patani Neill

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Ubiquitin modification of proteins influences cellular processes relevant to carcinogenesis. CHIP (carboxyl-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein is a chaperone-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulating the stability of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90 interacting proteins. CHIP is implicated in the modulation of estrogen receptor (ESR1 and Her-2/neu (ERBB2 stability. LOX (lysyl-oxidase serves intracellular roles and catalyses the cross-linking of extracellular matrix (ECM collagens and elastin. LOX expression is altered in human malignancies and their peri-tumoral stroma. However, paradoxical roles are reported. In this study, the level of mRNA expression of CHIP and LOX were assessed in normal and malignant breast tissue and correlated with clinico-pathological parameters. Materials and Methods: Breast cancer (BC tissues (n = 127 and normal tissues (n = 33 underwent RNA extraction and reverse transcription; transcript levels were determined using real-time quantitative PCR and normalized against CK-19. Transcript levels were analyzed against TNM stage, nodal involvement, tumor grade and clinical outcome over a ten-year follow-up period. Results: CHIP expression decreased with increasing Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI: NPI-1 vs. NPI-3 (12.2 vs. 0.2, P = 0.0264, NPI-2 vs. NPI-3 (3 vs. 0.2, P = 0.0275. CHIP expression decreased with increasing TNM stage: TNM-1 vs. TNM-2 (12 vs. 0, P = 0.0639, TNM-1 vs. TNM-2-4 (12 vs. 0, P = 0.0434. Lower transcript levels were associated with increasing tumor grade: grade 1 vs. grade 3 (17.7 vs. 0.3, P = 0.0266, grade 2 vs. grade 3 (5 vs. 0.3, P = 0.0454. The overall survival (OS for tumors classified as ′low-level expression′, was poorer than those with ′high-level expression′ (118.1 vs. 152.3 months, P = 0.039. LOX expression decreased with increasing NPI: NPI-1 vs. NPI-2 (3 vs. 0, P = 0.0301 and TNM stage: TNM-1 = 3854639, TNM-2 = 908900, TNM-3 = 329, TNM-4 = 1.232 (P = NS. Conclusion: CHIP

  13. Roles of silkworm endoplasmic reticulum chaperones in the secretion of recombinant proteins expressed by baculovirus system.

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    Imai, Saki; Kusakabe, Takahiro; Xu, Jian; Li, Zhiqing; Shirai, Shintaro; Mon, Hiroaki; Morokuma, Daisuke; Lee, Jae Man

    2015-11-01

    Baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is widely used for production of recombinant eukaryotic proteins in insect larvae or cultured cells. BEVS has advantages over bacterial expression system in producing post-translationally modified secreted proteins. However, for some unknown reason, it is very difficult for insects to secrete sufficiently for certain proteins of interest. To understand the reasons why insect cells fail to secrete some kinds of recombinant proteins, we here employed three mammalian proteins as targets, EPO, HGF, and Wnt3A, with different secretion levels in BEVS and investigated their mRNA transcriptions from the viral genome, subcellular localizations, and interactions with silkworm ER chaperones. Moreover, we observed that no significantly influence on the secretion amounts of all three proteins when depleting or overexpressing most endogenous ER chaperone genes in cultured silkworm cells. However, among all detected ER chaperones, the depletion of BiP severely decreased the recombinant protein secretion in BEVS, indicating the possible central role of Bip in silkworm secretion pathway.

  14. Major vault protein/lung resistance-related protein (MVP/LRP) expression in nervous system tumors.

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    Sasaki, Tsutomu; Hankins, Gerald R; Helm, Gregory A

    2002-01-01

    Lung resistance-related protein (LRP) was identified as the major vault protein (MVP), the main component of multimeric vault particles. It functions as a transport-associated protein that can be associated with multidrug resistance. In previous studies, expression of MVP/LRP has been documented in tumors of various types. In general, good correlations have been reported for expression of MVP/LRP and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy and poor prognosis. MVP/LRP expression has been documented in glioblastomas, but its expression in nervous system tumors in general has not been well characterized. Immunohistochemistry using anti-human MVP/LRP antibody (LRP-56) was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue from 69 primary central nervous system tumors. Expression of MVP/LRP was observed in 81.2% (56/69) of primary nervous system tumors, including astrocytomas (11/13), oligodendrogliomas (1/2), oligoastrocytomas (5/5), ependymoma (1/1), meningiomas (35/45), schwannomas (2/2), and neurofibroma (1/1). Various degrees and distributions of immunoreactivity to MVP/ LRP were observed. Neither the presence nor the degree of immunoreactivity to MVP/LRP showed any correlation with either tumor grade or the presence of brain invasion.

  15. From protein-protein interactions to protein co-expression networks: a new perspective to evaluate large-scale proteomic data.

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    Vella, Danila; Zoppis, Italo; Mauri, Giancarlo; Mauri, Pierluigi; Di Silvestre, Dario

    2017-12-01

    The reductionist approach of dissecting biological systems into their constituents has been successful in the first stage of the molecular biology to elucidate the chemical basis of several biological processes. This knowledge helped biologists to understand the complexity of the biological systems evidencing that most biological functions do not arise from individual molecules; thus, realizing that the emergent properties of the biological systems cannot be explained or be predicted by investigating individual molecules without taking into consideration their relations. Thanks to the improvement of the current -omics technologies and the increasing understanding of the molecular relationships, even more studies are evaluating the biological systems through approaches based on graph theory. Genomic and proteomic data are often combined with protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks whose structure is routinely analyzed by algorithms and tools to characterize hubs/bottlenecks and topological, functional, and disease modules. On the other hand, co-expression networks represent a complementary procedure that give the opportunity to evaluate at system level including organisms that lack information on PPIs. Based on these premises, we introduce the reader to the PPI and to the co-expression networks, including aspects of reconstruction and analysis. In particular, the new idea to evaluate large-scale proteomic data by means of co-expression networks will be discussed presenting some examples of application. Their use to infer biological knowledge will be shown, and a special attention will be devoted to the topological and module analysis.

  16. Novel leukocyte protein, Trojan, differentially expressed during thymocyte development.

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    Petrov, Petar; Motobu, Maki; Salmi, Jussi; Uchida, Tatsuya; Vainio, Olli

    2010-04-01

    "Trojan" is a novel cell surface protein, discovered from chicken embryonic thymocytes on the purpose to identify molecules involved in T cell differentiation. The molecule is predicted as a type I transmembrane protein having a Sushi and two fibronectin type III domains and a pair of intracellular phosphorylation sites. Its transcript expression is specific for lymphoid tissues and the presence of the protein on the surface of recirculating lymphocytes and macrophages was confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis. In thymus, about half of the double negative (CD4(-) CD8(-)) and CD8 single positive and the majority of CD4 single positive cells express Trojan with a relatively high intensity. However, only a minority of the double positive (CD4(+) CD8(+)) cells are positive for Trojan. This expression pattern, similar to that of some proteins with anti-apoptotic and function, like IL-7Ralpha, makes Trojan an attractive candidate of having an anti-apoptotic role. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The apoptotic response in HCT116BAX-/- cancer cells becomes rapidly saturated with increasing expression of a GFP-BAX fusion protein

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    Semaan Sheila J

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Many chemotherapeutic agents promote tumor cell death by activating the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Intrinsic apoptosis involves permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane and the release of cytochrome c, a process that is controlled by proteins of the BCL2 gene family. Chemoresistance is often associated with abnormalities in concentrations of BCL2 family proteins. Although stoichiometirc interactions between anti-apoptotic and BH3-only BCL2 family proteins have been well documented as affecting cell death, the association between changes in BAX concentration and intrinsic apoptosis are poorly understood. Methods Exogenous GFP-murine Bax fusion constructs were transfected into BAX-deficient HCT116 cells. To titrate the expression of the fusion protein, GFP-BAX was cloned into a tetracycline sensitive expression cassette and cotransfected with a plasmid expressing the rtTA transcription factor into HCT116BAX-/- cells. Linear expression of the fusion gene was induced with doxycycline and monitored by quantitative PCR and immunoblotting. Cell death was assayed by DAPI staining cells after exposure to indomethacin, and scoring nuclei for condensed chromatin and fragmented nuclei. Results HCT116BAX-/- cells were resistant to indomethacin, but susceptibility could be recovered in cells expressing a GFP-BAX fusion protein. Titration of GFP-BAX expression revealed that the concentration of BAX required to induce a saturating apoptosis response from baseline, was rapidly achieved. Increased levels of GFP-BAX were unable to stimulate higher levels of cell death. Examination of GFP-BAX distribution before and after indomethacin treatment indicated that BAX protein did not form aggregates when present at sub-lethal concentrations. Conclusion Within the limitations of this experimental system, BAX-dependent apoptosis in HCT116 cells exhibits an all-or-none response depending on the level of BAX protein present. The lack of

  18. The Minor Allele of rs7574865 in the STAT4 Gene Is Associated with Increased mRNA and Protein Expression.

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    Lamana, Amalia; López-Santalla, Mercedes; Castillo-González, Raquel; Ortiz, Ana María; Martín, Javier; García-Vicuña, Rosario; González-Álvaro, Isidoro

    2015-01-01

    The T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 confers risk of developing autoimmune disorders. However, its functional significance remains unclear. Here we analyze how rs7574865 affects the transcription of STAT4 and its protein expression. We studied 201 patients (80% female; median age, 54 years; median disease duration, 5.4 months) from PEARL study. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data were collected at each visit. IL-6 serum levels were measured by enzyme immune assay. The rs7574865 was genotyped using TaqMan probes. The expression levels of STAT4 mRNA were determined at 182 visits from 69 patients using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. STAT4 protein was assessed by western blot in 62 samples from 34 patients. To determine the effect of different variables on the expression of STAT4 mRNA and protein, we performed multivariate longitudinal analyses using generalized linear models. After adjustment for age, disease activity and glucocorticoid dose as confounders, the presence of at least one copy of the T allele of rs7574865 was significantly associated with higher levels of STAT4 mRNA. Similarly, TT patients showed significantly higher levels of STAT4 protein than GG patients. IL-6 induced STAT4 and STAT5 phosphorylation in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Patients carrying at least one T allele of rs7574865 displayed lower levels of serum IL-6 compared to GG homozygous; by contrast the production of C-reactive protein was similar in both populations. Our data suggest that the presence of the rs7574865 T allele enhances STAT4 mRNA transcription and protein expression. It may enhance the signaling of molecules depending on the STAT4 pathway.

  19. The Minor Allele of rs7574865 in the STAT4 Gene Is Associated with Increased mRNA and Protein Expression.

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    Amalia Lamana

    Full Text Available The T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 confers risk of developing autoimmune disorders. However, its functional significance remains unclear. Here we analyze how rs7574865 affects the transcription of STAT4 and its protein expression.We studied 201 patients (80% female; median age, 54 years; median disease duration, 5.4 months from PEARL study. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data were collected at each visit. IL-6 serum levels were measured by enzyme immune assay. The rs7574865 was genotyped using TaqMan probes. The expression levels of STAT4 mRNA were determined at 182 visits from 69 patients using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. STAT4 protein was assessed by western blot in 62 samples from 34 patients. To determine the effect of different variables on the expression of STAT4 mRNA and protein, we performed multivariate longitudinal analyses using generalized linear models.After adjustment for age, disease activity and glucocorticoid dose as confounders, the presence of at least one copy of the T allele of rs7574865 was significantly associated with higher levels of STAT4 mRNA. Similarly, TT patients showed significantly higher levels of STAT4 protein than GG patients. IL-6 induced STAT4 and STAT5 phosphorylation in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Patients carrying at least one T allele of rs7574865 displayed lower levels of serum IL-6 compared to GG homozygous; by contrast the production of C-reactive protein was similar in both populations.Our data suggest that the presence of the rs7574865 T allele enhances STAT4 mRNA transcription and protein expression. It may enhance the signaling of molecules depending on the STAT4 pathway.

  20. Noise genetics: inferring protein function by correlating phenotype with protein levels and localization in individual human cells.

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    Shlomit Farkash-Amar

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available To understand gene function, genetic analysis uses large perturbations such as gene deletion, knockdown or over-expression. Large perturbations have drawbacks: they move the cell far from its normal working point, and can thus be masked by off-target effects or compensation by other genes. Here, we offer a complementary approach, called noise genetics. We use natural cell-cell variations in protein level and localization, and correlate them to the natural variations of the phenotype of the same cells. Observing these variations is made possible by recent advances in dynamic proteomics that allow measuring proteins over time in individual living cells. Using motility of human cancer cells as a model system, and time-lapse microscopy on 566 fluorescently tagged proteins, we found 74 candidate motility genes whose level or localization strongly correlate with motility in individual cells. We recovered 30 known motility genes, and validated several novel ones by mild knockdown experiments. Noise genetics can complement standard genetics for a variety of phenotypes.

  1. Expression of androgen-binding protein (ABP) in human cardiac myocytes.

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    Schock, H W; Herbert, Z; Sigusch, H; Figulla, H R; Jirikowski, G F; Lotze, U

    2006-04-01

    Cardiomyocytes are known to be androgen targets. Changing systemic steroid levels are thought to be linked to various cardiac ailments, including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The mode of action of gonadal steroid hormones on the human heart is unknown to date. In the present study, we used high-resolution immunocytochemistry on semithin sections (1 microm thick), IN SITU hybridization, and mass spectrometry to investigate the expression of androgen-binding protein (ABP) in human myocardial biopsies taken from male patients with DCM. We observed distinct cytoplasmic ABP immunoreactivity in a fraction of the myocytes. IN SITU hybridization with synthetic oligonucleotide probes revealed specific hybridization signals in these cells. A portion of the ABP-positive cells contained immunostaining for androgen receptor. With SELDI TOF mass spectrometry of affinity purified tissue extracts of human myocardium, we confirmed the presence of a 50 kDa protein similar to ABP. Our observations provide evidence of an intrinsic expression of ABP in human heart. ABP may be secreted from myocytes in a paracrine manner perhaps to influence the bioavailabity of gonadal steroids in myocardium.

