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Sample records for lipopolysaccharide-binding protein interleukin-6

  1. Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and leptin are associated with stress-induced interleukin-6 cytokine expression ex vivo in obesity.

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    Huang, Chun-Jung; Stewart, Jennifer K; Shibata, Yoshimi; Slusher, Aaron L; Acevedo, Edmund O

    2015-05-01

    Obesity is associated with enhanced inflammation and mental stress, but limited information has addressed the potential additive effect of psychological stress on obesity-associated inflammation. This study examined whether obese subjects would elicit a greater host immune response (IL-6 mRNA and cytokine) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in response to mental stress. Blood samples for LPS-stimulated IL-6 mRNA and cytokine were collected prior to and following mental stress. Results showed that obese subjects elicited a greater LPS-induced IL-6 along with its mRNA expression following mental stress compared to normal-weight subjects. Stress-induced IL-6 cytokine response to LPS was correlated with the baseline levels of plasma LPS binding protein (LBP) and leptin. These findings are consistent with the idea that endogenous inflammatory agents (e.g., LBP and leptin), often elevated with obesity, enhance inflammatory responses to psychological stress. © 2014 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  2. Lactoferrin release and interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor production by human polymorphonuclear cells stimulated by various lipopolysaccharides: relationship to growth inhibition of Candida albicans.

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    Palma, C; Cassone, A; Serbousek, D; Pearson, C A; Djeu, J Y

    1992-11-01

    Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, and Salmonella typhimurium, at doses from 1 to 100 ng/ml, strongly enhanced growth inhibition of Candida albicans by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in vitro. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that LPS markedly augmented phagocytosis of Candida cells by increasing the number of yeasts ingested per neutrophil as well as the number of neutrophils capable of ingesting fungal cells. LPS activation caused augmented release of lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein which itself could inhibit the growth of C. albicans in vitro. Antibodies against lactoferrin effectively and specifically reduced the anti-C. albicans activity of both LPS-stimulated and unstimulated PMN. Northern (RNA blot) analysis showed enhanced production of mRNAs for interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-6 and in neutrophils within 1 h of stimulation with LPS. The cytokines were also detected in the supernatant of the activated PMN, and their synthesis was prevented by pretreatment of LPS-stimulated PMN with protein synthesis inhibitors, such as emetine and cycloheximide. These inhibitors, however, did not block either lactoferrin release or the anti-Candida activity of LPS-stimulated PMN. These results demonstrate the ability of various bacterial LPSs to augment neutrophil function against C. albicans and suggest that the release of a candidastatic, iron-binding protein, lactoferrin, may contribute to the antifungal effect of PMN. Moreover, the ability to produce cytokines upon stimulation by ubiquitous microbial products such as the endotoxins points to an extraphagocytic, immunomodulatory role of PMN during infection.

  3. Suppression of interleukin-6-induced C-reactive protein expression by FXR agonists

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Songwen; Liu Qiangyuan; Wang Juan; Harnish, Douglas C.

    2009-01-01

    C-reactive protein (CRP), a human acute-phase protein, is a risk factor for future cardiovascular events and exerts direct pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic properties. The farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, plays an essential role in the regulation of enterohepatic circulation and lipid homeostasis. In this study, we report that two synthetic FXR agonists, WAY-362450 and GW4064, suppressed interleukin-6-induced CRP expression in human Hep3B hepatoma cells. Knockdown of FXR by short interfering RNA attenuated the inhibitory effect of the FXR agonists and also increased the ability of interleukin-6 to induce CRP production. Furthermore, treatment of wild type C57BL/6 mice with the FXR agonist, WAY-362450, attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced serum amyloid P component and serum amyloid A3 mRNA levels in the liver, whereas no effect was observed in FXR knockout mice. These data provide new evidence for direct anti-inflammatory properties of FXR.

  4. Curcumin suppresses the production of interleukin-6 in Prevotella intermedia lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Purpose Curcumin is known to exert numerous biological effects including anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) by murine macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Prevotella intermedia, a major cause of inflammatory periodontal disease, and sought to determine the underlying mechanisms of action. Methods LPS was prepared from lyophilized P. intermedia ATCC 25611 cells by the standard hot phenol-water method. Culture supernatants were collected and assayed for IL-6. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect IL-6 mRNA expression. IκB-α degradation, nuclear translocation of NF-κB subunits, and STAT1 phosphorylation were characterized via immunoblotting. DNA-binding of NF-κB was also analyzed. Results Curcumin strongly suppressed the production of IL-6 at both gene transcription and translation levels in P. intermedia LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Curcumin did not inhibit the degradation of IκB-α induced by P. intermedia LPS. Curcumin blocked NF-κB signaling through the inhibition of nuclear translocation of NF-κB p50 subunit. Curcumin also attenuated DNA binding activity of p50 and p65 subunits and suppressed STAT1 phosphorylation. Conclusions Although further study is required to explore the detailed mechanism of action, curcumin may contribute to blockade of the host-destructive processes mediated by IL-6 and appears to have potential therapeutic values in the treatment of inflammatory periodontal disease. PMID:21811692

  5. Stimulation of interleukin-6 production of periodontal ligament cells by Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide.

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    Ogura, N; Shibata, Y; Kamino, Y; Matsuda, U; Hayakawa, M; Oikawa, T; Takiguchi, H; Izumi, H; Abiko, Y

    1994-12-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is a multifunctional cytokine, has important roles in acute and chronic inflammation and may also be implicated in bone resorption. We examined the IL-6 production in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells which were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from several oral inflammatory pathogens. The LPS from Porphyromonas endodontalis, which was isolated from infected root canals and radicular cyst fluids, was more potent than the LPS from any other periodontal organisms examined. P. endodontalis LPS stimulated IL-6 release from PDL cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Northern blot hybridization analysis revealed that the IL-6 mRNA level in PDL cells was increased by P. endodontalis LPS. These results suggest that stimulation of the IL-6 release of PDL cells by P. endodontalis LPS may have a role in the progression of inflammation and alveolar bone resorption in periodontal and periapical diseases.

  6. Interleukin 6 signaling regulates promyelocytic leukemia protein gene expression in human normal and cancer cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hubáčková, Soňa; Krejčíková, Kateřina; Bartek, Jiří; Hodný, Zdeněk

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 287, č. 32 (2012), s. 26702-26714 ISSN 0021-9258 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/08/1418 Grant - others:Novo Nordisk(DK) R153-A12997; EK(XE) 223575 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : cancer tumor promoter * DNA-binding protein * protein phosphorylation * tyrosine protein kinase * interleukin-6 Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.651, year: 2012

  7. Effect of azithromycin on Prevotella intermedia lipopolysaccharide-induced production of interleukin-6 in murine macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Eun-Young; Jin, Ji-Young; Choi, Jeom-Il; Choi, In Soon; Kim, Sung-Jo

    2014-04-15

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key proinflammatory cytokine which plays a central role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Host modulatory agents targeting at inhibiting IL-6, therefore, appear to be beneficial in slowing the progression of periodontal disease and potentially reducing destructive aspects of the host response. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin on IL-6 generation in murine macrophages treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Prevotella intermedia, a pathogen implicated in inflammatory periodontal disease, and its mechanisms of action. Azithromycin significantly suppressed IL-6 production as well as its mRNA expression in P. intermedia LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. LPS-induced activation of JNK and p38 was not affected by azithromycin treatment. Azithromycin failed to prevent P. intermedia LPS from degrading IκB-α. Instead, azithromycin significantly diminished nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of NF-κB p50 subunit induced with LPS. Azithromycin inhibited P. intermedia LPS-induced STAT1 and STAT3 phosphorylation. In addition, azithromycin up-regulated the mRNA level of SOCS1 in cells treated with LPS. In conclusion, azithromycin significantly attenuated P. intermedia LPS-induced production of IL-6 in murine macrophages via inhibition of NF-κB, STAT1 and STAT3 activation, which is possibly related to the activation of SOCS1 signaling. Further in vivo studies are required to better evaluate the potential of azithromycin in the treatment of periodontal disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. High mobility group box-1 protein in patients with suspected community-acquired infections and sepsis: a prospective study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaïni, Shahin; Pedersen, Svend Stenvang; Koldkjaer, Ole Graesbøll

    2008-01-01

    -infected patients and all infected patients, the area under the curve for HMGB1 was 0.59 (P white blood cell count, neutrophils, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, procalcitonin, and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (P

  9. Discovery and Characterization of a Potent Interleukin-6 Binding Peptide with Neutralizing Activity In Vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheila Ranganath

    Full Text Available Interleukin-6 (IL-6 is an important member of the cytokine superfamily, exerting pleiotropic actions on many physiological processes. Over-production of IL-6 is a hallmark of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases such as Castleman's Disease (CD and rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Antagonism of the interleukin IL-6/IL-6 receptor (IL-6R/gp130 signaling complex continues to show promise as a therapeutic target. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs directed against components of this complex have been approved as therapeutics for both CD and RA. To potentially provide an additional modality to antagonize IL-6 induced pathophysiology, a peptide-based antagonist approach was undertaken. Using a combination of molecular design, phage-display, and medicinal chemistry, disulfide-rich peptides (DRPs directed against IL-6 were developed with low nanomolar potency in inhibiting IL-6-induced pSTAT3 in U937 monocytic cells. Targeted PEGylation of IL-6 binding peptides resulted in molecules that retained their potency against IL-6 and had a prolongation of their pharmacokinetic (PK profiles in rodents and monkeys. One such peptide, PN-2921, contained a 40 kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG moiety and inhibited IL-6-induced pSTAT3 in U937 cells with sub-nM potency and possessed 23, 36, and 59 h PK half-life values in mice, rats, and cynomolgus monkeys, respectively. Parenteral administration of PN-2921 to mice and cynomolgus monkeys potently inhibited IL-6-induced biomarker responses, with significant reductions in the acute inflammatory phase proteins, serum amyloid A (SAA and C-reactive protein (CRP. This potent, PEGylated IL-6 binding peptide offers a new approach to antagonize IL-6-induced signaling and associated pathophysiology.

  10. Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein as marker of fetal inflammatory response syndrome after preterm premature rupture of membranes.

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    Pavcnik-Arnol, Maja; Lucovnik, Miha; Kornhauser-Cerar, Lilijana; Premru-Srsen, Tanja; Hojker, Sergej; Derganc, Metka

    2014-01-01

    Intra-amniotic inflammation with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is a risk factor for fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) and adverse neonatal outcome. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) for detecting FIRS in preterm neonates born after PPROM. This was a prospective study in the level III neonatal intensive care unit (42 neonates; 23 + 6 to 31 + 6 weeks' gestation) of mothers with PPROM. Umbilical cord blood concentrations of LBP, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6 and white blood cell count with differential were measured at delivery and 24 h after birth. Neonates were classified into FIRS (n = 22) and no FIRS (n = 20) groups according to clinical criteria and IL-6 level (≥17.5 pg/ml). Histological examination of the placenta and umbilical cord was performed. Neurological examination at 12 months' corrected age was performed. Umbilical cord blood concentration of LBP was significantly higher in the FIRS group than in the no FIRS group at delivery (median 21.6 mg/l vs. median 2.3 mg/l; p < 0.0001) and 24 h after birth (median 17.2 mg/l vs. median 20.0 mg/l; p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve for FIRS at delivery was 0.98 (95% CI 0.88-1.0) for LBP, 0.92 (95% CI 0.80-0.99) for CRP and 0.82 (95% CI 0.64-0.94) for immature to total neutrophil ratio. Similar results were obtained if FIRS was defined by funisitis. Umbilical cord blood concentration of LBP at delivery was significantly higher in neonates with abnormal neurological exam at 12 months than in those with normal exam (median 19.5 mg/l vs. median 3.75 mg/l; p < 0.015). In preterm neonates born to asymptomatic women with PPROM, LBP in cord blood at delivery is an excellent diagnostic biomarker of FIRS/funisitis with prognostic potential. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  11. Mangiferin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced production of interleukin-6 in human oral epithelial cells by suppressing toll-like receptor signaling.

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    Li, Hao; Wang, Qi; Chen, Xinmin; Ding, Yi; Li, Wei

    2016-11-01

    Oral epithelial cells have currently been found to play an important role in inflammatory modulation in periodontitis. Mangiferin is a natural glucosylxanthone with anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory effect of mangiferin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in oral epithelial cells and the underlying mechanisms. The levels of LPS-induced IL-6 production in OKF6/TERT-2 oral keratinocytes were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 was determined using western blot analysis. And the phosphorylation of TLR downstream nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was examined using cell-based protein phosphorylation ELISA kits. We found that mangiferin reduced LPS-upregulated IL-6 production in OKF6/TERT-2 cells. Additionally, mangiferin inhibited LPS-induced TLR2 and TLR4 overexpression, and suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κB, p38 MAPK and JNK. Moreover, mangiferin repressed IL-6 production and TLR signaling activation in a dose-dependent manner after 24h treatment. Mangiferin decreases LPS-induced production of IL-6 in human oral epithelial cells by suppressing TLR signaling, and this glucosylxanthone may have potential for the treatment of periodontitis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Mid-trimester amniotic fluid concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein in normal pregnancies: a prospective evaluation according to parity, gestational age, and fetal gender.

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    Bamberg, Christian; Fotopoulou, Christina; Linder, Mattea; Roehr, Charles Christoph; Dudenhausen, Joachim W; Henrich, Wolfgang; Kalache, Karim

    2011-07-01

    To assess mid-trimester amniotic fluid concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in pregnancies with normal outcome and correlate them with gestational week (GW), parity, and fetal gender. Cytokine concentrations were measured within a week of amniocentesis during GW 15+0 to 20+6 and correlated with GW at birth, parity, and fetal gender. After exclusion of women with an adverse pregnancy outcome or those lost to follow-up, 273 consecutive patients were evaluated (median parity: 1; range: 0-5). Ranges for IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and LBP were 4.9-2620 pg/mL, 36.2-5843 pg/mL, 8.0-28.2 pg/mL, and 0.06-1.9 μg/mL, respectively. IL-6, IL-8, and LBP values did not respectively differ among time points, but TNF-α values did between the 15(th) and 16(th) and the 15(th) and 18(th) weeks of gestation (Pparity or fetal gender were identified. Cytokine concentrations in amniotic fluid during the mid-trimester did not differ with parity or fetal gender. IL-6, IL-8, and LBP levels appeared stable with GW, whereas GW significantly influenced TNF-α concentrations. Further analyses are warranted to establish the role of cytokines in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes.

  13. Effects of lipopolysaccharide and interleukin-6 on cataleptic immobility and locomotor activity in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazovkina, Daria V; Tibeikina, Marina A; Kulikov, Alexander V; Popova, Nina K

    2011-01-10

    Catalepsy (animal hypnosis, tonic immobility) is a type of passive defensive behavior. Its exaggerated form is a syndrome of some psychopathological disorders. Numerous neurotransmitters have impact on the regulation of catalepsy. In this paper we demonstrated the involvement of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the mechanism of cataleptic immobility. Effects of exogenous IL-6 treatment (7.5 and 10μg/kg, i.p) or stimulation of endogenous IL-6 secretion with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration (50, 100 and 200μg/kg, i.p.) on catalepsy and locomotor activity were studied in adult C57BL/6 male mice. IL-6 induced catalepsy in 70% (7.5μg/kg) or 72.7% (10μg/kg) of animals with no effect on locomotor activity. LPS administration reduced distance travelled and number of rears in the open field at any dose used, however, only high doses (100 or 200μg/kg) of the toxin induced catalepsy in 50% of mice. This result indicates that IL-6 is involved in the regulation of catalepsy, this effect is specific and does not arise from inhibition of locomotor activity. The study provides a new evidence on participation of IL-6 in mechanisms of abnormal behavior. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Keap1 silencing boosts lipopolysaccharide-induced transcription of interleukin 6 via activation of nuclear factor κB in macrophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lv, Peng; Xue, Peng; Dong, Jian; Peng, Hui; Clewell, Rebecca; Wang, Aiping; Wang, Yue; Peng, Shuangqing; Qu, Weidong; Zhang, Qiang; Andersen, Melvin E.; Pi, Jingbo

    2013-01-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL6) is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates immune and inflammatory responses. Multiple transcription factors, including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), regulate IL6 transcription. Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) is a substrate adaptor protein for the Cullin 3-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, which regulates the degradation of many proteins, including Nrf2 and IκB kinase β (IKKβ). Here, we found that stable knockdown of Keap1 (Keap1-KD) in RAW 264.7 (RAW) mouse macrophages and human monocyte THP-1 cells significantly increased expression of Il6, and Nrf2-target genes, under basal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.001–0.1 μg/ml)-challenged conditions. However, Nrf2 activation alone, by tert-butylhydroquinone treatment of RAW cells, did not increase expression of Il6. Compared to cells transduced with scrambled non-target negative control shRNA, Keap1-KD RAW cells showed enhanced protein levels of IKKβ and increased expression and phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 under non-stressed and LPS-treated conditions. Because the expression of Il6 in Keap1-KD RAW cells was significantly attenuated by silencing of Ikkβ, but not Nrf2, it appears that stabilized IKKβ is responsible for the enhanced transactivation of Il6 in Keap1-KD cells. This study demonstrated that silencing of Keap1 in macrophages boosts LPS-induced transcription of Il6 via NF-κB activation. Given the importance of IL6 in the inflammatory response, the Keap1–IKKβ–NF-κB pathway may be a novel target for treatment and prevention of inflammation and associated disorders. - Highlights: • Knockdown of Keap1 increases expression of Il6 in macrophages. • Silencing of Keap1 results in protein accumulation of IKKβ and NF-κB p65. • Induction of Il6 resulting from Keap1 silencing is attributed to NF-κB activation

  15. Keap1 silencing boosts lipopolysaccharide-induced transcription of interleukin 6 via activation of nuclear factor κB in macrophages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lv, Peng [Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing (China); Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, 6 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Xue, Peng; Dong, Jian [Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, 6 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Peng, Hui [Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, 6 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Evaluation and Research Center for Toxicology, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (China); Clewell, Rebecca [Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, 6 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Wang, Aiping [Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing (China); Wang, Yue [Institute for Medical Device Standardization Administration, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing (China); Peng, Shuangqing [Evaluation and Research Center for Toxicology, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (China); Qu, Weidong [Key Laboratory of the Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai (China); Zhang, Qiang; Andersen, Melvin E. [Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, 6 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Pi, Jingbo, E-mail: jpi@thehamner.org [Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, 6 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States)

    2013-11-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL6) is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates immune and inflammatory responses. Multiple transcription factors, including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), regulate IL6 transcription. Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) is a substrate adaptor protein for the Cullin 3-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, which regulates the degradation of many proteins, including Nrf2 and IκB kinase β (IKKβ). Here, we found that stable knockdown of Keap1 (Keap1-KD) in RAW 264.7 (RAW) mouse macrophages and human monocyte THP-1 cells significantly increased expression of Il6, and Nrf2-target genes, under basal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.001–0.1 μg/ml)-challenged conditions. However, Nrf2 activation alone, by tert-butylhydroquinone treatment of RAW cells, did not increase expression of Il6. Compared to cells transduced with scrambled non-target negative control shRNA, Keap1-KD RAW cells showed enhanced protein levels of IKKβ and increased expression and phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 under non-stressed and LPS-treated conditions. Because the expression of Il6 in Keap1-KD RAW cells was significantly attenuated by silencing of Ikkβ, but not Nrf2, it appears that stabilized IKKβ is responsible for the enhanced transactivation of Il6 in Keap1-KD cells. This study demonstrated that silencing of Keap1 in macrophages boosts LPS-induced transcription of Il6 via NF-κB activation. Given the importance of IL6 in the inflammatory response, the Keap1–IKKβ–NF-κB pathway may be a novel target for treatment and prevention of inflammation and associated disorders. - Highlights: • Knockdown of Keap1 increases expression of Il6 in macrophages. • Silencing of Keap1 results in protein accumulation of IKKβ and NF-κB p65. • Induction of Il6 resulting from Keap1 silencing is attributed to NF-κB activation.

  16. Interleukin-18 and interleukin-18 Binding Protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles eDinarello

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Interleukin-18 (IL 18 is a member of the IL 1 family of cytokines. Increasing reports have expanded the role of IL 18 in mediating inflammation in animal models of disease using IL 18 deficient mice, neutralization of IL 18 or deficiency in the IL 18 receptor alpha chain. Similar to IL 1β, IL 18 is synthesized as an inactive precursor requiering processing by caspase 1 into an active cytokine but unlike IL 1β, the IL 18 precursor is constitutively present in nearly all cells in healthy humans and animals. The activity of IL 18 is balanced by the presence of a high-affinity naturally occuring IL 18 binding protein (IL 18BP. In humans, disease increased disease severity can be associated with an imbalance of IL 18 to IL 18BP such that the levels of free IL 18 are elevated in the circulation. A role for IL 18 has been implicated in several autoimmune diseases, myocardial function, emphysema, metabolic syndromes, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, hemophagocytic syndromes, macrophage activation syndrome, sepsis and acute kidney injury, although in some diseases, IL 18 is protective. IL 18 plays a major role in the production of interferon-g from natural killer cells. The IL 18BP has been used safely in humans and clinical trials of IL 18BP as well as neutralizing anti-IL 18 antibodies are in clinical trials. This review updates the biology of IL 18 as well as its role in human disease

  17. Impairment of Hepcidin Upregulation by Lipopolysaccharide in the Interleukin-6 Knockout Mouse Brain

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    Fa-Li Zhang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available To find out whether the Interleukin-6 (IL-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3 signaling pathway is involved in the expression of hepcidin in the mouse brain in vivo, we investigated the phosphorylation of STAT3, as well as the expression of hepcidin mRNA, ferroportin 1 (Fpn1 and ferritin light chain (Ft-L proteins in the cortex and hippocampus of LPS-treated wild type (IL-6+/+ and IL-6 knockout (IL-6-/- mice. We demonstrated that IL-6 knockout could significantly reduce the response of hepcidin mRNA, phospho-STAT3, Fpn1 and Ft-L protein expression to LPS treatment, in both the cortex and hippocampus of mice. Also, Stattic, an inhibitor of STAT3, significantly reduced the expression of phospho-STAT3 and hepcidin mRNA in the cortex and hippocampus of the LPS-treated wild type mice. These findings provide in vivo evidence for the involvement of the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway in the expression of hepcidin.

  18. Differential Expression of the Activator Protein 1 Transcription Factor Regulates Interleukin-1ß Induction of Interleukin 6 in the Developing Enterocyte.

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    Catherine M Cahill

    Full Text Available The innate immune response is characterized by activation of transcription factors, nuclear factor kappa B and activator protein-1 and their downstream targets, the pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin 1β and interleukin 6. Normal development of this response in the intestine is critical to survival of the human neonate and delays can cause the onset of devastating inflammatory diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis. Previous studies have addressed the role of nuclear factor kappa B in the development of the innate immune response in the enterocyte, however despite its central role in the control of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, little is known on the role of Activator Protein 1 in this response in the enterocyte. Here we show that the canonical Activator Protein 1 members, cJun and cFos and their upstream kinases JNK and p38 play an essential role in the regulation of interleukin 6 in the immature enterocyte. Our data supports a model whereby the cFos/cJun heterodimer and the more potent cJun homodimer downstream of JNK are replaced by less efficient JunD containing dimers, contributing to the decreased responsiveness to interleukin 1β and decreased interleukin 6 secretion observed in the mature enterocyte. The tissue specific expression of JunB in colonocytes and colon derived tissues together with its ability to repress Interleukin-1β induction of an Interleukin-6 gene reporter in the NCM-460 colonocyte suggests that induction of JunB containing dimers may offer an attractive therapeutic strategy for the control of IL-6 secretion during inflammatory episodes in this area of the intestine.

  19. DMPD: Function of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) and CD14, thereceptor for LPS/LBP complexes: a short review. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available eptor for LPS/LBP complexes: a short review. Schumann RR. Res Immunol. 1992 Jan;143(1):11-5. (.png) (.svg) (...ride (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) and CD14, thereceptor for LPS/LBP complexes: a short review. Authors Schuma.../LBP complexes: a short review. PubmedID 1373512 Title Function of lipopolysaccha....html) (.csml) Show Function of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) and CD14, thereceptor for LPS

  20. Impairment of the hematological response and interleukin-1β production in protein-energy malnourished mice after endotoxemia with lipopolysaccharide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fock, R.A.; Vinolo, M.A.R.; Blatt, S.L.; Borelli, P.

    2012-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine if protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) could affect the hematologic response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production, leukocyte migration, and blood leukocyte expression of CD11a/CD18. Two-month-old male Swiss mice were submitted to PEM (N = 30) with a low-protein diet (14 days) containing 4% protein, compared to 20% protein in the control group (N = 30). The total cellularity of blood, bone marrow, spleen, and bronchoalveolar lavage evaluated after the LPS stimulus indicated reduced number of total cells in all compartments studied and different kinetics of migration in malnourished animals. The in vitro migration assay showed reduced capacity of migration after the LPS stimulus in malnourished animals (45.7 ± 17.2 × 10 4 cells/mL) compared to control (69.6 ± 7.1 × 10 4 cells/mL, P ≤ 0.05), but there was no difference in CD11a/CD18 expression on the surface of blood leukocytes. In addition, the production of IL-1β in vivo after the LPS stimulus (180.7 pg·h −1 ·mL −1 ), and in vitro by bone marrow and spleen cells (41.6 ± 15.0 and 8.3 ± 4.0 pg/mL) was significantly lower in malnourished animals compared to control (591.1 pg·h −1 ·mL −1 , 67.0 ± 23.0 and 17.5 ± 8.0 pg/mL, respectively, P ≤ 0.05). The reduced expression of IL-1β, together with the lower number of leukocytes in the central and peripheral compartments, different leukocyte kinetics, and reduced leukocyte migration capacity are factors that interfere with the capacity to mount an adequate immune response, being partly responsible for the immunodeficiency observed in PEM

  1. Impairment of the hematological response and interleukin-1β production in protein-energy malnourished mice after endotoxemia with lipopolysaccharide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fock, R.A.; Vinolo, M.A.R.; Blatt, S.L.; Borelli, P.

    2012-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine if protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) could affect the hematologic response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production, leukocyte migration, and blood leukocyte expression of CD11a/CD18. Two-month-old male Swiss mice were submitted to PEM (N = 30) with a low-protein diet (14 days) containing 4% protein, compared to 20% protein in the control group (N = 30). The total cellularity of blood, bone marrow, spleen, and bronchoalveolar lavage evaluated after the LPS stimulus indicated reduced number of total cells in all compartments studied and different kinetics of migration in malnourished animals. The in vitro migration assay showed reduced capacity of migration after the LPS stimulus in malnourished animals (45.7 ± 17.2 × 104 cells/mL) compared to control (69.6 ± 7.1 × 104 cells/mL, P ≤ 0.05), but there was no difference in CD11a/CD18 expression on the surface of blood leukocytes. In addition, the production of IL-1β in vivo after the LPS stimulus (180.7 pg·h−1·mL−1), and in vitro by bone marrow and spleen cells (41.6 ± 15.0 and 8.3 ± 4.0 pg/mL) was significantly lower in malnourished animals compared to control (591.1 pg·h−1·mL−1, 67.0 ± 23.0 and 17.5 ± 8.0 pg/mL, respectively, P ≤ 0.05). The reduced expression of IL-1β, together with the lower number of leukocytes in the central and peripheral compartments, different leukocyte kinetics, and reduced leukocyte migration capacity are factors that interfere with the capacity to mount an adequate immune response, being partly responsible for the immunodeficiency observed in PEM. PMID:22983177

  2. Interleukin-11 binds specific EF-hand proteins via their conserved structural motifs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazakov, Alexei S; Sokolov, Andrei S; Vologzhannikova, Alisa A; Permyakova, Maria E; Khorn, Polina A; Ismailov, Ramis G; Denessiouk, Konstantin A; Denesyuk, Alexander I; Rastrygina, Victoria A; Baksheeva, Viktoriia E; Zernii, Evgeni Yu; Zinchenko, Dmitry V; Glazatov, Vladimir V; Uversky, Vladimir N; Mirzabekov, Tajib A; Permyakov, Eugene A; Permyakov, Sergei E

    2017-01-01

    Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is a hematopoietic cytokine engaged in numerous biological processes and validated as a target for treatment of various cancers. IL-11 contains intrinsically disordered regions that might recognize multiple targets. Recently we found that aside from IL-11RA and gp130 receptors, IL-11 interacts with calcium sensor protein S100P. Strict calcium dependence of this interaction suggests a possibility of IL-11 interaction with other calcium sensor proteins. Here we probed specificity of IL-11 to calcium-binding proteins of various types: calcium sensors of the EF-hand family (calmodulin, S100B and neuronal calcium sensors: recoverin, NCS-1, GCAP-1, GCAP-2), calcium buffers of the EF-hand family (S100G, oncomodulin), and a non-EF-hand calcium buffer (α-lactalbumin). A specific subset of the calcium sensor proteins (calmodulin, S100B, NCS-1, GCAP-1/2) exhibits metal-dependent binding of IL-11 with dissociation constants of 1-19 μM. These proteins share several amino acid residues belonging to conservative structural motifs of the EF-hand proteins, 'black' and 'gray' clusters. Replacements of the respective S100P residues by alanine drastically decrease its affinity to IL-11, suggesting their involvement into the association process. Secondary structure and accessibility of the hinge region of the EF-hand proteins studied are predicted to control specificity and selectivity of their binding to IL-11. The IL-11 interaction with the EF-hand proteins is expected to occur under numerous pathological conditions, accompanied by disintegration of plasma membrane and efflux of cellular components into the extracellular milieu.

  3. Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein: localization in secretory granules of Paneth cells in the mouse small intestine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Gert H; Rasmussen, Karina; Niels-Christiansen, Lise-Lotte

    2009-01-01

    Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) is an acute-phase protein involved in the host's response to endotoxin and mainly synthesized and secreted to the blood by the liver. But in addition, LBP is also made by extrahepatic cells, including the enterocyte-like cell line Caco-2. To study...... in closer detail the synthesis and storage of LBP in the intestinal mucosal epithelium, we performed an immunolocalization of LBP in mouse small intestine. By immunofluorescence microscopy, an antibody recognizing the 58-60 kDa protein of LBP distinctly labeled a small population of cells located deep...... into the crypts. This cell population was also positive for lysozyme and alpha-defensin 4, identifying Paneth cells as the main intestinal LBP-producing cells. By immunogold electron microscopy, intense labeling was observed in the secretory granules of these cells. We conclude that Paneth cells express LBP...

  4. Isorhamnetin inhibits Prevotella intermedia lipopolysaccharide-induced production of interleukin-6 in murine macrophages via anti-inflammatory heme oxygenase-1 induction and inhibition of nuclear factor-κB and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, J Y; Choi, E Y; Park, H R; Choi, J I; Choi, I S; Kim, S J

    2013-12-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key proinflammatory cytokine that has been considered to be important in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Therefore, host-modulatory agents directed at inhibiting IL-6 appear to be beneficial in terms of attenuating periodontal disease progression and potentially improving disease susceptibility. In the current study, we investigated the effect of the flavonoid isorhamnetin on the production of IL-6 in murine macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Prevotella intermedia, a pathogen implicated in inflammatory periodontal disease, and its mechanisms of action. Lipopolysaccharide from P. intermedia ATCC 25611 was isolated using the standard hot phenol-water method. Culture supernatants were collected and assayed for IL-6. We used real-time PCR to quantify IL-6 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA expression. The expression of HO-1 protein and the levels of signaling proteins were monitored using immunoblot analyses. The DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was analyzed using ELISA-based assay kits. Isorhamnetin significantly down-regulated P. intermedia LPS-induced production of IL-6 as well as its mRNA expression in RAW264.7 cells. Isorhamnetin up-regulated the expression of HO-1 at both gene transcription and translation levels in cells stimulated with P. intermedia LPS. In addition, inhibition of HO-1 activity by tin protoporphyrin IX blocked the inhibitory effect of isorhamnetin on IL-6 production. Isorhamnetin failed to prevent LPS from activating either c-Jun N-terminal kinase or p38 pathways. Isorhamnetin did not inhibit NF-κB transcriptional activity at the level of inhibitory κB-α degradation. Isorhamnetin suppressed NF-κB signaling through inhibition of nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of NF-κB p50 subunit and attenuated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 signaling. Although further research is required to clarify the detailed mechanism of action, we propose

  5. Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein Enables Intestinal Epithelial Restitution Despite Lipopolysaccharide Exposure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Juli M.; Schanbacher, Brandon L.; Huang, Hong; Xue, Jianjing; Bauer, John A.; Giannone, Peter J.

    2011-01-01

    Intestinal epithelial restitution is the first part in the process of mucosal repair after injury in the intestine. Integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier is important as a first line of defense against bacteria and endotoxin. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in extremely low birth weight infants, but its mechanisms are not well defined. Abnormal bacterial colonization, immature barrier function, innate immunity activation and inflammation likely play a role. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding protein (LBP) is secreted by enterocytes in response to inflammatory stimuli and has concentration-dependent effects. At basal concentrations, LBP stimulates the inflammatory response by presenting LPS to its receptor. However, at high concentrations, LBP is able to neutralize LPS and prevent an exaggerated inflammatory response. We sought to determine how LBP would affect wound healing in an in vitro model of intestinal cell restitution and protect against intestinal injury in a rodent model of NEC. Immature intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) were seeded in poly-l-lysine coated 8 chamber slides and grown to confluence. A 500μm wound was created using a cell scraper mounted on the microscope to achieve uniform wounding. Media was replaced with media containing LPS +/− LBP. Slide wells were imaged after 0, 8, and 24 hours and then fixed. Cellular restitution was evaluated via digital images captured on an inverted microscope and wound closure was determined by automated analysis. TLR4 was determined by rtPCR after RNA isolation from wounded cells 24 hours after treatment. LPS alone attenuated wound healing in immature intestinal epithelium. This attenuation is reversed by 24 hours with increasing concentrations of LBP so that wound healing is equivalent to control (p< 0.001). TLR4 was increased with LPS alone but levels returned to that of control after addition of LBP in the higher concentrations. LBP had no effect on the

  6. DMPD: Lipopolysaccharide-binding molecules: transporters, blockers and sensors. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 15241548 Lipopolysaccharide-binding molecules: transporters, blockers and sensors. ...binding molecules: transporters, blockers and sensors. PubmedID 15241548 Title Lipopolysaccharide-binding molecules: transport...Chaby R. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2004 Jul;61(14):1697-713. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Lipopolysaccharide-

  7. Structural basis for antagonism of human interleukin 18 by poxvirus interleukin 18-binding protein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krumm, Brian; Meng, Xiangzhi; Li, Yongchao; Xiang, Yan; Deng, Junpeng (Texas-HSC); (OKLU)

    2009-07-10

    Human interleukin-18 (hIL-18) is a cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation and host defense against microbes. Its activity is regulated in vivo by a naturally occurring antagonist, the human IL-18-binding protein (IL-18BP). Functional homologs of human IL-18BP are encoded by all orthopoxviruses, including variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox. They contribute to virulence by suppressing IL-18-mediated immune responses. Here, we describe the 2.0-{angstrom} resolution crystal structure of an orthopoxvirus IL-18BP, ectromelia virus IL-18BP (ectvIL-18BP), in complex with hIL-18. The hIL-18 structure in the complex shows significant conformational change at the binding interface compared with the structure of ligand-free hIL-18, indicating that the binding is mediated by an induced-fit mechanism. EctvIL-18BP adopts a canonical Ig fold and interacts via one edge of its {beta}-sandwich with 3 cavities on the hIL-18 surface through extensive hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions. Most of the ectvIL-18BP residues that participate in these interactions are conserved in both human and viral homologs, explaining their functional equivalence despite limited sequence homology. EctvIL-18BP blocks a putative receptor-binding site on IL-18, thus preventing IL-18 from engaging its receptor. Our structure provides insights into how IL-18BPs modulate hIL-18 activity. The revealed binding interface provides the basis for rational design of inhibitors against orthopoxvirus IL-18BP (for treating orthopoxvirus infection) or hIL-18 (for treating certain inflammatory and autoimmune diseases).

  8. Impairment of the hematological response and interleukin-1β production in protein-energy malnourished mice after endotoxemia with lipopolysaccharide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fock, R.A.; Vinolo, M.A.R.; Blatt, S.L.; Borelli, P. [Laboratório de Hematologia Experimental, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2012-09-21

    The objectives of this study were to determine if protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) could affect the hematologic response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production, leukocyte migration, and blood leukocyte expression of CD11a/CD18. Two-month-old male Swiss mice were submitted to PEM (N = 30) with a low-protein diet (14 days) containing 4% protein, compared to 20% protein in the control group (N = 30). The total cellularity of blood, bone marrow, spleen, and bronchoalveolar lavage evaluated after the LPS stimulus indicated reduced number of total cells in all compartments studied and different kinetics of migration in malnourished animals. The in vitro migration assay showed reduced capacity of migration after the LPS stimulus in malnourished animals (45.7 ± 17.2 × 10{sup 4} cells/mL) compared to control (69.6 ± 7.1 × 10{sup 4} cells/mL, P ≤ 0.05), but there was no difference in CD11a/CD18 expression on the surface of blood leukocytes. In addition, the production of IL-1β in vivo after the LPS stimulus (180.7 pg·h{sup −1}·mL{sup −1}), and in vitro by bone marrow and spleen cells (41.6 ± 15.0 and 8.3 ± 4.0 pg/mL) was significantly lower in malnourished animals compared to control (591.1 pg·h{sup −1}·mL{sup −1}, 67.0 ± 23.0 and 17.5 ± 8.0 pg/mL, respectively, P ≤ 0.05). The reduced expression of IL-1β, together with the lower number of leukocytes in the central and peripheral compartments, different leukocyte kinetics, and reduced leukocyte migration capacity are factors that interfere with the capacity to mount an adequate immune response, being partly responsible for the immunodeficiency observed in PEM.

  9. Involvement of interleukin-23 induced by Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide in osteoclastogenesis

    OpenAIRE

    Ma, Nan; Yang, Di; Okamura, Hirohiko; Teramachi, Jumpei; Hasegawa, Tomokazu; Qiu, Lihong; Haneji, Tatsuji

    2016-01-01

    Periapical lesions are characterized by the destruction of periapical bone, and occur as a result of local inflammatory responses to root canal infection by microorganisms including Porphyromonas endodontalis (P. endodontalis). P. endodontalis and its primary virulence factor, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), are associated with the development of periapical lesions and alveolar bone loss. Interleukin-23 (IL-23) is critical in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease via effects on peri...

  10. Murine interleukin 1 receptor. Direct identification by ligand blotting and purification to homogeneity of an interleukin 1-binding glycoprotein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bird, T.A.; Gearing, A.J.; Saklatvala, J.

    1988-01-01

    Functional receptors (IL1-R) for the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 (IL1) were solubilized from plasma membranes of the NOB-1 subclone of murine EL4 6.1 thymoma cells using the zwitterionic detergent 3[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS). Membrane extracts were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, and ligand blotted with 125 I-labeled recombinant human IL1 alpha in order to reveal proteins capable of specifically binding IL1. A single polydisperse polypeptide of Mr approximately equal to 80,000 was identified in this way, which bound IL1 alpha and IL1 beta with the same affinity as the IL1-R on intact NOB-1 cells (approximately equal to 10(-10) M). The IL1-binding polypeptide was only seen in membranes from IL1-R-bearing cells and did not react with interleukin 2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, or interferon. IL1-R was purified to apparent homogeneity from solubilized NOB-1 membranes by affinity chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose and IL1 alpha-Sepharose. Gel electrophoresis and silver staining of purified preparations revealed a single protein of Mr approximately equal to 80,000 which reacted positively in the ligand-blotting procedure and which we identify as the ligand-binding moiety of the murine IL1-R. Purified IL1-R exhibited the same affinity and specificity as the receptor on intact cells. The relationship of this protein to proteins identified by covalent cross-linking studies is discussed

  11. Placental-mediated increased cytokine response to lipopolysaccharides: a potential mechanism for enhanced inflammation susceptibility of the preterm fetus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ross MG

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Julie L Boles,1 Michael G Ross,1 Ron Beloosesky,2 Mina Desai,1 Louiza Belkacemi11Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, Torrance, CA, USA; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, IsraelBackground: Cerebral palsy is a nonprogressive motor impairment syndrome that has no effective cure. The etiology of most cases of cerebral palsy remains unknown; however, recent epidemiologic data have demonstrated an association between fetal neurologic injury and infection/inflammation. Maternal infection/inflammation may be associated with the induction of placental cytokines that could result in increased fetal proinflammatory cytokine exposure, and development of neonatal neurologic injury. Therefore, we sought to explore the mechanism by which maternal infection may produce a placental inflammatory response. We specifically examined rat placental cytokine production and activation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 pathway in response to lipopolysaccharide exposure at preterm and near-term gestational ages.Methods: Preterm (e16 or near-term (e20 placental explants from pregnant rats were treated with 0, 1, or 10 µg/mL lipopolysaccharide. Explant integrity was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis alpha levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. TLR4 and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB protein expression levels were determined by Western blot analysis.Results: At both e16 and e20, lactate dehydrogenase levels were unchanged by treatment with lipopolysaccharide. After exposure to lipopolysaccharide, the release of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis alpha from e16 placental explants increased by 4-fold and 8–9-fold, respectively (P < 0.05 versus

  12. Ketamine inhibits tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 gene expressions in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages through suppression of toll-like receptor 4-mediated c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation and activator protein-1 activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, G.-J.; Chen, T.-L.; Ueng, Y.-F.; Chen, R.-M.

    2008-01-01

    Our previous study showed that ketamine, an intravenous anesthetic agent, has anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we further evaluated the effects of ketamine on the regulation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interlukin-6 (IL-6) gene expressions and its possible signal-transducing mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages. Exposure of macrophages to 1, 10, and 100 μM ketamine, 100 ng/ml LPS, or a combination of ketamine and LPS for 1, 6, and 24 h was not cytotoxic to macrophages. A concentration of 1000 μM of ketamine alone or in combined treatment with LPS caused significant cell death. Administration of LPS increased cellular TNF-α and IL-6 protein levels in concentration- and time-dependent manners. Meanwhile, treatment with ketamine concentration- and time-dependently alleviated the enhanced effects. LPS induced TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA syntheses. Administration of ketamine at a therapeutic concentration (100 μM) significantly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expressions. Application of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) small interfering (si)RNA into macrophages decreased cellular TLR4 levels. Co-treatment of macrophages with ketamine and TLR4 siRNA decreased the LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-6 productions more than alone administration of TLR4 siRNA. LPS stimulated phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and translocation of c-Jun and c-Fos from the cytoplasm to nuclei. However, administration of ketamine significantly decreased LPS-induced activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and translocation of c-Jun and c-Fos. LPS increased the binding of nuclear extracts to activator protein-1 consensus DNA oligonucleotides. Administration of ketamine significantly ameliorated LPS-induced DNA binding activity of activator protein-1. Therefore, a clinically relevant concentration of ketamine can inhibit TNF-α and IL-6 gene expressions in LPS-activated macrophages. The suppressive mechanisms occur through suppression of TLR4-mediated

  13. Signal-transducing mechanisms of ketamine-caused inhibition of interleukin-1β gene expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophage-like Raw 264.7 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, T.-L.; Chang, C.-C.; Lin, Y.-L.; Ueng, Y.-F.; Chen, R.-M.

    2009-01-01

    Ketamine may affect the host immunity. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are pivotal cytokines produced by macrophages. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ketamine on the regulation of inflammatory cytokine gene expression, especially IL-1β, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine macrophage-like Raw 264.7 cells and its possible signal-transducing mechanisms. Administration of Raw 264.7 cells with a therapeutic concentration of ketamine (100 μM), LPS, or a combination of ketamine and LPS for 1, 6, and 24 h was not cytotoxic to macrophages. Exposure to 100 μM ketamine decreased the binding affinity of LPS and LPS-binding protein but did not affect LPS-induced RNA and protein synthesis of TLR4. Treatment with LPS significantly increased IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α gene expressions in Raw 264.7 cells. Ketamine at a clinically relevant concentration did not affect the synthesis of these inflammatory cytokines, but significantly decreased LPS-caused increases in these cytokines. Immunoblot analyses, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and a reporter luciferase activity assay revealed that ketamine significantly decreased LPS-induced translocation and DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB). Administration of LPS sequentially increased the phosphorylations of Ras, Raf, MEK1/2, ERK1/2, and IKK. However, a therapeutic concentration of ketamine alleviated such augmentations. Application of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) small interfering (si)RNA reduced cellular TLR4 amounts and ameliorated LPS-induced RAS activation and IL-1β synthesis. Co-treatment with ketamine and TLR4 siRNA synergistically ameliorated LPS-caused enhancement of IL-1β production. Results of this study show that a therapeutic concentration of ketamine can inhibit gene expression of IL-1β possibly through suppressing TLR4-mediated signal-transducing phosphorylations of Ras, Raf, MEK1/2, ERK1/2, and IKK and subsequent translocation and

  14. [Effect of CD-14 and toll like receptors on the expression of interleukin-6 induced by lipopolysaccharides of Porphyromonas endodontalis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Ge; Qiu, Li-Hong; Li, Ren; Lü, You; Yu, Ya-Qiong; Zhong, Ming

    2011-09-01

    To evaluate the effect of cluster of differentiation 14 (CD-14) and Toll like receptors (TLR) on the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA induced by Porphyromonas endodontalis (Pe) lipopolysaccharides (LPS). MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with 10 mg/L Pe-LPS for different hours, and the cells uninvolved by anything as the blank group. The expression of IL-6 was detected by reverse transcription polymerse chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-liked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of CD-14, TLR-2 and TLR-4 mRNA was observed at different time point (0 - 24 h) by RT-PCR. The protein of CD-14, TLR-2 and TLR-4 was analyzed with a flow cytometer. MC3T3-E1 cells were pretreated with anti-CD-14, anti-TLR-2 and anti-TLR-4 antibody for 1 h, and then cells were stimulated with 10 mg/L Pe-LPS for 6 h. The expression of IL-6 mRNA was examined by RT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA Dunnett-t test with SPSS 11.0 software package. The IL-6 mRNA and proteins increased significantly after treatment with Pe-LPS. When MC3T3-E1 cells treated by Pe-LPS for 6 h, the expression of proteins soared from (11.696 ± 0.672) ng/L to (36.534 ± 0.574) ng/L (P < 0.01); In the control group, the CD-14 and TLR-4 mRNA are ambly-expression, and the ratios of CD-14 and TLR-4 positive cells were (39.038 ± 3.131)% and (11.438 ± 0.385)% respectively in MC3T3-E1. After treatment by Pe-LPS, the expression of CD-14 and TLR-4 mRNA increased significantly, and the ratios of CD-14 and TLR-4 positive cells markedly increased to (62.407 ± 1.800)% and (21.367 ± 2.271)%. TLR-2 expression did not change apparently after Pe-LPS treatment. The expression of IL-6 mRNA was partly inhibited by anti-CD-14 or anti-TLR-4 antibody, but not by TLR-2. Pe-LPS can induce the expression of IL-6 in osteoblast MC3T3-E1 through CD-14 and TLR-4, but not TLR-2.

  15. Annexin A5 binds to lipopolysaccharide and reduces its endotoxin activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rand, Jacob H; Wu, Xiao-Xuan; Lin, Elaine Y; Griffel, Alexander; Gialanella, Philip; McKitrick, John C

    2012-01-01

    Annexin A5 (AnxA5) has a high affinity for phosphatidylserine. The protein is widely used to detect apoptotic cells because phosphatidylserine, a phospholipid that is normally present in the inner leaflets of cytoplasmic membranes, becomes translocated to the outer leaflets during programmed cell death. Here we report the novel observation that AnxA5 binds to Gram-negative bacteria via the lipid A domain of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Binding of AnxA5 to bacteria was measured quantitatively, confirmed by fluorescence microscopy, and found to be inhibited by antibodies against lipid A. AnxA5 also bound to purified dot-blotted LPS and lipid A. Through ellipsometry, we found that the binding of AnxA5 to purified LPS was calcium dependent and rapid and showed a high affinity-characteristics similar to those of AnxA5 binding to phosphatidylserine. Initial functional studies indicated that AnxA5 can affect LPS activities. AnxA5 inhibited LPS-mediated gelation in the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. Incubation of LPS with the protein reduced the quantity of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) released by cultured monocytes compared to that released upon incubation with LPS alone. Initial in vivo experiments indicated that injection of mice with LPS preincubated with AnxA5 produced serum TNF-α levels lower than those seen after injection of LPS alone. These data demonstrate that AnxA5 binds to LPS and open paths to investigation of the potential biological and therapeutic implications of this interaction. AnxA5 is highly expressed in cells that have a barrier function-including, among others, vascular endothelium, placental trophoblasts, and epithelial cells lining bile ducts, renal tubules, mammary ducts, and nasal epithelium. The protein has been well characterized for its binding to phospholipid bilayers that contain phosphatidylserine. This report of a previously unrecognized activity of AnxA5 opens the door to investigation of the possibility that this binding may have

  16. Stress-related hormone norepinephrine induces interleukin-6 expression in GES-1 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, R.; Lin, Q.; Gao, H.B.; Zhang, P.

    2014-01-01

    In the current literature, there is evidence that psychological factors can affect the incidence and progression of some cancers. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is known to be elevated in individuals experiencing chronic stress and is also involved in oncogenesis and cancer progression. However, the precise mechanism of IL-6 induction by the stress-related hormone norepinephrine (NE) is not clear, and, furthermore, there are no reports about the effect of NE on IL-6 expression in gastric epithelial cells. In this study, we examined the effect of NE on IL-6 expression in immortalized human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1 cells). Using real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunoassay, we demonstrated that NE can induce IL-6 mRNA and protein expression in GES-1 cells. The induction is through the β-adrenergic receptor-cAMP-protein kinase A pathway and mainly at the transcriptional level. Progressive 5′-deletions and site-directed mutagenesis of the parental construct show that, although activating-protein-1 (AP-1), cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), CCAAT-enhancer binding protein-β (C/EBP-β), and nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) binding sites are all required in the basal transcription of IL-6, only AP-1 and CREB binding sites in the IL-6 promoter are required in NE-induced IL-6 expression. The results suggest that chronic stress may increase IL-6 secretion of human gastric epithelial cells, at least in part, by the stress-associated hormone norepinephrine, and provides basic data on stress and gastric cancer progression

  17. Stress-related hormone norepinephrine induces interleukin-6 expression in GES-1 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, R.; Lin, Q.; Gao, H.B.; Zhang, P. [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai (China)

    2014-02-17

    In the current literature, there is evidence that psychological factors can affect the incidence and progression of some cancers. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is known to be elevated in individuals experiencing chronic stress and is also involved in oncogenesis and cancer progression. However, the precise mechanism of IL-6 induction by the stress-related hormone norepinephrine (NE) is not clear, and, furthermore, there are no reports about the effect of NE on IL-6 expression in gastric epithelial cells. In this study, we examined the effect of NE on IL-6 expression in immortalized human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1 cells). Using real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunoassay, we demonstrated that NE can induce IL-6 mRNA and protein expression in GES-1 cells. The induction is through the β-adrenergic receptor-cAMP-protein kinase A pathway and mainly at the transcriptional level. Progressive 5′-deletions and site-directed mutagenesis of the parental construct show that, although activating-protein-1 (AP-1), cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), CCAAT-enhancer binding protein-β (C/EBP-β), and nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) binding sites are all required in the basal transcription of IL-6, only AP-1 and CREB binding sites in the IL-6 promoter are required in NE-induced IL-6 expression. The results suggest that chronic stress may increase IL-6 secretion of human gastric epithelial cells, at least in part, by the stress-associated hormone norepinephrine, and provides basic data on stress and gastric cancer progression.

  18. Activation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 via the interleukin-6 signal transducing receptor protein gp130 requires tyrosine kinase Jak1 and limits acute-phase protein expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaper, F; Gendo, C; Eck, M; Schmitz, J; Grimm, C; Anhuf, D; Kerr, I M; Heinrich, P C

    1998-11-01

    Stimulation of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) signalling pathway occurs via the IL-6 receptor-glycoprotein 130 (IL-6R-gp130) receptor complex and results in the regulation of acute-phase protein genes in liver cells. Ligand binding to the receptor complex leads to tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of Janus kinases (Jak), phosphorylation of the signal transducing subunit gp130, followed by recruitment and phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription factors STAT3 and STAT1 and the src homology domain (SH2)-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP2). The tyrosine phosphorylated STAT factors dissociate from the receptor, dimerize and translocate to the nucleus where they bind to enhancer sequences of IL-6 target genes. Phosphorylated SHP2 is able to bind growth factor receptor bound protein (grb2) and thus might link the Jak/STAT pathway to the ras/raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Here we present data on the dose-dependence, kinetics and kinase requirements for SHP2 phosphorylation after the activation of the signal transducer, gp130, of the IL-6-type family receptor complex. When human fibrosarcoma cell lines deficient in Jak1, Jak2 or tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2) were stimulated with IL-6-soluble IL-6R complexes it was found that only in Jak1-, but not in Jak 2- or Tyk2-deficient cells, SHP2 activation was greatly impaired. It is concluded that Jak1 is required for the tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP2. This phosphorylation depends on Tyr-759 in the cytoplasmatic domain of gp130, since a Tyr-759-->Phe exchange abrogates SHP2 activation and in turn leads to elevated and prolonged STAT3 and STAT1 activation as well as enhanced acute-phase protein gene induction. Therefore, SHP2 plays an important role in acute-phase gene regulation.

  19. Structural and functional studies of conserved nucleotide-binding protein LptB in lipopolysaccharide transport

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zhongshan [Biomedical Research Centre, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7TJ (United Kingdom); College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST (United Kingdom); Xiang, Quanju [College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST (United Kingdom); Department of Microbiology, College of Resource and Environment Science, Sichuan Agriculture University, Yaan 625000 (China); Zhu, Xiaofeng [College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Dong, Haohao [Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST (United Kingdom); He, Chuan [School of Electronics and Information, Wuhan Technical College of Communications, No. 6 Huangjiahu West Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei 430065 (China); Wang, Haiyan; Zhang, Yizheng [College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Wang, Wenjian, E-mail: Wenjian166@gmail.com [Laboratory of Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road II, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080 (China); Dong, Changjiang, E-mail: C.Dong@uea.ac.uk [Biomedical Research Centre, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7TJ (United Kingdom)

    2014-09-26

    Highlights: • Determination of the structure of the wild-type LptB in complex with ATP and Mg{sup 2+}. • Demonstrated that ATP binding residues are essential for LptB’s ATPase activity and LPS transport. • Dimerization is required for the LptB’s function and LPS transport. • Revealed relationship between activity of the LptB and the vitality of E. coli cells. - Abstract: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the main component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, which plays an essential role in protecting the bacteria from harsh conditions and antibiotics. LPS molecules are transported from the inner membrane to the outer membrane by seven LPS transport proteins. LptB is vital in hydrolyzing ATP to provide energy for LPS transport, however this mechanism is not very clear. Here we report wild-type LptB crystal structure in complex with ATP and Mg{sup 2+}, which reveals that its structure is conserved with other nucleotide-binding proteins (NBD). Structural, functional and electron microscopic studies demonstrated that the ATP binding residues, including K42 and T43, are crucial for LptB’s ATPase activity, LPS transport and the vitality of Escherichia coli cells with the exceptions of H195A and Q85A; the H195A mutation does not lower its ATPase activity but impairs LPS transport, and Q85A does not alter ATPase activity but causes cell death. Our data also suggest that two protomers of LptB have to work together for ATP hydrolysis and LPS transport. These results have significant impacts in understanding the LPS transport mechanism and developing new antibiotics.

  20. Structural and functional studies of conserved nucleotide-binding protein LptB in lipopolysaccharide transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Zhongshan; Xiang, Quanju; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Dong, Haohao; He, Chuan; Wang, Haiyan; Zhang, Yizheng; Wang, Wenjian; Dong, Changjiang

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Determination of the structure of the wild-type LptB in complex with ATP and Mg 2+ . • Demonstrated that ATP binding residues are essential for LptB’s ATPase activity and LPS transport. • Dimerization is required for the LptB’s function and LPS transport. • Revealed relationship between activity of the LptB and the vitality of E. coli cells. - Abstract: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the main component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, which plays an essential role in protecting the bacteria from harsh conditions and antibiotics. LPS molecules are transported from the inner membrane to the outer membrane by seven LPS transport proteins. LptB is vital in hydrolyzing ATP to provide energy for LPS transport, however this mechanism is not very clear. Here we report wild-type LptB crystal structure in complex with ATP and Mg 2+ , which reveals that its structure is conserved with other nucleotide-binding proteins (NBD). Structural, functional and electron microscopic studies demonstrated that the ATP binding residues, including K42 and T43, are crucial for LptB’s ATPase activity, LPS transport and the vitality of Escherichia coli cells with the exceptions of H195A and Q85A; the H195A mutation does not lower its ATPase activity but impairs LPS transport, and Q85A does not alter ATPase activity but causes cell death. Our data also suggest that two protomers of LptB have to work together for ATP hydrolysis and LPS transport. These results have significant impacts in understanding the LPS transport mechanism and developing new antibiotics

  1. A soluble, high-affinity, interleukin-4-binding protein is present in the biological fluids of mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez-Botran, R.; Vitetta, E.S.

    1990-01-01

    Cytokines such as interleukin 4 (IL-4) play a key role in the regulation of immune responses, but little is known about how their multiple activities are regulated in vivo. In this report, we demonstrate that an IL-4-binding protein (IL-4BP) is constitutively present in the biological fluids of mice (serum, ascites fluid, and urine). Binding of 125 I-labeled IL-4 to the IL-4BP is specific and saturable and can be inhibited by an excess of unlabeled IL-4 but not IL-2. The IL-4BP binds IL-4 with an affinity similar to that reported for the cellular IL-4 with an affinity similar to that reported for the cellular IL-4 receptor (K d ∼7 x 10 -11 M) and has a molecular mass of 30-40 kDa and pI values of 3.6-4.8. IL-4BP-containing biological fluids or purified IL-4BP competitively inhibit the binding of 125 I-labeled IL-4 to mouse T or B cells and inhibit the biological activity of IL-4 but not IL-2. The serum levels of IL-4BP in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice are lower than those of normal mice. The above findings suggest that IL-4BP plays an important immunoregulatory role in vivo

  2. Interleukin-6 production by human monocytes treated with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the presence of lipopolysaccharide of oral microorganisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baqui, A A; Meiller, T F; Chon, J J; Turng, B F; Falkler, W A

    1998-06-01

    This study focused on the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and lipopolysaccharide of the putative periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis or Fusobacterium nucleatum on IL-6 production by THP-1 cells (a human monocytic cell line). Resting THP-1 cells were alternatively treated with GM-CSF (50 IU/ml) and lipopolysaccharide of P. gingivalis or F. nucleatum, in varying concentrations for varying time periods. IL-6 production in supernatant fluids of treated cells was evaluated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to evaluate gene expression. Untreated THP-1 cells did not produce IL-6 as determined by ELISA. RT-PCR also failed to detect IL-6 mRNA in untreated THP-1 cells, indicating that IL-6 was not constitutively produced. After stimulation of THP-1 cells with lipopolysaccharide of F. nucleatum or P. gingivalis, IL-6 was produced, peaking at 4 h (200-300 pg/ml) and thereafter sharply declining by 8 h. When GM-CSF was added together with lipopolysaccharide of P. gingivalis or F. nucleatum, there was a synergistic quantitative increase in production of IL-6 as measured by ELISA as compared with lipopolysaccharide alone. IL-6 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR, 15 min after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide of either P. gingivalis or F. nucleatum. GM-CSF supplementation with lipopolysaccharide of P. gingivalis shortened the transcription of IL-6 mRNA to 5 min, a shift which was not observed with lipopolysaccharide of F. nucleatum, possibly indicating a different mechanism of initiation of transcription. Production of IL-6 by GM-CSF-treated THP-1 cells in the presence of lipopolysaccharide of oral microorganisms may provide a model for studying the role of macrophages in acute and chronic periodontal diseases, including the clinical periodontal exacerbation as observed in chemotherapy patients receiving GM-CSF for bone marrow recovery.

  3. [Effect of NF-κB on the expression of interleukin-6 induced by lipopolysaccharides of Porphyromonas endodontalis in MC3T3-E1 cells].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Ya-qiong; Guo, Jia-jie; Qiu, Li-hong; Lv, You; Jia, Ge; Guo, Yan

    2013-08-01

    To investigate the effect of NF-κB signaling on the expression of interleukin-6(IL-6) induced by lipopolysaccharides(LPS) extracted from Porphyromonas endodontalis(P.e) in MC3T3-El cells. MC3T3-E1 cells were pretreated with BAY-117082 for 1 h, and then were treated with 10 mg/L P.e-LPS for different times. The translocation of NF-κB was observed by immunofluorescence. The expression of IL-6 was detected by reverse transcription polymerse chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed using multi-way ANOVA and Dunnett's t test with SPSS 13.0 software package. The staining of NF-κB was mostly in cytoplasm in untreated cells. Rapid translocation of NF-κB into nucleus was observed in the cells stimulated for 30 min and mostly relocalization of NF-κB from nucleus to cytoplasm was observed after 60 min. Pretreatment with 10 μmol/L BAY-117082 for 1h significantly inhibited P.e-LPS-induced translocation of NF-κB .The mRNA and proteins of IL-6 decreased significantly after pretreatment with 10 μmol/L BAY-117082 and the expression of IL-6 proteins was reduced from (774.983±6.585) ng/L to (377.384±14.620) ng/L (P<0.01). The group of treatment with BAY-117082 alone had no significant difference from the blank control group. P.e-LPS can induce translocation of NF-κB in mouse osteoblast MC3T3-El, and P.e-LPS may induce the expression of IL-6 in mouse osteoblast through the signaling of NF-κB.

  4. Interindividual variation in the response by fibrinogen, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 to yellow fever vaccination

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verschuur, M.; Beek, M.T. van der; Tak, H.S.; Visser, L.G.; Maat, M.P.M. de

    2004-01-01

    The acute phase reaction is important in many disease processes. Habitual levels of the acute phase proteins fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but the dynamic variation of plasma levels of acute phase

  5. A unique bivalent binding and inhibition mechanism by the yatapoxvirus interleukin 18 binding protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Krumm

    Full Text Available Interleukin 18 (IL18 is a cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation as well as host defense against microbes. Mammals encode a soluble inhibitor of IL18 termed IL18 binding protein (IL18BP that modulates IL18 activity through a negative feedback mechanism. Many poxviruses encode homologous IL18BPs, which contribute to virulence. Previous structural and functional studies on IL18 and IL18BPs revealed an essential binding hot spot involving a lysine on IL18 and two aromatic residues on IL18BPs. The aromatic residues are conserved among the very diverse mammalian and poxviruses IL18BPs with the notable exception of yatapoxvirus IL18BPs, which lack a critical phenylalanine residue. To understand the mechanism by which yatapoxvirus IL18BPs neutralize IL18, we solved the crystal structure of the Yaba-Like Disease Virus (YLDV IL18BP and IL18 complex at 1.75 Å resolution. YLDV-IL18BP forms a disulfide bonded homo-dimer engaging IL18 in a 2∶2 stoichiometry, in contrast to the 1∶1 complex of ectromelia virus (ECTV IL18BP and IL18. Disruption of the dimer interface resulted in a functional monomer, however with a 3-fold decrease in binding affinity. The overall architecture of the YLDV-IL18BP:IL18 complex is similar to that observed in the ECTV-IL18BP:IL18 complex, despite lacking the critical lysine-phenylalanine interaction. Through structural and mutagenesis studies, contact residues that are unique to the YLDV-IL18BP:IL18 binding interface were identified, including Q67, P116 of YLDV-IL18BP and Y1, S105 and D110 of IL18. Overall, our studies show that YLDV-IL18BP is unique among the diverse family of mammalian and poxvirus IL-18BPs in that it uses a bivalent binding mode and a unique set of interacting residues for binding IL18. However, despite this extensive divergence, YLDV-IL18BP binds to the same surface of IL18 used by other IL18BPs, suggesting that all IL18BPs use a conserved inhibitory mechanism by blocking a putative receptor-binding

  6. Binding of MCM-interacting proteins to ATP-binding site in MCM6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hosoi A

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Atsutoshi Hosoi, Taku Sakairi, Yukio Ishimi Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ibaraki University, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan Abstract: The function of MCM2–7 complex that is a DNA helicase in DNA replication may be regulated by various MCM-interacting proteins, including CDC45, RPA, TIM, TIPIN, Claspin, MCM10, and MCM-BP. It has been shown by immunoprecipitation that human MCM6 interacts with all these proteins in coexpressed insect cells. To determine the region in MCM6 to interact with these proteins, we prepared various truncated forms of MCM6 and examined the interaction of these MCM6 fragments with the MCM-interacting proteins. All these proteins bound to C-terminal half of MCM6, and CDC45, RPA2, TIM, TIPIN, MCM-BP, and MCM10 bound to the fragments containing ATP-binding motifs. CDC45 and RPA2 bound to the smallest fragment containing Walker motif A. Only MCM-BP is bound to the N-terminal half of MCM6. Site-directed mutagenesis study suggests that hydrophobic interaction is involved in the interaction of MCM6 with CDC45 and TIM. These results suggest a possibility that MCM-interacting proteins regulate MCM2–7 function by modulating the ATP-binding ability of the MCM2–7. Keywords: DNA helicase, DNA replication, checkpoint, MCM2–7 proteins

  7. HuR/ELAVL1 RNA binding protein modulates interleukin-8 induction by muco-active ribotoxin deoxynivalenol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Hye Jin; Yang, Hyun; Park, Seong Hwan; Moon, Yuseok

    2009-01-01

    HuR/Elav-like RNA binding protein 1 (ELAVL1) positively regulates mRNA stability of AU-rich elements (ARE)-containing transcript such as pro-inflammatory cytokines. Ribotoxic stresses can trigger the production of pro-inflammatory mediators by enhancing mRNA stability and the transcriptional activity. We investigated the effects of ribotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) on HuR translocation and its involvement in the regulation of the pro-inflammatory interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA stability. Exposure to the muco-active DON induced nuclear export of both endogenous and exogenous HuR RNA binding protein in human intestinal epithelial cells. Moreover, the interference with HuR protein production suppressed ribotoxic DON-induced IL-8 secretion and its mRNA stability. Cytoplasmic HuR protein interacted with IL-8 mRNA and the complex stabilization was due to the presence of 3'-untranslated region of the transcript. Partly in terms of IL-8-modulating transcription factors, HuR protein was demonstrated to be positively and negatively associated with DON-induced early growth response gene 1 (EGR-1) and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), respectively. HuR was a critical mechanistic link between ribotoxic stress and the pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and may have a broader functional significance with regard to mucosal insults since ribotoxic stress responses are also produced upon interactions with the diverse environment of gut.

  8. СHARACTERISTICS OF THE HEART FATTY ACID-BINDING PROTEIN, INTERLEUKIN-6 AND INTERLEUKIN-8 AS ALTERNATIVE MARKERS OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY PROGRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES MELLITUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu. A. Ryzhikova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to study the levels of the heart fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP, interleukin6 (IL-6 and interleukin-8 (IL-8, in diabetic nephropathy (DN in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM. Material and methods. We examined 87 patients aged 18 to 54 with T1DM within the study group. 30 patients with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed with normoalbuminuria, 29 patients – with microalbuminuria and 28 patients – with proteinuria. The control group consisted of 24 healthy donor aged 22 to 29. The comparison group included 22 patients aged 20 to 42 with verified diagnosis of essential arterial hypertension (AH without carbohydrate metabolism disorders. The daily urinary albumin excretion was determined by immunoturbidimetric technique. 30 patients with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed with normoalbuminuria, 29 patients – with microalbuminuria and 28 patients with proteinuria.Calculation of glomerular filtration rate was performed according to the Hoek formula with the use of cystatinС serum concentrations. Contents of h-FABP, IL-6 and cystatin C in serum and h-FABP, IL-8 inurine were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Analysis of the h-FABP content in serum showed that the concentration of this marker in individuals with T1DM was higher than in patients of the control group and the comparison group. Analysis of the h-FABP content in the urine revealed that individuals with essential hypertension showed an increased level of h-FABP while patients with T1DM demonstrated the highest concentration of h-FABP. The concentration of IL-6 inindividuals with T1DM and in individuals with AH significantly exceeded the control values. The contents of h-FABP and IL-6 inserum and h-FABP and IL-8 inurine increased with the progression of DN and reached maximum in individuals of the proteinuria subgroup. At the same time, the levels of h-FABP and IL-8 inthe urine of patients in the microalbuminuria (MAU subgroup were

  9. Interleukin-10 Protection against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuro-Inflammation and Neurotoxicity in Ventral Mesencephalic Cultures

    OpenAIRE

    Yan Zhu; Xiao Chen; Zhan Liu; Yu-Ping Peng; Yi-Hua Qiu

    2015-01-01

    Interleukin (IL)-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is expressed in the brain and can inhibit microglial activation. Herein, we utilized lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory Parkinson?s disease (PD) cell model to determine whether microglia and astrocytes are necessary targets for IL-10 neuroprotection. Primary ventral mesencephalic (VM) cultures with different composition of neurons, microglia and astrocytes were prepared. The cells were exposed to IL-10 (15, 50 or 150 ng/mL) 1 h pr...