  2. Effects of nutritional level of concentrate-based diets on meat quality and expression levels of genes related to meat quality in Hainan black goats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dingfa; Zhou, Luli; Zhou, Hanlin; Hou, Guanyu; Shi, Liguang; Li, Mao; Huang, Xianzhou; Guan, Song

    2015-02-01

    The present study investigated the effects of the nutritional levels of diets on meat quality and related gene expression in Hainan black goat. Twenty-four goats were divided into six dietary treatments and were fed a concentrate-based diet with two levels of crude protein (CP) (15% or 17%) and three levels of digestive energy (DE) (11.72, 12.55 or 13.39 MJ/kg DM) for 90 days. Goats fed the concentrate-based diet with 17% CP had significantly (P meat quality and expression levels of genes associated with meat quality in Hainan black goats. © 2014 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  3. Use of expression constructs to dissect the functional domains of the CHS/beige protein: identification of multiple phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Diane McVey; Shiflett, Shelly L; Huynh, Dinh; Vaughn, Michael B; Prestwich, Glenn; Kaplan, Jerry

    2003-06-01

    The Chediak-Higashi Syndrome (CHS) and the orthologous murine disorder beige are characterized at the cellular level by the presence of giant lysosomes. The CHS1/Beige protein is a 3787 amino acid protein of unknown function. To determine functional domains of the CHS1/Beige protein, we generated truncated constructs of the gene/protein. These truncated proteins were transiently expressed in Cos-7 or HeLa cells and their effect on membrane trafficking was examined. Beige is apparently a cytosolic protein, as are most transiently expressed truncated Beige constructs. Expression of the Beige construct FM (amino acids 1-2037) in wild-type cells led to enlarged lysosomes. Similarly, expression of a 5.5-kb region (amino acids 2035-3787) of the carboxyl terminal of Beige (22B) also resulted in enlarged lysosomes. Expression of FM solely affected lysosome size, whereas expression of 22B led to alterations in lysosome size, changes in the Golgi and eventually cell death. The two constructs could be used to further dissect phenotypes resulting from loss of the Beige protein. CHS or beigej fibroblasts show an absence of nuclear staining using a monoclonal antibody directed against phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5) P2]. Transformation of beige j fibroblasts with a YAC containing the full-length Beige gene resulted in the normalization of lysosome size and nuclear PtdIns(4,5)P2 staining. Expression of the carboxyl dominant negative construct 22B led to loss of nuclear PtdIns(4,5)P2 staining. Expression of the FM dominant negative clone did not alter nuclear PtdIns(4,5) P2 localization. These results suggest that the Beige protein interacts with at least two different partners and that the Beige protein affects cellular events, such as nuclear PtdIns(4,5)P2 localization, in addition to lysosome size.

  4. Serum depletion induces changes in protein expression in the trophoblast-derived cell line HTR-8/SVneo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novoa-Herran, Susana; Umaña-Perez, Adriana; Canals, Francesc; Sanchez-Gomez, Myriam

    2016-01-01

    How nutrition and growth factor restriction due to serum depletion affect trophoblast function remains poorly understood. We performed a proteomic differential study of the effects of serum depletion on a first trimester human immortalized trophoblast cell line. The viability of HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells in culture with 0, 0.5 and 10 % fetal bovine serum (FBS) were assayed via MTT at 24, 48 and 64 h. A comparative proteomic analysis of the cells grown with those FBS levels for 24 h was performed using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE), followed by mass spectrometry for protein spot identification, and a database search and bioinformatics analysis of the expressed proteins. Differential spots were identified using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test ( n  = 3, significance level 0.10, D > 0.642) and/or ANOVA ( n  = 3, p  depletion differentially affect cell growth and protein expression. Differential expression was seen in 25 % of the protein spots grown with 0.5 % FBS and in 84 % of those grown with 0 % FBS, using 10 % serum as the physiological control. In 0.5 % FBS, this difference was related with biological processes typically affected by the serum, such as cell cycle, regulation of apoptosis and proliferation. In addition to these changes, in the serum-depleted proteome we observed downregulation of keratin 8, and upregulation of vimentin, the glycolytic enzymes enolase and pyruvate kinase (PKM2) and tumor progression-related inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2) enzyme. The proteins regulated by total serum depletion, but not affected by growth in 0.5 % serum, are members of the glycolytic and nucleotide metabolic pathways and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggesting an adaptive switch characteristic of malignant cells. This comparative proteomic analysis and the identified proteins are the first evidence of a protein expression response to serum depletion in a trophoblast cell model. Our results show that

  5. Expression of the Acyl-Coenzyme A: Cholesterol Acyltransferase GFP Fusion Protein in Sf21 Insect Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahtani, H. K.; Richmond, R. C.; Chang, T. Y.; Chang, C. C. Y.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    . Protein crystals grown in microgravity are often larger and have fewer defects than those grown on earth. The analysis of higher quality space-grown crystals will assist in structure-based drug design. We have successfully grown GCAT-infected Sf21 cells in both adhesion and suspension cultures. Expression levels of GCAT in cell lines such as Sf9 and High Five appear to be reduced. We intend to replicate GCAT expression in all three cell lines using the NASA rotating wall bioreactor which effectively duplicates a microgravity environment. The bioreactor itself could be launched to study the expression of the GFP and GCAT proteins in the actual microgravity environment achieved in orbit.

  6. Expression of PAT and NPT II proteins during the developmental stages of a genetically modified pepper developed in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyo Jin; Lee, Si Myung; Kim, Jae Kwang; Ryu, Tae Hun; Suh, Seok Cheol; Cho, Hyun Suk

    2010-10-27

    Estimation of the protein levels introduced in a biotechnology-derived product is conducted as part of an overall safety assessment. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to analyze phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) and neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) protein expression in a genetically modified (GM) pepper plant developed in Korea. PAT and NPT II expression levels, based on both dry weight and fresh weight, were variable among different plant generations and plant sections from isolated genetically modified organism (GMO) fields at four developmental stages. PAT expression was highest in leaves at anthesis (11.44 μg/gdw and 2.17 μg/gfw) and lowest in roots (0.12 μg/gdw and 0.01 μg/gfw). NPT II expression was also highest in leaves at anthesis (17.31 μg/gdw and 3.41 μg/gfw) and lowest in red pepper (0.65 μg/gdw and 0.12 μg/gfw). In pollen, PAT expression was 0.59-0.62 μg/gdw, while NPT II was not detected. Both PAT and NPT II showed a general pattern of decreased expression with progression of the growing season. As expected, PAT and NPT II protein expression was not detectable in control pepper plants.

  7. Soluble expression of recombinant proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Hans; Mortensen, Kim

    2005-01-01

    Pure, soluble and functional proteins are of high demand in modern biotechnology. Natural protein sources rarely meet the requirements for quantity, ease of isolation or price and hence recombinant technology is often the method of choice. Recombinant cell factories are constantly employed...... molecular tools available. In spite of all these qualities, expression of recombinant proteins with E. coli as the host often results in insoluble and/or nonfunctional proteins. Here we review new approaches to overcome these obstacles by strategies that focus on either controlled expression of target...... for the production of protein preparations bound for downstream purification and processing. Eschericia coli is a frequently used host, since it facilitates protein expression by its relative simplicity, its inexpensive and fast high density cultivation, the well known genetics and the large number of compatible...

  8. Coculture of Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium breve alters their protein expression profiles and enzymatic activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, Lorena; Sánchez, Borja; de Los Reyes-Gavilán, Clara G; Gueimonde, Miguel; Margolles, Abelardo

    2009-07-31

    Some strains of the genus Bifidobacterium are probiotic bacteria commonly added to functional dairy products. The influence of coculturing Bifidobacterium longum NCIMB8809 and Bifidobacterium breve NCIMB8807 on their physiology was studied. 2DE separation of protein extracts, coupled to MS protein analysis allowed the identification of 16 proteins whose expression drastically changed when cells were grown in compartmentalized coculture, compared to monoculture. These included ribosomal proteins and proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, gene regulation, cell envelope biogenesis and transport processes. Significant changes in some glycoside-hydrolysing activities (beta-d-xylopyranosidase, alpha-l-arabinofuranosidase and beta-d-glucopyranosidase) were also detected. Furthermore, qRT-PCR experiments using as targets the B. breve genes clgR (transcriptional regulator) clpP1, clpP2 and clpC (chaperone- and protease-encoding genes positively regulated by clgR) supported the proteomic results, the four genes displaying a higher expression level in coculture. This study provides new insights to understand the communication among Bifidobacterium species.

  9. Protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTP1B, expression and activity in rat corneal endothelial cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Deshea L.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose The current studies were conducted to determine whether the protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTP1B, plays a role in regulating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Tyr992 phosphorylation and cell cycle entry in rat corneal endothelial cells. Methods Corneas were obtained from male Sprague-Dawley rats. PTP1B mRNA and protein expression were compared in confluent and subconfluent cells by RT-PCR and western blots. Immunocytochemistry was used to determine the subcellular localization of both PTP1B and EGFR following epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation. Western blots were used to analyze the time-dependent effect of EGF on phosphorylation of EGFR Tyr992 plus or minus CinnGEL 2Me, an inhibitor of PTP1B activity. The effect of PTP1B inhibition on cell cycle entry was determined by calculating the percent of Ki67-positive cells following EGF treatment. Results PTP1B mRNA expression was similar in confluent and subconfluent cells, but PTP1B protein was expressed at 3 fold higher levels in subconfluent cells. Positive staining for PTP1B was localized in vesicular structures below the plasma membrane. EGFR staining was located at cell-cell borders in untreated endothelium, but was mainly cytoplasmic by 15 min after EGF treatment. In control cultures, phosphorylation of EGFR Tyr992 peaked by 5 min following EGF stimulation and rapidly decreased to basal levels by 30 min. In cultures pretreated with CinnGEL 2Me, Tyr992 phosphorylation peaked 2 min following EGF addition and was consistently sustained at a higher level than controls until 60 min after treatment. By 18 h following EGF treatment, cultures pretreated with CinnGEL 2Me exhibited a 1.7 fold increase in the number of Ki67-positive cells compared with control cultures. Conclusions Comparison of PTP1B mRNA and protein levels indicates that PTP1B expression is regulated mainly at the protein level and is higher in subconfluent cells. PTP1B was located in vesicles below the plasma membrane. The fact that

  10. High Expression of UGT1A1/1A6 in Monkey Small Intestine: Comparison of Protein Expression Levels of Cytochromes P450, UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases, and Transporters in Small Intestine of Cynomolgus Monkey and Human.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akazawa, Takanori; Uchida, Yasuo; Miyauchi, Eisuke; Tachikawa, Masanori; Ohtsuki, Sumio; Terasaki, Tetsuya

    2018-01-02

    Cynomolgus monkeys have been widely used for the prediction of drug absorption in humans. The purpose of this study was to clarify the regional protein expression levels of cytochromes P450 (CYPs), UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), and transporters in small intestine of cynomolgus monkey using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and to compare them with the corresponding levels in human. UGT1A1 in jejunum and ileum were >4.57- and >3.11-fold and UGT1A6 in jejunum and ileum were >16.1- and >8.57-fold, respectively, more highly expressed in monkey than in human. Also, jejunal expression of monkey CYP3A8 (homologue of human CYP3A4) was >3.34-fold higher than that of human CYP3A4. Among apical drug efflux transporters, BCRP showed the most abundant expression in monkey and human, and the expression levels of BCRP in monkey and human were >1.74- and >1.25-fold greater than those of P-gp and >2.76- and >4.50-fold greater than those of MRP2, respectively. These findings should be helpful to understand species differences of the functions of CYPs, UGTs, and transporters between monkey and human. The UGT1A1/1A6 data would be especially important because it is difficult to identify isoforms responsible for species differences of intestinal glucuronidation by means of functional studies due to overlapping substrate specificity.

  11. Dissecting the expression relationships between RNA-binding proteins and their cognate targets in eukaryotic post-transcriptional regulatory networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishtala, Sneha; Neelamraju, Yaseswini; Janga, Sarath Chandra

    2016-05-01

    RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are pivotal in orchestrating several steps in the metabolism of RNA in eukaryotes thereby controlling an extensive network of RBP-RNA interactions. Here, we employed CLIP (cross-linking immunoprecipitation)-seq datasets for 60 human RBPs and RIP-ChIP (RNP immunoprecipitation-microarray) data for 69 yeast RBPs to construct a network of genome-wide RBP- target RNA interactions for each RBP. We show in humans that majority (~78%) of the RBPs are strongly associated with their target transcripts at transcript level while ~95% of the studied RBPs were also found to be strongly associated with expression levels of target transcripts when protein expression levels of RBPs were employed. At transcript level, RBP - RNA interaction data for the yeast genome, exhibited a strong association for 63% of the RBPs, confirming the association to be conserved across large phylogenetic distances. Analysis to uncover the features contributing to these associations revealed the number of target transcripts and length of the selected protein-coding transcript of an RBP at the transcript level while intensity of the CLIP signal, number of RNA-Binding domains, location of the binding site on the transcript, to be significant at the protein level. Our analysis will contribute to improved modelling and prediction of post-transcriptional networks.

  12. Transcription and expression of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich proteins in different stages and strains: implications for rapid diagnostic tests.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanne Baker

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Although rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs for Plasmodium falciparum infection that target histidine rich protein 2 (PfHRP2 are generally sensitive, their performance has been reported to be variable. One possible explanation for variable test performance is differences in expression level of PfHRP in different parasite isolates. METHODS: Total RNA and protein were extracted from synchronised cultures of 7 P. falciparum lines over 5 time points of the life cycle, and from synchronised ring stages of 10 falciparum lines. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis and ELISA we investigated variations in the transcription and protein levels of pfhrp2, pfhrp3 and PfHRP respectively in the different parasite lines, over the parasite intraerythrocytic life cycle. RESULTS: Transcription of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 in different parasite lines over the parasite life cycle was observed to vary relative to the control parasite K1. In some parasite lines very low transcription of these genes was observed. The peak transcription was observed in ring-stage parasites. Pfhrp2 transcription was observed to be consistently higher than pfhrp3 transcription within parasite lines. The intraerythrocytic lifecycle stage at which the peak level of protein was present varied across strains. Total protein levels were more constant relative to total mRNA transcription, however a maximum 24 fold difference in expression at ring-stage parasites relative to the K1 strain was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of transcription of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3, and protein expression of PfHRP varied between different P. falciparum strains. This variation may impact on the detection sensitivity of PfHRP2-detecting RDTs.

  13. Comparative vesicle proteomics reveals selective regulation of protein expression in chestnut blight fungus by a hypovirus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinzi; Wang, Fangzhen; Feng, Youjun; Mi, Ke; Chen, Qi; Shang, Jinjie; Chen, Baoshan

    2013-01-14

    The chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) and hypovirus constitute a model system to study fungal pathogenesis and mycovirus-host interaction. Knowledge in this field has been gained largely from investigations at gene transcription level so far. Here we report a systematic analysis of the vesicle proteins of the host fungus with/without hypovirus infection. Thirty-three differentially expressed protein spots were identified in the purified vesicle protein samples by two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Down-regulated proteins were mostly cargo proteins involved in primary metabolism and energy generation and up-regulated proteins were mostly vesicle associated proteins and ABC transporter. A virus-encoded protein p48 was found to have four forms with different molecular mass in vesicles from the virus-infected strain. While a few of the randomly selected differentially expressed proteins were in accordance with their transcription profiles, majority were not in agreement with their mRNA accumulation patterns, suggesting that an extensive post-transcriptional regulation may have occurred in the host fungus upon a hypovirus infection. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Abscisic Acid (ABA) Regulation of Arabidopsis SR Protein Gene Expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Tiago M. D.; Carvalho, Raquel F.; Richardson, Dale N.; Duque, Paula

    2014-01-01

    Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are major modulators of alternative splicing, a key generator of proteomic diversity and flexible means of regulating gene expression likely to be crucial in plant environmental responses. Indeed, mounting evidence implicates splicing factors in signal transduction of the abscisic acid (ABA) phytohormone, which plays pivotal roles in the response to various abiotic stresses. Using real-time RT-qPCR, we analyzed total steady-state transcript levels of the 18 SR and two SR-like genes from Arabidopsis thaliana in seedlings treated with ABA and in genetic backgrounds with altered expression of the ABA-biosynthesis ABA2 and the ABA-signaling ABI1 and ABI4 genes. We also searched for ABA-responsive cis elements in the upstream regions of the 20 genes. We found that members of the plant-specific SC35-Like (SCL) Arabidopsis SR protein subfamily are distinctively responsive to exogenous ABA, while the expression of seven SR and SR-related genes is affected by alterations in key components of the ABA pathway. Finally, despite pervasiveness of established ABA-responsive promoter elements in Arabidopsis SR and SR-like genes, their expression is likely governed by additional, yet unidentified cis-acting elements. Overall, this study pinpoints SR34, SR34b, SCL30a, SCL28, SCL33, RS40, SR45 and SR45a as promising candidates for involvement in ABA-mediated stress responses. PMID:25268622

  15. [Effect of Transcutaneuos Acupoint Electrostimulation on Serum Sex Hormone Levels and Expression of Ovarian Steroid Hormone Metabolic Enzymes in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jian-yong; Zhang, Xiao-yue; Yu, Mei-ling; Lu, Sheng-feng; Chen, Xia

    2016-02-01

    To observe the effect of transcutaneuos acupoint electrostimulation(TAES) on ovarian serum sex hormone levels and ovarian follicle granular cell aromatase cytochrome P 450 (P 450 arom) protein and follicle theca cell cytochrome P 450 17 α-hydroxylase/c 17-20 lyase cytochrome P 450 (P 450 c 17 α) protein expression in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of PCOS. METHODS Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control, model, medication and TAES (10 rats/group). The PCOS model was established by giving (gavage) the animals with letrozole solution (1.0 mg/kg, once daily for 21 consecutive days). Rats of the medication group were treated with Clomiphene (1 mg/kg) once daily for 7 days, and those of the TAES group were treated with electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 3 mA) of "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) areas for 30 min, once daily for 7 consecutive days. The rats body weight and bilateral ovarian weight were detected, and the ovarian structure and follicular development degree were observed under light microscope after H. E. stain, and the serum testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), luteotrophic hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) contents were detected using radioimmunoassay. The expression of ovarian P 450 arom (for production of estrogen)protein and P 450 c 17 α (for production of androgen) protein was detected by using immunohistochemical stain and Western blot, respectively. The body weight, bilateral ovary weight, serum T and LH contents, and ratio of LH/FSH, and ovarian P 450 c 17 α immunoactivity and protein expression levels in the model group were all significantly increased compared with the normal control group (P ovarian P 450 arom immunoactivity and protein expression were significantly decreased after modeling (P ovarian P 450 c 17 α immunoactivity and protein expression levels, and the decreased ovarian P 450 arom immunoactivity and protein expression

  16. Increased protein expression of LHCG receptor and 17a-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase in human polycystic ovaries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Comim, F.V.; Teerds, K.J.; Hardy, K.; Franks, S.

    2013-01-01

    STUDY QUESTION Does the expression of LHCG receptor (LHCGR) protein and key enzymes in the androgen biosynthetic pathway differ in normal human versus polycystic ovarian tissue? SUMMARY ANSWER LHCGR and 17a-hydroxylase/17-20-lyase (CYP17A1) protein levels are increased in polycystic ovaries (PCOs).

  17. Enhanced quantitative resistance against fungal disease by combinatorial expression of different barley antifungal proteins in transgenic tobacco

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jach, G; Görnhardt, B; Mundy, J

    1995-01-01

    cDNAs encoding three proteins from barley (Hordeum vulgare), a class-II chitinase (CHI), a class-II beta-1,3-glucanase (GLU) and a Type-I ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) were expressed in tobacco plants under the control of the CaMV 35S-promoter. High-level expression of the transferred genes...... was detected in the transgenic plants by Northern and Western blot analysis. The leader peptides in CHI and GLU led to accumulation of these proteins in the intercellular space of tobacco leaves. RIP, which is naturally deposited in the cytosol of barley endosperm cells, was expressed either in its original...... cytosolic form or fused to a plant secretion peptide (spRIP). Fungal infection assays revealed that expression of the individual genes in each case resulted in an increased protection against the soilborne fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, which infects a range of plant species including tobacco...

  18. High-level SUMO-mediated fusion expression of ABP-dHC-cecropin A from multiple joined genes in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiaxin; Movahedi, Ali; Wei, Zhiheng; Sang, Ming; Wu, Xiaolong; Wang, Mengyang; Wei, Hui; Pan, Huixin; Yin, Tongming; Zhuge, Qiang

    2016-09-15

    The antimicrobial peptide ABP-dHC-cecropin A is a small cationic peptide with potent activity against a wide range of bacterial species. Evidence of antifungal activity has also been suggested; however, evaluation of this peptide has been limited due to the low expression of cecropin proteins in Escherichia coli. To improve the expression level of ABP-dHC-cecropin A in E. coli, tandem repeats of the ABP-dHC-cecropin A gene were constructed and expressed as fusion proteins (SUMO-nABP-dHC-cecropin, n = 1, 2, 3, 4) via pSUMO-nABP-dHC-cecropin A vectors (n = 1, 2, 3, 4). Comparison of the expression levels of soluble SUMO-nABP-dHC-cecropin A fusion proteins (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) suggested that BL21 (DE3)/pSUMO-3ABP-dHC-cecropin A is an ideal recombinant strain for ABP-dHC-cecropin A production. Under the selected conditions of cultivation and isopropylthiogalactoside (IPTG) induction, the expression level of ABP-dHC-cecropin A was as high as 65 mg/L, with ∼21.3% of the fusion protein in soluble form. By large-scale fermentation, protein production reached nearly 300 mg/L, which is the highest yield of ABP-dHC-cecropin A reported to date. In antibacterial experiments, the efficacy was approximately the same as that of synthetic ABP-dHC-cecropin A. This method provides a novel and effective means of producing large amounts of ABP-dHC-cecropin A. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Exploiting translational coupling for the selection of cells producing toxic recombinant proteins from expression vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tagliavia, Marcello; Cuttitta, Angela

    2016-01-01

    High rates of plasmid instability are associated with the use of some expression vectors in Escherichia coli, resulting in the loss of recombinant protein expression. This is due to sequence alterations in vector promoter elements caused by the background expression of the cloned gene, which leads to the selection of fast-growing, plasmid-containing cells that do not express the target protein. This phenomenon, which is worsened when expressing toxic proteins, results in preparations containing very little or no recombinant protein, or even in clone loss; however, no methods to prevent loss of recombinant protein expression are currently available. We have exploited the phenomenon of translational coupling, a mechanism of prokaryotic gene expression regulation, in order to select cells containing plasmids still able to express recombinant proteins. Here we designed an expression vector in which the cloned gene and selection marker are co-expressed. Our approach allowed for the selection of the recombinant protein-expressing cells and proved effective even for clones encoding toxic proteins.

  20. Physiological quality and gene expression related to heat-resistant proteins at different stages of development of maize seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, T; Von Pinho, E V R; Von Pinho, R G; Oliveira, G E; Andrade, V; Fernandes, J S

    2013-09-13

    We quantified and characterized the expression of heat-resistant proteins during seed development of maize lines with distinct levels of tolerance to high drying temperature. A corn field was planted for multiplication of seeds of different lines, two tolerant and two non-tolerant to high drying temperatures. Harvest of the seeds was carried out at various stages of development and they were then subjected to tests of moisture content, germination, first count of germination, accelerated aging, and cold test. The seeds were stored in a freezer for later analysis of expression of heat-resistant proteins by means of real-time PCR, electrophoresis, and spectrophotometry. We observed that heat-resistant proteins are expressed in a differential manner in seeds from different lines and at different stages of development. The expression of heat-resistant proteins was earlier in lines tolerant to high drying temperatures. Greater germination and vigor values was found for seeds collected at the last stage of development.

  1. Monitoring prion protein expression in complex biological samples by SERS for diagnostic applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manno, D; Filippo, E; Fiore, R; Serra, A [Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Universita del Salento, Lecce (Italy); Urso, E; Rizzello, A; Maffia, M [Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, Universita del Salento, Lecce (Italy)

    2010-04-23

    Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) allows a new insight into the analysis of cell physiology. In this work, the difficulty of producing suitable substrates that, besides permitting the amplification of the Raman signal, do not interact with the biological material causing alteration, has been overcome by a combined method of hydrothermal green synthesis and thermal annealing. The SERS analysis of the cell membrane has been performed with special attention to the cellular prion protein PrP{sup C}. In addition, SERS has also been used to reveal the prion protein-Cu(II) interaction in four different cell models (B104, SH-SY5Y, GN11, HeLa), expressing PrP{sup C} at different levels. A significant implication of the current work consists of the intriguing possibility of revealing and quantifying prion protein expression in complex biological samples by a cheap SERS-based method, replacing the expensive and time-consuming immuno-assay systems commonly employed.

  2. Monitoring prion protein expression in complex biological samples by SERS for diagnostic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manno, D; Filippo, E; Fiore, R; Serra, A; Urso, E; Rizzello, A; Maffia, M

    2010-01-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) allows a new insight into the analysis of cell physiology. In this work, the difficulty of producing suitable substrates that, besides permitting the amplification of the Raman signal, do not interact with the biological material causing alteration, has been overcome by a combined method of hydrothermal green synthesis and thermal annealing. The SERS analysis of the cell membrane has been performed with special attention to the cellular prion protein PrP C . In addition, SERS has also been used to reveal the prion protein-Cu(II) interaction in four different cell models (B104, SH-SY5Y, GN11, HeLa), expressing PrP C at different levels. A significant implication of the current work consists of the intriguing possibility of revealing and quantifying prion protein expression in complex biological samples by a cheap SERS-based method, replacing the expensive and time-consuming immuno-assay systems commonly employed.

  3. High-level expression, purification and characterization of a constitutively active thromboxane A2 receptor polymorphic variant.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bing Xu

    Full Text Available G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs exhibit some level of basal signaling even in the absence of a bound agonist. This basal or constitutive signaling can have important pathophysiological roles. In the past few years, a number of high resolution crystal structures of GPCRs have been reported, including two crystal structures of constitutively active mutants (CAM of the dim-light receptor, rhodopsin. The structural characterizations of CAMs are impeded by the lack of proper expression systems. The thromboxane A2 receptor (TP is a GPCR that mediates vasoconstriction and promotes thrombosis in response to the binding of thromboxane. Here, we report on the expression and purification of a genetic variant and CAM in TP, namely A160T, using tetracycline-inducible HEK293S-TetR and HEK293S (GnTI¯-TetR cell lines. Expression of the TP and the A160T genes in these mammalian cell lines resulted in a 4-fold increase in expression to a level of 15.8 ±0.3 pmol of receptor/mg of membrane protein. The receptors expressed in the HEK293S (GnTI(--TetR cell line showed homogeneous glycosylation. The functional yield of the receptors using a single step affinity purification was 45 µg/10⁶ cells. Temperature- dependent secondary structure changes of the purified TP and A160T receptors were characterized using circular dichroism (CD spectropolarimetry. The CD spectra shows that the loss of activity or thermal sensitivity that was previously observed for the A160T mutant, is not owing to large unfolding of the protein but rather to a more subtle effect. This is the first study to report on the successful high-level expression, purification, and biophysical characterization of a naturally occurring, diffusible ligand activated GPCR CAM.