  10. Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein for monitoring of postoperative sepsis: complemental to C-reactive protein or redundant?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klaus Tschaikowsky

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: To prospectively evaluate the performance of Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP in prediction of hospital mortality and its correlation to C-reactive Protein (CRP, we studied sixty consecutive, postoperative patients with sepsis admitted to the university hospital intensive care unit. MEASUREMENTS AND METHODS: Plasma LBP and CRP were serially measured from day(d1 (onset of sepsis to d14 in parallel with clinical data until d28. Predictive value and correlation of LBP and CRP were analyzed by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC curve analysis and Pearson's test, respectively. MAIN RESULTS: LBP and CRP showed the highest levels on d2 or d3 after the onset of sepsis with no significant difference between survivors and nonsurvivors. Only at d7, nonsurvivors had significantly (p = .03 higher levels of CRP than survivors. Accordingly, in ROC analysis, concentration of CRP and LBP on d7 poorly discriminated survivors from nonsurvivors (area under curve = .62 and .55, respectively without significant difference between LBP- and CRP-ROC curves for paired comparison. LBP and CRP plasma levels allocated to quartiles correlated well with each other (r(2 = .95; p = .02. Likewise, changes in plasma concentrations of LBP and CRP from one observation to the next showed a marked concordance as both parameters concomitantly increased or decreased in 76% of all cases. CONCLUSIONS: During the first 14 days of postoperative sepsis, LBP plasma concentrations showed a time course that was very similar to CRP with a high concordance in the pattern of day-to-day changes. Furthermore, like CRP, LBP does not provide a reliable clue for outcome in this setting.

  11. Glucocorticoid inhibition of leptin- and lipopolysaccharide-induced interleukin-6 production in obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chun-Jung; Acevedo, Edmund O; Mari, David C; Randazzo, Christopher; Shibata, Yoshimi

    2014-01-01

    Obesity is considered a chronic inflammatory condition that enhances the risk of numerous inflammatory diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Glucocorticoids (GCs) and synthetic therapeutic GCs are anti-inflammatory agents, but the exact functions of GCs in obesity-related inflammation are unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the inhibitory effect of an exogenous GC (dexamethasone, DEX) on leptin- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-6 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) ex vivo in obese subjects compared to normal-weight subjects. Blood samples were drawn from 14 obese (BMI>30 kg/m(2)) and 14 normal-weight (BMIobese subjects showed greater leptin- and LPS-induced IL-6 production compared to normal-weight subjects. The suppressive effect of DEX on leptin- and LPS-induced IL-6 production (IC50) was not different between the two groups. However, the IC50 of DEX for LPS-induced was correlated with BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference. These findings suggest that reduced GC sensitivity may be an important mechanism in the up-regulation of selected obese inflammation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. The short-term effects of treatment of chronic periodontitis on circulating levels of endotoxin, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ide, Mark; Jagdev, Daljit; Coward, Paula Y; Crook, Martin; Barclay, G Robin; Wilson, Ron F

    2004-03-01

    The acute-phase response involves molecules including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP). This study aimed to determine whether subgingival scaling resulted in rapid changes in plasma concentrations of these molecules. Twenty-three non-smoking adults with chronic periodontitis received subgingival scaling for 60 minutes. Venous blood samples were taken at 0, 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. TNF-alpha and IL-6 were assayed from all samples and CRP from the baseline and final samples. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was assayed at 0, 15, and 30 minutes using limulus lysate assay (LAL) and EndoCAb Ig assays. LPS assays were suggestive of a transient low-grade bacteremia, but changes in LPS approaching significance (P=0.061) were seen with LAL only. There was a significant increase in circulating TNF-alpha (P=0.0387) and IL-6 (Pperiodontal breakdown (P=0.001). There was also a significant correlation between levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha (Pperiodontitis patients undergoing an episode of subgingival scaling show a significant elevation in circulating TNF-alpha and IL-6. This may account for anecdotal reports of pyrexia following treatment and may be significant in terms of the relationship between periodontal disease, bacteremia, and cardiovascular disease.

  13. Role of Interleukin-6 and Its Receptor in Endometriosis

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Shihui; Fu, Xiaoxia; Wu, Tingting; Yang, Liwei; Hu, Changchang; Wu, RuiJin

    2017-01-01

    Background Studies have shown that the concentration of interleukin (IL)-6 in peritoneal fluid is increased in patients with endometriosis; however, whether the disorders involving IL-6 contribute to the development of endometriosis is still unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the potential role of IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Material/Methods We examined activated macrophages and the expression of membrane-binding receptor (mIL-6R) in peritonea...

  14. Evaluation of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic periodontitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gani, Dhruva Kumar; Lakshmi, Deepa; Krishnan, Rama; Emmadi, Pamela

    2009-05-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate systemic levels of inflammatory markers of cardiovascular diseases like C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in patients with chronic periodontitis, in comparison to periodontally healthy individuals. A total of 42 individuals, both males and females above the age of 30 years, were included in the study. Healthy controls (Group I, n = 14), chronic localized periodontitis (Group II, n = 14), and chronic generalized periodontitis (Group III, n = 14), all without any medical disorder, were recruited. Peripheral blood samples were taken and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were estimated in the serum samples by using the Particle-Enhanced Turbidimetric Immunoassay (PETIA) technique. Serum samples of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assayed by using the Chemiluminescent Immunoassay (IMMULITE) technique. When mean CRP levels were compared between the groups, group III showed statistical significance when compared to group I (P = 0.04). Group III had a higher median IL-6 level (6.35 pg/mL) than Group II (Periodontitis results in higher systemic levels of CRP and IL-6. These elevated inflammatory factors may increase inflammatory activity in atherosclerotic lesions and potentially increasing the risk for cardiovascular events.

  15. STAT6 Mediates Interleukin-4 Growth Inhibition in Human Breast Cancer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer L. Gooch

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available In addition to acting as a hematopoietic growth factor, interleukin-4 (IL-4 inhibits growth of some transformed cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we show that insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1, IRS-2, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6 are phosphorylated following IL-4 treatment in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. STAT6 DNA binding is enhanced by IL-4 treatment. STAT6 activation occurs even after IRS-1 depletion, suggesting the two pathways are independent. To examine the role of STAT6 in IL-4-mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis, a fulllength STAT6 cDNA was transfected into MCF-7 cells. Transient overexpression of STAT6 resulted in both cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of the protein, increased DNA binding in response to IL-4, and increased transactivation of an IL-4 responsive promoter. In STAT6-transfected cells, basal proliferation was reduced whereas apoptosis was increased. Finally, stable expression of STAT6 resulted in reduced foci formation compared to vector-transfected cells alone. These results suggest STAT6 is required for IL-4mediated growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

  16. Rosuvastatin Decreases Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein (I-FABP), but Does Not Alter Zonulin or Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein (LBP) Levels, in HIV-Infected Subjects on Antiretroviral Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funderburg, Nicholas T; Boucher, Morgan; Sattar, Abdus; Kulkarni, Manjusha; Labbato, Danielle; Kinley, Bruce I; McComsey, Grace A

    2016-01-01

    Altered gastrointestinal (GI) barrier integrity and subsequent microbial translocation may contribute to immune activation in HIV infection. We have reported that rosuvastatin improved several markers of immune activation in HIV+ participants, but the effect of statin treatment on markers of GI barrier dysfunction is unknown. SATURN-HIV is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the effect of rosuvastatin (10mg/daily) on markers of cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and immune activation in ART-treated patients. Gut-barrier integrity was assessed by the surrogate markers intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), a marker of enterocyte death, and zonulin-1, a marker of gut epithelial cell function. Levels of lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) were measured as a marker of microbial translocation. Rosuvastatin significantly reduced levels of I-FABP during the treatment period compared to the placebo. There was no effect of rosuvastatin treatment on levels of zonulin or LBP. Baseline levels of LBP were directly related to several markers of immune activation in samples from all participants, including soluble CD163, IP-10, VCAM-1, TNFR-II, and the proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing CD38 and HLA-DR. Many of these relationships, however, were not seen in the statin arm alone at baseline or over time, as inflammatory markers often decreased and LBP levels were unchanged. Forty-eight weeks of rosuvastatin treatment reduced levels of I-FABP, but did not affect levels of zonulin or LBP. The reduction in levels of inflammatory markers that we have reported with rosuvastatin treatment is likely mediated through other mechanisms not related to gut integrity or microbial translocation.

  17. 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

  18. Equine colostral carbohydrates reduce lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vendrig, J C; Coffeng, L E; Fink-Gremmels, J

    2012-12-01

    Increasing evidence suggests that reactions to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), particularly in the gut, can be partly or completely mitigated by colostrum- and milk-derived oligosaccharides. Confirmation of this hypothesis could lead to the development of new therapeutic concepts. To demonstrate the influence of equine colostral carbohydrates on the inflammatory response in an in vitro model with equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Carbohydrates were extracted from mare colostrum, and then evaluated for their influence on LPS-induced inflammatory responses in PBMCs isolated from the same mares, mRNA expression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 was measured as well as the protein levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Equine colostral carbohydrates significantly reduced LPS-induced TNF-alpha protein at both times measured and significantly reduced LPS-induced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10 mRNA expression by PBMCs. Moreover, cell viability significantly increased in the presence of high concentrations of colostral carbohydrates. Carbohydrates derived from equine colostrum reduce LPS-induced inflammatory responses of equine PBMCs. Colostrum and milk-derived carbohydrates are promising candidates for new concepts in preventive and regenerative medicine.

  19. Hypoxemia increases serum interleukin-6 in humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klausen, T; Olsen, Niels Vidiendal; Poulsen, T D

    1997-01-01

    Serum concentrations of interleukin (IL) 1 beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined in ten healthy men at sea level and during four days of altitude hypoxia (4350m above sea level). The mean (SD) arterial blood...

  20. Association between HLA-DR2 and production of tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 by mononuclear cells activated by lipopolysaccharide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bendtzen, K; Morling, N; Fomsgaard, A

    1988-01-01

    The production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) by lipopolysaccharide-activated mononuclear cells from 39 healthy donors was studied in vitro by bioassay and ELISA. The donors were typed for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DP antigens. There was no detectable production of TNF be...

  1. AWRK6, A Synthetic Cationic Peptide Derived from Antimicrobial Peptide Dybowskin-2CDYa, Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuyu Wang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Lipopolysaccharides (LPS are major outer membrane components of Gram-negative bacteria and produce strong inflammatory responses in animals. Most antibiotics have shown little clinical anti-endotoxin activity while some antimicrobial peptides have proved to be effective in blocking LPS. Here, the anti-LPS activity of the synthetic peptide AWRK6, which is derived from antimicrobial peptide dybowskin-2CDYa, has been investigated in vitro and in vivo. The positively charged α-helical AWRK6 was found to be effective in blocking the binding of LBP (LPS binding protein with LPS in vitro using ELISA. In a murine endotoxemia model, AWRK6 offered satisfactory protection efficiency against endotoxemia death, and the serum levels of LPS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were found to be attenuated using ELISA. Further, histopathological analysis suggested that AWRK6 could improve the healing of liver and lung injury in endotoxemia mice. The results of real-time PCR and Western blotting showed that AWRK6 significantly reversed LPS-induced TLR4 overexpression and IκB depression, as well as the enhanced IκB phosphorylation. Additionally, AWRK6 did not produce any significant toxicity in vivo and in vitro. In summary, AWRK6 showed efficacious protection from LPS challenges in vivo and in vitro, by blocking LPS binding to LBP, without obvious toxicity, providing a promising strategy against LPS-induced inflammatory responses.

  2. Interleukin 6 Is a Stronger Predictor of Clinical Events Than High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein or D-Dimer During HIV Infection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borges, Alvaro Humberto Diniz; O'Connor, Jemma L; Phillips, Andrew N

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Interleukin 6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and D-dimer levels are linked to adverse outcomes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, but the strength of their associations with different clinical end points warrants investigation. METHODS: Participants...

  3. 5-Methoxyl Aesculetin Abrogates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation by Suppressing MAPK and AP-1 Pathways in RAW 264.7 Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Wu

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available For the first time, a pale amorphous coumarin derivative, 5-methoxyl aesculetin (MOA, was isolated from the dried bark of Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance (Oleaceae. MOA modulates cytokine expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages, but the precise mechanisms are still not fully understood. We determined the effects of MOA on the production of inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the LPS-induced inflammatory responses of RAW 264.7 macrophages. MOA significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide (NO, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β. It also effectively attenuated inducible nitric oxide (NO synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and TNF-α mRNA expression and significantly decreased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species. It inhibited phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2, thus blocking nuclear translocation of activation protein (AP-1. In a molecular docking study, MOA was shown to target the binding site of ERK via the formation of three hydrogen bonds with two residues of the kinase, which is sufficient for the inhibition of ERK. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of MOA in RAW 264.7 macrophages derive from its ability to block both the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs and one of their downstream transcription factors, activator protein-1 (AP-1. Our observations support the need for further research into MOA as a promising therapeutic agent in inflammatory diseases.

  4. 5-Methoxyl Aesculetin Abrogates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation by Suppressing MAPK and AP-1 Pathways in RAW 264.7 Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lei; Li, Xueqin; Wu, Haifeng; Long, Wei; Jiang, Xiaojian; Shen, Ting; Qiang, Qian; Si, Chuanling; Wang, Xinfeng; Jiang, Yunyao; Hu, Weicheng

    2016-01-01

    For the first time, a pale amorphous coumarin derivative, 5-methoxyl aesculetin (MOA), was isolated from the dried bark of Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance (Oleaceae). MOA modulates cytokine expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages, but the precise mechanisms are still not fully understood. We determined the effects of MOA on the production of inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the LPS-induced inflammatory responses of RAW 264.7 macrophages. MOA significantly inhibited the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β. It also effectively attenuated inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and TNF-α mRNA expression and significantly decreased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species. It inhibited phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), thus blocking nuclear translocation of activation protein (AP)-1. In a molecular docking study, MOA was shown to target the binding site of ERK via the formation of three hydrogen bonds with two residues of the kinase, which is sufficient for the inhibition of ERK. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of MOA in RAW 264.7 macrophages derive from its ability to block both the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and one of their downstream transcription factors, activator protein-1 (AP-1). Our observations support the need for further research into MOA as a promising therapeutic agent in inflammatory diseases. PMID:26938526

  5. MacA, a periplasmic membrane fusion protein of the macrolide transporter MacAB-TolC, binds lipopolysaccharide core specifically and with high affinity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Shuo; Zgurskaya, Helen I

    2013-11-01

    The Escherichia coli MacAB-TolC transporter has been implicated in efflux of macrolide antibiotics and secretion of enterotoxin STII. In this study, we found that purified MacA, a periplasmic membrane fusion protein, contains one tightly bound rough core lipopolysaccharide (R-LPS) molecule per MacA molecule. R-LPS was bound specifically to MacA protein with affinity exceeding that of polymyxin B. Sequence analyses showed that MacA contains two high-density clusters of positively charged amino acid residues located in the cytoplasmic N-terminal domain and the periplasmic C-terminal domain. Substitutions in the C-terminal cluster reducing the positive-charge density completely abolished binding of R-LPS. At the same time, these substitutions significantly reduced the functionality of MacA in the protection of E. coli against macrolides in vivo and in the in vitro MacB ATPase stimulation assays. Taken together, our results suggest that R-LPS or a similar glycolipid is a physiological substrate of MacAB-TolC.

  6. Identification of lipopolysaccharide-interacting plasma membrane-type proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilakazi, Cornelius S; Dubery, Ian A; Piater, Lizelle A

    2017-02-01

    Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an amphiphatic bacterial glycoconjugate found on the external membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. This endotoxin is considered as a microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP) molecule and has been shown to elicit defense responses in plants. Here, LPS-interacting proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana plasma membrane (PM)-type fractions were captured and identified in order to investigate those involved in LPS perception and linked to triggering of innate immune responses. A novel proteomics-based affinity-capture strategy coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed for the enrichment and identification of LPS-interacting proteins. As such, LPS isolated from Burkholderia cepacia (LPS B.cep. ) was immobilized on three independent and distinct affinity-based matrices to serve as bait for interacting proteins from A. thaliana leaf and callus tissue. These were resolved by 1D electrophoresis and identified by mass spectrometry. Proteins specifically bound to LPS B.cep. have been implicated in membrane structure (e.g. COBRA-like and tubulin proteins), membrane trafficking and/or transport (e.g. soluble NSF attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins, patellin, aquaporin, PM instrinsic proteins (PIP) and H + -ATPase), signal transduction (receptor-like kinases and calcium-dependent protein kinases) as well as defense/stress responses (e.g. hypersensitive-induced response (HIR) proteins, jacalin-like lectin domain-containing protein and myrosinase-binding proteins). The novel affinity-capture strategy for the enrichment of LPS-interacting proteins proved to be effective, especially in the binding of proteins involved in plant defense responses, and can thus be used to elucidate LPS-mediated molecular recognition and disease mechanism(s). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Identification of transactivation-responsive DNA-binding protein 43 (TARDBP43; TDP-43) as a novel factor for TNF-α expression upon lipopolysaccharide stimulation in human monocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murata, H; Hattori, T; Maeda, H; Takashiba, S; Takigawa, M; Kido, J; Nagata, T

    2015-08-01

    Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a major cytokine implicated in various inflammatory diseases. The nature of the nuclear factors associated with human TNF-α gene regulation is not well elucidated. We previously identified a novel region located from -550 to -487 in human TNF-α promoter that did not contain the reported binding sites for nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) but showed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced transcriptional activity. The purpose of this study is to identify novel factors that bind to the promoter region and regulate TNF-α expression. To identify DNA-binding proteins that bound to the target region of TNF-α promoter, a cDNA library from LPS-stimulated human monocytic cell line THP-1 was screened using a yeast one-hybrid system. Cellular localizations of the DNA-binding protein in the cells were examined by subcellular immunocytochemistry. Nuclear amounts of the protein in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells were identified by western blot analysis. Expression of mRNA of the protein in the cells was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed to confirm the DNA-binding profile. Overexpression of the protein and knockdown of the gene were also performed to investigate the role for TNF-α expression. Several candidates were identified from the cDNA library and transactivation-responsive DNA-binding protein 43 (TARDBP43; TDP-43) was focused on. Western blot analysis revealed that nuclear TDP-43 protein was increased in the LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Expression of TDP-43 mRNA was already enhanced before TNF-α induction by LPS. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis showed that nuclear extracts obtained by overexpressing FLAG-tagged TDP-43 bound to the -550 to -487 TNF-α promoter fragments. Overexpression of TDP-43 in THP-1 cells resulted in an increase of TNF-α expression. Knockdown of TDP-43 in THP-1 cells downregulated TNF-α expression. We identified TDP-43 as one of the novel

  8. Administration of Protein kinase D1 induce an immunomodulatory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal inflammation in a co-culture model of intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and RAW 264.7 macrophage cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Ditte Søvsø Gundelund; Fredborg, Marlene; Andersen, Vibeke

    2017-01-01

    the effects of human PKD1 in relation to intestinal inflammation, using a co-culture model of intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and RAW264.7 macrophages. An inflammatory response was induced in the macrophages by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), upregulating the expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF......-α), interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and IL-6 besides increasing the secretion of TNF-α protein. The effect of administering PKD1 to Caco-2 was evaluated in relation to both amelioration of inflammation and the ability to suppress inflammation initiation. Administration of PKD1 (10–100 ng/ml) following induction...

  9. Yersinia enterocolitica serum resistance proteins YadA and ail bind the complement regulator C4b-binding protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vesa Kirjavainen

    Full Text Available Many pathogens are equipped with factors providing resistance against the bactericidal action of complement. Yersinia enterocolitica, a Gram-negative enteric pathogen with invasive properties, efficiently resists the deleterious action of human complement. The major Y. enterocolitica serum resistance determinants include outer membrane proteins YadA and Ail. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS O-antigen (O-ag and outer core (OC do not contribute directly to complement resistance. The aim of this study was to analyze a possible mechanism whereby Y. enterocolitica could inhibit the antibody-mediated classical pathway of complement activation. We show that Y. enterocolitica serotypes O:3, O:8, and O:9 bind C4b-binding protein (C4bp, an inhibitor of both the classical and lectin pathways of complement. To identify the C4bp receptors on Y. enterocolitica serotype O:3 surface, a set of mutants expressing YadA, Ail, O-ag, and OC in different combinations was tested for the ability to bind C4bp. The studies showed that both YadA and Ail acted as C4bp receptors. Ail-mediated C4bp binding, however, was blocked by the O-ag and OC, and could be observed only with mutants lacking these LPS structures. C4bp bound to Y. enterocolitica was functionally active and participated in the factor I-mediated degradation of C4b. These findings show that Y. enterocolitica uses two proteins, YadA and Ail, to bind C4bp. Binding of C4bp could help Y. enterocolitica to evade complement-mediated clearance in the human host.

  10. Soluble interleukin 6 receptor (sIL-6R) mediates colonic tumor cell adherence to the vascular endothelium: a mechanism for metastatic initiation?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Dowdall, J F

    2012-02-03

    The mechanisms by which surgery increases metastatic proliferation remain poorly characterized, although endotoxin and immunocytes play a role. Recent evidence suggests that endothelial adherence of tumor cells may be important in the formation of metastases. Soluble receptors of interleukin-6 (sIL-6R) shed by activated neutrophils exert IL-6 effects on endothelial cells, which are unresponsive under normal circumstances. This study examined the hypothesis that sIL-6R released by surgical stress increases tumor cell adherence to the endothelium. Neutrophils (PMN) were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Soluble IL-6R release was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Colonic tumor cells transfected with green fluorescent protein and endothelial cells were exposed to sIL-6R, and tumor cell adherence and transmigration were measured by fluorescence microscopy. Basal release of sIL-6R from PMN was 44.7 +\\/- 8.2 pg\\/ml at 60 min. This was significantly increased by endotoxin and CRP (131 +\\/- 16.8 and 84.1 +\\/- 5.3, respectively; both P < 0.05). However, tumor necrosis factor-alpha did not significantly alter sIL-6R release. Endothelial and tumor cell exposure to sIL-6R increased tumor cell adherence by 71.3% within 2 h but did not significantly increase transmigration, even at 6 h. Mediators of surgical stress induce neutrophil release of a soluble receptor for IL-6 that enhances colon cancer cell endothelial adherence. Since adherence to the endothelium is now considered to be a key event in metastatic genesis, these findings have important implications for colon cancer treatment strategies.

  11. Identification and predictive value of interleukin-6+ interleukin-10+ and interleukin-6-interleukin-10+ cytokine patterns in st-elevation acute myocardial infarction

    KAUST Repository

    Ammirati, Enrico

    2012-08-29

    RATIONALE: At the onset of ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), patients can present with very high circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels or very low-IL-6 levels. OBJECTIVE: We compared these 2 groups of patients to understand whether it is possible to define specific STEMI phenotypes associated with outcome based on the cytokine response. METHODS AND RESULTS: We compared 109 patients with STEMI in the top IL-6 level (median, 15.6 pg/mL; IL-6 STEMI) with 96 in the bottom IL-6 level (median, 1.7 pg/mL; IL-6 STEMI) and 103 matched controls extracted from the multiethnic First Acute Myocardial Infarction study. We found minimal clinical differences between IL-6 STEMI and IL-6 STEMI. We assessed the inflammatory profiles of the 2 STEMI groups and the controls by measuring 18 cytokines in blood samples. We exploited clustering analysis algorithms to infer the functional modules of interacting cytokines. IL-6 STEMI patients were characterized by the activation of 2 modules of interacting signals comprising IL-10, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, and C-reactive protein, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, and monokine induced by interferon-γ. IL-10 was increased both in IL-6 STEMI and IL-6 STEMI patients compared with controls. IL-6IL-10 STEMI patients had an increased risk of systolic dysfunction at discharge and an increased risk of death at 6 months in comparison with IL-6IL-10 STEMI patients. We combined IL-10 and monokine induced by interferon-γ (derived from the 2 identified cytokine modules) with IL-6 in a formula yielding a risk index that outperformed any single cytokine in the prediction of systolic dysfunction and death. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified a characteristic circulating inflammatory cytokine pattern in STEMI patients, which is not related to the extent of myocardial damage. The simultaneous elevation of IL-6 and IL-10 levels distinguishes STEMI patients with worse clinical outcomes

  12. Antimicrobial and Antitumor Activities of Novel Peptides Derived from the Lipopolysaccharide- and β-1,3-Glucan Binding Protein of the Pacific Abalone Haliotis discus hannai

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo-Hye Nam

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Antimicrobial peptides are a pivotal component of the invertebrate innate immune system. In this study, we identified a lipopolysaccharide- and β-1,3-glucan-binding protein (LGBP gene from the pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai (HDH, which is involved in the pattern recognition mechanism and plays avital role in the defense mechanism of invertebrates immune system. The HDH-LGBP cDNA consisted of a 1263-bp open reading frame (ORF encoding a polypeptide of 420 amino acids, with a 20-amino-acid signal sequence. The molecular mass of the protein portion was 45.5 kDa, and the predicted isoelectric point of the mature protein was 4.93. Characteristic potential polysaccharide binding motif, glucanase motif, and β-glucan recognition motif were identified in the LGBP of HDH. We used its polysaccharide-binding motif sequence to design two novel antimicrobial peptide analogs (HDH-LGBP-A1 and HDH-LGBP-A2. By substituting a positively charged amino acid and amidation at the C-terminus, the pI and net charge of the HDH-LGBP increased, and the proteins formed an α-helical structure. The HDH-LGBP analogs exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activity, with minimal effective concentrations ranging from 0.008 to 2.2 μg/mL. Additionally, both were toxic against human cervix (HeLa, lung (A549, and colon (HCT 116 carcinoma cell lines but not much on human umbilical vein cell (HUVEC. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS analysis showed that HDH-LGBP analogs disturb the cancer cell membrane and cause apoptotic cell death. These results suggest the use of HDH-LGBP analogs as multifunctional drugs.

  13. The repeatability of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein in COPD patients over one year

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umme Kolsum

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Umme Kolsum, Kay Roy, Cerys Starkey, Zoë Borrill, Nick Truman, Jørgen Vestbo, Dave SinghNorth West Lung Research Centre, University of Manchester, South Manchester University Hospitals Trust, Wythenshawe, Manchester, UKBackground: Many of the systemic manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD are mediated through increased systemic levels of inflammatory proteins. We assessed the long term repeatability of Interleukin-6 (IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, and C-reactive protein (CRP over one year and examined the relationships between these systemic markers in COPD.Methods: Fifty-eight stable COPD patients completed a baseline and one-year visit. Serum IL-6, plasma CRP, and plasma TNF-α were measured. Repeatability was expressed by intraclass correlation coefficient (Ri and the Bland–Altman method. Pearson correlations were used to determine the relationships between the systemic markers at both visits.Results: There was moderate repeatability with a very high degree of statistical significance (p ≤ 0.001 between the two visits for all the systemic biomarkers (IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α. CRP was significantly associated with IL-6 at both visits (r = 0.55, p = 0.0001, r = 0.51, p = 0.0002, respectively. There were no other significant associations between the systemic markers at either of the visits.Conclusions: Systemic inflammatory biomarkers IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α were moderately repeatable over a twelve month period in COPD patients. We have also shown that a robust and repeatable association between IL-6 and CRP exists.Keywords: interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein, repeatability, COPD   

  14. Serum concentrations of interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in neonatal sepsis and meningitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fida, Nadia M.; Fadelallah, Mohamed F.; Al-Mughales, Jamil A.

    2006-01-01

    To investigate whether serum levels of interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), C-reactive protein (CRP) are useful in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and meningitis and differentiate them. Blood samples were collected from 35 full term neonates with suspected infection who admitted to the Neonatology Unit, Pediatric Department, King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during January 2002 - June 2003. On the basis of laboratory and bacteriological results, newborns were classified into: sepsis (n=28), meningitis (n=7), and healthy controls (n=16). Sepsis groups were further subdivided according to culture results into: group 1 = proven sepsis (n=6), group 2 = clinical sepsis (n=14), and group 3 = possible-infected (n=8). Serum levels of IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNF-alpha were measured using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay while CRP by nephelometer: In sepsis and meningitis patients, serum levels of CRP (p<0.01, p<0.05,) and IL-1alpha (p<0.001, p<0.05) were elevated than controls. C-reactive protein levels elevated in proven sepsis (p<0.001) and IL-1alpha elevated in all subgroups of sepsis (groups 1, 2, 3) compared with (p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.01) controls. Interleukin-6, TNF-alpha showed no significant differences between studied groups. In sepsis and meningitis, IL-1alpha had a highest sensitivity (89%, 86%), and negative predictive values (89% and 93%). Interleukin-1alpha and CRP increased in neonatal sepsis and meningitis, but cannot differentiate between them. Interleukin-1alpha had a highest sensitivity in prediction of neonatal infection and its assessment may improve accuracy of diagnosis. (author)

  15. Glucocorticoid up-regulation of high-affinity interleukin 6 receptors on human epithelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snyers, L.; De Wit, L.; Content, J.

    1990-01-01

    Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a potent pleiotropic cytokine, known, among others, to stimulate immunoglobulin production by B cells and to trigger acute-phase protein synthesis by hepatocytes. Similar to IL-1, it is produced by monocytes and macrophages following an inflammatory challenge. Analysis of IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) expression on different human cell lines indicates that dexamethasone could up-regulate the number of IL-6R on one epithelial cell line (UAC) and on two hepatoma cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B). This effect was confirmed by Scatchard analysis of binding experiments, using [ 35 S]methionine and [ 35 S]cysteine metabolically labeled IL-6. It was confirmed at the level of mRNA expression by Northern blot analysis. These results provide evidence for a link between IL-6 and glucocorticoids. They could represent an example of a system in which one role of glucocorticoids is to define more accurately the target of cytokines, and they could explain, at least partly, the frequently observed synergy between IL-6 and glucocorticoids, notably in the case of hepatocytes

  16. Increased systemic elastase and C-reactive protein in aggressive periodontitis (CLOI-D-00160R2).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wohlfeil, Martin; Scharf, Susanne; Siegelin, Yasemin; Schacher, Beate; Oremek, Gerhard M; Sauer-Eppel, Hildegund; Schubert, Ralf; Eickholz, Peter

    2012-08-01

    The inflammatory mediators, serum elastase and C-reactive protein (CRP), are associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare systemic inflammatory mediators in periodontally healthy controls (C), patients with untreated aggressive (AgP) and chronic (ChP) periodontitis. C [periodontal pocket probing depth (PPD)  30% of sites; age >35 years), and AgP (clinically healthy; PDD ≥ 3.6 mm at >30% of sites, bone loss ≥50% at ≥2 teeth; age ≤35 years) were examined clinically, and the body mass index was assessed. Blood was sampled for assessment of serum levels of elastase, CRP, lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), interleukin (IL) 6, 8, and leukocyte counts. Thirty C, 31 ChP, and 29 AgP were analyzed. Elastase, CRP, LBP, and IL-6 levels were elevated in AgP compared to C (p C. AgP patients exhibit a stronger systemic inflammatory burden than C patients.

  17. The influence of age and repeated LPS administration on body temperature and the relation with interleukin-6 and IgM antibodies in broiler chickens

    OpenAIRE

    De Boever , Sandra; Beyaert , Rudi; Vandemaele , Fréderic; Baert , Kris; Duchateau , Luc; Goddeeris , Bruno; De Backer , Patrick; Croubels , Siska

    2008-01-01

    Abstract Our objective was to create a standardized and reproducible inflammation model in chickens in order to study the pharmacodynamics of several anti-pyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs. We studied the influence of age and repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration on body temperature and the correlation of this with concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IgM antibodies against LPS in plasma of chickens. Three and five week old broilers were injected intravenously...

  18. The repeatability of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and C-reactive protein in COPD patients over one year

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolsum, Umme; Roy, Kay; Starkey, Cerys

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Many of the systemic manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are mediated through increased systemic levels of inflammatory proteins. We assessed the long term repeatability of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein......(i)) and the Bland-Altman method. Pearson correlations were used to determine the relationships between the systemic markers at both visits. RESULTS: There was moderate repeatability with a very high degree of statistical significance (p...... (CRP) over one year and examined the relationships between these systemic markers in COPD. METHODS: Fifty-eight stable COPD patients completed a baseline and one-year visit. Serum IL-6, plasma CRP, and plasma TNF-alpha were measured. Repeatability was expressed by intraclass correlation coefficient (R...

  19. The repeatability of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and C-reactive protein in COPD patients over one year

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolsum, Umme; Roy, Kay; Starkey, Cerys

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Many of the systemic manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are mediated through increased systemic levels of inflammatory proteins. We assessed the long term repeatability of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein......(i)) and the Bland-Altman method. Pearson correlations were used to determine the relationships between the systemic markers at both visits. RESULTS: There was moderate repeatability with a very high degree of statistical significance (p...... (CRP) over one year and examined the relationships between these systemic markers in COPD. METHODS: Fifty-eight stable COPD patients completed a baseline and one-year visit. Serum IL-6, plasma CRP, and plasma TNF-alpha were measured. Repeatability was expressed by intraclass correlation coefficient (R...

  20. Late midlife C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in middle aged danish men in relation to body size history within and across generations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Jolene Lee Masters; Budtz-Jørgensen, Esben; Mortensen, Erik Lykke

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The aim was to estimate the effects of ponderal index at birth and body mass index (BMI) in early adulthood on C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and to quantify the effects through subsequent measures of body size. In a subanalysis, the contributions of maternal BMI to ...

  1. Generation of Affibody ligands binding interleukin-2 receptor alpha/CD25.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grönwall, Caroline; Snelders, Eveline; Palm, Anna Jarelöv; Eriksson, Fredrik; Herne, Nina; Ståhl, Stefan

    2008-06-01

    Affibody molecules specific for human IL-2Ralpha, the IL-2 (interleukin-2) receptor alpha subunit, also known as CD25, were selected by phage-display technology from a combinatorial protein library based on the 58-residue Protein A-derived Z domain. The IL-2R system plays a major role in T-cell activation and the regulation of cellular immune responses. Moreover, CD25 has been found to be overexpressed in organ rejections, a number of autoimmune diseases and T-cell malignancies. The phage-display selection using Fc-fused target protein generated 16 unique Affibody molecules targeting CD25. The two most promising binders were characterized in more detail using biosensor analysis and demonstrated strong and selective binding to CD25. Kinetic biosensor analysis revealed that the two monomeric Affibody molecules bound to CD25 with apparent affinities of 130 and 240 nM respectively. The Affibody molecules were, on biosensor analysis, found to compete for the same binding site as the natural ligand IL-2 and the IL-2 blocking monoclonal antibody 2A3. Hence the Affibody molecules were assumed to have an overlapping binding site with IL-2 and antibodies targeting the IL-2 blocking Tac epitope (for example, the monoclonal antibodies Daclizumab and Basiliximab, both of which have been approved for therapeutic use). Furthermore, immunofluorescence microscopy and flow-cytometric analysis of CD25-expressing cells demonstrated that the selected Affibody molecules bound to CD4+ CD25+ PMBCs (peripheral-blood mononuclear cells), the IL-2-dependent cell line NK92 and phytohaemagglutinin-activated PMBCs. The potential use of the CD25-binding Affibody molecules as targeting agents for medical imaging and for therapeutic applications is discussed.

  2. Interleukin 1β, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin 6 decreas nuclear thyroid hormone receptor capacity in a liver cell line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolf, M.; Hansen, N.; Greten, H.

    1994-01-01

    Many of the acute inflammatory responses in critical illness are mediated by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNTF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Furthermore, these cytokines are involved in mediating the characteristic changes of thyroid function during acute disease known as non-thyroidal illness. In the present studies the authors investigated in vitro whether TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 modify nuclear thyroid hormone receptor (TR) capacity and/or affinity. Regulation of TR synthesis was studied in the human hepatoma cell line Hep-G2. Subconfluent cells were incubated with recombinant cytokines in serum-free medium. Nuclear extracts were prepared by high-salt extraction of cell nuclei. Binding assays were performed with [ 125 I]-triiodothyronine; bound and free hormone were separated by filtration. Interleukin 1β decreased TR capacity in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with unstimulated cells, the TR capacity was reduced to 87.9 ± 3.9% after incubation with 0.1, 1.0 and 100 μg/l IL-1β, respectively. Interleukin 6 and TNF-α significantly reduced receptor capacity only at concentrations of 10μg/l or higher and the magnitude of the reduction was lower than with IL-1β. The TR capacity was reduced to 81.2 ± 2.3% and 83.2 ± 6.6% after stimulation with 10μg/l IL-6 or TNF-α, respectively. TR affinity was not altered significantly after stimulation with any of the cytokines. 44 refs., 4 figs

  3. Carbon monoxide-releasing molecule-3 suppresses Prevotella intermedia lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitric oxide and interleukin-1β in murine macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Eun-Young; Choe, So-Hui; Hyeon, Jin-Yi; Choi, Jeom-Il; Choi, In Soon; Kim, Sung-Jo

    2015-10-05

    This study was performed to analyze the effect of carbon monoxide (CO)-releasing molecule-3 (CORM-3) in alleviating the production of proinflammatory mediators in macrophages treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Prevotella intermedia, a pathogen associated with periodontal disease, and its possible mechanisms of action. LPS was isolated using the hot phenol-water method. Culture supernatants were assayed for nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Gene expression was quantified by real-time PCR, and protein expression by immunoblotting. DNA-binding activities of NF-κB subunits were determined using an ELISA-based kit. CORM-3 suppressed the production of inducible NO synthase (iNOS)-derived NO and IL-1β at both gene transcription and translation levels in P. intermedia LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. CORM-3 enhanced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in cells stimulated with P. intermedia LPS, and inhibition of HO-1 activity by SnPP notably reversed the suppressive effect of CORM-3 on LPS-induced production of NO. LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38 and JNK was not affected by CORM-3. CORM-3 did not influence P. intermedia LPS-induced degradation of IκB-α. Instead, nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 and p50 subunits was blocked by CORM-3 in LPS-treated cells. In addition, CORM-3 reduced LPS-induced p65 and p50 binding to DNA. Besides, CORM-3 significantly suppressed P. intermedia LPS-induced phosphorylation of STAT1. Overall, this study indicates that CORM-3 suppresses the production of NO and IL-1β in P. intermedia LPS-activated murine macrophages via HO-1 induction and inhibition of NF-κB and STAT1 pathways. The modulation of host inflammatory response by CORM-3 would be an attractive therapeutic approach to attenuate the progression of periodontal disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The ubiquitous interleukin-6: a time for reappraisal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fisman Enrique Z

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Interleukin-6 (IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine regulating humoral and cellular responses and playing a central role in inflammation and tissue injury. Its effects are mediated through interaction with its receptor complex, IL-6Rβ (also known as gp130. It plays an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease and large quantities of IL-6 are found in human atherosclerotic plaques. IL-6 levels positively correlate with higher all-cause mortality, unstable angina, left ventricular dysfunction, propensity to diabetes and its complications, hypertension, obesity and several types of cancer. IL-6 levels augmentation demonstrates a remarkable parallel with another biomarkers reflecting harmful processes, like tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukins 8 and 18, YKL-40, C reactive protein and resistin. Due to these facts, IL-6 was classified as a noxious interleukin. Nonetheless, there are several facts that challenge this usually accepted point of view. Since IL-6 has also anti-inflammatory activity, it seems reasonable to assume that favorable aspects exist. These aspects are two: 1. protection against bacterial infections, inactivating proinflammatory mediators, mitigating the course of septic shock and inducing the production of cortisol; and 2. influence on insulin sensitivity during exercise; this aspect is even more important. During exercise IL-6 is synthesized and released by muscles, with enhanced insulin action immediately at early recovery. Skeletal muscle may be considered as an endocrine organ; contracting muscles produce IL-6 and release it into the blood exerting its effects on other organs. The increase in circulating levels of IL-6 after exercise is consistent and proportional to exercise duration, intensity, muscle mass involved and endurance capacity. Thus, the fascinating possibility that the plenteous beneficial health effects of exercise could be ultimately mediated by IL-6 merits further elucidation

  5. Adrenaline influences the release of interleukin-6 from murine pituicytes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, J D; Hansen, E W; Frederiksen, C

    1999-01-01

    In this study, we examined the effect of adrenaline and interleukin-1beta on interleukin-6 secretion from cultured murine neurohypophyseal cells. Cells were cultured from neurohypophyses of 3- to 5-week-old mice and experiments were performed after 13 days in culture. Interleukin-6 was measured...... in 24-h samples using a sandwich fluoroimmunoassay. Unstimulated cells released 19+/-3 fmol interleukin-6/neurohypophysis/24 h (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 42). Adrenaline and interleukin-1beta increased the release of interleukin-6 from the cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubation with adrenaline...

  6. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR agonists suppress interleukin-6 expression by bone marrow stromal cells: an immunotoxicology study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schlezinger Jennifer J

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bone marrow stromal cells produce cytokines required for the normal growth and development of all eight hematopoietic cell lineages. Aberrant cytokine production by stromal cells contributes to blood cell dyscrasias. Consequently, factors that alter stromal cell cytokine production may significantly compromise the development of normal blood cells. We have shown that environmental chemicals, such as aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR agonists, suppress B lymphopoiesis by modulating bone marrow stromal cell function. Here, we extend these studies to evaluate the potential for two prototypic AhR agonists, 7,12-dimethylbenz [a]anthracene (DMBA and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, to alter stromal cell cytokine responses. Methods Bone marrow stromal cells were treated with AhR agonists and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS to mimic innate inflammatory cytokine responses and to study the effects of AhR ligands on those responses. Steady state cytokine RNA levels were screened by RNAse protection assays (RPA and quantified by real-time PCR. Cytokine (IL-6 protein production was measured by ELISA. NF-κB EMSAs were used to study IL-6 transcriptional regulation. Results RPAs indicated that AhR+ bone marrow stromal cells consistently up-regulated genes encoding IL-6 and LIF in response to LPS, presumably through activation of Toll-like receptor 4. Pre-treatment with low doses of DMBA or TCDD selectively abrogated IL-6 gene induction but had no effect on LIF mRNA. Real-time-PCR indicated a significant inhibition of IL-6 mRNA by AhR ligands within 1 hour of LPS challenge which was reflected in a profound down-regulation of IL-6 protein induction, with DMBA and TCDD suppressing IL-6 levels as much as 65% and 88%, respectively. This potent inhibitory effect persisted for at least 72 hours. EMSAs measuring NF-κB binding to IL-6 promoter sequences, an event known to induce IL-6 transcription, indicated a significant decrease in

  7. Modern and Convensional Wound Dressing to Interleukin 1 and Interleukin 6 in Diabetic wound

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Werna Nontji

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction:Holistic wound care is one of the ways to prevent gangrene and amputation, modern wound dressing is more effective than convensional with increasing transforming growth factor and cytokine, especially interleukin. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of Modern and Convensional Wound Dressing to Interleukin 1 (IL-1 and Interleukin 6 (IL-6 in Diabetic wound. Method:A Quasi eksperimental pre-post with control group design was used. The intervention given was modern wound dressing and Control group by convensional wound dressing, This study was conducted in Makassar with 32 samples (16 in intervention group and 16 in control group. Result: The result of Pooled T- test showed that p = 0.00 (p < 0.05, it means that there was signifi cant correlation between modern wound dressing to IL-6 and IL-1 than Convensional wound dressing. Discussion: Process of wound healing was produced growth factor and cytokine (IL-1 and IL-6, it will stimulated by wound dressing, modern wound dressing (Calcium alginat can absorb wound drainage, non oklusive, non adhesif, and autolytic debridement. Keywords: Modern wound dressing, Interleukin 1 (IL-1, Interleukin 6 (IL-6

  8. Interleukin-6 is associated with chronic hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in patients after acute pancreatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillies, Nicola; Pendharkar, Sayali A; Asrani, Varsha M; Mathew, Juby; Windsor, John A; Petrov, Maxim S

    2016-01-01

    Diabetes is a pervasive disease, with a mounting prevalence and burden on health care systems. Under this collective term of diabetes falls diabetes after diseases of the exocrine pancreas, a condition which was previously under-recognised and often mislabeled as type 2 diabetes mellitus and is now increasingly acknowledged as a stand-alone entity. However, there is a paucity of clinical studies investigating the underlying pathophysiology of diabetes after acute pancreatitis, the most frequent disease of the pancreas. This study aimed to investigate the role of adipocytokines in glucose metabolism after acute pancreatitis. This was a cross-sectional follow-up study of a patient cohort diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Fasting venous blood samples were collected to analyse markers of glucose metabolism (fasting blood glucose, haemoglobin A1c, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) as a measure of insulin resistance) and adypocytokines (adiponectin, interleukin-6, leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, retinol binding protein-4, resistin, and tumor necrosis factor-α). Participants were categorized into two groups: normoglycemia after acute pancreatitis and chronic hyperglycemia after acute pancreatitis (CHAP). Binary logistic regression and linear regression analyses were used to investigate the association between each of the adipocytokines and markers of glucose metabolism. Potential confounders were adjusted for in multivariate analyses. A total of 83 patients with acute pancreatitis were included, of whom 19 developed CHAP. Interleukin-6 was significantly associated with CHAP in both unadjusted and adjusted models (p = 0.030 and p = 0.018, respectively). Further, it was also significantly associated with HOMA-IR in both unadjusted and adjusted models (p = 0.029 and p = 0.037, respectively). Other adipocytokines were not significantly associated with markers of glucose metabolism. Interleukin-6 appears to be implicated in the development of chronic

  9. AtMBD6, a methyl CpG binding domain protein, maintains gene ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2017-01-13

    Jan 13, 2017 ... 13 methyl CpG binding domain (MBD) proteins, but the molecular/biological functions of most of these ... AtMBD5, AtMBD6 and AtMBD7 are more similar to those .... prey were able to grow on -AHLW (-Ade, -His, -Leu, -Trp).

  10. Association of papillomavirus E6 proteins with either MAML1 or E6AP clusters E6 proteins by structure, function, and evolutionary relatedness.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Brimer

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Papillomavirus E6 proteins bind to LXXLL peptide motifs displayed on targeted cellular proteins. Alpha genus HPV E6 proteins associate with the cellular ubiquitin ligase E6AP (UBE3A, by binding to an LXXLL peptide (ELTLQELLGEE displayed by E6AP, thereby stimulating E6AP ubiquitin ligase activity. Beta, Gamma, and Delta genera E6 proteins bind a similar LXXLL peptide (WMSDLDDLLGS on the cellular transcriptional co-activator MAML1 and thereby repress Notch signaling. We expressed 45 different animal and human E6 proteins from diverse papillomavirus genera to ascertain the overall preference of E6 proteins for E6AP or MAML1. E6 proteins from all HPV genera except Alpha preferentially interacted with MAML1 over E6AP. Among animal papillomaviruses, E6 proteins from certain ungulate (SsPV1 from pigs and cetacean (porpoises and dolphins hosts functionally resembled Alpha genus HPV by binding and targeting the degradation of E6AP. Beta genus HPV E6 proteins functionally clustered with Delta, Pi, Tau, Gamma, Chi, Mu, Lambda, Iota, Dyokappa, Rho, and Dyolambda E6 proteins to bind and repress MAML1. None of the tested E6 proteins physically and functionally interacted with both MAML1 and E6AP, indicating an evolutionary split. Further, interaction of an E6 protein was insufficient to activate degradation of E6AP, indicating that E6 proteins that target E6AP co-evolved to separately acquire both binding and triggering of ubiquitin ligase activation. E6 proteins with similar biological function clustered together in phylogenetic trees and shared structural features. This suggests that the divergence of E6 proteins from either MAML1 or E6AP binding preference is a major event in papillomavirus evolution.

  11. Elevated serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in fibromyalgia syndrome patients correlate with body mass index, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Yangming; Haynes, Wanda L; Michalek, Joel E; Russell, I Jon

    2013-05-01

    The levels of several inflammatory cytokines are abnormal in many patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and may play a role in its pathogenesis. The inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with the disease activity in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, but its role in FMS is unknown. We undertook this study to determine whether high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) is elevated in FMS and whether its levels relate to key biologic or clinical measures. One hundred and five patients with FMS (1990 ACR criteria) and 61 healthy normal controls (HNC) at a ratio of 2:1 were recruited. The serum concentrations of hsCRP, interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The hsCRP levels were marginally higher in FMS than in HNC (p = 0.06) and its abnormality rate (>1.5 SD above the HNC mean) was significantly higher in FMS (25 %) compared with HNC (6.8 %) (p = 0.03). Serum IL-8 levels, IL-6 levels, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in FMS did not differ from those in HNC. Body mass index (BMI), ESR, IL-8, and IL-6 levels correlated with hsCRP levels in FMS. No associations were found between hsCRP and age, gender, ethnicity, or other clinical measures. Serum CRP levels were higher in FMS and significantly correlated with BMI, ESR, IL-8, and IL-6 levels, suggesting that inflammation may contribute to the symptoms in some FMS patients, particularly those who are obese. Weight loss and therapies directed against inflammation may be useful in the management of FMS patients with elevated hsCRP.

  12. Stress hormones promote growth of B16-F10 melanoma metastases: an interleukin 6- and glutathione-dependent mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valles, Soraya L; Benlloch, María; Rodriguez, María L; Mena, Salvador; Pellicer, José A; Asensi, Miguel; Obrador, Elena; Estrela, José M

    2013-03-22

    Interleukin (IL)-6 (mainly of tumor origin) activates glutathione (GSH) release from hepatocytes and its interorgan transport to B16-F10 melanoma metastatic foci. We studied if this capacity to overproduce IL-6 is regulated by cancer cell-independent mechanisms. Murine B16-F10 melanoma cells were cultured, transfected with red fluorescent protein, injected i.v. into syngenic C57BL/6J mice to generate lung and liver metastases, and isolated from metastatic foci using high-performance cell sorting. Stress hormones and IL-6 levels were measured by ELISA, and CRH expression in the brain by in situ hybridization. DNA binding activity of NF-κB, CREB, AP-1, and NF-IL-6 was measured using specific transcription factor assay kits. IL-6 expression was measured by RT-PCR, and silencing was achieved by transfection of anti-IL-6 small interfering RNA. GSH was determined by HPLC. Cell death analysis was distinguished using fluorescence microscopy, TUNEL labeling, and flow cytometry techniques. Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t test. Plasma levels of stress-related hormones (adrenocorticotropin hormone, corticosterone, and noradrenaline) increased, following a circadian pattern and as compared to non-tumor controls, in mice bearing B16-F10 lung or liver metastases. Corticosterone and noradrenaline, at pathophysiological levels, increased expression and secretion of IL-6 in B16-F10 cells in vitro. Corticosterone- and noradrenaline-induced transcriptional up-regulation of IL-6 gene involves changes in the DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB, cAMP response element-binding protein, activator protein-1, and nuclear factor for IL-6. In vivo inoculation of B16-F10 cells transfected with anti-IL-6-siRNA, treatment with a glucocorticoid receptor blocker (RU-486) or with a β-adrenoceptor blocker (propranolol), increased hepatic GSH whereas decreased plasma IL-6 levels and metastatic growth. Corticosterone, but not NORA, also induced apoptotic cell death in

  13. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of coagulation factor IX-binding protein from habu snake venom at pH 6.5 and 4.6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Nobuhiro; Shikamoto, Yasuo; Fujimoto, Zui; Morita, Takashi; Mizuno, Hiroshi

    2004-01-01

    Crystals of habu coagulation factor IX-binding protein have been obtained at pH 6.5 and 4.6 and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Coagulation factor IX-binding protein isolated from Trimeresurus flavoviridis (IX-bp) is a C-type lectin-like protein. It is an anticoagulant protein consisting of homologous subunits A and B. The subunits both contain a Ca 2+ -binding site with differing affinity (K d values of 14 and 130 µM at pH 7.5). These binding characteristics are pH-dependent; under acidic conditions, the affinity of the low-affinity site was reduced considerably. In order to identify which site has high affinity and also to investigate the Ca 2+ -releasing mechanism, IX-bp was crystallized at pH 6.5 and 4.6. The crystals at pH 6.5 and 4.6 diffracted to 1.72 and 2.29 Å resolution, respectively; the former crystals belong to the monoclinic space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 60.7, b = 63.5, c = 66.9 Å, β = 117.0°, while the latter belong to the monoclinic space group C2, with a = 134.1, b = 37.8, c = 55.8 Å, β = 110.4°

  14. Synthetic alleles at position 121 define a functional domain of human interleukin-1 beta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosetti, D C; Palla, E; Mirtella, A; Galeotti, C; Solito, E; Navarra, P; Parente, L; Melli, M

    1996-06-01

    The non-conservative substitution of the tyrosine residue at position 121 of human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) generates protein mutants showing strong reduction of the capacity to induce (a) prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release from fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, (b) murine T-cells proliferation and (c) activation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene expression. It is generally accepted that these functions are mediated by the type-I interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1RI). However, the mutant proteins maintain the binding affinity to the types-I and II IL-1 receptors, which is the same as the control IL-1 beta, suggesting that this amino acid substitution does not alter the structure of the molecule, except locally. Thus we have identified a new functional site of IL-1 beta different from the known receptor binding region, responsible for fundamental IL-1 beta functions. Moreover, we show that the same mutants maintain at least two hypothalamic functions, that is, the in vitro short-term PGE2 release from rat hypothalamus and the induction of fever in rabbits. This result suggests that there is yet another site of the molecule responsible for the hypothalamic functions, implying that multiple active sites on the IL-1 beta molecule, possibly binding to more than one receptor chain, trigger different signals.

  15. 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.

  16. Imparting albumin-binding affinity to a human protein by mimicking the contact surface of a bacterial binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oshiro, Satoshi; Honda, Shinya

    2014-04-18

    Attachment of a bacterial albumin-binding protein module is an attractive strategy for extending the plasma residence time of protein therapeutics. However, a protein fused with such a bacterial module could induce unfavorable immune reactions. To address this, we designed an alternative binding protein by imparting albumin-binding affinity to a human protein using molecular surface grafting. The result was a series of human-derived 6 helix-bundle proteins, one of which specifically binds to human serum albumin (HSA) with adequate affinity (KD = 100 nM). The proteins were designed by transferring key binding residues of a bacterial albumin-binding module, Finegoldia magna protein G-related albumin-binding domain (GA) module, onto the human protein scaffold. Despite 13-15 mutations, the designed proteins maintain the original secondary structure by virtue of careful grafting based on structural informatics. Competitive binding assays and thermodynamic analyses of the best binders show that the binding mode resembles that of the GA module, suggesting that the contacting surface of the GA module is mimicked well on the designed protein. These results indicate that the designed protein may act as an alternative low-risk binding module to HSA. Furthermore, molecular surface grafting in combination with structural informatics is an effective approach for avoiding deleterious mutations on a target protein and for imparting the binding function of one protein onto another.

  17. Identification of a 48 kDa tubulin or tubulin-like C6/36 mosquito cells protein that binds dengue virus 2 using mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chee, H.-Y.; AbuBakar, Sazaly

    2004-01-01

    Binding of dengue virus 2 (DENV-2) to C6/36 mosquito cells protein was investigated. A 48 kDa DENV-2-binding C6/36 cells protein (D2BP) was detected in a virus overlay protein-binding assay. The binding occurred only to the C6/36 cells cytosolic protein fraction and it was inhibited by free D2BP. D2BP was shown to bind to DENV-2 E in the far-Western-binding studies and using mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/MS, peptide masses of the D2BP that matched to β-tubulin and α-tubulin chains were identified. These findings suggest that DENV-2 through DENV-2 E binds directly to a 48 kDa tubulin or tubulin-like protein of C6/36 mosquito cells

  18. Receptor Interacting Protein 3-Mediated Necroptosis Promotes Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linlin Wang

    Full Text Available Necrosis amplifies inflammation and plays important roles in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS. Necroptosis is a newly identified programmed necrosis that is mediated by receptor interacting protein 3 (RIP3. However, the potential involvement and impact of necroptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced ARDS remains unknown. We therefore explored the role and mechanism of RIP3-mediated necroptosis in LPS-induced ARDS. Mice were instilled with increasing doses of LPS intratracheally to induce different degrees of ARDS. Lung tissues were harvested for histological and TUNEL staining and western blot for RIP3, p-RIP3, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP, mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL, total and cleaved caspases-3/8. Then, wild-type and RIP3 knock-out mice were induced ARDS with 30 mg/kg LPS. Pulmonary cellular necrosis was labeled by the propidium Iodide (PI staining. Levels of TNF-a, Interleukin (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-1α, IL-10 and HMGB1, tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO activity, neutrophil counts and total protein concentration were measured. Results showed that in high dose LPS (30mg/kg and 40mg/kg -induced severe ARDS, RIP3 protein was increased significantly, accompanied by increases of p-RIP3 and MLKL, while in low dose LPS (10mg/kg and 20mg/kg -induced mild ARDS, apoptosis was remarkably increased. In LPS-induced severe ARDS, RIP3 knock-out alleviated the hypothermia symptom, increased survival rate and ameliorated the lung tissue injury RIP3 depletion also attenuated LPS-induced increase in IL-1α/β, IL-6 and HMGB1 release, decreased tissue MPO activity, and reduced neutrophil influx and total protein concentration in BALF in severe ARDS. Further, RIP3 depletion reduced the necrotic cells in the lung and decreased the expression of MLKL, but had no impact on cleaved caspase-3 in LPS-induced ARDS. It is concluded that RIP3-mediated necroptosis is a major mechanism of enhanced inflammation and lung tissue injury in

  19. Charomers-Interleukin-6 Receptor Specific Aptamers for Cellular Internalization and Targeted Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahn, Ulrich

    2017-12-06

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key player in inflammation and the main factor for the induction of acute phase protein biosynthesis. Further to its central role in many aspects of the immune system, IL-6 regulates a variety of homeostatic processes. To interfere with IL-6 dependent diseases, such as various autoimmune diseases or certain cancers like multiple myeloma or hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic inflammation, it might be a sensible strategy to target human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R) presenting cells with aptamers. We therefore have selected and characterized different DNA and RNA aptamers specifically binding IL-6R. These IL-6R aptamers, however, do not interfere with the IL-6 signaling pathway but are internalized with the receptor and thus can serve as vehicles for the delivery of different cargo molecules like therapeutics. We succeeded in the construction of a chlorin e6 derivatized aptamer to be delivered for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT). Furthermore, we were able to synthesize an aptamer intrinsically comprising the cytostatic 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxy-uridine for targeted chemotherapy. The α6β4 integrin specific DNA aptamer IDA, also selected in our laboratory is internalized, too. All these aptamers can serve as vehicles for targeted drug delivery into cells. We call them charomers-in memory of Charon, the ferryman in Greek mythology, who ferried the deceased into the underworld.

  20. Predicting protein-binding RNA nucleotides with consideration of binding partners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuvshinjargal, Narankhuu; Lee, Wook; Park, Byungkyu; Han, Kyungsook

    2015-06-01

    In recent years several computational methods have been developed to predict RNA-binding sites in protein. Most of these methods do not consider interacting partners of a protein, so they predict the same RNA-binding sites for a given protein sequence even if the protein binds to different RNAs. Unlike the problem of predicting RNA-binding sites in protein, the problem of predicting protein-binding sites in RNA has received little attention mainly because it is much more difficult and shows a lower accuracy on average. In our previous study, we developed a method that predicts protein-binding nucleotides from an RNA sequence. In an effort to improve the prediction accuracy and usefulness of the previous method, we developed a new method that uses both RNA and protein sequence data. In this study, we identified effective features of RNA and protein molecules and developed a new support vector machine (SVM) model to predict protein-binding nucleotides from RNA and protein sequence data. The new model that used both protein and RNA sequence data achieved a sensitivity of 86.5%, a specificity of 86.2%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 72.6%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 93.8% and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.69 in a 10-fold cross validation; it achieved a sensitivity of 58.8%, a specificity of 87.4%, a PPV of 65.1%, a NPV of 84.2% and MCC of 0.48 in independent testing. For comparative purpose, we built another prediction model that used RNA sequence data alone and ran it on the same dataset. In a 10 fold-cross validation it achieved a sensitivity of 85.7%, a specificity of 80.5%, a PPV of 67.7%, a NPV of 92.2% and MCC of 0.63; in independent testing it achieved a sensitivity of 67.7%, a specificity of 78.8%, a PPV of 57.6%, a NPV of 85.2% and MCC of 0.45. In both cross-validations and independent testing, the new model that used both RNA and protein sequences showed a better performance than the model that used RNA sequence data alone in

  1. The TULIP superfamily of eukaryotic lipid-binding proteins as a mediator of lipid sensing and transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alva, Vikram; Lupas, Andrei N

    2016-08-01

    The tubular lipid-binding (TULIP) superfamily has emerged in recent years as a major mediator of lipid sensing and transport in eukaryotes. It currently encompasses three protein families, SMP-like, BPI-like, and Takeout-like, which share a common fold. This fold consists of a long helix wrapped in a highly curved anti-parallel β-sheet, enclosing a central, lipophilic cavity. The SMP-like proteins, which include subunits of the ERMES complex and the extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts), appear to be mainly located at membrane contacts sites (MCSs) between organelles, mediating inter-organelle lipid exchange. The BPI-like proteins, which include the bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), the LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-binding protein (LBP), the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), and the phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP), are either involved in innate immunity against bacteria through their ability to sense lipopolysaccharides, as is the case for BPI and LBP, or in lipid exchange between lipoprotein particles, as is the case for CETP and PLTP. The Takeout-like proteins, which are comprised of insect juvenile hormone-binding proteins and arthropod allergens, transport, where known, lipid hormones to target tissues during insect development. In all cases, the activity of these proteins is underpinned by their ability to bind large, hydrophobic ligands in their central cavity and segregate them away from the aqueous environment. Furthermore, where they are involved in lipid exchange, recent structural studies have highlighted their ability to establish lipophilic, tubular channels, either between organelles in the case of SMP domains or between lipoprotein particles in the case of CETP. Here, we review the current knowledge on the structure, versatile functions, and evolution of the TULIP superfamily. We propose a deep evolutionary split in this superfamily, predating the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor, between the SMP-like proteins, which act on

  2. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein stimulates CD14-dependent Toll-like receptor 4 internalization and LPS-induced TBK1-IKKϵ-IRF3 axis activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsukamoto, Hiroki; Takeuchi, Shino; Kubota, Kanae; Kobayashi, Yohei; Kozakai, Sao; Ukai, Ippo; Shichiku, Ayumi; Okubo, Misaki; Numasaki, Muneo; Kanemitsu, Yoshitomi; Matsumoto, Yotaro; Nochi, Tomonori; Watanabe, Kouichi; Aso, Hisashi; Tomioka, Yoshihisa

    2018-05-14

    Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an indispensable immune receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major component of the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall. Following LPS stimulation, TLR4 transmits the signal from the cell surface and becomes internalized in an endosome. However, the spatial regulation of TLR4 signaling is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of LPS-induced TLR4 internalization and clarified the roles of the extracellular LPS-binding molecules, LPS-binding protein (LBP), and glycerophosphatidylinositol-anchored protein (CD14). LPS stimulation of CD14-expressing cells induced TLR4 internalization in the presence of serum, and an inhibitory anti-LBP mAb blocked its internalization. Addition of LBP to serum-free cultures restored LPS-induced TLR4 internalization to comparable levels of serum. The secretory form of the CD14 (sCD14) induced internalization but required a much higher concentration than LBP. An inhibitory anti-sCD14 mAb was ineffective for serum-mediated internalization. LBP lacking the domain for LPS transfer to CD14 and a CD14 mutant with reduced LPS binding both attenuated TLR4 internalization. Accordingly, LBP is an essential serum molecule for TLR4 internalization, and its LPS transfer to membrane-anchored CD14 (mCD14) is a prerequisite. LBP induced the LPS-stimulated phosphorylation of TBK1, IKKϵ, and IRF3, leading to IFN-β expression. However, LPS-stimulated late activation of NFκB or necroptosis were not affected. Collectively, our results indicate that LBP controls LPS-induced TLR4 internalization, which induces TLR adaptor molecule 1 (TRIF)-dependent activation of the TBK1-IKKϵ-IRF3-IFN-β pathway. In summary, we showed that LBP-mediated LPS transfer to mCD14 is required for serum-dependent TLR4 internalization and activation of the TRIF pathway. Copyright © 2018, The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  3. Evolutionary conservation of the lipopolysaccharide binding site of β₂-glycoprotein I

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ağar, Çetin; de Groot, Philip G.; Marquart, J. Arnoud; Meijers, Joost C. M.

    2011-01-01

    β₂-Glycoprotein I (β₂GPI) is a highly abundant plasma protein and the major antigen for autoantibodies in the antiphospholipid syndrome. Recently, we have described a novel function of β₂GPI as scavenger of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). With this in mind we investigated the conservation of β₂GPI in

  4. High-pressure EPR spectroscopy studies of the E. coli lipopolysaccharide transport proteins LptA and LptC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Kathryn M; Klug, Candice S

    2017-12-01

    The use of pressure is an advantageous approach to the study of protein structure and dynamics because it can shift the equilibrium populations of protein conformations toward higher energy states that are not of sufficient population to be observable at atmospheric pressure. Recently, the Hubbell group at the University of California, Los Angeles, reintroduced the application of high pressure to the study of proteins by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. This methodology is possible using X-band EPR spectroscopy due to advances in pressure intensifiers, sample cells, and resonators. In addition to the commercial availability of the pressure generation and sample cells by Pressure Biosciences Inc., a five-loop-four-gap resonator required for the initial high pressure EPR spectroscopy experiments by the Hubbell group, and those reported here, was designed by James S. Hyde and built and modified at the National Biomedical EPR Center. With these technological advances, we determined the effect of pressure on the essential periplasmic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transport protein from Escherichia coli , LptA, and one of its binding partners, LptC. LptA unfolds from the N-terminus to the C-terminus, binding of LPS does not appreciably stabilize the protein under pressure, and monomeric LptA unfolds somewhat more readily than oligomeric LptA upon pressurization to 2 kbar. LptC exhibits a fold and relative lack of stability upon LPS binding similar to LptA, yet adopts an altered, likely monomeric, folded conformation under pressure with only its C-terminus unraveling. The pressure-induced changes likely correlate with functional changes associated with binding and transport of LPS.

  5. Interleukin 1B variant -1473G/C (rs1143623) influences triglyceride and interleukin 6 metabolism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Interleukin 1b (IL1B or IL-1ß), is a key modulator of the immune response which exerts its functions mainly via interleukin 6 (IL6) regulation. Fatty meals cause transient hypertriglyceridemia and are considered to be proinflammatory, but the extent of these responses shows high interindividual susc...

  6. Fragment-based quantum mechanical calculation of protein-protein binding affinities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yaqian; Liu, Jinfeng; Li, Jinjin; He, Xiao

    2018-04-29

    The electrostatically embedded generalized molecular fractionation with conjugate caps (EE-GMFCC) method has been successfully utilized for efficient linear-scaling quantum mechanical (QM) calculation of protein energies. In this work, we applied the EE-GMFCC method for calculation of binding affinity of Endonuclease colicin-immunity protein complex. The binding free energy changes between the wild-type and mutants of the complex calculated by EE-GMFCC are in good agreement with experimental results. The correlation coefficient (R) between the predicted binding energy changes and experimental values is 0.906 at the B3LYP/6-31G*-D level, based on the snapshot whose binding affinity is closest to the average result from the molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) calculation. The inclusion of the QM effects is important for accurate prediction of protein-protein binding affinities. Moreover, the self-consistent calculation of PB solvation energy is required for accurate calculations of protein-protein binding free energies. This study demonstrates that the EE-GMFCC method is capable of providing reliable prediction of relative binding affinities for protein-protein complexes. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Changes in serum interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and thrombomodulin levels under periodontal ultrasonic debridement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ushida, Yuka; Koshy, Geena; Kawashima, Yoko; Kiji, Makoto; Umeda, Makoto; Nitta, Hiroshi; Nagasawa, Toshiyuki; Ishikawa, Isao; Izumi, Yuichi

    2008-11-01

    This study aimed to compare the effect of single-visit full-mouth mechanical debridement (FMD) and quadrant-wise mechanical debridement (QMD) on the levels of serum interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP) and soluble thrombomodulin. Thirty-six subjects with chronic periodontitis were randomly allocated to three groups: undergoing QMD, single-visit FMD with povidone iodine or with water. Serum IL-6 and soluble thrombomodulin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum CRP was measured by the latex-enhanced nephelometric method. Serum IL-6 level increased significantly immediately after debridement in all the three groups, with this increase being greatest in the full-mouth groups. However, the increase in the full-mouth groups was not significantly higher than that of quadrant-wise group. In the quadrant-wise group, serum IL-6 level decreased significantly 1 month after debridement compared with baseline. Serum-soluble thrombomodulin decreased significantly in the full-mouth groups but not in the quadrant-wise group. Changes in CRP level were not significant at baseline or after debridement in all the three groups. FMD increased serum IL-6 and reduced serum-soluble thrombomodulin to a greater extent than QMD, suggesting that the former technique has stronger transient effects on systemic vascular endothelial functions than the latter.

  8. Bigelovii A Protects against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Blocking NF-κB and CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein δ Pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunguang Yan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Optimal methods are applied to acute lung injury (ALI and the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS, but the mortality rate is still high. Accordingly, further studies dedicated to identify novel therapeutic approaches to ALI are urgently needed. Bigelovii A is a new natural product and may exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, we sought to investigate its effect on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS- induced ALI and the underlying mechanisms. We found that LPS-induced ALI was significantly alleviated by Bigelovii A treatment, characterized by reduction of proinflammatory mediator production, neutrophil infiltration, and lung permeability. Furthermore, Bigelovii A also downregulated LPS-stimulated inflammatory mediator expressions in vitro. Moreover, both NF-κB and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein δ (C/EBPδ activation were obviously attenuated by Bigelovii A treatment. Additionally, phosphorylation of both p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 (upstream signals of C/EBPδ activation in response to LPS challenge was also inhibited by Bigelovii A. Therefore, Bigelovii A could attenuate LPS-induced inflammation by suppression of NF-κB, inflammatory mediators, and p38 MAPK/ERK1/2—C/EBPδ, inflammatory mediators signaling pathways, which provide a novel theoretical basis for the possible application of Bigelovii A in clinic.

  9. The Structural Basis for Lipid and Endotoxin Binding in RP105-MD-1, and Consequences for Regulation of Host Lipopolysaccharide Sensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz-Suarez, Maite L; Bond, Peter J

    2016-01-05

    MD-1 is a member of the MD-2-related lipid-recognition (ML) family, and associates with RP105, a cell-surface protein that resembles Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). The RP105⋅MD-1 complex has been proposed to play a role in fine-tuning the innate immune response to endotoxin such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) via TLR4⋅MD-2, but controversy surrounds its mechanism. We have used atomically detailed simulations to reveal the structural basis for ligand binding and consequent functional dynamics of MD-1 and the RP105 complex. We rationalize reports of endogenous phospholipid binding, by showing that they prevent collapse of the malleable MD-1 fold, before refining crystallographic models and uncovering likely binding modes for LPS analogs. Subsequent binding affinity calculations reveal that endotoxin specificity arises from the entropic cost of expanding the MD-1 cavity to accommodate bulky lipid tails, and support the role of MD-1 as a "sink" that sequesters endotoxin from TLR4 and stabilizes RP105/TLR4 interactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Glucose-6-phosphate mediates activation of the carbohydrate responsive binding protein (ChREBP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Ming V.; Chen, Weiqin; Harmancey, Romain N.; Nuotio-Antar, Alli M.; Imamura, Minako; Saha, Pradip; Taegtmeyer, Heinrich; Chan, Lawrence

    2010-01-01

    Carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) is a Mondo family transcription factor that activates a number of glycolytic and lipogenic genes in response to glucose stimulation. We have previously reported that high glucose can activate the transcriptional activity of ChREBP independent of the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-mediated increase in nuclear entry and DNA binding. Here, we found that formation of glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) is essential for glucose activation of ChREBP. The glucose response of GAL4-ChREBP is attenuated by D-mannoheptulose, a potent hexokinase inhibitor, as well as over-expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase); kinetics of activation of GAL4-ChREBP can be modified by exogenously expressed GCK. Further metabolism of G-6-P through the two major glucose metabolic pathways, glycolysis and pentose-phosphate pathway, is not required for activation of ChREBP; over-expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) diminishes, whereas RNAi knockdown of the enzyme enhances, the glucose response of GAL4-ChREBP, respectively. Moreover, the glucose analogue 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG), which is phosphorylated by hexokinase, but not further metabolized, effectively upregulates the transcription activity of ChREBP. In addition, over-expression of phosphofructokinase (PFK) 1 and 2, synergistically diminishes the glucose response of GAL4-ChREBP. These multiple lines of evidence support the conclusion that G-6-P mediates the activation of ChREBP.

  11. Anti-inflammatory effects of ursodeoxycholic acid by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan-Kyu Ko

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA in lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.We induced an inflammatory process in RAW 264.7 macrophages using LPS. The anti-inflammatory effects of UDCA on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages were analyzed using nitric oxide (NO. Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. The phosphorylations of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK, and p38 in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK signaling pathways and nuclear factor kappa-light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκBα signaling pathways were evaluated by western blot assays.UDCA decreased the LPS-stimulated release of the inflammatory mediator NO. UDCA also decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin 1-α (IL-1α, interleukin 1-β (IL-1β, and interleukin 6 (IL-6 in mRNA and protein levels. In addition, UDCA increased an anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10 in the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. UDCA inhibited the expression of inflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, UDCA suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 signals related to inflammatory pathways. In addition, the phosphorylation of IκBα, the inhibitor of NF-κB, also inhibited by UDCA.UDCA inhibits the pro-inflammatory responses by LPS in RAW 264.7 macrophages. UDCA also suppresses the phosphorylation by LPS on ERK, JNK, and p38 in MAPKs and NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that UDCA can serve as a useful anti-inflammatory drug.

  12. Enhanced interleukin-8 production in THP-1 human monocytic cells by lipopolysaccharide from oral microorganisms and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baqui, A A; Meiller, T F; Falkler, W A

    1999-10-01

    Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been used to assist in bone marrow recovery during cancer chemotherapy. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) plays an important role in macrophage mediated inflammatory processes including exacerbation of periodontal diseases, one of the most common complications in GM-CSF receiving cancer patients. The effect of GM-CSF supplementation on IL-8 production was investigated in a human monocyte cell line THP-1, stimulated with lipopolysaccharide extracted from two oral microorganisms, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Resting THP-1 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (1 microgram/ml) of P. gingivalis or F. nucleatum and/or GM-CSF (50 IU/ml) for varying time periods. The production of IL-8 in THP-1 cells was measured by a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A very low level of the cytokine IL-8 was produced constitutive in THP-1 cells. Starting from 8 h of treatment and afterwards GM-CSF alone significantly increased IL-8 production in THP-1 cells. Lipopolysaccharide (1 microgram/ml) extracts from either F. nucleatum or P. gingivalis amplified IL-8 production 500-800 times in comparison to resting THP-1 cells. When lipopolysaccharide of F. nucleatum or P. gingivalis was supplemented with 50 IU/ml of GM-CSF, there was a statistically significant enhanced production of IL-8 by THP-1 cells after 1 day to 7 days of treatment as compared with lipopolysaccharide treatment alone. GM-CSF (50 IU/ml) also significantly increased IL-8 production from 2-7 days of treatment of THP-1 cells when supplemented with a positive control, phorbol-12-myristate-13 acetate (PMA), as compared to PMA treatment alone. These investigations using the in vitro THP-1 human monocyte cell model indicate that there may be an increase in the response on a cellular level to oral endotoxin following GM-CSF therapy as evidenced by enhanced production of the tissue-reactive inflammatory cytokine, IL-8.

  13. [Insertional mutation in the AZOBR_p60120 gene is accompanied by defects in the synthesis of lipopolysaccharide and calcofluor-binding polysaccharides in the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Sp245].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katsy, E I; Prilipov, A G

    2015-03-01

    In the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Sp245, extracellular calcofluor-binding polysaccharides (Cal+ phenotype) and two types of lipopolysaccharides, LPSI and LPSII, were previously identified. These lipopolysaccharides share the same repeating O-polysaccharide unit but have different antigenic structures and different charges of their O-polysaccharides and/or core oligosaccharides. Several dozens of predicted genes involved in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides have been localized in the AZOBR_p6 plasmid of strain Sp245 (GenBank accession no. HE577333). In the present work, it was demonstrated that an artificial transposon Omegon-Km had inserted into the central region of the AZOBR_p60120 gene in the A. brasilense Sp245 LPSI- Cal- KM252 mutant. In A. brasilense strain Sp245, this plasmid gene encodes a putative glycosyltransferase containing conserved domains characteristic of the enzymes participating in the synthesis of O-polysaccharides and capsular polysaccharides (accession no. YP004987664). In mutant KM252, a respective predicted protein is expected to be completely inactivated. As a result of the analysis of the EcoRI fragment of the AZOBR_p6 plasmid, encompassing the AZOBR_p60120 gene and a number of other loci, novel data on the structure of AZOBR_p6 were obtained: an approximately 5-kb gap (GenBank accession no. KM189439) was closed in the nucleotide sequence of this plasmid.

  14. The effect of periodontal treatment on serum leptin, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimada, Yasuko; Komatsu, Yasutaka; Ikezawa-Suzuki, Ikuyo; Tai, Hideaki; Sugita, Noriko; Yoshie, Hiromasa

    2010-08-01

    Previous studies suggest that periodontitis is closely related to obesity and metabolic syndrome. Leptin, a pleiotrophic hormone produced by adipose tissue, has been reported to be related to periodontitis. This study investigates the effects of periodontal treatment on the serum levels of leptin and other cytokines in patients with chronic periodontitis (CP). Serum samples were taken from 33 CP patients (22 non-smokers, 11 smokers) and 18 healthy subjects. The serum leptin, adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured before and after non-surgical periodontal treatment. Significant differences between healthy and CP patients were found in serum leptin, IL-6, and CRP levels (P = 0.0018, P = 0.0064, and P = 0.0095, respectively). The serum leptin level was associated with mean probing depth, mean clinical attachment level, mean alveolar bone loss, and body mass index. There were significant associations between serum leptin levels and IL-6 and CRP levels. After non-surgical periodontal treatment, serum leptin, IL-6, and CRP levels were significantly decreased (mean +/- SD before and after, P value, respectively: leptin, 8.02 +/- 5.5, 7.10 +/- 4.4, P = 0.015; IL-6, 1.73 +/- 1.02, 1.36 +/- 0.73, P = 0.048; and CRP, 802.0 +/- 1065, 491.2 +/- 479.3, P = 0.047). Periodontal treatment is effective in reducing serum leptin, IL-6, and CRP levels. The results suggest that leptin, IL-6, and CRP could be mediating factors that connect metabolic syndrome and periodontitis.

  15. Lipopolysaccharide aggravated DOI-induced Tourette syndrome: elaboration for recurrence of Tourette syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hongyan, Long; Zhenyang, Si; Chunyan, Wang; Qingqing, Pan

    2017-12-01

    Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by highest familial recurrence rate among neuropsychiatric diseases with complicated inheritance. Recurrence of Tourette syndrome was frequently observed in clinical. Unexpectedly, the mechanism of recurrence of Tourette syndrome was failure to elucidate. Here, we first shown that lipopolysaccharide(LPS) may played an important role in the recurrence of Tourette syndrome. The TS model in rats was induced by DOI (the selective 5-HT2A/2C agonist 1-(2, 5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl) -2- aminopropane). The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:(1)Control;(2) Control + LPS; (2)TS; (3)TS + LPS. The results demonstrated that the LPS treatment significantly increased stereotypic score and autonomic activity. LPS treatment also significantly increased inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum and striatum. Also, highly expressed TLR4, MyD88, P-NF-κBp65, P-IκBα in TS rats were increased respectively by LPS treatment as indicted in western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry analysis. Thus, it was supposed that lipopolysaccharide(LPS) may played an important role in the recurrence of Tourette syndrome and its mechanism was related to TLR/NF-κB pathway.

  16. Evidence of substance P autocrine circuitry that involves TNF-α, IL-6, and PGE2 in endogenous pyrogen-induced fever.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brito, Haissa Oliveira; Barbosa, Felipe L; Reis, Renata Cristiane Dos; Fraga, Daniel; Borges, Beatriz S; Franco, Celia R C; Zampronio, Aleksander Roberto

    2016-04-15

    Substance P (SP) is involved in fever that is induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) but not by interleukin-1β or macrophage inflammatory protein-1α. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonist SR140333B in rats reduced fever that was induced by an i.c.v. injection of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and morphine (MOR). Furthermore, an i.c.v. injection of SP induced a febrile response that was inhibited by indomethacin concomitant with an increase in PGE2 levels in cerebrospinal fluid. Lipopolysaccharide and PGE2 caused higher expression and internalization of NK1 receptors in the hypothalamus which were prevented by SR140333B. These data suggest that SP is an important mediator of fever, in which it induces a prostaglandin-dependent response and is released after TNF-α, IL-6, PGE2, CRF, endogenous opioids, and ET-1. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Charomers—Interleukin-6 Receptor Specific Aptamers for Cellular Internalization and Targeted Drug Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key player in inflammation and the main factor for the induction of acute phase protein biosynthesis. Further to its central role in many aspects of the immune system, IL-6 regulates a variety of homeostatic processes. To interfere with IL-6 dependent diseases, such as various autoimmune diseases or certain cancers like multiple myeloma or hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic inflammation, it might be a sensible strategy to target human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R) presenting cells with aptamers. We therefore have selected and characterized different DNA and RNA aptamers specifically binding IL-6R. These IL-6R aptamers, however, do not interfere with the IL-6 signaling pathway but are internalized with the receptor and thus can serve as vehicles for the delivery of different cargo molecules like therapeutics. We succeeded in the construction of a chlorin e6 derivatized aptamer to be delivered for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT). Furthermore, we were able to synthesize an aptamer intrinsically comprising the cytostatic 5-Fluoro-2′-deoxy-uridine for targeted chemotherapy. The α6β4 integrin specific DNA aptamer IDA, also selected in our laboratory is internalized, too. All these aptamers can serve as vehicles for targeted drug delivery into cells. We call them charomers—in memory of Charon, the ferryman in Greek mythology, who ferried the deceased into the underworld. PMID:29211023

  18. Charomers—Interleukin-6 Receptor Specific Aptamers for Cellular Internalization and Targeted Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich Hahn

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Interleukin-6 (IL-6 is a key player in inflammation and the main factor for the induction of acute phase protein biosynthesis. Further to its central role in many aspects of the immune system, IL-6 regulates a variety of homeostatic processes. To interfere with IL-6 dependent diseases, such as various autoimmune diseases or certain cancers like multiple myeloma or hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic inflammation, it might be a sensible strategy to target human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R presenting cells with aptamers. We therefore have selected and characterized different DNA and RNA aptamers specifically binding IL-6R. These IL-6R aptamers, however, do not interfere with the IL-6 signaling pathway but are internalized with the receptor and thus can serve as vehicles for the delivery of different cargo molecules like therapeutics. We succeeded in the construction of a chlorin e6 derivatized aptamer to be delivered for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT. Furthermore, we were able to synthesize an aptamer intrinsically comprising the cytostatic 5-Fluoro-2′-deoxy-uridine for targeted chemotherapy. The α6β4 integrin specific DNA aptamer IDA, also selected in our laboratory is internalized, too. All these aptamers can serve as vehicles for targeted drug delivery into cells. We call them charomers—in memory of Charon, the ferryman in Greek mythology, who ferried the deceased into the underworld.

  19. The occurrence of gibberellin-binding protein(s) in pea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Z.H.

    1988-01-01

    In vitro gibberellin (GA) binding properties of a cytosol fraction from epicotyls of dwarf pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Progress No. 9) and tall pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) were investigated using ({sup 3}H)GA{sub 4} in a DEAE filter paper assay at 0-3 C. The binding obtained is saturable, reversible, and temperature labile in dwarf pea, and has a half-life of dissociation of 5-6 min. By varying the concentration of ({sup 3}H)GA{sub 4} in the incubation medium the Kd was estimated to be 120-140 nM in dwarf pea and 70 nM in tall pea. The number of binding sites (n) was estimated to be 0.66 and 0.43 pmole mg{sup {minus}1} soluble protein in dwarf pea and in tall pea, respectively. In competition binding assays, biologically active GAs, such as GA{sub 3} and GA{sub 4} could reduce the level of ({sup 3}H)GA{sub 4} binding much more than the biologically inactive GA{sub 4} methyl ester and epi-GA{sub 4}. Changes in gibberellin-binding protein(s) were studied during seed germination. While the Kd of the binding protein(s) for ({sup 3}H)GA{sub 4} remained the same, there was a marked increase in the number of binding sites from 24 h soaked seed to 8-day old seedlings. Also, the Kd and the number of binding sites in the GA-responsive apical part and in the nonresponsive basal part in the epicotyl were similar. The effect of light on gibberellin-binding protein in dwarf pea was also studied. The GA-binding protein in dwarf pea was partially purified by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography.

  20. Retinoid-binding proteins: similar protein architectures bind similar ligands via completely different ways.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Ru Zhang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Retinoids are a class of compounds that are chemically related to vitamin A, which is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in vision, cell growth and differentiation. In vivo, retinoids must bind with specific proteins to perform their necessary functions. Plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP and epididymal retinoic acid binding protein (ERABP carry retinoids in bodily fluids, while cellular retinol-binding proteins (CRBPs and cellular retinoic acid-binding proteins (CRABPs carry retinoids within cells. Interestingly, although all of these transport proteins possess similar structures, the modes of binding for the different retinoid ligands with their carrier proteins are different. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this work, we analyzed the various retinoid transport mechanisms using structure and sequence comparisons, binding site analyses and molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that in the same family of proteins and subcellular location, the orientation of a retinoid molecule within a binding protein is same, whereas when different families of proteins are considered, the orientation of the bound retinoid is completely different. In addition, none of the amino acid residues involved in ligand binding is conserved between the transport proteins. However, for each specific binding protein, the amino acids involved in the ligand binding are conserved. The results of this study allow us to propose a possible transport model for retinoids. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results reveal the differences in the binding modes between the different retinoid-binding proteins.

  1. Interleukin-6 downregulated vascular smooth muscle cell contractile proteins via ATG4B-mediated autophagy in thoracic aortic dissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Zhao; Qiao, Fan; Lu, Qijue; Ma, Ye; Liu, Yang; Lu, Fanglin; Xu, Zhiyun

    2017-12-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) overexpression played an important role in the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic dissection (TAD). Our previous study found enhanced autophagy accompanying with contractile proteins α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and smooth muscle 22α (SM22α) degradation in TAD aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Autophagy is an important way for intracellular proteins degradation, while IL-6 has been found as a contributing factor of autophagy in some cancers. These indicated IL-6 might contribute to the occurrence of TAD by promoting autophagy-induced contractile proteins degradation, which has not been investigated. The aim of the present study is to verify this hypothesis and investigate the mechanism of it. We collected 10 TAD and 10 control aortic specimens from patients underwent TAD surgical repair and coronary artery bypass grafting, respectively. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect mRNA expression. Protein expression level was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta overexpression adenovirus with green and red fluorescent protein tags and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect autophagy level in VSMCs. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine were used to block autophagy in human VSMCs. Experiment results showed that the expression of IL-6 was significantly increased accompanying with up-regulated autophagy in TAD aortic wall compared with controls. In vitro results showed that IL-6 stimulation decreased the expression of VSMCs contractile proteins α-SMA and SM22α accompanying with up-regulated autophagy. Blocking autophagy with 3-MA or chloroquine inhibited IL-6 induced α-SMA and SM22α degradation. Further investigation showed that autophagy-related 4B cysteine peptidase (ATG4B) was significantly overexpressed in TAD aortic wall and played important role in IL-6 induced autophagy up

  2. Circulating serum interleukin-6, serum chitinase-3-like protein-1, and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor are not predictive for remission and radiographic progression in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brahe, C H; Dehlendorff, C; Østergaard, M

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum chitinase-3-like protein-1 (YKL-40), and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as measures of disease activity and predictors of clinical remission and radiographic progression in two early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) randomized...

  3. Interleukin-1 receptors in mouse brain: Characterization and neuronal localization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takao, T.; Tracey, D.E.; Mitchell, W.M.; De Souza, E.B.

    1990-01-01

    The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) has a variety of effects in brain, including induction of fever, alteration of slow wave sleep, and alteration of neuroendocrine activity. To examine the potential sites of action of IL-1 in brain, we used iodine-125-labeled recombinant human interleukin-1 [( 125I]IL-1) to identify and characterize IL-1 receptors in crude membrane preparations of mouse (C57BL/6) hippocampus and to study the distribution of IL-1-binding sites in brain using autoradiography. In preliminary homogenate binding and autoradiographic studies, [125I]IL-1 alpha showed significantly higher specific binding than [125I]IL-1 beta. Thus, [125I]IL-1 alpha was used in all subsequent assays. The binding of [125I]IL-1 alpha was linear over a broad range of membrane protein concentrations, saturable, reversible, and of high affinity, with an equilibrium dissociation constant value of 114 +/- 35 pM and a maximum number of binding sites of 2.5 +/- 0.4 fmol/mg protein. In competition studies, recombinant human IL-1 alpha, recombinant human IL-1 beta, and a weak IL-1 beta analog. IL-1 beta +, inhibited [125I]IL-1 alpha binding to mouse hippocampus in parallel with their relative bioactivities in the T-cell comitogenesis assay, with inhibitory binding affinity constants of 55 +/- 18, 76 +/- 20, and 2940 +/- 742 pM, respectively; rat/human CRF and human tumor necrosis factor showed no effect on [125I]IL-1 alpha binding. Autoradiographic localization studies revealed very low densities of [125I]IL-1 alpha-binding sites throughout the brain, with highest densities present in the molecular and granular layers of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and in the choroid plexus. Quinolinic acid lesion studies demonstrated that the [125I]IL-1 alpha-binding sites in the hippocampus were localized to intrinsic neurons

  4. Lipopolysaccharide Membranes and Membrane Proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Studied by Computer Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Straatsma, TP

    2006-12-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental Gram-negative bacterium with high metabolic versatility and an exceptional ability to adapt to a wide range of ecological environments, including soil, marches, coastal habitats, plant and animal tissues. Gram-negative microbes are characterized by the asymmetric lipopolysaccharide outer membrane, the study of which is important for a number of applications. The adhesion to mineral surfaces plays a central role in characterizing their contribution to the fate of contaminants in complex environmental systems by effecting microbial transport through soils, respiration redox chemistry, and ion mobility. Another important application stems from the fact that it is also a major opportunistic human pathogen that can result in life-threatening infections in many immunocompromised patients, such as lung infections in children with cystic fibrosis, bacteraemia in burn victims, urinary-tract infections in catheterized patients, hospital-acquired pneumonia in patients on respirators, infections in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and keratitis and corneal ulcers in users of extended-wear soft contact lenses. The inherent resistance against antibiotics which has been linked with the specific interactions in the outer membrane of P. aeruginosa makes these infections difficult to treat. Developments in simulation methodologies as well as computer hardware have enabled the molecular simulation of biological systems of increasing size and with increasing accuracy, providing detail that is difficult or impossible to obtain experimentally. Computer simulation studies contribute to our understanding of the behavior of proteins, protein-protein and protein-DNA complexes. In recent years, a number of research groups have made significant progress in applying these methods to the study of biological membranes. However, these applications have been focused exclusively on lipid bilayer membranes and on membrane proteins in lipid

  5. Adjunctive N-acetylcysteine in depression: exploration of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasebe, Kyoko; Gray, Laura; Bortolasci, Chiara; Panizzutti, Bruna; Mohebbi, Mohammadreza; Kidnapillai, Srisaiyini; Spolding, Briana; Walder, Ken; Berk, Michael; Malhi, Gin; Dodd, Seetal; Dean, Olivia M

    2017-12-01

    This study aimed to explore effects of adjunctive N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment on inflammatory and neurogenesis markers in unipolar depression. We embarked on a 12-week clinical trial of NAC (2000 mg/day compared with placebo) as an adjunctive treatment for unipolar depression. A follow-up visit was conducted 4 weeks following the completion of treatment. We collected serum samples at baseline and the end of the treatment phase (week 12) to determine changes in interleukin-6 (IL6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) following NAC treatment. NAC treatment significantly improved depressive symptoms on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) over 16 weeks of the trial. Serum levels of IL6 were associated with reductions of MADRS scores independent of treatment response. However, we found no significant changes in IL6, CRP and BDNF levels following NAC treatment. Overall, this suggests that our results failed to support the hypothesis that IL6, CRP and BDNF are directly involved in the therapeutic mechanism of NAC in depression. IL6 may be a useful marker for future exploration of treatment response.

  6. [POEMS syndrome: role and value of interleukin-6].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrès, E; Courouau, F; Kaltenbach, G; Maloisel, F; Imler, M

    1996-01-01

    POEMS syndrome is a systemic disorder with peripheral neuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy and skin changes. The association of POEMS syndrome with lympho-proliferative disorder is very commun. The pathogenesis remains poorly understood but implication of cytokines (interleukins 1 and 6) is suspected. We report a case of a classic POEMS syndrome (with polyneuropathy, hepatomegaly, diabetes melitus, hyperpigmentation, monoclonal IgG lambda, anasarca and solitary plasmocytoma), associated with high serum levels of interleukin 6.

  7. Chlorin e6 Conjugated Interleukin-6 Receptor Aptamers Selectively Kill Target Cells Upon Irradiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven Kruspe

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Photodynamic therapy (PDT uses the therapeutic properties of light in combination with certain chemicals, called photosensitizers, to successfully treat brain, breast, prostate, and skin cancers. To improve PDT, current research focuses on the development of photosensitizers to specifically target cancer cells. In the past few years, aptamers have been developed to directly deliver cargo molecules into target cells. We conjugated the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (ce6 with a human interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R binding RNA aptamer, AIR-3A yielding AIR-3A-ce6 for application in high efficient PDT. AIR-3A-ce6 was rapidly and specifically internalized by IL-6R presenting (IL-6R+ cells. Upon light irradiation, targeted cells were selectively killed, while free ce6 did not show any toxic effect. Cells lacking the IL-6R were also not affected by AIR-3A-ce6. With this approach, we improved the target specificity of ce6-mediated PDT. In the future, other tumor-specific aptamers might be used to selectively localize photosensitizers into cells of interest and improve the efficacy and specificity of PDT in cancer and other diseases.

  8. THE CHANGES IN LEVEL OF 8-ENDORPHIN, INTERLEUKIN-2, INTERLEUKIN-4, INTERLEUKIN-6, IMUNOGLOBULIN AND CORTISOL HORMONE ON PRACTICES OF BRETHING EXERCISE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rumpis Agus Sudarku

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: the study was to reveal the changes of immunity at breathing exercises. This was an experimental study. With randomized pre-posttest control group design. Methods: The population were students of MA Mu'alimin, in Yogyakarta. Respondents were 15 students for each groups. The unit analysis were data analysis from blood taken from vena cubiti. The dependent variables were levels of IL 6, IL 4, IL 2, cortisol, Beta Endorphin, and lgG. The training programme was conducted in 7 weeks, 3 times per week, sub maximal intensity, and 6 sets per session. The laboratory vanable were the ELISA method. Results: Manova test were p: 0,000 Implied that there were differences (Wilk Lambda pinterleukin 6 (0.367 while the other variables had less significant relation. Discriminator variables representing the function contributed to every discriminator of modulation immunity were beta endorphin, interleukin 6 and interleukin 4. Hence, beta endorphin had the strongest contribution to the increase of body immunity compared with other variables. Conclusion: Breathing exercises could increase physical fitness and impenetrability of proven body manifestly. Breathing exercise increased beta endorphin, immunoglobulin G and interleukin 6, while interleukin 2 and interleukin 4 did not increase Cortisol level did not decrease stgnificantly but there was an indication of level of cortisol decrease. Immunity modulator which caused breathing exercise stressor got by 3 groups with strong contribution on the basis concept of psychoneuroimmunologic. Key words: breathing exercise, immunity, modulation

  9. 2',4-Dihydroxy-3',4',6'-trimethoxychalcone from Chromolaena odorata possesses anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of NF-κB and p38 MAPK in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhar, Rana; Kimseng, Rungruedee; Chokchaisiri, Ratchanaporn; Hiransai, Poonsit; Utaipan, Tanyarath; Suksamrarn, Apichart; Chunglok, Warangkana

    2018-02-01

    Immune dysregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Macrophages play a crucial role contributing to the onset, progression, and resolution of inflammation. Macrophage inflammatory mediators are of considerable interest as potential targets to treat inflammatory diseases. The present study was conducted to elucidate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of 2',4-dihydroxy-3',4',6'-trimethoxychalcone (1), the major chalcone isolated from Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M.King & H.Rob, against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Cell viability, nitric oxide (NO), and proinflammatory cytokines of LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells were measured by MTT, Griess, and ELISA assays, respectively. Cell lysates were subjected to Western blotting for investigation of protein expression. Treatment with the major chalcone 1 significantly attenuated the production of NO and proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in a dose-dependent manner. The chalcone suppressed nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) stimulation by preventing activation of inhibitor κB kinase (IKK) α/β, degradation of inhibitor κB (IκB) α, and translocation of p65 NF-κB into the nucleus. Additionally, the chalcone markedly repressed the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), but no further inhibition was detected for c-Jun N-terminal activated kinases or extracellular regulated kinases. Thus, suppression of NF-κB and p38 MAPK activation may be the core mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory activity of 2',4-dihydroxy-3',4',6'-trimethoxychalcone (1). These findings provide evidence that 2',4-dihydroxy-3',4',6'-trimethoxychalcone (1) possesses anti-inflammatory activity via targeting proinflammatory macrophages. This anti-inflammatory chalcone is a promising compound for reducing inflammation.

  10. Involvement of interleukin-23 induced by Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide in osteoclastogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Nan; Yang, Di; Okamura, Hirohiko; Teramachi, Jumpei; Hasegawa, Tomokazu; Qiu, Lihong; Haneji, Tatsuji

    2017-01-01

    Periapical lesions are characterized by the destruction of periapical bone, and occur as a result of local inflammatory responses to root canal infection by microorganisms including Porphyromonas endodontalis (P. endodontalis). P. endodontalis and its primary virulence factor, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), are associated with the development of periapical lesions and alveolar bone loss. Interleukin-23 (IL-23) is critical in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease via effects on peripheral bone metabolism. The present study investigated the expression of IL-23 in tissue where a periapical lesion was present, and the effect of P. endodontalis LPS on the expression of IL-23 in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. Reverse transcription- quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry revealed increased levels of IL-23 expression in tissue with periapical lesions compared with healthy PDL tissue. Treatment with P. endodontalis LPS increased the expression of IL-23 in the SH-9 human PDL cell line. BAY11-7082, a nuclear factor κB inhibitor, suppressed P. endodontalis LPS-induced IL-23 expression in SH-9 cells. Treatment of RAW264.7 cells with conditioned medium from P. endodontalis LPS-treated SH-9 cells promoted osteoclastogenesis. By contrast, RAW264.7 cells treated with conditioned medium from IL-23-knockdown SH-9 cells underwent reduced levels of osteoclastogenesis. The results of the present study indicated that the expression of IL-23 in PDL cells induced by P. endodontalis LPS treatment may be involved in the progression of periapical lesions via stimulation of the osteoclastogenesis process. PMID:28000855

  11. Lipopolysaccharide attenuates induction of pro-allergic cytokines, thymic stromal lymphopoietin and interleukin 33, in respiratory epithelial cells stimulated with polyI:C and human parechovirus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsang-Hsiung Lin

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Epidemiological studies based on the hygiene hypothesis declare that the level of childhood exposure to environmental microbial products is inversely related to the incidence of allergic diseases in later life. Multiple types of immune cell-mediated immune regulation networks support the hygiene hypothesis. Epithelial cells are the first line of response to microbial products in the environment and bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems; however, their role in the hygiene hypothesis is unknown. To demonstrate the hygiene hypothesis in airway epithelial cells, we examined the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; Toll-like receptor 4 ligand on the expression of the proallergic cytokines thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP and interleukin 33 (IL33 in H292 cells (pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells. Stimulation with the TLR ligand polyI:C and human parechovirus type 1 (HPeV1 but not LPS induced TSLP and IL33 through interferon (IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3 and NFB activity, which was further validated by using inhibitors (dexamethasone and Bay 11-7082 and shRNA-mediated gene knockdown. Importantly, polyI:C and HPeV1-stimulated TSLP and IL33 induction was reduced by LPS treatment by attenuating TANK-binding kinase 1, IRF3 and NFB activation. Interestingly, the basal mRNA levels of TLR signaling proteins were downregulated with long-term LPS treatment of H292 cells, which suggests that such long-term exposure modulates the expression of innate immunity signaling molecules in airway epithelial cells to mitigate the allergic response. In contrast to the effects of LPS treatment, the alarmin HMBG1 (high mobility group protein B1 acts in synergy with polyI:C to promote TSLP and IL33 expression. Our data support part of the hygiene hypothesis in airway epithelia cells in vitro. In addition to therapeutic targeting of TSLP and IL33, local application of non-pathogenic LPS may be a rational strategy to prevent allergies.

  12. Recombinant expression and purification of the RNA-binding LARP6 proteins from fish genetic model organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, José M; Horn, Daniel A; Pu, Xinzhu; Lewis, Karen A

    2017-06-01

    The RNA-binding proteins that comprise the La-related protein (LARP) superfamily have been implicated in a wide range of cellular functions, from tRNA maturation to regulation of protein synthesis. To more expansively characterize the biological function of the LARP6 subfamily, we have recombinantly expressed the full-length LARP6 proteins from two teleost fish, platyfish (Xiphophorus maculatus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). The yields of the recombinant proteins were enhanced to >2 mg/L using a tandem approach of an N-terminal His 6 -SUMO tag and an iterative solubility screening assay to identify structurally stabilizing buffer components. The domain topologies of the purified fish proteins were probed with limited proteolysis. The fish proteins contain an internal, protease-resistant 40 kDa domain, which is considerably more stable than the comparable domain from the human LARP6 protein. The fish proteins are therefore a lucrative model system in which to study both the evolutionary divergence of this family of La-related proteins and the structure and conformational dynamics of the domains that comprise the LARP6 protein. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. MOLECULAR MODELING STUDY OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SIDE AMINO ACID RESIDUES OF POLYMYXIN B3 TO ITS BINDING WITH E.COLI OUTER MEMBRANE LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisnyak Yu. V.

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Last decades, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs are the subject of intense investigations aimed to develop effective drugs against extremely resistant nosocomial bacterial pathogens (especially Gram-negative bacteria. In particular, there has been greatly renewed interest to polymyxins, the representatives of AMPs which are specific and highly potent against Gram-negative bacteria, but have potential nephrotoxic side effect. A prerequisite of purposeful enhancement of therapeutic properties of polymyxins is a detailed knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of their interactions with cell targets. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, the main component of the outer leaflet of outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, is a primary cell target of polymyxins. The aim of the paper was to study the peculiarities of molecular interactions of polymyxin В3 with lipopolysaccharide of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacterium. Materials and methods The complexes of polymyxin В3 (PmВ3 and its alaninederivatives with E. coli outer membrane lipopolysaccharide were built and studied by molecular modeling methods (minimization, simulated annealing, docking. Atom coordinates of polymyxin В3 and LPS structures were taken from nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray crystallography experiments, respectively. The AMBER03 force field was used with a 1.05 nm force cutoff. Longrange electrostatic interactions were treated by the Particle Mesh Ewald method. Results and discussion Alanine scanning of PmВ3 molecule has been carried out and the role of its side amino acid residues in the formation of complex with lipopolysaccharide has been investigated. It has been shown that substitutions of polymyxin’s Dab residues in positions 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9 for alanine markedly reduce the binding energy of PmB3-LPS complex, where as the similar substitutions of residues in positions 2, 6, 7 and 10 leave the binding energy virtually unchanged. Structural aspects of antimicrobial action of

  14. Endospores of B subtilis are pyrogenic and activate Mono Mac 6 cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moesby, Lise; Hansen, Erik W; Christensen, Jens D

    2003-01-01

    interleukin-6. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) dose-dependently induce interleukin-6 release, but the curve differs from that of LTA both in shape and offset. The interleukin-6 secretion induced by LPS, LTA and B. subtilis bacteria can be blocked by 73-85% by an antibody directed against CD14, whereas the antibody......The monocytic cell line Mono Mac 6 is sensitive to pyrogens and interleukin-6 secretion is induced after exposure to pyrogens. The aim of this study is to examine the pyrogenic activity and the interleukin-6-inducing capacity of the Gram-positive B. subtilis bacteria, endospores and isolated cell...... in a sandwich immunoassay. B. subtilis bacteria and endospores induce interleukin-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Endospores are less potent than bacteria. Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) isolated from B. subtilis induces interleukin-6 in a dose-dependent manner, whereas muramyl dipeptide (MDP) is unable to induce...

  15. The Scl1 protein of M6-type group A Streptococcus binds the human complement regulatory protein, factor H, and inhibits the alternative pathway of complement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caswell, Clayton C; Han, Runlin; Hovis, Kelley M; Ciborowski, Pawel; Keene, Douglas R; Marconi, Richard T; Lukomski, Slawomir

    2008-02-01

    Non-specific activation of the complement system is regulated by the plasma glycoprotein factor H (FH). Bacteria can avoid complement-mediated opsonization and phagocytosis through acquiring FH to the cell surface. Here, we characterize an interaction between the streptococcal collagen-like protein Scl1.6 of M6-type group A Streptococcus (GAS) and FH. Using affinity chromatography with immobilized recombinant Scl1.6 protein, we co-eluted human plasma proteins with molecular weight of 155 kDa, 43 kDa and 38 kDa. Mass spectrometry identified the 155 kDa band as FH and two other bands as isoforms of the FH-related protein-1. The identities of all three bands were confirmed by Western immunoblotting with specific antibodies. Structure-function relation studies determined that the globular domain of the Scl1.6 variant specifically binds FH while fused to collagenous tails of various lengths. This binding is not restricted to Scl1.6 as the phylogenetically linked Scl1.55 variant also binds FH. Functional analyses demonstrated the cofactor activity of the rScl1.6-bound FH for factor I-mediated cleavage of C3b. Finally, purified FH bound to the Scl1.6 protein present in the cell wall material obtained from M6-type GAS. In conclusion, we have identified a functional interaction between Scl1 and plasma FH, which may contribute to GAS evasion of complement-mediated opsonization and phagocytosis.

  16. Competitive protein binding assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaneko, Toshio; Oka, Hiroshi

    1975-01-01

    The measurement of cyclic GMP (cGMP) by competitive protein binding assay was described and discussed. The principle of binding assay was represented briefly. Procedures of our method by binding protein consisted of preparation of cGMP binding protein, selection of 3 H-cyclic GMP on market, and measurement procedures. In our method, binding protein was isolated from the chrysalis of silk worm. This method was discussed from the points of incubation medium, specificity of binding protein, the separation of bound cGMP from free cGMP, and treatment of tissue from which cGMP was extracted. cGMP existing in the tissue was only one tenth or one scores of cGMP, and in addition, cGMP competed with cGMP in binding with binding protein. Therefore, Murad's technique was applied to the isolation of cGMP. This method provided the measurement with sufficient accuracy; the contamination by cAMP was within several per cent. (Kanao, N.)

  17. Cytokine and acute phase protein gene expression in liver biopsies from dairy cows with a lipopolysaccharide - induced mastitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vels, J; Røntved, Christine M.; Bjerring, Martin

    2009-01-01

    A minimally invasive liver biopsy technique was tested for its applicability to study the hepatic acute phase response (APR) in dairy cows with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis. The hepatic mRNA expression profiles of the inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF......, a minimally invasive liver biopsy technique can be used for studying the hepatic APR in diseased cattle. Lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis resulted in a time-dependent production of inflammatory cytokines and SAA and Hp in the liver of dairy cows.......- ), IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, and the acute phase proteins serum amyloid A isoform 3 (SAA3), haptoglobin (Hp), and 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) were determined by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. Fourteen primiparous cows in mid lactation were challenged with 200 µg of LPS (n = 8) or NaCl solution (n = 6...

  18. Interleukin-6 and interleukin-1 production in acute leukemia with monocytoid differentiation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Schoot, C. E.; Jansen, P.; Poorter, M.; Wester, M. R.; von dem Borne, A. E.; Aarden, L. A.; van Oers, R. H.

    1989-01-01

    Several authors have reported the in vitro production of colony-stimulating factors (CSF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) by the neoplastic cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using a sensitive bioassay for IL-6, the capacity of the leukemic cells of 30 patients with AML to produce IL-6

  19. Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and expression of human leukocyte antigen-DR on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients after laparoscopic vs. conventional bowel resection - A randomized study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dunker, M. S.; ten Hove, T.; Bemelman, W. A.; Slors, J. F. M.; Gouma, D. J.; van Deventer, S. J. H.

    2003-01-01

    PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of surgical trauma in terms of approach (laparoscopic vs. conventional surgery) and extent of bowel resection (ileocolic resection vs. colectomy) on interleukin-6 level, C-reactive protein level, and expression of human leukocyte antigen-DR

  20. Interleukin-6 myokine signaling in skeletal muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muñoz-Cánoves, Pura; Scheele, Camilla; Pedersen, Bente K

    2013-01-01

    Interleukin (IL)-6 is a cytokine with pleiotropic functions in different tissues and organs. Skeletal muscle produces and releases significant levels of IL-6 after prolonged exercise and is therefore considered as a myokine. Muscle is also an important target of the cytokine. IL-6 signaling has b...

  1. The short-term effects of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the circulating levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in patients with chronic periodontitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, Annie Kitty; Janam, Prasanthila

    2013-01-01

    Recent epidemiological studies have shown that periodontal infection is a risk factor for a number of systemic diseases and conditions. In addition to the conventional risk factors, chronic infection and the subsequent generation of a systemic inflammatory response may be associated with this increased risk. This study was conducted to determine whether the presence of chronic periodontitis and subsequent non-surgical periodontal therapy could influence the serum levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with severe chronic generalized periodontitis. Participants were selected from subjects who attended the Department of Periodontics and Oral Implantololgy, Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram. Sera were obtained from 25 patients with periodontitis for baseline examination and reassessment after completion of treatment. As a control, sera were also obtained from 20 subjects without periodontitis. Interleukin-6 was determined by sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) was measured using latex turbidometric immunoassay. Data were analyzed using computer software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 10. The level of interleukin-6 and hsCRP in the sera of periodontitis patients was seen to be higher than those of healthy controls. Interleukin-6 level tended to decrease with improvement of the periodontal condition following treatment and approached that of control subjects, and this decline was statistically significant. The hsCRP levels also showed a decreasing trend following periodontal treatment. In this study, we were able to show that periodontal disease significantly affects the serum levels of systemic inflammatory markers and that non-surgical periodontal therapy could bring about a decrease in the levels of these inflammatory markers.

  2. Aspirin down Regulates Hepcidin by Inhibiting NF-κB and IL6/JAK2/STAT3 Pathways in BV-2 Microglial Cells Treated with Lipopolysaccharide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan-Ying Li

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Aspirin down regulates transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1 and up regulates ferroportin 1 (Fpn1 and ferritin expression in BV-2 microglial cells treated without lipopolysaccharides (LPS, as well as down regulates hepcidin and interleukin 6 (IL-6 in cells treated with LPS. However, the relevant mechanisms are unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of aspirin on expression of hepcidin and iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1, phosphorylation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3 and P65 (nuclear factor-κB, and the production of nitric oxide (NO in BV-2 microglial cells treated with and without LPS. We demonstrated that aspirin inhibited hepcidin mRNA as well as NO production in cells treated with LPS, but not in cells without LPS, suppresses IL-6, JAK2, STAT3, and P65 (nuclear factor-κB phosphorylation and has no effect on IRP1 in cells treated with or without LPS. These findings provide evidence that aspirin down regulates hepcidin by inhibiting IL6/JAK2/STAT3 and P65 (nuclear factor-κB pathways in the cells under inflammatory conditions, and imply that an aspirin-induced reduction in TfR1 and an increase in ferritin are not associated with IRP1 and NO.

  3. Interleukin-6 overexpression induces pulmonary hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steiner, M Kathryn; Syrkina, Olga L; Kolliputi, Narasaish; Mark, Eugene J; Hales, Charles A; Waxman, Aaron B

    2009-01-30

    Inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 is elevated in the serum and lungs of patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). Several animal models of PAH cite the potential role of inflammatory mediators. We investigated role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of pulmonary vascular disease. Indices of pulmonary vascular remodeling were measured in lung-specific IL-6-overexpressing transgenic mice (Tg(+)) and compared to wild-type (Tg(-)) controls in both normoxic and chronic hypoxic conditions. The Tg(+) mice exhibited elevated right ventricular systolic pressures and right ventricular hypertrophy with corresponding pulmonary vasculopathic changes, all of which were exacerbated by chronic hypoxia. IL-6 overexpression increased muscularization of the proximal arterial tree, and hypoxia enhanced this effect. It also reproduced the muscularization and proliferative arteriopathy seen in the distal arteriolar vessels of PAH patients. The latter was characterized by the formation of occlusive neointimal angioproliferative lesions that worsened with hypoxia and were composed of endothelial cells and T-lymphocytes. IL-6-induced arteriopathic changes were accompanied by activation of proangiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, the proproliferative kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase, proproliferative transcription factors c-MYC and MAX, and the antiapoptotic proteins survivin and Bcl-2 and downregulation of the growth inhibitor transforming growth factor-beta and proapoptotic kinases JNK and p38. These findings suggest that IL-6 promotes the development and progression of pulmonary vascular remodeling and PAH through proproliferative antiapoptotic mechanisms.

  4. Diversifying selection and functional analysis of interleukin-4 suggests antagonism-driven evolution at receptor-binding interfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brown Scott

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Interleukin-4 (IL4 is a secreted immunoregulatory cytokine critically involved in host protection from parasitic helminths 1. Reasoning that helminths may have evolved mechanisms to antagonize IL4 to maximize their dispersal, we explored mammalian IL4 evolution. Results This analysis revealed evidence of diversifying selection at 15 residues, clustered in epitopes responsible for IL4 binding to its Type I and Type II receptors. Such a striking signature of selective pressure suggested either recurrent episodes of pathogen antagonism or ligand/receptor co-evolution. To test the latter possibility, we performed detailed functional analysis of IL4 allotypes expressed by Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus castaneus, which happen to differ at 5 residues (including three at positively selected sites in and adjacent to the site 1 epitope that binds the IL4Rα subunit shared by the Type I and Type II IL4 receptors. We show that this intra-species variation affects the ability of IL4 neither to bind IL4 receptor alpha (IL4Rα nor to signal biological responses through its Type I receptor. Conclusions Our results -- reminiscent of clustered positively selected sites revealing functionally important residues at host-virus interaction interfaces -- are consistent with IL4 having evolved to avoid recurrent pathogen antagonism, while maintaining the capacity to bind and signal through its cognate receptor. This work exposes what may be a general feature of evolutionary conflicts fought by pathogen antagonists at host protein-protein interaction interfaces involved in immune signaling: the emergence of receptor-binding ligand epitopes capable of buffering amino acid variation.

  5. Identification of the G13 (cAMP-response-element-binding protein-related protein) gene product related to activating transcription factor 6 as a transcriptional activator of the mammalian unfolded protein response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haze, K; Okada, T; Yoshida, H; Yanagi, H; Yura, T; Negishi, M; Mori, K

    2001-04-01

    Eukaryotic cells control the levels of molecular chaperones and folding enzymes in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by a transcriptional induction process termed the unfolded protein response (UPR). The mammalian UPR is mediated by the cis-acting ER stress response element consisting of 19 nt (CCAATN(9)CCACG), the CCACG part of which is considered to provide specificity. We recently identified the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein ATF6 as a mammalian UPR-specific transcription factor; ATF6 is activated by ER stress-induced proteolysis and binds directly to CCACG. Here we report that eukaryotic cells express another bZIP protein closely related to ATF6 in both structure and function. This protein encoded by the G13 (cAMP response element binding protein-related protein) gene is constitutively synthesized as a type II transmembrane glycoprotein anchored in the ER membrane and processed into a soluble form upon ER stress as occurs with ATF6. The proteolytic processing of ATF6 and the G13 gene product is accompanied by their relocation from the ER to the nucleus; their basic regions seem to function as a nuclear localization signal. Overexpression of the soluble form of the G13 product constitutively activates the UPR, whereas overexpression of a mutant lacking the activation domain exhibits a strong dominant-negative effect. Furthermore, the soluble forms of ATF6 and the G13 gene product are unable to bind to several point mutants of the cis-acting ER stress response element in vitro that hardly respond to ER stress in vivo. We thus concluded that the two related bZIP proteins are crucial transcriptional regulators of the mammalian UPR, and propose calling the ATF6 gene product ATF6alpha and the G13 gene product ATF6beta.

  6. Activation of M1 macrophages in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury in response to heparin-binding protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Xing

    Full Text Available In the early stage of sepsis, M1 macrophages result in the production of inflammatory mediators and AKI. Heparin-binding protein (HBP have been shown to play important roles in sepsis-induced AKI. In this study, we investigate the association of HBP with M1 macrophages in sepsis-induced AKI.Male C57BL6 mice were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP or sham surgery. Biochemical and histological renal damage was assessed. Macrophage infiltration was assessed by immunohistochemistry. RT-PCR was used to investigate the expression of heparin-binding protein (HBP, the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS and arginase 1 (Arg-1 mRNAs. Western blots were performed to assay the tissue levels of HBP, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α and interleukin-6 (IL-6.High levels of HBP were obviously detected 24 h after sepsis-induced AKI. Heparin inhibited HBP expression during sepsis-induced AKI. The suppression of HBP expression by heparin injection after the establishment of sepsis-induced AKI resulted in a reduction in renal injury severity accompanied with a significant repression of M1 macrophage activation and expression of TNF-α and IL-6.HBP plays an important role in the initial inflammatory reaction associated with sepsis-induced AKI, presumably by activating M1 macrophages and suppressing TNF-α and IL-6 secretion.

  7. Growth arrest-specific protein 6 is hepatoprotective against murine ischemia/reperfusion injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llacuna, Laura; Bárcena, Cristina; Bellido-Martín, Lola; Fernández, Laura; Stefanovic, Milica; Marí, Montserrat; García-Ruiz, Carmen; Fernández-Checa, José C; García de Frutos, Pablo; Morales, Albert

    2010-10-01

    Growth arrest-specific gene 6 (GAS6) promotes growth and cell survival during tissue repair and development in different organs, including the liver. However, the specific role of GAS6 in liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury has not been previously addressed. Here we report an early increase in serum GAS6 levels after I/R exposure. Moreover, unlike wild-type (WT) mice, Gas6(-/-) mice were highly sensitive to partial hepatic I/R, with 90% of the mice dying within 12 hours of reperfusion because of massive hepatocellular injury. I/R induced early hepatic protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation in WT mice but not in Gas6(-/-) mice without significant changes in c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation or nuclear factor kappa B translocation, whereas hepatic interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) messenger RNA levels were higher in Gas6(-/-) mice versus WT mice. In line with the in vivo data, in vitro studies indicated that GAS6 induced AKT phosphorylation in primary mouse hepatocytes and thus protected them from hypoxia-induced cell death, whereas GAS6 diminished lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine expression (IL-1β and TNF) in murine macrophages. Finally, recombinant GAS6 treatment in vivo not only rescued GAS6 knockout mice from severe I/R-induced liver damage but also attenuated hepatic damage in WT mice after I/R. Our data have revealed GAS6 to be a new player in liver I/R injury that is emerging as a potential therapeutic target for reducing postischemic hepatic damage.

  8. Characterization of a cocaine binding protein in human placenta

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, M.S.; Zhou, D.H.; Maulik, D.; Eldefrawi, M.E.

    1990-01-01

    [ 3 H]-Cocaine binding sites are identified in human placental villus tissue plasma membranes. These binding sites are associated with a protein and show saturable and specific binding of [ 3 H]-cocaine with a high affinity site of 170 fmole/mg protein. The binding is lost with pretreatment with trypsin or heat. The membrane bound protein is solubilized with the detergent 3-(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethyl-ammonio-1-propane sulphonate (CHAPS) with retention of its saturable and specific binding of [ 3 H]-cocaine. The detergent-protein complex migrates on a sepharose CL-6B gel chromatography column as a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 75,900. The protein has an S 20,w value of 5.1. The binding of this protein to norcocaine, pseudococaine, nomifensine, imipramine, desipramine, amphetamine and dopamine indicates that it shares some, but not all, the properties of the brain cocaine receptor. The physiologic significance of this protein in human placenta is currently unclear

  9. mRNA-binding protein TIA-1 reduces cytokine expression in human endometrial stromal cells and is down-regulated in ectopic endometrium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karalok, Hakan Mete; Aydin, Ebru; Saglam, Ozlen; Torun, Aysenur; Guzeloglu-Kayisli, Ozlem; Lalioti, Maria D; Kristiansson, Helena; Duke, Cindy M P; Choe, Gina; Flannery, Clare; Kallen, Caleb B; Seli, Emre

    2014-12-01

    Cytokines and growth factors play important roles in endometrial function and the pathogenesis of endometriosis. mRNAs encoding cytokines and growth factors undergo rapid turnover; primarily mediated by adenosine- and uridine-rich elements (AREs) located in their 3'-untranslated regions. T-cell intracellular antigen (TIA-1), an mRNA-binding protein, binds to AREs in target transcripts, leading to decreased gene expression. The purpose of this article was to determine whether TIA-1 plays a role in the regulation of endometrial cytokine and growth factor expression during the normal menstrual cycle and whether TIA-1 expression is altered in women with endometriosis. Eutopic endometrial tissue obtained from women without endometriosis (n = 30) and eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues from women with endometriosis (n = 17) were immunostained for TIA-1. Staining intensities were evaluated by histological scores (HSCOREs). The regulation of endometrial TIA-1 expression by immune factors and steroid hormones was studied by treating primary cultured human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) with vehicle, lipopolysaccharide, TNF-α, IL-6, estradiol, or progesterone, followed by protein blot analyses. HESCs were engineered to over- or underexpress TIA-1 to test whether TIA-1 regulates IL-6 or TNF-α expression in these cells. We found that TIA-1 is expressed in endometrial stromal and glandular cells throughout the menstrual cycle and that this expression is significantly higher in the perimenstrual phase. In women with endometriosis, TIA-1 expression in eutopic and ectopic endometrium was reduced compared with TIA-1 expression in eutopic endometrium of unaffected control women. Lipopolysaccharide and TNF-α increased TIA-1 expression in HESCs in vitro, whereas IL-6 or steroid hormones had no effect. In HESCs, down-regulation of TIA-1 resulted in elevated IL-6 and TNF-α expression, whereas TIA-1 overexpression resulted in decreased IL-6 and TNF-α expression. Endometrial

  10. Human papillomavirus type 16 E2 and E6 are RNA-binding proteins and inhibit in vitro splicing of pre-mRNAs with suboptimal splice sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodaghi, Sohrab; Jia Rong; Zheng Zhiming

    2009-01-01

    Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) genome expresses six regulatory proteins (E1, E2, E4, E5, E6, and E7) which regulate viral DNA replication, gene expression, and cell function. We expressed HPV16 E2, E4, E6, and E7 from bacteria as GST fusion proteins and examined their possible functions in RNA splicing. Both HPV16 E2, a viral transactivator protein, and E6, a viral oncoprotein, inhibited splicing of pre-mRNAs containing an intron with suboptimal splice sites, whereas HPV5 E2 did not. The N-terminal half and the hinge region of HPV16 E2 as well as the N-terminal and central portions of HPV16 E6 are responsible for the suppression. HPV16 E2 interacts with pre-mRNAs through its C-terminal DNA-binding domain. HPV16 E6 binds pre-mRNAs via nuclear localization signal (NLS3) in its C-terminal half. Low-risk HPV6 E6, a cytoplasmic protein, does not bind RNA. Notably, both HPV16 E2 and E6 selectively bind to the intron region of pre-mRNAs and interact with a subset of cellular SR proteins. Together, these findings suggest that HPV16 E2 and E6 are RNA binding proteins and might play roles in posttranscriptional regulation during virus infection

  11. Concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, soluble CD14 and plasma lipids in relation to endotoxaemia in patients with alcoholic liver disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schäfer, C.; Parlesak, Alexandr; Schütt, C.

    2002-01-01

    of endotoxin on its target cells (LPS-binding protein and sCD14) were increased. Endotoxin antagonists, such as bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein and high-density lipoprotein, were increased in the pre-cirrhotic stages, whereas a significant reduction of the latter was observed in cirrhosis. Low......-density lipoprotein remained unchanged. The elevation of binding factors in the pre-cirrhotic stages of alcoholic liver disease might attenuate the effects of endotoxaemia, whereas in cirrhosis the reduction of high density lipoprotein, to which large quantities of endotoxin bind, may contribute to its pro...

  12. The short-term effects of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the circulating levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in patients with chronic periodontitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, Annie Kitty; Janam, Prasanthila

    2013-01-01

    Background: Recent epidemiological studies have shown that periodontal infection is a risk factor for a number of systemic diseases and conditions. In addition to the conventional risk factors, chronic infection and the subsequent generation of a systemic inflammatory response may be associated with this increased risk. Aims: This study was conducted to determine whether the presence of chronic periodontitis and subsequent non-surgical periodontal therapy could influence the serum levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with severe chronic generalized periodontitis. Settings and Design: Participants were selected from subjects who attended the Department of Periodontics and Oral Implantololgy, Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram. Materials and Methods: Sera were obtained from 25 patients with periodontitis for baseline examination and reassessment after completion of treatment. As a control, sera were also obtained from 20 subjects without periodontitis. Interleukin-6 was determined by sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) was measured using latex turbidometric immunoassay. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using computer software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 10. Results: The level of interleukin-6 and hsCRP in the sera of periodontitis patients was seen to be higher than those of healthy controls. Interleukin-6 level tended to decrease with improvement of the periodontal condition following treatment and approached that of control subjects, and this decline was statistically significant. The hsCRP levels also showed a decreasing trend following periodontal treatment. Conclusions: In this study, we were able to show that periodontal disease significantly affects the serum levels of systemic inflammatory markers and that non-surgical periodontal therapy could bring about a decrease in the levels of these inflammatory markers. PMID:23633770

  13. The short-term effects of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the circulating levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in patients with chronic periodontitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annie Kitty George

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Recent epidemiological studies have shown that periodontal infection is a risk factor for a number of systemic diseases and conditions. In addition to the conventional risk factors, chronic infection and the subsequent generation of a systemic inflammatory response may be associated with this increased risk. Aims: This study was conducted to determine whether the presence of chronic periodontitis and subsequent non-surgical periodontal therapy could influence the serum levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP in patients with severe chronic generalized periodontitis. Settings and Design: Participants were selected from subjects who attended the Department of Periodontics and Oral Implantololgy, Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram. Materials and Methods: Sera were obtained from 25 patients with periodontitis for baseline examination and reassessment after completion of treatment. As a control, sera were also obtained from 20 subjects without periodontitis. Interleukin-6 was determined by sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP was measured using latex turbidometric immunoassay. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using computer software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 10. Results: The level of interleukin-6 and hsCRP in the sera of periodontitis patients was seen to be higher than those of healthy controls. Interleukin-6 level tended to decrease with improvement of the periodontal condition following treatment and approached that of control subjects, and this decline was statistically significant. The hsCRP levels also showed a decreasing trend following periodontal treatment. Conclusions: In this study, we were able to show that periodontal disease significantly affects the serum levels of systemic inflammatory markers and that non-surgical periodontal therapy could bring about a decrease in the levels of these inflammatory markers.

  14. DNA-binding properties of the Bacillus subtilis and Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 σ(D) proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevim, Elif; Gaballa, Ahmed; Beldüz, A Osman; Helmann, John D

    2011-01-01

    σ(D) proteins from Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 and Bacillus subtilis bound specifically, albeit weakly, to promoter DNA even in the absence of core RNA polymerase. Binding required a conserved CG motif within the -10 element, and this motif is known to be recognized by σ region 2.4 and critical for promoter activity.

  15. Sirtuin inhibition attenuates the production of inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandes, Cláudia A.; Fievez, Laurence; Neyrinck, Audrey M.; Delzenne, Nathalie M.; Bureau, Fabrice; Vanbever, Rita

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages were treated with cambinol and sirtinol. ► Cambinol and sirtinol decreased lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokines. ► Cambinol decreased NF-κB activity but had no impact on p38 MAPK activation. ► Sirtuins are an interesting target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. -- Abstract: In several inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or sepsis, the regulatory mechanisms of inflammation are inefficient and the excessive inflammatory response leads to damage to the host. Sirtuins are class III histone deacetylases that modulate the activity of several transcription factors that are implicated in immune responses. In this study, we evaluated the impact of sirtuin inhibition on the activation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated J774 macrophages by assessing the production of inflammatory cytokines. The pharmacologic inhibition of sirtuins decreased the production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Rantes. The reduction of cytokine production was associated with decreased nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity and inhibitor kappa B alpha (IκBα) phosphorylation while no impact was observed on the phosphorylation status of p38 mitogen-activated kinase (p38 MAPK). This work shows that sirtuin pharmacologic inhibitors are a promising tool for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

  16. CC1, a novel crenarchaeal DNA binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xiao; Schwarz-Linek, Uli; Botting, Catherine H; Hensel, Reinhard; Siebers, Bettina; White, Malcolm F

    2007-01-01

    The genomes of the related crenarchaea Pyrobaculum aerophilum and Thermoproteus tenax lack any obvious gene encoding a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB). SSBs are essential for DNA replication, recombination, and repair and are found in all other genomes across the three domains of life. These two archaeal genomes also have only one identifiable gene encoding a chromatin protein (the Alba protein), while most other archaea have at least two different abundant chromatin proteins. We performed a biochemical screen for novel nucleic acid binding proteins present in cell extracts of T. tenax. An assay for proteins capable of binding to a single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide resulted in identification of three proteins. The first protein, Alba, has been shown previously to bind single-stranded DNA as well as duplex DNA. The two other proteins, which we designated CC1 (for crenarchaeal chromatin protein 1), are very closely related to one another, and homologs are restricted to the P. aerophilum and Aeropyrum pernix genomes. CC1 is a 6-kDa, monomeric, basic protein that is expressed at a high level in T. tenax. This protein binds single- and double-stranded DNAs with similar affinities. These properties are consistent with a role for CC1 as a crenarchaeal chromatin protein.

  17. 14-3-3γ Regulates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses and Lactation in Dairy Cow Mammary Epithelial Cells by Inhibiting NF-κB and MAPKs and Up-Regulating mTOR Signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lixin Liu

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available As a protective factor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced injury, 14-3-3γ has been the subject of recent research. Nevertheless, whether 14-3-3γ can regulate lactation in dairy cow mammary epithelial cells (DCMECs induced by LPS remains unknown. Here, the anti-inflammatory effect and lactation regulating ability of 14-3-3γ in LPS-induced DCMECs are investigated for the first time, and the molecular mechanisms responsible for their effects are explored. The results of qRT-PCR showed that 14-3-3γ overexpression significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6, interleukin-1β (IL-1β and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA analysis revealed that 14-3-3γ overexpression also suppressed the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in cell culture supernatants. Meanwhile, CASY-TT Analyser System showed that 14-3-3γ overexpression clearly increased the viability and proliferation of cells. The results of kit methods and western blot analysis showed that 14-3-3γ overexpression promoted the secretion of triglycerides and lactose and the synthesis of β-casein. Furthermore, the expression of genes relevant to nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs and lactation-associated proteins were assessed by western blot, and the results suggested that 14-3-3γ overexpression inactivated the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways by down-regulating extracellular signal regulated protein kinase (ERK, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK and inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB phosphorylation levels, as well as by inhibiting NF-κB translocation. Meanwhile, 14-3-3γ overexpression enhanced the expression levels of β-casein, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR, ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1, serine/threonine protein kinase Akt 1 (AKT1, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma

  18. Mechanistic insights into the role of prenyl-binding protein PrBP/δ in membrane dissociation of phosphodiesterase 6

    KAUST Repository

    Qureshi, Bilal M.

    2018-01-02

    Isoprenylated proteins are associated with membranes and their inter-compartmental distribution is regulated by solubilization factors, which incorporate lipid moieties in hydrophobic cavities and thereby facilitate free diffusion during trafficking. Here we report the crystal structure of a solubilization factor, the prenyl-binding protein (PrBP/δ), at 1.81 Å resolution in its ligand-free apo-form. Apo-PrBP/δ harbors a preshaped, deep hydrophobic cavity, capacitating apo-PrBP/δ to readily bind its prenylated cargo. To investigate the molecular mechanism of cargo solubilization we analyzed the PrBP/δ-induced membrane dissociation of rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6). The results suggest that PrBP/δ exclusively interacts with the soluble fraction of PDE6. Depletion of soluble species in turn leads to dissociation of membrane-bound PDE6, as both are in equilibrium. This

  19. Mechanistic insights into the role of prenyl-binding protein PrBP/δ in membrane dissociation of phosphodiesterase 6

    KAUST Repository

    Qureshi, Bilal M.; Schmidt, Andrea; Behrmann, Elmar; Bü rger, Jö rg; Mielke, Thorsten; Spahn, Christian M. T.; Heck, Martin; Scheerer, Patrick

    2018-01-01

    Isoprenylated proteins are associated with membranes and their inter-compartmental distribution is regulated by solubilization factors, which incorporate lipid moieties in hydrophobic cavities and thereby facilitate free diffusion during trafficking. Here we report the crystal structure of a solubilization factor, the prenyl-binding protein (PrBP/δ), at 1.81 Å resolution in its ligand-free apo-form. Apo-PrBP/δ harbors a preshaped, deep hydrophobic cavity, capacitating apo-PrBP/δ to readily bind its prenylated cargo. To investigate the molecular mechanism of cargo solubilization we analyzed the PrBP/δ-induced membrane dissociation of rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE6). The results suggest that PrBP/δ exclusively interacts with the soluble fraction of PDE6. Depletion of soluble species in turn leads to dissociation of membrane-bound PDE6, as both are in equilibrium. This

  20. Lead-Binding Proteins: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harvey C. Gonick

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Lead-binding proteins are a series of low molecular weight proteins, analogous to metallothionein, which segregate lead in a nontoxic form in several organs (kidney, brain, lung, liver, erythrocyte. Whether the lead-binding proteins in every organ are identical or different remains to be determined. In the erythrocyte, delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD isoforms have commanded the greatest attention as proteins and enzymes that are both inhibitable and inducible by lead. ALAD-2, although it binds lead to a greater degree than ALAD-1, appears to bind lead in a less toxic form. What may be of greater significance is that a low molecular weight lead-binding protein, approximately 10 kDa, appears in the erythrocyte once blood lead exceeds 39 μg/dL and eventually surpasses the lead-binding capacity of ALAD. In brain and kidney of environmentally exposed humans and animals, a cytoplasmic lead-binding protein has been identified as thymosin β4, a 5 kDa protein. In kidney, but not brain, another lead-binding protein has been identified as acyl-CoA binding protein, a 9 kDa protein. Each of these proteins, when coincubated with liver ALAD and titrated with lead, diminishes the inhibition of ALAD by lead, verifying their ability to segregate lead in a nontoxic form.

  1. Differential protein expression in alligator leukocytes in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide injection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merchant, Mark; Kinney, Clint; Sanders, Paige

    2009-12-01

    Blood was collected from three juvenile alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) before, and again 24h after, injection with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The leukocytes were collected from both samples, and the proteins were extracted. Each group of proteins was labeled with a different fluorescent dye and the differences in protein expression were analyzed by two dimensional differential in-gel expressions (2D-DIGE). The proteins which appeared to be increased or decreased by treatment with LPS were selected and analyzed by MALDI-TOF to determine mass and LC-MS/MS to acquire the partial protein sequences. The peptide sequences were compared to the NCBI protein sequence database to determine homology with other sequences from other species. Several proteins of interest appeared to be increased upon LPS stimulation. Proteins with homology to human transgelin-2, fish glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, amphibian α-enolase, alligator lactate dehydrogenase, fish ubiquitin-activating enzyme, and fungal β-tubulin were also increased after LPS injection. Proteins with homology to fish vimentin 4, murine heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A3, and avian calreticulin were found to be decreased in response to LPS. In addition, five proteins, four of which were up-regulated (827, 560, 512, and 650%) and one that exhibited repressed expression (307%), did not show homology to any protein in the database, and thus may represent newly discovered proteins. We are using this biochemical approach to isolate and characterize alligator proteins with potential relevant immune function.

  2. Inhibitory Effects of Benzaldehyde Derivatives from the Marine Fungus Eurotium sp. SF-5989 on Inflammatory Mediators via the Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW264.7 Macrophages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyoung-Su Kim

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Two benzaldehyde derivatives, flavoglaucin (1 and isotetrahydro-auroglaucin (2, were isolated from the marine fungus Eurotium sp. SF-5989 through bioassay- and 1H NMR-guided investigation. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of these compounds in lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. We demonstrated that compounds 1 and 2 markedly inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 production by suppressing inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2 protein expression without affecting cell viability. We also demonstrated that the compounds reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β and interleukin-6 (IL-6. Furthermore, compounds 1 and 2 inhibited LPS-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB activation by suppressing phosphorylation of IkappaB (IκB. These results indicated that the anti-inflammatory effects of these benzaldehyde derivatives in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages were due to the inactivation of the NF-κB pathway. In addition, compounds 1 and 2 induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 expression through the nuclear transcription factor-E2–related factor 2 (Nrf2 translocation. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1 and 2 on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and on NF-κB binding activity were reversed by HO-1 inhibitor tin protoporphyrin (SnPP. Thus, the anti-inflammatory effects of compounds 1 and 2 also correlated with their ability of inducing HO-1 expression.