  4. Kaempferol induces DNA damage and inhibits DNA repair associated protein expressions in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lung-Yuan; Lu, Hsu-Feng; Chou, Yu-Cheng; Shih, Yung-Luen; Bau, Da-Tian; Chen, Jaw-Chyun; Hsu, Shu-Chun; Chung, Jing-Gung

    2015-01-01

    Numerous evidences have shown that plant flavonoids (naturally occurring substances) have been reported to have chemopreventive activities and protect against experimental carcinogenesis. Kaempferol, one of the flavonoids, is widely distributed in fruits and vegetables, and may have cancer chemopreventive properties. However, the precise underlying mechanism regarding induced DNA damage and suppressed DNA repair system are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether kaempferol induced DNA damage and affected DNA repair associated protein expression in human leukemia HL-60 cells in vitro. Percentages of viable cells were measured via a flow cytometry assay. DNA damage was examined by Comet assay and DAPI staining. DNA fragmentation (ladder) was examined by DNA gel electrophoresis. The changes of protein levels associated with DNA repair were examined by Western blotting. Results showed that kaempferol dose-dependently decreased the viable cells. Comet assay indicated that kaempferol induced DNA damage (Comet tail) in a dose-dependent manner and DAPI staining also showed increased doses of kaempferol which led to increased DNA condensation, these effects are all of dose-dependent manners. Western blotting indicated that kaempferol-decreased protein expression associated with DNA repair system, such as phosphate-ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (p-ATM), phosphate-ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related (p-ATR), 14-3-3 proteins sigma (14-3-3σ), DNA-dependent serine/threonine protein kinase (DNA-PK), O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), p53 and MDC1 protein expressions, but increased the protein expression of p-p53 and p-H2AX. Protein translocation was examined by confocal laser microscopy, and we found that kaempferol increased the levels of p-H2AX and p-p53 in HL-60 cells. Taken together, in the present study, we found that kaempferol induced DNA damage and suppressed DNA repair and inhibited DNA repair associated protein expression in HL-60

  5. [Association of occupational chronic psychological stress with heat shock protein 70 in serum and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression levels].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, F Y; Tian, R L; Qiang, Y; He, K P; Liu, H R; Zhang, W; Song, H

    2016-05-01

    To investigate the relationship between occupational chronic psychological stress with heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Using case-control study design, we selected 622 cases in 20 to 60 years old and unrelated patients with metabolic syndrome as the case group between October 2011 and October 2012 at two hospitals of Ningxia hui autonomous region. At the same time, we selected 600 healthy people from health check-up crowd in the above two hospitals as control group. The the research objects were sex, age, nation, height, weight, smoking, drinking, exercise, and so on. After informed consent, all the research objects were collected fasting venous blood samples 10 ml in order to proceed laboratory testing of biochemical indicators. The expression of HSP70 and TNF-α in serum was determined by ELISA. Using the revised occupational stress inventory (OSI) to survey the occupational chronic psychological stress factors and stress level of research object. The correlation of occupational chronic psychological stress scores with HSP70 and TNF-α was investigated by partial correlation analysis. We built a multivariate linear regression equation With HSP70 and TNF alpha as the independent variable and occupational chronic psychological stress scores as the dependent variable, using equation of the determination coefficient R(2) to judge the degree of fitting equation. The total points of chronic stress factors in all respondents was (136.65±16.19). Among them, the mild stress level group was 313, moderate was 588, severe was 321, chronic heart stress factors scores were (119.96±13.30), (135.33±3.23), (155.33±13.55) points, respectively. In the case group subjects, the expression of HSP70 in mild, moderate and severe occupational chronic psychological stress levels were (29.88±30.08), (36.38±30.08), (27.16±23.77) ng/ml (F=6.85, P=0.001). The control group were (27.64±9.89), (39.78±29.77), (3.94±3.09) ng/ml (F=125.71, Pstress

  6. Calcium affecting protein expression in longan under simulated acid rain stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Tengfei; Li, Yongyu; Ma, Cuilan; Qiu, Dongliang

    2015-08-01

    Longan (Dimocarpus longana Lour. cv. Wulongling) of uniform one-aged seedlings grown in pots were selected to study specific proteins expressed in leaves under simulated acid rain (SiAR) stress and exogenous Ca(2+) regulation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results showed that there was a protein band specifically expressed under SiAR of pH 2.5 stress for 15 days with its molecular weight of about 23 kD. A 17 kD protein band specifically expressed after SiAR stress 5 days. Compared with pH 2.5, the pH 3.5 of SiAR made a less influence to protein expression. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) results showed that six new specific proteins including C4 (20.2 kD pI 6.0), F (24 kD pI 6.35), B3 (22.3 kD pI 6.35), B4 (23.5 kD pI 6.5), C5 (21.8 kD pI 5.6), and C6 (20.2 kD pI 5.6) specifically expressed. C4 always expressed during SiAR stress. F expressed under the stress of pH 2.5 for 15 days and expressed in all pH SiAR stress for 20 days. The expression of proteins including B3, C5, and C6 was related to pH value and stress intensity of SiAR. The expression of B4 resulted from synergistic effects of SiAR and Ca. The expression of G1 (Mr 19.3 kD, pI 4.5), G2 (Mr 17.8 kD, pI 4.65), G3 (Mr 16.6 kD, pI 4.6), and G4 (Mr 14.7 kD, pI 4.4) enhanced under the treatment of 5 mM ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and 2 mM chlorpromazine (CPZ). These proteins showed antagonistic effects and might be relative to the Ca-calmodulin (Ca-CaM) system of longan in response to SiAR stress.

  7. Heterogeneity of proteins expressed by Brazilian Sporothrix schenckii isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Geisa Ferreira; Do Amaral, Cristiane Candida; Sasaki, Alexandre; Godoy, Patrício Martinez; De Camargo, Zoilo Pires

    2009-12-01

    The profiles of proteins present in the exoantigens of Brazilian Sporothrix schenckii isolates were studied and compared by electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Thirteen isolates from five different regions of Brazil (1,000 to 2,000 km apart) and ten from a more limited region (200 to 400 km apart within the state of São Paulo) were cultured in Sabouraud, M199 and minimum (MM) media. Qualitative and quantitative differences in the expression of proteins, which varied according to the medium and the isolate, were observed. Fractions with the same MW but varying in intensity were detected, as well as fractions present in 1 isolate but absent in others. Dendrograms were constructed and isolates grouped based on the fractions obtained, irrespective of the intensity. The results showed that Brazilian S. schenckii isolates express different protein profiles, a feature also present in isolates from a more restricted region. The exoantigens were found to have a maximum of 15 protein fractions, ranging in MW from 19-220 KDaltons depending on the medium used for the cultures. These data show the great heterogeneity of Brazilian S. schenckii protein expression.

  8. Expression Pattern of G-Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor in Myometrium of Uteri with and without Adenomyosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Jiao Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To compare the expression of G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER in the junctional zone and outer myometrium of the proliferative and secretory phases of women with and without adenomyosis. Methods. A total of 76 women were included in this study, 42 with adenomyosis (proliferative phase, n=23; secretory phases, n=19 and 34 controls (proliferative phase, n=16; secretory phases, n=18. Protein and total RNA were extracted from the junctional zone (JZ and outer myometrium (OM. GPER protein and mRNA expression levels were evaluated by the use of western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR. Results. The expression of GPER protein and mRNA in women with adenomyosis was significantly higher than that of control subjects, both in the junctional zone and in the outer myometrium and both in the proliferative and in the secretory phases. Conclusion. The significant and consistent increase in GPER expression in adenomyosis compared with control subjects, regardless of whether it was in the proliferative or secretory phases and regardless of whether it was in the JZ or OM, suggests that GPER plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the adenomyosis.

  9. Elevated expression of protein biosynthesis genes in liver and muscle of hibernating black bears (Ursus americanus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fedorov, Vadim B; Goropashnaya, Anna V; Tøien, Øivind; Stewart, Nathan C; Gracey, Andrew Y; Chang, Celia; Qin, Shizhen; Pertea, Geo; Quackenbush, John; Showe, Louise C; Showe, Michael K; Boyer, Bert B; Barnes, Brian M

    2009-04-10

    We conducted a large-scale gene expression screen using the 3,200 cDNA probe microarray developed specifically for Ursus americanus to detect expression differences in liver and skeletal muscle that occur during winter hibernation compared with animals sampled during summer. The expression of 12 genes, including RNA binding protein motif 3 (Rbm3), that are mostly involved in protein biosynthesis, was induced during hibernation in both liver and muscle. The Gene Ontology and Gene Set Enrichment analysis consistently showed a highly significant enrichment of the protein biosynthesis category by overexpressed genes in both liver and skeletal muscle during hibernation. Coordinated induction in transcriptional level of genes involved in protein biosynthesis is a distinctive feature of the transcriptome in hibernating black bears. This finding implies induction of translation and suggests an adaptive mechanism that contributes to a unique ability to reduce muscle atrophy over prolonged periods of immobility during hibernation. Comparing expression profiles in bears to small mammalian hibernators shows a general trend during hibernation of transcriptional changes that include induction of genes involved in lipid metabolism and carbohydrate synthesis as well as depression of genes involved in the urea cycle and detoxification function in liver.

  10. Expression of MMPs is dependent on the activity of mitogen-activated protein kinase in chondrosarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Min; Wang, Xiaomei; Zhao, Yufeng; Wang, Xiaomeng; Gao, Feng

    2017-02-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) serve an important role in chondrosarcoma. The present study investigated whether the expression of MMPs was dependent on the activity of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in chondrosarcoma. Surgical pathological specimens were collected to detect MMP-1, MMP-13, TIMP-1, type II collagen and phosphorylated MAPK levels in normal cartilage, enchondroma and chondrosarcoma tissues. The expression of MMP‑1, MMP‑13, TIMP‑1 and type II collagen was investigated utilizing MAPK inhibitors in chondrosarcoma cells. It was noted that the expression levels of MMP‑1, MMP‑13 and TIMP‑1 were increased in chondrosarcoma with the activity of MAPK. After chondrosarcoma cells were pretreated with MAPK inhibitors, the levels of MMP‑1, MMP‑13 and TIMP‑1 were inhibited. Furthermore, MMP‑1 and MMP‑13 are essential in regulating the degradation of type II collagen and decomposing cartilage matrix major. The high expression levels of MMP‑1 and MMP‑13 in chondrosarcoma expedite the invasion by chondrosarcoma cells and their expression can be depressed by MAPK inhibitors.

  11. Expression and localization of p-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance protein 4, and breast cancer resistance protein in the female lower genital tract of human and pigtailed macaque.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Tian; Hu, Minlu; Pearlman, Andrew; Patton, Dorothy; Rohan, Lisa

    2014-11-01

    Antiretroviral drug absorption and disposition in cervicovaginal tissue is important for the effectiveness of vaginally or orally administered drug products in preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of HIV-1 sexual transmission to women. Therefore, it is imperative to understand critical determinants of cervicovaginal tissue pharmacokinetics. This study aimed to examine the mRNA expression and protein localization of three efflux transporters, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), in the lower genital tract of premenopausal women and pigtailed macaques. Along the human lower genital tract, the three transporters were moderately to highly expressed compared to colorectal tissue and liver, as revealed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In a given genital tract segment, the transporter with the highest expression level was either BCRP or P-gp, while MRP4 was always expressed at the lowest level among the three transporters tested. The immunohistochemical staining showed that P-gp and MRP4 were localized in multiple cell types including epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells. BCRP was predominantly localized in the vascular endothelial cells. Differences in transporter mRNA level and localization were observed among endocervix, ectocervix, and vagina. Compared to human tissues, the macaque cervicovaginal tissues displayed comparable expression and localization patterns of the three transporters, although subtle differences were observed between the two species. The role of these cervicovaginal transporters in drug absorption and disposition warrants further studies. The resemblance between human and pigtailed macaque in transporter expression and localization suggests the utility of the macaque model in the studies of human cervicovaginal transporters.

  12. Increased expression of Myosin binding protein H in the skeletal muscle of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conti, Antonio; Riva, Nilo; Pesca, Mariasabina; Iannaccone, Sandro; Cannistraci, Carlo V; Corbo, Massimo; Previtali, Stefano C; Quattrini, Angelo; Alessio, Massimo

    2014-01-01

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe and fatal neurodegenerative disease of still unknown pathogenesis. Recent findings suggest that the skeletal muscle may play an active pathogenetic role. To investigate ALS's pathogenesis and to seek diagnostic markers, we analyzed skeletal muscle biopsies with the differential expression proteomic approach. We studied skeletal muscle biopsies from healthy controls (CN), sporadic ALS (sALS), motor neuropathies (MN) and myopathies (M). Pre-eminently among several differentially expressed proteins, Myosin binding protein H (MyBP-H) expression in ALS samples was anomalously high. MyBP-H is a component of the thick filaments of the skeletal muscle and has strong affinity for myosin, but its function is still unclear. High MyBP-H expression level was associated with abnormal expression of Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2), LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) and cofilin2, that might affect the actin-myosin interaction. We propose that MyBP-H expression level serves, as a putative biomarker in the skeletal muscle, to discriminate ALS from motor neuropathies, and that it signals the onset of dysregulation in actin-myosin interaction; this in turn might contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Enhancement of cell wall protein SRPP expression during emergent root hair development in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uno, Hiroshi; Tanaka-Takada, Natsuki; Sato, Ryosuke; Maeshima, Masayoshi

    2017-10-03

    SRPP is a protein expressed in seeds and root hairs and is significantly induced in root hairs under phosphate (Pi)-deficient conditions. Root hairs in the knockout mutant srpp-1 display defects, i.e., suppression of cell growth and cell death. Here, we analyzed the expression profile of SRPP during cell elongation of root hairs and compared the transcript levels in several mutants with short root hairs. The mRNA level was increased in wild-type plants and decreased in mutants with short root hairs. Induction of SRPP expression by Pi starvation occurred one or two days later than induction of Pi-deficient sensitive genes, such as PHT1 and PHF1. These results indicate that the expression of SRPP is coordinated with root hair elongation. We hypothesize that SRPP is essential for structural robustness of the cell walls of root hairs.

  14. Cooperative working of bacterial chromosome replication proteins generated by a reconstituted protein expression system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiwara, Kei; Katayama, Tsutomu; Nomura, Shin-ichiro M.

    2013-01-01

    Replication of all living cells relies on the multirounds flow of the central dogma. Especially, expression of DNA replication proteins is a key step to circulate the processes of the central dogma. Here we achieved the entire sequential transcription–translation–replication process by autonomous expression of chromosomal DNA replication machineries from a reconstituted transcription–translation system (PURE system). We found that low temperature is essential to express a complex protein, DNA polymerase III, in a single tube using the PURE system. Addition of the 13 genes, encoding initiator, DNA helicase, helicase loader, RNA primase and DNA polymerase III to the PURE system gave rise to a DNA replication system by a coupling manner. An artificial genetic circuit demonstrated that the DNA produced as a result of the replication is able to provide genetic information for proteins, indicating the in vitro central dogma can sequentially undergo two rounds. PMID:23737447

  15. Self-processing 2A-polyproteins--a system for co-ordinate expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halpin, C; Cooke, S E; Barakate, A; El Amrani, A; Ryan, M D

    1999-02-01

    Achieving co-ordinate, high-level and stable expression of multiple transgenes in plants is currently difficult. Expression levels are notoriously variable and influenced by factors that act independently on transgenes at different genetic loci. Instability of expression due to loss, re-arrangement or silencing of transgenes may occur, and is exacerbated by increasing numbers of transgenic loci and repeated use of homologous sequences. Even linking two or more genes within a T-DNA does not necessarily result in co-ordinate expression. Linking proteins in a single open reading frame--a polyprotein--is a strategy for co-ordinate expression used by many viruses. After translation, polyproteins are processed into constituent polypeptides, usually by proteinases encoded within the polyprotein itself. However, in foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a sequence (2A) of just 16-20 amino acids appears to have the unique capability to mediate cleavage at its own C-terminus by an apparently enzyme-independent, novel type of reaction. This sequence can also mediate cleavage in a heterologous protein context in a range of eukaryotic expression systems. We have constructed a plasmid in which the 2A sequence is inserted between the reporter genes chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) and beta-glucuronidase (GUS), maintaining a single open reading frame. Here we report that expression of this construct in wheatgerm lysate and transgenic plants results in efficient cleavage of the polyprotein and co-ordinate expression of active CAT and GUS. Self-processing polyproteins using the FMDV 2A sequence could therefore provide a system for ensuring co-ordinated, stable expression of multiple introduced proteins in plant cells.

  16. Cloning, expression, purification and characterization of Leishmania tropica PDI-2 protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Dina

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In Leishmania species, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI is an essential enzyme that catalyzes thiol-disulfide interchange. The present work describes the isolation, cloning, sequencing and expression of the pdI-2 gene. Initially, the gene was amplified from L. tropica genomic DNA by PCR using specific primers before cloning into the expression vector pET-15b. The construct pET/pdI-2 was transformed into BL21(DE3 cells and induced for the protein expression. SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis showed that the expressed protein is about 51 kDa. Cloned gene sequence analysis revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence showed significant homology with those of several parasites PDIs. Finally, recombinant protein was purified with a metal-chelating affinity column. The putative protein was confirmed as a thiol - disulfide oxidoreductase by detecting its activity in an oxidoreductase assay. Assay result of assay suggested that the PDI-2 protein is required for both oxidation and reduction of disulfide bonds in vitro. Antibodies reactive with this 51 kDa protein were detected by Western blot analysis in sera from human infected with L. tropica. This work describes for the first time the enzymatic activity of recombinant L. tropica PDI-2 protein and suggests a role for this protein as an antigen for the detection of leishmaniasis infection.

  17. Plant bioreactors for the antigenic hook-associated flgK protein expression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciana Rossi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Plants engineered with genes encoding for the antigenic proteins of various microorganisms have shown to correctly express the proteins that elicit the production of antibodies in mammalian hosts. In livestock, plant-based vaccines could represent an innovative strategy for oral vaccination, especially to prevent infection by enteric pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate tobacco plants as a seedspecific expression system for the production of the flgK flagellar hook-associated protein from a wild type Salmonella typhimurium strain, as a model of an edible vaccine. The flgK gene is the principal component of bacterial flagella and is recognised as virulence factor by the innate immune system. It was isolated from the Salmonella typhimurium strain by PCR. The encoding sequence of flgK was transferred into a pBI binary vector, under control of soybean basic 7S globulin promoter for the seed-specific. Plant transformation was carried out using recombinant EHA 105 Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A transgenic population was obtained made up of independently kanamycin-resistant transgenic plants, which had a similar morphological appearance to the wild-type plants. Molecular analyses of seeds confirmed the integration of the gene and the average expression level of flgK was estimated to be about 0.6 mg per gram of seeds, corresponding to 0.33% of the total amount of soluble protein in tobacco seeds. This study showed that the foreign flgK gene could be stably incorporated into the tobacco plant genome by transcription through the nuclear apparatus of the plant, and that these genes are inherited by the next generation.

  18. Constitutive mRNA expression and protein activity levels of nine ABC efflux transporters in seven permanent cell lines derived from different tissues of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Stephan; Loncar, Jovica; Zaja, Roko; Schnell, Sabine; Schirmer, Kristin; Smital, Tvrtko; Luckenbach, Till

    2011-01-25

    Permanent fish cell lines have become common model systems for determining ecotoxicological effects of pollutants. For these cell lines little is known on the cellular active transport mechanisms that control the amount of a compound entering the cell, such as the MXR (multixenobiotic resistance) system mediated by ATP binding cassette (ABC) transport proteins. Therefore, for toxic evaluation of chemicals with those cells information on MXR is important. We here present data on constitutive mRNA expression and protein activity levels of a series of ABC efflux transporters in seven permanent cell lines derived from liver (RTL-W1; R1) and liver hepatoma (RTH-149), gill (RTgill-W1), gonad (RTG-2), gut (RTgutGC) and brain (RTbrain) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In addition to known transporters abcb1 (designated here abcb1a), abcb11, abcc1-3, abcc5 and abcg2, we quantified expression levels of a newly identified abcb1 isoform (abcb1b) and abcc4, previously unknown in trout. Quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) indicated that mRNA of the examined ABC transporters was constitutively expressed in all cell lines. Transporter mRNA expression patterns were similar in all cell lines, with expression levels of abcc transporters being 80 to over 1000 fold higher than for abcg2, abcb1a/b and abcb11 (abcc1-5>abcg2>abcb1a/b, 11). Transporter activity in the cell lines was determined by measuring uptake of transporter type specific fluorescent substrates in the presence of activity inhibitors. The combination of the ABCB1 and ABCC transporter substrate calcein-AM with inhibitors cyclosporine A, PSC833 and MK571 resulted in a concentration-dependent fluorescence increase of up to 3-fold, whereas reversin 205 caused a slight, but not concentration-dependent fluorescence increase. Accumulation of the dyes Hoechst 33342 and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate was basically unchanged in the presence of Ko134 and taurocholate, respectively, indicating low Abcg2 and Abcb11

  19. Honey bee protein atlas at organ-level resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Queenie W T; Chan, Man Yi; Logan, Michelle; Fang, Yuan; Higo, Heather; Foster, Leonard J

    2013-11-01

    Genome sequencing has provided us with gene lists but cannot tell us where and how their encoded products work together to support life. Complex organisms rely on differential expression of subsets of genes/proteins in organs and tissues, and, in concert, evolved to their present state as they function together to improve an organism's overall reproductive fitness. Proteomics studies of individual organs help us understand their basic functions, but this reductionist approach misses the larger context of the whole organism. This problem could be circumvented if all the organs in an organism were comprehensively studied by the same methodology and analyzed together. Using honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) as a model system, we report here an initial whole proteome of a complex organism, measuring 29 different organ/tissue types among the three honey bee castes: queen, drone, and worker. The data reveal that, e.g., workers have a heightened capacity to deal with environmental toxins and queens have a far more robust pheromone detection system than their nestmates. The data also suggest that workers altruistically sacrifice not only their own reproductive capacity but also their immune potential in favor of their queen. Finally, organ-level resolution of protein expression offers a systematic insight into how organs may have developed.

  20. Mucosal Immunogenicity of Genetically Modified Lactobacillus acidophilus Expressing an HIV-1 Epitope within the Surface Layer Protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akinobu Kajikawa

    Full Text Available Surface layer proteins of probiotic lactobacilli are theoretically efficient epitope-displaying scaffolds for oral vaccine delivery due to their high expression levels and surface localization. In this study, we constructed genetically modified Lactobacillus acidophilus strains expressing the membrane proximal external region (MPER from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 within the context of the major S-layer protein, SlpA. Intragastric immunization of mice with the recombinants induced MPER-specific and S-layer protein-specific antibodies in serum and mucosal secretions. Moreover, analysis of systemic SlpA-specific cytokines revealed that the responses appeared to be Th1 and Th17 dominant. These findings demonstrated the potential use of the Lactobacillus S-layer protein for development of oral vaccines targeting specific peptides.

  1. Effect of caffeine on the expression of a major X-ray induced protein in human tumor cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hughes, E.N.; Boothman, D.A. (Univ. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia (USA))

    1991-03-01

    We have examined the effect of caffeine on the concomitant processes of the repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD) and the synthesis of X-ray-induced proteins in the human malignant melanoma cell line, Ul-Mel. Caffeine administered at a dose of 5mM after X radiation not only inhibited PLD repair but also markedly reduced the level of XIP269, a major X-ray-induced protein whose expression has been shown to correlate with the capacity to repair PLD. The expression of the vast majority of other cellular proteins, including seven other X-ray-induced proteins, remained unchanged following caffeine treatment. A possible role for XIP269 in cell cycle delay following DNA damage by X irradiation is discussed.

  2. Myocardin-related transcription factor regulates Nox4 protein expression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rozycki, Matthew; Bialik, Janne Folke; Speight, Pam

    2016-01-01

    translocation of MRTF. Because the Nox4 promoter harbors a serum response factor/MRTF cis-element (CC(A/T)6GG box), we asked if MRTF (and thus cytoskeleton organization) could regulate Nox4 expression. We show that Nox4 protein is robustly induced in kidney tubular cells exclusively by combined application...... TGFβ/contact disruption-provoked Nox4 protein and mRNA expression, Nox4 promoter activation, and reactive oxygen species production. Mutation of the CC(A/T)6GG box eliminates the synergistic activation of the Nox4 promoter. Jasplakinolide-induced actin polymerization synergizes with TGFβ to facilitate...... MRTF-dependent Nox4 mRNA expression/promoter activation. Moreover, MRTF inhibition prevents Nox4 expression during TGFβ-induced fibroblast-myofibroblast transition as well. Although necessary, MRTF is insufficient; Nox4 expression also requires TGFβ-activated Smad3 and TAZ/YAP, two contact...

  3. Improved means and methods for expressing recombinant proteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poolman, Berend; Martinez Linares, Daniel; Gul, Nadia

    2014-01-01

    The invention relates to the field of genetic engineering and the production of recombinant proteins in microbial host cells. Provided is a method for enhanced expression of a recombinant protein of interest in a microbial host cell, comprising providing a microbial host cell wherein the function of

  4. Stimulation of Protein Expression Through the Harmonic Resonance of Frequency-Specific Music.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orhan, Ibrahim Y; Gulbahar, Burak A

    2016-12-01

    The use of specific frequencies for specific individual amino acids may increase the potential energy of protein molecules in the medium [1]. The resonance would also increase the movement of particles in the cytosol, increasing the collisions necessary for the conduction of protein expression. The clash of two waves that share frequencies will exhibit an increase in energy through an increase in amplitude [2]. The increase in energy would in turn increase the number of collisions forming the tRNA-amino acid, increasing the amino acid acquiry for ribosomes to improve intracellular efficiency in gene expression. To test the hypothesis, Red Fluorescent Protein (RFP) in transformated BL-21 strains of E. coli and p53 protein of MCF-7 were examined after exposure to sounds of specific frequencies. Through the exposure of the experimental systems to a sequence of sounds that match the frequencies of specific amino acids, the levels of RFP exhibition respective to the control groups in the bacterial medium increased two-fold in terms of RFU. The experiments that targeted the p53 protein with the 'music' showed a decrease in the cell prevalence in the MCF-7 type breast cancer cells by 28%, by decreasing the speed of tumour formation. Exposure to 'music' that was designed through assigning a musical note for every single one of the twenty unique amino acids, produced both an analytical and a visible shift in protein synthesis, making it as potential tool for reducing procedural time uptake.

  5. Transcriptomic and proteomic approach to identify differentially expressed genes and proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana mutants lacking chloroplastic 1 and cytosolic FBPases reveals several levels of metabolic regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto-Suárez, Mauricio; Serrato, Antonio J; Rojas-González, José A; Bautista, Rocío; Sahrawy, Mariam

    2016-12-01

    During the photosynthesis, two isoforms of the fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), the chloroplastidial (cFBP1) and the cytosolic (cyFBP), catalyse the first irreversible step during the conversion of triose phosphates (TP) to starch or sucrose, respectively. Deficiency in cyFBP and cFBP1 isoforms provokes an imbalance of the starch/sucrose ratio, causing a dramatic effect on plant development when the plastidial enzyme is lacking. We study the correlation between the transcriptome and proteome profile in rosettes and roots when cFBP1 or cyFBP genes are disrupted in Arabidopsis thaliana knock-out mutants. By using a 70-mer oligonucleotide microarray representing the genome of Arabidopsis we were able to identify 1067 and 1243 genes whose expressions are altered in the rosettes and roots of the cfbp1 mutant respectively; whilst in rosettes and roots of cyfbp mutant 1068 and 1079 genes are being up- or down-regulated respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR validated 100% of a set of 14 selected genes differentially expressed according to our microarray analysis. Two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis-based proteomic analysis revealed quantitative differences in 36 and 26 proteins regulated in rosettes and roots of cfbp1, respectively, whereas the 18 and 48 others were regulated in rosettes and roots of cyfbp mutant, respectively. The genes differentially expressed and the proteins more or less abundant revealed changes in protein metabolism, RNA regulation, cell signalling and organization, carbon metabolism, redox regulation, and transport together with biotic and abiotic stress. Notably, a significant set (25%) of the proteins identified were also found to be regulated at a transcriptional level. This transcriptomic and proteomic analysis is the first comprehensive and comparative study of the gene/protein re-adjustment that occurs in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organs of Arabidopsis mutants lacking FBPase isoforms.

  6. Research in Undergraduate Instruction: A Biotech Lab Project for Recombinant DNA Protein Expression in Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brockman, Mark; Ordman, Alfred B.; Campbell, A. Malcolm

    1996-06-01

    In the sophomore-level Molecular Biology and Biotechnology course at Beloit College, students learn basic methods in molecular biology in the context of pursuing a semester-long original research project. We are exploring how DNA sequence affects expression levels of proteins. A DNA fragment encoding all or part of the guanylate monokinase (gmk) sequence is cloned into pSP73 and expressed in E. coli. A monoclonal antibody is made to gmk. The expression level of gmk is determined by SDS gel elctrophoresis, a Western blot, and an ELISA assay. Over four years, an increase in enrollment in the course from 9 to 34 students, the 85% of majors pursuing advanced degrees, and course evaluations all support the conclusion that involving students in research during undergraduate courses encourages them to pursue careers in science.

  7. In vitro protein expression: an emerging alternative to cell-based approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Mingyue

    2011-04-30

    Protein expression remains a bottleneck in the production of proteins. Owing to several advantages, cell-free translation is emerging as an alternative to cell-based methods for the generation of proteins. Recent advances have led to many novel applications of cell-free systems in biotechnology, proteomics and fundamental biological research. This special issue of New Biotechnology describes recent advances in cell-free protein expression systems and their applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Association Between Human Hair Loss and the Expression Levels of Nucleolin, Nucleophosmin, and UBTF Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasdemir, Sener; Eroz, Recep; Dogan, Hasan; Erdem, Haktan Bagis; Sahin, Ibrahim; Kara, Murat; Engin, Ragip Ismail; Turkez, Hasan

    2016-04-01

    Nucleolar organizer regions, also known as argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions, are associated with ribosomal genes. The main function of the nucleolus is the rapid production of ribosomal subunits, a process that must be highly regulated to provide the appropriate levels for cellular proliferation and cell growth. There are no studies in the literature addressing the expression and function of nucleolar component proteins, including nucleophosmin, nucleolin and the upstream binding transcription factor (UBTF), in human follicular hair cells. Nineteen healthy males who had normal and sufficient hair follicles on the back of the head, but exhibited hair loss on the frontal/vertex portions of the head and 14 healthy males without hair loss were included in the current study. Gene expression levels were measured by relative quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. In the individuals suffering from alopecia, the total expression levels of nucleolin, nucleophosmin, and UBTF were lower in normal sites than in hair loss sites. Strong expression level correlations were detected between: nucleophosmin and nucleolin; nucleophosmin and UBTF, and nucleolin and UBTF for both groups. There was an association between human hair loss and the expression levels of nucleolin, nucleophosmin, and UBTF genes.