  3. Fusobacterium nucleatum binding to complement regulatory protein CD46 modulates the expression and secretion of cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases by oral epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahtout, Hayette; Chandad, Fatiha; Rojo, Jose M; Grenier, Daniel

    2011-02-01

    Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in the destruction of the supporting tissues of the teeth. Gingival epithelial cells are an important mechanical barrier and participate in the host inflammatory response to periodontopathogens. The aim of the present study is to investigate the capacity of Fusobacterium nucleatum to bind to the complement regulatory protein CD46 expressed by oral epithelial cells and to determine the impact of the binding on the gene expression and protein secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 by oral epithelial cells. Binding of recombinant human CD46 to the surface of F. nucleatum was demonstrated by immunologic assays. After stimulation of oral epithelial cells with F. nucleatum, gene expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis while protein secretion was monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Heat and protease treatments of bacterial cells reduced CD46 binding. F. nucleatum-bound CD46 mediated the cleavage of C3b in the presence of factor I. Stimulating oral epithelial cells with F. nucleatum at a multiplicity of infection of 50 resulted in a significant upregulation of the gene expression and protein secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-9 by oral epithelial cells. However, pretreating the epithelial cells with an anti-CD46 polyclonal antibody attenuated the production of IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-9 in response to F. nucleatum. Such an inhibitory effect was not observed with non-specific antibodies. The present study demonstrates that F. nucleatum can bind the complement regulatory protein CD46. The interaction of F. nucleatum with epithelial cell surface CD46 may contribute to increasing the levels of proinflammatory mediators and MMPs in periodontal sites and consequently modulate tissue destruction.

  4. Salivary Interleukine 6 and its role on developing periodentitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thana Mohammed Juda

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Back ground Interleukin-6 (IL-6 is biologically active small protein molecules known as cytokines .These cytokines are produced by leukocytes, adipocytes, and endothelial cells, and it is involved mainly in inflammatory processes. IL-6 has a role in stimulating the immune response as trigger to infection or trauma through the production of acute-phase proteins that accompany the inflammatory process. IL-6 synthesized according to code from messenger RNA, so their production in tissue in responce of inflammation are increased by the action of increasing expression of its own specific messenger RNA and the expression levels of the mRNAs were either up- or down-regulated by adjacent focal infiltrating lymphoid cells according to the state of periodontal in health and disease so the local concentration of cytokines reflect the state of inflammatory process under control at nuclear level. The aim of study is to evaluate the inflammatory cytokine that associated the process of periodentitis Methods: Salivary specimens were obtained from patients having chronic periodentitis and healthy subject act as control group. The assessment of IL6 concentrations were established by technique enzyme linked immunoassay. . Results: level of IL-6 in saliva sample after evaluation the result showed statistically significant difference between patients and control . Conclusions: The result obtained from this study revealed that estimated salivary IL 6 can be used in management protocol of process of periodentitis

  5. Recruitment of mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 after lipopolysaccharide induction

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Růžička, Michal; Škobisová, Eva; Dlasková, Andrea; Šantorová, Jitka; Smolková, Katarína; Špaček, Tomáš; Žáčková, Markéta; Modrianský, M.; Ježek, Petr

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 37, č. 4 (2005), s. 809-821 ISSN 1357-2725 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA301/02/1215; GA ČR(CZ) GP301/01/P084; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA5011106 Grant - others:NIH(US) TW01487 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : lipopolysaccharide * oxidative stress in liver * mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 3.871, year: 2005

  6. Skeletal muscle interleukin-6 regulates metabolic factors in iWAT during HFD and exercise training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Jakob Grunnet; Bertholdt, Lærke; Joensen, Ella

    2015-01-01

    in combination with exercise training (HFD ExTr) for 16 weeks. RESULTS: Total fat mass increased (P mass than HFD Floxed mice. Accordingly, iWAT glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) protein content, 5'AMP......OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of skeletal muscle (SkM) interleukin (IL)-6 in the regulation of adipose tissue metabolism. METHODS: Muscle-specific IL-6 knockout (IL-6 MKO) and IL-6(loxP/loxP) (Floxed) mice were subjected to standard rodent diet (Chow), high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD.......05) in HFD IL-6 MKO than HFD Floxed mice, and pyruvate dehydrogenase E1α (PDH-E1α) protein content was higher (P mass through regulation of glucose uptake capacity as well as lipogenic...

  7. DNA-binding proteins essential for protein-primed bacteriophage ø29 DNA replication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margarita Salas

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus subtilis phage Φ29 has a linear, double-stranded DNA 19 kb long with an inverted terminal repeat of 6 nucleotides and a protein covalently linked to the 5’ ends of the DNA. This protein, called terminal protein (TP, is the primer for the initiation of replication, a reaction catalyzed by the viral DNA polymerase at the two DNA ends. The DNA polymerase further elongates the nascent DNA chain in a processive manner, coupling strand displacement with elongation. The viral protein p5 is a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB that binds to the single strands generated by strand displacement during the elongation process. Viral protein p6 is a double-stranded DNA binding protein (DBP that preferentially binds to the origins of replication at the Φ29 DNA ends and is required for the initiation of replication. Both SSB and DBP are essential for Φ29 DNA amplification. This review focuses on the role of these phage DNA-binding proteins in Φ29 DNA replication both in vitro and in vivo, as well as on the implication of several B. subtilis DNA-binding proteins in different processes of the viral cycle. We will revise the enzymatic activities of the Φ29 DNA polymerase: TP-deoxynucleotidylation, processive DNA polymerization coupled to strand displacement, 3’-5’ exonucleolysis and pyrophosphorolysis. The resolution of the Φ29 DNA polymerase structure has shed light on the translocation mechanism and the determinants responsible for processivity and strand displacement. These two properties have made Φ29 DNA polymerase one of the main enzymes used in the current DNA amplification technologies. The determination of the structure of Φ29 TP revealed the existence of three domains: the priming domain, where the primer residue Ser232, as well as Phe230, involved in the determination of the initiating nucleotide, are located, the intermediate domain, involved in DNA polymerase binding, and the N-terminal domain, responsible for DNA binding

  8. Interleukin-6 receptor pathways in coronary heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sarwar, Nadeem; Butterworth, Adam S; Freitag, Daniel F

    2012-01-01

    Persistent inflammation has been proposed to contribute to various stages in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) signalling propagates downstream inflammation cascades. To assess whether this pathway is causally relevant to coronary heart disease, we studied ...

  9. Can perioperative C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels predict atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ziabaksh-Tabari, S.

    2008-01-01

    Objective was to examine the relationship between proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) and atrial fibrillation and after on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Fifty-four patients with coronary artery disease undergoing elective CABG at the Mazandaran Medical University, Mazandaran, Iran were enrolled in our prospective study in the year 2007. Postoperatively, heart rate and rhythm were continuously monitored for 5 days. Fasting blood samples were taken from all patients to examine quantities of CRP and IL-6 the day before surgery and on the second postoperative day in the intensive care unit. From 54 patients, 11 patients (20.4%) developed atrial fibrillation (AF) after CABG. The median age of patients with AF was 51.45+/-10.74 compared with 57.28+/-9.04 for patients with sinus rhythm (p=0.072). Cardioplegic time, cross clamp time and pump time were higher in the AF group but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. Preoperative CRP and IL-6 levels were higher in patients with AF. The CRP and IL-6 increased after CABG in all patients but it increased more in the AF group. There was a significant relationship between preoperative IL-6 and AF in patients who underwent on-pump CABG, but there was no relationship between CRP and AF. Therefore, administration of glucocordicoids which significantly reduce plasma levels of IL-6 can reduce the incidence of AF after on-pump CABG. (author)

  10. STAT6: its role in interleukin 4-mediated biological functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, K; Kishimoto, T; Akira, S

    1997-05-01

    Interleukin (IL) 4 is known to be a cytokine which plays a central role in the regulation of immune response. Studies on cytokine signal transduction have clarified the mechanism by which IL4 exerts its functions. Two cytoplasmic proteins, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 6 and IL4-induced phosphotyrosine substrate/insulin receptor substrate 2 (4PS/IRS2), are activated in IL4 signal transduction. Recent studies from STAT6-deficient mice have revealed the essential role of STAT6 in IL4-mediated biological actions. In addition, STAT6 has also been demonstrated to be important for the functions mediated by IL13, which is related to IL4. IL4 and IL13 have been shown to induce the production of IgE, which is a major mediator in an allergic response. These findings indicate that STAT6 activation is involved in IL4- and IL13-mediated disorders such as allergy.

  11. Interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 compromise the sinonasal epithelial barrier and perturb intercellular junction protein expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wise, Sarah K; Laury, Adrienne M; Katz, Elizabeth H; Den Beste, Kyle A; Parkos, Charles A; Nusrat, Asma

    2014-05-01

    Altered expression of epithelial intercellular junction proteins has been observed in sinonasal biopsies from nasal polyps and epithelial layers cultured from nasal polyp patients. These alterations comprise a "leaky" epithelial barrier phenotype. We hypothesize that T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 modulate epithelial junction proteins, thereby contributing to the leaky epithelial barrier. Differentiated primary sinonasal epithelial layers cultured at the air-liquid interface were exposed to IL-4, IL-13, and controls for 24 hours at 37°C. Epithelial resistance measurements were taken every 4 hours during cytokine exposure. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining/confocal microscopy were used to assess changes in a panel of tight and adherens junction proteins. Western blot densitometry was quantified with image analysis. IL-4 and IL-13 exposure resulted in a mean decrease in transepithelial resistance at 24 hours to 51.6% (n = 6) and 68.6% (n = 8) of baseline, respectively. Tight junction protein junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) expression decreased 42.2% with IL-4 exposure (n = 9) and 37.5% with IL-13 exposure (n = 9). Adherens junction protein E-cadherin expression decreased 35.3% with IL-4 exposure (n = 9) and 32.9% with IL-13 exposure (n = 9). Tight junction protein claudin-2 showed more variability but had a trend toward higher expression with Th2 cytokine exposure. There were no appreciable changes in claudin-1, occludin, or zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) with IL-4 or IL-13 exposure. Sinonasal epithelial exposure to Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 results in alterations in intercellular junction proteins, reflecting increased epithelial permeability. Such changes may explain some of the phenotypic manifestations of Th2-mediated sinonasal disease, such as edema, nasal discharge, and environmental reactivity. © 2014 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

  12. Medium-chain fatty acids as ligands for orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR84.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinghong; Wu, Xiaosu; Simonavicius, Nicole; Tian, Hui; Ling, Lei

    2006-11-10

    Free fatty acids (FFAs) play important physiological roles in many tissues as an energy source and as signaling molecules in various cellular processes. Elevated levels of circulating FFAs are associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Here we show that GPR84, a previously orphan G protein-coupled receptor, functions as a receptor for medium-chain FFAs with carbon chain lengths of 9-14. Medium-chain FFAs elicit calcium mobilization, inhibit 3',5'-cyclic AMP production, and stimulate [35S]guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) binding in a GPR84-dependent manner. The activation of GPR84 by medium-chain FFAs couples primarily to a pertussis toxin-sensitive G(i/o) pathway. In addition, we show that GPR84 is selectively expressed in leukocytes and markedly induced in monocytes/macrophages upon activation by lipopolysaccharide. Furthermore, we demonstrate that medium-chain FFAs amplify lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-12 p40 through GPR84. Our results indicate a role for GPR84 in directly linking fatty acid metabolism to immunological regulation.

  13. Insight into Phosphatidylinositol-Dependent Membrane Localization of the Innate Immune Adaptor Protein Toll/Interleukin 1 Receptor Domain-Containing Adaptor Protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahesh Chandra Patra

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The toll/interleukin 1 receptor (TIR domain-containing adaptor protein (TIRAP plays an important role in the toll-like receptor (TLR 2, TLR4, TLR7, and TLR9 signaling pathways. TIRAP anchors to phosphatidylinositol (PI 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 on the plasma membrane and PI (3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3 on the endosomal membrane and assists in recruitment of the myeloid differentiation primary response 88 protein to activated TLRs. To date, the structure and mechanism of TIRAP’s membrane association are only partially understood. Here, we modeled an all-residue TIRAP dimer using homology modeling, threading, and protein–protein docking strategies. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that PIP2 creates a stable microdomain in a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer, providing TIRAP with its physiologically relevant orientation. Computed binding free energy values suggest that the affinity of PI-binding domain (PBD for PIP2 is stronger than that of TIRAP as a whole for PIP2 and that the short PI-binding motif (PBM contributes to the affinity between PBD and PIP2. Four PIP2 molecules can be accommodated by distinct lysine-rich surfaces on the dimeric PBM. Along with the known PI-binding residues (K15, K16, K31, and K32, additional positively charged residues (K34, K35, and R36 showed strong affinity toward PIP2. Lysine-to-alanine mutations at the PI-binding residues abolished TIRAP’s affinity for PIP2; however, K34, K35, and R36 consistently interacted with PIP2 headgroups through hydrogen bond (H-bond and electrostatic interactions. TIRAP exhibited a PIP2-analogous intermolecular contact and binding affinity toward PIP3, aided by an H-bond network involving K34, K35, and R36. The present study extends our understanding of TIRAP’s membrane association, which could be helpful in designing peptide decoys to block TLR2-, TLR4-, TLR7-, and TLR9-mediated autoimmune diseases.

  14. Interleukin-6 mediates epithelial-stromal interactions and promotes gastric tumorigenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroto Kinoshita

    Full Text Available Interleukin-6 (IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that affects various functions, including tumor development. Although the importance of IL-6 in gastric cancer has been documented in experimental and clinical studies, the mechanism by which IL-6 promotes gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of IL-6 in the epithelial-stromal interaction in gastric tumorigenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis of human gastritis, gastric adenoma, and gastric cancer tissues revealed that IL-6 was frequently detected in the stroma. IL-6-positive cells in the stroma showed positive staining for the fibroblast marker α-smooth muscle actin, suggesting that stromal fibroblasts produce IL-6. We compared IL-6 knockout (IL-6(-/- mice with wild-type (WT mice in a model of gastric tumorigenesis induced by the chemical carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. The stromal fibroblasts expressed IL-6 in tumors from WT mice. Gastric tumorigenesis was attenuated in IL-6(-/- mice, compared with WT mice. Impaired tumor development in IL-6(-/- mice was correlated with the decreased activation of STAT3, a factor associated with gastric cancer cell proliferation. In vitro, when gastric cancer cell line was co-cultured with primary human gastric fibroblast, STAT3-related genes including COX-2 and iNOS were induced in gastric cancer cells and this response was attenuated with neutralizing anti-IL-6 receptor antibody. IL-6 production from fibroblasts was increased when fibroblasts were cultured in the presence of gastric cancer cell-conditioned media. IL-6 production from fibroblasts was suppressed by an interleukin-1 (IL-1 receptor antagonist and siRNA inhibition of IL-1α in the fibroblasts. IL-1α mRNA and protein were increased in fibroblast lysate, suggesting that cell-associated IL-1α in fibroblasts may be involved. Our results suggest the importance of IL-6 mediated stromal-epithelial cell interaction in gastric tumorigenesis.

  15. Inhibition of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Interleukin 8 in Human Adenocarcinoma Cell Line HT-29 by Spore Probiotics: B. coagulans and B. subtilis (natto).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azimirad, Masoumeh; Alebouyeh, Masoud; Naji, Tahereh

    2017-03-01

    Probiotics are used as a treatment for different intestinal disorders. They confer health benefits by different ways. This study was aimed to investigate immunomodulatory effect of Bacillus probiotic spores on the production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin 8 (IL-8) in HT-29 intestinal epithelial cells. Differentiated intestinal epithelial cell line was used as a model for the study of colonization of purified spores (Bacillus subtilis (natto) and B. coagulans) and their anti-inflammatory effects. MTT assay and trypan blue staining were used for the detection of optimal concentration of the purified spores and LPS. Pre-treatment assay was done by treatment of the cells with the purified spores for 2 h, followed by challenges with LPS for 3 and 18 h. Post-treatment assay was done by initial treatment of the cells with LPS for 18 h, followed by the spores for 3 and 6 h. Levels of IL-8 secretion and its mRNA expression were measured by ELISA and relative Q real-time PCR. Our results showed similar rates of adherence to intestinal epithelial cells by the spore probiotics, while displaying no cytotoxic effect. In the pre-treatment assay, a significant decrease in IL-8, at both protein and mRNA levels, was measured for B. coagulans spores after the addition of LPS, which was higher than those observed for Bacillus subtilis (natto) spores. In the post-treatment assay, while Bacillus subtilis (but not B. coagulans) diminished the LPS-stimulated IL-8 levels after 3 h of incubation, the inhibitory effect was not constant. In conclusion, ability of Bacillus spore probiotics for adherence to intestinal epithelial cell and their anti-inflammatory effects, through interference with LPS/IL-8 signaling, was shown in this study. Further studies are needed to characterize responsible bacterial compounds associated with these effects.

  16. A novel podocyte gene, semaphorin 3G, protects glomerular podocyte from lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishibashi, Ryoichi; Takemoto, Minoru; Akimoto, Yoshihiro; Ishikawa, Takahiro; He, Peng; Maezawa, Yoshiro; Sakamoto, Kenichi; Tsurutani, Yuya; Ide, Shintaro; Ide, Kana; Kawamura, Harukiyo; Kobayashi, Kazuki; Tokuyama, Hirotake; Tryggvason, Karl; Betsholtz, Christer; Yokote, Koutaro

    2016-05-16

    Kidney diseases including diabetic nephropathy have become huge medical problems, although its precise mechanisms are still far from understood. In order to increase our knowledge about the patho-physiology of kidney, we have previously identified >300 kidney glomerulus-enriched transcripts through large-scale sequencing and microarray profiling of the mouse glomerular transcriptome. One of the glomerulus-specific transcripts identified was semaphorin 3G (Sema3G) which belongs to the semaphorin family. The aim of this study was to analyze both the in vivo and in vitro functions of Sema3G in the kidney. Sema3G was expressed in glomerular podocytes. Although Sema3G knockout mice did not show obvious glomerular defects, ultrastructural analyses revealed partially aberrant podocyte foot processes structures. When these mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide to induce acute inflammation or streptozotocin to induce diabetes, the lack of Sema3G resulted in increased albuminuria. The lack of Sema3G in podocytes also enhanced the expression of inflammatory cytokines including chemokine ligand 2 and interleukin 6. On the other hand, the presence of Sema3G attenuated their expression through the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced Toll like receptor 4 signaling. Taken together, our results surmise that the Sema3G protein is secreted by podocytes and protects podocytes from inflammatory kidney diseases and diabetic nephropathy.

  17. [Determination of plasma protein binding rate of arctiin and arctigenin with ultrafiltration].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Xue-Ying; Wang, Wei; Tan, Ri-Qiu; Dou, De-Qiang

    2013-02-01

    To determine the plasma protein binding rate of arctiin and arctigenin. The ultrafiltration combined with HPLC was employed to determine the plasma protein binding rate of arctiin and arctigenin as well as rat plasma and healthy human plasma proteins. The plasma protein binding rate of arctiin with rat plasma at the concentrations of 64. 29, 32.14, 16.07 mg x L(-1) were (71.2 +/- 2.0)%, (73.4 +/- 0.61)%, (78.2 +/- 1.9)%, respectively; while the plasma protein binding rate of arctiin with healthy human plasma at the above concentrations were (64.8 +/- 3.1)%, (64.5 +/- 2.5)%, (77.5 +/- 1.7)%, respectively. The plasma protein binding rate of arctigenin with rat plasma at the concentrations of 77.42, 38.71, 19.36 mg x L(-1) were (96.7 +/- 0.41)%, (96.8 +/- 1.6)%, (97.3 +/- 0.46)%, respectively; while the plasma protein binding rate of arctigenin with normal human plasma at the above concentrations were (94.7 +/- 3.1)%, (96.8 +/- 1.6)%, (97.9 +/- 1.3)%, respectively. The binding rate of arctiin with rat plasma protein was moderate, which is slightly higher than the binding rate of arctiin with healthy human plasma protein. The plasma protein binding rates of arctigenin with both rat plasma and healthy human plasma are very high.

  18. Interleukin-6 in cerebrospinal fluid as a biomarker of acute meningitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Hernández, Pablo; Prieto, Belén; Martínez-Morillo, Eduardo; Rodríguez, Verónica; Álvarez, Francisco V

    2016-01-01

    Microbiological culture of cerebrospinal fluid is the gold standard to differentiate between aseptic and bacterial meningitis, but this method has low sensitivity. A fast and reliable new marker would be of interest in clinical practice. Interleukin-6, secreted by T cells in response to meningeal pathogens and quickly delivered into cerebrospinal fluid, was evaluated as a marker of acute meningitis. A total of 150 cerebrospinal fluid samples were analysed by an electrochemiluminescence method, selected according to patient diagnosis: (a) bacterial meningitis confirmed by positive culture (n = 26); (b) bacterial meningitis with negative culture or not performed (n = 15); (c) viral meningitis confirmed by polymerase chain reaction or immunoglobulin G determination (n = 23); (d) viral meningitis with polymerase chain reaction negative or not performed (n = 42); and (e) controls (n = 44). Cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 concentration showed significant differences between all pathologic groups and the control group (P meningitis, interleukin-6 showed an area under the curve of 0.937 (95% confidence intervals: 0.895-0.978), significantly higher than those of classical biomarkers. An interleukin-6 cutoff of 1418 pg/mL showed 95.5% sensitivity and 77.5% specificity, whereas a value of 15,060 pg/mL showed 63.6% sensitivity and 96.7% specificity, for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Interleukin-6 measured by electrochemiluminescence method is a promising marker for early differentiation between aseptic and bacterial meningitis. More studies are needed to validate clinical implications for future practice in an emergency laboratory. © The Author(s) 2015.

  19. AtMBD6, a methyl CpG binding domain protein, maintains gene ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    DNA methylation, mediated by double-stranded RNA, is a conserved epigenetic phenomenon that protects a genome fromtransposons, silences unwanted genes and has a paramount function in plant or animal development. Methyl CpG bindingdomain proteins are members of a class of proteins that bind tomethylated ...

  20. Secretion of an immunoreactive single-chain variable fragment antibody against mouse interleukin 6 by Lactococcus lactis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shigemori, Suguru; Ihara, Masaki; Sato, Takashi; Yamamoto, Yoshinari; Nigar, Shireen; Ogita, Tasuku; Shimosato, Takeshi

    2017-01-01

    Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is an important pathogenic factor in development of various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancer. Blocking antibodies against molecules associated with IL-6/IL-6 receptor signaling are an attractive candidate for the prevention or therapy of these diseases. In this study, we developed a genetically modified strain of Lactococcus lactis secreting a single-chain variable fragment antibody against mouse IL-6 (IL6scFv). An IL6scFv-secretion vector was constructed by cloning an IL6scFv gene fragment into a lactococcal secretion plasmid and was electroporated into L. lactis NZ9000 (NZ-IL6scFv). Secretion of recombinant IL6scFv (rIL6scFv) by nisin-induced NZ-IL6scFv was confirmed by western blotting and was optimized by tuning culture conditions. We found that rIL6scFv could bind to commercial recombinant mouse IL-6. This result clearly demonstrated the immunoreactivity of rIL6scFv. This is the first study to engineer a genetically modified strain of lactic acid bacteria (gmLAB) that produces a functional anti-cytokine scFv. Numerous previous studies suggested that mucosal delivery of biomedical proteins using gmLAB is an effective and low-cost way to treat various disorders. Therefore, NZ-IL6scFv may be an attractive tool for the research and development of new IL-6 targeting agents for various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as for cancer.

  1. Epigenetic dysregulation of interleukin 8 (CXCL8) hypersecretion in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poghosyan, Anna, E-mail: pannagos@yahoo.com; Patel, Jamie K.; Clifford, Rachel L.; Knox, Alan J., E-mail: alan.knox@nottingham.ac.uk

    2016-08-05

    Airway epithelial cells in cystic fibrosis (CF) overexpress Interleukin 8 (CXCL8) through poorly defined mechanisms. CXCL8 transcription is dependent on coordinated binding of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)β, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and activator protein (AP)-1 to the promoter. Here we show abnormal epigenetic regulation is responsible for CXCL8 overexpression in CF cells. Under basal conditions CF cells had increased bromodomain (Brd)3 and Brd4 recruitment and enhanced NF-κB and C/EBPβ binding to the CXCL8 promoter compared to non-CF cells due to trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and DNA hypomethylation at CpG6. IL-1β increased NF-κB, C/EBPβ and Brd4 binding. Furthermore, inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal domain family (BET) proteins reduced CXCL8 production in CF cells suggesting a therapeutic target for the BET pathway. -- Highlights: •A regulatory mechanism of CXCL8 transcriptional control in CF airways is proposed. •There was an increased binding of NF-κB and C/EBPβ transcription factors. •There was enhanced recruitment of BET proteins to the CXCL8 promoter. •Epigenetic modifications are responsible for the aberrant CXCL8 transcription.

  2. Epigenetic dysregulation of interleukin 8 (CXCL8) hypersecretion in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poghosyan, Anna; Patel, Jamie K.; Clifford, Rachel L.; Knox, Alan J.

    2016-01-01

    Airway epithelial cells in cystic fibrosis (CF) overexpress Interleukin 8 (CXCL8) through poorly defined mechanisms. CXCL8 transcription is dependent on coordinated binding of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)β, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and activator protein (AP)-1 to the promoter. Here we show abnormal epigenetic regulation is responsible for CXCL8 overexpression in CF cells. Under basal conditions CF cells had increased bromodomain (Brd)3 and Brd4 recruitment and enhanced NF-κB and C/EBPβ binding to the CXCL8 promoter compared to non-CF cells due to trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and DNA hypomethylation at CpG6. IL-1β increased NF-κB, C/EBPβ and Brd4 binding. Furthermore, inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal domain family (BET) proteins reduced CXCL8 production in CF cells suggesting a therapeutic target for the BET pathway. -- Highlights: •A regulatory mechanism of CXCL8 transcriptional control in CF airways is proposed. •There was an increased binding of NF-κB and C/EBPβ transcription factors. •There was enhanced recruitment of BET proteins to the CXCL8 promoter. •Epigenetic modifications are responsible for the aberrant CXCL8 transcription.

  3. Sirtuin inhibition attenuates the production of inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandes, Claudia A. [Universite catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Research Group, Brussels B-1200 (Belgium); Fievez, Laurence [University of Liege, GIGA-Research, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Liege B-4000 (Belgium); Neyrinck, Audrey M.; Delzenne, Nathalie M. [Universite catholique de Louvain, LDRI, Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Brussels B-1200 (Belgium); Bureau, Fabrice [University of Liege, GIGA-Research, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Liege B-4000 (Belgium); Vanbever, Rita, E-mail: rita.vanbever@uclouvain.be [Universite catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Research Group, Brussels B-1200 (Belgium)

    2012-04-20

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages were treated with cambinol and sirtinol. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cambinol and sirtinol decreased lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokines. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cambinol decreased NF-{kappa}B activity but had no impact on p38 MAPK activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sirtuins are an interesting target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. -- Abstract: In several inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or sepsis, the regulatory mechanisms of inflammation are inefficient and the excessive inflammatory response leads to damage to the host. Sirtuins are class III histone deacetylases that modulate the activity of several transcription factors that are implicated in immune responses. In this study, we evaluated the impact of sirtuin inhibition on the activation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated J774 macrophages by assessing the production of inflammatory cytokines. The pharmacologic inhibition of sirtuins decreased the production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-{alpha}) interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Rantes. The reduction of cytokine production was associated with decreased nuclear factor kappa B (NF-{kappa}B) activity and inhibitor kappa B alpha (I{kappa}B{alpha}) phosphorylation while no impact was observed on the phosphorylation status of p38 mitogen-activated kinase (p38 MAPK). This work shows that sirtuin pharmacologic inhibitors are a promising tool for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

  4. Moracin C, A Phenolic Compound Isolated from Artocarpus heterophyllus, Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Activated Inflammatory Responses in Murine Raw264.7 Macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Xue; Wu, Dang; Dong, Ningning; Ouyang, Ping; Pu, Jiaqian; Hu, Qian; Wang, Jingyuan; Lu, Weiqiang; Huang, Jin

    2016-07-25

    Artocarpus heterophyllus, a popular tropical fruit commonly known as the jackfruit tree, is normally planted in subtropical or tropical areas. Since a variety of phytochemicals isolated from A. heterophyllus have been found to possess potently anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antimalarial activities, researchers have devoted much interest to its potential pharmaceutical value. However, the exact mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory activity is not well characterized. In this study, seven natural products isolated from A. heterophyllus, including 25-Hydroxycycloart-23-en-3-one (HY), Artocarpin (AR), Dadahol A (DA), Morachalcone A (MA), Artoheterophyllin B (AB), Cycloheterophyllin (CY) and Moracin C (MC) were collected. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory response in RAW264.7 macrophages were used in this study. Among these compounds, MC significantly inhibited LPS-activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) release without marked cytotoxicity. Furthermore, MC effectively reduced LPS stimulated up-regulation of mRNA and protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and serval pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)). Mechanistic studies revealed that the anti-inflammatory effect of MC was associated with the activation of the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (including p38, ERK and JNK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways, especially reducing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunit as revealed by nuclear separation experiment and confocal microscopy.

  5. Moracin C, A Phenolic Compound Isolated from Artocarpus heterophyllus, Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Activated Inflammatory Responses in Murine Raw264.7 Macrophages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xue Yao

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Artocarpus heterophyllus, a popular tropical fruit commonly known as the jackfruit tree, is normally planted in subtropical or tropical areas. Since a variety of phytochemicals isolated from A. heterophyllus have been found to possess potently anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antimalarial activities, researchers have devoted much interest to its potential pharmaceutical value. However, the exact mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory activity is not well characterized. In this study, seven natural products isolated from A. heterophyllus, including 25-Hydroxycycloart-23-en-3-one (HY, Artocarpin (AR, Dadahol A (DA, Morachalcone A (MA, Artoheterophyllin B (AB, Cycloheterophyllin (CY and Moracin C (MC were collected. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated inflammatory response in RAW264.7 macrophages were used in this study. Among these compounds, MC significantly inhibited LPS-activated reactive oxygen species (ROS and nitric oxide (NO release without marked cytotoxicity. Furthermore, MC effectively reduced LPS stimulated up-regulation of mRNA and protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, and serval pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β (IL-1β, interleukin-6 (IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α. Mechanistic studies revealed that the anti-inflammatory effect of MC was associated with the activation of the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs (including p38, ERK and JNK and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB pathways, especially reducing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunit as revealed by nuclear separation experiment and confocal microscopy.

  6. Pharmacologic studies on ET-26 hydrochloride in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bin; Jiang, Junli; Yang, Jun; Chen, Jun; Zhu, Zhaoqiong; Liu, Jin; Zhang, Wensheng

    2017-11-15

    ET-26 hydrochloride (ET-26 HCl) is a promising sedation-hypnotic compound with stable hemodynamic features that elicits virtually no adrenocortical suppression. However, whether it preserves better pharmacologic characteristics in a rat model of sepsis is not known. This study compared the survival rate, levels of corticosterone and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and histologic injury in the lungs and kidneys of rats suffering from sepsis treated with ET-26 HCl, etomidate, or normal saline (NS). Rats were given lipopolysaccharide (1mg/kg body weight, i.v.) to establish a sepsis model. Thirty minutes after lipopolysaccharide administration, ET-26 HCl, etomidate or NS were given as a bolus injection at equivalent doses. Plasma levels of corticosterone, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α were measured 1, 2, 4, 6 and 24h after administration. Histologic injury was observed at the time of death or 24h after drug administration. The survival rate for rats in the etomidate, ET-26 HCl and NS groups was 40%, 90% and 90%, respectively. Corticosterone concentrations in the etomidate group were lower than those in the other groups 1h after administration of hypnotic compounds. Concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the ET-26 HCl group and NS group were not significantly different, but were significantly lower than those in the etomidate group. The injury scores of kidneys and lungs in the etomidate group were higher than those in ET-26 HCl and NS groups. ET-26 HCl showed virtually no suppression of corticosterone synthesis, lower concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines, higher survival rate, and less organ injury in rats suffering from sepsis compared with the etomidate group. It may be safer to induce anesthesia using ET-26 HCl, rather than etomidate, in patients suffering from sepsis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Interleukin 6 regulates metallothionein gene expression and zinc metabolism in hepatocyte monolayer cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schroeder, J.J.; Cousins, R.J.

    1990-01-01

    Attention has focused on the cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) as a major mediator of acute-phase protein synthesis in hepatocytes in response to infection and tissue injury. The authors have evaluated the effects of IL-6 and IL-1α as well as extracellular zinc and glucocorticoid hormone on metal-lothionein gene expression and cellular zinc accumulation in rat hepatocyte monolayer cultures. Further, they have evaluated the teleological basis for cytokine mediation by examining cyto-protection from CCl 4 -induced damage. Incubation of hepatocytes with IL-6 led to concentration-dependent and time-dependent increases in metallothionein-1 and -2 mRNA and metallothionein protein. The level of each was increased within 3 hr after the addition of IL-6 at 10 ng/ml. Maximal increases the metallothionein mRNA and metallothionein protein were achieved after 12 hr and 36 hr, respectively. Concomitant with the up-regulation of metallothionein gene expression, IL-6 also increased cellular zinc. Responses to IL-6 required the synthetic glucocorticoid hormone dexamethasone and were optimized by increased extracellular zinc. Thus, IL-6 is a major cytokine mediator of metallothionein gene expression and zinc metabolism in hepatocytes and provides cytoprotection from CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity via a mode consistent with dependence upon increased cellular metallothionein synthesis and zinc accumulation

  8. Heat stress, gastrointestinal permeability and interleukin-6 signaling - Implications for exercise performance and fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas, Nicole; Marino, Frank

    2016-01-01

    Exercise in heat stress exacerbates performance decrements compared to normothermic environments. It has been documented that the performance decrements are associated with reduced efferent drive from the central nervous system (CNS), however, specific factors that contribute to the decrements are not completely understood. During exertional heat stress, blood flow is preferentially distributed away from the intestinal area to supply the muscles and brain with oxygen. Consequently, the gastrointestinal barrier becomes increasingly permeable, resulting in the release of lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) into the circulation. LPS leakage stimulates an acute-phase inflammatory response, including the release of interleukin (IL)-6 in response to an increasingly endotoxic environment. If LPS translocation is too great, heat shock, neurological dysfunction, or death may ensue. IL-6 acts initially in a pro-inflammatory manner during endotoxemia, but can attenuate the response through signaling the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA)-axis. Likewise, IL-6 is believed to be a thermoregulatory sensor in the gut during the febrile response, hence highlighting its role in periphery - to - brain communication. Recently, IL-6 has been implicated in signaling the CNS and influencing perceptions of fatigue and performance during exercise. Therefore, due to the cascade of events that occur during exertional heat stress, it is possible that the release of LPS and exacerbated response of IL-6 contributes to CNS modulation during exertional heat stress. The purpose of this review is to evaluate previous literature and discuss the potential role for IL-6 during exertional heat stress to modulate performance in favor of whole body preservation.

  9. Analysis of polymorphisms in the promoter region and protein levels of interleukin-6 gene among gout patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, P-C; Chen, C-J; Lai, H-M; Chang, S-J

    2008-01-01

    To explore the associations between the polymorphisms and protein levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene and gout disease. A total of 120 male gout patients and 184 healthy controls were enrolled. Each patient was matched with 1-2 gout-free controls by age within three years. Four polymorphisms in the promoter of IL-6 gene, including -597G/A, -572C/G, -373A(m)T(n), and -174G/C, and the IL-6 levels were analyzed. The clinical characteristics and biochemical markers in plasma were measured, including age of gout onset, duration of gout history, tophus number, gout attack frequency, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides and creatinine. The mean IL-6 level for gout patients was 9.80 (+/-11.76 pg/ml) which showed no significant difference from the controls (7.06+/-7.58 pg/ml, p=0.230). When the IL-6 levels were dichotomized according to the median value (5 pg/ml), there were significantly higher proportions of the gout patients (59.66%) than controls (44%) with high IL-6 levels (OR=1.88, 95% CI=1.17-3.02, p=0.008). Unique genotype was found at polymorphisms -174G/C and -597G/A. Neither the polymorphisms -572C/G nor -373A(m)T(n) in the genotype or allele distributions showed a significant association related to clinical characteristics, biochemical markers, IL-6 levels or gout disease (all p>0.05). Those with gout disease have greater proportions of high IL-6 levels in plasma than controls, and there is no significant association between the four polymorphisms in the promoter region of IL-6 gene and gout disease.

  10. Association of Gene Polymorphisms in Interleukin 6 in Infantile Bronchial Asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babusikova, Eva; Jurecekova, Jana; Jesenak, Milos; Evinova, Andrea

    2017-07-01

    The genetic background of bronchial asthma is complex, and it is likely that multiple genes contribute to its development both directly and through gene-gene interactions. Cytokines contribute to different aspects of asthma, as they determine the type, severity and outcomes of asthma pathogenesis. Allergic asthmatics undergoing an asthmatic attack exhibit significantly higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukins and chemokines. In recent years, cytokines and their receptors have been shown to be highly polymorphic, and this prompted us to investigate interleukin 6 promoter polymorphisms at position -174G/C (rs1800795) and at -572G/C (rs1800796) in relation to asthma in children. Interleukin 6 promoter polymorphisms were analyzed in bronchial asthma patients and healthy children using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. We observed a significant association between polymorphism at -174G/C and bronchial asthma (OR=3.4, 95% CI: 2.045-5.638, P<.001). Higher associations between polymorphism at IL-6 -174G/C and bronchial asthma were observed in atopic patients (OR=4.1, 95% CI: 2.308-7.280, P<8.10 -7 ). Interleukin 6 polymorphism is associated with bronchial asthma, particularly its atopic phenotype. Expression and secretion of interleukins in asthmatic patients may be affected by genetic polymorphisms, and could have a disease-modifying effect in the asthmatic airway and modify the therapeutic response. Copyright © 2016 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  11. Interleukin-10 Protection against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuro-Inflammation and Neurotoxicity in Ventral Mesencephalic Cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Yan; Chen, Xiao; Liu, Zhan; Peng, Yu-Ping; Qiu, Yi-Hua

    2015-12-28

    Interleukin (IL)-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is expressed in the brain and can inhibit microglial activation. Herein, we utilized lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory Parkinson's disease (PD) cell model to determine whether microglia and astrocytes are necessary targets for IL-10 neuroprotection. Primary ventral mesencephalic (VM) cultures with different composition of neurons, microglia and astrocytes were prepared. The cells were exposed to IL-10 (15, 50 or 150 ng/mL) 1 h prior to LPS (50 ng/mL) treatment. LPS induced dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neuronal loss in VM cultures, VM neuron-enriched cultures, and neuron-microglia co-cultures, but not in neuron-astrocyte co-cultures. IL-10 reduced LPS-induced neuronal loss particularly in single VM neuron cultures. Pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2) were upregulated in both neuron-microglia and neuron-astrocyte co-cultures by LPS. In contrast, neurotrophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor-1 or glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor) were downregulated in neuron-microglia co-cultures, but upregulated in neuron-astrocyte co-cultures by LPS. IL-10 reduced both the increase in production of the pro-inflammatory mediators and the decrease in production of the neurotrophic factors induced by LPS. These results suggest that astrocytes can balance LPS neurotoxicity by releasing more neurotrophic factors and that IL-10 exerts neuroprotective property by an extensive action including direct on neurons and indirect via inhibiting microglial activation.

  12. Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on Prevotella intermedia lipopolysaccharide-induced production of proinflammatory mediators in murine macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, E-Y; Choe, S-H; Hyeon, J-Y; Choi, J-I; Choi, I S; Kim, S-J

    2015-12-01

    Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) has numerous potentially beneficial properties, including antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the effect of CAPE on periodontal disease has not been studied before. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of CAPE in ameliorating the production of proinflammatory mediators in macrophages activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Prevotella intermedia, a pathogen implicated in periodontal disease. LPS from P. intermedia ATCC 25611 was isolated by using the standard hot phenol-water method. Culture supernatants were assayed for nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction to quantify inducible NO synthase, IL-1β, IL-6, heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 1 mRNA expression. HO-1 protein expression and levels of signaling proteins were assessed by immunoblot analysis. DNA-binding activities of NF-κB subunits were analyzed by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based kits. CAPE exerted significant inhibitory effects on P. intermedia LPS-induced production of NO, IL-1β and IL-6 as well as their mRNA expression in RAW264.7 cells. CAPE-induced HO-1 expression in cells activated with P. intermedia LPS, and selective inhibition of HO-1 activity by tin protoporphyrin IX attenuated the inhibitory effect of CAPE on LPS-induced NO production. CAPE did not interfere with IκB-α degradation induced by P. intermedia LPS. Instead, CAPE decreased nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 and p50 subunits induced with LPS, and lessened LPS-induced p50 binding activity. Further, CAPE showed strong inhibitory effects on LPS-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and 3 phosphorylation. Besides, CAPE significantly elevated SOCS1 mRNA expression in P. intermedia LPS-stimulated cells. Modulation of host response by CAPE may represent an attractive strategy towards the treatment of periodontal disease

  13. Metabolites associated with circulating interleukin-6 in older adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Background: Circulating levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are elevated in older adults, but mechanisms are unclear. In the current study, we used an untargeted metabolomic approach to develop an improved understanding about mechanisms related to circulating IL-6 in ...

  14. Benzoxazole derivatives suppress lipopolysaccharide-induced mast cell activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Kyung-Ah; Park, Minhwa; Kim, Yu-Hee; Choo, Hea-Young Park; Lee, Kyung Ho

    2018-05-01

    Mast cells are central regulators of allergic inflammation that function by releasing various proallergic inflammatory mediators, including histamine, eicosanoids and proinflammatory cytokines. Occasionally, bacterial infections may initiate or worsen allergic inflammation. A number of studies have indicated that activation of lipoxygenase in mast cells positive regulates allergic inflammatory responses by generating leukotrienes and proinflammatory cytokines. In the present study, the effects of benzoxazole derivatives on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced expression of proinflammatory cytokines, production of histamine and surface expression of co‑stimulatory molecules on bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) were studied. The benzoxazole derivatives significantly reduced the expression of interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6, IL‑13, tumor necrosis factor‑α, perilipin (PLIN) 2, and PLIN3 in BMMCs treated with LPS. Furthermore, histamine production was suppressed in BMMCs treated with LPS, or treated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate/ionomycin. Benzoxazole derivatives marginally affected the surface expression of cluster of differentiation (CD)80 and CD86 on BMMCs in the presence of LPS, although LPS alone did not increase the expression of those proteins. Therefore, benzoxazole derivatives inhibited the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in mast cells and may be potential candidate anti‑allergic agents to suppress mast cell activation.

  15. Protective effects of kaempferol on lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Rongfeng; Fu, Kaiqiang; Lv, Xiaopei; Li, Weishi; Zhang, Naisheng

    2014-10-01

    Kaempferol isolated from the root of Zingiberaceae plants galangal and other Chinese herbal medicines have been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of kaempferol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis are unknown and their underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of kaempferol on LPS-induced mouse mastitis. The mouse model of mastitis was induced by injection of LPS through the duct of mammary gland. Kaempferol was injected 1 h before and 12 h after induction of LPS intraperitoneally. The present results showed that kaempferol markedly reduced infiltration of neutrophilic granulocyte, activation of myeloperoxidase (MPO), expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in a dose-dependent manner, which were increased in LPS-induced mouse mastitis. Furthermore, kaempferol suppressed the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 subunit and the degradation of its inhibitor IκBα. All results suggest that anti-inflammatory effects of kaempferol against the LPS-induced mastitis possibly through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Kaempferol may be a potential therapeutic agent for mastitis.

  16. Circulating interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein decrease after periodontal therapy in otherwise healthy subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcaccini, Andrea M; Meschiari, César A; Sorgi, Carlos A; Saraiva, Maria C P; de Souza, Ana M; Faccioli, Lúcia H; Tanus-Santos, José E; Novaes, Arthur B; Gerlach, Raquel F

    2009-04-01

    Periodontal disease has been associated with many chronic inflammatory systemic diseases, and a common chronic inflammation pathway has been suggested for these conditions. However, few studies have evaluated whether periodontal disease, in the absence of other known inflammatory conditions and smoking, affects circulating markers of chronic inflammation. This study compared chronic inflammation markers in control individuals and patients with periodontal disease and observed whether non-surgical periodontal therapy affected inflammatory disease markers after 3 months. Plasma and serum of 20 controls and 25 patients with periodontal disease were obtained prior to and 3 months after non-surgical periodontal therapy. All patients were non-smokers, they did not use any medication, and they had no history or detectable signs and symptoms of systemic diseases. Periodontal and systemic parameters included probing depth, bleeding on probing, clinical attachment level, hematologic parameters, as well as the following inflammatory markers: interleukin (IL)-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), CD40 ligand, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin), soluble vascular adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1. There were no differences in the hematologic parameters of the patients in the control and periodontal disease groups. Among the tested inflammatory markers, IL-6 concentrations were higher in the periodontal disease group at baseline compared to the controls (P = 0.006). Therapy was highly effective (P periodontal disease groups prior to the therapy (P = 0.009). In apparently otherwise healthy patients, periodontal disease is associated with increased circulating concentrations of IL-6 and hs-CRP, which decreased 3 months after non-surgical periodontal therapy. With regard to the CD40 ligand, MCP-1, sP-selectin, sVCAM-1, and sICAM-1, no changes were seen in the periodontal disease group

  17. Endocannabinergic modulation of interleukin-1β in mouse hippocampus under basal conditions and after in vivo systemic lipopolysaccharide stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csölle, Cecília; Sperlágh, Beáta

    2011-01-01

    Cannabinoids play an important role in the suppression of proinflammatory cytokine production in the periphery and brain. In this study, we explored whether endogenous activation of cannabinoid (CB) 1 receptors (CB1Rs) affects interleukin (IL)-1β levels in the mouse hippocampus under basal conditions and following stimulation with in vivo bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 250 μg/kg i.p.). IL-1β levels were determined in the hippocampi of wild-type (WT), CB1R-/- and P2X₇ receptor (P2X₇R)-/- mice using an ELISA kit. Basal but not LPS-induced IL-1β levels were downregulated when CB1R function was abrogated by genetic deletion, suggesting that endocannabinoids contributed to basal IL-1β content in the mouse hippocampus. AM251 (3 mg/kg i.p.), an antagonist of CB1Rs, also inhibited basal IL-1β protein in WT but not in CB1R-/- mice. In the absence of P2X₇R, LPS-induced IL-1β production was lower, while the inhibitory effect of CB1R antagonists on basal IL-1β was significantly attenuated. The LPS-induced elevation in IL-1β production was decreased in the presence of AM251 and AM281, with no significant difference between WT and P2X₇R-/- mice. CB1Rs are responsible for the modulation of basal IL-1β levels in the hippocampus, while the effects of CB1 antagonists on systemic LPS-induced IL-1β concentrations are independent of CB1Rs. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. Interleukin 1-induced down-regulation of antibody binding to CD4 molecules on human lymphocytes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tvede, N; Christensen, L D; Ødum, Niels

    1988-01-01

    Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is involved in the early activation of T lymphocytes. The CD4 antigen, described as a phenotypic marker of helper T cells, is also important in early T-cell activation by its ability to bind to MHC class II molecules on antigen-presenting cells, and to transmit positive (and...

  19. Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies promote apoptosis of mature human Saos-2 osteoblasts via cell-surface binding to citrullinated heat shock protein 60.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Ming-Chi; Yu, Chia-Li; Yu, Hui-Chun; Huang, Hsien-Bin; Koo, Malcolm; Lai, Ning-Sheng

    2016-01-01

    We hypothesized that anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) react with osteoblast surface citrullinated proteins and affect cell function, leading to joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). First, we purified ACPAs by cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP)-conjugated affinity column chromatography. The cognate antigens of ACPAs on Saos-2 cells, a sarcoma osteogenic cell line generated from human osteoblasts, were probed by ACPAs, and the reactive bands were analyzed using proteomic analyses. We found that ACPAs bind to Saos-2 cell membrane, and several protein candidates, including HSP60, were identified. We then cloned and purified recombinant heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and citrullinated HSP60 (citHSP60) and investigated the effect of ACPAs on Saos-2 cell. We confirmed that HSP60 obtained from Saos-2 cell membrane were citrullinated and reacted with ACPAs, which induces Saos-2 cells apoptosis via binding to surface-expressed citHSP60 through Toll-like receptor 4 signaling. ACPAs promoted interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 expression in Saos-2 cells. Finally, sera from patients with RA and healthy controls were examined for their titers of anti-HSP60 and anti-citHSP60 antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The radiographic change in patients with RA was evaluated using the Genant-modified Sharp scoring system. Patients with RA showed higher sera titers of anti-citHSP60, but not anti-HSP60, antibodies when compared with controls. In addition, the anti-citHSP60 level was positively associated with increased joint damage in patients with RA. In conclusion, Saos-2 cell apoptosis was mediated by ACPAs via binding to cell surface-expressed citHSP60 and the titer of anti-citHSP60 in patients with RA positively associated with joint damage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  20. An anti-interleukin-2 receptor drug attenuates T- helper 1 lymphocytes-mediated inflammation in an acute model of endotoxin-induced uveitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvador Mérida

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of Daclizumab, an anti-interleukin-2 receptor drug, in an experimental uveitis model upon a subcutaneous injection of lipopolysaccharide into Lewis rats, a valuable model for ocular acute inflammatory processes. The integrity of the blood-aqueous barrier was assessed 24 h after endotoxin-induced uveitis by evaluating two parameters: cell count and protein concentration in aqueous humors. The histopathology of all the ocular structures (cornea, lens, sclera, choroid, retina, uvea, and anterior and posterior chambers was also considered. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of the aqueous humor samples were performed to quantify the levels of the different chemokine and cytokine proteins. Similarly, a biochemical analysis of oxidative stress-related markers was also assessed. The inflammation observed in the anterior chamber of the eyes when Daclizumab was administered with endotoxin was largely prevented since the aqueous humor protein concentration substantially lowered concomitantly with a significant reduction in the uveal and vitreous histopathological grading. Th1 lymphocytes-related cytokines, such as Interleukin-2 and Interferon-γ, also significantly reduced with related anti-oxidant systems recovery. Daclizumab treatment in endotoxin-induced uveitis reduced Th1 lymphocytes-related cytokines, such as Interleukin-2 and Interferon gamma, by about 60-70% and presented a preventive role in endotoxin-induced oxidative stress. This antioxidant protective effect of Daclizumab may be related to several of the observed Daclizumab effects in our study, including IL-6 cytokine regulatory properties and a substantial concomitant drop in INFγ. Concurrently, Daclizumab treatment triggered a significant reduction in both the uveal histopathological grading and protein concentration in aqueous humors, but not in cellular infiltration.

  1. Poxviral protein A52 stimulates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation by causing tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) self-association leading to transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) recruitment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stack, Julianne; Hurst, Tara P; Flannery, Sinead M; Brennan, Kiva; Rupp, Sebastian; Oda, Shun-ichiro; Khan, Amir R; Bowie, Andrew G

    2013-11-22

    Vaccinia virus encodes a number of proteins that inhibit and manipulate innate immune signaling pathways that also have a role in virulence. These include A52, a protein shown to inhibit IL-1- and Toll-like receptor-stimulated NFκB activation, via interaction with interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 2 (IRAK2). Interestingly, A52 was also found to activate p38 MAPK and thus enhance Toll-like receptor-dependent IL-10 induction, which was TRAF6-dependent, but the manner in which A52 manipulates TRAF6 to stimulate p38 activation was unclear. Here, we show that A52 has a non-canonical TRAF6-binding motif that is essential for TRAF6 binding and p38 activation but dispensable for NFκB inhibition and IRAK2 interaction. Wild-type A52, but not a mutant defective in p38 activation and TRAF6 binding (F154A), caused TRAF6 oligomerization and subsequent TRAF6-TAK1 association. The crystal structure of A52 shows that it adopts a Bcl2-like fold and exists as a dimer in solution. Residue Met-65 was identified as being located in the A52 dimer interface, and consistent with that, A52-M65E was impaired in its ability to dimerize. A52-M65E although capable of interacting with TRAF6, was unable to cause either TRAF6 self-association, induce the TRAF6-TAK1 association, or activate p38 MAPK. The results suggest that an A52 dimer causes TRAF6 self-association, leading to TAK1 recruitment and p38 activation. This reveals a molecular mechanism whereby poxviruses manipulate TRAF6 to activate MAPKs (which can be proviral) without stimulating antiviral NFκB activation.

  2. Lactoferrin release and interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor production by human polymorphonuclear cells stimulated by various lipopolysaccharides: relationship to growth inhibition of Candida albicans.

    OpenAIRE

    Palma, C; Cassone, A; Serbousek, D; Pearson, C A; Djeu, J Y

    1992-01-01

    Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, and Salmonella typhimurium, at doses from 1 to 100 ng/ml, strongly enhanced growth inhibition of Candida albicans by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in vitro. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that LPS markedly augmented phagocytosis of Candida cells by increasing the number of yeasts ingested per neutrophil as well as the number of neutrophils capable of ingesting fungal cells. LPS activation caused augmented ...

  3. IGF binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bach, Leon A

    2017-12-18

    Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) 1-6 bind IGFs but not insulin with high affinity. They were initially identified as serum carriers and passive inhibitors of IGF actions. However, subsequent studies showed that, although IGFBPs inhibit IGF actions in many circumstances, they may also potentiate these actions. IGFBPs are widely expressed in most tissues, and they are flexible endocrine and autocrine/paracrine regulators of IGF activity, which is essential for this important physiological system. More recently, individual IGFBPs have been shown to have IGF-independent actions. Mechanisms underlying these actions include (i) interaction with non-IGF proteins in compartments including the extracellular space and matrix, the cell surface and intracellularly; (ii) interaction with and modulation of other growth factor pathways including EGF, TGF- and VEGF; and (iii) direct or indirect transcriptional effects following nuclear entry of IGFBPs. Through these IGF-dependent and IGF-independent actions, IGFBPs modulate essential cellular processes including proliferation, survival, migration, senescence, autophagy and angiogenesis. They have been implicated in a range of disorders including malignant, metabolic, neurological and immune diseases. A more complete understanding of their cellular roles may lead to the development of novel IGFBP-based therapeutic opportunities.

  4. Changes in haematological indices following local application of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein after tenotomy in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marko Pecin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Interleukin-1 (IL-1 is the most important cytokine in the inflammation cascade activation in all tissues and is present in acute and chronic phases of inflammation. By blocking IL-1 binding to target cells, numerous inflammation processes are prevented. The use of autologous conditioned serum rich with IL-1 receptor antagonist protein (IL-1Ra is a novel treatment method of tendon inflammation in domestic animals and humans. Injections of autologous conditioned serum (ACS have demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety in animal models and humans in the treatment of osteoarthritis, disc prolapse and muscles and tendons injuries with low side effect. Neutropaenia, reduced white blood cell count, and infections or local irritations are described as side effects of IL-1 antagonist use in humans. Therefore, a study of blood changes in rabbits after local administration of IL-1Ra in the Achilles tendon tissue after iatrogenic inflammation was conducted. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein was used to prevent and reduce tendon inflammation after longitudinal tenotomy. The study was done on 26 white Californian rabbits, divided into two equal groups consisting of 13 animals each; the experimental interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (irap group, and the control group. In the irap group, autologous serum rich with IL-1Ra was used (Orthokine®vet irap, Alfa-Arthro, Croatia. Differences between two groups were considered significant as changes in the blood for certain blood elements at P < 0.01. The P value was P = 0.0153 for the white blood cells, P = 0.00153 for neutrophils, P = 0.00017 and for platelets. In the control group, an increased platelet count was noticed in 70% of blood samples and a decreased neutrophil count was found in all of the irap group samples at the end of the study in comparison to the initial blood count prior to application.

  5. Fucofuroeckol-A from Eisenia bicyclis Inhibits Inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Mouse Macrophages via Downregulation of the MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sang-Hoon Lee

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Fucofuroeckol-A (FF isolated from an edible perennial brown seaweed Eisenia bicyclis was shown to be potent anti-inflammatory agents. FF suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 dose dependently in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS- induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and cytometric bead array assay demonstrated that FF significantly reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, and that of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Moreover, FF reduced the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs. These results strongly suggest that the inhibitory effects of fucofuroeckol-A from E. bicyclis on LPS-induced NO and PGE2 production might be due to the suppression of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway.

  6. Molecular Properties of Guar Gum and Pectin Modify Cecal Bile Acids, Microbiota, and Plasma Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein in Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaffarzadegan, Tannaz; Marungruang, Nittaya; Fåk, Frida; Nyman, Margareta

    2016-01-01

    Bile acids (BAs) act as signaling molecules in various physiological processes, and are related to colonic microbiota composition as well as to different types of dietary fat and fiber. This study investigated whether guar gum and pectin-two fibers with distinct functional characteristics-affect BA profiles, microbiota composition, and gut metabolites in rats. Low- (LM) or high-methoxylated (HM) pectin, and low-, medium-, or high-molecular-weight (MW) guar gum were administered to rats that were fed either low- or high-fat diets. Cecal BAs, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and microbiota composition, and plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels were analyzed, by using novel methodologies based on gas chromatography (BAs and SCFAs) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Strong correlations were observed between cecal BA and SCFA levels, microbiota composition, and portal plasma LBP levels in rats on a high-fat diet. Notably, guar gum consumption with medium-MW increased the cecal amounts of cholic-, chenodeoxycholic-, and ursodeoxycholic acids as well as α-, β-, and ω-muricholic acids to a greater extent than other types of guar gum or the fiber-free control diet. In contrast, the amounts of cecal deoxycholic- and hyodeoxycholic acid were reduced with all types of guar gum independent of chain length. Differences in BA composition between pectin groups were less obvious, but cecal levels of α- and ω-muricholic acids were higher in rats fed LM as compared to HM pectin or the control diet. The inflammatory marker LBP was downregulated in rats fed medium-MW guar gum and HM pectin; these two fibers decreased the cecal abundance of Oscillospira and an unclassified genus in Ruminococcaceae, and increased that of an unclassified family in RF32. These results indicate that the molecular properties of guar gum and pectin are important for their ability to modulate cecal BA formation, gut microbiota composition, and high-fat diet induced

  7. The superfamily of C3b/C4b-binding proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Torsten; D'Eustachio, P; Ogata, R T

    1987-01-01

    The determination of primary structures by amino acid and nucleotide sequencing for the C3b-and/or C4b-binding proteins H, C4BP, CR1, B, and C2 has revealed the presence of a common structural element. This element is approximately 60 amino acids long and is repeated in a tandem fashion, commencing...... at the amino-terminal end of each molecule. Two other complement components, C1r and C1s, have two of these repeating units in the carboxy-terminal region of their noncatalytic A chains. Three noncomplement proteins, beta 2-glycoprotein I (beta 2I), the interleukin 2 receptor (IL 2 receptor), and the b chain...... of factor XIII, have 4, 2 and 10 of these repeating units, respectively. These proteins obviously belong to the above family, although there is no evidence that they interact with C3b and/or C4b. Human haptoglobin and rat leukocyte common antigen also contain two and three repeating units, respectively...

  8. Anti-IL-17 Antibody Improves Hepatic Steatosis by Suppressing Interleukin-17-Related Fatty Acid Synthesis and Metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weidong Shi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available To investigate the relationship between interleukin-17 and proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism with respect to alcoholic liver disease, male ICR mice were randomized into five groups: control, alcoholic liver disease (ALD at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks, and anti-IL-17 antibody treated ALD. A proteomic approach was adopted to investigate changes in liver proteins between control and ALD groups. The proteomic analysis was performed by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. Spots of interest were subsequently subjected to nanospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS for protein identification. Additionally, expression levels of selected proteins were confirmed by western blot. Transcriptional levels of some selected proteins were determined by RT-PCR. Expression levels of 95 protein spots changed significantly (ratio >1.5, P<0.05 during the development of ALD. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein-lc (SREBP-1c, carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP, enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase (ECHS1, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α were identified by MS/MS among the proteins shown to vary the most; increased IL-17 elevated the transcription of SREBP-1c and ChREBP but suppressed ECHS1 and PPAR-α. The interleukin-17 signaling pathway is involved in ALD development; anti-IL-17 antibody improved hepatic steatosis by suppressing interleukin-17-related fatty acid metabolism.

  9. Clinical study of serum interleukin-6 in children with community-acquired pneumonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed A. Khattab

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP is an important childhood killer. Excessive production of cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6, might be associated with severe disease course but pediatric data is limited. Aim: To assess value of IL-6 in predicting CAP severity in children. Methods: A prospective study conducted on 73 children hospitalized for CAP and 15 healthy controls. Pneumonia severity was evaluated according to World Health Organization (WHO classification, Respiratory Index of Severity Score (RISC, Predisposition, Insult, Response, Organ dysfunction modified (PIROm score, and Pediatric Respiratory Severity Score (PRESS. Serum IL-6 was measured within 24 h of admission. The primary outcome was occurrence of any pneumonia complications or death within 30 days. Results: IL-6 was significantly higher among patients compared with controls. Unlike CRP, IL-6 was significantly higher among children with severe pneumonia as determined by WHO, PRESS, and RISC (p = 0.001 for all. IL-6 was significantly higher among children with PICU admission, mechanical ventilation, shock (p = 0.001 for all, hypoxia (p < 0.001, and lobar consolidation (p = 0.042. IL-6 had positive correlations with PRESS (rs=0.8, P < 0.001, RISC (rs=0.6, p < 0.001, and PIROm (rs=0.59, p < 0.001 while a negative correlation was found with Oxygen saturation [r = −0.61, p = 0.001]. IL-6 was not significantly correlated with CRP. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC analysis revealed large area under the curve (AUC of IL-6 for prediction of severe pneumonia as classified by WHO, PRESS, and RISC (AUC = 0.95, 0.94, and 0.89 respectively. Conclusion: IL-6 appears to be valuable for assessment of CAP severity in children compared with conventional biomarkers. Keywords: Interleukin-6, Community acquired pneumonia, C-reactive protein, Prognosis, Pediatric

  10. A novel injection strategy of flurbiprofen axetil by inhibiting protein binding with 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogata, Kenji; Takamura, Norito; Tokunaga, Jin; Ikeda, Tetsuya; Setoguchi, Nao; Tanda, Kazuhiro; Yamasaki, Tetsuo; Nishio, Toyotaka; Kawai, Keiichi

    2016-04-01

    Flurbiprofen axetil (FPA) is an injection product and a prodrug of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). After injection, it is rapidly hydrolyzed to the active form, flurbiprofen (FP). Since frequent injections of FPA can lead to abnormal physiology, an administration strategy is necessary to ensure there is enhancement of the analgesic efficiency of FP after a single dose and to reduce the total number of doses. FP strongly binds to site II of albumin, and thus the free (unbound) FP concentration is low. This study focused on 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6-MNA), the active metabolite of nabumetone (a prodrug of NSAID). We performed ultrafiltration experiments and pharmacokinetics analysis in rats to investigate whether the inhibitory effect of 6-MNA on FP binding to albumin increased the free FP concentration in vitro and in vivo. Results indicated that 6-MNA inhibited the binding of FP to albumin competitively. When 6-MNA was injected in rats, there was a significant increase in the free FP concentration and the area under concentration-time curve (AUC) calculated from the free FP concentration, while there was a significant decrease in the total (bound + free) FP concentration and the AUC calculated from the total FP concentration. These findings indicate that 6-MNA inhibits the protein binding of FP in vivo. This suggests that the frequency of FPA injections can be reduced when administered with nabumetone, as there is increase in the free FP concentration associated with pharmacological effect.

  11. Interleukin-10 Protection against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuro-Inflammation and Neurotoxicity in Ventral Mesencephalic Cultures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Zhu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Interleukin (IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is expressed in the brain and can inhibit microglial activation. Herein, we utilized lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced inflammatory Parkinson’s disease (PD cell model to determine whether microglia and astrocytes are necessary targets for IL-10 neuroprotection. Primary ventral mesencephalic (VM cultures with different composition of neurons, microglia and astrocytes were prepared. The cells were exposed to IL-10 (15, 50 or 150 ng/mL 1 h prior to LPS (50 ng/mL treatment. LPS induced dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neuronal loss in VM cultures, VM neuron-enriched cultures, and neuron-microglia co-cultures, but not in neuron-astrocyte co-cultures. IL-10 reduced LPS-induced neuronal loss particularly in single VM neuron cultures. Pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 were upregulated in both neuron-microglia and neuron-astrocyte co-cultures by LPS. In contrast, neurotrophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor-1 or glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor were downregulated in neuron-microglia co-cultures, but upregulated in neuron-astrocyte co-cultures by LPS. IL-10 reduced both the increase in production of the pro-inflammatory mediators and the decrease in production of the neurotrophic factors induced by LPS. These results suggest that astrocytes can balance LPS neurotoxicity by releasing more neurotrophic factors and that IL-10 exerts neuroprotective property by an extensive action including direct on neurons and indirect via inhibiting microglial activation.

  12. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor/IL-6 fusion protein (Hyper IL-6) effects on the neonatal mouse brain: possible role for IL-6 trans-signaling in brain development and functional neurobehavioral outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunssen, Susan H; Moy, Sheryl S; Toews, Arrel D; McPherson, Christopher A; Harry, G Jean

    2013-01-01

    Adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes are linked to perinatal production of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin 6 (IL-6). While a pivotal role for maternal elevation in IL-6 has been established in determining neurobehavioral outcomes in the offspring and considered the primary target mediating the fetal inflammatory response, questions remain as to the specific actions of IL-6 on the developing brain. CD-1 male mice received a subdural injection of the bioactive fusion protein, hyper IL-6 (HIL-6) on postnatal-day (PND)4 and assessed from preweaning until adulthood. Immunohistochemical evaluation of astrocytes and microglia and mRNA levels for pro-inflammatory cytokines and host response genes indicated no evidence of an acute neuroinflammatory injury response. HIL-6 accelerated motor development and increased reactivity to stimulation and number of entries in a light/dark chamber, decreased ability to learn to withhold a response in passive avoidance, and effected deficits in social novelty behavior. No changes were observed in motor activity, pre-pulse startle inhibition, or learning and memory in the Morris water maze or radial arm maze, as have been reported for models of more severe developmental neuroinflammation. In young animals, mRNA levels for MBP and PLP/DM20 decreased and less complexity of MBP processes in the cortex was evident by immunohistochemistry. The non-hydroxy cerebroside fraction of cerebral lipids was increased. These results provide evidence for selective effects of IL-6 signaling, particularly trans-signaling, in the developing brain in the absence of a general neuroinflammatory response. These data contribute to our further understanding of the multiple aspects of IL-6 signaling in the developing brain. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Uncaria rhynchophylla inhibits the production of nitric oxide and interleukin-1β through blocking nuclear factor κB, Akt, and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji-Hee; Bae, Chang Hwan; Park, Sun Young; Lee, Sang Joon; Kim, YoungHee

    2010-10-01

    The stems with hook of Uncaria rhynchophylla have been used in traditional medicine as an antipyretic, antihypertensive, and anticonvulsant in China and Korea. In this study, we investigated the mechanism responsible for anti-inflammatory effects of U. rhynchophylla in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The aqueous extract of U. rhynchophylla inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin (IL)-1β secretion as well as inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression, without affecting cell viability. Furthermore, U. rhynchophylla suppressed LPS-induced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, phosphorylation, and degradation of inhibitory protein IκB (IκB)-α, phosphorylation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. These results suggest that U. rhynchophylla has the inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO and IL-1β production in macrophages through blockade in the phosphorylation of Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinases, following IκB-α degradation and NF-κB activation.

  14. Triggered Urine Interleukin-6 Correlates to Severity of Symptoms in Nonfebrile Lower Urinary Tract Infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundén, Fredrik; Butler, Daniel; Wullt, Björn

    2017-07-01

    Objective diagnosis of symptomatic urinary tract infections in patients prone to asymptomatic bacteriuria is compromised by local host responses that are already present and the positive urine culture. We investigated interleukin-6 as a biomarker for nonfebrile urinary tract infection severity and diagnostic thresholds for interleukin-6 and 8, and neutrophils to differentiate between asymptomatic bacteriuria and urinary tract infection. Patients with residual urine and neurogenic bladders due to spinal lesions included in a long-term Escherichia coli 83972 asymptomatic bacteriuria inoculation trial were monitored for 2 years. Symptom scoring and urine sampling to estimate interleukin-6 and 8, and neutrophils were performed regularly monthly and at urinary tract infection episodes. Patients were followed in the complete study for a mean of 19 months (range 10 to 27) and those with asymptomatic bacteriuria with E. coli 83972 were followed a mean of 11 months (range 4 to 19). A total of 37 nonfebrile urinary tract infection episodes with complete data on interleukin-6 and 8, neutrophils and symptom scoring were documented. Interleukin-6 was the only marker that persistently increased during urinary tract infection compared to asymptomatic bacteriuria in pooled and paired intra-individual comparisons (p urinary tract infection symptoms (p urinary tract infection episodes. However, in urinary tract infections with worse symptoms interleukin-6 and neutrophils demonstrated equal good/excellent outcomes. Triggered interleukin-6 correlated to urinary tract infection symptom severity and demonstrated a promising differential diagnostic capacity to discriminate urinary tract infection from asymptomatic bacteriuria. Future studies should explore interleukin-6 as a biomarker of urinary tract infection severity and assess the treatment indication in nonfebrile urinary tract infections. Copyright © 2017 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by

  15. A possible mechanism of maxillofacial abscess formation: involvement of Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide via the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Y; Hanazawa, S; Tanaka, S; Iwahashi, H; Yamamoto, Y; Fujisawa, S

    2001-12-01

    In a previous study, we developed a specific monoclonal antibody against Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide, and demonstrated that this lipopolysaccharide was detected in bacterially infected root canal fluid. We suggest here that P. endodontalis lipopolysaccharide in the infectious materials plays a stimulatory role in maxillofacial abscess formation via the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Our epidemiological study showed that this lipopolysaccharide was detected in significant levels the infectious material of patients with periapical periodontitis and odontogenic abscesses. Interestingly, infectious material-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, or neutrophil chemoattractant KC genes in mouse macrophages, was significantly neutralized by monoclonal antibody against the lipopolysaccharide. In addition, we also detected a significant amount of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the infectious material. These results suggest that P. endodontalis lipopolysaccharide plays an important role in the pathogenic mechanism of maxillofacial abscess formation via the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

  16. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Protein-Induced Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) Signaling Is Inhibited by the TLR4 Antagonists Rhodobacter sphaeroides Lipopolysaccharide and Eritoran (E5564) and Requires Direct Interaction with MD-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rallabhandi, Prasad; Phillips, Rachel L.; Boukhvalova, Marina S.; Pletneva, Lioubov M.; Shirey, Kari Ann; Gioannini, Theresa L.; Weiss, Jerrold P.; Chow, Jesse C.; Hawkins, Lynn D.; Vogel, Stefanie N.; Blanco, Jorge C. G.

    2012-01-01

    ABSTRACT Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a signaling receptor for structurally diverse microbe-associated molecular patterns, is activated by the RSV fusion (F) protein and by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a CD14-dependent manner. TLR4 signaling by LPS also requires the presence of an additional protein, MD-2. Thus, it is possible that F protein-mediated TLR4 activation relies on MD-2 as well, although this hypothesis has not been formally tested. LPS-free RSV F protein was found to activate NF-κB in HEK293T transfectants that express wild-type (WT) TLR4 and CD14, but only when MD-2 was coexpressed. These findings were confirmed by measuring F-protein-induced interleukin 1β (IL-1β) mRNA in WT versus MD-2−/− macrophages, where MD-2−/− macrophages failed to show IL-1β expression upon F-protein treatment, in contrast to the WT. Both Rhodobacter sphaeroides LPS and synthetic E5564 (eritoran), LPS antagonists that inhibit TLR4 signaling by binding a hydrophobic pocket in MD-2, significantly reduced RSV F-protein-mediated TLR4 activity in HEK293T-TLR4–CD14–MD-2 transfectants in a dose-dependent manner, while TLR4-independent NF-κB activation by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was unaffected. In vitro coimmunoprecipitation studies confirmed a physical interaction between native RSV F protein and MD-2. Further, we demonstrated that the N-terminal domain of the F1 segment of RSV F protein interacts with MD-2. These data provide new insights into the importance of MD-2 in RSV F-protein-mediated TLR4 activation. Thus, targeting the interaction between MD-2 and RSV F protein may potentially lead to novel therapeutic approaches to help control RSV-induced inflammation and pathology. PMID:22872782

  17. New human erythrocyte protein with binding sites for both spectrin and calmodulin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardner, K.; Bennett, V.

    1986-01-01

    A new cytoskeletal protein that binds calmodulin has been purified to greater than 95% homogeneity from human erythrocyte cytoskeletons. The protein is a heterodimer with subunits of 103,000 and 97,000 and M/sub r/ = 197,000 calculated from its Stokes radius of 6.9 nm and sedimentation coefficient of 6.8. A binding affinity of this protein for calmodulin has been estimated to be 230 nM by displacement of two different concentrations of 125 I-azidocalmodulin with increasing concentrations of unmodified calmodulin followed by Dixon plot analysis. This protein is present in red cells at approximately 30,000 copies per cell and contains a very tight binding site(s) on cytoskeletons. The protein can be only partially solubilized from isolated cytoskeletons in buffers containing high salt, but can be totally solubilized from red cell ghost membranes by extraction in low ionic strength buffers. Affinity purified IgG against this calmodulin-binding protein identifies crossreacting polypeptide(s) in brain, kidney, testes and retina. Visualization of the calmodulin-binding protein by negative staining, rotary shadowing and unidirectional shadowing indicate that it is a flattened circular molecule with molecular height of 5.4 nm and a diameter of 12.4 nm. Preliminary cosedimentation studies with purified spectrin and F-actin indicate that the site of interaction of this calmodulin-binding protein with the cytoskeleton resides on spectrin

  18. Bacterial periplasmic sialic acid-binding proteins exhibit a conserved binding site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gangi Setty, Thanuja [Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, NCBS Campus, GKVK Post, Bangalore, Karnataka 560 065 (India); Cho, Christine [Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1109 (United States); Govindappa, Sowmya [Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, NCBS Campus, GKVK Post, Bangalore, Karnataka 560 065 (India); Apicella, Michael A. [Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1109 (United States); Ramaswamy, S., E-mail: ramas@instem.res.in [Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, NCBS Campus, GKVK Post, Bangalore, Karnataka 560 065 (India)

    2014-07-01

    Structure–function studies of sialic acid-binding proteins from F. nucleatum, P. multocida, V. cholerae and H. influenzae reveal a conserved network of hydrogen bonds involved in conformational change on ligand binding. Sialic acids are a family of related nine-carbon sugar acids that play important roles in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. These sialic acids are incorporated/decorated onto lipooligosaccharides as terminal sugars in multiple bacteria to evade the host immune system. Many pathogenic bacteria scavenge sialic acids from their host and use them for molecular mimicry. The first step of this process is the transport of sialic acid to the cytoplasm, which often takes place using a tripartite ATP-independent transport system consisting of a periplasmic binding protein and a membrane transporter. In this paper, the structural characterization of periplasmic binding proteins from the pathogenic bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum, Pasteurella multocida and Vibrio cholerae and their thermodynamic characterization are reported. The binding affinities of several mutations in the Neu5Ac binding site of the Haemophilus influenzae protein are also reported. The structure and the thermodynamics of the binding of sugars suggest that all of these proteins have a very well conserved binding pocket and similar binding affinities. A significant conformational change occurs when these proteins bind the sugar. While the C1 carboxylate has been identified as the primary binding site, a second conserved hydrogen-bonding network is involved in the initiation and stabilization of the conformational states.

  19. Bacterial periplasmic sialic acid-binding proteins exhibit a conserved binding site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gangi Setty, Thanuja; Cho, Christine; Govindappa, Sowmya; Apicella, Michael A.; Ramaswamy, S.

    2014-01-01

    Structure–function studies of sialic acid-binding proteins from F. nucleatum, P. multocida, V. cholerae and H. influenzae reveal a conserved network of hydrogen bonds involved in conformational change on ligand binding. Sialic acids are a family of related nine-carbon sugar acids that play important roles in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. These sialic acids are incorporated/decorated onto lipooligosaccharides as terminal sugars in multiple bacteria to evade the host immune system. Many pathogenic bacteria scavenge sialic acids from their host and use them for molecular mimicry. The first step of this process is the transport of sialic acid to the cytoplasm, which often takes place using a tripartite ATP-independent transport system consisting of a periplasmic binding protein and a membrane transporter. In this paper, the structural characterization of periplasmic binding proteins from the pathogenic bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum, Pasteurella multocida and Vibrio cholerae and their thermodynamic characterization are reported. The binding affinities of several mutations in the Neu5Ac binding site of the Haemophilus influenzae protein are also reported. The structure and the thermodynamics of the binding of sugars suggest that all of these proteins have a very well conserved binding pocket and similar binding affinities. A significant conformational change occurs when these proteins bind the sugar. While the C1 carboxylate has been identified as the primary binding site, a second conserved hydrogen-bonding network is involved in the initiation and stabilization of the conformational states

  20. Radiation damage to DNA-binding proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Culard, G.; Eon, S.; DeVuyst, G.; Charlier, M.; Spotheim-Maurizot, M.

    2003-01-01

    The DNA-binding properties of proteins are strongly affected upon irradiation. The tetrameric lactose repressor (a dimer of dimers) losses its ability to bind operator DNA as soon as at least two damages per protomer of each dimer occur. The monomeric MC1 protein losses its ability to bind DNA in two steps : i) at low doses only the specific binding is abolished, whereas the non-specific one is still possible; ii) at high doses all binding vanishes. Moreover, the DNA bending induced by MC1 binding is less pronounced for a protein that underwent the low dose irradiation. When the entire DNA-protein complexes are irradiated, the observed disruption of the complexes is mainly due to the damage of the proteins and not to that of DNA. The doses necessary for complex disruption are higher than those inactivating the free protein. This difference, larger for MC1 than for lactose repressor, is due to the protection of the protein by the bound DNA. The oxidation of the protein side chains that are accessible to the radiation-induced hydroxyl radicals seems to represent the inactivating damage

  1. Measurement of biologically active interleukin-1 by a soluble receptor binding assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riske, F.; Chizzonite, R.; Nunes, P.; Stern, A.S.

    1990-01-01

    A soluble receptor binding assay has been developed for measuring human interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), human IL-1 beta, and mouse IL-1 alpha. The assay is based on a competition between unlabeled IL-1 and 125I-labeled mouse recombinant IL-1 alpha for binding to soluble IL-1 receptor prepared from mouse EL-4 cells. The assay measures only biologically active IL-1 folded in its native conformation. The ratio of human IL-1 alpha to human IL-1 beta can be measured in the same sample by a pretreatment step which removes human IL-1 beta from samples prior to assay. This technique has been used to monitor the purification of recombinant IL-1, and may be utilized to specifically and accurately measure bioactive IL-1 in human serum and cell culture supernatants

  2. CLIPZ: a database and analysis environment for experimentally determined binding sites of RNA-binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khorshid, Mohsen; Rodak, Christoph; Zavolan, Mihaela

    2011-01-01

    The stability, localization and translation rate of mRNAs are regulated by a multitude of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that find their targets directly or with the help of guide RNAs. Among the experimental methods for mapping RBP binding sites, cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) coupled with deep sequencing provides transcriptome-wide coverage as well as high resolution. However, partly due to their vast volume, the data that were so far generated in CLIP experiments have not been put in a form that enables fast and interactive exploration of binding sites. To address this need, we have developed the CLIPZ database and analysis environment. Binding site data for RBPs such as Argonaute 1-4, Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 1-3, TNRC6 proteins A-C, Pumilio 2, Quaking and Polypyrimidine tract binding protein can be visualized at the level of the genome and of individual transcripts. Individual users can upload their own sequence data sets while being able to limit the access to these data to specific users, and analyses of the public and private data sets can be performed interactively. CLIPZ, available at http://www.clipz.unibas.ch, aims to provide an open access repository of information for post-transcriptional regulatory elements.

  3. Association of adiponectin, interleukin (IL)-1ra, inducible protein 10, IL-6 and number of islet autoantibodies with progression patterns of type 1 diabetes the first year after diagnosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaas, A; Pfleger, Claudia Christina; Hansen, Lene

    2010-01-01

    progressers and remitters. Serum concentrations of adiponectin, interleukin (IL)-1ra, inducible protein 10 (IP-10), IL-6 and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), IA-2A and islet-cell antibodies (ICA) were measured at 1, 6 and 12 months. We found that adiponectin concentrations at 1 month predicted disease......The progression of type 1 diabetes after diagnosis is poorly understood. Our aim was to assess the relation of disease progression of juvenile-onset type 1 diabetes, determined by preserved beta cell function the first year after diagnosis, with systemic cytokine concentrations and number...

  4. Anti-neuroinflammatory effect of 6,8,1'-tri-O-methylaverantin, a metabolite from a marine-derived fungal strain Aspergillus sp., via upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 in lipopolysaccharide-activated microglia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kwan-Woo; Kim, Hye Jin; Sohn, Jae Hak; Yim, Joung Han; Kim, Youn-Chul; Oh, Hyuncheol

    2018-02-01

    In the course of searching for anti-neuroinflammatory metabolites from marine-derived fungi, three fungal metabolites, 6,8,1'-tri-O-methylaverantin, 6,8-di-O-methylaverufin, and 5-methoxysterigmatocystin were isolated from a marine-derived fungal strain Aspergillus sp. SF-6796. Among these, 6,8,1'-tri-O-methylaverantin induced the expression of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 protein in BV2 microglial cells. The induction of HO-1 protein was mediated by the activation of nuclear transcription factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), and was regulated by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathways. Furthermore, 6,8,1'-tri-O-methylaverantin suppressed the overproduction of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide, prostaglandin E 2 , inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. These anti-neuroinflammatory effects were mediated through the negative regulation of the nuclear factor kappa B pathway, repressing the phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitor kappa B-α, translocation into the nucleus of p65/p50 heterodimer, and DNA-binding activity of p65 subunit. The anti-neuroinflammatory effect of 6,8,1'-tri-O-methylaverantin was partially blocked by a selective HO-1 inhibitor, suggesting that its anti-neuroinflammatory effect is at least partly mediated by HO-1 induction. In this study, 6,8,1'-tri-O-methylaverantin also induced HO-1 protein expression in primary microglial cells, and this correlated with anti-neuroinflammatory effects observed in LPS-stimulated primary microglial cells. In conclusion, 6,8,1'-tri-O-methylaverantin represents a potential candidate for use in the development of therapeutic agents for the regulation of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The immunosuppressives FK 506 and cyclosporin A inhibit the generation of protein factors binding to the two purine boxes of the interleukin 2 enhancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brabletz, T; Pietrowski, I; Serfling, E

    1991-01-11

    Like Cyclosporin A (CsA), the macrolide FK 506 is a potent immunosuppressive that inhibits early steps of T cell activation, including the synthesis of Interleukin 2 (II-2) and numerous other lymphokines. The block of II-2 synthesis occurs at the transcriptional level. At concentrations that block T cell activation, FK 506 and CsA inhibit the proto-enhancer activity of Purine boxes of the II-2 promoter and the generation of lymphocyte-specific factors binding to the Purine boxes. Under the same conditions, the DNA binding of other II-2 enhancer factors remains unaffected by both compounds. These results support the view that FK 506 and CsA, which both inhibit the activity of peptidylprolyl cis/trans isomerases, suppress T cell activation by a similar, if not identical mechanism.

  6. Effect of Periodontal Therapy on Crevicular Fluid Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-8 Levels in Chronic Periodontitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paschalina Goutoudi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of this study was to analyse the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6 and interleukin-8 (IL-8 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF of patients with chronic periodontitis prior to and following surgical and/or nonsurgical periodontal therapy for a period of 32 weeks. Methods. GCF samples were obtained from 24 nondiseased and 72 diseased sites of 12 periodontal patients prior to as well as at 6, 16, and 32 weeks following non-surgical and surgical periodontal therapy. IL-6 and IL-8 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Results. Periodontal treatment improved all clinical parameters. Both treatment modalities resulted in similar IL-6 as well as IL-8 levels. Mean IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations were significantly higher in non-diseased compared to diseased sites and increased significantly following treatment in diseased sites. Mean total amounts of IL-6 and IL-8 (TAIL-6, TAIL-8 did not differ significantly between diseased and nondiseased sites, while following therapy TAIL-8 levels decreased significantly. Conclusions. The data suggest that periodontal therapy reduced the levels of IL-8 in GCF. However, a strong relationship between IL-6, IL-8 amounts in GCF and periodontal destruction and inflammation was not found.

  7. Stress hormones promote growth of B16-F10 melanoma metastases: an interleukin 6- and glutathione-dependent mechanism

    OpenAIRE

    Valles, Soraya L; Benlloch, Mar?a; Rodriguez, Mar?a L; Mena, Salvador; Pellicer, Jos? A; Asensi, Miguel; Obrador, Elena; Estrela, Jos? M

    2013-01-01

    [EN] Background: Interleukin (IL)-6 (mainly of tumor origin) activates glutathione (GSH) release from hepatocytes and its interorgan transport to B16-F10 melanoma metastatic foci. We studied if this capacity to overproduce IL-6 is regulated by cancer cell-independent mechanisms. Methods: Murine B16-F10 melanoma cells were cultured, transfected with red fluorescent protein, injected i.v. into syngenic C57BL/6J mice to generate lung and liver metastases, and isolated from metastatic f...

  8. Interleukins 6 and 8 and abdominal fat depots are distinct correlates of lipid moieties in healthy pre- and postmenopausal women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veldhuis, Johannes D; Dyer, Roy B; Trushin, Sergey A; Bondar, Olga P; Singh, Ravinder J; Klee, George G

    2016-12-01

    Available data associate lipids concentrations in men with body mass index, anabolic steroids, age, and certain cytokines. Data were less clear in women, especially across the full adult lifespan, and when segmented by premenopausal and postmenopausal status. 120 healthy women (60 premenopausal and 60 postmenopausal) in Olmsted County, MN, USA, a stable well studied clinical population. Dependent variables: measurements of 10 h fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. testosterone, estrone, estradiol, 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone, and sex-hormone binding globulin (by mass spectrometry); insulin, glucose, and albumin; abdominal visceral, subcutaneous, and total abdominal fat [abdominal visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, total abdominal fat by computerized tomography scan]; and a panel of cytokines (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Multivariate forward-selection linear-regression analysis was applied constrained to P abdominal visceral fat (P abdominal visceral fat (P abdominal fat and interleukin-8 (P = 2.0 × 10 -5 , 16.9 % of variance; and P = 0.0031, 9.4 % of variance, respectively). Premenopausal vs. postmenopausal comparisons identified specific relationships that were stronger in premenopausal than postmenopausal individuals, and vice versa. Age was a stronger correlate of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; interleukin-6 of triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein; and both sex-hormone binding globulin and total abdominal fat of non high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in premenopausal than postmenopausal women. Conversely, sex-hormone binding globulin, abdominal visceral fat, interleukin-8, adiponectin were stronger correlates of triglycerides; abdominal visceral fat, and testosterone of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and age of both non high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein in postmenopausal than premenopausal women. Our data

  9. Sex and interleukin-6 are prognostic factors for autoimmune toxicity following treatment with anti-CTLA4 blockade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valpione, Sara; Pasquali, Sandro; Campana, Luca Giovanni; Piccin, Luisa; Mocellin, Simone; Pigozzo, Jacopo; Chiarion-Sileni, Vanna

    2018-04-11

    Ipilimumab is a licensed immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma patients and, in the US, as adjuvant treatment for high risk melanoma radically resected. The use of ipilimumab is associated with a typical but unpredictable pattern of side effects. The purpose of this study was to identify clinical features and blood biomarkers capable of predicting ipilimumab related toxicity. We performed a prospective study aimed at analyzing potential clinical and biological markers associated with immune-related toxicity in patients treated with ipilimumab (3 mg/kg, q3w). We enrolled 140 consecutive melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab for metastatic disease. The following prospectively collected data were utilized: patient characteristics, previous therapies, level of circulating biomarkers associated with tumour burden or immune-inflammation status (lactic dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, β2-microglobulin, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, S-100, alkaline phosphatase, transaminases) and blood cells subsets (leukocyte and lymphocyte subpopulations). Logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis of data. Out of 140 patients, 36 (26%) experienced a severe adverse event, 33 (24%) discontinued treatment for severe toxicity. Among the immune-profile biomarkers analyzed, only interleukin-6 was associated with the risk of toxicity. Female patients had a further increase of immune-related adverse events. Low baseline interleukin-6 serum levels (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.34-6.03, P = 0.007) and sex female (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.06-2.16 P = 0.022) and were significant and independent risk factors for immune related adverse events. Baseline IL6 serum levels and female sex were significantly and independently associated with higher risk of severe toxicity and could be exploited in clinical practice to personalize toxicity surveillance in patients treated with ipilimumab.

  10. Cerium dioxide nanoparticles do not modulate the lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in human monocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hussain S

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Salik Hussain1,*, Faris Al-Nsour1,*, Annette B Rice1, Jamie Marshburn1, Zhaoxia Ji2, Jeffery I Zink2, Brenda Yingling1, Nigel J Walker3, Stavros Garantziotis11Clinical Research Unit, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 2UC Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 3Division of National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA*Both are principal authorsBackground: Cerium dioxide (CeO2 nanoparticles have potential therapeutic applications and are widely used for industrial purposes. However, the effects of these nanoparticles on primary human cells are largely unknown. The ability of nanoparticles to exacerbate pre-existing inflammatory disorders is not well documented for engineered nanoparticles, and is certainly lacking for CeO2 nanoparticles. We investigated the inflammation-modulating effects of CeO2 nanoparticles at noncytotoxic concentrations in human peripheral blood monocytes.Methods: CD14+ cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples of human volunteers. Cells were exposed to either 0.5 or 1 µg/mL of CeO2 nanoparticles over a period of 24 or 48 hours with or without lipopolysaccharide (10 ng/mL prestimulation. Modulation of the inflammatory response was studied by measuring secreted tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, macrophage chemotactic protein-1, interferon-gamma, and interferon gamma-induced protein 10.Results: CeO2 nanoparticle suspensions were thoroughly characterized using dynamic light scattering analysis (194 nm hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential analysis (-14 mV, and transmission electron microscopy (irregular-shaped particles. Transmission electron microscopy of CD14+ cells exposed to CeO2 nanoparticles revealed that these nanoparticles were efficiently internalized by monocytes and

  11. MicroRNA-365 in macrophages regulates Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced active pulmonary tuberculosis via interleukin-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Qingzhang; Li, Hui; Shao, Hua; Li, Chunling; Lu, Xiao

    2015-01-01

    The present study is to investigate the relationship between microRNA (miR)-365 expression and the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA and protein in patients with active tuberculosis. From June 2011 to June 2014, 48 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis were included in the study. In addition, 23 healthy subjects were enrolled as control. Macrophages were collected by pulmonary alveolus lavage. In addition, serum and mononuclear cells were isolated from peripheral blood. The levels of miR-365 and IL-6 in macrophages, mononuclear cells and serum were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The protein expression of IL-6 in macrophages and mononuclear cells was measured using Western blotting, while that in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. Expression of IL-6 mRNA and protein was significantly enhanced in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Increase of IL-6 protein concentration in serum was probably due to the release of IL-6 protein from mononuclear cells in the blood. In addition, miR-365 levels were significantly lowered in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Up-regulated IL-6 expression in macrophages, mononuclear cells and serum in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis is related to the down-regulation of miR-365, suggesting that miR-365 may regulate the occurrence and immune responses of active pulmonary tuberculosis via IL-6.

  12. A structural classification of substrate-binding proteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berntsson, Ronnie P. -A.; Smits, Sander H. J.; Schmitt, Lutz; Slotboom, Dirk-Jan; Poolman, Bert

    2010-01-01

    Substrate-binding proteins (SBP) are associated with a wide variety of protein complexes. The proteins are part of ATP-binding cassette transporters for substrate uptake, ion gradient driven transporters, DNA-binding proteins, as well as channels and receptors from both pro-and eukaryotes. A wealth

  13. Electrostatics, structure prediction, and the energy landscapes for protein folding and binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Min-Yeh; Zheng, Weihua; Balamurugan, D; Schafer, Nicholas P; Kim, Bobby L; Cheung, Margaret S; Wolynes, Peter G

    2016-01-01

    While being long in range and therefore weakly specific, electrostatic interactions are able to modulate the stability and folding landscapes of some proteins. The relevance of electrostatic forces for steering the docking of proteins to each other is widely acknowledged, however, the role of electrostatics in establishing specifically funneled landscapes and their relevance for protein structure prediction are still not clear. By introducing Debye-Hückel potentials that mimic long-range electrostatic forces into the Associative memory, Water mediated, Structure, and Energy Model (AWSEM), a transferable protein model capable of predicting tertiary structures, we assess the effects of electrostatics on the landscapes of thirteen monomeric proteins and four dimers. For the monomers, we find that adding electrostatic interactions does not improve structure prediction. Simulations of ribosomal protein S6 show, however, that folding stability depends monotonically on electrostatic strength. The trend in predicted melting temperatures of the S6 variants agrees with experimental observations. Electrostatic effects can play a range of roles in binding. The binding of the protein complex KIX-pKID is largely assisted by electrostatic interactions, which provide direct charge-charge stabilization of the native state and contribute to the funneling of the binding landscape. In contrast, for several other proteins, including the DNA-binding protein FIS, electrostatics causes frustration in the DNA-binding region, which favors its binding with DNA but not with its protein partner. This study highlights the importance of long-range electrostatics in functional responses to problems where proteins interact with their charged partners, such as DNA, RNA, as well as membranes. © 2015 The Protein Society.

  14. Multiple protonation equilibria in electrostatics of protein-protein binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piłat, Zofia; Antosiewicz, Jan M

    2008-11-27

    All proteins contain groups capable of exchanging protons with their environment. We present here an approach, based on a rigorous thermodynamic cycle and the partition functions for energy levels characterizing protonation states of the associating proteins and their complex, to compute the electrostatic pH-dependent contribution to the free energy of protein-protein binding. The computed electrostatic binding free energies include the pH of the solution as the variable of state, mutual "polarization" of associating proteins reflected as changes in the distribution of their protonation states upon binding and fluctuations between available protonation states. The only fixed property of both proteins is the conformation; the structure of the monomers is kept in the same conformation as they have in the complex structure. As a reference, we use the electrostatic binding free energies obtained from the traditional Poisson-Boltzmann model, computed for a single macromolecular conformation fixed in a given protonation state, appropriate for given solution conditions. The new approach was tested for 12 protein-protein complexes. It is shown that explicit inclusion of protonation degrees of freedom might lead to a substantially different estimation of the electrostatic contribution to the binding free energy than that based on the traditional Poisson-Boltzmann model. This has important implications for the balancing of different contributions to the energetics of protein-protein binding and other related problems, for example, the choice of protein models for Brownian dynamics simulations of their association. Our procedure can be generalized to include conformational degrees of freedom by combining it with molecular dynamics simulations at constant pH. Unfortunately, in practice, a prohibitive factor is an enormous requirement for computer time and power. However, there may be some hope for solving this problem by combining existing constant pH molecular dynamics

  15. UV-induced DNA-binding proteins in human cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glazer, P.M.; Greggio, N.A.; Metherall, J.E.; Summers, W.C.

    1989-01-01

    To investigate the response of human cells to DNA-damaging agents such as UV irradiation, the authors examined nuclear protein extracts of UV-irradiated HeLa cells for the presence of DNA-binding proteins. Electrophoretically separated proteins were transferred to a nitrocellulose filter that was subsequently immersed in a binding solution containing radioactively labeled DNA probes. Several DNA-binding proteins were induced in HeLa cells after UV irradiation. These included proteins that bind predominantly double-stranded DNA and proteins that bind both double-stranded and single-stranded DNA. The binding proteins were induced in a dose-dependent manner by UV light. Following a dose of 12 J/m 2 , the binding proteins in the nuclear extracts increased over time to a peak in the range of 18 hr after irradiation. Experiments with metabolic inhibitors (cycloheximide and actinomycin D) revealed that de novo synthesis of these proteins is not required for induction of the binding activities, suggesting that the induction is mediated by protein modification

  16. Synthesis of interleukin 6 (interferon-β2/B cell stimulatory factor 2) in human fibroblasts is triggered by an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhange, Y.; Lin, J.X.; Vilcek, J.

    1988-01-01

    Interleukin 6 (IL-6; also referred to as interferon-β 2 , 26-kDa protein, and B cell stimulatory factor 2) is a cytokine whose actions include a stimulation of immunoglobulin synthesis, enhancement of B cell growth, and modulation of acute phase protein synthesis by hepatocytes. Synthesis of IL-6 is stimulated by interleukin 1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or platelet-derived growth factor. The authors examined the role of the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent signal transduction pathway in IL-6 gene expression. Several activators of adenylate cyclase, including prostaglandin E1, forskolin, and cholera toxin, as well as the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine and the cAMP analog dibutyryl cAMP, shared the ability to cause a dramatic and sustained increase in IL-6 mRNA levels in human FS-4 fibroblasts. Actinomycin D treatment abolished this enhancement. Treatments that increased intracellular cAMP also stimulated the secretion of the IL-6 protein in a biologically active form. Increased intracellular cAMP appears to enhance IL-6 gene expression by a protein kinase C-independent mechanism because down-regulation of protein kinase C by a chronic exposure of cells to a high dose of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate did not abolish the enhancement of IL-6 expression by treatments that increase cAMP. IL-1 and TNF too increased IL-6 mRNA levels by a protein kinase C-independent mechanism. The results suggest a role for the cAMP-dependent pathway(s) in IL-6 gene activation by TNF and IL-1

  17. Serum Interleukin-6 in Patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome and Relationship with Depression and Perceived Pain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qianming; Xia, Juan; Lin, Mei; Zhou, Hongmei; Li, Bingqi

    2007-01-01

    Objective. To examine alteration of serum interleukin-6 and its clinical significance in burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients. Methods. 48 BMS patients and 31 healthy controls participated in the study. Serum interleukin-6 was measured by means of ELISA. Hamilton rating scale of depression (HRSD) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to quantitiate depressive status and pain levels of subjects, respectively. Results. 15 (31%) patients displayed substantial depressive symptoms (HRSD ≧ 16). HRSD scores of patients were significantly higher than controls and positively correlated to their VAS values (P = .002). Serum interleukin-6 in patients was much lower than controls and negatively correlated to their VAS values (P = .011). However, no significant relations were found between interleukin-6 and HRSD scores (P = .317). Conclusions. Serum interleukin-6 in patients with burning mouth syndrome is decreased and negatively correlated to chronic pain. Both psychological and neuropathic disorders might act as precipitating factors in BMS etiopathogenesis. PMID:17641729

  18. Female Sex Hormones Influence the Febrile Response Induced by Lipopolysaccharide, Cytokines and Prostaglandins but not by Interleukin-1β in Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brito, H O; Radulski, D R; Wilhelms, D B; Stojakovic, A; Brito, L M O; Engblom, D; Franco, C R C; Zampronio, A R

    2016-10-01

    There are differences in the immune response, and particularly fever, between males and females. In the present study, we investigated how the febrile responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and different endogenous pyrogens were affected by female gonadal hormones. The febrile response to i.p. injection of LPS (50 μg/kg) was 40% lower in female rats compared to male or ovariectomised (OVX) female rats. Accordingly, oestrogen replacement in OVX animals reduced LPS-induced fever. Treatment with the prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor indomethacin (2 mg/kg, i.p. 30 min before) reduced the febrile response induced by LPS in both OVX (88%) and sham-operated (71%) rats. In line with the enhanced fever in OVX rats, there was increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the hypothalamus and elevated levels of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ). In addition, OVX rats were hyper-responsive to PGE 2 injected i.c.v. By contrast to the enhanced fever in response to LPS and PGE 2 , the febrile response induced by i.c.v. injection of interleukin (IL)-1β was unaffected by ovariectomy, whereas the responses induced by tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α were completely abrogated. These results suggest that the mediators involved in the febrile response in females are similar to males, although the reduction of female hormones may decrease the responsiveness of some mediators such as TNF-α and MIP-1α. Compensatory mechanisms may be activated in females after ovariectomy such as an augmented synthesis of COX-2 and PGE 2 . © 2016 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

  19. Adiponectin, interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and regional fat mass during 12-month randomized treatment with metformin and/or oral contraceptives in polycystic ovary syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Glintborg, Dorte; Mumm, Hanne; Altinok, Magda Lambaa

    2014-01-01

    CONTEXT: Central obesity in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with increased inflammatory markers and increased risk for type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if improved body composition during treatment with metformin (M) vs. oral contraceptive pills (OCP) was associated...... with changes in circulating adiponectin, interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Ninety patients with PCOS were randomized to 12-month treatment with M (2 g/day), M + OCP (150 mg desogestrel + 30 microgram ethinylestradiol) or OCP. Adiponectin, IL-6, MCP-1...... during the three types of medical intervention. Treatment with M and M + OCP was superior to OCP regarding decreased regional fat mass. Baseline adiponectin and IL-6 were associated with BMI, waist, and trunk fat mass. Changes in trunk fat were significantly associated with changes in IL-6 and MCP-1...

  20. Innate immune responses induced by lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid in primary goat mammary epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulgari, Omar; Dong, Xianwen; Roca, Alfred L; Caroli, Anna M; Loor, Juan J

    2017-01-01

    Innate immune responses induced by in vitro stimulation of primary mammary epithelial cells (MEC) using Gram-negative lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Gram-positive lipoteichoic acid (LTA) bacterial cell wall components are well- characterized in bovine species. The objective of the current study was to characterize the downstream regulation of the inflammatory response induced by Toll-like receptors in primary goat MEC (pgMEC). We performed quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qPCR) to measure mRNA levels of 9 genes involved in transcriptional regulation or antibacterial activity: Toll-like receptor 2 ( TLR2 ), Toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4 ), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 ( PTGS2 ), interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3 ( IFIT3 ), interferon regulatory factor 3 ( IRF3 ), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 ( MYD88 ), nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells 1 ( NFKB1 ), Toll interacting protein ( TOLLIP ), and lactoferrin ( LTF ). Furthermore, we analyzed 7 cytokines involved in Toll-like receptor signaling pathways: C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 ( CCL2 ), C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 ( CCL5 ), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 6 ( CXCL6 ), interleukin 8 ( CXCL8 ), interleukin 1 beta ( IL1B ), interleukin 6 ( IL6 ), and tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF ). Stimulation of pgMEC with LPS for 3 h led to an increase in expression of CCL2 , CXCL6 , IL6 , CXCL8 , PTGS2 , IFIT3 , MYD88 , NFKB1 , and TLR4 ( P  < 0.05). Except for IL6 , and PTGS2 , the same genes had greater expression than controls at 6 h post-LPS ( P  < 0.05). Expression of CCL5 , PTGS2 , IFIT3 , NFKB1 , TLR4 , and TOLLIP was greater than controls after 3 h of incubation with LTA ( P  < 0.05). Compared to controls, stimulation with LTA for 6 h led to greater expression of PTGS2 , IFIT3 , NFKB1 , and TOLLIP ( P  < 0.05) whereas the expression of CXCL6 , CXCL8 , and TLR4 was lower ( P  < 0.05). At 3 h incubation with both toxins

  1. Interleukin-6 modifies mRNA expression in mouse skeletal muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hassing, Helle Adser; Wojtaszewski, Jørgen; Jakobsen, Anne Hviid

    2011-01-01

    Aim: The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that interleukin-6 plays a role in exercise-induced PGC-1a and TNFa mRNA responses in skeletal muscle and to examine the potential IL-6 mediated AMPK regulation in these responses. Methods: Whole body IL-6 knockout and wildtype (WT) mal...

  2. Role of Interleukin-6 in the Radiation Response of Liver Tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Miao-Fen; Hsieh, Ching-Chuan; Chen, Wen-Cheng; Lai, Chia-Hsuan

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the role of interleukin (IL)-6 in biological sequelae and tumor regrowth after irradiation for hepatic malignancy, which are critical for the clinical radiation response of liver tumors. Methods and Materials: The Hepa 1-6 murine hepatocellular cancer cell line was used to examine the radiation response by clonogenic assays and tumor growth delay in vivo. After irradiation in a single dose of 6 Gy in vitro or 15 Gy in vivo, biological changes including cell death and tumor regrowth were examined by experimental manipulation of IL-6 signaling. The effects of blocking IL-6 were assessed by cells preincubated in the presence of IL-6–neutralizing antibody for 24 hours or stably transfected with IL-6–silencing vectors. The correlations among tumor responses, IL-6 levels, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) recruitment were examined using animal experiments. Results: Interleukin-6 expression was positively linked to irradiation and radiation resistance, as demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Interleukin-6–silencing vectors induced more tumor inhibition and DNA damage after irradiation. When subjects were irradiated with a sublethal dose, the regrowth of irradiated tumors significantly correlated with IL-6 levels and MDSC recruitment in vivo. Furthermore, blocking of IL-6 could overcome irradiation-induced MDSC recruitment and tumor regrowth after treatment. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that IL-6 is important in determining the radiation response of liver tumor cells. Irradiation-induced IL-6 and the subsequent recruitment of MDSC could be responsible for tumor regrowth. Therefore, treatment with concurrent IL-6 inhibition could be a potential therapeutic strategy for increasing the radiation response of tumors.

  3. When is protein binding important?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heuberger, Jules; Schmidt, Stephan; Derendorf, Hartmut

    2013-09-01

    The present paper is an ode to a classic citation by Benet and Hoener (2002. Clin Pharm Ther 71(3):115-121). The now classic paper had a huge impact on drug development and the way the issue of protein binding is perceived and interpreted. Although the authors very clearly pointed out the limitations and underlying assumptions for their delineations, these are too often overlooked and the classic paper's message is misinterpreted by broadening to cases that were not intended. Some members of the scientific community concluded from the paper that protein binding is not important. This was clearly not intended by the authors, as they finished their paper with a paragraph entitled: "When is protein binding important?" Misinterpretation of the underlying assumptions in the classic work can result in major pitfalls in drug development. Therefore, we revisit the topic of protein binding with the intention of clarifying when clinically relevant changes should be considered during drug development. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Nonstructural 5A Protein of Hepatitis C Virus Interferes with Toll-Like Receptor Signaling and Suppresses the Interferon Response in Mouse Liver.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takeya Tsutsumi

    Full Text Available The hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS5A is involved in resistance to the host immune response, as well as the viral lifecycle such as replication and maturation. Here, we established transgenic mice expressing NS5A protein in the liver and examined innate immune responses against lipopolysaccharide (LPS in vivo. Intrahepatic gene expression levels of cytokines such as interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ were significantly suppressed after LPS injection in the transgenic mouse liver. Induction of the C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, 4, and 5 was also suppressed. Phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, which is activated by cytokines, was also reduced, and expression levels of interferon-stimulated genes, 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthase, interferon-inducible double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase, and myxovirus resistance 1 were similarly suppressed. Since LPS binds to toll-like receptor 4 and stimulates the downstream pathway leading to induction of these genes, we examined the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and IκB-α. The phosphorylation levels of these molecules were reduced in transgenic mouse liver, indicating that the pathway upstream of the molecules was disrupted by NS5A. Further analyses revealed that the interaction between interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor-6 was dispersed in transgenic mice, suggesting that NS5A may interfere with this interaction via myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88, which was shown to interact with NS5A. Since the gut microbiota, a source of LPS, is known to be associated with pathological conditions in liver diseases, our results suggest the involvement of NS5A in the pathogenesis of HCV infected-liver via the suppression of innate immunity.

  5. Detergent activation of the binding protein in the folate radioassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, S.I.; Holm, J.; Lyngbye, J.

    1982-01-01

    A minor cow's whey protein associated with β-lactoglobulin is used as binding protein in the competitive radioassay for serum and erythrocyte folate. Seeking to optimize the assay, we tested the performance of binder solutions of increasing purity. The folate binding protein was isolated from cow's whey by means of CM-Sepharose CL-6B cation-exchange chromatography, and further purified on a methotrexate-AH-Sepharose 4B affinity matrix. In contrast to β-lactoglobulin, the purified protein did not bind folate unless the detergents cetyltrimethylammonium (10 mmol/Ll) or Triton X-100 (1 g/L) were present. Such detergent activation was not needed in the presence of serum. There seems to be a striking analogy between these phenomena and the well-known reactivation of certain purified membrane-derived enzymes by surfactants

  6. CD6 and Linker of Activated T Cells are Potential Interaction Partners for T Cell-Specific Adaptor Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hem, C D; Ekornhol, M; Granum, S; Sundvold-Gjerstad, V; Spurkland, A

    2017-02-01

    The T cell-specific adaptor protein (TSAd) contains several protein interaction domains, and is merging as a modulator of T cell activation. Several interaction partners for the TSAd proline-rich region and phosphotyrosines have been identified, including the Src and Tec family kinases lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase and interleukin 2-inducible T cell kinase. Via its Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, TSAd may thus function as a link between these enzymes and other signalling molecules. However, few binding partners to the TSAd SH2 domain in T cells are hitherto known. Through the use of in silico ligand prediction, peptide spot arrays, pull-down and immunoprecipitation experiments, we here report novel interactions between the TSAd SH2 domain and CD6 phosphotyrosine (pTyr) 629 and linker of activated T cells (LAT) pTyr 171 , pTyr 191 and pTyr 226 . © 2016 The Foundation for the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology.

  7. Megalin binds and mediates cellular internalization of folate binding protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birn, Henrik; Zhai, Xiaoyue; Holm, Jan

    2005-01-01

    Folate is an essential vitamin involved in a number of biological processes. High affinity folate binding proteins (FBPs) exist both as glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked, membrane associated folate binding proteins and as soluble FBPs in plasma and some secretory fluids such as milk, saliva...... to express high levels of megalin, is inhibitable by excess unlabeled FBP and by receptor associated protein, a known inhibitor of binding to megalin. Immortalized rat yolk sac cells, representing an established model for studying megalin-mediated uptake, reveal (125)I-labeled FBP uptake which is inhibited...

  8. Increased gut permeability in cancer cachexia: mechanisms and clinical relevance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bindels, Laure B; Neyrinck, Audrey M; Loumaye, Audrey; Catry, Emilie; Walgrave, Hannah; Cherbuy, Claire; Leclercq, Sophie; Van Hul, Matthias; Plovier, Hubert; Pachikian, Barbara; Bermúdez-Humarán, Luis G; Langella, Philippe; Cani, Patrice D; Thissen, Jean-Paul; Delzenne, Nathalie M

    2018-04-06

    Intestinal disorders often occur in cancer patients, in association with body weight loss, and this alteration is commonly attributed to the chemotherapy. Here, using a mouse model of cancer cachexia induced by ectopic transplantation of C26 cancer cells, we discovered a profound alteration in the gut functions (gut permeability, epithelial turnover, gut immunity, microbial dysbiosis) independently of any chemotherapy. These alterations occurred independently of anorexia and were driven by interleukin 6. Gut dysfunction was found to be resistant to treatments with an anti-inflammatory bacterium ( Faecalibacterium prausnitzii ) or with gut peptides involved in intestinal cell renewal (teduglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 2 analogue). The translational value of our findings was evaluated in 152 colorectal and lung cancer patients with or without cachexia. The serum level of the lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, often presented as a reflection of the bacterial antigen load, was not only increased in cachectic mice and cancer patients, but also strongly correlated with the serum IL-6 level and predictive of death and cachexia occurrence in these patients. Altogether, our data highlight profound alterations of the intestinal homeostasis in cancer cachexia occurring independently of any chemotherapy and food intake reduction, with potential relevance in humans. In addition, we point out the lipopolysaccharide-binding protein as a new biomarker of cancer cachexia related to gut dysbiosis.

  9. Determination of the parameters of binding between lipopolysaccharide and chitosan and its N-acetylated derivative using a gravimetric piezoquartz biosensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naberezhnykh, G A; Gorbach, V I; Kalmykova, E N; Solov'eva, T F

    2015-03-01

    The interaction of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide - LPS) with low molecular weight chitosan (5.5 kDa), its N-acylated derivative and chitoliposomes was studied using a gravimetric piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance biosensor. The optimal conditions for the formation of a biolayer based on immobilized LPS on the resonator surface and its regeneration were elaborated. The association and dissociation rate constants for LPS binding to chitosans were determined and the affinity constants (Kaf) were calculated based on the data on changes in the oscillation frequency of the quartz crystal resonator. The Kaf values correlated with the ones obtained using other methods. The affinity of N-acylated chitosan binding to LPS was higher than that of the parent chitosan binding to LPS. Based on the results obtained, we suggest that water-soluble N-acylated derivatives of chitosan with low degree of substitution of amino groups could be useful compounds for endotoxin binding and neutralization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of Egg White Combined with Chalcanthite on Lipopolysaccharide induced Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in RAW 264.7 cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Choi Eun-A

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Historically, mineral compound herbal medicines have long been used in treatments of immune-related diseases in Korea, China and other Asian countries. In this study, we inv-estigated the anti-inflammatory effect of egg white combined with chalcanthite (IS4 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. RAW 264.7 cells cultured with LPS and various con-centrations of IS4 were analyzed to determine the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators by using enzyme-linked immune sorbent assays (ELISAs. IS4 concentration inhibited the production of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β, interleukin-6 (IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF induced by LPS. IS4 at high concentrations (25 and 50`㎍/ml inhibited, in concentration-dependent manner, the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF–α stimulated by LPS. IS4 has shown an anti-inflammatory effect in RAW 264.7 cells.

  11. Protein binding of psychotropic agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, H.A.

    1990-01-01

    Based upon fluorescence measurements, protein binding of some psychotropic agents (chlorpromazine, promethazine, and trifluoperazine) to human IgG and HSA was studied in aqueous cacodylate buffer, PH7. The interaction parameters determined from emission quenching of the proteins. The interaction parameters determined include the equilibrium constant (K), calculated from equations derived by Borazan and coworkers, the number of binding sites (n) available to the monomer molecules on a single protein molecule. The results revealed a high level of affinity, as reflected by high values of K, and the existence of specific binding sites, since a limited number of n values are obtained. 39 tabs.; 37 figs.; 83 refs

  12. Interleukin-6 induces S100A9 expression in colonic epithelial cells through STAT3 activation in experimental ulcerative colitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Jeoung Lee

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Intestinal epithelium is essential for maintaining normal intestinal homeostasis; its breakdown leads to chronic inflammatory pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs. Although high concentrations of S100A9 protein and interleukin-6 (IL-6 are found in patients with IBD, the expression mechanism of S100A9 in colonic epithelial cells (CECs remains elusive. We investigated the role of IL-6 in S100A9 expression in CECs using a colitis model. METHODS: IL-6 and S100A9 expression, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3 phosphorylation, and infiltration of immune cells were analyzed in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS-induced colitis. The effects of soluble gp130-Fc protein (sgp130Fc and S100A9 small interfering (si RNA (si-S100A9 on DSS-induced colitis were evaluated. The molecular mechanism of S100A9 expression was investigated in an IL-6-treated Caco-2 cell line using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. RESULTS: IL-6 concentrations increased significantly in the colon tissues of DSS-treated mice. sgp130Fc or si-S100A9 administration to DSS-treated mice reduced granulocyte infiltration in CECs and induced the down-regulation of S100A9 and colitis disease activity. Treatment with STAT3 inhibitors upon IL-6 stimulation in the Caco-2 cell line demonstrated that IL-6 mediated S100A9 expression through STAT3 activation. Moreover, we found that phospho-STAT3 binds directly to the S100A9 promoter. S100A9 may recruit immune cells into inflamed colon tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated S100A9 expression in CECs mediated by an IL-6/STAT3 signaling cascade may play an important role in the development of colitis.

  13. Predicting binding within disordered protein regions to structurally characterised peptide-binding domains.

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    Waqasuddin Khan

    Full Text Available Disordered regions of proteins often bind to structured domains, mediating interactions within and between proteins. However, it is difficult to identify a priori the short disordered regions involved in binding. We set out to determine if docking such peptide regions to peptide binding domains would assist in these predictions.We assembled a redundancy reduced dataset of SLiM (Short Linear Motif containing proteins from the ELM database. We selected 84 sequences which had an associated PDB structures showing the SLiM bound to a protein receptor, where the SLiM was found within a 50 residue region of the protein sequence which was predicted to be disordered. First, we investigated the Vina docking scores of overlapping tripeptides from the 50 residue SLiM containing disordered regions of the protein sequence to the corresponding PDB domain. We found only weak discrimination of docking scores between peptides involved in binding and adjacent non-binding peptides in this context (AUC 0.58.Next, we trained a bidirectional recurrent neural network (BRNN using as input the protein sequence, predicted secondary structure, Vina docking score and predicted disorder score. The results were very promising (AUC 0.72 showing that multiple sources of information can be combined to produce results which are clearly superior to any single source.We conclude that the Vina docking score alone has only modest power to define the location of a peptide within a larger protein region known to contain it. However, combining this information with other knowledge (using machine learning methods clearly improves the identification of peptide binding regions within a protein sequence. This approach combining docking with machine learning is primarily a predictor of binding to peptide-binding sites, and is not intended as a predictor of specificity of binding to particular receptors.

  14. Conserved Bacterial-Binding Peptides of the Scavenger-Like Human Lymphocyte Receptor CD6 Protect From Mouse Experimental Sepsis

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    Mario Martínez-Florensa

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Sepsis is an unmet clinical need constituting one of the most important causes of death worldwide, a fact aggravated by the appearance of multidrug resistant strains due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics. Host innate immune receptors involved in pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs recognition represent a source of broad-spectrum therapies alternative or adjunctive to antibiotics. Among the few members of the ancient and highly conserved scavenger receptor cysteine-rich superfamily (SRCR-SF sharing bacterial-binding properties there is CD6, a lymphocyte-specific surface receptor. Here, we analyze the bacterial-binding properties of three conserved short peptides (11-mer mapping at extracellular SRCR domains of human CD6 (CD6.PD1, GTVEVRLEASW; CD6.PD2 GRVEMLEHGEW; and CD6.PD3, GQVEVHFRGVW. All peptides show high binding affinity for PAMPs from Gram-negative (lipopolysaccharide; Kd from 3.5 to 3,000 nM and Gram-positive (lipoteichoic acid; Kd from 36 to 680 nM bacteria. The CD6.PD3 peptide possesses broad bacterial-agglutination properties and improved survival of mice undergoing polymicrobial sepsis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Accordingly, CD6.PD3 triggers a decrease in serum levels of both pro-inflammatory cytokines and bacterial load. Interestingly, CD6.PD3 shows additive survival effects on septic mice when combined with Imipenem/Cilastatin. These results illustrate the therapeutic potential of peptides retaining the bacterial-binding properties of native CD6.

  15. Agomelatine, a MT1/MT2 melatonergic receptor agonist with serotonin 5-HT2C receptor antagonistic properties, suppresses Prevotella intermedia lipopolysaccharide-induced production of proinflammatory mediators in murine macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyeon, Jin-Yi; Choi, Eun-Young; Choe, So-Hui; Park, Hae Ryoun; Choi, Jeom-Il; Choi, In Soon; Kim, Sung-Jo

    2017-10-01

    This study was performed in an attempt to examine the influence of agomelatine in mitigating the generation of proinflammatory mediators in RAW264.7 murine macrophages exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) obtained from Prevotella intermedia, a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium that is related with various types of periodontal diseases, and the molecular mechanisms behind its effects. LPS from P. intermedia strain ATCC 25611 was prepared employing the conventional phenol-water procedure. Conditioned culture media were analyzed for the levels of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6. Real-time PCR analysis was carried out to determine the mRNA levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), IL-1β, IL-6 and SOCS1. Protein expression levels were evaluated by immunoblot test. NF-κB-dependent SEAP reporter assay was performed using a reporter cell line. DNA-binding activities of NF-κB subunits were analyzed utilizing the ELISA-based kits. Agomelatine was found to down-regulate significantly the generation of iNOS-derived NO, IL-1β and IL-6 as well as the expression of their mRNAs in cells activated with P. intermedia LPS. Agomelatine decreased NF-κB-dependent SEAP release caused by P. intermedia LPS. Agomelatine did not inhibit NF-κB transcription induced by LPS at the level of IκB-α degradation. Instead, LPS-induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB p50 subunit was blocked by agomelatine. P. intermedia LPS-elicited activation of STAT1 and STAT3 was reduced notably by co-treatment with agomelatine. Agomelatine showed a tendency to enhance mRNA level of SOCS1 in LPS-activated cells as well. Agomelatine merits further evaluation to reveal its usefulness on the host modulation of periodontal disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Radiolabeling with fluorine-18 of a protein, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist

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    Prenant, C., E-mail: cprenant@cyclopharma.f [Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Cawthorne, C. [Academic Department of Radiation Oncology, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester (United Kingdom); Fairclough, M. [Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Rothwell, N.; Boutin, H. [Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)

    2010-09-15

    IL-1RA is a naturally occurring antagonist of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) with high therapeutic promise, but its pharmacokinetic remains poorly documented. In this report, we describe the radiolabeling of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (rhIL-1RA) with fluorine-18 to allow pharmacokinetic studies by positron emission tomography (PET). rhIL-1RA was labeled randomly by reductive alkylation of free amino groups (the {epsilon}-amino group of lysine residues or amino-terminal residues) using [{sup 18}F]fluoroacetaldehyde under mild reaction conditions. Radiosyntheses used a remotely controlled experimental rig within 100 min and the radiochemical yield was in the range 7.1-24.2% (decay corrected, based on seventeen syntheses). We showed that the produced [{sup 18}F]fluoroethyl-rhIL-1ra retained binding specificity by conducting an assay on rat brain sections, allowing its pharmakokinetic study using PET.

  17. CORRELATION BETWEEN ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITORS LIPOPHILICITY AND PROTEIN BINDING DATA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasna Trbojević-Stanković

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE inhibitors represent a significant group of drugs primarily used in the treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure. In this research, seven ACE inhibitors (enalapril, quinapril, fosinopril, lisinopril, cilazapril, ramipril, benazepril were studied to evaluate the relationship between their protein binding and calculated (logP values or ultra-high performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography (RP-TLC lipophilicity data (ϕ0, CHI or C0 parameters, respectively. Their protein binding data varied from negligible (lisinopril to 99% (fosinopril, while calculated logPKOWWINvalues ranged from -0.94 (lisinopril to 6.61 (fosinopril. The good correlations were established between protein binding values and logPKOWWIN data (R2=0.7520 as well as between protein binding and chromatographic hydrophobicity data, ϕ0, CHI or C0parameters (R2 were 0.6160, 0.6242 and 0.6547, respectively. The possible application of hydrophobicity data in drugs protein binding evaluation can be of great importance in drug bioavailability.

  18. Aspirin and salicylate bind to immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP) and inhibit its ATPase activity in human fibroblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, W G; Ruan, K H; Du, M; Saunders, M A; Wu, K K

    2001-11-01

    Salicylic acid (SA), an endogenous signaling molecule of plants, possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic actions in human. Its derivative, aspirin, is the most commonly used anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug. Aspirin and sodium salicylate (salicylates) have been reported to have multiple pharmacological actions. However, it is unclear whether they bind to a cellular protein. Here, we report for the first time the purification from human fibroblasts of a approximately 78 kDa salicylate binding protein with sequence identity to immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP). The Kd values of SA binding to crude extract and to recombinant BiP were 45.2 and 54.6 microM, respectively. BiP is a chaperone protein containing a polypeptide binding site recognizing specific heptapeptide sequence and an ATP binding site. A heptapeptide with the specific sequence displaced SA binding in a concentration-dependent manner whereas a control heptapeptide did not. Salicylates inhibited ATPase activity stimulated by this specific heptapeptide but did not block ATP binding or induce BiP expression. These results indicate that salicylates bind specifically to the polypeptide binding site of BiP in human cells that may interfere with folding and transport of proteins important in inflammation.

  19. Allergenic relevance of nonspecific lipid transfer proteins 2: Identification and characterization of Api g 6 from celery tuber as representative of a novel IgE-binding protein family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vejvar, Eva; Himly, Martin; Briza, Peter; Eichhorn, Stephanie; Ebner, Christof; Hemmer, Wolfgang; Ferreira, Fatima; Gadermaier, Gabriele

    2013-11-01

    Apium graveolens represents a relevant food allergen source linked with severe systemic reactions. We sought to identify an IgE-binding nonspecific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) in celery tuber. A low molecular weight protein exclusively present in celery tuber was purified and designated Api g 6. The entire protein sequence was obtained by MS and classified as member of the nsLTP2 family. Api g 6 is monomeric in solution with a molecular mass of 6936 Da. The alpha-helical disulfide bond-stabilized structure confers tremendous thermal stability (Tm > 90°C) and high resistance to gastrointestinal digestion. Endolysosomal degradation demonstrated low susceptibility and the presence of a dominant peptide cluster at the C-terminus. Thirty-eight percent of A. graveolens allergic patients demonstrated IgE reactivity to purified natural Api g 6 in ELISA and heat treatment did only partially reduce its allergenic activity. No correlation in IgE binding and limited cross-reactivity was observed with Api g 2 and Art v 3, nsLTP1 from celery stalks and mugwort pollen. Api g 6, a novel nsLTP2 from celery tuber represents the first well-characterized allergen in this protein family. Despite similar structural and physicochemical features as nsLTP1, immunological properties of Api g 6 are distinct which warrants its inclusion in molecule-based diagnosis of A. graveolens allergy. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. UV-C Adaptation of Shigella: Morphological, Outer Membrane Proteins, Secreted Proteins, and Lipopolysaccharides Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chourabi, Kalthoum; Campoy, Susana; Rodriguez, Jesus A; Kloula, Salma; Landoulsi, Ahmed; Chatti, Abdelwaheb

    2017-11-01

    Water UV disinfection remains extremely important, particularly in developing countries where drinking and reclaimed crop irrigation water may spread devastating infectious diseases. Enteric bacterial pathogens, among which Shigella, are possible contaminants of drinking and bathing water and foods. To study the effect of UV light on Shigella, four strains were exposed to different doses in a laboratory-made irradiation device, given that the ultraviolet radiation degree of inactivation is directly related to the UV dose applied to water. Our results showed that the UV-C rays are effective against all the tested Shigella strains. However, UV-C doses appeared as determinant factors for Shigella eradication. On the other hand, Shigella-survived strains changed their outer membrane protein profiles, secreted proteins, and lipopolysaccharides. Also, as shown by electron microscopy transmission, morphological alterations were manifested by an internal cytoplasm disorganized and membrane envelope breaks. Taken together, the focus of interest of our study is to know the adaptive mechanism of UV-C resistance of Shigella strains.

  1. Recombinant CC16 protein inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines via NF-κB and p38 MAPK pathways in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Min Pang; Guoping Zheng; Baofeng Yu; Hailong Wang; Yangyang Yuan; Dong Wang; Ting Li; Dan Wang; Xiaohong Shi; Min Guo; Chunfang Wang; Xinri Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Accumulating evidence indicates that Clara cell protein-16 (CC16) has anti-inflammatory functions,although the involved molecular pathways have not been completely elucidated.Here,we evaluated the effect of recombinant rat CC16 (rCC16) on the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α),interleukin-6 (IL-6),and IL-8 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms.It was found that rCC16 inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-8 expression at both the messenger ribonucleicacid (mRNA) level and protein level in a concentration-dependent manner,as demonstrated by realtime reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Such suppressive effects were accompanied by the inhibition of transcriptional activity and the deoxyribonucleic acid binding activity of nuclear factor (NF)-κB but not activator protein (AP)-1.Western blot analysis further revealed that rCC16 inhibited the increase of nuclear NF-κB and the reduction of cytosolic NF-κB,the phosphorylation and reduction of NF-κB inhibitory protein IκBα,and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent NF-κB activation by phosphoryl-ation at Ser276 of its p65 subunit.Furthermore,rCC16 was found to have no effect on the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase,c-Jun,or the nuclear translocation of c-Jun.In addition,reduction of TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-8 were reversed when the level of endogenous uteroglobin-binding protein was reduced by RNA interference in rCC16-and LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells.Our data suggest that rCC16 suppresses LPS-mediated inflammatory mediator TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-8 production by inactivating NF-κB and p38 MAPK but not AP-1 in RAW264.7 cells.

  2. The multifunctional LigB adhesin binds homeostatic proteins with potential roles in cutaneous infection by pathogenic Leptospira interrogans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry A Choy

    Full Text Available Leptospirosis is a potentially fatal zoonotic disease in humans and animals caused by pathogenic spirochetes, such as Leptospira interrogans. The mode of transmission is commonly limited to the exposure of mucous membrane or damaged skin to water contaminated by leptospires shed in the urine of carriers, such as rats. Infection occurs during seasonal flooding of impoverished tropical urban habitats with large rat populations, but also during recreational activity in open water, suggesting it is very efficient. LigA and LigB are surface localized proteins in pathogenic Leptospira strains with properties that could facilitate the infection of damaged skin. Their expression is rapidly induced by the increase in osmolarity encountered by leptospires upon transition from water to host. In addition, the immunoglobulin-like repeats of the Lig proteins bind proteins that mediate attachment to host tissue, such as fibronectin, fibrinogen, collagens, laminin, and elastin, some of which are important in cutaneous wound healing and repair. Hemostasis is critical in a fresh injury, where fibrinogen from damaged vasculature mediates coagulation. We show that fibrinogen binding by recombinant LigB inhibits fibrin formation, which could aid leptospiral entry into the circulation, dissemination, and further infection by impairing healing. LigB also binds fibroblast fibronectin and type III collagen, two proteins prevalent in wound repair, thus potentially enhancing leptospiral adhesion to skin openings. LigA or LigB expression by transformation of a nonpathogenic saprophyte, L. biflexa, enhances bacterial adhesion to fibrinogen. Our results suggest that by binding homeostatic proteins found in cutaneous wounds, LigB could facilitate leptospirosis transmission. Both fibronectin and fibrinogen binding have been mapped to an overlapping domain in LigB comprising repeats 9-11, with repeat 11 possibly enhancing binding by a conformational effect. Leptospirosis

  3. Unusual interleukin-1 and -6 expression in fetal cartilage is associated with placental abnormalities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Klepacz

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Unusual expression of interleukin-1alpha, -1beta and -6 was previously found in the epiphyseal cartilage of rat fetuses prenatally exposed to various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID, i.e., ibuprofen, piroxicam, tolmetin and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor (DFU. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of placenta in such phenomenon. Morphology of the organ, thickness of basal and labyrinth layer, immunoexpression of COX isoenzymes were examined, and confronted with maternal biochemical data and fetal developmental parameters. Higher maternal urea level, as well as lower placental weight and labyrinth thickness were found in the group of fetuses who revealed expression of genes coded the selected interleukins, when compared with the xenobiotic-exposed pups without the selected genes expression and untreated control. A significant correlation between placental weight and maternal total protein or urea level was revealed. Histological changes like inflammatory infiltration and calcification were observed sporadically. Location and intensity of COX-1 staining was similar in all cases. However, more intense COX-2 staining for majority of cells of the basal zone and in dispersed giant cells of the labyrinth was found in inflamed organs. It could be concluded that abnormal expression of the selected interleukins is associated with low placental weight and decrease of its thickness, especially labyrinth zone, as well as with high maternal urea level.

  4. Trimeric form of intracellular ATP synthase subunit β of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans binds human interleukin-1β.

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    Annamari Paino

    Full Text Available Bacterial biofilms resist host defenses and antibiotics partly because of their decreased metabolism. Some bacteria use proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL-1β, as cues to promote biofilm formation and to alter virulence. Although one potential bacterial IL-1β receptor has been identified, current knowledge of the bacterial IL-1β sensing mechanism is limited. In chronic biofilm infection, periodontitis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans requires tight adherence (tad-locus to form biofilms, and tissue destroying active lesions contain more IL-1β than inactive ones. The effect of IL-1β on the metabolic activity of A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm was tested using alamarBlue™. The binding of IL-1β to A. actinomycetemcomitans cells was investigated using transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry. To identify the proteins which interacted with IL-1β, different protein fractions from A. actinomycetemcomitans were run in native-PAGE and blotted using biotinylated IL-1β and avidin-HRP, and identified using mass spectroscopy. We show that although IL-1β slightly increases the biofilm formation of A. actinomycetemcomitans, it reduces the metabolic activity of the biofilm. A similar reduction was observed with all tad-locus mutants except the secretin mutant, although all tested mutant strains as well as wild type strains bound IL-1β. Our results suggest that IL-1β might be transported into the A. actinomycetemcomitans cells, and the trimeric form of intracellular ATP synthase subunit β interacted with IL-1β, possibly explaining the decreased metabolic activity. Because ATP synthase is highly conserved, it might universally enhance biofilm resistance to host defense by binding IL-1β during inflammation.

  5. Extracellular and intracellular steroid binding proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, R.K.

    1978-01-01

    Steroid hormone binding proteins can be measured, after the removal of endogenous steroids, as specific complexes with radio-labelled hormones. In this study all the requirements for a quantitative determination of steroid hormone binding proteins are defined. For different methods, agargel electrophoresis, density gradient centrifugation, equilibrium dialysis and polyacrylamide electrophoresis have been evaluated. Agar electrophoresis at low temperature was found to be the simplest and most useful procedure. With this method the dissociation rates of high affinity complexes can be assessed and absolute binding protein concentrations can be determined. The dissociation rates of the oestradiol-oestrogen receptor complex and the R-5020-progestin receptor complex are low (1-2% per h run time.) In contrast, that of complexes between androgen receptor and dihydrotestosterone (17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one (DHT), progestin receptor and progesterone, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) and cortisol or progesterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and DHT were hign (16-27% per h run time). Target tissue extracts (cytosols) contain, besides soluble tissue proteins, large amounts of plasma proteins. The extent of this plasma contamination can be determined by measuring the albumin concentration in cytosols by immunodiffusion. In cytosols of 4 different human target tissues the albumin content varied from 20-30% corresponding to an even higher whole plasma concentration. Steroid binding plasma proteins, such as CBG and SHBG are constituents of this containment. (author)

  6. Very late-onset group B Streptococcus meningitis, sepsis, and systemic shigellosis due to interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krause, Jens C; Ghandil, Pegah; Chrabieh, Maya; Casanova, Jean-Laurent; Picard, Capucine; Puel, Anne; Creech, C Buddy

    2009-11-01

    We describe a child with very late-onset group B Streptococcus sepsis and meningitis, systemic shigellosis, and chronic osteomyelitis. Peripheral blood cells obtained from the patient and her brother did not respond to stimulation with either interleukin-1beta or lipopolysaccharide. Sequencing of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 gene revealed 2 novel mutations.

  7. Neuroprotective effect of interleukin-6 regulation of voltage-gated Na+ channels of cortical neurons is time- and dose-dependent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Xia

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Interleukin-6 has been shown to be involved in nerve injury and nerve regeneration, but the effects of long-term administration of high concentrations of interleukin-6 on neurons in the central nervous system is poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of 24 hour exposure of interleukin-6 on cortical neurons at various concentrations (0.1, 1, 5 and 10 ng/mL and the effects of 10 ng/mL interleukin-6 exposure to cortical neurons for various durations (2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 hours by studying voltage-gated Na + channels using a patch-clamp technique. Voltage-clamp recording results demonstrated that interleukin-6 suppressed Na + currents through its receptor in a time- and dose-dependent manner, but did not alter voltage-dependent activation and inactivation. Current-clamp recording results were consistent with voltage-clamp recording results. Interleukin-6 reduced the action potential amplitude of cortical neurons, but did not change the action potential threshold. The regulation of voltage-gated Na + channels in rat cortical neurons by interleukin-6 is time- and dose-dependent.

  8. Predicted RNA Binding Proteins Pes4 and Mip6 Regulate mRNA Levels, Translation, and Localization during Sporulation in Budding Yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Liang; Zhang, Kai; Sternglanz, Rolf; Neiman, Aaron M

    2017-05-01

    In response to starvation, diploid cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergo meiosis and form haploid spores, a process collectively referred to as sporulation. The differentiation into spores requires extensive changes in gene expression. The transcriptional activator Ndt80 is a central regulator of this process, which controls many genes essential for sporulation. Ndt80 induces ∼300 genes coordinately during meiotic prophase, but different mRNAs within the NDT80 regulon are translated at different times during sporulation. The protein kinase Ime2 and RNA binding protein Rim4 are general regulators of meiotic translational delay, but how differential timing of individual transcripts is achieved was not known. This report describes the characterization of two related NDT80 -induced genes, PES4 and MIP6 , encoding predicted RNA binding proteins. These genes are necessary to regulate the steady-state expression, translational timing, and localization of a set of mRNAs that are transcribed by NDT80 but not translated until the end of meiosis II. Mutations in the predicted RNA binding domains within PES4 alter the stability of target mRNAs. PES4 and MIP6 affect only a small portion of the NDT80 regulon, indicating that they act as modulators of the general Ime2/Rim4 pathway for specific transcripts. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  9. Pulmonary hypertension in patients with advanced heart failure is associated with increased levels of interleukin-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolenc, Jure; Šebeštjen, Miran; Vrtovec, Bojan; Koželj, Mirta; Haddad, François

    2014-08-01

    Inflammatory, endothelial and neurohormonal biomarkers are involved in heart failure (HF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) pathogenesis. To study these biomarkers in PH due to advanced HF. Thirty adults with HF were included. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), endothelin-1 and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured in peripheral vein and pulmonary artery during right heart catheterisation. IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP and NT-proBNP correlated with pulmonary pressures independent of ventricular function, HF etiology and vascular bed. IL-6 was independent predictor of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP). Inflammatory biomarkers correlate to PH severity. IL-6 predicts sPAP in advanced HF.

  10. Interleukin 6 modulates acetylcholinesterase activity of brain neurons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarencon, D.; Multon, E.; Galonnier, M.; Estrade, M.; Fournier, C.; Mathieu, J.; Mestries, J.C.; Testylier, G.; Fatome, M.

    1995-01-01

    Classically, radiation injuries results in a peripheral inflammatory process, and we have previously observed an early systemic interleukin 6 (IL-6) release following whole-body irradiation. Besides, we have demonstrated an early decrease of rat or primate brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity a gamma exposure. The object of the present study is to find possible IL-6 systemic effects on the brain AChE activity. We show that, though intravenous (i.v.) or intra-cerebro-ventricular (ICV) injection of IL-6 can induce a drop in rat brain AChE activity, this cytokine induces only a slight decrease of the AChE release in cultured brain cells. (author)

  11. PERIPHERAL LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE STIMULATION INDUCES INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA MESSENGER-RNA IN RAT-BRAIN MICROGLIAL CELLS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    BUTTINI, M; BODDEKE, H

    The inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 acts as an endogenous pyrogen in organisms affected by infectious diseases and has been shown to influence the activity of the central nervous system. Using in situ hybridization histochemistry, we have examined the cellular source of interleukin-1 beta in rat

  12. [Changes in the interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 concentrations in the blood plasma of miners working in deep coal mines].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plotkin, V Ia; Rebrov, B A; Belkina, E B

    2000-03-01

    Blood plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured in 45 miners working in a deep coal mine immediately after work shift using an immunoenzyme technique. The highest IL-6 level was recorded in those miners engaged in hard work under most adverse conditions of underground workings--it was found to exceed the control values. The same group of workers demonstrated the lowest level of IL-10 that differed from the control value. Miners aged between 41 to 50 years working in a coal mine, their underground service duration 16 to 20 years, displayed a decline in the level of IL-6. The coal mine miners with the 11- to 15-year service duration revealed an increase in the level of IL-10.