  9. Candidate Genes for Testicular Cancer Evaluated by In Situ Protein Expression Analyses on Tissue Microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rolf I. Skotheim

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available By the use of high-throughput molecular technologies, the number of genes and proteins potentially relevant to testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT and other diseases will increase rapidly. In a recent transcriptional profiling, we demonstrated the overexpression of GRB7 and JUP in TGCTs, confirmed the reported overexpression of CCND2. We also have recent evidences for frequent genetic alterations of FHIT and epigenetic alterations of MGMT. To evaluate whether the expression of these genes is related to any clinicopathological variables, we constructed a tissue microarray with 510 testicular tissue cores from 279 patients diagnosed with TGCT, covering various histological subgroups and clinical stages. By immunohistochemistry, we found that JUP, GRB7, CCND2 proteins were rarely present in normal testis, but frequently expressed at high levels in TGCT. Additionally, all premalignant intratubular germ cell neoplasias were JUP-immunopositive. MGMT and FHIT were expressed by normal testicular tissues, but at significantly lower frequencies in TGCT. Except for CCND2, the expressions of all markers were significantly associated with various TGCT subtypes. In summary, we have developed a high-throughput tool for the evaluation of TGCT markers, utilized this to validate five candidate genes whose protein expressions were indeed deregulated in TGCT.

  10. TP53 and ATM mRNA expression in skin and skeletal muscle after low-level laser exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guedes de Almeida, Luciana; Sergio, Luiz Philippe da Silva; de Paoli, Flavia; Mencalha, Andre Luiz; da Fonseca, Adenilson de Souza

    2017-08-01

    Low-level lasers are widespread in regenerative medicine, but the molecular mechanisms involved in their biological effects are not fully understood, particularly those on DNA stability. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate mRNA expression of genes related to DNA genomic stability in skin and skeletal muscle tissue from Wistar rats exposed to low-level red and infrared lasers. For this, TP53 (Tumor Protein 53) and ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated gene) mRNA expressions were evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) technique 24 hours after low-level red and infrared laser exposure. Our data showed that relative TP53 mRNA expression was not significantly altered in both tissues exposed to lasers. For ATM, relative mRNA expression in skin tissue was not significantly altered, but in muscle tissue, laser exposure increased relative ATM mRNA expression. Low-level red and infrared laser radiations alter ATM mRNA expression related to DNA stability in skeletal muscle tissue.

  11. Regulation of Nuclear Receptor Interacting Protein 1 (NRIP1) Gene Expression in Response to Weight Loss and Exercise in Humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    De Marinis, Yang Z; Sun, Jiangming; Bompada, Pradeep

    2017-01-01

    Objective: Nuclear receptor interacting protein 1 (NRIP1) is an important energy regulator, but few studies have addressed its role in humans. This study investigated adipose tissue and skeletal muscle NRIP1 gene expression and serum levels in response to weight loss and exercise in humans. Methods...... network/module. Conclusions: NRIP1 gene expression and serum levels are strongly associated with metabolic states such as obesity, weight loss, different types of exercise, and peripheral tissue insulin resistance, potentially as a mediator of sedentary effects.......: In patients with obesity, adipose tissue NRIP1 mRNA expression increased during weight loss and weight maintenance and showed strong associations with metabolic markers and anthropometric parameters. Serum NRIP1 protein levels also increased after weight loss. In skeletal muscle, imposed rest increased NRIP1...

  12. Several genes encoding ribosomal proteins are over-expressed in prostate-cancer cell lines: confirmation of L7a and L37 over-expression in prostate-cancer tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaarala, M H; Porvari, K S; Kyllönen, A P; Mustonen, M V; Lukkarinen, O; Vihko, P T

    1998-09-25

    A cDNA library specific for mRNA over-expressed in prostate cancer was generated by subtractive hybridization of transcripts originating from prostatic hyperplasia and cancer tissues. cDNA encoding ribosomal proteins L4, L5, L7a, L23a, L30, L37, S14 and S18 was found to be present among 100 analyzed clones. Levels of ribosomal mRNA were significantly higher at least in one of the prostate-cancer cell lines, LNCaP, DU-145 and PC-3, than in hyperplastic tissue, as determined by slot-blot hybridization. Furthermore, L23a- and S14-transcript levels were significantly elevated in PC-3 cells as compared with those in the normal prostate epithelial cell line PrEC. Generally, dramatic changes in the mRNA content of the ribosomal proteins were not detected, the most evident over-expression being that of L37 mRNA, which was 3.4 times more abundant in LNCaP cells than in hyperplastic prostate tissue. The over-expression of L7a and L37 mRNA was confirmed in prostate-cancer tissue samples by in situ hybridization. Elevated cancer-related expression of L4 and L30 has not been reported, but levels of the other ribosomal proteins are known to be increased in several types of cancers. These results therefore suggest that prostate cancer is comparable with other types of cancers, in that a larger pool of some ribosomal proteins is gained during the transformation process, by an unknown mechanism.

  13. The 0.3-kb fragment containing the R-U5-5'leader sequence of Friend murine leukemia virus influences the level of protein expression from spliced mRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choo, Yeng Cheng; Seki, Yohei; Machinaga, Akihito; Ogita, Nobuo; Takase-Yoden, Sayaka

    2013-04-19

    A neuropathogenic variant of Friend murine leukemia virus (Fr-MLV) clone A8 induces spongiform neurodegeneration when infected into neonatal rats. Studies with chimeras constructed from the A8 virus and the non-neuropathogenic Fr-MLV clone 57 identified a 0.3-kb KpnI-AatII fragment containing a R-U5-5'leader sequence as an important determinant for inducing spongiosis, in addition to the env gene of A8 as the primary determinant. This 0.3-kb fragment contains a 17-nucleotide difference between the A8 and 57 sequences. We previously showed that the 0.3-kb fragment influences expression levels of Env protein in both cultured cells and rat brain, but the corresponding molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Studies with expression vectors constructed from the full-length proviral genome of Fr-MLV that incorporated the luciferase (luc) gene instead of the env gene found that the vector containing the A8-0.3-kb fragment yielded a larger amount of spliced luc-mRNA and showed higher expression of luciferase when compared to the vector containing the 57-0.3-kb fragment. The amount of total transcripts from the vectors, the poly (A) tail length of their mRNAs, and the nuclear-cytoplasm distribution of luc-mRNA in transfected cells were also evaluated. The 0.3-kb fragment did not influence transcription efficiency, mRNA polyadenylation or nuclear export of luc-mRNA. Mutational analyses were carried out to determine the importance of nucleotides that differ between the A8 and 57 sequences within the 0.3-kb fragment. In particular, seven nucleotides upstream of the 5'splice site (5'ss) were found to be important in regulating the level of protein expression from spliced messages. Interestingly, these nucleotides reside within the stem-loop structure that has been speculated to limit the recognition of 5'ss. The 0.3-kb fragment containing the R-U5-5'leader sequence of Fr-MLV influences the level of protein expression from the spliced-mRNA by regulating the splicing

  14. High yield expression in a recombinant E. coli of a codon optimized chicken anemia virus capsid protein VP1 useful for vaccine development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    You Bang-Jau

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chicken anemia virus (CAV, the causative agent chicken anemia, is the only member of the genus Gyrovirus of the Circoviridae family. CAV is an immune suppressive virus and causes anemia, lymph organ atrophy and immunodeficiency. The production and biochemical characterization of VP1 protein and its use in a subunit vaccine or as part of a diagnostic kit would be useful to CAV infection prevention. Results Significantly increased expression of the recombinant full-length VP1 capsid protein from chicken anemia virus was demonstrated using an E. coli expression system. The VP1 gene was cloned into various different expression vectors and then these were expressed in a number of different E. coli strains. The expression of CAV VP1 in E. coli was significantly increased when VP1 was fused with GST protein rather than a His-tag. By optimizing the various rare amino acid codons within the N-terminus of the VP1 protein, the expression level of the VP1 protein in E. coli BL21(DE3-pLysS was further increased significantly. The highest protein expression level obtained was 17.5 g/L per liter of bacterial culture after induction with 0.1 mM IPTG for 2 h. After purification by GST affinity chromatography, the purified full-length VP1 protein produced in this way was demonstrated to have good antigenicity and was able to be recognized by CAV-positive chicken serum in an ELISA assay. Conclusions Purified recombinant VP1 protein with the gene's codons optimized in the N-terminal region has potential as chimeric protein that, when expressed in E. coli, may be useful in the future for the development of subunit vaccines and diagnostic tests.

  15. Identification of differentially expressed proteins in response to Pb ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In response to Pb, a total of 76 proteins, out of the 95 differentially expressed proteins, were subjected to MALDI-TOF-MS Of these, 46 identities were identified by PMF and 19 identities were identified by microsequencing. Basic metabolisms such as photosynthesis, photorespiration and protein biosynthesis in C. roseus ...

  16. Effects of dietary protein level on nutrients digestibility and reproductive performance of female mink (Neovison vison during gestation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingkui Jiang

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine whether nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance of pregnant mink (Neovison vison were affected by different dietary protein levels. One hundred and twenty female mink were randomly assigned to four groups, receiving diets of fresh material with different protein levels. The dietary protein levels, expressed as percentage of dry matter (DM, were 32, 36, 40 and 44% respectively. These values corresponded to average 320, 360, 400 and 440 g protein/kg DM, respectively. Results were as follows. All of crude protein digestibility, nitrogen (N intake, N retention increased along with dietary protein level increasing. Low protein level (32% significantly reduced the above indicators (P < 0.05. DM digestibility and ether extract digestibility were not affected by dietary protein level. Results of mated females, barren females, kids per litter, live born kids per mated female, birth survival rate, and birth weight showed that mink achieved optimal reproductive performance when dietary protein level was 36%. In conclusion, dietary protein was anticipated to significantly influence some nutrients' utilization. Adopting the appropriate dietary protein level allow better reproduction performance. The most preferable reproductive performance was achieved when diet contained 275.5 g digestible protein per kg DM for female mink in gestation.

  17. Specific DNA-binding proteins and DNA sequences involved in steroid hormone regulation of gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spelsberg, T.; Hora, J.; Horton, M.; Goldberger, A.; Littlefield, B.; Seelke, R.; Toyoda, H.

    1987-01-01

    Steroid hormones circulate in the blood and are taken by target cells via complexes with intracellular binding proteins termed receptors, that are hormone and tissue specific. Each receptor binds it specific steroid with very high affinity, having an equilibrium dissociation constant (K/sub d/) in the range of 10 -9 to 10 -10 M. Once bound by their specific steroid hormones, the steroid receptors undergo a conformational change which allows them to bind with high affinity to sites on chromatin, termed nuclear acceptor sites. There are estimated 5,000 to 10,000 of these sites expressed with an equal number not expressed (''masked'') in intact chromatin. The result of the binding to nuclear acceptor sites is an alteration of gene transcription or, in some cases, gene expression as measured by the changing levels of specific RNAs and proteins in that target tissue. Each steroid regulates specific effects on the RNA and protein profiles. The chronology of the above mechanism of action after injection of radiolabelled steroid as is follows: Steroid-receptor complex formation (1 minute), nuclear acceptor sites (2 minutes), effects on RNA synthesis (10 to 30 minutes), and finally the changing protein profiles via changes in protein synthesis and protein turnover (1 to 6 hours). Thus steroid receptors represent one of the first identified intracellular gene regulation proteins. The receptor molecules themselves are regulated by the presence or absence of the steroid molecule

  18. A phycocyanin·phellandrene synthase fusion enhances recombinant protein expression and β-phellandrene (monoterpene) hydrocarbons production in Synechocystis (cyanobacteria).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Formighieri, Cinzia; Melis, Anastasios

    2015-11-01

    Cyanobacteria can be exploited as photosynthetic platforms for heterologous generation of terpene hydrocarbons with industrial applications. Transformation of Synechocystis and heterologous expression of the β-phellandrene synthase (PHLS) gene alone is necessary and sufficient to confer to Synechocystis the ability to divert intermediate terpenoid metabolites and to generate the monoterpene β-phellandrene during photosynthesis. However, terpene synthases, including the PHLS, have a slow Kcat (low Vmax) necessitating high levels of enzyme concentration to enable meaningful rates and yield of product formation. Here, a novel approach was applied to increase the PHLS protein expression alleviating limitations in the rate and yield of β-phellandrene product generation. Different PHLS fusion constructs were generated with the Synechocystis endogenous cpcB sequence, encoding for the abundant in cyanobacteria phycocyanin β-subunit, expressed under the native cpc operon promoter. In one of these constructs, the CpcB·PHLS fusion protein accumulated to levels approaching 20% of the total cellular protein, i.e., substantially higher than expressing the PHLS protein alone under the same endogenous cpc promoter. The CpcB·PHLS fusion protein retained the activity of the PHLS enzyme and catalyzed β-phellandrene synthesis, yielding an average of 3.2 mg product g(-1) dry cell weight (dcw) versus the 0.03 mg g(-1)dcw measured with low-expressing constructs, i.e., a 100-fold yield improvement. In conclusion, the terpene synthase fusion-protein approach is promising, as, in this case, it substantially increased the amount of the PHLS in cyanobacteria, and commensurately improved rates and yield of β-phellandrene hydrocarbons production in these photosynthetic microorganisms. Copyright © 2015 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Evolved Lactococcus lactis Strains for Enhanced Expression of Recombinant Membrane Proteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martinez Linares, Daniel; Geertsma, Eric R.; Poolman, Bert

    2010-01-01

    The production of complex multidomain (membrane) proteins is a major hurdle in structural genomics and a generic approach for optimizing membrane protein expression is still lacking. We have devised a selection method to isolate mutant strains with improved functional expression of recombinant

  20. Increased expression of argininosuccinate synthetase protein predicts poor prognosis in human gastric cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    SHAN, YAN-SHEN; HSU, HUI-PING; LAI, MING-DERG; YEN, MENG-CHI; LUO, YI-PEY; CHEN, YI-LING

    2015-01-01

    Aberrant expression of argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS1, also known as ASS) has been found in cancer cells and is involved in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the level of ASS expression in human gastric cancer and to determine the possible correlations between ASS expression and clinicopathological findings. Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded tissues to determine whether ASS was expressed in 11 of 11 specimens from patients with gastric cancer. The protein was localized primarily to the cytoplasm of cancer cells and normal epithelium. In the Oncomine cancer microarray database, expression of the ASS gene was significantly increased in gastric cancer tissues. To investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic roles of ASS expression, we performed western blot analysis of 35 matched specimens of gastric adenocarcinomas and normal tissue obtained from patients treated at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital. The ratio of relative ASS expression (expressed as the ASS/β-actin ratio) in tumor tissues to that in normal tissues was correlated with large tumor size (P=0.007) and with the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system (P=0.031). Patients whose cancer had increased the relative expression of ASS were positive for perineural invasion and had poor recurrence-free survival. In summary, ASS expression in gastric cancer was associated with a poor prognosis. Further study of mechanisms to silence the ASS gene or decrease the enzymatic activity of ASS protein has the potential to provide new treatments for patients with gastric cancer. PMID:25333458

  1. Expression analysis of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in mouse macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lattin, Jane E; Schroder, Kate; Su, Andrew I; Walker, John R; Zhang, Jie; Wiltshire, Tim; Saijo, Kaoru; Glass, Christopher K; Hume, David A; Kellie, Stuart; Sweet, Matthew J

    2008-04-29

    Monocytes and macrophages express an extensive repertoire of G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) that regulate inflammation and immunity. In this study we performed a systematic micro-array analysis of GPCR expression in primary mouse macrophages to identify family members that are either enriched in macrophages compared to a panel of other cell types, or are regulated by an inflammatory stimulus, the bacterial product lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Several members of the P2RY family had striking expression patterns in macrophages; P2ry6 mRNA was essentially expressed in a macrophage-specific fashion, whilst P2ry1 and P2ry5 mRNA levels were strongly down-regulated by LPS. Expression of several other GPCRs was either restricted to macrophages (e.g. Gpr84) or to both macrophages and neural tissues (e.g. P2ry12, Gpr85). The GPCR repertoire expressed by bone marrow-derived macrophages and thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages had some commonality, but there were also several GPCRs preferentially expressed by either cell population. The constitutive or regulated expression in macrophages of several GPCRs identified in this study has not previously been described. Future studies on such GPCRs and their agonists are likely to provide important insights into macrophage biology, as well as novel inflammatory pathways that could be future targets for drug discovery.