  13. HIV-1 Nef binds with human GCC185 protein and regulates mannose 6 phosphate receptor recycling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Manjeet; Kaur, Supinder; Nazir, Aamir; Tripathi, Raj Kamal, E-mail: rajkamalcdri@gmail.com

    2016-05-20

    HIV-1 Nef modulates cellular function that enhances viral replication in vivo which culminate into AIDS pathogenesis. With no enzymatic activity, Nef regulates cellular function through host protein interaction. Interestingly, trans-cellular introduction of recombinant Nef protein in Caenorhabditis elegans results in AIDS like pathogenesis which might share common pathophysiology because the gene sequence of C. elegans and humans share considerable homology. Therefore employing C. elegans based initial screen complemented with sequence based homology search we identified GCC185 as novel host protein interacting with HIV-1 Nef. The detailed molecular characterization revealed N-terminal EEEE{sub 65} acidic domain of Nef as key region for interaction. GCC185 is a tethering protein that binds with Rab9 transport vesicles. Our results show that Nef-GCC185 interaction disrupts Rab9 interaction resulting in delocalization of CI-MPR (cation independent Mannose 6 phosphate receptor) resulting in elevated secretion of hexosaminidase. In agreement with this, our studies identified novel host GCC185 protein that interacts with Nef EEEE65 acidic domain interfering GCC185-Rab9 vesicle membrane fusion responsible for retrograde vesicular transport of CI-MPR from late endosomes to TGN. In light of existing report suggesting critical role of Nef-GCC185 interaction reveals valuable mechanistic insights affecting specific protein transport pathway in docking of late endosome derived Rab9 bearing transport vesicle at TGN elucidating role of Nef during viral pathogenesis. -- Highlights: •Nef, an accessory protein of HIV-1 interacts with host factor and culminates into AIDS pathogenesis. •Using Caenorhabditis elegans based screen system, novel Nef interacting cellular protein GCC185 was identified. •Molecular characterization of Nef and human protein GCC185 revealed Nef EEEE{sub 65} key region interacted with full length GCC185. •Nef impeded the GCC185-Rab 9 interaction and

  14. Interleukin-6 but not soluble adhesion molecules has short-term ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Interleukin-6 but not soluble adhesion molecules has short-term prognostic value on mortality in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. ZX Fan, Q Hua, J Tan, J Gao, RK Liu, Z Yang ...

  15. Phenylketonuria is not a risk factor for changes of inflammation status as assessed by interleukin 6 and interleukin 8 concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mozrzymas, Renata; Duś-Żuchowska, Monika; Kałużny, Łukasz; Wenska-Chyży, Ewa; Walkowiak, Jarosław

    2016-01-01

    High oxidative stress and a reduced potential for free radical scavenging in phenylketonuria (PKU) patients, a phenomenon confirmed in a few studies, may lead to systemic chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare the inflammation status, as assessed by interleukin 6 and interleukin 8 concentrations, in patients with PKU and in healthy controls. Twenty patients with classical PKU, aged 18-34 years and under dietary control, were enrolled in the study. The control group comprised of 20 healthy subjects matched for age and sex. Interleukin 6 and 8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits in all study participants. IL-6 concentrations in the study group ranged from 0.74 pg/ml to 1.34 pg/ml. No significant differences were found between IL-6 concentration between the study group and the control group (p = 0.989). IL-8 concentrations ranged from 17.56 pg/ml to 20.87 pg/ml. The obtained results of IL-8 levels did not differ significantly between the study group and control group (p = 0.192). No significant correlation was observed between Phe blood levels and IL-6 or IL-8 concentrations in the study group (ρ respectively: -0.225, 0.177). In a multivariate analysis, neither IL-6 nor IL-8 concentrations were correlated with sex, age, BMI and Phe levels. Phenylketonuria is not a risk factor for changes of inflammation status as assessed by IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations.

  16. Definition of IgG- and albumin-binding regions of streptococcal protein G.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akerström, B; Nielsen, E; Björck, L

    1987-10-05

    Protein G, the immunoglobin G-binding surface protein of group C and G streptococci, also binds serum albumin. The albumin-binding site on protein G is distinct from the immunoglobulin G-binding site. By mild acid hydrolysis of the papain-liberated protein G fragment (35 kDa), a 28-kDa fragment was produced which retained full immunoglobulin G-binding activity (determined by Scatchard plotting) but had lost all albumin-binding capacity. A protein G (65 kDa), isolated after cloning and expression of the protein G gene in Escherichia coli, had comparable affinity to immunoglobulin G (5-10 X 10(10)M-1), but much higher affinity to albumin than the 35- and 28-kDa protein G fragments (31, 2.6, and 0 X 10(9)M-1, respectively). The amino-terminal amino acid sequences of the 65-, 35-, and 28-kDa fragments allowed us to exactly locate the three fragments in an overall sequence map of protein G, based on the partial gene sequences published by Guss et al. (Guss, B., Eliasson, M., Olsson, A., Uhlen, M., Frej, A.-K., Jörnvall, H., Flock, J.-I., and Lindberg, M. (1986) EMBO J. 5, 1567-1575) and Fahnestock et al. (Fahnestock, S. R., Alexander, P., Nagle, J., and Filpula, D. (1986) J. Bacteriol. 167, 870-880). In this map could then be deduced the location of three homologous albumin-binding regions and three homologous immunoglobulin G-binding regions.

  17. Interleukin 17 enhances bone morphogenetic protein-2-induced ectopic bone formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Croes, M.; Kruyt, M. C.; Groen, W. M.; Van Dorenmalen, K. M.A.; Dhert, W. J.A.; Öner, F. C.; Alblas, J.

    2018-01-01

    Interleukin 17 (IL-17) stimulates the osteogenic differentiation of progenitor cells in vitro through a synergy with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2. This study investigates whether the diverse responses mediated by IL-17 in vivo also lead to enhanced BMP-2-induced bone formation. Since IL-17 is

  18. Interleukin-6 and C-Reactive Protein Levels and 9-Year Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Women: The Women's Health and Aging Study II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palta, Priya; Xue, Qian-Li; Deal, Jennifer A; Fried, Linda P; Walston, Jeremy D; Carlson, Michelle C

    2015-07-01

    Elevated inflammation is a proposed mechanism relating chronic diseases to cognitive dysfunction. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that greater levels of inflammation, as measured by the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein, are associated with faster rates of cognitive decline among cognitively intact community-dwelling older women. We analyzed 336 women from the Women's Health and Aging Study II. Cognitive assessments were performed at baseline and every 18-36 months, and included the following domains: immediate and delayed memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test), psychomotor speed (Trail Making Test, Part A), and executive function (Trail Making Test, Part B). Aggregate measures of IL-6 and C-reactive protein, based on the average from visits one and two, were analyzed categorically. Random effects models were employed to test the relationship between tertiles of each inflammatory marker and changes in cognitive domain scores over 9 years. Moderate and high levels of IL-6 predicted early declines in psychomotor speed by 1.0 connection/min per year. There were no differences in baseline scores or rates of change across tertiles of IL-6 in memory or executive function. No differences were observed across tertiles of C-reactive protein for all cognitive domains. Higher levels of serum IL-6 were associated with greater declines in psychomotor speed over 9 years. This finding could suggest that elevated IL-6 may result in microvascular changes that may lead to damage of myelin sheaths that line neuronal axons, leading to decreased neuron propagation and impaired processing speed; however, mechanistic studies are needed to evaluate these hypotheses. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Partial characterization of GTP-binding proteins in Neurospora

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasunuma, K.; Miyamoto-Shinohara, Y.; Furukawa, K.

    1987-01-01

    Six fractions of GTP-binding proteins separated by gel filtration of a mycelial extract containing membrane components of Neurospora crassa were partially characterized. [ 35 S]GTP gamma S bound to GTP-binding protein was assayed by repeated treatments with a Norit solution and centrifugation. The binding of [ 35 S]GTP gamma S to GTP-binding proteins was competitively prevented in the presence of 0.1 to 1 mM GTP but not in the presence of ATP. These GTP-binding proteins fractionated by the gel column had Km values of 20, 7, 4, 4, 80 and 2 nM. All six fractions of these GTP-binding proteins showed the capacity to be ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin

  20. Analysis of the roles of E6 binding to E6TP1 and nuclear localization in the human papillomavirus type 31 life cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Choongho; Wooldridge, Tonia R.; Laimins, Laimonis A.

    2007-01-01

    The E6 oncoproteins of high-risk human papillomaviruses provide important functions not only for malignant transformation but also in the productive viral life cycle. E6 proteins have been shown to bind to a number of cellular factors, but only a limited number of analyses have investigated the effects of these interactions on the viral life cycle. In this study, we investigated the consequences of HPV 31 E6 binding to E6TP1, a putative Rap1 GAP protein. HPV 16 E6 has been shown to bind as well as induce the rapid turnover of E6TP1, and similar effects were observed with HPV 31 E6. Mutation of amino acid 128 in HPV 31 E6 was found to abrogate the ability to bind and degrade E6TP1 but did not alter binding to another α-helical domain protein, E6AP. When HPV 31 genomes containing mutations at amino acid 128 were transfected into human keratinocytes, the viral DNAs were not stably maintained as episomes indicating the importance of this residue for pathogenesis. Many E6 binding partners including E6TP1 are cytoplasmic proteins, but E6 has been also reported to be localized to the nucleus. We therefore investigated the importance of E6 localization to the nucleus in the viral life cycle. Using a fusion of E6 to Green Fluorescent Protein, we mapped one component of the nuclear localization sequences to residues 121 to 124 of HPV 31 E6. Mutation of these residues in the context of the HPV 31 genome abrogated the ability for episomes to be stably maintained and impaired the ability to extend the life span of cells. These studies identify two activities of HPV 31 E6 that are important for its function in the viral life cycle and for extension of cell life span

  1. Guardian of Genetic Messenger-RNA-Binding Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antje Anji

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available RNA in cells is always associated with RNA-binding proteins that regulate all aspects of RNA metabolism including RNA splicing, export from the nucleus, RNA localization, mRNA turn-over as well as translation. Given their diverse functions, cells express a variety of RNA-binding proteins, which play important roles in the pathologies of a number of diseases. In this review we focus on the effect of alcohol on different RNA-binding proteins and their possible contribution to alcohol-related disorders, and discuss the role of these proteins in the development of neurological diseases and cancer. We further discuss the conventional methods and newer techniques that are employed to identify RNA-binding proteins.

  2. A tetrodotoxin-binding protein in the hemolymph of shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus: purification and properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagashima, Yuji; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Shimakura, Kuniyoshi; Shiomi, Kazuo

    2002-06-01

    The shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus hemolymph contains soluble proteins that bind tetrodotoxin (TTX) and are responsible for high resistance of the crab to TTX. The TTX-binding protein was purified from the hemolymph by ultrafiltration, lectin affinity chromatography and gel filtration HPLC. The purified protein gave only one band in native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), confirming its homogeneity. Its molecular weight was estimated to be about 400k by gel filtration HPLC, while it was estimated to be about 82k under non-reducing conditions and about 72 and 82k under reducing conditions by SDS-PAGE, indicating that the TTX-binding protein was composed of at least two distinct subunits. The TTX-binding protein was an acidic glycoprotein with pI 3.5, abundant in Asp and Glu but absent in Trp, and contained 6% reducing sugar and 12% amino sugar. The protein selectively bound to TTX, with a neutralizing ability of 6.7 mouse unit TTX/mg protein, but not to paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins. However, its neutralizing activity was almost lost by treatments with enzymes (protease XIV, thermolysin, trypsin, amyloglucosidase and alpha-amylase) and denaturing agents (1% SDS, 1% dithiothreitol, 8 M urea and 6 M guanidine hydrochloride), suggesting the involvement of both proteinaceous and sugar moieties in the binding to TTX and the importance of the steric conformation of the TTX-binding protein. Copright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

  3. [Study of signal transduction pathway in the expression of inflammatory factors stimulated by lipopolysaccharides from Porphyromonas endodontalis in osteoblasts].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Di; Qiu, Li-hong; Li, Ren; Li, Zi-mu; Li, Chen

    2010-04-01

    To quantify the interleukin (IL)-1beta mRNA and IL-6 mRNA expression induced by lipopolysaccharides ([PS) extracted from Porphyromonoas endodontalis (P. endodontalis) in osteoblasts, and to relate P. endodontalis LPS to the bone resorptive pathogenesis in the lesions of chronic apical periodontitis. MG63 cells was pretreated with PD98059 or SB203580 for 1 h and then treated with P. endodontolis LPS for 6 h. The expression of IL-1beta mRNA and IL-6 mRNA were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. The production of IL-1beta mRNA induced by P. endodontalis LPS decreased in osteoblasts pretreated with PD98059. Both of the production of IL-1beta mRNA and JL-6 mRNA induced by P. endodontalis LPS decreased in osteoblasts pretreated with SB203580. The synthesis of IL-1beta mRNA stimulated by Pendodontalis LPS in MG63 probably occur via extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction system. The synthesis of IL-6 mRNA stimulated by P.endodontalis LPS in MG63 probahly occur via p38MAPK signal transduction system.

  4. Polymeric competitive protein binding adsorbents for radioassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, R.J.

    1976-01-01

    Serum protein comprising specific binding proteins such as antibodies, B 12 intrinsic factor, thyroxin binding globulin and the like may be copolymerized with globulin constituents of serum by the action of ethylchloroformate to form readily packed insoluble precipitates which, following purification as by washing, are eminently suited for employment as competitive binding protein absorbents in radioassay procedures. 10 claims, no drawings

  5. Characterization of linear mimetic peptides of Interleukin-22 from dissection of protein interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Manna, Sara; Scognamiglio, Pasqualina Liana; Di Natale, Concetta; Leone, Marilisa; Mercurio, Flavia Anna; Malfitano, Anna Maria; Cianfarani, Francesca; Madonna, Stefania; Caravella, Sergio; Albanesi, Cristina; Novellino, Ettore; Marasco, Daniela

    2017-07-01

    Interleukin-22 (IL-22) belongs to the family of IL-10 cytokines and is involved in a wide number of human diseases, including inflammatory disorders and cancer pathology. The ligand-receptor complex IL-22/IL-22R plays a key role in several pathways especially in the regulation and resolution of immune responses. The identification of novel compounds able to modulate IL-22/IL-22R complex could open the route to new therapeutic strategies in multiple human diseases. In this study, we designed and characterized IL-22 derived peptides at protein interface regions: several sequences revealed able to interfere with the protein complex with IC 50 in the micromolar range as evaluated through Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) experiments. Their conformational characterization was carried out through Circular Dichroism (CD) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, shedding new light into the features of IL-22 fragments and on structural determinants of IL-22/IL-22R1 recognition. Finally, several peptides were tested on human keratinocyte cultures for evaluating their ability to mimic the activation of molecular pathways downstream to IL-22R in response to IL-22 binding. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  6. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Angelica sinensis (Oliv. Diels Water Extract on RAW 264.7 Induced with Lipopolysaccharide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young-Jin Kim

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The dry root of Angelica sinensis (Oliv. Diels, also known as “female ginseng”, is a popular herbal drug amongst women, used to treat a variety of health issues and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the detailed molecular mechanism for anti-inflammatory effects of Angelica sinensis root water extract (ASW. The anti-inflammatory effect of ASW on lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages was evaluated by the tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (MTT, Griess reagent assay, multiplex cytokine assay, real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR, and Fluo-4 calcium assay. ASW restored cell viability in RAW 264.7 at concentrations of up to 200 µg/mL. ASW showed notable anti-inflammatory effects. ASW exhibited IC50 = 954.3, 387.3, 191.7, 317.8, 1267.0, 347.0, 110.1, 573.6, 1171.0, 732.6, 980.8, 125.0, and 257.0 µg/mL for interleukin (IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α, monocyte chemotactic activating factor (MCP-1, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, lipopolysaccharide-induced CXC chemokine (LIX, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MIP-2, IL-10, and intracellular calcium, respectively. Additionally, ASW inhibited the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide and the LPS-induced mRNA expression of CHOP (GADD153, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2, signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1, first apoptosis signal receptor (FAS, and c-Fos, NOS2, and PTGS2 (COX2 in RAW 264.7 significantly (p < 0.05. Data suggest that ASW exerts an anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 via NO-bursting/calcium-mediated JAK-STAT pathway.

  7. Papillomavirus E6 proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howie, Heather L.; Katzenellenbogen, Rachel A.; Galloway, Denise A.

    2009-01-01

    The papillomaviruses are small DNA viruses that encode approximately eight genes, and require the host cell DNA replication machinery for their viral DNA replication. Thus papillomaviruses have evolved strategies to induce host cell DNA synthesis balanced with strategies to protect the cell from unscheduled replication. While the papillomavirus E1 and E2 genes are directly involved in viral replication by binding to and unwinding the origin of replication, the E6 and E7 proteins have auxillary functions that promote proliferation. As a consequence of disrupting the normal checkpoints that regulate cell cycle entry and progression, the E6 and E7 proteins play a key role in the oncogenic properties of human papillomaviruses with a high risk of causing anogenital cancers (HR HPVs). As a consequence, E6 and E7 of HR HPVs are invariably expressed in cervical cancers. This article will focus on the E6 protein and its numerous activities including inactivating p53, blocking apoptosis, activating telomerase, disrupting cell adhesion, polarity and epithelial differentiation, altering transcription and reducing immune recognition

  8. Acanthopanax trifoliatus inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzu-Mei Chien

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Acanthopanax trifoliatus is a well-known herb that is used for the treatment of bruising, neuralgia, impotence, and gout in Taiwan. This herb exhibits multifunctional activities, including anticancer, anti-inflammation, and antioxidant effects. This paper investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of A. trifoliatus. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis established the fingerprint chromatogram of the ethyl acetate fraction of A. trifoliatus (EAAT. The anti-inflammatory effect of EAAT was detected using lipopolysaccharide (LPS stimulation of the mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7 in vitro and LPS-induced lung injury in vivo. The effects of EAAT on LPS-induced production of inflammatory mediators in RAW264.7 murine macrophages and the mouse model were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. EAAT attenuated the production of LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1β (IL-1β, and IL-6 in vitro and in vivo. Pretreatment with EAAT markedly reduced LPS-induced histological alterations in lung tissues. Furthermore, EAAT significantly reduced the number of total cells and protein concentration levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Western blotting test results revealed that EAAT blocked protein expression of inducible NO synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, phosphorylation of Nuclear factor-kappa-B Inhibitor alpha (IκB-α protein, and mitogen-activated protein kinases in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells as well as LPS-induced lung injury. This study suggests that A. trifoliatus may be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

  9. A systematic review of biomarkers in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snipsøyr, Magnus G; Ludvigsen, Maja; Petersen, Eskild; Wiggers, Henrik; Honoré, Bent

    2016-01-01

    Timely diagnosis of bacterial infective endocarditis (IE) is crucial, as mortality remains high in this severe bacterial infection, currently without any distinct biological markers. Our goal was to evaluate potential diagnostic biomarkers by reviewing current literature. The MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus databases were searched for articles published from 1980 through June 2015 restricted to English, Norwegian, Danish and Swedish. Eighteen studies qualified, providing a review of the most promising candidates for future studies. Several studies are inconclusive, since they are characterized by using improper control groups. Patients with IE have bacteremia, and control groups should therefore be patients with bacteremia without IE. Based on current research, N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) alone or in combination with Cystatin C (Cys C), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), troponins, aquaporin-9 (AQP9), S100 calcium binding protein A11 (S100A11), E-selectin (CD62E) and VCAM-1 (CD54) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are potential biomarkers for future studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Interferon Gamma-Inducible Protein 10 (IP-10), and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Are Associated with Risk of Tuberculosis after Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy in Resource-Limited Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tenforde, Mark W.; Gupte, Nikhil; Dowdy, David W.; Asmuth, David M.; Balagopal, Ashwin; Pollard, Richard B.; Sugandhavesa, Patcharaphan; Lama, Javier R.; Pillay, Sandy; Cardoso, Sandra W.; Pawar, Jyoti; Santos, Breno; Riviere, Cynthia; Mwelase, Noluthando; Kanyama, Cecilia; Kumwenda, Johnstone; Hakim, James G.; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Bollinger, Robert; Semba, Richard D.; Campbell, Thomas B.; Gupta, Amita

    2015-01-01

    Objective The association between pre-antiretroviral (ART) inflammation and immune activation and risk for incident tuberculosis (TB) after ART initiation among adults is uncertain. Design Nested case-control study (n = 332) within ACTG PEARLS trial of three ART regimens among 1571 HIV-infected, treatment-naïve adults in 9 countries. We compared cases (participants with incident TB diagnosed by 96 weeks) to a random sample of controls (participants who did not develop TB, stratified by country and treatment arm). Methods We measured pre-ART C-reactive protein (CRP), EndoCab IgM, ferritin, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), soluble CD14 (sCD14), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and CD4/DR+/38+ and CD8/DR+/38+ T cells. Markers were defined according to established cutoff definitions when available, 75th percentile of measured values when not, and detectable versus undetectable for LPS. Using logistic regression, we measured associations between biomarkers and incident TB, adjusting for age, sex, study site, treatment arm, baseline CD4 and log10 viral load. We assessed the discriminatory value of biomarkers using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results Seventy-seven persons (4.9%) developed incident TB during follow-up. Elevated baseline CRP (aOR 3.25, 95% CI: 1.55–6.81) and IP-10 (aOR 1.89, 95% CI: 1.05–3.39), detectable plasma LPS (aOR 2.39, 95% CI: 1.13–5.06), and the established TB risk factors anemia and hypoalbuminemia were independently associated with incident TB. In ROC analysis, CRP, albumin, and LPS improved discrimination only modestly for TB risk when added to baseline routine patient characteristics including CD4 count, body mass index, and prior TB. Conclusion Incident TB occurs commonly after ART initiation. Although associated with higher post-ART TB risk, baseline CRP, IP-10, and LPS add limited value to routine patient characteristics

  11. Pneumococcal DNA-binding proteins released through autolysis induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines via toll-like receptor 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagai, Kosuke; Domon, Hisanori; Maekawa, Tomoki; Oda, Masataka; Hiyoshi, Takumi; Tamura, Hikaru; Yonezawa, Daisuke; Arai, Yoshiaki; Yokoji, Mai; Tabeta, Koichi; Habuka, Rie; Saitoh, Akihiko; Yamaguchi, Masaya; Kawabata, Shigetada; Terao, Yutaka

    2018-03-01

    Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia. Our previous study suggested that S. pneumoniae autolysis-dependently releases intracellular pneumolysin, which subsequently leads to lung injury. In this study, we hypothesized that pneumococcal autolysis induces the leakage of additional intracellular molecules that could increase the pathogenicity of S. pneumoniae. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry analysis identified that chaperone protein DnaK, elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were released with pneumococcal DNA by autolysis. We demonstrated that recombinant (r) DnaK, rEF-Tu, and rGAPDH induced significantly higher levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor production in peritoneal macrophages and THP-1-derived macrophage-like cells via toll-like receptor 4. Furthermore, the DNA-binding activity of these proteins was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance assay. We demonstrated that pneumococcal DnaK, EF-Tu, and GAPDH induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages, and might cause host tissue damage and affect the development of pneumococcal diseases. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Protective effects of agmatine on lipopolysaccharide-injured microglia and inducible nitric oxide synthase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Soo Kyung; Hong, Samin; Park, Yu Mi; Choi, Ja Yong; Lee, Won Taek; Park, Kyung Ah; Lee, Jong Eun

    2012-12-17

    Proinflammatory factors released from activated microglia contribute to maintaining homeostasis against various noxious stimuli in the central nervous system. If excessive, however, they may initiate a pathologic neuroinflammatory process. In this investigation, we evaluated whether agmatine, a primary polyamine known to protect neurons, reduces lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage to microglia in vitro and in vivo. For in vitro study, BV2-immortalized murine microglia were exposed to LPS with agmatine treatment. After 24hours, cell viability and the amount of nitrite generated were determined. For in vivo study, LPS was microinjected into the corpus callosum of adult male albino mice. Agmatine was intraperitoneally administered at the time of injury. Brains were evaluated 24hours after LPS microinjection to check for immunoreactivity with a microglial marker of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Using western blot analysis, protein expression of iNOS as well as that of the proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β, was determined. Agmatine significantly reduced the LPS-induced BV2 microglial cytotoxicity from over 80% to less than 60% (pAgmatine also decreased the activities of microglia and iNOS induced by LPS microinjection into corpus callosum. Our findings reveal that agmatine attenuates LPS-induced microglial damage and suggest that agmatine may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for neuroinflammatory diseases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. CaMELS: In silico prediction of calmodulin binding proteins and their binding sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbasi, Wajid Arshad; Asif, Amina; Andleeb, Saiqa; Minhas, Fayyaz Ul Amir Afsar

    2017-09-01

    Due to Ca 2+ -dependent binding and the sequence diversity of Calmodulin (CaM) binding proteins, identifying CaM interactions and binding sites in the wet-lab is tedious and costly. Therefore, computational methods for this purpose are crucial to the design of such wet-lab experiments. We present an algorithm suite called CaMELS (CalModulin intEraction Learning System) for predicting proteins that interact with CaM as well as their binding sites using sequence information alone. CaMELS offers state of the art accuracy for both CaM interaction and binding site prediction and can aid biologists in studying CaM binding proteins. For CaM interaction prediction, CaMELS uses protein sequence features coupled with a large-margin classifier. CaMELS models the binding site prediction problem using multiple instance machine learning with a custom optimization algorithm which allows more effective learning over imprecisely annotated CaM-binding sites during training. CaMELS has been extensively benchmarked using a variety of data sets, mutagenic studies, proteome-wide Gene Ontology enrichment analyses and protein structures. Our experiments indicate that CaMELS outperforms simple motif-based search and other existing methods for interaction and binding site prediction. We have also found that the whole sequence of a protein, rather than just its binding site, is important for predicting its interaction with CaM. Using the machine learning model in CaMELS, we have identified important features of protein sequences for CaM interaction prediction as well as characteristic amino acid sub-sequences and their relative position for identifying CaM binding sites. Python code for training and evaluating CaMELS together with a webserver implementation is available at the URL: http://faculty.pieas.edu.pk/fayyaz/software.html#camels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Factor VII and protein C are phosphatidic acid-binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavoosi, Narjes; Smith, Stephanie A; Davis-Harrison, Rebecca L; Morrissey, James H

    2013-08-20

    Seven proteins in the human blood clotting cascade bind, via their GLA (γ-carboxyglutamate-rich) domains, to membranes containing exposed phosphatidylserine (PS), although with membrane binding affinities that vary by 3 orders of magnitude. Here we employed nanodiscs of defined phospholipid composition to quantify the phospholipid binding specificities of these seven clotting proteins. All bound preferentially to nanobilayers in which PS headgroups contained l-serine versus d-serine. Surprisingly, however, nanobilayers containing phosphatidic acid (PA) bound substantially more of two of these proteins, factor VIIa and activated protein C, than did equivalent bilayers containing PS. Consistent with this finding, liposomes containing PA supported higher proteolytic activity by factor VIIa and activated protein C toward their natural substrates (factors X and Va, respectively) than did PS-containing liposomes. Moreover, treating activated human platelets with phospholipase D enhanced the rates of factor X activation by factor VIIa in the presence of soluble tissue factor. We hypothesize that factor VII and protein C bind preferentially to the monoester phosphate of PA because of its accessibility and higher negative charge compared with the diester phosphates of most other phospholipids. We further found that phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, which contains a monoester phosphate attached to its myo-inositol headgroup, also supported enhanced enzymatic activity of factor VIIa and activated protein C. We conclude that factor VII and protein C bind preferentially to monoester phosphates, which may have implications for the function of these proteases in vivo.

  15. Is interleukin-6 receptor blockade the Holy Grail for inflammatory diseases?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Febbraio, M A; Rose-John, S; Pedersen, B K

    2010-01-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been linked to a myriad of diseases associated with inflammation, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn's disease, and several types of cancer. In 2009 the US Food and Drug Administration accepted a complete-response submission for the use of Actemra (tocilizumab), t...

  16. GTP-binding proteins in rat liver nuclear envelopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rubins, J.B.; Benditt, J.O.; Dickey, B.F.; Riedel, N.

    1990-01-01

    Nuclear transport as well as reassembly of the nuclear envelope (NE) after completion of mitosis are processes that have been shown to require GTP and ATP. To study the presence and localization of GTP-binding proteins in the NE, we have combined complementary techniques of [alpha-32P]GTP binding to Western-blotted proteins and UV crosslinking of [alpha-32P]GTP with well-established procedures for NE subfractionation. GTP binding to blotted NE proteins revealed five low molecular mass GTP-binding proteins of 26, 25, 24.5, 24, and 23 kDa, and [alpha-32P]GTP photoaffinity labeling revealed major proteins with apparent molecular masses of 140, 53, 47, 33, and 31 kDa. All GTP-binding proteins appear to localize preferentially to the inner nuclear membrane, possibly to the interface between inner nuclear membrane and lamina. Despite the evolutionary conservation between the NE and the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the GTP-binding proteins identified differed between these two compartments. Most notably, the 68- and 30-kDa GTP-binding subunits of the signal recognition particle receptor, which photolabeled with [alpha-32P]GTP in the rough endoplasmic reticulum fraction, were totally excluded from the NE fraction. Conversely, a major 53-kDa photolabeled protein in the NE was absent from rough endoplasmic reticulum. Whereas Western-blotted NE proteins bound GTP specifically, all [alpha-32P]GTP photolabeled proteins could be blocked by competition with ATP, although with a competition profile that differed from that obtained with GTP. In comparative crosslinking studies with [alpha-32P]ATP, we have identified three specific ATP-binding proteins with molecular masses of 160, 78, and 74 kDa. The localization of GTP- and ATP-binding proteins within the NE appears appropriate for their involvement in nuclear transport and in the GTP-dependent fusion of nuclear membranes

  17. Inhibitory Effects of Ketamine on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Microglial Activation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Chang

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Microglia activated in response to brain injury release neurotoxic factors including nitric oxide (NO and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α and interleukin-1β (IL-1β. Ketamine, an anesthetic induction agent, is generally reserved for use in patients with severe hypotension or respiratory depression. In this study, we found that ketamine (100 and 250 μM concentration-dependently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced NO and IL-1β release in primary cultured microglia. However, ketamine (100 and 250 μM did not significantly inhibit the LPS-induced TNF-α production in microglia, except at the higher concentration (500 μM. Further study of the molecular mechanisms revealed that ketamine markedly inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2 phosphorylation but not c-Jun N-terminal kinase or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase stimulated by LPS in microglia. These results suggest that microglial inactivation by ketamine is at least partially due to inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation.

  18. Absence of serum growth hormone binding protein in patients with growth hormone receptor deficiency (Laron dwarfism)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Daughaday, W.H.; Trivedi, B.

    1987-07-01

    It has recently been recognized that human serum contains a protein that specifically binds human growth hormone (hGH). This protein has the same restricted specificity for hGH as the membrane-bound GH receptor. To determine whether the GH-binding protein is a derivative of, or otherwise related to, the GH receptor, the authors have examined the serum of three patients with Laron-type dwarfism, a condition in which GH refractoriness has been attributed to a defect in the GH receptor. The binding of /sup 125/I-labeled hGH incubated with serum has been measured after gel filtration of the serum through an Ultrogel AcA 44 minicolumn. Results are expressed as percent of specifically bound /sup 125/I-hGH and as specific binding relative to that of a reference serum after correction is made for endogenous GH. The mean +/- SEM of specific binding of sera from eight normal adults (26-46 years of age) was 21.6 +/- 0.45%, and the relative specific binding was 101.1 +/- 8.6%. Sera from 11 normal children had lower specific binding of 12.5 +/- 1.95% and relative specific binding of 56.6 +/- 9.1%. Sera from three children with Laron-type dwarfism lacked any demonstrable GH binding, whereas sera from 10 other children with other types of nonpituitary short stature had normal relative specific binding. They suggest that the serum GH-binding protein is a soluble derivative of the GH receptor. Measurement of the serum GH-binding protein may permit recognition of other abnormalities of the GH receptor.

  19. Absence of serum growth hormone binding protein in patients with growth hormone receptor deficiency (Laron dwarfism)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daughaday, W.H.; Trivedi, B.

    1987-01-01

    It has recently been recognized that human serum contains a protein that specifically binds human growth hormone (hGH). This protein has the same restricted specificity for hGH as the membrane-bound GH receptor. To determine whether the GH-binding protein is a derivative of, or otherwise related to, the GH receptor, the authors have examined the serum of three patients with Laron-type dwarfism, a condition in which GH refractoriness has been attributed to a defect in the GH receptor. The binding of 125 I-labeled hGH incubated with serum has been measured after gel filtration of the serum through an Ultrogel AcA 44 minicolumn. Results are expressed as percent of specifically bound 125 I-hGH and as specific binding relative to that of a reference serum after correction is made for endogenous GH. The mean +/- SEM of specific binding of sera from eight normal adults (26-46 years of age) was 21.6 +/- 0.45%, and the relative specific binding was 101.1 +/- 8.6%. Sera from 11 normal children had lower specific binding of 12.5 +/- 1.95% and relative specific binding of 56.6 +/- 9.1%. Sera from three children with Laron-type dwarfism lacked any demonstrable GH binding, whereas sera from 10 other children with other types of nonpituitary short stature had normal relative specific binding. They suggest that the serum GH-binding protein is a soluble derivative of the GH receptor. Measurement of the serum GH-binding protein may permit recognition of other abnormalities of the GH receptor

  20. Lipopolysaccharide regulated protein expression is only partly impaired in monocytes from patients with type I diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abke Sabine

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Monocytes play an important role in innate immunity and atherosclerosis. A disturbed secretion of cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS activated monocytes from type 1 diabetes (T1D patients has been described and may contribute to the impaired inflammatory response in these individuals. In the present study the influence of LPS on five different proteins with a function in immunity and atherosclerosis was analyzed in monocytes from controls and T1D patients. Methods Monocytes were isolated from controls and T1D patients and the LPS-stimulated increase of IL-6, CXCL8, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (CCL2, MCP-1 and superoxide dismutase (SOD 2, as well as the LPS-mediated decrease of apolipoprotein E (Apo E in primary human monocytes from controls and T1D patients was determined. Results CCL2 and IL-6 secretion in response to LPS was found significantly reduced in monocytes from T1D patients when compared to controls whereas basal CCL2 release was similar in control and T1D cells. In contrast, CXCL8 and apolipoprotein E secretion and SOD 2 expression upon LPS stimulation is similar from T1D and control monocytes. Conclusion These data indicate that LPS-mediated protein expression is only partly disturbed in monocytes from T1D patients. Reduced secretion of IL-6 and CCL2 in activated monocytes of these patients may contribute to an impaired inflammatory response and vascular disease.

  1. Cobalamin and its binding protein in rat milk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raaberg, Lasse; Nexø, Ebba; Poulsen, Steen Seier

    1989-01-01

    Cobalamin and its binding protein, haptocorrin, are present in rat milk throughout the lactation period. The concentration of cobalamin is approximately 0.3-times the concentration of the unsaturated binding protein. The concentration of the unsaturated cobalamin-binding protein varies between 18...

  2. Gonadal cell surface receptor for plasma retinol-binding protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krishna Bhat, M.; Cama, H.R.

    1979-01-01

    A specific membrane receptor for plasma retinol-binding protein has been demonstrated in testicular cells. Prealbumin-2 did not show any specific binding to the membrane. The affinity of retinol-binding protein for receptor drastically decreases upon delivery of retinol and the retinol-binding protein does not enter the cell. The mechanism of delivery of retinol to the target cell by plasma retinol-binding protein has been investigated. The process involves two steps; direct binding of retinol-binding protein to the receptor and uptake of retinol by the target cell with a concomitant drastic reduction in the affinity of the retinol-binding protein to the receptor. Probably the second step of the process needs a cytosolic factor, possibly the cellular retinol-binding protein or an enzyme. The binding of retinol-binding protein to the receptor is saturable and reversible. The interaction shows a Ksub(d) value of 2.1x10 -10 . The specific binding of a retinol-binding protein with great affinity has been employed in the development of a method for radioassay of the receptor. The receptor level of the gonadal cell has been found to vary with the stage of differentiation. The receptor concentrations in 11-week-old birds and adult birds are comparable. Testosterone treatment of 11-week-old birds produced a substantial increase in the receptor concentration over control, while the protein content increased marginally, indicating that, probably, synthesis of the receptor is specifcally induced by testosterone during spermatogenesis, and the concentration of receptor is relatively higher before the formation of the acrosome. (Auth.)

  3. Clinical anxiety, cortisol and interleukin-6: evidence for specificity in emotion-biology relationships.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Donovan, Aoife

    2012-02-01

    Anxiety confers increased risk for inflammatory diseases, and elevated inflammatory activity in anxious individuals may contribute to this increased risk. One complication, however, is that anxiety could be associated with inflammatory activity either through a specific anxiety pathway or through a more general negative emotionality pathway. To investigate, we measured levels of the stress hormone cortisol, the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the systemic inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as depression and neuroticism, in clinically anxious and non-anxious adults. Compared with non-anxious participants, clinically anxious participants exhibited significantly lower levels of morning cortisol and significantly higher levels of IL-6, independent of age, sex, and depressive symptoms. These group differences were robust when controlling for neuroticism. Conversely, the groups had equivalent levels of CRP in all analyses. Results are indicative of anxiety-specific effects on inflammatory activity, and highlight a pathway by which anxiety may increase risk for inflammatory diseases.

  4. Solution structure of the Equine Infectious Anemia Virus p9 protein: a rationalization of its different ALIX binding requirements compared to the analogous HIV-p6 protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henklein Peter

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The equine infection anemia virus (EIAV p9 Gag protein contains the late (L- domain required for efficient virus release of nascent virions from the cell membrane of infected cell. Results In the present study the p9 protein and N- and C-terminal fragments (residues 1-21 and 22-51, respectively were chemically synthesized and used for structural analyses. Circular dichroism and 1H-NMR spectroscopy provide the first molecular insight into the secondary structure and folding of this 51-amino acid protein under different solution conditions. Qualitative 1H-chemical shift and NOE data indicate that in a pure aqueous environment p9 favors an unstructured state. In its most structured state under hydrophobic conditions, p9 adopts a stable helical structure within the C-terminus. Quantitative NOE data further revealed that this α-helix extends from Ser-27 to Ser-48, while the N-terminal residues remain unstructured. The structural elements identified for p9 differ substantially from that of the functional homologous HIV-1 p6 protein. Conclusions These structural differences are discussed in the context of the different types of L-domains regulating distinct cellular pathways in virus budding. EIAV p9 mediates virus release by recruiting the ALG2-interacting protein X (ALIX via the YPDL-motif to the site of virus budding, the counterpart of the YPXnL-motif found in p6. However, p6 contains an additional PTAP L-domain that promotes HIV-1 release by binding to the tumor susceptibility gene 101 (Tsg101. The notion that structures found in p9 differ form that of p6 further support the idea that different mechanisms regulate binding of ALIX to primary versus secondary L-domains types.

  5. Aberrant histone acetylation contributes to elevated interleukin-6 production in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wada, Takuma Tsuzuki; Araki, Yasuto; Sato, Kojiro; Aizaki, Yoshimi; Yokota, Kazuhiro; Kim, Yoon Taek; Oda, Hiromi; Kurokawa, Riki; Mimura, Toshihide

    2014-02-21

    Accumulating evidence indicates that epigenetic aberrations have a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, reports on histone modifications are as yet quite limited in RA. Interleukin (IL)-6 is an inflammatory cytokine which is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of RA. Here we report the role of histone modifications in elevated IL-6 production in RA synovial fibroblasts (SFs). The level of histone H3 acetylation (H3ac) in the IL-6 promoter was significantly higher in RASFs than osteoarthritis (OA) SFs. This suggests that chromatin structure is in an open or loose state in the IL-6 promoter in RASFs. Furthermore, curcumin, a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) inhibitor, significantly reduced the level of H3ac in the IL-6 promoter, as well as IL-6 mRNA expression and IL-6 protein secretion by RASFs. Taken together, it is suggested that hyperacetylation of histone H3 in the IL-6 promoter induces the increase in IL-6 production by RASFs and thereby participates in the pathogenesis of RA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Acyl-CoA-binding protein/diazepam-binding inhibitor gene and pseudogenes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandrup, S; Hummel, R; Ravn, S

    1992-01-01

    Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) is a 10 kDa protein isolated from bovine liver by virtue of its ability to bind and induce the synthesis of medium-chain acyl-CoA esters. Surprisingly, it turned out to be identical to a protein named diazepam-binding Inhibitor (DBI) claimed to be an endogenous mod...... have molecularly cloned and characterized the ACBP/DBI gene family in rat. The rat ACBP/DBI gene family comprises one expressed gene and four processed pseudogenes of which one was shown to exist in two allelic forms. The expressed gene is organized into four exons and three introns...

  7. TATA-binding protein and the retinoblastoma gene product bind to overlapping epitopes on c-Myc and adenovirus E1A protein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hateboer, G.; Timmers, H.T.M.; Rustgi, A.K.; Billaud, Marc; Veer, L.J. Van 't; Bernards, R.A.

    1993-01-01

    Using a protein binding assay, we show that the amino-teminal 204 amino acids of the c-Myc protein interact di y with a key component of the basal p tdon factor TFID, the TATA box-binding protein (TBP). Essentialy the same region of the c-Myc protein alo binds the product of the retinoblatoma

  8. Effort-reward-imbalance in healthy teachers is associated with higher LPS-stimulated production and lower glucocorticoid sensitivity of interleukin-6 in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellingrath, Silja; Rohleder, Nicolas; Kudielka, Brigitte M

    2013-02-01

    According to the effort-reward-imbalance (ERI) model, a lack of reciprocity between costs and gains at work increases the risk for adverse health outcomes. Inflammation has been shown to play a crucial role in a variety of stress-related diseases and alterations in immune system glucocorticoid sensitivity may help to explain the increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression related to chronic work stress. Changes in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin (IL)-6 production and inhibition of IL-6 production by dexamethasone in reaction to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) were assessed in forty-six healthy school teachers to test whether chronic work stress is accompanied by alterations in inflammatory activity and glucocorticoid sensitivity of the innate immune system. High ERI was associated with an increase in pro-inflammatory potential, reflected in elevated IL-6 production before and after stress and with a lower capacity of dexamethasone to suppress IL-6 production in vitro over all measurement time points. ERI was not associated with stress-related changes in GC sensitivity. The present findings suggest a less effective anti-inflammatory regulation by glucocorticoids in teachers suffering from chronic work stress. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Induction of plasma interleukin-6 by circulating adrenaline in the rat

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    DeRijk, R. H.; Boelen, A.; Tilders, F. J.; Berkenbosch, F.

    1994-01-01

    Adrenaline, which is secreted from the adrenal medulla during stress, is considered to be involved in the control of inflammation and immune responses. Therefore, we studied the effects of adrenaline on the plasma levels of one of the major pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6). Here we

  10. Interleukin 6 modulates acetylcholinesterase activity of brain neurons; Effet de l`interleukine 6 sur l`activite de l`acetylcholinesterase des neurones centraux

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clarencon, D.; Multon, E.; Galonnier, M.; Estrade, M.; Fournier, C.; Mathieu, J.; Mestries, J.C.; Testylier, G.; Fatome, M.

    1995-12-31

    Classically, radiation injuries results in a peripheral inflammatory process, and we have previously observed an early systemic interleukin 6 (IL-6) release following whole-body irradiation. Besides, we have demonstrated an early decrease of rat or primate brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity a gamma exposure. The object of the present study is to find possible IL-6 systemic effects on the brain AChE activity. We show that, though intravenous (i.v.) or intra-cerebro-ventricular (ICV) injection of IL-6 can induce a drop in rat brain AChE activity, this cytokine induces only a slight decrease of the AChE release in cultured brain cells. (author). 3 refs.

  11. Leptospiral outer membrane protein microarray, a novel approach to identification of host ligand-binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinne, Marija; Matsunaga, James; Haake, David A

    2012-11-01

    Leptospirosis is a zoonosis with worldwide distribution caused by pathogenic spirochetes belonging to the genus Leptospira. The leptospiral life cycle involves transmission via freshwater and colonization of the renal tubules of their reservoir hosts. Infection requires adherence to cell surfaces and extracellular matrix components of host tissues. These host-pathogen interactions involve outer membrane proteins (OMPs) expressed on the bacterial surface. In this study, we developed an Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130 OMP microarray containing all predicted lipoproteins and transmembrane OMPs. A total of 401 leptospiral genes or their fragments were transcribed and translated in vitro and printed on nitrocellulose-coated glass slides. We investigated the potential of this protein microarray to screen for interactions between leptospiral OMPs and fibronectin (Fn). This approach resulted in the identification of the recently described fibronectin-binding protein, LIC10258 (MFn8, Lsa66), and 14 novel Fn-binding proteins, denoted Microarray Fn-binding proteins (MFns). We confirmed Fn binding of purified recombinant LIC11612 (MFn1), LIC10714 (MFn2), LIC11051 (MFn6), LIC11436 (MFn7), LIC10258 (MFn8, Lsa66), and LIC10537 (MFn9) by far-Western blot assays. Moreover, we obtained specific antibodies to MFn1, MFn7, MFn8 (Lsa66), and MFn9 and demonstrated that MFn1, MFn7, and MFn9 are expressed and surface exposed under in vitro growth conditions. Further, we demonstrated that MFn1, MFn4 (LIC12631, Sph2), and MFn7 enable leptospires to bind fibronectin when expressed in the saprophyte, Leptospira biflexa. Protein microarrays are valuable tools for high-throughput identification of novel host ligand-binding proteins that have the potential to play key roles in the virulence mechanisms of pathogens.

  12. Production of interleukin-6 in contracting human skeletal muscles can account for the exercise-induced increase in plasma interleukin-6

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steensberg, A; Van Hall, Gerrit; Osada, T

    2000-01-01

    1. Plasma interleukin (IL)-6 concentration is increased with exercise and it has been demonstrated that contracting muscles can produce IL-The question addressed in the present study was whether the IL-6 production by contracting skeletal muscle is of such a magnitude that it can account for the IL...... and every hour during the exercise. Leg blood flow was measured in parallel by the ultrasound Doppler technique. IL-6 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 3. Arterial plasma concentrations for IL-6 increased 19-fold compared to rest. The a-fv difference for IL-6 over the exercising leg...... followed the same pattern as did the net IL-6 release. Over the resting leg, there was no significant a-fv difference or net IL-6 release. The work was produced by 2.5 kg of active muscle, which means that during the last 2 h of exercise, the median IL-6 production was 6.8 ng min-1 (kg active muscle)-1...

  13. Photoaffinity labeling of the oxysterol binding protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, F.R.; Kandutsch, A.A.; Anzalone, L.; Spencer, T.A.

    1986-01-01

    A cytosolic receptor protein for oxygenated sterols, that is thought to be involved in the regulation of HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol biosynthesis, can be labeled covalently by the photoactivated affinity compound [5,6- 3 H]-7,7'-azocholestane-3β,25-diol (I). Several other compounds were tested including 25-hydroxycholesta-4,6-dien-3-one, 25-azido-27-norcholest-5-en-3β-ol,3β,25-dihydroxycholest-5-en-7-one and 3β-hydroxycholesta-8(14),9(11)-dien-15-one. However, these sterols either did not bind to the receptor with adequate affinity or did not react covalently with the receptor during photolysis. Compound I binds to the receptor with very high affinity (K/sub d/ = 30 nM). After activation with long wavelength UV, two tritium labeled proteins, M/sub r/ approximately 95K and 65K daltons, are found upon SDS gel electrophoresis. No labeling occurs when the binding reaction is carried out in the presence of a large excess of 25-hydroxycholesterol. It is possible that the smaller polypeptide is a degradation product. Under the reaction conditions investigated so far labeling is relatively inefficient (< 1% of bound sterol). These results are generally consistent with previous information suggesting that the M/sub r/ of the receptor subunit is 97,000. Covalent labeling of the receptor should greatly facilitate its further purification and characterization

  14. Crystal structure and conformational flexibility of the unligated FK506-binding protein FKBP12.6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Hui; Mustafi, Sourajit M. [New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12201 (United States); LeMaster, David M. [New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12201 (United States); University at Albany – SUNY, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12201 (United States); Li, Zhong [New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12201 (United States); Héroux, Annie [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Li, Hongmin; Hernández, Griselda, E-mail: griselda@wadsworth.org [New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12201 (United States); University at Albany – SUNY, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12201 (United States)

    2014-03-01

    Two crystal forms of unligated FKBP12.6 exhibit multiple conformations in the active site and in the 80s loop, the primary site for known protein-recognition interactions. The previously unreported NMR backbone assignment of FKBP12.6 revealed extensive doubling of amide resonances, which reflects a slow conformational transition centered in the 80s loop. The primary known physiological function of FKBP12.6 involves its role in regulating the RyR2 isoform of ryanodine receptor Ca{sup 2+} channels in cardiac muscle, pancreatic β islets and the central nervous system. With only a single previously reported X-ray structure of FKBP12.6, bound to the immunosuppressant rapamycin, structural inferences for this protein have been drawn from the more extensive studies of the homologous FKBP12. X-ray structures at 1.70 and 1.90 Å resolution from P2{sub 1} and P3{sub 1}21 crystal forms are reported for an unligated cysteine-free variant of FKBP12.6 which exhibit a notable diversity of conformations. In one monomer from the P3{sub 1}21 crystal form, the aromatic ring of Phe59 at the base of the active site is rotated perpendicular to its typical orientation, generating a steric conflict for the immunosuppressant-binding mode. The peptide unit linking Gly89 and Val90 at the tip of the protein-recognition ‘80s loop’ is flipped in the P2{sub 1} crystal form. Unlike the >30 reported FKBP12 structures, the backbone conformation of this loop closely follows that of the first FKBP domain of FKBP51. The NMR resonances for 21 backbone amides of FKBP12.6 are doubled, corresponding to a slow conformational transition centered near the tip of the 80s loop, as recently reported for 31 amides of FKBP12. The comparative absence of doubling for residues along the opposite face of the active-site pocket in FKBP12.6 may in part reflect attenuated structural coupling owing to increased conformational plasticity around the Phe59 ring.

  15. Changes in serum levels of lipopolysaccharides and CD26 in patients with Crohn's disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotze, Paulo Gustavo; Martinez, Carlos Augusto Real; Camargo, Michel Gardere; Guadagnini, Dioze; Calixto, Antonio Ramos; Vasques, Ana Carolina Junqueira; Ayrizono, Maria de Lourdes Setsuko; Geloneze, Bruno; Pareja, José Carlos; Saad, Mario José; Coy, Claudio Saddy Rodrigues

    2017-01-01

    Background/Aims Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a molecule formed by lipids and polysaccharides and is the major cell wall component of gram-negative bacteria. High LPS levels are known to block CD26 expression by activating Toll-like receptor 4. The aim of this study was to correlate the serum levels of LPS and CD26 in Crohn's disease (CD) patients with serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukins, CD activity index, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Methods Serum samples were collected from 27 individuals (10 with active CD, 10 with inactive CD, and 7 controls) and the levels of LPS, CD26, TNF-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-17, and CRP were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of LPS and CD26 were then tested for correlation with TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and CRP. Results Serum levels of LPS were significantly elevated in the active CD group (P=0.003). Levels of IL-1β (P=0.002), IL-6 (P=0.003), and IL-17 (P<0.001) were lower in the CD groups. Serum TNF-α levels were increased in the active CD group. The CRP levels were elevated in the CD groups when compared to controls (P<0.001). The CD26 levels were lower in the CD groups than in the control group (P<0.001). Among the variables analyzed, there was a correlation between LPS and CRP (r=−0.53, P=0.016) in the CD groups. Conclusions Individuals with CD exhibited higher serum levels of LPS varying from a 2- to 6-fold increase depending on disease activity, when compared with healthy controls. CD26 levels were lower in the CD groups. Both LPS and CD26 correlated with disease severity and serve as potential CD biomarkers. PMID:28670232

  16. The Arabidopsis GAGA-Binding Factor BASIC PENTACYSTEINE6 Recruits the POLYCOMB-REPRESSIVE COMPLEX1 Component LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1 to GAGA DNA Motifs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hecker, Andreas; Brand, Luise H; Peter, Sébastien; Simoncello, Nathalie; Kilian, Joachim; Harter, Klaus; Gaudin, Valérie; Wanke, Dierk

    2015-07-01

    Polycomb-repressive complexes (PRCs) play key roles in development by repressing a large number of genes involved in various functions. Much, however, remains to be discovered about PRC-silencing mechanisms as well as their targeting to specific genomic regions. Besides other mechanisms, GAGA-binding factors in animals can guide PRC members in a sequence-specific manner to Polycomb-responsive DNA elements. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) GAGA-motif binding factor protein basic pentacysteine6 (BPC6) interacts with like heterochromatin protein1 (LHP1), a PRC1 component, and associates with vernalization2 (VRN2), a PRC2 component, in vivo. By using a modified DNA-protein interaction enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay, we could show that BPC6 was required and sufficient to recruit LHP1 to GAGA motif-containing DNA probes in vitro. We also found that LHP1 interacts with VRN2 and, therefore, can function as a possible scaffold between BPC6 and VRN2. The lhp1-4 bpc4 bpc6 triple mutant displayed a pleiotropic phenotype, extreme dwarfism and early flowering, which disclosed synergistic functions of LHP1 and group II plant BPC members. Transcriptome analyses supported this synergy and suggested a possible function in the concerted repression of homeotic genes, probably through histone H3 lysine-27 trimethylation. Hence, our findings suggest striking similarities between animal and plant GAGA-binding factors in the recruitment of PRC1 and PRC2 components to Polycomb-responsive DNA element-like GAGA motifs, which must have evolved through convergent evolution. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  17. Blocking Breast Cancer Metastasis by Targeting RNA-Binding Protein HuR

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0730 TITLE: Blocking Breast Cancer Metastasis by Targeting RNA-Binding Protein HuR PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Danny Welch...NUMBER Blocking Breast Cancer Metastasis by Targeting RNA-Binding Protein HuR 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT...increased aggressiveness in breast cancer , the primary objective of this proposal is to assess whether HuR (or analogs) prevent and/or treat metastasis and/or

  18. Cytoprotective role of the fatty acid binding protein 4 against oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuaki Kajimoto

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4, one of the most abundant proteins in adipocytes, has been reported to have a proinflammatory function in macrophages. However, the physiological role of FABP4, which is constitutively expressed in adipocytes, has not been fully elucidated. Previously, we demonstrated that FABP4 was involved in the regulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF production in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In this study, we examined the effects of FABP4 silencing on the oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We found that the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS and 8-nitro-cyclic GMP levels were significantly elevated in the differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes transfected with a small interfering RNA (siRNA against Fabp4, although the intracellular levels or enzyme activities of antioxidants including reduced glutathione (GSH, superoxide dismutase (SOD and glutathione S-transferase A4 (GSTA4 were not altered. An in vitro evaluation using the recombinant protein revealed that FABP4 itself functions as a scavenger protein against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2. FABP4-knockdown resulted in a significant lowering of cell viability of 3T3-L1 adipocytes against H2O2 treatment. Moreover, four kinds of markers related to the ER stress response including the endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signaling 1 (Ern1, the signal sequence receptor α (Ssr1, the ORM1-like 3 (Ormdl3, and the spliced X-box binding protein 1 (Xbp1s, were all elevated as the result of the knockdown of FABP4. Consequently, FABP4 might have a new role as an antioxidant protein against H2O2 and contribute to cytoprotection against oxidative and ER stress in adipocytes.

  19. 1,5-Anhydro-D-fructose attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine release via suppression of NF-κB p65 phosphorylation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng Xiaojie; Kawahara, Ko-ichi; Nawa, Yuko; Miura, Naoki; Shrestha, Binita; Tancharoen, Salunya; Sameshima, Hisayo; Hashiguchi, Teruto; Maruyama, Ikuro

    2009-01-01

    Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulates macrophages by activating NF-κB, which contributes to the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6. 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (1,5-AF), a monosaccharide formed from starch and glycogen, exhibits anti-oxidant activity and enhances insulin secretion. This study examined the effects of 1,5-AF on LPS-induced inflammatory reactions and elucidated its molecular mechanisms. Before LPS challenge, mice were pretreated with 1,5-AF (38.5 mg/kg). We found that 1,5-AF pretreatment attenuated cytokine release into the serum, including TNF-α, IL-6 and macrophage chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. Furthermore, pretreatment with 1,5-AF (500 μg/ml) attenuated cytokine release, and 1,5-AF directly inhibited the nuclear translocalization of the NF-κB p65 subunit in LPS-stimulated murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells. This inhibition was responsible for decreased LPS-induced phosphorylation on Ser536 of the NF-κB p65 subunit, which is a posttranslational modification involved in the non-canonical pathway. Collectively, these findings indicate that the anti-inflammatory activity of 1,5-AF occurs via inactivation of NF-κB.

  20. Salt modulates the stability and lipid binding affinity of the adipocyte lipid-binding proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoeffler, Allyn J.; Ruiz, Carmen R.; Joubert, Allison M.; Yang, Xuemei; LiCata, Vince J.

    2003-01-01

    Adipocyte lipid-binding protein (ALBP or aP2) is an intracellular fatty acid-binding protein that is found in adipocytes and macrophages and binds a large variety of intracellular lipids with high affinity. Although intracellular lipids are frequently charged, biochemical studies of lipid-binding proteins and their interactions often focus most heavily on the hydrophobic aspects of these proteins and their interactions. In this study, we have characterized the effects of KCl on the stability and lipid binding properties of ALBP. We find that added salt dramatically stabilizes ALBP, increasing its Delta G of unfolding by 3-5 kcal/mol. At 37 degrees C salt can more than double the stability of the protein. At the same time, salt inhibits the binding of the fluorescent lipid 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) to the protein and induces direct displacement of the lipid from the protein. Thermodynamic linkage analysis of the salt inhibition of ANS binding shows a nearly 1:1 reciprocal linkage: i.e. one ion is released from ALBP when ANS binds, and vice versa. Kinetic experiments show that salt reduces the rate of association between ANS and ALBP while simultaneously increasing the dissociation rate of ANS from the protein. We depict and discuss the thermodynamic linkages among stability, lipid binding, and salt effects for ALBP, including the use of these linkages to calculate the affinity of ANS for the denatured state of ALBP and its dependence on salt concentration. We also discuss the potential molecular origins and potential intracellular consequences of the demonstrated salt linkages to stability and lipid binding in ALBP.

  1. Increased expression of C-reactive protein gene in inflamed gingival tissues could be derived from endothelial cells stimulated with interleukin-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maekawa, Tomoki; Tabeta, Koichi; Kajita-Okui, Keiko; Nakajima, Takako; Yamazaki, Kazuhisa

    2011-11-01

    Epidemiological studies have suggested periodontitis as a risk factor for ischemic heart disease. High sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a predictor of cardiovascular risk, is elevated in periodontitis patients. Therefore, local infection-induced elevation of systemic CRP could account for the relationship between the 2 diseases. However, the underlying mechanism of CRP production in the periodontal tissues has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to clarify the mechanism of CRP production in periodontal tissues. Gene expression of CRP in gingival biopsies was analysed by quantitative PCR. Human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs), human gingival fibroblasts (HGFBs), and human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) were characterized for CRP-producing ability by incubating with interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), and Porphyromonas gingivalis strain W83. Gene expression of CRP is significantly elevated in periodontitis lesions compared with gingivitis lesions. HCAECs, but not HGECs and HGFBs, produced CRP in response to IL-6 and IL-1β in the presence of sIL-6R. In contrast to IL-6, the effect of IL-1β on CRP production was indirect via induction of IL-6. IL-1β was produced by HGECs and HGFBs with stimulation of P. gingivalis antigens. These results suggest that CRP induced locally by periodontal infection may play another role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease, and to a much lesser extent, has the potential to modulate systemic CRP level by extra-hepatic CRP production. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Neocryptotanshinone inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages by suppression of NF-κB and iNOS signaling pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuanhong Wu

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Neocryptotanshinone (NCTS is a natural product isolated from traditional Chinese herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. In this study, we investigated its anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage (RAW264.7 cells. MTT results showed that NCTS partly reversed LPS-induced cytotoxicity. Real-time PCR results showed that NCTS suppressed LPS-induced mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα, interleukin-6 (IL-6 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β. Moreover, NCTS could decrease LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO production. Western blotting results showed that NCTS could down-regulate LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, p-IκBα, p-IKKβ and p-NF-κB p65 without affecting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2. In addition, NCTS inhibited LPS-induced p-NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. In conclusion, these data demonstrated that NCTS showed anti-inflammatory effect by suppression of NF-κB and iNOS signaling pathways.

  3. Interleukin-6 deficiency reduces the brain inflammatory response and increases oxidative stress and neurodegeneration after kainic acid-induced seizures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Penkowa, M; Molinero, A; Carrasco, J

    2001-01-01

    and were killed six days later. Morphological damage to the hippocampal field CA1-CA3 was seen after kainic acid treatment. Reactive astrogliosis and microgliosis were prominent in kainic acid-injected normal mice hippocampus, and clear signs of increased oxidative stress were evident. Thus......The role of interleukin-6 in hippocampal tissue damage after injection with kainic acid, a rigid glutamate analogue inducing epileptic seizures, has been studied by means of interleukin-6 null mice. At 35mg/kg, kainic acid induced convulsions in both control (75%) and interleukin-6 null (100%) mice......, and caused a significant mortality (62%) only in the latter mice, indicating that interleukin-6 deficiency increased the susceptibility to kainic acid-induced brain damage. To compare the histopathological damage caused to the brain, control and interleukin-6 null mice were administered 8.75mg/kg kainic acid...

  4. AIDS Kaposi sarcoma-derived cells produce and respond to interleukin 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miles, S.A.; Rezai, A.R.; Salazar-Gonzalez, J.F.; Meyden, M.V.; Stevens, R.H.; Mitsuyasu, R.T.; Martinez-Maza, O.; Logan, D.M.; Taga, Tetsuya; Hirano, Toshio; Kishimoto, Tadamitsu

    1990-01-01

    Cell lines derived from Kaposi sarcoma lesions of patients with AIDS (AIDS-KS cells) produce several cytokines, including an endothelial cell growth factor, interleukin 1β, and basic fibroblast growth factor. Since exposure to human immunodeficiency virus increases interleukin 6 (IL-6) production in monocytes and endothelial cells produce IL-6, the authors examined IL-6 expression and response in AIDS-KS cell lines and IL-6 expression in AIDS Kaposi sarcoma tissue. The AIDS-KS cell lines (N521J and EKS3) secreted large amounts of immunoreactive and biologically active IL-6. The authors found both IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6-R) RNA by slot blot hybridization analysis of AIDS-KS cells. The IL-6-R was functional, as [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation by AIDS-KS cells increased significantly after exposure to human recombinant IL-6 (hrIL-6) at >10 units/ml. When AIDS-KS cells (EKS3) were exposed to IL-6 antisense oligonucleotide, cellular proliferation decreased by nearly two-thirds, with a corresponding decrease in the production of IL-6. These results show that both IL-6 and IL-6-R are produced by AIDS-KS cells and that IL-6 is required for optimal AIDS-KS cell proliferation, and they suggest that IL-6 is an autocrine growth factor for AIDS-KS cells

  5. Tritium NMR spectroscopy of ligand binding to maltose-binding protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gehring, K.; Williams, P.G.; Pelton, J.G.; Morimoto, H.; Wemmer, D.E.

    1991-01-01

    Tritium-labeled α- and β-maltodextrins have been used to study their complexes with maltose-binding protein (MBP), a 40-kDa bacterial protein. Five substrates, from maltose to maltohexaose, were labeled at their reducing ends and their binding studied. Tritium NMR specctroscopy of the labeled sugars showed large upfield chamical shift changes upon binding and strong anomeric specficity. At 10 degrees C, MBP bound α-maltose with 2.7 ± 0.5-fold higher affinity than β-maltose, and, for longer maltodextrins, the ratio of affinities was even larger. The maximum chemical shift change was 2.2 ppm, suggesting that the reducing end of bound α-maltodextrin makes close contact with an aromatic residue in the MBP-binding site. Experiments with maltotriose (and longer maltodextrins) also revealed the presence of two bound β-maltotriose resonances in rapid exchange. The authors interpret these two resonances as arising from two distinct sugar-protein complexes. In one complex, the β-maltodextrin is bound by its reducing end, and, in the other complex, the β-maltodextrin is bound by the middle glucose residue(s). This interpretation also suggests how MBP is able to bind both linear and circular maltodextrins

  6. Periodontal therapy reduces plasma levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen in patients with severe periodontitis and refractory arterial hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, Fábio; Figueredo, Carlos Marcelo S; Cordovil, Ivan; Fischer, Ricardo G

    2009-05-01

    Recent epidemiologic studies suggest that inflammation is the link between periodontal diseases and cardiovascular complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on plasma levels of inflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-6, C-reactive protein [CRP], and fibrinogen) in patients with severe periodontitis and refractory arterial hypertension. Twenty-two patients were examined and randomly divided into two groups. The test group was composed of 11 patients (mean age, 48.9 +/- 3.9 years) who received periodontal treatment, whereas the control group had 11 patients (mean age, 49.7 +/- 6.0 years) whose treatment was delayed for 3 months. Demographic and clinical periodontal data were collected, and blood tests were performed to measure the levels of IL-6, CRP, and fibrinogen at baseline and 3 months later. The clinical results showed that the mean percentages of sites with bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD) 4 to 5 mm, PD > or =6 mm, clinical attachment loss (CAL) 4 to 5 mm, and CAL > or =6 mm were significantly reduced in the test group 3 months after periodontal treatment. There were no significant differences between the data at baseline and 3 months in the control group. Periodontal treatment significantly reduced the blood levels of fibrinogen, CRP, and IL-6 in the test group. Non-surgical periodontal therapy was effective in improving periodontal clinical data and in reducing the plasma levels of IL-6, CRP, and fibrinogen in hypertensive patients with severe periodontitis.

  7. Localization of cellular retinol-binding protein and retinol-binding protein in cells comprising the blood-brain barrier of rat and human

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDonald, P.N.; Ong, D.E.; Bok, D.

    1990-01-01

    Brain is not generally recognized as an organ that requires vitamin A, perhaps because no obvious histologic lesions have been observed in severely vitamin A-deficient animals. However, brain tissue does contain cellular vitamin A-binding proteins and a nuclear receptor protein for retinoic acid. In the present study, immunohistochemical techniques were used to determine the cell-specific location of cellular retinol-binding protein in human and rat brain tissue. Cellular retinol-binding protein was localized specifically within the cuboidal epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, two primary sites of the mammalian blood-brain barrier. In addition, autoradiographic procedures demonstrated binding sites for serum retinol-binding protein in the choroidal epithelium. These observations suggest that a significant movement of retinol across the blood-brain barrier may occur

  8. Elevated urine levels of heparin-binding protein in children with urinary tract infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kjölvmark, Charlott; Akesson, Per; Linder, Adam

    2012-08-01

    Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common infection diagnosis in children, and efficient diagnosis and treatment are important to avoid serious complications. In this study we investigated whether urinary levels of neutrophil-derived heparin-binding protein (HBP) can be used as a marker of UTI in children. These results were compared to those of dipstick analysis, interleukin-6 (IL-6) analysis in urine, and bacterial culturing. Seventy-eight children aged 0-18 years with fever and/or symptoms indicating UTI were enrolled in a prospective consecutive study. Urine samples were cultured and analyzed with dipstick, and concentrations of HBP and IL-6 were measured. Fifteen patients were classified as having UTI, 30 patients had fever but were diagnosed with a non-urinary tract infection, and 33 patients had neither UTI nor fever. Using a urine HBP (U-HBP) cut-off level of 32 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity for detecting UTI were 93.3 and 90.3 %, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated that U-HBP levels were a higher specificity indicator of UTI than urine white blood cell counts or urine IL-6 levels; they also showed a higher sensitivity than the results of the urine nitrite test. All patients with significant growth of clinically relevant bacteria had elevated U-HBP levels. The results indicate that rapid analysis of U-HBP can provide helpful guidance in the management of children with suspected UTI.

  9. Clinical Phenotype of Depression Affects Interleukin-6 Synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zadka, Łukasz; Dzięgiel, Piotr; Kulus, Michał; Olajossy, Marcin

    2017-06-01

    Major depressive disorder (MDD) is not a single disease, but a number of various ailments that form one entity. Psychomotor retardation, anhedonia, sleep disorders, an increased suicide risk, and anxiety are the main symptoms that often define the clinical diagnosis of depression. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), as one of the proinflammatory cytokines, seems to be overexpressed during certain mental disorders, including MDD. Overexpression of IL-6 in depression is thought to be a factor associated with bad prognosis and worse disease course. IL-6 may directly affect brain functioning and production of neurotransmitters; moreover, its concentration is correlated with certain clinical symptoms within the wide range of depressive symptomatology. Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between IL-6 synthesis and psychosomatic functioning of the patient. This article discusses potential sources and significance of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of depression.

  10. Relationship of serum levels of interleukin 6, interleukin 8, and C-reactive protein with forced expiratory volume in first second in patients with mustard lung and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahriary, Alireza; Panahi, Yunes; Shirali, Saeed; Rahmani, Hossein

    2017-06-01

    The chronic systemic inflammation is a result of releasing inflammatory cytokines from the cells relating to the body immunity system and chronic activation of the innate immunity system. To evaluate the relationship among serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), C-reactive protein (CRP) with forced expiratory volume in 1 st s (FEV 1 ) in patients with mustard lung (ML) and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). A published literature search was performed through SID, web of science, ISI, Science Direct, Scopus, Medline, and PubMed databases for articles published in English. The correlation coefficient ( r ) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using random or fixed effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed using χ 2 and I 2 statistics. In total, 4 published studies were included in the final analysis. Using the random-effect model, meta-analysis showed that the r was -0.052 (95% CI: -0.14-0.049, p = 0.28) at serum level of IL-8, serum levels of CRP and FEV 1 in these results were r = -0.13, p = 0.012, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and FEV 1 levels were r = -0.39, p = 0.03 in the conducted studies on mustard lung patients. The IL-6 serum level was explored in COPD patients. The results of the given studies in these patients are r = -0.006, 95% CI: -0.37-0.15, and p = 0.44. In this meta-analysis, there was evidence that serum levels of CRP and TNF have been significantly increased in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases compared to the healthy control group, which signifies the presence of systemic inflammation in ML and COPD patients.

  11. Preliminary structural characterization of human SOUL, a haem-binding protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freire, Filipe; Romão, Maria João; Macedo, Anjos L.; Aveiro, Susana S.; Goodfellow, Brian J.; Carvalho, Ana Luísa

    2009-01-01

    This manuscript describes the overexpression, purification and crystallization of human SOUL protein (hSOUL). hSOUL is a 23 kDa haem-binding protein that was first identified as the PP23 protein isolated from human full-term placenta. Human SOUL (hSOUL) is a 23 kDa haem-binding protein that was first identified as the PP 23 protein isolated from human full-term placentas. Here, the overexpression, purification and crystallization of hSOUL are reported. The crystals belonged to space group P6 4 22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 145, c = 60 Å and one protein molecule in the asymmetric unit. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 3.5 Å resolution at the ESRF. A preliminary model of the three-dimensional structure of hSOUL was obtained by molecular replacement using the structures of murine p22HBP, obtained by solution NMR, as search models

  12. Quantitative analysis of EGR proteins binding to DNA: assessing additivity in both the binding site and the protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stormo Gary D

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recognition codes for protein-DNA interactions typically assume that the interacting positions contribute additively to the binding energy. While this is known to not be precisely true, an additive model over the DNA positions can be a good approximation, at least for some proteins. Much less information is available about whether the protein positions contribute additively to the interaction. Results Using EGR zinc finger proteins, we measure the binding affinity of six different variants of the protein to each of six different variants of the consensus binding site. Both the protein and binding site variants include single and double mutations that allow us to assess how well additive models can account for the data. For each protein and DNA alone we find that additive models are good approximations, but over the combined set of data there are context effects that limit their accuracy. However, a small modification to the purely additive model, with only three additional parameters, improves the fit significantly. Conclusion The additive model holds very well for every DNA site and every protein included in this study, but clear context dependence in the interactions was detected. A simple modification to the independent model provides a better fit to the complete data.

  13. Molecular basis of a high affinity murine interleukin-5 receptor.

    OpenAIRE

    Devos, R; Plaetinck, G; Van der Heyden, J; Cornelis, S; Vandekerckhove, J; Fiers, W; Tavernier, J

    1991-01-01

    The mouse interleukin-5 receptor (mIL-5R) consists of two components one of which, the mIL-5R alpha-chain, binds mIL-5 with low affinity. Recently we demonstrated that monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) recognizing the second mIL-5R beta-chain, immunoprecipitate a p130-140 protein doublet which corresponds to the mIL-3R and the mIL-3R-like protein, the latter chain for which so far no ligand has been identified. In this study we show that a high affinity mIL-5R can be reconstituted on COS1 cells by...

  14. Effects of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Surface Modification and Purification on Bovine Serum Albumin Binding and Biological Responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Bai

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Carboxylation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs has been used to improve solubility in aqueous systems and for further functionalization with biologically active moieties for biomedical uses. An important consideration is that oxidation debris is generated during the process of carboxylation, which can be removed by base washing. We hypothesized that surface modification as well as purification by debris removal may alter physicochemical properties of MWCNTs and their ability to bind proteins. We utilized pristine MWCNT, carboxylated MWCNTs (F-MWCNTs, and base-washed carboxylated MWCNTs (BW-F-MWCNTs to examine formation of a bovine serum albumin (BSA protein corona and impact on biological responses. We found that carboxylation increased the capability of F-MWCNTs to bind BSA, and base washing further increased this binding. Functionalization increased cellular uptake by rat aortic endothelial cells (RAEC and mouse macrophages (RAW264.7, while base washing showed results similar to the functionalized analog. Interestingly, BSA binding downregulated mRNA levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6 and heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1 in RAEC cells but upregulated the expression of IL-6 and Hmox1 in RAW264.7 cells. Overall, our study demonstrated that surface modification as well as further purification impacted the interaction of MWCNTs with proteins and subsequent cellular responses.

  15. Fusicoccin-Binding Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Christiane; Feyerabend, Martin; Weiler, Elmar W.

    1989-01-01

    Using the novel radioligand, [3H]-9′-nor-fusicoccin-8′-alcohol, high affinity binding sites for fusicoccin were characterized in preparations from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. The binding site copartitioned with the plasmalemma marker, vanadate-sensitive K+, Mg2+-ATPase, when microsomal fractions were further purified by aqueous two-phase partitioning in polyethylene glycol-dextran phase systems and sedimented at an equilibrium density of 1.17 grams per cubic centimeter in continuous sucrose density gradients, as did the ATPase marker. The binding of [3H]-9′-nor-fusicoccin-8′-alcohol was saturable and Scatchard analysis revealed a biphasic plot with two apparent dissociation constants (KD), KD1 = 1.5 nanomolar and KD2 = 42 nanomolar, for the radioligand. Binding was optimal at pH 6, thermolabile, and was reduced by 70% when the membrane vesicles were pretreated with trypsin. The data are consistent with the presence of one or several binding proteins for fusicoccin at the plasma membrane of A. thaliana. Binding of the radioligand was unaffected by pretreatment of the sites with various alkylating and reducing agents, but was reduced by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide, diethylpyrocarbonate, chloramine T, and periodate. A number of detergents were tested to find optimum conditions for solubilization. Nonanoyl-N-methylglucamide (50 millimolar) solubilized 70% of the radioligand-binding protein complex in undissociated form. Photoaffinity labeling of membrane preparations with a tritiated azido analog of fusicoccin resulted in the labeling of a 34 ± 1 kilodalton polypeptide. Labeling of this polypeptide, presumably the fusicoccin-binding protein, was severely reduced in the presence of unlabeled fusicoccin. PMID:16666603

  16. Fasciola spp: Mapping of the MF6 epitope and antigenic analysis of the MF6p/HDM family of heme-binding proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria Martínez-Sernández

    Full Text Available MF6p/FhHDM-1 is a small cationic heme-binding protein which is recognized by the monoclonal antibody (mAb MF6, and abundantly present in parenchymal cells and secreted antigens of Fasciola hepatica. Orthologs of this protein (MF6p/HDMs also exist in other causal agents of important foodborne trematodiasis, such as Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini and Paragonimus westermani. Considering that MF6p/FhHDM-1 is relevant for heme homeostasis in Fasciola and was reported to have immunomodulatory properties, this protein is expected to be a useful target for vaccination. Thus, in this study we mapped the epitope recognized by mAb MF6 and evaluated its antigenicity in sheep. The sequence of the MF6p/FhHDM-1 ortholog from F. gigantica (MF6p/FgHDM-1 was also reported. By means of ELISA inhibitions with overlapping synthetic peptides, we determined that the epitope recognized by mAb MF6 is located within the C-terminal moiety of MF6p/FhHDM-1, which is the most conserved region of MF6p/HDMs. By immunoblotting analysis of parasite extracts and ELISA inhibitions with synthetic peptides we also determined that mAb MF6 reacted with the same intensity with F. hepatica and F. gigantica, and in decreasing order of intensity with C. sinensis, O.viverrini and P. westermani orthologs. On the contrary, mAb MF6 showed no reactivity against Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Schistosoma mansoni. The study of the recognition of peptides covering different regions of MF6p/FhHDM-1 by sera from immunized sheep revealed that the C-terminal moiety is the most antigenic, thus being of potential interest for vaccination. We also demonstrated that the production of antibodies to MF6p/FhHDM-1 in sheep infected by F. hepatica occurs relatively early and follows the same pattern as those produced against L-cathepsins.

  17. Effect of Interleukin 1b on rat thymus microenvironment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Artico

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The effect of interleukin 1b on the thymus of control and chemically sympathectomized adult and aged rats was studied with the aim of assessing the importance of adrenergic nerve fibres (ANF in the regulation of some immunological functions.The whole thymus was removed from normal, sympathectomized (with the neurotoxin 6-OH-dopamine and treated (interleukin 1b rats. Thymic slices were stained with eosin orange (for the recognition of microanatomical details of the thymic microenvironment and with Bodian’s method for staining of nerve fibres. Histofluorescence microscopy was employed for staining ANF and immunofluorescence was used for detecting NPY-like immunoreactivity. All images were submitted to quantitative morphometrical analysis and statistical analysis of data. Moreover, the amount of proteins and noradrenaline was measured on thymic homogenates. The results indicate that in normal conditions the formation of the thymic nerve plexi in the rat is complex: the majority of ANF are destroyed after chemical sympathectomy with 6-OH-dopamine and do not change after treatment with interleukin 1b; on the contrary, treatment with interleukin 1b induces substantial changes in the fresh weight of the thymus, the thymic microenvironment, thymic nerve fibers, ANF, NPY-like positive nerve fibres, and on the total amount of proteins and noradrenaline in rat thymic tissue homogenates.Immunostimulation with interleukin 1b induces substantial changes in the whole thymus, in its microenvironment and in ANF and NPY-like nerve fibres. After chemical sympathectomy, no significant immune response was evoked by interleukin 1b, since the majority of ANF was destroyed by chemical sympathectomy.

  18. Sequence-based prediction of protein-binding sites in DNA: comparative study of two SVM models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Byungkyu; Im, Jinyong; Tuvshinjargal, Narankhuu; Lee, Wook; Han, Kyungsook

    2014-11-01

    As many structures of protein-DNA complexes have been known in the past years, several computational methods have been developed to predict DNA-binding sites in proteins. However, its inverse problem (i.e., predicting protein-binding sites in DNA) has received much less attention. One of the reasons is that the differences between the interaction propensities of nucleotides are much smaller than those between amino acids. Another reason is that DNA exhibits less diverse sequence patterns than protein. Therefore, predicting protein-binding DNA nucleotides is much harder than predicting DNA-binding amino acids. We computed the interaction propensity (IP) of nucleotide triplets with amino acids using an extensive dataset of protein-DNA complexes, and developed two support vector machine (SVM) models that predict protein-binding nucleotides from sequence data alone. One SVM model predicts protein-binding nucleotides using DNA sequence data alone, and the other SVM model predicts protein-binding nucleotides using both DNA and protein sequences. In a 10-fold cross-validation with 1519 DNA sequences, the SVM model that uses DNA sequence data only predicted protein-binding nucleotides with an accuracy of 67.0%, an F-measure of 67.1%, and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.340. With an independent dataset of 181 DNAs that were not used in training, it achieved an accuracy of 66.2%, an F-measure 66.3% and a MCC of 0.324. Another SVM model that uses both DNA and protein sequences achieved an accuracy of 69.6%, an F-measure of 69.6%, and a MCC of 0.383 in a 10-fold cross-validation with 1519 DNA sequences and 859 protein sequences. With an independent dataset of 181 DNAs and 143 proteins, it showed an accuracy of 67.3%, an F-measure of 66.5% and a MCC of 0.329. Both in cross-validation and independent testing, the second SVM model that used both DNA and protein sequence data showed better performance than the first model that used DNA sequence data. To the best of

  19. Characterization of 6-mercaptopurine binding to bovine serum albumin and its displacement from the binding sites by quercetin and rutin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ehteshami, Mehdi [Nutrition Research Center, School of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51644-14766 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rasoulzadeh, Farzaneh [Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51644-14766 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mahboob, Soltanali [Nutrition Research Center, School of Health and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51644-14766 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rashidi, Mohammad-Reza, E-mail: rashidi@tbzmed.ac.ir [Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51644-14766 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2013-03-15

    Binding of a drug to the serum albumins as major serum transport proteins can be influenced by other ligands leading to alteration of its pharmacological properties. In the present study, binding characteristics of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) together with its displacement from its binding site by quercetin and rutin have been investigated by the spectroscopic method. According to the binding parameters, a static quenching component in overall dynamic quenching process is operative in the interaction between 6-MP and BSA. The binding of 6-MP to BSA occurred spontaneously due to entropy-driven hydrophobic interactions. The synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy study revealed that the secondary structure of BSA is changed in the presence of 6-MP and both Tyr and Trp residues participate in the interaction between 6-MP and BSA with the later one being more dominant. The binding constant value of 6-MP-BSA in the presence of quercetin and rutin increased. 6-MP was displaced by ibuprofen indicating that the binding site of 6-MP on albumin is site II. Therefore, the change of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of 6-MP by quercetin and rutin through alteration of binding capacity of 6-MP to the serum albumin cannot be ruled out. In addition, the displacement study showed that 6-MP is located in site II of BSA. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Participation of both Tyr and particularly Trp residues in the interaction between 6-MP and BSA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Involvement of a static quenching component in an overall dynamic quenching process. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ability of quercetin and rutin to change the binding constants of 6-MP-BSA complex. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Binding of 6-MP to BSA through entropy-driven hydrophobic interactions.

  20. Efficient identification of phosphatidylserine-binding proteins by ORF phage display

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caberoy, Nora B.; Zhou, Yixiong; Alvarado, Gabriela; Fan, Xianqun; Li, Wei

    2009-01-01

    To efficiently elucidate the biological roles of phosphatidylserine (PS), we developed open-reading-frame (ORF) phage display to identify PS-binding proteins. The procedure of phage panning was optimized with a phage clone expressing MFG-E8, a well-known PS-binding protein. Three rounds of phage panning with ORF phage display cDNA library resulted in ∼300-fold enrichment in PS-binding activity. A total of 17 PS-binding phage clones were identified. Unlike phage display with conventional cDNA libraries, all 17 PS-binding clones were ORFs encoding 13 real proteins. Sequence analysis revealed that all identified PS-specific phage clones had dimeric basic amino acid residues. GST fusion proteins were expressed for 3 PS-binding proteins and verified for their binding activity to PS liposomes, but not phosphatidylcholine liposomes. These results elucidated previously unknown PS-binding proteins and demonstrated that ORF phage display is a versatile technology capable of efficiently identifying binding proteins for non-protein molecules like PS.

  1. Biophysical characterization of the complex between human papillomavirus E6 protein and synapse-associated protein 97

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chi, Celestine Ngang; Bach, Anders; Engström, Åke

    2011-01-01

    The E6 protein of human papillomavirus exhibits complex interaction patterns with several host proteins and their roles in HPV mediated oncogenesis have proved challenging to study. Here we use several biophysical techniques to explore the binding of E6 to the three PDZ domains of the tumor......, this quaternary complex has the same apparent hydrodynamic volume as the unliganded PDZ region, suggesting that a conformational change occurs in the PDZ region upon binding, a conclusion supported by kinetic experiments. Using NMR, we discovered a new mode of interaction between E6 and PDZ: a subset of residues...

  2. Type 2 diabetes is associated with altered NF-¿B DNA binding activity, JNK phosphorylation, and AMPK phosphorylation in skeletal muscle after LPS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreasen, Anne Sofie; Kelly, Meghan; Berg, Ronan Martin Griffin

    2011-01-01

    Systemic inflammation is often associated with impaired glucose metabolism. We therefore studied the activation of inflammatory pathway intermediates that interfere with glucose uptake during systemic inflammation by applying a standardised inflammatory stimulus in vivo. After ethical approval......, informed consent and a thorough physical examination, 10 patients with type 2 diabetes and 10 participants with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) were given an intravenous bolus of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of 0.3 ng/kg. Skeletal muscle biopsies and plasma were obtained at baseline and two, four...... and six hours after LPS. Nuclear factor (NF)-¿B p65 DNA binding activity measured by ELISA, tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-6 mRNA expression analysed by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and abundance of inhibitor of NF-¿B (I¿B)a, phosphorylated c-Jun-N-terminal kinase...

  3. Visualisation of variable binding pockets on protein surfaces by probabilistic analysis of related structure sets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashford Paul

    2012-03-01

    conserved occurrence of surface pockets at the active and regulatory sites; ii a simulated ensemble of unliganded Bcl2 structures reveals extensions of a known ligand-binding pocket not apparent in the apo crystal structure; iii visualisations of interleukin-2 and its homologues highlight conserved pockets at the known receptor interfaces and regions whose conformation is known to change on inhibitor binding. Conclusions Through post-processing of the output of a variety of pocket prediction software, Provar provides a flexible approach to the analysis and visualization of the persistence or variability of pockets in sets of related protein structures.

  4. Visualisation of variable binding pockets on protein surfaces by probabilistic analysis of related structure sets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashford, Paul; Moss, David S; Alex, Alexander; Yeap, Siew K; Povia, Alice; Nobeli, Irene; Williams, Mark A

    2012-03-14

    and regulatory sites; ii) a simulated ensemble of unliganded Bcl2 structures reveals extensions of a known ligand-binding pocket not apparent in the apo crystal structure; iii) visualisations of interleukin-2 and its homologues highlight conserved pockets at the known receptor interfaces and regions whose conformation is known to change on inhibitor binding. Through post-processing of the output of a variety of pocket prediction software, Provar provides a flexible approach to the analysis and visualization of the persistence or variability of pockets in sets of related protein structures.

  5. Mechanism of the G-protein mimetic nanobody binding to a muscarinic G-protein-coupled receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Yinglong; McCammon, J Andrew

    2018-03-20

    Protein-protein binding is key in cellular signaling processes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of protein-protein binding, however, are challenging due to limited timescales. In particular, binding of the medically important G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with intracellular signaling proteins has not been simulated with MD to date. Here, we report a successful simulation of the binding of a G-protein mimetic nanobody to the M 2 muscarinic GPCR using the robust Gaussian accelerated MD (GaMD) method. Through long-timescale GaMD simulations over 4,500 ns, the nanobody was observed to bind the receptor intracellular G-protein-coupling site, with a minimum rmsd of 2.48 Å in the nanobody core domain compared with the X-ray structure. Binding of the nanobody allosterically closed the orthosteric ligand-binding pocket, being consistent with the recent experimental finding. In the absence of nanobody binding, the receptor orthosteric pocket sampled open and fully open conformations. The GaMD simulations revealed two low-energy intermediate states during nanobody binding to the M 2 receptor. The flexible receptor intracellular loops contribute remarkable electrostatic, polar, and hydrophobic residue interactions in recognition and binding of the nanobody. These simulations provided important insights into the mechanism of GPCR-nanobody binding and demonstrated the applicability of GaMD in modeling dynamic protein-protein interactions.

  6. Maternal and Cord Blood Levels of Serum Amyloid A, C-Reactive Protein, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Interleukin -1β, and Interleukin-8 During and After Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciane Marzzullo Cicarelli

    2005-01-01

    after delivery and try to correlate these proteins with tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin -1β, and interleukin-8. Acute-phase proteins and cytokines were measured by ELISA in 24 healthy pregnant women undergoing vaginal delivery or Cesarean section. Cord blood samples in addition to maternal blood were collected. SAA and CRP reached the maximum maternal serum levels 24 hours after delivery, while cytokines remained constant over time. SAA and CRP were significantly higher in maternal serum than in newborn's (P<.001 at the moment of delivery. SAA and CRP, regardless of the type of delivery, reproduce the common pattern observed in most inflammatory conditions. Proinflammatory cytokine serum levels do not mirror the increase in SAA and CRP levels.

  7. Regulation of Intracellular Signaling Leading to Gene Expression in Lipopolysaccharide Stimulated Murine Macrophages

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-09-20

    confidence in me, and for being my "true companion " Jimmy-- For the constant tests of love’s limits; for among us, we have Bert-- Jill-- discovered that...Sequence Binding Protein IFN - In terferon xviii IFN-Cl/~/Y - Interferon-alpha/beta/ gamma IgG - Immunoglobulin G IL - Interleukin iNOS - inducible...Wurfel el aI., 1994). HDLs function to neutralize LPS, and experimentally-induced elevation of HOL has been shown to protect animals from LPS-induced

  8. Measuring Binding Affinity of Protein-Ligand Interaction Using Spectrophotometry: Binding of Neutral Red to Riboflavin-Binding Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chenprakhon, Pirom; Sucharitakul, Jeerus; Panijpan, Bhinyo; Chaiyen, Pimchai

    2010-01-01

    The dissociation constant, K[subscript d], of the binding of riboflavin-binding protein (RP) with neutral red (NR) can be determined by titrating RP to a fixed concentration of NR. Upon adding RP to the NR solution, the maximum absorption peak of NR shifts to 545 nm from 450 nm for the free NR. The change of the absorption can be used to determine…

  9. Improved detection of calcium-binding proteins in polyacrylamide gels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anthony, F.A.; Babitch, J.A.

    1984-01-01

    The authors refined the method of Schibeci and Martonosi (1980) to enhance detection of calcium-binding proteins in polyacrylamide gels using 45 Ca 2+ . Their efforts have produced a method which is shorter, has 40-fold greater sensitivity over the previous method, and will detect 'EF hand'-containing calcium-binding proteins in polyacrylamide gels below the 0.5 μg level. In addition this method will detect at least one example from every described class of calcium-binding protein, including lectins and γ-carboxyglutamic acid containing calcium-binding proteins. The method should be useful for detecting calcium-binding proteins which may trigger neurotransmitter release. (Auth.)

  10. Predicting DNA-binding proteins and binding residues by complex structure prediction and application to human proteome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huiying Zhao

    Full Text Available As more and more protein sequences are uncovered from increasingly inexpensive sequencing techniques, an urgent task is to find their functions. This work presents a highly reliable computational technique for predicting DNA-binding function at the level of protein-DNA complex structures, rather than low-resolution two-state prediction of DNA-binding as most existing techniques do. The method first predicts protein-DNA complex structure by utilizing the template-based structure prediction technique HHblits, followed by binding affinity prediction based on a knowledge-based energy function (Distance-scaled finite ideal-gas reference state for protein-DNA interactions. A leave-one-out cross validation of the method based on 179 DNA-binding and 3797 non-binding protein domains achieves a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC of 0.77 with high precision (94% and high sensitivity (65%. We further found 51% sensitivity for 82 newly determined structures of DNA-binding proteins and 56% sensitivity for the human proteome. In addition, the method provides a reasonably accurate prediction of DNA-binding residues in proteins based on predicted DNA-binding complex structures. Its application to human proteome leads to more than 300 novel DNA-binding proteins; some of these predicted structures were validated by known structures of homologous proteins in APO forms. The method [SPOT-Seq (DNA] is available as an on-line server at http://sparks-lab.org.

  11. Clinical relevance of drug binding to plasma proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ascenzi, Paolo; Fanali, Gabriella; Fasano, Mauro; Pallottini, Valentina; Trezza, Viviana

    2014-12-01

    Binding to plasma proteins highly influences drug efficacy, distribution, and disposition. Serum albumin, the most abundant protein in plasma, is a monomeric multi-domain macromolecule that displays an extraordinary ligand binding capacity, providing a depot and carrier for many endogenous and exogenous compounds, such as fatty acids and most acidic drugs. α-1-Acid glycoprotein, the second main plasma protein, is a glycoprotein physiologically involved in the acute phase reaction and is the main carrier for basic and neutral drugs. High- and low-density lipoproteins play a limited role in drug binding and are natural drug delivery system only for few lipophilic drugs or lipid-based formulations. Several factors influence drug binding to plasma proteins, such as pathological conditions, concurrent administration of drugs, sex, and age. Any of these factors, in turn, influences drug efficacy and toxicity. Here, biochemical, biomedical, and biotechnological aspects of drug binding to plasma proteins are reviewed.

  12. Increased Interleukin-6 Activity Associated with Painful Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Women after Breast Cancer Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela Starkweather

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Accumulating evidence suggests that neural-immune interactions are involved in the development of painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, particularly through the increased release of proinflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this study was used to evaluate levels of interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-6 receptors in women with breast cancer after the conclusion of chemotherapy who either had painful symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN group, N=20 or did not experience CIPN symptoms (Comparison group, N=20. CIPN participants had significantly higher levels of IL-6 and soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R compared to women without CIPN symptoms (P<.001 for both. In addition, soluble gp130, which blocks the IL-6/sIL-6R complex from binding to gp130 within the cellular membrane, was significantly lower (P<.01. Circulating concentrations of sIL-6R were inversely correlated with the density of IL-6R on the cell surface of monocytes in the total sample (r=−.614,P=.005. These findings suggest that IL-6 transsignaling may be an important biological mechanism associated with the persistence of painful CIPN symptoms, with potential implications for symptom management and research.

  13. Interleukin-6, a new target for therapy in multiple myeloma?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Oers, M. H.; van Zaanen, H. C.; Lokhorst, H. M.

    1993-01-01

    During the past few years much insight has been gained into the immunobiology of multiple myeloma. It has become evident that the growth of myeloma cells is regulated by cytokines, notably interleukin-6. In this paper a brief review is given of the evidence derived from in vitro as well as in vivo

  14. The adenovirus E4 11 k protein binds and relocalizes the cytoplasmic P-body component Ddx6 to aggresomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greer, Amy E.; Hearing, Patrick; Ketner, Gary

    2011-01-01

    The adenovirus E4 11 k protein, product of E4 ORF3, is required in infection for processes including normal accumulation of viral late mRNAs. 11 k restructures both the nucleus and cytoplasm of infected cells by relocalizing specific host cell target proteins, most strikingly components of nuclear PML oncogenic domains. It is likely that in many cases relocalization inactivates target proteins to produce 11 k's effects, although the mechanism and targets for stimulation of late mRNA accumulation is unknown. We have identified a new set of proteins relocalized by 11 k: at least five protein components of cytoplasmic mRNA processing bodies (p-bodies) are found in 11 k-induced cytoplasmic aggresomes, sites where proteins are inactivated or destroyed. One of these p-body proteins, RNA helicase Ddx6, binds 11 k, suggesting a mechanism for relocalization. Because p-bodies are sites for mRNA degradation, their modification by 11 k may provide an explanation for the role of 11 k in viral late mRNA accumulation.

  15. Characterization of binding of N'-nitrosonornicotine to protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hughes, M.F.

    1986-01-01

    The NADPH-dependent activation of the carcinogenic nitrosamine, N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) to a reactive intermediate which binds covalently to protein was assessed using male Sprague-Dawley rat liver and lung microsomes. The NADPH-dependent covalent binding of [ 14 C]NNN to liver and lung microsomes was linear with time up to 90 and 45 min, respectively and was also linear with protein concentrations up to 3.0 and 2.0 mg/ml, respectively. The apparent K/sub m/ and V/sub max/ of the NADPH-dependent binding to liver microsomes were determined from the initial velocities. Addition of the thiols glutathione, cystein, N-acetylcysteine or 2-mercapthoethanol significantly decreased the non-NADPH-dependent binding to liver microsomal protein, but did not affect the NADPH-dependent binding. Glutathione was required in order to observe any NADPH-dependent binding to lung microsomal protein. In lung microsomes, SKF-525A significantly decreased the NADPH-dependent binding by 79%. Replacement of an air atmosphere with N 2 or CO:O 2 (8:2) significantly decreased the NADPH-dependent binding of [ 14 C]NNN to liver microsomal protein by 40% or 27% respectively. Extensive covalent binding of [ 14 C]NNN to liver and muscle microsomal protein occurred in the absence of an NADPH-generating system, in the presence of 50% methanol and also to bovine serum albumin, indicating a nonenzymatic reaction. These data indicate that cytochrome P-450 is at least in part responsible for the metabolic activation of the carcinogen NNN, but also suggest additional mechanisms of activation

  16. Substrate-Triggered Exosite Binding: Synergistic Dendrimer/Folic Acid Action for Achieving Specific, Tight-Binding to Folate Binding Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Junjie; van Dongen, Mallory A; Merzel, Rachel L; Dougherty, Casey A; Orr, Bradford G; Kanduluru, Ananda Kumar; Low, Philip S; Marsh, E Neil G; Banaszak Holl, Mark M

    2016-03-14

    Polymer-ligand conjugates are designed to bind proteins for applications as drugs, imaging agents, and transport scaffolds. In this work, we demonstrate a folic acid (FA)-triggered exosite binding of a generation five poly(amidoamine) (G5 PAMAM) dendrimer scaffold to bovine folate binding protein (bFBP). The protein exosite is a secondary binding site on the protein surface, separate from the FA binding pocket, to which the dendrimer binds. Exosite binding is required to achieve the greatly enhanced binding constants and protein structural change observed in this study. The G5Ac-COG-FA1.0 conjugate bound tightly to bFBP, was not displaced by a 28-fold excess of FA, and quenched roughly 80% of the initial fluorescence. Two-step binding kinetics were measured using the intrinsic fluorescence of the FBP tryptophan residues to give a KD in the low nanomolar range for formation of the initial G5Ac-COG-FA1.0/FBP* complex, and a slow conversion to the tight complex formed between the dendrimer and the FBP exosite. The extent of quenching was sensitive to the choice of FA-dendrimer linker chemistry. Direct amide conjugation of FA to G5-PAMAM resulted in roughly 50% fluorescence quenching of the FBP. The G5Ac-COG-FA, which has a longer linker containing a 1,2,3-triazole ring, exhibited an ∼80% fluorescence quenching. The binding of the G5Ac-COG-FA1.0 conjugate was compared to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugates of FA (PEGn-FA). PEG2k-FA had a binding strength similar to that of FA, whereas other PEG conjugates with higher molecular weight showed weaker binding. However, no PEG conjugates gave an increased degree of total fluorescence quenching.

  17. DHA suppresses Prevotella intermedia lipopolysaccharide-induced production of proinflammatory mediators in murine macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Eun-Young; Jin, Ji-Young; Choi, Jeom-Il; Choi, In Soon; Kim, Sung-Jo

    2014-04-14

    Several reports have indicated that dietary intake of DHA is associated with lower prevalence of periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of DHA on the production of proinflammatory mediators in murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from Prevotella intermedia, a pathogen implicated in inflammatory periodontal disease, and its mechanisms of action. LPS was isolated from lyophilised P. intermedia ATCC 25,611 cells using the standard hot-phenol-water protocol. Culture supernatants were collected and assayed for NO, IL-1β and IL-6. Real-time PCR analysis was carried out to detect the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), IL-1β, IL-6 and haeme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA. Immunoblot analysis was carried out to quantify the expression of iNOS and HO-1 protein and concentrations of signalling proteins. DNA-binding activities of NF-κB subunits were determined using an ELISA-based assay kit. DHA significantly attenuated the production of NO, IL-1β and IL-6 at both gene transcription and translation levels in P. intermedia LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. DHA induced the expression of HO-1 in cells treated with P. intermedia LPS. Selective inhibition of HO-1 activity by tin protoporphyrin IX significantly mitigated the inhibitory effects of DHA on LPS-induced NO production. DHA significantly attenuated the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase induced by LPS. In addition, DHA suppressed the transcriptional activity of NF-κB by regulating the nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of NF-κB p50 subunit and inhibited the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1. Further in vivo studies are needed to better evaluate the potential of DHA in humans as a therapeutic agent to treat periodontal disease.

  18. Human plasminogen binding protein tetranectin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kastrup, J S; Rasmussen, H; Nielsen, B B

    1997-01-01

    The recombinant human plasminogen binding protein tetranectin (TN) and the C-type lectin CRD of this protein (TN3) have been crystallized. TN3 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4(2)2(1)2 with cell dimensions a = b = 64.0, c = 75.7 A and with one molecule per asymmetric unit. The crystals...... to at least 2.5 A. A full data set has been collected to 3.0 A. The asymmetric unit contains one monomer of TN. Molecular replacement solutions for TN3 and TN have been obtained using the structure of the C-type lectin CRD of rat mannose-binding protein as search model. The rhombohedral space group indicates...

  19. Determining Membrane Protein-Lipid Binding Thermodynamics Using Native Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Xiao; Liu, Yang; Liu, Wen; Liang, Xiaowen; Russell, David H; Laganowsky, Arthur

    2016-04-06

    Membrane proteins are embedded in the biological membrane where the chemically diverse lipid environment can modulate their structure and function. However, the thermodynamics governing the molecular recognition and interaction of lipids with membrane proteins is poorly understood. Here, we report a method using native mass spectrometry (MS), to determine thermodynamics of individual ligand binding events to proteins. Unlike conventional methods, native MS can resolve individual ligand binding events and, coupled with an apparatus to control the temperature, determine binding thermodynamic parameters, such as for protein-lipid interactions. We validated our approach using three soluble protein-ligand systems (maltose binding protein, lysozyme, and nitrogen regulatory protein) and obtained similar results to those using isothermal titration calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance. We also determined for the first time the thermodynamics of individual lipid binding to the ammonia channel (AmtB), an integral membrane protein from Escherichia coli. Remarkably, we observed distinct thermodynamic signatures for the binding of different lipids and entropy-enthalpy compensation for binding lipids of variable chain length. Additionally, using a mutant form of AmtB that abolishes a specific phosphatidylglycerol (PG) binding site, we observed distinct changes in the thermodynamic signatures for binding PG, implying these signatures can identify key residues involved in specific lipid binding and potentially differentiate between specific lipid binding sites.

  20. The RNA-binding protein repertoire of Arabidopsis thaliana

    KAUST Repository

    Marondedze, Claudius; Thomas, Ludivine; Serano, Natalia Lorena Gorron; Lilley, Kathryn S.; Gehring, Christoph A

    2016-01-01

    RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have essential roles in determining the fate of RNA from synthesis to decay and have been studied on a protein-by-protein basis, or computationally based on a number of well-characterised RNA-binding domains. Recently

  1. cAMP response element binding protein (CREB activates transcription via two distinct genetic elements of the human glucose-6-phosphatase gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Luisa

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase catalyzes the dephosphorylation of glucose-6-phosphatase to glucose, the final step in the gluconeogenic and glycogenolytic pathways. Expression of the glucose-6-phosphatase gene is induced by glucocorticoids and elevated levels of intracellular cAMP. The effect of cAMP in regulating glucose-6-phosphatase gene transcription was corroborated by the identification of two genetic motifs CRE1 and CRE2 in the human and murine glucose-6-phosphatase gene promoter that resemble cAMP response elements (CRE. Results The cAMP response element is a point of convergence for many extracellular and intracellular signals, including cAMP, calcium, and neurotrophins. The major CRE binding protein CREB, a member of the basic region leucine zipper (bZIP family of transcription factors, requires phosphorylation to become a biologically active transcriptional activator. Since unphosphorylated CREB is transcriptionally silent simple overexpression studies cannot be performed to test the biological role of CRE-like sequences of the glucose-6-phosphatase gene. The use of a constitutively active CREB2/CREB fusion protein allowed us to uncouple the investigation of target genes of CREB from the variety of signaling pathways that lead to an activation of CREB. Here, we show that this constitutively active CREB2/CREB fusion protein strikingly enhanced reporter gene transcription mediated by either CRE1 or CRE2 derived from the glucose-6-phosphatase gene. Likewise, reporter gene transcription was enhanced following expression of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA in the nucleus of transfected cells. In contrast, activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2, known to compete with CREB for binding to the canonical CRE sequence 5'-TGACGTCA-3', did not transactivate reporter genes containing CRE1, CRE2, or both CREs derived from the glucose-6-phosphatase gene. Conclusions Using a constitutively active CREB2

  2. Identification of FUSE-binding proteins as interacting partners of TIA proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rothe, Francoise; Gueydan, Cyril; Bellefroid, Eric; Huez, Georges; Kruys, Veronique

    2006-01-01

    TIA-1 and TIAR are closely related RNA-binding proteins involved in several mechanisms of RNA metabolism, including alternative hnRNA splicing and mRNA translation regulation. In particular, TIA-1 represses tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mRNA translation by binding to the AU-rich element (ARE) present in the mRNA 3' untranslated region. Here, we demonstrate that TIA proteins interact with FUSE-binding proteins (FBPs) and that fbp genes are co-expressed with tia genes during Xenopus embryogenesis. FBPs participate in various steps of RNA processing and degradation. In Cos cells, FBPs co-localize with TIA proteins in the nucleus and migrate into TIA-enriched cytoplasmic granules upon oxidative stress. Overexpression of FBP2-KH3 RNA-binding domain fused to EGFP induces the specific sequestration of TIA proteins in cytoplasmic foci, thereby precluding their nuclear accumulation. In cytosolic RAW 264.7 macrophage extracts, FBPs are found associated in EMSA to the TIA-1/TNF-ARE complex. Together, our results indicate that TIA and FBP proteins may thus be relevant biological involved in common events of RNA metabolism occurring both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm

  3. Structural insights into the dual strategy of recognition by peptidoglycan recognition protein, PGRP-S: structure of the ternary complex of PGRP-S with lipopolysaccharide and stearic acid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pradeep Sharma

    Full Text Available Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs are part of the innate immune system. The 19 kDa Short PGRP (PGRP-S is one of the four mammalian PGRPs. The concentration of PGRP-S in camel (CPGRP-S has been shown to increase considerably during mastitis. The structure of CPGRP-S consists of four protein molecules designated as A, B, C and D forming stable intermolecular contacts, A-B and C-D. The A-B and C-D interfaces are located on the opposite sides of the same monomer leading to the the formation of a linear chain with alternating A-B and C-D contacts. Two ligand binding sites, one at C-D contact and another at A-B contact have been observed. CPGRP-S binds to the components of bacterial cell wall molecules such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS, lipoteichoic acid (LTA, and peptidoglycan (PGN from both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. It also binds to fatty acids including mycolic acid of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb. Previous structural studies of binary complexes of CPGRP-S with LPS and stearic acid (SA have shown that LPS binds to CPGRP-S at C-D contact (Site-1 while SA binds to it at the A-B contact (Site-2. The binding studies using surface plasmon resonance showed that LPS and SA bound to CPGRP-S in the presence of each other. The structure determination of the ternary complex showed that LPS and SA bound to CPGRP-S at Site-1 and Site-2 respectively. LPS formed 13 hydrogen bonds and 159 van der Waals contacts (distances ≤4.2 Å while SA formed 56 van der Waals contacts. The ELISA test showed that increased levels of productions of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ due to LPS and SA decreased considerably upon the addition of CPGRP-S.

  4. Identification of actin binding protein, ABP-280, as a binding partner of human Lnk adaptor protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, X; Li, Y; Schembri-King, J; Jakes, S; Hayashi, J

    2000-08-01

    Human Lnk (hLnk) is an adaptor protein with multiple functional domains that regulates T cell activation signaling. In order to identify cellular Lnk binding partners, a yeast two-hybrid screening of human spleen cDNA library was carried out using human hLnk as bait. A polypeptide sequence identical to the C-terminal segment of the actin binding protein (ABP-280) was identified as a hLnk binding protein. The expressed hLnk and the FLAG tagged C-terminal 673 amino acid residues of ABP-280 or the endogenous ABP-280 in COS-7 cells could be co-immunoprecipitated using antibodies either to hLnk, FLAG or ABP-280, respectively. Furthermore, immunofluorescence confocal microscope showed that hLnk and ABP-280 co-localized at the plasma membrane and at juxtanuclear region of COS-7 cells. In Jurkat cells, the endogenous hLnk also associates with the endogenous ABP-280 indicating that the association of these two proteins is physiological. The interacting domains of both proteins were mapped using yeast two-hybrid assays. Our results indicate that hLnk binds to the residues 2006-2454 (repeats 19-23C) of ABP-280. The domain in hLnk that associates with ABP-280 was mapped to an interdomain region of 56 amino acids between pleckstrin homology and Src homology 2 domains. These results suggest that hLnk may exert its regulatory role through its association with ABP-280.

  5. The RNA-Binding Site of Poliovirus 3C Protein Doubles as a Phosphoinositide-Binding Domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shengjuler, Djoshkun; Chan, Yan Mei; Sun, Simou; Moustafa, Ibrahim M; Li, Zhen-Lu; Gohara, David W; Buck, Matthias; Cremer, Paul S; Boehr, David D; Cameron, Craig E

    2017-12-05

    Some viruses use phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP) to mark membranes used for genome replication or virion assembly. PIP-binding motifs of cellular proteins do not exist in viral proteins. Molecular-docking simulations revealed a putative site of PIP binding to poliovirus (PV) 3C protein that was validated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The PIP-binding site was located on a highly dynamic α helix, which also functions in RNA binding. Broad PIP-binding activity was observed in solution using a fluorescence polarization assay or in the context of a lipid bilayer using an on-chip, fluorescence assay. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the 3C protein-membrane interface revealed PIP clustering and perhaps PIP-dependent conformations. PIP clustering was mediated by interaction with residues that interact with the RNA phosphodiester backbone. We conclude that 3C binding to membranes will be determined by PIP abundance. We suggest that the duality of function observed for 3C may extend to RNA-binding proteins of other viruses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Lipopolysaccharide, immune activation, and liver abnormalities in HIV/hepatitis B virus (HBV)-coinfected individuals receiving HBV-active combination antiretroviral therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crane, Megan; Avihingsanon, Anchalee; Rajasuriar, Reena; Velayudham, Pushparaj; Iser, David; Solomon, Ajantha; Sebolao, Baotuti; Tran, Andrew; Spelman, Tim; Matthews, Gail; Cameron, Paul; Tangkijvanich, Pisit; Dore, Gregory J; Ruxrungtham, Kiat; Lewin, Sharon R

    2014-09-01

    We investigated the relationship between microbial translocation, immune activation, and liver disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), soluble CD14, CXCL10, and CCL-2 levels were elevated in patients with HIV/HBV coinfection. Levels of LPS, soluble CD14, and CCL-2 declined following receipt of HBV-active combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), but the CXCL10 level remained elevated. No markers were associated with liver disease severity on liver biopsy (n = 96), but CXCL10, interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor α, and interferon γ (IFN-γ) were all associated with elevated liver enzyme levels during receipt of HBV-active cART. Stimulation of hepatocyte cell lines in vitro with IFN-γ and LPS induced a profound synergistic increase in the production of CXCL10. LPS may contribute to liver disease via stimulating persistent production of CXCL10. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Photoaffinity labelling of high affinity dopamine binding proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ross, G.M.; McCarry, B.E.; Mishra, R.K.

    1986-01-01

    A photoactive analogue of the dopamine agonist 2-amino-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronapthalene (ADTN) has been synthesized and used to photoaffinity label dopamine binding proteins prepared from bovine caudate nucleus. N-(3-]N'-4-azidobenzamidol]-aminopropyl)-aminopropyl)-ADTN (AzB-AP-ADTN) was incubated with caudate membranes and irradiated with UV light. Membranes were then repeatedly washed by centrifugation to remove excess photolabel. A binding assay, using ( 3 H)-SCH 23390 (a D 1 specific antagonist), was then performed to evaluate the loss of receptor density in the photolyzed preparation. AzB-AP-ADTN irreversibly blocked ( 3 H)-SCH 23390 binding in a dose-dependent manner. Scatchard analysis revealed a decrease in the B/sub max/, with no significant change in the K/sub d/, of ( 3 H)-SCH 23390 binding. Compounds which compete for D 1 receptor binding (such as dopamine, SKF 38393 or apomorphine), proteted the SCH 23390 binding site from inactivation. This data would suggest that the novel photoaffinity ligand, AzB-AP-ADTN, can covalently label the D 1 (adenylate cyclase linked) dopamine receptor

  8. Inhibition of LPS binding to MD-2 co-receptor for suppressing TLR4-mediated expression of inflammatory cytokine by 1-dehydro-10-gingerdione from dietary ginger

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Sun Hong; Kyeong, Min Sik; Hwang, Yuri; Ryu, Shi Yong; Han, Sang-Bae; Kim, Youngsoo

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► 1-Dehydro-10-gingerdione (1D10G) from ginger inhibits LPS binding to MD-2. ► 1D10G suppresses MyD88- or TRIF-dependent signaling in LPS-activated macrophages. ► 1D10G down-regulates the expression of NF-κB-, AP1- or IRF3-target genes. ► MD-2 is a molecular target in the anti-inflammatory action of 1D10G. -- Abstract: Myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2) is a co-receptor of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) for innate immunity. Here, we delineated a new mechanism of 1-dehydro-10-gingerdione (1D10G), one of pungent isolates from ginger (Zingiber officinale), in the suppression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced gene expression of inflammatory cytokines. 1D10G inhibited LPS binding to MD-2 with higher affinity than gingerol and shogaol from dietary ginger. Moreover, 1D10G down-regulated TLR4-mediated expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) or activating protein 1 (AP1)-target genes such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β, as well as those of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF3)-target IFN-β gene and IFN-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) in LPS-activated macrophages. Taken together, MD-2 is a molecular target in the anti-inflammatory action of 1D10G.

  9. Inhibition of LPS binding to MD-2 co-receptor for suppressing TLR4-mediated expression of inflammatory cytokine by 1-dehydro-10-gingerdione from dietary ginger

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Sun Hong; Kyeong, Min Sik; Hwang, Yuri [College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763 (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Shi Yong [Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 305-600 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Sang-Bae [College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Youngsoo, E-mail: youngsoo@chungbuk.ac.kr [College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763 (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-03-23

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 1-Dehydro-10-gingerdione (1D10G) from ginger inhibits LPS binding to MD-2. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 1D10G suppresses MyD88- or TRIF-dependent signaling in LPS-activated macrophages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 1D10G down-regulates the expression of NF-{kappa}B-, AP1- or IRF3-target genes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MD-2 is a molecular target in the anti-inflammatory action of 1D10G. -- Abstract: Myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2) is a co-receptor of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) for innate immunity. Here, we delineated a new mechanism of 1-dehydro-10-gingerdione (1D10G), one of pungent isolates from ginger (Zingiber officinale), in the suppression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced gene expression of inflammatory cytokines. 1D10G inhibited LPS binding to MD-2 with higher affinity than gingerol and shogaol from dietary ginger. Moreover, 1D10G down-regulated TLR4-mediated expression of nuclear factor-{kappa}B (NF-{kappa}B) or activating protein 1 (AP1)-target genes such as tumor necrosis factor {alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) and interleukin-1{beta}, as well as those of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF3)-target IFN-{beta} gene and IFN-{gamma} inducible protein 10 (IP-10) in LPS-activated macrophages. Taken together, MD-2 is a molecular target in the anti-inflammatory action of 1D10G.

  10. Effect of Kramecyne on the Inflammatory Response in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Peritoneal Macrophages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Miranda, E.; Lemus-Bautista, J.; Pérez, S.; Pérez-Ramos, J.

    2013-01-01

    Kramecyne is a new peroxide, it was isolated from Krameria cytisoides, methanol extract, and this plant was mostly found in North and South America. This compound showed potent anti-inflammatory activity; however, the mechanisms by which this compound exerts its anti-inflammatory effect are not well understood. In this study, we examined the effects of kramecyne on inflammatory responses in mouse lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced peritoneal macrophages. Our findings indicate that kramecyne inhibits LPS-induced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin- (IL-) 6. During the inflammatory process, levels of cyclooxygenase- (COX-) 2, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and nitric oxide (NO) increased in mouse peritoneal macrophages; however, kramecyne suppressed them significantly. These results provide novel insights into the anti-inflammatory actions and support its potential use in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. PMID:23573152

  11. Serum levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 as diagnostic markers of acute pyelonephritis in children

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    Abolfazl Mahyar

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available &lt;b&gt;Purpose:&lt;/b&gt; Early diagnosis and treatment of acute pyelonephritis in children is of special importance in order to prevent serious complications. This study was conducted to determine the diagnostic value of serum interleukin (IL-6 and IL-8 in children with acute pyelonephritis. &lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; Eighty seven patients between 1 month to 12 years old with urinary tract infection (UTI were divided into 2 groups based on the result of 99m-technetium dimercapto-succinic acid (DMSA renal scan: acute pyelonephritis (n=37 and lower UTI (n=50 groups. White blood cell (WBC count, neutrophil (Neutl count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, C-reactive protein (CRP concentration, platelet count, and serum IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations of both groups were measured and compared . &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; There was a significant difference between two groups regarding WBC count, Neutl count, ESR, and CRP concentration (P&lt;0.05. In addition, the difference between the two groups regarding serum IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations was not significant (IL-6, 60 and 35.4 pg/mL and IL-8, 404 and 617 pg/mL, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of serum IL-6 and IL-8 for diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis were 73%, 42% and 78%, 32%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values of serum IL-6 and IL-8 were less than those of acute phase serum reactants such as CRP. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; This study showed that there was no significant difference between acute pyelonephritis and lower UTI groups regarding serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels. Therefore, despite confirming results of previous studies, it seems that IL-6 and IL-8 are not suitable markers for differentiating between acute pyelonephritis and lower UTI.

  12. RECOMBINANT HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-6 INDUCES A RAPID AND REVERSIBLE ANEMIA IN CANCER-PATIENTS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    NIEKEN, J; MULDER, NH; VELLENGA, E; LIMBURG, PC; PIERS, DA; DEVRIES, EGE

    1995-01-01

    Initial studies have shown that recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6) induces anemia. Until now, the pathophysiologic mechanism of this induced anemia has been unknown. To unravel the underlying mechanism, we examined 15 cancer patients receiving rhIL-6 as an antitumor immunotherapy in a phase II

  13. Activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinases and cAMP-binding proteins of rat kidney cytosol during dehydration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zelenina, M.N.; Solenov, E.I.; Ivanova, L.N.

    1985-01-01

    The activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinases, the binding of cAMP, and the spectrum of cAMP-binding proteins in the cytosol of the renal papilla was studied in intact rats and in rats after 24 h on a water-deprived diet. It was found that the activation of protein kinases by 10 -6 M cAMP is significantly higher in the experimental animals than in the intact animals. In chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, the positions of the peaks of specific reception of cAMP corresponded to the peaks of the regulatory subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinases of types I and II. In this case, in intact animals more than 80% of the binding activity was detected in peaks II, whereas in rats subjected to water deprivation, more than 60% of the binding was observed in peak I. The general regulatory activity of the cytosol was unchanged in the experimental animals in comparison with intact animals. It is suggested that during dehydration there is an induction of the synthesis of the regulatory subunit of type I cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the renal papilla

  14. Crystal structure of the UBR-box from UBR6/FBXO11 reveals domain swapping mediated by zinc binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz-Escobar, Juliana; Kozlov, Guennadi; Gehring, Kalle

    2017-10-01

    The UBR-box is a 70-residue zinc finger domain present in the UBR family of E3 ubiquitin ligases that directly binds N-terminal degradation signals in substrate proteins. UBR6, also called FBXO11, is an UBR-box containing E3 ubiquitin ligase that does not bind N-terminal signals. Here, we present the crystal structure of the UBR-box domain from human UBR6. The dimeric crystal structure reveals a unique form of domain swapping mediated by zinc coordination, where three independent protein chains come together to regenerate the topology of the monomeric UBR-box fold. Analysis of the structure suggests that the absence of N-terminal residue binding arises from the lack of an amino acid binding pocket. © 2017 The Authors Protein Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Protein Society.

  15. Soluble membrane receptors, interleukin 6, procalcitonin and C reactive protein as prognostic markers in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan-Jesús Ríos-Toro

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to explore the diagnostic and prognostic value of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell 1 (sTREM-1, soluble cluster of differentiation 14 (sCD14, soluble cluster of differentiation 163 (sCD163, interleukin-6 (IL-6, procalcitonin (PCT, and C-reactive protein (CRP serum levels for patients with severe sepsis and septic shock in an intensive care unit (ICU.Fifty patients admitted at the ICU with the diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock were studied. SOFA and APACHE II scores as well as serum biomarkers were measured at days 0, 2 and 5. The influence of these variables on 28-day mortality was analyzed. Twenty healthy individuals served as controls.Baseline serum concentrations of sTREM-1, sCD163, IL-6 and PCT correlated with SOFA score. Only sTREM-1 levels correlated with APACHE II score. The 28-day mortality rate for all patients was 42%. The absence of risk factors for infection, presence of septic shock, baseline values of sCD14 and decrease of PCT and IL-6 from baseline to day 5 were variables associated to mortality in the univariate analysis. The unique independent factor associated to mortality in the multivariate analysis was a decrease of PCT higher than 50% from days 0 to 5.Serum levels of sTREM-1 are correlated with the severity of sepsis. A 50% decrease of PCT was the unique variable associated with survival in the multivariate analysis.

  16. Effects of methyl gallate and gallic acid on the production of inflammatory mediators interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 by oral epithelial cells stimulated with Fusobacterium nucleatum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Mi-Sun; Jang, Hee-Sook; Oh, Jong-Suk; Yang, Kyu-Ho; Choi, Nam-Ki; Lim, Hoi-Soon; Kim, Seon-Mi

    2009-12-01

    Interactions between periodontal bacteria and human oral epithelial cells can lead to the activation and expression of a variety of inflammatory mediators in epithelial cells. Fusobacterium nucleatum is a filamentous human pathogen that is strongly associated with periodontal diseases. This study examined the effects of methyl gallate (MG) and gallic acid (GA) on the production of inflammatory mediators, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, by oral epithelial cells stimulated by F. nucleatum. In a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, live F. nucleatum induced high levels of gene expression and protein release of IL-6 and IL-8. The effects of MG and GA were examined by treating KB oral epithelial cells with MG and GA and stimulating them with F. nucleatum. MG and GA inhibited significantly the increases in the IL-6 and IL-8 gene and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. These Compounds also inhibited the growth of F. nucleatum. No visible effects of MG and GA on the adhesion and invasion of KB cells by F. nucleatum were observed. In conclusion, both MG and GA inhibit IL-6 and IL-8 production from F. nucleatum-activated KB cells.

  17. Phospholipase C-{delta}{sub 1} regulates interleukin-1{beta} and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} mRNA expression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chung, Eric; Jakinovich, Paul; Bae, Aekyung [Department of Anesthesiology, Health Sciences Center L4 Rm 081, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (United States); Rebecchi, Mario, E-mail: Mario.rebecchi@SBUmed.org [Department of Anesthesiology, Health Sciences Center L4 Rm 081, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (United States)

    2012-10-01

    Phospholipase C-{delta}{sub 1} (PLC{delta}{sub 1}) is a widely expressed highly active PLC isoform, modulated by Ca{sup 2+} that appears to operate downstream from receptor signaling and has been linked to regulation of cytokine production. Here we investigated whether PLC{delta}{sub 1} modulated expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1{beta} (IL-1{beta}), tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in rat C6 glioma cells. Expression of PLC{delta}{sub 1} was specifically suppressed by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the effects on cytokine mRNA expression, stimulated by the Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), were examined. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results showed that PLC{delta}{sub 1} knockdown enhanced expression IL-1{beta} and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) mRNA by at least 100 fold after 4 h of LPS stimulation compared to control siRNA treatment. PLC{delta}{sub 1} knock down caused persistently high Nf{kappa}b levels at 4 h of LPS stimulation compared to control siRNA-treated cells. PLC{delta}{sub 1} knockdown was also associated with elevated nuclear levels of c-Jun after 30 min of LPS stimulation, but did not affect LPS-stimulated p38 or p42/44 MAPK phosphorylation, normally associated with TLR activation of cytokine gene expression; rather, enhanced protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation of cellular proteins was observed in the absence of LPS stimulation. An inhibitor of PKC, bisindolylmaleimide II (BIM), reversed phosphorylation, prevented elevation of nuclear c-Jun levels, and inhibited LPS-induced increases of IL-1{beta} and TNF-{alpha} mRNA's induced by PLC{delta}{sub 1} knockdown. Our results show that loss of PLC{delta}{sub 1} enhances PKC/c-Jun signaling and up-modulates pro-inflammatory cytokine gene transcription in concert with the TLR-stimulated p38MAPK/Nf{kappa}b pathway. Our findings are consistent with the idea that PLC{delta}{sub 1} is a

  18. Uncoupling of interleukin-6 from its signalling pathway by dietary n-3-polyunsaturated fatty acid deprivation alters sickness behaviour in mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mingam, Rozenn; Moranis, Aurélie; Bluthé, Rose-Marie; De Smedt-Peyrusse, Véronique; Kelley, Keith W.; Guesnet, Philippe; Lavialle, Monique; Dantzer, Robert; Layé, Sophie

    2009-01-01

    Sickness behaviour is an adaptive behavioural response to the activation of the innate immune system. It is mediated by brain cytokine production and action, especially interleukin-6 (IL-6). Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential fatty acids that are highly incorporated in brain cells membranes and display immunomodulating properties. We hypothesized that a decrease in n-3 PUFA brain level by dietary means impacts on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-6 production and sickness behaviour. Our results show that mice exposed throughout life to a diet containing n-3 PUFA (n-3/n-6 diet) display a decrease in social interaction that does not occur in mice submitted to a diet devoid of n-3 PUFA (n-6 diet). LPS induced high IL-6 plasma levels as well as expression of IL-6 mRNA in the hippocampus and cFos mRNA in the brainstem of mice fed either diet, indicating intact immune-to-brain communication. However, STAT3 and STAT1 activation, a hallmark of IL-6 signalling pathway, was lower in the hippocampus of LPS-treated n-6 mice as compared to n-3/n-6 mice. In addition, LPS did not reduce social interaction in IL-6 knock-out (IL-6 KO) mice and failed to induce STAT3 activation in the brain of IL-6 KO mice. Altogether, these findings point to alteration in brain STAT3 as a key mechanism for the lack of effect of LPS on social interaction in mice fed with the n-6 PUFA diet. The relative deficiency of Western diets in n-3 PUFA could impact on behavioural aspects of the host response to infection. PMID:18973601

  19. Vaccinia virus protein C6 is a virulence factor that binds TBK-1 adaptor proteins and inhibits activation of IRF3 and IRF7.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonie Unterholzner

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Recognition of viruses by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs causes interferon-β (IFN-β induction, a key event in the anti-viral innate immune response, and also a target of viral immune evasion. Here the vaccinia virus (VACV protein C6 is identified as an inhibitor of PRR-induced IFN-β expression by a functional screen of select VACV open reading frames expressed individually in mammalian cells. C6 is a member of a family of Bcl-2-like poxvirus proteins, many of which have been shown to inhibit innate immune signalling pathways. PRRs activate both NF-κB and IFN regulatory factors (IRFs to activate the IFN-β promoter induction. Data presented here show that C6 inhibits IRF3 activation and translocation into the nucleus, but does not inhibit NF-κB activation. C6 inhibits IRF3 and IRF7 activation downstream of the kinases TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1 and IκB kinase-ε (IKKε, which phosphorylate and activate these IRFs. However, C6 does not inhibit TBK1- and IKKε-independent IRF7 activation or the induction of promoters by constitutively active forms of IRF3 or IRF7, indicating that C6 acts at the level of the TBK1/IKKε complex. Consistent with this notion, C6 immunoprecipitated with the TBK1 complex scaffold proteins TANK, SINTBAD and NAP1. C6 is expressed early during infection and is present in both nucleus and cytoplasm. Mutant viruses in which the C6L gene is deleted, or mutated so that the C6 protein is not expressed, replicated normally in cell culture but were attenuated in two in vivo models of infection compared to wild type and revertant controls. Thus C6 contributes to VACV virulence and might do so via the inhibition of PRR-induced activation of IRF3 and IRF7.

  20. Aluminium fluoride and magnesium, activators of heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins, affect high-affinity binding of the fungal toxin fusicoccin to the fusicoccin-binding protein in oat root plasma membranes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, A.H.; Van der Molen, G.W.; Prins, H.B.A.; Korthout, H.A.A.J.; van der Hoeven, P.C.J.

    1994-01-01

    The fusicoccin-binding protein was solubilised from purified oat root plasma membranes. The solubilised protein retained full binding activity, provided that protease inhibitors were included. Sodium fluoride reduced the high-affinity [H-3]fusicoccin binding to almost zero in a

  1. Avoidance-related EEG asymmetry predicts circulating interleukin-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shields, Grant S; Moons, Wesley G

    2016-03-01

    Recent research has linked avoidance-oriented motivational states to elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. According to one of many theories regarding the association between avoidance and cytokine levels, because the evolutionarily basic avoidance system may be activated when an organism is threatened or overwhelmed, an associated inflammatory response may be adaptive for dealing with potential injury in such threatening situations. To examine this hypothesis, we tested whether the neural correlate of avoidance motivation associates with baseline levels of the circulating pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). Controlling for covariates, greater resting neural activity in the right frontal cortex relative to the left frontal cortex-the neural correlate of avoidance motivation-was associated with baseline IL-6. These results thus support the hypothesis that the avoidance motivational system may be closely linked to systemic inflammatory activity. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Drosophila DNA-Binding Proteins in Polycomb Repression

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    Maksim Erokhin

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The formation of individual gene expression patterns in different cell types is required during differentiation and development of multicellular organisms. Polycomb group (PcG proteins are key epigenetic regulators responsible for gene repression, and dysregulation of their activities leads to developmental abnormalities and diseases. PcG proteins were first identified in Drosophila, which still remains the most convenient system for studying PcG-dependent repression. In the Drosophila genome, these proteins bind to DNA regions called Polycomb response elements (PREs. A major role in the recruitment of PcG proteins to PREs is played by DNA-binding factors, several of which have been characterized in detail. However, current knowledge is insufficient for comprehensively describing the mechanism of this process. In this review, we summarize and discuss the available data on the role of DNA-binding proteins in PcG recruitment to chromatin.

  3. Paeonol attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced depressive-like behavior in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Weiwei; Wang, Hanqing; Su, Qiang; Chen, Yanyan; Xue, Wenda; Xia, Baomei; Duan, Jinao; Chen, Gang

    2016-04-30

    The present study was designed to detect the anti-depressant effects of paeonol and the possible mechanisms in the lipopolysaccharide-induced depressive-like behavior. Open-field test(OFT), tail suspension test(TST) and forced swimming test(FST) were used to evaluate the behavioral activity. The contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) in mice hippocampus were determined by HPLC-ECD. Serum interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results showed that LPS significantly decreased the levels of 5-HT and NE in the hippocampus. LPS also reduced open-field activity, as well as increased immobility duration in FST and TST. Paeonol administration could effectively reverse the alterations in the concentrations of 5-HT, NE and reduce the IL-6 and TNF-α levels. Moreover, paeonol effectively downregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) and Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in hippocampal. In conclusion, paeonol administration exhibited significant antidepressant-like effects in mice with LPS-induced depression. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  4. Impact of interleukin-6 on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and lung inflammation in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izziki Mohamed

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Inflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of various forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH. Recent studies in patients with idiopathic PH or PH associated with underlying diseases suggest a role for interleukin-6 (IL-6. Methods To determine whether endogenous IL-6 contributes to mediate hypoxic PH and lung inflammation, we studied IL-6-deficient (IL-6-/- and wild-type (IL-6+/+ mice exposed to hypoxia for 2 weeks. Results Right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricle hypertrophy, and the number and media thickness of muscular pulmonary vessels were decreased in IL-6-/- mice compared to wild-type controls after 2 weeks' hypoxia, although the pressure response to acute hypoxia was similar in IL-6+/+ and IL-6-/- mice. Hypoxia exposure of IL-6+/+ mice led to marked increases in IL-6 mRNA and protein levels within the first week, with positive IL-6 immunostaining in the pulmonary vessel walls. Lung IL-6 receptor and gp 130 (the IL-6 signal transducer mRNA levels increased after 1 and 2 weeks' hypoxia. In vitro studies of cultured human pulmonary-artery smooth-muscle-cells (PA-SMCs and microvascular endothelial cells revealed prominent synthesis of IL-6 by PA-SMCs, with further stimulation by hypoxia. IL-6 also markedly stimulated PA-SMC migration without affecting proliferation. Hypoxic IL-6-/- mice showed less inflammatory cell recruitment in the lungs, compared to hypoxic wild-type mice, as assessed by lung protein levels and immunostaining for the specific macrophage marker F4/80, with no difference in lung expression of adhesion molecules or cytokines. Conclusion These data suggest that IL-6 may be actively involved in hypoxia-induced lung inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in mice.

  5. Involvement of adenosine monophosphate activated kinase in interleukin-6 regulation of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme in the bovine zona fasciculata and zona reticularis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Silva, Matharage S I; Dayton, Adam W; Rhoten, Lance R; Mallett, John W; Reese, Jared C; Squires, Mathieu D; Dalley, Andrew P; Porter, James P; Judd, Allan M

    2018-06-01

    In bovine adrenal zona fasciculata (ZF) and NCI-H295R cells, interleukin-6 (IL-6) increases cortisol release, increases expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) (increases steroidogenic proteins), and decreases the expression of adrenal hypoplasia congenita-like protein (DAX-1) (inhibits steroidogenic proteins). In contrast, IL-6 decreases bovine adrenal zona reticularis (ZR) androgen release, StAR, P450scc, and SF-1 expression, and increases DAX-1 expression. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP) activated kinase (AMPK) regulates steroidogenesis, but its role in IL-6 regulation of adrenal steroidogenesis is unknown. In the present study, an AMPK activator (AICAR) increased (P < 0.01) NCI-H295R StAR promoter activity, StAR and P450scc expression, and the phosphorylation of AMPK (PAMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (PACC) (indexes of AMPK activity). In ZR (decreased StAR, P450scc, SF-1, increased DAX-1) (P < 0.01) and ZF tissues (increased StAR, P450scc, SF-1, decreased DAX-1) (P < 0.01), AICAR modified StAR, P450scc, SF-1 and DAX-1 mRNAs/proteins similar to the effects of IL-6. The activity (increased PAMPK and PACC) (P < 0.01) of AMPK in the ZF and ZR was increased by AICAR and IL-6. In support of an AMPK role in IL-6 ZF and ZR effects, the AMPK inhibitor compound C blocked (P < 0.01) the effects of IL-6 on the expression of StAR, P450scc, SF-1, and DAX-1. Therefore, IL-6 modification of the expression of StAR and P450scc in the ZF and ZR may involve activation of AMPK and these changes may be related to changes in the expression of SF-1 and DAX-1. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of cobratoxin binding on the normal mode vibration within acetylcholine binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertaccini, Edward J; Lindahl, Erik; Sixma, Titia; Trudell, James R

    2008-04-01

    Recent crystal structures of the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) have revealed surprisingly small structural alterations upon ligand binding. Here we investigate the extent to which ligand binding may affect receptor dynamics. AChBP is a homologue of the extracellular component of ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs). We have previously used an elastic network normal-mode analysis to propose a gating mechanism for the LGICs and to suggest the effects of various ligands on such motions. However, the difficulties with elastic network methods lie in their inability to account for the modest effects of a small ligand or mutation on ion channel motion. Here, we report the successful application of an elastic network normal mode technique to measure the effects of large ligand binding on receptor dynamics. The present calculations demonstrate a clear alteration in the native symmetric motions of a protein due to the presence of large protein cobratoxin ligands. In particular, normal-mode analysis revealed that cobratoxin binding to this protein significantly dampened the axially symmetric motion of the AChBP that may be associated with channel gating in the full nAChR. The results suggest that alterations in receptor dynamics could be a general feature of ligand binding.

  7. TRANSCRIPTIONAL INHIBITION OF INTERLEUKIN-12 PROMOTER ACTIVITY IN LEISHMANIA SPP.-INFECTED MACROPHAGES

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, Asha; Widenmaier, Robyn; Ma, Xiaojing; McDowell, Mary Ann

    2009-01-01

    To establish and persist within a host, Leishmania spp. parasites delay the onset of cell-mediated immunity by suppressing interleukin-12 (IL-12) production from host macrophages. Although it is established that Leishmania spp.-infected macrophages have impaired IL-12 production, the mechanisms that account for this suppression remain to be completely elucidated. Using a luciferase reporter assay assessing IL-12 transcription, we report here that Leishmania major, Leishmania donovani, and Leishmania chagasi inhibit IL-12 transcription in response to interferon-gamma, lipopolysaccharide, and CD40 ligand and that Leishmania spp. lipophosphoglycan, phosphoglycans, and major surface protein are not necessary for inhibition. In addition, all the Leishmania spp. strains and life-cycle stages tested inhibited IL-12 promoter activity. Our data further reveal that autocrine-acting host factors play no role in the inhibitory response and that phagocytosis signaling is necessary for inhibition of IL-12. PMID:18372625

  8. Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSB1 protein and its relationship to nucleolar RNA-binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jong, A Y; Clark, M W; Gilbert, M; Oehm, A; Campbell, J L

    1987-08-01

    To better define the function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSB1, an abundant single-stranded nucleic acid-binding protein, we determined the nucleotide sequence of the SSB1 gene and compared it with those of other proteins of known function. The amino acid sequence contains 293 amino acid residues and has an Mr of 32,853. There are several stretches of sequence characteristic of other eucaryotic single-stranded nucleic acid-binding proteins. At the amino terminus, residues 39 to 54 are highly homologous to a peptide in calf thymus UP1 and UP2 and a human heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein. Residues 125 to 162 constitute a fivefold tandem repeat of the sequence RGGFRG, the composition of which suggests a nucleic acid-binding site. Near the C terminus, residues 233 to 245 are homologous to several RNA-binding proteins. Of 18 C-terminal residues, 10 are acidic, a characteristic of the procaryotic single-stranded DNA-binding proteins and eucaryotic DNA- and RNA-binding proteins. In addition, examination of the subcellular distribution of SSB1 by immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that SSB1 is a nuclear protein, predominantly located in the nucleolus. Sequence homologies and the nucleolar localization make it likely that SSB1 functions in RNA metabolism in vivo, although an additional role in DNA metabolism cannot be excluded.