  2. The transient nature of Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus NSs protein expression: effects of increased stability of NSs protein on virus replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Knippenberg, Ingeborg; Fragkoudis, Rennos; Elliott, Richard M

    2013-01-01

    The NSs proteins of bunyaviruses are the viral interferon antagonists, counteracting the host's antiviral response to infection. During high-multiplicity infection of cultured mammalian cells with Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus (BUNV), NSs is rapidly degraded after reaching peak levels of expression at 12hpi. Through the use of inhibitors this was shown to be the result of proteasomal degradation. A recombinant virus (rBUN4KR), in which all four lysine residues in NSs were replaced by arginine residues, expresses an NSs protein (NSs4KR) that is resistant to degradation, confirming that degradation is lysine-dependent. However, despite repeated attempts, no direct ubiquitylation of NSs in infected cells could be demonstrated. This suggests that degradation of NSs, although lysine-dependent, may be achieved through an indirect mechanism. Infection of cultured mammalian cells or mice indicated no disadvantage for the virus in having a non-degradable NSs protein: in fact rBUN4KR had a slight growth advantage over wtBUNV in interferon-competent cells, presumably due to the increased and prolonged presence of NSs. In cultured mosquito cells there was no difference in growth between wild-type BUNV and rBUN4KR, but surprisingly NSs4KR was not stabilised compared to the wild-type NSs protein.

  3. Developmental expression of Drosophila Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome family proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Mesa, Evelyn; Abreu-Blanco, Maria Teresa; Rosales-Nieves, Alicia E.; Parkhurst, Susan M.

    2012-01-01

    Background Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WASP) family proteins participate in many cellular processes involving rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. To the date, four WASP subfamily members have been described in Drosophila: Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy. Wash, WASp, and SCAR are essential during early Drosophila development where they function in orchestrating cytoplasmic events including membrane-cytoskeleton interactions. A mutant for Whamy has not yet been reported. Results We generated monoclonal antibodies that are specific to Drosophila Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy, and use these to describe their spatial and temporal localization patterns. Consistent with the importance of WASP family proteins in flies, we find that Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy are dynamically expressed throughout oogenesis and embryogenesis. For example, we find that Wash accumulates at the oocyte cortex. WASp is highly expressed in the PNS, while SCAR is the most abundantly expressed in the CNS. Whamy exhibits an asymmetric subcellular localization that overlaps with mitochondria and is highly expressed in muscle. Conclusion All four WASP family members show specific expression patterns, some of which reflect their previously known roles and others revealing new potential functions. The monoclonal antibodies developed offer valuable new tools to investigate how WASP family proteins regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics. PMID:22275148

  4. Oral Administration of Recombinant Saccharomyces boulardii Expressing Ovalbumin-CPE Fusion Protein Induces Antibody Response in Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagherpour, Ghasem; Ghasemi, Hosnie; Zand, Bahare; Zarei, Najmeh; Roohvand, Farzin; Ardakani, Esmat M; Azizi, Mohammad; Khalaj, Vahid

    2018-01-01

    Saccharomyces boulardii , a subspecies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae , is a well-known eukaryotic probiotic with many benefits for human health. In the present study, a recombinant strain of S. boulardii was prepared to use as a potential oral vaccine delivery vehicle. In this sense, a ura3 auxotroph strain of S. boulardii CNCM I-745 (known as S. cerevisiae HANSEN CBS 5926, Yomogi ® ) was generated using CRISPR/Cas9 methodology. Then a gene construct encoding a highly immunogenic protein, ovalbumin (OVA), was prepared and transformed into the ura3 - S. boulardii . To facilitate the transport of the recombinant immunogen across the intestinal barrier, a claudin-targeting sequence from Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) was added to the C-terminus of the expression cassette. The recombinant S. boulardii strain expressing the OVA-CPE fusion protein was then administered orally to a group of mice, and serum IgG and fecal IgA levels were evaluated by ELISA. Our results demonstrated that anti-OVA IgG in serum significantly increased in test group ( P boulardii or PBS), and the fecal IgA titer was significantly higher in test group ( P boulardii strain expressing the similar construct lacking C-terminal CPE was also administered orally. The result showed an increased level of serum IgG in group receiving yeasts expressing the CPE negative construct compared to control groups; however, the fecal IgA levels did not increase significantly. In conclusion, our findings indicated that the yeast S. boulardii , as a delivery vehicle with possible immunomodulatory effects, and c-CPE, as a targeting tag, synergistically assist to stimulate systemic and local immunity. This proposed recombinant S. boulardii system might be useful in the expression of other antigenic peptides, making it as a promising tool for oral delivery of vaccines or therapeutic proteins.

  5. Reduced expression levels of PTEN are associated with decreased sensitivity of HCC827 cells to icotinib.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Yang; Zhang, Yanjun; Nan, Kejun; Liang, Xuan

    2017-05-01

    The clinical resistance of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been linked to EGFR T790M resistance mutations or MET amplifications. Additional mechanisms underlying EGFR-TKI drug resistance remain unclear. The present study demonstrated that icotinib significantly inhibited the proliferation and increased the apoptosis rate of HCC827 cells; the cellular mRNA and protein expression levels of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were also significantly downregulated. To investigate the effect of PTEN expression levels on the sensitivity of HCC827 cells to icotinib, PTEN expression was silenced using a PTEN-specific small interfering RNA. The current study identified that the downregulation of PTEN expression levels may promote cellular proliferation in addition to decreasing the apoptosis of HCC827 cells, and may reduce the sensitivity of HCC827 cells to icotinib. These results suggested that reduced PTEN expression levels were associated with the decreased sensitivity of HCC827 cells to icotinib. Furthermore, PTEN expression levels may be a useful marker for predicting icotinib resistance and elucidating the resistance mechanisms underlying EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

  6. The influence of co-cultivation on expression of the antifungal protein in Aspergillus giganteus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Vera; Stahl, Ulf

    2003-01-01

    The afp gene of Aspergillus giganteus encodes a small, highly basic polypeptide with antifungal activity, named Antifungal Protein (AFP). The protein is secreted by the mould and inhibits the growth of various filamentous fungi. In this paper we report that co-cultivation of A. giganteus with various microorganisms alters afp expression. It was found that co-cultivation modulates afp expression on the level of transcription, using a reporter system based on the beta-glucuronidase gene. The presence of Fusarium oxysporum triggered afp transcription whereas dual cultures of A. giganteus and A. niger resulted in suppression of afp transcription. Growth tests performed with several carbon and nitrogen sources, revealed that the influence of co-cultivation is strongly dependent on the medium composition.

  7. High level PHGDH expression in breast is predominantly associated with keratin 5-positive cell lineage independently of malignancy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gromova, Irina; Gromov, Pavel; Honma, Naoko

    2015-01-01

    in TNBC samples. One such protein was D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh), a candidate oncogene. We analysed expression of Phgdh in normal and TNBC mammary tissue samples by 2D gel-based proteomics and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and show here that high-level expression of Phgdh in mammary...

  8. Unintended changes in protein expression revealed by proteomic analysis of seeds from transgenic pea expressing a bean alpha-amylase inhibitor gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hancai; Bodulovic, Greg; Hall, Prudence J; Moore, Andy; Higgins, Thomas J V; Djordjevic, Michael A; Rolfe, Barry G

    2009-09-01

    Seeds of genetically modified (GM) peas (Pisum sativum L.) expressing the gene for alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 (alphaAI1) from the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Tendergreen) exhibit resistance to the pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum). A proteomic analysis was carried out to compare seeds from GM pea lines expressing the bean alphaAI1 protein and the corresponding alphaAI1-free segregating lines and non-GM parental line to identify unintended alterations to the proteome of GM peas due to the introduction of the gene for alphaAI1. Proteomic analysis showed that in addition to the presence of alphaAI1, 33 other proteins were differentially accumulated in the alphaAI1-expressing GM lines compared with their non-GM parental line and these were grouped into five expression classes. Among these 33 proteins, only three were found to be associated with the expression of alphaAI1 in the GM pea lines. The accumulation of the remaining 30 proteins appears to be associated with Agrobacterium-mediated transformation events. Sixteen proteins were identified after MALDI-TOF-TOF analysis. About 56% of the identified proteins with altered accumulation in the GM pea were storage proteins including legumin, vicilin or convicilin, phaseolin, cupin and valosin-containing protein. Two proteins were uniquely expressed in the alphaAI1-expressing GM lines and one new protein was present in both the alphaAI1-expressing GM lines and their alphaAI1-free segregating lines, suggesting that both transgenesis and transformation events led to demonstrable changes in the proteomes of the GM lines tested.

  9. Variation in Protein Intake Induces Variation in Spider Silk Expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blamires, Sean J.; Wu, Chun-Lin; Tso, I-Min

    2012-01-01

    Background It is energetically expensive to synthesize certain amino acids. The proteins (spidroins) of spider major ampullate (MA) silk, MaSp1 and MaSp2, differ in amino acid composition. Glutamine and proline are prevalent in MaSp2 and are expensive to synthesize. Since most orb web spiders express high proline silk they might preferentially attain the amino acids needed for silk from food and shift toward expressing more MaSp1 in their MA silk when starved. Methodology/Principal Findings We fed three spiders; Argiope aetherea, Cyrtophora moluccensis and Leucauge blanda, high protein, low protein or no protein solutions. A. aetherea and L. blanda MA silks are high in proline, while C. moluccesnsis MA silks are low in proline. After 10 days of feeding we determined the amino acid compositions and mechanical properties of each species' MA silk and compared them between species and treatments with pre-treatment samples, accounting for ancestry. We found that the proline and glutamine of A. aetherea and L. blanda silks were affected by protein intake; significantly decreasing under the low and no protein intake treatments. Glutmaine composition in C. moluccensis silk was likewise affected by protein intake. However, the composition of proline in their MA silk was not significantly affected by protein intake. Conclusions Our results suggest that protein limitation induces a shift toward different silk proteins with lower glutamine and/or proline content. Contradictions to the MaSp model lie in the findings that C. moluccensis MA silks did not experience a significant reduction in proline and A. aetherea did not experience a significant reduction in serine on low/no protein. The mechanical properties of the silks could not be explained by a MaSp1 expressional shift. Factors other than MaSp expression, such as the expression of spidroin-like orthologues, may impact on silk amino acid composition and spinning and glandular processes may impact mechanics. PMID:22363691

  10. Expression and clinical significance of Glucose Regulated Proteins GRP78 (BiP) and GRP94 (GP96) in human adenocarcinomas of the esophagus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langer, Rupert; Feith, Marcus; Siewert, Joerg Rüdiger; Wester, Hans-Juergen; Hoefler, Heinz

    2008-01-01

    Glucose regulated proteins (GRPs) are main regulators of cellular homeostasis due to their role as molecular chaperones. Moreover, the functions of GRPs suggest that they also may play important roles in cancer biology. In this study we investigated the glucose regulated proteins GRP78 (BiP) and GRP94 (GP96) in a series of human esophageal adenocarcinomas to determine their implications in cancer progression and prognosis. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of primary resected esophageal (Barrett) adenocarcinomas (n = 137) and corresponding normal tissue were investigated. mRNA-gene expression levels of GRP78 and GRP94 were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR after mRNA extraction. Protein expression analysis was performed with immunohistochemical staining of the cases, assembled on a tissue micorarray. The results were correlated with pathologic features (pT, pN, G) and overall survival. GRP78 and GRP94 mRNA were expressed in all tumors. The relative gene expression of GRP78 was significantly higher in early cancers (pT1m and pT1sm) as compared to more advanced stages (pT2 and pT3) and normal tissue (p = 0.031). Highly differentiated tumors showed also higher GRP78 mRNA levels compared to moderate and low differentiated tumors (p = 0.035). In addition, patients with higher GRP78 levels tended to show a survival benefit (p = 0.07). GRP94 mRNA-levels showed no association to pathological features or clinical outcome. GRP78 and GRP94 protein expression was detectable by immunohistochemistry in all tumors. There was a significant correlation between a strong GRP78 protein expression and early tumor stages (pT1m and pT1sm, p = 0.038). For GRP94 low to moderate protein expression was significantly associated with earlier tumor stage (p = 0.001) and less lymph node involvement (p = 0.036). Interestingly, the patients with combined strong GRP78 and GRP94 protein expression exclusively showed either early (pT1m or pT1sm) or advanced (pT3) tumor stages and no

  11. Expression and clinical significance of Glucose Regulated Proteins GRP78 (BiP and GRP94 (GP96 in human adenocarcinomas of the esophagus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wester Hans-Juergen

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Glucose regulated proteins (GRPs are main regulators of cellular homeostasis due to their role as molecular chaperones. Moreover, the functions of GRPs suggest that they also may play important roles in cancer biology. In this study we investigated the glucose regulated proteins GRP78 (BiP and GRP94 (GP96 in a series of human esophageal adenocarcinomas to determine their implications in cancer progression and prognosis. Methods Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of primary resected esophageal (Barrett adenocarcinomas (n = 137 and corresponding normal tissue were investigated. mRNA-gene expression levels of GRP78 and GRP94 were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR after mRNA extraction. Protein expression analysis was performed with immunohistochemical staining of the cases, assembled on a tissue micorarray. The results were correlated with pathologic features (pT, pN, G and overall survival. Results GRP78 and GRP94 mRNA were expressed in all tumors. The relative gene expression of GRP78 was significantly higher in early cancers (pT1m and pT1sm as compared to more advanced stages (pT2 and pT3 and normal tissue (p = 0.031. Highly differentiated tumors showed also higher GRP78 mRNA levels compared to moderate and low differentiated tumors (p = 0.035. In addition, patients with higher GRP78 levels tended to show a survival benefit (p = 0.07. GRP94 mRNA-levels showed no association to pathological features or clinical outcome. GRP78 and GRP94 protein expression was detectable by immunohistochemistry in all tumors. There was a significant correlation between a strong GRP78 protein expression and early tumor stages (pT1m and pT1sm, p = 0.038. For GRP94 low to moderate protein expression was significantly associated with earlier tumor stage (p = 0.001 and less lymph node involvement (p = 0.036. Interestingly, the patients with combined strong GRP78 and GRP94 protein expression exclusively showed either early (pT1m or p

  12. The regulation of pituitary-thyroid abnormalities by peripheral administration of levothyroxine increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor and reelin protein expression in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.

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    Shabani, Sahreh; Farbood, Yaghoob; Mard, Seyyed Ali; Sarkaki, Alireza; Ahangarpour, Akram; Khorsandi, Layasadat

    2018-03-01

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with decreased serum levels of thyroid hormones (THs), increased levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and decreased protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and reelin in the hippocampus. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of subcutaneous administration of levothyroxine (L-T 4 ) on levels of THs and TSH as well as protein expression of BDNF and reelin in AD rats. To make an animal model of AD, amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) plus ibotenic acid were infused intrahippocampally, and rats were treated with L-T 4 and (or) saline for 10 days. The levels of THs and TSH were measured by ELISA kits. Protein synthesis was detected by Western blotting method. Results have been shown that serum level of THs, BDNF, and reelin protein expression in the hippocampus were significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in AD animals and elevated significantly in AD rats treated with L-T 4 (P < 0.01). Data showed that TSH level significantly decreased in AD rats treated with L-T 4 (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that L-T 4 increased BDNF and reelin protein expression by regulation of serum THs and TSH level in Aβ-induced AD rats.

  13. Expression of RIZ1 protein (Retinoblastoma-interacting zinc-finger protein 1) in prostate cancer epithelial cells changes with cancer grade progression and is modulated in vitro by DHT and E2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Valentina; Staibano, Stefania; Abbondanza, Ciro; Pasquali, Daniela; De Rosa, Caterina; Mascolo, Massimo; Bellastella, Giuseppe; Visconti, Daniela; De Bellis, Annamaria; Moncharmont, Bruno; De Rosa, Gaetano; Puca, Giovanni Alfredo; Bellastella, Antonio; Sinisi, Antonio Agostino

    2009-12-01

    The nuclear protein methyl-transferase Retinoblastoma-interacting zinc-finger protein 1 (RIZ1) is considered to be a downstream effector of estrogen action in target tissues. Silencing of RIZ1 expression is common in many tumors. We analyzed RIZ1 expression in normal and malignant prostate tissue and evaluated whether estradiol (E2) or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment modulated RIZ1 in cultured prostate epithelial cells (PEC). Moreover, we studied the possible involvement of RIZ1 in estrogen action on the EPN prostate cell line, constitutively expressing both estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and beta. RIZ1 protein, found in the nucleus of normal PECs by immunohistochemistry, was progressively lost in cancer tissues as the Gleason score increased and was only detected in the cytoplasmic compartment. RIZ1 transcript levels, as assayed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in primary PEC cultures, were significantly reduced in cancer cells (P DHT treatment significantly increased RIZ1 transcript and protein levels (P DHT or E2 treatment in vitro. Furthermore, the E2 effects on ER-expressing prostate cells involve RIZ1, which confirms a possible role for ER-mediated pathways in a non-classic E(2)-target tissue.

  14. Glucose Elevates NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 Protein Levels and Nitrate Transport Activity Independently of Its HEXOKINASE1-Mediated Stimulation of NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 Expression1[W][OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jong, Femke; Thodey, Kate; Lejay, Laurence V.; Bevan, Michael W.

    2014-01-01

    Mineral nutrient uptake and assimilation is closely coordinated with the production of photosynthate to supply nutrients for growth. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), nitrate uptake from the soil is mediated by genes encoding high- and low-affinity transporters that are transcriptionally regulated by both nitrate and photosynthate availability. In this study, we have studied the interactions of nitrate and glucose (Glc) on gene expression, nitrate transport, and growth using glucose-insensitive2-1 (gin2-1), which is defective in sugar responses. We confirm and extend previous work by showing that HEXOKINASE1-mediated oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) metabolism is required for Glc-mediated NITRATE TRANSPORTER2.1 (NRT2.1) expression. Treatment with pyruvate and shikimate, two products derived from intermediates of the OPPP that are destined for amino acid production, restores wild-type levels of NRT2.1 expression, suggesting that metabolites derived from OPPP metabolism can, together with Glc, directly stimulate high levels of NRT2.1 expression. Nitrate-mediated NRT2.1 expression is not influenced by gin2-1, showing that Glc does not influence NRT2.1 expression through nitrate-mediated mechanisms. We also show that Glc stimulates NRT2.1 protein levels and transport activity independently of its HEXOKINASE1-mediated stimulation of NRT2.1 expression, demonstrating another possible posttranscriptional mechanism influencing nitrate uptake. In gin2-1 plants, nitrate-responsive biomass growth was strongly reduced, showing that the supply of OPPP metabolites is essential for assimilating nitrate for growth. PMID:24272701

  15. Expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli tagged with a small metal-binding protein from Nitrosomonas europaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas-Cortez, Teresa; Morones-Ramirez, Jose Ruben; Balderas-Renteria, Isaias; Zarate, Xristo

    2016-02-01

    Escherichia coli is still the preferred organism for large-scale production of recombinant proteins. The use of fusion proteins has helped considerably in enhancing the solubility of heterologous proteins and their purification with affinity chromatography. Here, the use of a small metal-binding protein (SmbP) from Nitrosomonas europaea is described as a new fusion protein for protein expression and purification in E. coli. Fluorescent proteins tagged at the N-terminal with SmbP showed high levels of solubility, compared with those of maltose-binding protein and glutathione S-transferase, and low formation of inclusion bodies. Using commercially available IMAC resins charged with Ni(II), highly pure recombinant proteins were obtained after just one chromatography step. Proteins may be purified from the periplasm of E. coli if SmbP contains the signal sequence at the N-terminal. After removal of the SmbP tag from the protein of interest, high-yields are obtained since SmbP is a protein of just 9.9 kDa. The results here obtained suggest that SmbP is a good alternative as a fusion protein/affinity tag for the production of soluble recombinant proteins in E. coli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Zinc finger protein ZBTB20 expression is increased in hepatocellular carcinoma and associated with poor prognosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Qing; Wang, Hong-yang; Tan, Ye-xiong; Ren, Yi-bin; Dong, Li-wei; Xie, Zhi-fang; Tang, Liang; Cao, Dan; Zhang, Wei-ping; Hu, He-ping

    2011-01-01

    Our previous studies showed that ZBTB20, a new BTB/POZ-domain gene, could negatively regulate α feto-protein and other liver-specific genes, concerning such as bio-transformation, glucose metabolism and the regulation of the somatotropic hormonal axis. The aim of this study is to determine the potential clinical implications of ZBTB20 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were used to detect expression levels of ZBTB20 in 50 paired HCC tumorous and nontumorous tissues and in 20 normal liver tissues. Moreover, expression of ZBTB20 was assessed by immunohistochemistry of paired tumor and peritumoral liver tissue from 102 patients who had undergone hepatectomy for histologically proven HCC. And its relationship with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis was investigated. Both messenger RNA and protein expression levels of ZBTB20 were elevated significantly in HCC tissues compared with the paired non-tumor tissues and normal liver tissues. Overexpressed ZBTB20 protein in HCC was significantly associated with vein invasion (P = 0.016). Importantly, the recurrence or metastasis rates of HCCs with higher ZBTB20 expression were markedly greater than those of HCCs with lower expression (P = 0.003, P = 0.00015, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that ZBTB20 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. The disease-free survival period and over-all survival period in patients with overexpressed ZBTB20 in HCC was significantly reduced. The expression of ZBTB20 is increased in HCC and associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC, implicating ZBTB20 as a candidate prognostic marker in HCC

  17. A gene expression system offering multiple levels of regulation: the Dual Drug Control (DDC) system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudomoina, Marina; Latypova, Ekaterina; Favorova, Olga O; Golemis, Erica A; Serebriiskii, Ilya G

    2004-04-29

    Whether for cell culture studies of protein function, construction of mouse models to enable in vivo analysis of disease epidemiology, or ultimately gene therapy of human diseases, a critical enabling step is the ability to achieve finely controlled regulation of gene expression. Previous efforts to achieve this goal have explored inducible drug regulation of gene expression, and construction of synthetic promoters based on two-hybrid paradigms, among others. In this report, we describe the combination of dimerizer-regulated two-hybrid and tetracycline regulatory elements in an ordered cascade, placing expression of endpoint reporters under the control of two distinct drugs. In this Dual Drug Control (DDC) system, a first plasmid expresses fusion proteins to DBD and AD, which interact only in the presence of a small molecule dimerizer; a second plasmid encodes a cassette transcriptionally responsive to the first DBD, directing expression of the Tet-OFF protein; and a third plasmid encodes a reporter gene transcriptionally responsive to binding by Tet-OFF. We evaluate the dynamic range and specificity of this system in comparison to other available systems. This study demonstrates the feasibility of combining two discrete drug-regulated expression systems in a temporally sequential cascade, without loss of dynamic range of signal induction. The efficient layering of control levels allowed by this combination of elements provides the potential for the generation of complex control circuitry that may advance ability to regulate gene expression in vivo.

  18. A gene expression system offering multiple levels of regulation: the Dual Drug Control (DDC system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Golemis Erica A

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Whether for cell culture studies of protein function, construction of mouse models to enable in vivo analysis of disease epidemiology, or ultimately gene therapy of human diseases, a critical enabling step is the ability to achieve finely controlled regulation of gene expression. Previous efforts to achieve this goal have explored inducible drug regulation of gene expression, and construction of synthetic promoters based on two-hybrid paradigms, among others. Results In this report, we describe the combination of dimerizer-regulated two-hybrid and tetracycline regulatory elements in an ordered cascade, placing expression of endpoint reporters under the control of two distinct drugs. In this Dual Drug Control (DDC system, a first plasmid expresses fusion proteins to DBD and AD, which interact only in the presence of a small molecule dimerizer; a second plasmid encodes a cassette transcriptionally responsive to the first DBD, directing expression of the Tet-OFF protein; and a third plasmid encodes a reporter gene transcriptionally responsive to binding by Tet-OFF. We evaluate the dynamic range and specificity of this system in comparison to other available systems. Conclusion This study demonstrates the feasibility of combining two discrete drug-regulated expression systems in a temporally sequential cascade, without loss of dynamic range of signal induction. The efficient layering of control levels allowed by this combination of elements provides the potential for the generation of complex control circuitry that may advance ability to regulate gene expression in vivo.

  19. Hippocampal expression of a virus-derived protein impairs memory in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bétourné, Alexandre; Szelechowski, Marion; Thouard, Anne; Abrial, Erika; Jean, Arnaud; Zaidi, Falek; Foret, Charlotte; Bonnaud, Emilie M; Charlier, Caroline M; Suberbielle, Elsa; Malnou, Cécile E; Granon, Sylvie; Rampon, Claire; Gonzalez-Dunia, Daniel

    2018-02-13

    The analysis of the biology of neurotropic viruses, notably of their interference with cellular signaling, provides a useful tool to get further insight into the role of specific pathways in the control of behavioral functions. Here, we exploited the natural property of a viral protein identified as a major effector of behavioral disorders during infection. We used the phosphoprotein (P) of Borna disease virus, which acts as a decoy substrate for protein kinase C (PKC) when expressed in neurons and disrupts synaptic plasticity. By a lentiviral-based strategy, we directed the singled-out expression of P in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and we examined its impact on mouse behavior. Mice expressing the P protein displayed increased anxiety and impaired long-term memory in contextual and spatial memory tasks. Interestingly, these effects were dependent on P protein phosphorylation by PKC, as expression of a mutant form of P devoid of its PKC phosphorylation sites had no effect on these behaviors. We also revealed features of behavioral impairment induced by P protein expression but that were independent of its phosphorylation by PKC. Altogether, our findings provide insight into the behavioral correlates of viral infection, as well as into the impact of virus-mediated alterations of the PKC pathway on behavioral functions.

  20. Effect of low-dose irradiation on expression of mRNA and protein. Pt.1. Induction of thioredoxin as radioprotective protein in human lymphocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoshi, Yuko; Tanooka, Hiroshi; Wakasugi, Hiro; Miyasaki, Kunihisa

    1997-01-01

    To elucidate the mechanism of hormetic effect by low-dose ionizing radiation, we studied the expression of the thioredoxin (TRX) gene in human lymphocytes after irradiation. TRX is a radioprotector and a key protein regulating cellular functions through redox reaction. The major results obtained were as follows; (1) The peaks of TRX mRNA expression and protein synthesis in human lymphocytes appeared 6-8 hr after irradiation with 25cGy. (2) At 6 hr after irradiation, the optimum dose for induction of TRX mRNA and TRX protein in human lymphocytes appeared to be 25-50cGy. (3) Induction of expression TRX mRNA had individual variations about twice. (4) Lymphocytes prepared from fresh venous blood showed the lowest TRX mRNA level in other cells such a Jurkat cells, lymphocytes stimulated for now with IL-2 and CD3 and the immortalized cell line 1G8. (5) The optimal dose and time course of induction of TRX by low-dose radiation suggest that TRX is related to the radio-adaptive response. (author)