  9. Binding free energy analysis of protein-protein docking model structures by evERdock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takemura, Kazuhiro; Matubayasi, Nobuyuki; Kitao, Akio

    2018-03-14

    To aid the evaluation of protein-protein complex model structures generated by protein docking prediction (decoys), we previously developed a method to calculate the binding free energies for complexes. The method combines a short (2 ns) all-atom molecular dynamics simulation with explicit solvent and solution theory in the energy representation (ER). We showed that this method successfully selected structures similar to the native complex structure (near-native decoys) as the lowest binding free energy structures. In our current work, we applied this method (evERdock) to 100 or 300 model structures of four protein-protein complexes. The crystal structures and the near-native decoys showed the lowest binding free energy of all the examined structures, indicating that evERdock can successfully evaluate decoys. Several decoys that show low interface root-mean-square distance but relatively high binding free energy were also identified. Analysis of the fraction of native contacts, hydrogen bonds, and salt bridges at the protein-protein interface indicated that these decoys were insufficiently optimized at the interface. After optimizing the interactions around the interface by including interfacial water molecules, the binding free energies of these decoys were improved. We also investigated the effect of solute entropy on binding free energy and found that consideration of the entropy term does not necessarily improve the evaluations of decoys using the normal model analysis for entropy calculation.

  10. Ligand binding turns moth pheromone-binding protein into a pH sensor: effect on the Antheraea polyphemus PBP1 conformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katre, Uma V; Mazumder, Suman; Prusti, Rabi K; Mohanty, Smita

    2009-11-13

    In moths, pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are responsible for the transport of the hydrophobic pheromones to the membrane-bound receptors across the aqueous sensillar lymph. We report here that recombinant Antheraea polyphemus PBP1 (ApolPBP1) picks up hydrophobic molecule(s) endogenous to the Escherichia coli expression host that keeps the protein in the "open" (bound) conformation at high pH but switches to the "closed" (free) conformation at low pH. This finding has bearing on the solution structures of undelipidated lepidopteran moth PBPs determined thus far. Picking up a hydrophobic molecule from the host expression system could be a common feature for lipid-binding proteins. Thus, delipidation is critical for bacterially expressed lipid-binding proteins. We have shown for the first time that the delipidated ApolPBP1 exists primarily in the closed form at all pH levels. Thus, current views on the pH-induced conformational switch of PBPs hold true only for the ligand-bound open conformation of the protein. Binding of various ligands to delipidated ApolPBP1 studied by solution NMR revealed that the protein in the closed conformation switches to the open conformation only at or above pH 6.0 with a protein to ligand stoichiometry of approximately 1:1. Mutation of His(70) and His(95) to alanine drives the equilibrium toward the open conformation even at low pH for the ligand-bound protein by eliminating the histidine-dependent pH-induced conformational switch. Thus, the delipidated double mutant can bind ligand even at low pH in contrast to the wild type protein as revealed by fluorescence competitive displacement assay using 1-aminoanthracene and solution NMR.

  11. Prevention of early postnatal hyperalimentation protects against activation of transforming growth factor-β/bone morphogenetic protein and interleukin-6 signaling in rat lungs after intrauterine growth restriction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alcázar, Miguel Angel Alejandre; Dinger, Katharina; Rother, Eva; Östreicher, Iris; Vohlen, Christina; Plank, Christian; Dötsch, Jörg

    2014-12-01

    Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is intimately linked with postnatal catch-up growth, leading to impaired lung structure and function. However, the impact of catch-up growth induced by early postnatal hyperalimentation (HA) on the lung has not been addressed to date. The aim of this study was to investigate whether prevention of HA subsequent to IUGR protects the lung from 1) deregulation of the transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway, 2) activation of interleukin (IL)-6 signaling, and 3) profibrotic processes. IUGR was induced in Wistar rats by isocaloric protein restriction during gestation by feeding a control (Co) or a low-protein diet with 17% or 8% casein, respectively. On postnatal day 1 (P1), litters from both groups were randomly reduced to 6 pups per dam to induce HA or adjusted to 10 pups and fed with standard diet: Co, Co with HA (Co-HA), IUGR, and IUGR with HA (IUGR-HA). Birth weights in rats after IUGR were lower than in Co rats (P < 0.05). HA during lactation led to accelerated body weight gain from P1 to P23 (Co vs. Co-HA, IUGR vs. IUGR-HA; P < 0.05). At P70, prevention of HA after IUGR protected against the following: 1) activation of both TGF-β [phosphorylated SMAD (pSMAD) 2; plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (Pai1)] and BMP signaling [pSMAD1; inhibitor of differentiation (Id1)] compared with Co (P < 0.05) and Co or IUGR (P < 0.05) rats, respectively; 2) greater mRNA expression of interleukin (Il) 6 and Il13 (P < 0.05) as well as activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling (P < 0.05) after IUGR-HA; and 3) greater gene expression of collagen Iα1 and osteopontin (P < 0.05) and increased deposition of bronchial subepithelial connective tissue in IUGR-HA compared with Co and IUGR rats. Moreover, HA had a significant additive effect (P < 0.05) on the increased enhanced pause (indicator of airway resistance) in the IUGR group (P < 0.05) at P70. This study demonstrates

  12. Factors Affecting the Binding of a Recombinant Heavy Metal-Binding Domain (CXXC motif Protein to Heavy Metals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamala Boonyodying

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available A number of heavy metal-binding proteins have been used to study bioremediation. CXXC motif, a metal binding domain containing Cys-X-X-Cys motif, has been identified in various organisms. These proteins are capable of binding various types of heavy metals. In this study, heavy metal binding domain (CXXC motif recombinant protein encoded from mcsA gene of S. aureus were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The factors involved in the metal-binding activity were determined in order to analyze the potential of recombinant protein for bioremediation. A recombinant protein can be bound to Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+. The thermal stability of a recombinant protein was tested, and the results showed that the metal binding activity to Cu2+ and Zn2+ still exist after treating the protein at 85ºC for 30 min. The temperature and pH that affected the metal binding activity was tested and the results showed that recombinant protein was still bound to Cu2+ at 65ºC, whereas a pH of 3-7 did not affect the metal binding E. coli harboring a pRset with a heavy metal-binding domain CXXC motif increased the resistance of heavy metals against CuCl2 and CdCl2. This study shows that metal binding domain (CXXC motif recombinant protein can be effectively bound to various types of heavy metals and may be used as a potential tool for studying bioremediation.

  13. MicroRNA 27a-3p Regulates Antimicrobial Responses of Murine Macrophages Infected by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis by Targeting Interleukin-10 and TGF-β-Activated Protein Kinase 1 Binding Protein 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tariq Hussain

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP persistently survive and replicate in mononuclear phagocytic cells by adopting various strategies to subvert host immune response. Interleukin-10 (IL-10 upregulation via inhibition of macrophage bactericidal activity is a critical step for MAP survival and pathogenesis within the host cell. Mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 signaling cascade plays a crucial role in the elevation of IL-10 and progression of MAP pathogenesis. The contribution of microRNAs (miRNAs and their influence on the activation of macrophages during MAP pathogenesis are still unclear. In the current study, we found that miRNA-27a-3p (miR-27a expression is downregulated during MAP infection both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, miR-27a is also downregulated in toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2-stimulated murine macrophages (RAW264.7 and bone marrow-derived macrophage. ELISA and real-time qRT-PCR results confirm that overexpression of miR-27a inhibited MAP-induced IL-10 production in macrophages and upregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines, while miR-27a inhibitor counteracted these effects. Luciferase reporter assay results revealed that IL-10 and TGF-β-activated protein kinase 1 binding protein 2 (TAB 2 are potential targets of miR-27a. In addition, we demonstrated that miR-27a negatively regulates TAB 2 expression and diminishes TAB 2-dependent p38/JNK phosphorylation, ultimately downregulating IL-10 expression in MAP-infected macrophages. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-27a significantly inhibited the intracellular survival of MAP in infected macrophages. Our data show that miR-27a augments antimicrobial activities of macrophages and inhibits the expression of IL-10, demonstrating that miR-27a regulates protective innate immune responses during MAP infection and can be exploited as a novel therapeutic target in the control of intracellular pathogens, including paratuberculosis.

  14. PTP1B is a negative regulator of interleukin 4–induced STAT6 signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Xiaoqing; Malumbres, Raquel; Shields, Benjamin; Jiang, Xiaoyu; Sarosiek, Kristopher A.; Natkunam, Yasodha

    2008-01-01

    Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a ubiquitously expressed enzyme shown to negatively regulate multiple tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent signaling pathways. PTP1B can modulate cytokine signaling pathways by dephosphorylating JAK2, TYK2, and STAT5a/b. Herein, we report that phosphorylated STAT6 may serve as a cytoplasmic substrate for PTP1B. Overexpression of PTP1B led to STAT6 dephosphorylation and the suppression of STAT6 transcriptional activity, whereas PTP1B knockdown or deficiency augmented IL-4–induced STAT6 signaling. Pretreatment of these cells with the PTK inhibitor staurosporine led to sustained STAT6 phosphorylation consistent with STAT6 serving as a direct substrate of PTP1B. Furthermore, PTP1B-D181A “substrate-trapping” mutants formed stable complexes with phosphorylated STAT6 in a cellular context and endogenous PTP1B and STAT6 interacted in an interleukin 4 (IL-4)–inducible manner. We delineate a new negative regulatory loop of IL-4–JAK-STAT6 signaling. We demonstrate that IL-4 induces PTP1B mRNA expression in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–dependent manner and enhances PTP1B protein stability to suppress IL-4–induced STAT6 signaling. Finally, we show that PTP1B expression may be preferentially elevated in activated B cell–like diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. These observations identify a novel regulatory loop for the regulation of IL-4–induced STAT6 signaling that may have important implications in both neoplastic and inflammatory processes. PMID:18716132

  15. Predicting the binding patterns of hub proteins: a study using yeast protein interaction networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carson M Andorf

    Full Text Available Protein-protein interactions are critical to elucidating the role played by individual proteins in important biological pathways. Of particular interest are hub proteins that can interact with large numbers of partners and often play essential roles in cellular control. Depending on the number of binding sites, protein hubs can be classified at a structural level as singlish-interface hubs (SIH with one or two binding sites, or multiple-interface hubs (MIH with three or more binding sites. In terms of kinetics, hub proteins can be classified as date hubs (i.e., interact with different partners at different times or locations or party hubs (i.e., simultaneously interact with multiple partners.Our approach works in 3 phases: Phase I classifies if a protein is likely to bind with another protein. Phase II determines if a protein-binding (PB protein is a hub. Phase III classifies PB proteins as singlish-interface versus multiple-interface hubs and date versus party hubs. At each stage, we use sequence-based predictors trained using several standard machine learning techniques.Our method is able to predict whether a protein is a protein-binding protein with an accuracy of 94% and a correlation coefficient of 0.87; identify hubs from non-hubs with 100% accuracy for 30% of the data; distinguish date hubs/party hubs with 69% accuracy and area under ROC curve of 0.68; and SIH/MIH with 89% accuracy and area under ROC curve of 0.84. Because our method is based on sequence information alone, it can be used even in settings where reliable protein-protein interaction data or structures of protein-protein complexes are unavailable to obtain useful insights into the functional and evolutionary characteristics of proteins and their interactions.We provide a web server for our three-phase approach: http://hybsvm.gdcb.iastate.edu.

  16. Diarctigenin, a lignan constituent from Arctium lappa, down-regulated zymosan-induced transcription of inflammatory genes through suppression of DNA binding ability of nuclear factor-kappaB in macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Byung Hak; Hong, Seong Su; Kwon, Soon Woo; Lee, Hwa Young; Sung, Hyeran; Lee, In-Jeong; Hwang, Bang Yeon; Song, Sukgil; Lee, Chong-Kil; Chung, Daehyun; Ahn, Byeongwoo; Nam, Sang-Yoon; Han, Sang-Bae; Kim, Youngsoo

    2008-11-01

    Diarctigenin was previously isolated as an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages from the seeds of Arctium lappa used as an alternative medicine for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. However, little is known about the molecular basis of these effects. Here, we demonstrated that diarctigenin inhibited the production of NO, prostaglandin E(2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6 with IC(50) values of 6 to 12 miciroM in zymosan- or lipopolysaccharide-(LPS) activated macrophages. Diarctigenin attenuated zymosan-induced mRNA synthesis of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and also inhibited promoter activities of iNOS and cytokine genes in the cells. Because nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB plays a pivotal role in inflammatory gene transcription, we next investigated the effect of diarctigenin on NF-kappaB activation. Diarctigenin inhibited the transcriptional activity and DNA binding ability of NF-kappaB in zymosan-activated macrophages but did not affect the degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitory kappaB (IkappaB) proteins. Moreover, diarctigenin suppressed expression vector NF-kappaB p65-elicited NF-kappaB activation and also iNOS promoter activity, indicating that the compound could directly target an NF-kappa-activating signal cascade downstream of IkappaB degradation and inhibit NF-kappaB-regulated iNOS expression. Diarctigenin also inhibited the in vitro DNA binding ability of NF-kappaB but did not affect the nuclear import of NF-kappaB p65 in the cells. Taken together, diarctigenin down-regulated zymosan- or LPS-induced inflammatory gene transcription in macrophages, which was due to direct inhibition of the DNA binding ability of NF-kappaB. Finally, this study provides a pharmacological potential of diarctigenin in the NF-kappaB-associated inflammatory disorders.

  17. In vitro expansion of the murine pluripotent hemopoietic stem cell population in response to interleukin 3 and interleukin 6. Application to bone marrow transplantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okano, A.; Suzuki, C.; Takatsuki, F.

    1989-01-01

    The synergistic action of interleukin 6 with interleukin 3 on the proliferation of a murine hemopoietic stem cell population in a short-term liquid culture system was examined by radioprotective assay. The numbers of colony-forming units in spleen (CFU-S), together with granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming units and viable nucleated cells, were found to increase markedly in culture in the presence of both IL-3 and IL-6, compared with the presence of IL-3 or IL-6 alone. The peak CFU-S value in response to the combination of IL-3 and IL-6 was obtained 6 days after culture initiation, exceeding 5-fold of the input value. Consistent with these data, marrow cells cultured with both IL-3 and IL-6 for 6 days were shown to have a much higher capability of rescuing lethally irradiated mice than did controls. The results may portend the potential clinical use of the combination of IL-3 and IL-6, in particular, in bone marrow transplantation

  18. Exploring the binding sites and binding mechanism for hydrotrope encapsulated griseofulvin drug on γ-tubulin protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shubhadip Das

    Full Text Available The protein γ-tubulin plays an important role in centrosomal clustering and this makes it an attractive therapeutic target for treating cancers. Griseofulvin, an antifungal drug, has recently been used to inhibit proliferation of various types of cancer cells. It can also affect the microtubule dynamics by targeting the γ-tubulin protein. So far, the binding pockets of γ-tubulin protein are not properly identified and the exact mechanism by which the drug binds to it is an area of intense speculation and research. The aim of the present study is to investigate the binding mechanism and binding affinity of griseofulvin on γ-tubulin protein using classical molecular dynamics simulations. Since the drug griseofulvin is sparingly soluble in water, here we also present a promising approach for formulating and achieving delivery of hydrophobic griseofulvin drug via hydrotrope sodium cumene sulfonate (SCS cluster. We observe that the binding pockets of γ-tubulin protein are mainly formed by the H8, H9 helices and S7, S8, S14 strands and the hydrophobic interactions between the drug and γ-tubulin protein drive the binding process. The release of the drug griseofulvin from the SCS cluster is confirmed by the coordination number analysis. We also find hydrotrope-induced alteration of the binding sites of γ-tubulin protein and the weakening of the drug-protein interactions.

  19. Detection of secondary binding sites in proteins using fragment screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ludlow, R Frederick; Verdonk, Marcel L; Saini, Harpreet K; Tickle, Ian J; Jhoti, Harren

    2015-12-29

    Proteins need to be tightly regulated as they control biological processes in most normal cellular functions. The precise mechanisms of regulation are rarely completely understood but can involve binding of endogenous ligands and/or partner proteins at specific locations on a protein that can modulate function. Often, these additional secondary binding sites appear separate to the primary binding site, which, for example for an enzyme, may bind a substrate. In previous work, we have uncovered several examples in which secondary binding sites were discovered on proteins using fragment screening approaches. In each case, we were able to establish that the newly identified secondary binding site was biologically relevant as it was able to modulate function by the binding of a small molecule. In this study, we investigate how often secondary binding sites are located on proteins by analyzing 24 protein targets for which we have performed a fragment screen using X-ray crystallography. Our analysis shows that, surprisingly, the majority of proteins contain secondary binding sites based on their ability to bind fragments. Furthermore, sequence analysis of these previously unknown sites indicate high conservation, which suggests that they may have a biological function, perhaps via an allosteric mechanism. Comparing the physicochemical properties of the secondary sites with known primary ligand binding sites also shows broad similarities indicating that many of the secondary sites may be druggable in nature with small molecules that could provide new opportunities to modulate potential therapeutic targets.

  20. 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...... acid sequence revealed 48%, 52%, and 56% identity to known low-molecular-weight fatty acid-binding proteins belonging to the FABP family. Northern blot analysis showed that PA-FABP mRNA is indeed highly up-regulated in psoriatic keratinocytes. The transcript is present in human cell lines of epithelial...

  1. Childhood Socioeconomic Status and the Occurrence of Recent Negative Life Events as Predictors of Circulating and Stimulated Levels of Interleukin-6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    John-Henderson, Neha A; Marsland, Anna L; Kamarck, Thomas W; Muldoon, Matthew F; Manuck, Stephen B

    2016-01-01

    Evidence supports an inverse association of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) with systemic inflammation in adulthood. However, it remains to be determined whether this association is dependent on exposure to stressful life experiences. We predicted that the combination of a high number of recent negative life events and low childhood SES would be associated with the highest levels of both circulating interleukin (IL)-6 and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of IL-6. We tested this prediction among a community sample of 459 adults (47% male, mean [standard deviation] age = 42.8 [7.3] years). Inverse associations were found between childhood and adult SES indices with circulating IL-6 levels (r values between -0.07 and -0.16, p .05). The number of recent negative life events (mean [standard deviation] = 2.43 [2.34]) was not significantly related to subjective childhood SES and other SES indices (r values .10). Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed a significant association between the interaction of subjective childhood SES and recent negative life events and circulating IL-6 (β = -0.09, t(404) = -1.98, p = .049) and a marginally significant association with stimulated levels of IL-6 (β = -0.10, t(365) = -1.94, p = .054), whereas these covariate-adjusted models revealed no main effects for subjective SES or recent negative life events. The relationship between childhood SES and IL-6 seems to be moderated by recent life events, such that individuals with a relatively low childhood SES exhibit an inflammatory phenotype in the context of a high number of recent negative life events.

  2. Vitiligo inducing phenols activate the unfolded protein response in melanocytes resulting in upregulation of IL6 and IL8

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toosi, Siavash; Orlow, Seth J.; Manga, Prashiela

    2012-01-01

    Vitiligo is characterized by depigmented skin patches due to loss of epidermal melanocytes. Oxidative stress may play a role in vitiligo onset, while autoimmunity contributes to disease progression. In this study we sought to identify mechanisms that link disease triggers and spreading of lesions. A hallmark of melanocytes at the periphery of vitiligo lesions is dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We hypothesized that oxidative stress results in redox disruptions that extend to the ER, causing accumulation of misfolded peptides, which activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). We used 4-tertiary butyl phenol (4-TBP) and monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone (MBEH), known triggers of vitiligo. We show that expression of key UPR components, including the transcription factor X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), are increased following exposure of melanocytes to phenols. XBP1 activation increases production of immune mediators interleukin-6 (IL6) and IL8. Co-treatment with XBP1 inhibitors reduced IL6 and IL8 production induced by phenols, while over-expression of XBP1 alone increased their expression. Thus, melanocytes themselves produce cytokines associated with activation of an immune response following exposure to chemical triggers of vitiligo. These results expand our understanding of the mechanisms underlying melanocyte loss in vitiligo and pathways linking environmental stressors and autoimmunity. PMID:22696056

  3. SCOWLP classification: Structural comparison and analysis of protein binding regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anders Gerd

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Detailed information about protein interactions is critical for our understanding of the principles governing protein recognition mechanisms. The structures of many proteins have been experimentally determined in complex with different ligands bound either in the same or different binding regions. Thus, the structural interactome requires the development of tools to classify protein binding regions. A proper classification may provide a general view of the regions that a protein uses to bind others and also facilitate a detailed comparative analysis of the interacting information for specific protein binding regions at atomic level. Such classification might be of potential use for deciphering protein interaction networks, understanding protein function, rational engineering and design. Description Protein binding regions (PBRs might be ideally described as well-defined separated regions that share no interacting residues one another. However, PBRs are often irregular, discontinuous and can share a wide range of interacting residues among them. The criteria to define an individual binding region can be often arbitrary and may differ from other binding regions within a protein family. Therefore, the rational behind protein interface classification should aim to fulfil the requirements of the analysis to be performed. We extract detailed interaction information of protein domains, peptides and interfacial solvent from the SCOWLP database and we classify the PBRs of each domain family. For this purpose, we define a similarity index based on the overlapping of interacting residues mapped in pair-wise structural alignments. We perform our classification with agglomerative hierarchical clustering using the complete-linkage method. Our classification is calculated at different similarity cut-offs to allow flexibility in the analysis of PBRs, feature especially interesting for those protein families with conflictive binding regions

  4. Trans-acting translational regulatory RNA binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, Robert F; Smith, Tom S; Mulroney, Thomas; Queiroz, Rayner M L; Pizzinga, Mariavittoria; Dezi, Veronica; Villenueva, Eneko; Ramakrishna, Manasa; Lilley, Kathryn S; Willis, Anne E

    2018-05-01

    The canonical molecular machinery required for global mRNA translation and its control has been well defined, with distinct sets of proteins involved in the processes of translation initiation, elongation and termination. Additionally, noncanonical, trans-acting regulatory RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are necessary to provide mRNA-specific translation, and these interact with 5' and 3' untranslated regions and coding regions of mRNA to regulate ribosome recruitment and transit. Recently it has also been demonstrated that trans-acting ribosomal proteins direct the translation of specific mRNAs. Importantly, it has been shown that subsets of RBPs often work in concert, forming distinct regulatory complexes upon different cellular perturbation, creating an RBP combinatorial code, which through the translation of specific subsets of mRNAs, dictate cell fate. With the development of new methodologies, a plethora of novel RNA binding proteins have recently been identified, although the function of many of these proteins within mRNA translation is unknown. In this review we will discuss these methodologies and their shortcomings when applied to the study of translation, which need to be addressed to enable a better understanding of trans-acting translational regulatory proteins. Moreover, we discuss the protein domains that are responsible for RNA binding as well as the RNA motifs to which they bind, and the role of trans-acting ribosomal proteins in directing the translation of specific mRNAs. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes Translation > Translation Regulation Translation > Translation Mechanisms. © 2018 Medical Research Council and University of Cambridge. WIREs RNA published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. The prenyl-binding protein PrBP/δ: a chaperone participating in intracellular trafficking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Houbin; Constantine, Ryan; Frederick, Jeanne M; Baehr, Wolfgang

    2012-12-15

    Expressed ubiquitously, PrBP/δ functions as chaperone/co-factor in the transport of a subset of prenylated proteins. PrBP/δ features an immunoglobulin-like β-sandwich fold for lipid binding, and interacts with diverse partners. PrBP/δ binds both C-terminal C15 and C20 prenyl side chains of phototransduction polypeptides and small GTP-binding (G) proteins of the Ras superfamily. PrBP/δ also interacts with the small GTPases, ARL2 and ARL3, which act as release factors (GDFs) for prenylated cargo. Targeted deletion of the mouse Pde6d gene encoding PrBP/δ resulted in impeded trafficking to the outer segments of GRK1 and cone PDE6 which are predicted to be farnesylated and geranylgeranylated, respectively. Rod and cone transducin trafficking was largely unaffected. These trafficking defects produce progressive cone-rod dystrophy in the Pde6d(-/-) mouse. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. On binding specificity of (6-4) photolyase to a T(6-4)T DNA photoproduct*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jepsen, Katrine Aalbæk; Solov'yov, Ilia A.

    2017-06-01

    Different factors lead to DNA damage and if it is not repaired in due time, the damaged DNA could initiate mutagenesis and cancer. To avoid this deadly scenario, specific enzymes can scavenge and repair the DNA, but the enzymes have to bind first to the damaged sites. We have investigated this binding for a specific enzyme called (6-4) photolyase, which is capable of repairing certain UV-induced damage in DNA. Through molecular dynamics simulations we describe the binding between photolyase and the DNA and reveal that several charged amino acid residues in the enzyme, such as arginines and lysines turn out to be important. Especially R421 is crucial, as it keeps the DNA strands at the damaged site inside the repair pocket of the enzyme separated. DNA photolyase is structurally highly homologous to a protein called cryptochrome. Both proteins are biologically activated similarly, namely through flavin co-factor photoexcitation. It is, however, striking that cryptochrome cannot repair UV-damaged DNA. The present investigation allowed us to conclude on the small but, apparently, critical differences between photolyase and cryptochrome. The performed analysis gives insight into important factors that govern the binding of UV-damaged DNA and reveal why cryptochrome cannot have this functionality.

  7. Characterization of cap binding proteins associated with the nucleus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patzelt, E.

    1986-04-01

    Eucaryotic mRNAs a carry 7-methylguanosine triphosphate residue (called cap structure) at their 5' terminus. The cap plays an important role in RNA recognition. Cap binding proteins (CBP) of HeLa cells were identified by photoaffinity labelling using the cap analogue γ-( 32 P)-(4-(benzoyl-phenyl)methylamido)-7-methylguanosine-5'-triphosphate (BP-m 7 GTP). Photoreaction of this cap analogue with HeLa cell initiation factors resulted in specific labelling of two polypeptides of Msub(r) 37000 and 26000. The latter was also labelled in crude initiation factors prepared from reticulocytes and is identical to the cap binding protein CBP I previously identified. These cap binding proteins were also affinity labelled in poliovirus infected cell extracts. Photoaffinity reaction with BP-m 7 GTP of whole HeLa cell homogenate showed three additional polypeptides with Msub(r) 120000, 89000 and 80000. These cap binding proteins were found to be associated with the nucleus and are therefore referred to as nuclear cap binding proteins, i.e. NCBP 1, NCBP 2 and NCBP 3. They were also present in splicing extracts. Photoaffinity labelling in these nuclear extracts was differentially inhibited by various cap analogues and capped mRNAs. Affinity chromatography on immobilized globin mRNA led to a partial separation of the three nuclear cap binding proteins. Chromatography on m 7 GTP-Sepharose resulted in a specific binding of NCBP 3. The different behaviour of the cap binding proteins suggests that they are functionally distinct and that they might be involved in different processes requiring cap recognition. (Author)

  8. Computational design of trimeric influenza-neutralizing proteins targeting the hemagglutinin receptor binding site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Strauch, Eva-Maria; Bernard, Steffen M.; La, David; Bohn, Alan J.; Lee, Peter S.; Anderson, Caitlin E.; Nieusma, Travis; Holstein, Carly A.; Garcia, Natalie K.; Hooper, Kathryn A.; Ravichandran, Rashmi; Nelson, Jorgen W.; Sheffler, William; Bloom, Jesse D.; Lee, Kelly K.; Ward, Andrew B.; Yager, Paul; Fuller, Deborah H.; Wilson, Ian A.; Baker , David (UWASH); (Scripps); (FHCRC)

    2017-06-12

    Many viral surface glycoproteins and cell surface receptors are homo-oligomers1, 2, 3, 4, and thus can potentially be targeted by geometrically matched homo-oligomers that engage all subunits simultaneously to attain high avidity and/or lock subunits together. The adaptive immune system cannot generally employ this strategy since the individual antibody binding sites are not arranged with appropriate geometry to simultaneously engage multiple sites in a single target homo-oligomer. We describe a general strategy for the computational design of homo-oligomeric protein assemblies with binding functionality precisely matched to homo-oligomeric target sites5, 6, 7, 8. In the first step, a small protein is designed that binds a single site on the target. In the second step, the designed protein is assembled into a homo-oligomer such that the designed binding sites are aligned with the target sites. We use this approach to design high-avidity trimeric proteins that bind influenza A hemagglutinin (HA) at its conserved receptor binding site. The designed trimers can both capture and detect HA in a paper-based diagnostic format, neutralizes influenza in cell culture, and completely protects mice when given as a single dose 24 h before or after challenge with influenza.

  9. Quantitative characterization of conformational-specific protein-DNA binding using a dual-spectral interferometric imaging biosensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xirui; Daaboul, George G.; Spuhler, Philipp S.; Dröge, Peter; Ünlü, M. Selim

    2016-03-01

    DNA-binding proteins play crucial roles in the maintenance and functions of the genome and yet, their specific binding mechanisms are not fully understood. Recently, it was discovered that DNA-binding proteins recognize specific binding sites to carry out their functions through an indirect readout mechanism by recognizing and capturing DNA conformational flexibility and deformation. High-throughput DNA microarray-based methods that provide large-scale protein-DNA binding information have shown effective and comprehensive analysis of protein-DNA binding affinities, but do not provide information of DNA conformational changes in specific protein-DNA complexes. Building on the high-throughput capability of DNA microarrays, we demonstrate a quantitative approach that simultaneously measures the amount of protein binding to DNA and nanometer-scale DNA conformational change induced by protein binding in a microarray format. Both measurements rely on spectral interferometry on a layered substrate using a single optical instrument in two distinct modalities. In the first modality, we quantitate the amount of binding of protein to surface-immobilized DNA in each DNA spot using a label-free spectral reflectivity technique that accurately measures the surface densities of protein and DNA accumulated on the substrate. In the second modality, for each DNA spot, we simultaneously measure DNA conformational change using a fluorescence vertical sectioning technique that determines average axial height of fluorophores tagged to specific nucleotides of the surface-immobilized DNA. The approach presented in this paper, when combined with current high-throughput DNA microarray-based technologies, has the potential to serve as a rapid and simple method for quantitative and large-scale characterization of conformational specific protein-DNA interactions.DNA-binding proteins play crucial roles in the maintenance and functions of the genome and yet, their specific binding mechanisms are

  10. Specific binding of a Pop6/Pop7 heterodimer to the P3 stem of the yeast RNase MRP and RNase P RNAs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perederina, Anna; Esakova, Olga; Koc, Hasan; Schmitt, Mark E; Krasilnikov, Andrey S

    2007-10-01

    Pop6 and Pop7 are protein subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNase MRP and RNase P. Here we show that bacterially expressed Pop6 and Pop7 form a soluble heterodimer that binds the RNA components of both RNase MRP and RNase P. Footprint analysis of the interaction between the Pop6/7 heterodimer and the RNase MRP RNA, combined with gel mobility assays, demonstrates that the Pop6/7 complex binds to a conserved region of the P3 domain. Binding of these proteins to the MRP RNA leads to local rearrangement in the structure of the P3 loop and suggests that direct interaction of the Pop6/7 complex with the P3 domain of the RNA components of RNases MRP and P may mediate binding of other protein components. These results suggest a role for a key element in the RNase MRP and RNase P RNAs in protein binding, and demonstrate the feasibility of directly studying RNA-protein interactions in the eukaryotic RNases MRP and P complexes.

  11. Probing protein phosphatase substrate binding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højlys-Larsen, Kim B.; Sørensen, Kasper Kildegaard; Jensen, Knud Jørgen

    2012-01-01

    Proteomics and high throughput analysis for systems biology can benefit significantly from solid-phase chemical tools for affinity pull-down of proteins from complex mixtures. Here we report the application of solid-phase synthesis of phosphopeptides for pull-down and analysis of the affinity...... profile of the integrin-linked kinase associated phosphatase (ILKAP), a member of the protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) family. Phosphatases can potentially dephosphorylate these phosphopeptide substrates but, interestingly, performing the binding studies at 4 °C allowed efficient binding to phosphopeptides......, without the need for phosphopeptide mimics or phosphatase inhibitors. As no proven ILKAP substrates were available, we selected phosphopeptide substrates among known PP2Cδ substrates including the protein kinases: p38, ATM, Chk1, Chk2 and RSK2 and synthesized directly on PEGA solid supports through a BAL...

  12. Atomic structure of nitrate-binding protein crucial for photosynthetic productivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koropatkin, Nicole M.; Pakrasi, Himadri B.; Smith, Thomas J.

    2006-06-27

    C) that regulates transport (4). NrtA binds both nitrate and nitrite (Kd = 0.3 mM) and is necessary for cell survival when nitrate is the primary nitrogen source (5). The role of NrtA is to scavenge nitrate/nitrite from the periplasm for delivery to the membrane permease, NrtB. The passage of solute through the transmembrane pore is linked to ATP hydrolysis by NrtC and NrtD. NrtD consists of a single ATPase domain. In contrast, NrtC contains both an ATPase domain and a Cterminal solute-binding domain that shares 50% amino acid sequence similarity with NrtA, and is required for the ammonium-mediated inhibition of nitrate transport (6, 7). Aside from the homologous transporter for bicarbonate, CmpABCD, there are no other known examples of ABC transporters that have an ATPase/solute-binding fusion component. The specificity of the nitrate transporter is conferred by NrtA (4). NrtA is ~49% identical (60% similar) in amino acid sequence to the bicarbonate receptor CmpA. In its entirety, it does not have significant homology to any other known protein. To elucidate the molecular determinants of nitrate specificity, we determined the crystal structure of the Synechocystis 6803 NrtA to 1.5 Å. While the general shape of NrtA is akin to that of other solute binding proteins, NrtA clearly represents a new and unique structural variant of these ‘C clamp’ proteins. From this structure and sequence alignments of other bicarbonate and nitrate transporters, the molecular basis for solute selectivity is clear and suggests that regulatory domains of both icarbonate and nitrate transport systems bind nitrate. Based on these findings, a model is presented that 4 demonstrates how such synergistic regulation of bicarbonate and nitrate transport is important in conserving energy during the process of carbon fixation and nitrogen assimilation.

  13. Further biochemical characterization of Mycobacterium leprae laminin-binding proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.A.M. Marques

    2001-04-01

    Full Text Available It has been demonstrated that the alpha2 chain of laminin-2 present on the surface of Schwann cells is involved in the process of attachment of Mycobacterium leprae to these cells. Searching for M. leprae laminin-binding molecules, in a previous study we isolated and characterized the cationic proteins histone-like protein (Hlp and ribosomal proteins S4 and S5 as potential adhesins involved in M. leprae-Schwann cell interaction. Hlp was shown to bind alpha2-laminins and to greatly enhance the attachment of mycobacteria to ST88-14 Schwann cells. In the present study, we investigated the laminin-binding capacity of the ribosomal proteins S4 and S5. The genes coding for these proteins were PCR amplified and their recombinant products were shown to bind alpha2-laminins in overlay assays. However, when tested in ELISA-based assays and in adhesion assays with ST88-14 cells, in contrast to Hlp, S4 and S5 failed to bind laminin and act as adhesins. The laminin-binding property and adhesin capacity of two basic host-derived proteins were also tested, and only histones, but not cytochrome c, were able to increase bacterial attachment to ST88-14 cells. Our data suggest that the alanine/lysine-rich sequences shared by Hlp and eukaryotic H1 histones might be involved in the binding of these cationic proteins to laminin.

  14. The HCM-linked W792R mutation in cardiac myosin-binding protein C reduces C6 FnIII domain stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smelter, Dan F; de Lange, Willem J; Cai, Wenxuan; Ge, Ying; Ralphe, J Carter

    2018-06-01

    Cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) is a functional sarcomeric protein that regulates contractility in response to contractile demand, and many mutations in cMyBP-C lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). To gain insight into the effects of disease-causing cMyBP-C missense mutations on contractile function, we expressed the pathogenic W792R mutation (substitution of a highly conserved tryptophan residue by an arginine residue at position 792) in mouse cardiomyocytes lacking endogenous cMyBP-C and studied the functional effects using three-dimensional engineered cardiac tissue constructs (mECTs). Based on complete conservation of tryptophan at this location in fibronectin type II (FnIII) domains, we hypothesized that the W792R mutation affects folding of the C6 FnIII domain, destabilizing the mutant protein. Adenoviral transduction of wild-type (WT) and W792R cDNA achieved equivalent mRNA transcript abundance, but not equivalent protein levels, with W792R compared with WT controls. mECTs expressing W792R demonstrated abnormal contractile kinetics compared with WT mECTs that were nearly identical to cMyBP-C-deficient mECTs. We studied whether common pathways of protein degradation were responsible for the rapid degradation of W792R cMyBP-C. Inhibition of both ubiquitin-proteasome and lysosomal degradation pathways failed to increase full-length mutant protein abundance to WT equivalence, suggesting rapid cytosolic degradation. Bacterial expression of WT and W792R protein fragments demonstrated decreased mutant stability with altered thermal denaturation and increased susceptibility to trypsin digestion. These data suggest that the W792R mutation destabilizes the C6 FnIII domain of cMyBP-C, resulting in decreased full-length protein expression. This study highlights the vulnerability of FnIII-like domains to mutations that alter domain stability and further indicates that missense mutations in cMyBP-C can cause disease through a mechanism of

  15. Ex-vivo in-vitro inhibition of lipopolysaccharide stimulated tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta secretion in human whole blood by extractum urticae dioicae foliorum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obertreis, B; Ruttkowski, T; Teucher, T; Behnke, B; Schmitz, H

    1996-04-01

    An extract of Urtica dioica folium (IDS 23, Rheuma-Hek), monographed positively for adjuvant therapy of rheumatic diseases and with known effects in partial inhibition of prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis in vitro, was investigated with respect to effects of the extract on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in human whole blood of healthy volunteers. In the assay system used, LPS stimulated human whole blood showed a straight increase of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) secretion reaching maximum concentrations within 24 h following a plateau and slight decrease up to 65 h, respectively. The concentrations of these cytokines was strongly positively correlated with the number of monocytes/macrophages of each volunteer. TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta concentration after LPS stimulation was significantly reduced by simultaneously given IDS 23 in a strictly dose dependent manner. At time 24 h these cytokine concentrations were reduced by 50.8% and 99.7%, respectively, using the highest test IDS 23 assay concentration of 5 mg/ml (p flavonoides such as caffeic malic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin and rutin did not influence LPS stimulated TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6 secretion in tested concentrations up to 5 x 10(-5) mol/l. These further findings on the pharmacological mechanism of action of Urticae dioica folia may explain the positive effects of this extract in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

  16. An overview of the prediction of protein DNA-binding sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Jingna; Zhao, Rui; Wu, Rongling

    2015-03-06

    Interactions between proteins and DNA play an important role in many essential biological processes such as DNA replication, transcription, splicing, and repair. The identification of amino acid residues involved in DNA-binding sites is critical for understanding the mechanism of these biological activities. In the last decade, numerous computational approaches have been developed to predict protein DNA-binding sites based on protein sequence and/or structural information, which play an important role in complementing experimental strategies. At this time, approaches can be divided into three categories: sequence-based DNA-binding site prediction, structure-based DNA-binding site prediction, and homology modeling and threading. In this article, we review existing research on computational methods to predict protein DNA-binding sites, which includes data sets, various residue sequence/structural features, machine learning methods for comparison and selection, evaluation methods, performance comparison of different tools, and future directions in protein DNA-binding site prediction. In particular, we detail the meta-analysis of protein DNA-binding sites. We also propose specific implications that are likely to result in novel prediction methods, increased performance, or practical applications.

  17. Different behaviour of radioiodinated human recombinant interleukin-1 and its receptor antagonist in an animal model of infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laken, C.J. van der; Boerman, O.C.; Oyen, W.J.G.; Ven, M.T.P. van den; Claessens, R.A.M.J.; Meer, J.W.M. van der; Corstens, F.H.M.

    1996-01-01

    Recently, we demonstrated that radiolabelled interleukin-1α (IL-1) specifically accumulates in focal infection in mice through interaction with its receptor. Unfortunately, systemic side-effects of IL-1 limit its clinical application. We investigated whether this problem could be circumvented by using the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), an equally sized protein that binds to the same receptors as IL-1 without induction of biological effects. Biodistribution of 125 I-IL-1 and 125 I-IL-1ra was determined in Swiss mice with Staphylococcus aureus-induced abscesses in the left calf muscle at 4, 12, 24 and 48 h after injection of either 0.4 MBq 125 I-IL-1 or 0.4 MBq 125 I-IL-1ra. In vitro, the proteins displayed similar binding characteristics. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis revealed a tendency for IL-1ra to associate with serum proteins. Both proteins rapidly cleared from most organs. However, the abscess uptake of 125 I-IL-1ra was significantly lower than that of 125 I-IL-1 at all time points (48 h p.i.: 0.06±0.01%ID/g vs 0.60±0.04%ID/g; P 125 I-IL-1ra, while the ratios for 125 I-IL-1 reached 46.9±5.7 at 48 h p.i. Despite similar in vitro receptor binding, the abscess uptake of IL-1ra was much lower than that of IL-1. The interaction of IL-1ra with serum proteins in vivo may reduce its availability for receptor binding in the infection. Although on theoretical grounds IL-1ra is very interesting, these characteristics will prevent its development as a clinically useful radiopharmaceutical to image infection. (orig.). With 4 figs., 2 tabs

  18. Role of interleukin-6 and pentraxin 3 as an early marker in Peyronie’s disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arda Atar

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Inflammation is mechanistically involved in the development of Peyronie’s disease (PD. The aim of this study is to assess the relevance of serum pentraxin 3 (PTX3 and interleukin-6 (IL-6 concentrations in PD. The study enrolled 40 patients with PD in the acute phase and 40 healthy controls. Plasma PTX3 and IL-6 concentrations were evaluated in 40 patients in the acute phase of PD and 40 healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum concentrations of both PTX3 and IL-6 were significantly higher in the PD patients than in the control group (p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively. There was a significant correlation between concentration of PTX3 and painful erections. IL-6 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with erectile dysfunction. IL-6 and PTX3 levels showed no correlation with age, serum C-reactive protein, degree of curvature, and disease duration. IL-6 trans-signaling and PTX3 amplification at the site of inflammation could have a role in pathophysiological mechanisms of PD. Biological drugs may be used for treatment during the acute phase of the disease based on this mechanism.

  19. Essential oil from leaves of Liquidambar formosana ameliorates inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide-activated mouse macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hua, Kuo-Feng; Yang, Tzu-Jung; Chiu, Huan-Wen; Ho, Chen-Lung

    2014-06-01

    The essential oil from Liquidambar formosana leaves (EOLF) was demonstrated to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in mouse macrophages. EOLF reduced nitrite oxide generation, secretion levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, and expression levels of prointerleukin-beta, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophages. EOLF also reduced NLRP3 inflammasome-derived interleukin-1beta secretion. The underlying mechanisms for the EOLF-mediated anti-inflammatory activity were (1) reduction of LPS-induced reactive oxygen species generation; (2) reduction of LPS-induced activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and p38 MAP kinase; (3) reduction of LPS-induced nuclear factor-kappaBeta activation. Furthermore, 25 compounds were identified in the EOLF using GC-FID and GC-MS and the major compounds were terpinen-4-ol (32.0%), beta-pinene (18.0%), gamma-terpinene (13.8%), and alpha-terpinene (9.7%). We found that LPS-induced nitrite oxide generation was inhibited significantly by terpinen-4-ol. Our results indicated that EOLF has anti-inflammatory activity and may provide a molecular rationale for future therapeutic interventions in immune modulation.

  20. Antibody response to the lipopolysaccharide and protein antigens of Salmonella typhi during typhoid infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, R.S.W.; Chau, P.Y.; Lam, S.K.

    1981-01-01

    Serum antibody responses to the lipopolysaccharide and protein antigens of S. typhi in typhoid patients were studied using a solid-phase radioimmunoassay technique with 125 I labelled anti-immunoglobulin antibody. Sera from 24 adult typhoid patients and 20 non-typhoid adult controls were compared. As a group, sera from typhoid patients showed increased IgA, IgG and IgM immunoglobulin levels and gave significantly higher anti-LPS and anti-protein antibody titres in all three major immunoglobulin classes than did non-typhoid controls. Levels of antibodies against LPS or protein in sera of typhoid patients were highly variable with a skew distribution. A good correlation was found between antibody titres to the LPS antigen and those to a protein antigen. No correlation, however, was found between the anti-LPS antibody titres measured by radioimmunoassay and the anti-O antibody titres measured by the Widal agglutination test. Titration of anti-LPS or anti-protein antibodies by radioimmunoassay was found to be more sensitive and specific than Widal test for the serological diagnosis of typhoid fever. The advantages of measuring antibody response by radioimmunoassay over conventional Widal test are discussed. (author)

  1. TAB2 Is Essential for Prevention of Apoptosis in Fetal Liver but Not for Interleukin-1 Signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanjo, Hideki; Takeda, Kiyoshi; Tsujimura, Tohru; Ninomiya-Tsuji, Jun; Matsumoto, Kunihiro; Akira, Shizuo

    2003-01-01

    The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) transmits a signal via several critical cytoplasmic proteins such as MyD88, IRAKs and TRAF6. Recently, serine/threonine kinase TAK1 and TAK1 binding protein 1 and 2 (TAB1/2) have been identified as molecules involved in IL-1-induced TRAF6-mediated activation of AP-1 and NF-κB via mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and IκB kinases, respectively. However, their physiological functions remain to be clarified. To elucidate their roles in vivo, we generated TAB2-deficient mice. The TAB2 deficiency was embryonic lethal due to liver degeneration and apoptosis. This phenotype was similar to that of NF-κB p65-, IKKβ-, and NEMO/IKKγ-deficient mice. However, the IL-1-induced activation of NF-κB and MAP kinases was not impaired in TAB2-deficient embryonic fibroblasts. These findings demonstrate that TAB2 is essential for embryonic development through prevention of liver apoptosis but not for the IL-1 receptor-mediated signaling pathway. PMID:12556483

  2. Cigarette smokers have exaggerated alveolar barrier disruption in response to lipopolysaccharide inhalation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moazed, Farzad; Burnham, Ellen L; Vandivier, R William; O'Kane, Cecilia M; Shyamsundar, Murali; Hamid, Umar; Abbott, Jason; Thickett, David R; Matthay, Michael A; McAuley, Daniel F; Calfee, Carolyn S

    2016-12-01

    Cigarette smoke exposure is associated with an increased risk of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); however, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain largely unknown. To assess pathways of lung injury and inflammation in smokers and non-smokers with and without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inhalation using established biomarkers. We measured plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) biomarkers of inflammation and lung injury in smokers and non-smokers in two distinct cohorts of healthy volunteers, one unstimulated (n=20) and one undergoing 50 μg LPS inhalation (n=30). After LPS inhalation, cigarette smokers had increased alveolar-capillary membrane permeability as measured by BAL total protein, compared with non-smokers (median 274 vs 208 μg/mL, p=0.04). Smokers had exaggerated inflammation compared with non-smokers, with increased BAL interleukin-1β (p=0.002), neutrophils (p=0.02), plasma interleukin-8 (p=0.003), and plasma matrix metalloproteinase-8 (p=0.006). Alveolar epithelial injury after LPS was more severe in smokers than non-smokers, with increased plasma (p=0.04) and decreased BAL (p=0.02) surfactant protein D. Finally, smokers had decreased BAL vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (p<0.0001) with increased soluble VEGF receptor-1 (p=0.0001). Cigarette smoke exposure may predispose to ARDS through an abnormal response to a 'second hit,' with increased alveolar-capillary membrane permeability, exaggerated inflammation, increased epithelial injury and endothelial dysfunction. LPS inhalation may serve as a useful experimental model for evaluation of the acute pulmonary effects of existing and new tobacco products. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  3. Dominant Alcohol-Protein Interaction via Hydration-Enabled Enthalpy-Driven Binding Mechanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chong, Yuan; Kleinhammes, Alfred; Tang, Pei; Xu, Yan; Wu, Yue

    2015-01-01

    Water plays an important role in weak associations of small drug molecules with proteins. Intense focus has been on binding-induced structural changes in the water network surrounding protein binding sites, especially their contributions to binding thermodynamics. However, water is also tightly coupled to protein conformations and dynamics, and so far little is known about the influence of water-protein interactions on ligand binding. Alcohols are a type of low-affinity drugs, and it remains unclear how water affects alcohol-protein interactions. Here, we present alcohol adsorption isotherms under controlled protein hydration using in-situ NMR detection. As functions of hydration level, Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of binding were determined from the temperature dependence of isotherms. Two types of alcohol binding were found. The dominant type is low-affinity nonspecific binding, which is strongly dependent on temperature and the level of hydration. At low hydration levels, this nonspecific binding only occurs above a threshold of alcohol vapor pressure. An increased hydration level reduces this threshold, with it finally disappearing at a hydration level of h~0.2 (g water/g protein), gradually shifting alcohol binding from an entropy-driven to an enthalpy-driven process. Water at charged and polar groups on the protein surface was found to be particularly important in enabling this binding. Although further increase in hydration has smaller effects on the changes of binding enthalpy and entropy, it results in significant negative change in Gibbs free energy due to unmatched enthalpy-entropy compensation. These results show the crucial role of water-protein interplay in alcohol binding. PMID:25856773

  4. Synergistic inhibition of the intrinsic factor X activation by protein S and C4b-binding protein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koppelman, S.J.

    1995-01-01

    The complement protein C4b-binding protein plays an important role in the regulation of the protein C anticoagulant pathway. C4b-binding protein can bind to protein S, thereby inhibiting the cofactor activity of protein S for activated protein C. In this report, we describe a new role for

  5. Calcium hydroxide suppresses Porphyromonas endodontalis lipopolysaccharide-induced bone destruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, J; Yang, D; Okamura, H; Teramachi, J; Ochiai, K; Qiu, L; Haneji, T

    2014-05-01

    Porphyromonas endodontalis and its main virulence factor, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), are associated with the development of periapical diseases and alveolar bone loss. Calcium hydroxide is commonly used for endodontic therapy. However, the effects of calcium hydroxide on the virulence of P. endodontalis LPS and the mechanism of P. endodontalis LPS-induced bone destruction are not clear. Calcium hydroxide rescued the P. endodontalis LPS-suppressed viability of MC3T3-E1 cells and activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in these cells, resulting in the reduced expression of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. In addition, calcium hydroxide inhibited P. endodontalis LPS-induced osteoclastogenesis by decreasing the activities of NF-κB, p38, and ERK1/2 and the expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cell cytoplasmic 1 in RAW264.7 cells. Calcium hydroxide also rescued the P. endodontalis LPS-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone destruction in mouse calvaria. Taken together, our present results indicate that calcium hydroxide suppressed bone destruction by attenuating the virulence of P. endodontalis LPS on bone cells.

  6. Structure-function relationships for the interleukin 2 receptor system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard J. Robb

    1987-01-01

    Full Text Available Receptors for interleukin 2 (IL-2 esit in at least three forms which differ in their subunit compositio, their affinity for ligand and their ability to mediate a cellular reponse. Type I receptors occur following cellular acitivation and consist of the 55,000 m. w. glycoprotein Tac. These receptors bind IL-2 with a low affinity, do not internalize ligand and have not been definitively associated with any response. Type II receptors, on the other hand, conssit of one or more glycoproteins of 70,000 m. w. which have been termed "beta ([beta] chains." They bind IL-2 with an intermediate affinity and rapidly internalize the ligand. [Beta] proteins mediate many cellular IL-2-dependent reponses, including the short-term activation of natural killer cells and the induction of Tac protein expression. Type III receptors consist of a ternary complex of the Tac protein, the [beta] chain(s and IL-2. They are characterized by a paricularly high affinity for ligand association. Type III receptors also internalize ligand and mediate IL-2-dependent responses at low factor concentrations. The identification of two independent IL-2-binding molecules, Tac and [beta], thus provides the elusive molecular explanation for the differences in IL-2 receptor affinity and suggests the potential for selective therapeutic manipulation of IL-2 reponses.

  7. Computational analysis of protein-protein interfaces involving an alpha helix: insights for terphenyl-like molecules binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isvoran, Adriana; Craciun, Dana; Martiny, Virginie; Sperandio, Olivier; Miteva, Maria A

    2013-06-14

    Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) are key for many cellular processes. The characterization of PPI interfaces and the prediction of putative ligand binding sites and hot spot residues are essential to design efficient small-molecule modulators of PPI. Terphenyl and its derivatives are small organic molecules known to mimic one face of protein-binding alpha-helical peptides. In this work we focus on several PPIs mediated by alpha-helical peptides. We performed computational sequence- and structure-based analyses in order to evaluate several key physicochemical and surface properties of proteins known to interact with alpha-helical peptides and/or terphenyl and its derivatives. Sequence-based analysis revealed low sequence identity between some of the analyzed proteins binding alpha-helical peptides. Structure-based analysis was performed to calculate the volume, the fractal dimension roughness and the hydrophobicity of the binding regions. Besides the overall hydrophobic character of the binding pockets, some specificities were detected. We showed that the hydrophobicity is not uniformly distributed in different alpha-helix binding pockets that can help to identify key hydrophobic hot spots. The presence of hydrophobic cavities at the protein surface with a more complex shape than the entire protein surface seems to be an important property related to the ability of proteins to bind alpha-helical peptides and low molecular weight mimetics. Characterization of similarities and specificities of PPI binding sites can be helpful for further development of small molecules targeting alpha-helix binding proteins.

  8. eMatchSite: sequence order-independent structure alignments of ligand binding pockets in protein models.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michal Brylinski

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Detecting similarities between ligand binding sites in the absence of global homology between target proteins has been recognized as one of the critical components of modern drug discovery. Local binding site alignments can be constructed using sequence order-independent techniques, however, to achieve a high accuracy, many current algorithms for binding site comparison require high-quality experimental protein structures, preferably in the bound conformational state. This, in turn, complicates proteome scale applications, where only various quality structure models are available for the majority of gene products. To improve the state-of-the-art, we developed eMatchSite, a new method for constructing sequence order-independent alignments of ligand binding sites in protein models. Large-scale benchmarking calculations using adenine-binding pockets in crystal structures demonstrate that eMatchSite generates accurate alignments for almost three times more protein pairs than SOIPPA. More importantly, eMatchSite offers a high tolerance to structural distortions in ligand binding regions in protein models. For example, the percentage of correctly aligned pairs of adenine-binding sites in weakly homologous protein models is only 4-9% lower than those aligned using crystal structures. This represents a significant improvement over other algorithms, e.g. the performance of eMatchSite in recognizing similar binding sites is 6% and 13% higher than that of SiteEngine using high- and moderate-quality protein models, respectively. Constructing biologically correct alignments using predicted ligand binding sites in protein models opens up the possibility to investigate drug-protein interaction networks for complete proteomes with prospective systems-level applications in polypharmacology and rational drug repositioning. eMatchSite is freely available to the academic community as a web-server and a stand-alone software distribution at http://www.brylinski.org/ematchsite.

  9. Template-directed covalent conjugation of DNA to native antibodies, transferrin and other metal-binding proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosen, Christian B.; Kodal, Anne L. B.; Nielsen, Jesper S.; Schaffert, David H.; Scavenius, Carsten; Okholm, Anders H.; Voigt, Niels V.; Enghild, Jan J.; Kjems, Jørgen; Tørring, Thomas; Gothelf, Kurt V.

    2014-09-01

    DNA-protein conjugates are important in bioanalytical chemistry, molecular diagnostics and bionanotechnology, as the DNA provides a unique handle to identify, functionalize or otherwise manipulate proteins. To maintain protein activity, conjugation of a single DNA handle to a specific location on the protein is often needed. However, preparing such high-quality site-specific conjugates often requires genetically engineered proteins, which is a laborious and technically challenging approach. Here we demonstrate a simpler method to create site-selective DNA-protein conjugates. Using a guiding DNA strand modified with a metal-binding functionality, we directed a second DNA strand to the vicinity of a metal-binding site of His6-tagged or wild-type metal-binding proteins, such as serotransferrin, where it subsequently reacted with lysine residues at that site. This method, DNA-templated protein conjugation, facilitates the production of site-selective protein conjugates, and also conjugation to IgG1 antibodies via a histidine cluster in the constant domain.

  10. Oryza sativa (Rice) Hull Extract Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Response in RAW264.7 Macrophages by Suppressing Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase, c-Jun N-terminal Kinase, and Nuclear Factor-κB Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Sang Keun; Sung, Jeehye; Choi, Inwook; Kim, Yoonsook

    2016-01-01

    Rice ( Oryza sativa ) is a major cereal crop in many Asian countries and an important staple food source. Rice hulls have been reported to possess antioxidant activities. In this study, we evaluated the antiinflammatory effects of rice hull extract and associated signal transduction mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. We found that rice hull extract inhibited nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E 2 by suppressing the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, respectively. The release of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α was also reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, rice hull extract attenuated the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), as well as the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. This suggests that rice hull extract decreases the production of inflammatory mediators by downregulating ERK and JNK and the NF-κB signal pathway in RAW 264.7 cells. Rice hull extract inhibits the lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in RAW264.7 macrophages.Rice hull extract inhibited nitric oxide and prostaglandin E 2 by suppressing the expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, respectively.Rice hull extract exerted anti-inflammatory effect through inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathways.Rice hull extract may provide a potential therapeutic approach for inflammatory diseases. Abbreviations used: COX-2: cyclooxygenase-2, ERK: extracellular signal-regulated kinase, IκB: inhibitory kappa B, IL-1β: interleukin-1β, iNOS: inducible NO synthase, JNK: c-Jun N-terminal kinase, LPS: lipopolysaccharide, MAPKs: mitogen-activated protein kinases, NF-κB: nuclear factor-κB, NO: nitric oxide, PGE2: prostaglandin E2, RHE: rice hull extract, ROS: reactive oxygen species

  11. Ion Binding Energies Determining Functional Transport of ClC Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Tao; Guo, Xu; Zou, Xian-Wu; Sang, Jian-Ping

    2014-06-01

    The ClC-type proteins, a large family of chloride transport proteins ubiquitously expressed in biological organisms, have been extensively studied for decades. Biological function of ClC proteins can be reflected by analyzing the binding situation of Cl- ions. We investigate ion binding properties of ClC-ec1 protein with the atomic molecular dynamics simulation approach. The calculated electrostatic binding energy results indicate that Cl- at the central binding site Scen has more binding stability than the internal binding site Sint. Quantitative comparison between the latest experimental heat release data isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and our calculated results demonstrates that chloride ions prefer to bind at Scen than Sint in the wild-type ClC-ec1 structure and prefer to bind at Sext and Scen than Sint in mutant E148A/E148Q structures. Even though the chloride ions make less contribution to heat release when binding to Sint and are relatively unstable in the Cl- pathway, they are still part contributors for the Cl- functional transport. This work provides a guide rule to estimate the importance of Cl- at the binding sites and how chloride ions have influences on the function of ClC proteins.

  12. Effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin 6 on the growth of leukemic blasts in suspension culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsao, C J; Cheng, T Y; Chang, S L; Su, W J; Tseng, J Y

    1992-05-01

    We examined the stimulatory effects of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin 6 (IL)-6 on the in vitro proliferation of leukemic blast cells from patients with acute leukemia. Bone marrow or peripheral blood leukemic blast cells were obtained from 21 patients, including 14 cases of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), four cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), two cases of acute undifferentiated leukemia, and one case of acute mixed-lineage leukemia. The proliferation of leukemic blast cells was evaluated by measuring the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into cells incubated with various concentrations of cytokines for 3 days. GM-CSF stimulated the DNA synthesis (with greater than 2.0 stimulation index) of blast cells in 9 of 14 (64%) AML cases, two cases of acute undifferentiated leukemia and one case of acute mixed-lineage leukemia. Only two cases of AML blasts responded to IL-6 to grow in the short-term suspension cultures. GM-CSF and IL-6 did not display a synergistic effect on the growth of leukemic cells. Moreover, GM-CSF and IL-6 did not stimulate the proliferation of ALL blast cells. Binding study also revealed the specific binding of GM-CSF on the blast cells of acute undifferentiated leukemia and acute mixed-lineage leukemia. Our results indicated that leukemic blast cells of acute undifferentiated leukemia and acute mixed-lineage leukemia possessed functional GM-CSF receptors.

  13. Rapid identification of DNA-binding proteins by mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordhoff, E.; Korgsdam, A.-M.; Jørgensen, H.F.

    1999-01-01

    We report a protocol for the rapid identification of DNA-binding proteins. Immobilized DNA probes harboring a specific sequence motif are incubated with cell or nuclear extract. Proteins are analyzed directly off the solid support by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass...... was validated by the identification of known prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA-binding proteins, and its use provided evidence that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase exhibits DNA sequence-specific binding to DNA....

  14. Protein Binding Capacity of Different Forages Tannin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusiati, L. M.; Kurniawati, A.; Hanim, C.; Anas, M. A.

    2018-02-01

    Eight forages of tannin sources(Leucaena leucocephala, Arachis hypogaea, Mimosa pudica, Morus alba L, Swietenia mahagoni, Manihot esculenta, Gliricidia sepium, and Bauhinia purpurea)were evaluated their tannin content and protein binding capacity. The protein binding capacity of tannin were determined using precipitation of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Swietenia mahagonihas higest total tannin level and condensed tannin (CT) compared with other forages (P<0.01). The Leucaena leucocephala has highest hydrolysable tannin (HT) level (P<0.01). The total and condensed tannin content of Swietenia mahagoni were 11.928±0.04 mg/100 mg and 9.241±0.02mg/100mg dry matter (DM) of leaves. The hydrolysable tannin content of Leucaena leucocephala was 5.338±0.03 mg/100 mg DM of leaves. Binding capacity was highest in Swietenia mahagoni and Leucaena leucocephala compared to the other forages (P<0.01). The optimum binding of BSA to tannin in Leucaena leucocephala and Swietenia mahagoniwere1.181±0.44 and 1.217±0.60mg/mg dry matter of leaves. The present study reports that Swietenia mahagoni has highest of tannin content and Leucaena leucocephala and Swietenia mahagoni capacity of protein binding.

  15. Influence of glucoregulation quality on c-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α level in patients with diabetes type 1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitrović Milena

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Results of studies which have proved an increased inflammatory activity in diabetes type 1, have been published over recent years. One of possible mechanisms that are used to explain chronic inflammation in diabetes is the state of hyperglycemia leading to the enhanced synthesis of glycosylation end products (AGEs which activate macrophages, increase the oxidative stress and affect the synthesis of interleukins (IL-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α and C-reactive protein (CRP. The aim of the study was to determine the inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-α in patients with diabetes type 1 and to establish their correlation with glucoregulation parameters and other cardiovascular risk factors as well as to compare them with the healthy controls. Methods. The study included 76 patients with diabetes type 1 and 30 healthy controls. We determined values of inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-α and glucoregulation parameters (fasting glucose HbA1c. Results. The values of CRP (p = 0.014, IL-6 (p = 0.020 and TNF-α (p = 0.037 were statistically significantly higher in the diabetic patients than in the healthy controls. There was a positive correlation between CRP with postprandial glycemia (p = 0.004; the multivariate regression analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between CRP and age (p = 0.001, smoking (p = 0.055, fasting glucose (p = 0.021 and triglycerides (p = 0.048 as well as between IL-6 and LDLcholesterol (p = 0,009. No statistically significant correlations were found between glycosilated hemoglobin (HbA1c and the inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α. Conclusion. The patients with type 1 diabetes were found to have a low level of inflammatory activity manifested by the increased values of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α.

  16. Influence of glucoregulation quality on C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha level in patients with diabetes type 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitrović, Milena; Ilić, Tatjana; Stokić, Edita; Paro, Jovanka Novaković; Naglić, Dragana Tomić; Bajkin, Ivana; Icin, Tijana

    2011-09-01

    Results of studies which have proved an increased inflammatory activity in diabetes type 1, have been published over recent years. One of possible mechanisms that are used to explain chronic inflammation in diabetes is the state of hyperglycemia leading to the enhanced synthesis of glycosylation end products (AGEs) which activate macrophages, increase the oxidative stress and affect the synthesis of interleukins (IL-1, IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (CRP). The aim of the study was to determine the inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha) in patients with diabetes type 1 and to establish their correlation with glucoregulation parameters and other cardiovascular risk factors as well as to compare them with the healthy controls. The study included 76 patients with diabetes type 1 and 30 healthy controls. We determined values of inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha) and glucoregulation parameters (fasting glucose HbA(1c)). The values of CRP (p = 0.014), IL-6 (p = 0.020) and TNF-alpha (p = 0.037) were statistically significantly higher in the diabetic patients than in the healthy controls. There was a positive correlation between CRP with postprandial glycemia (p = 0.004); the multivariate regression analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between CRP and age (p = 0.001), smoking (p = 0.055), fasting glucose (p = 0.021) and triglycerides (p = 0.048) as well as between IL-6 and LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.009). No statistically significant correlations were found between glycosilated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) and the inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha). The patients with type 1 diabetes were found to have a low level of inflammatory activity manifested by the increased values of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha.

  17. DNABP: Identification of DNA-Binding Proteins Based on Feature Selection Using a Random Forest and Predicting Binding Residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xin; Guo, Jing; Sun, Xiao

    2016-01-01

    DNA-binding proteins are fundamentally important in cellular processes. Several computational-based methods have been developed to improve the prediction of DNA-binding proteins in previous years. However, insufficient work has been done on the prediction of DNA-binding proteins from protein sequence information. In this paper, a novel predictor, DNABP (DNA-binding proteins), was designed to predict DNA-binding proteins using the random forest (RF) classifier with a hybrid feature. The hybrid feature contains two types of novel sequence features, which reflect information about the conservation of physicochemical properties of the amino acids, and the binding propensity of DNA-binding residues and non-binding propensities of non-binding residues. The comparisons with each feature demonstrated that these two novel features contributed most to the improvement in predictive ability. Furthermore, to improve the prediction performance of the DNABP model, feature selection using the minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) method combined with incremental feature selection (IFS) was carried out during the model construction. The results showed that the DNABP model could achieve 86.90% accuracy, 83.76% sensitivity, 90.03% specificity and a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.727. High prediction accuracy and performance comparisons with previous research suggested that DNABP could be a useful approach to identify DNA-binding proteins from sequence information. The DNABP web server system is freely available at http://www.cbi.seu.edu.cn/DNABP/.

  18. 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 ...

  19. An Overview of the Prediction of Protein DNA-Binding Sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingna Si

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Interactions between proteins and DNA play an important role in many essential biological processes such as DNA replication, transcription, splicing, and repair. The identification of amino acid residues involved in DNA-binding sites is critical for understanding the mechanism of these biological activities. In the last decade, numerous computational approaches have been developed to predict protein DNA-binding sites based on protein sequence and/or structural information, which play an important role in complementing experimental strategies. At this time, approaches can be divided into three categories: sequence-based DNA-binding site prediction, structure-based DNA-binding site prediction, and homology modeling and threading. In this article, we review existing research on computational methods to predict protein DNA-binding sites, which includes data sets, various residue sequence/structural features, machine learning methods for comparison and selection, evaluation methods, performance comparison of different tools, and future directions in protein DNA-binding site prediction. In particular, we detail the meta-analysis of protein DNA-binding sites. We also propose specific implications that are likely to result in novel prediction methods, increased performance, or practical applications.

  20. STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF PLANT CHITINASES AND CHITIN-BINDING PROTEINS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    BEINTEMA, JJ

    1994-01-01

    Structural features of plant chitinases and chitin-binding proteins are discussed. Many of these proteins consist of multiple domains,of which the chitin-binding hevein domain is a predominant one. X-ray and NMR structures of representatives of the major classes of these proteins are available now,

  1. Purification of a sarcoplasmic reticulum protein that binds Ca2+ and plasma lipoproteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, S.L.; Brown, M.S.; Lee, E.; Pathak, R.K.; Anderson, R.G.; Goldstein, J.L.

    1989-01-01

    A protein in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit skeletal and cardiac muscle was identified because of its ability to bind 125I-labeled low density lipoprotein (LDL) with high affinity after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This protein, referred to as the 165-kDa protein, is restricted to striated muscle. It was not detected in 14 other tissues, including several that contain smooth muscle, but it appears in rat L6 myoblasts when they differentiate into myocytes. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopic studies revealed that the protein is present throughout the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the terminal cisternae. It binds 45Ca2+ on nitrocellulose blots and stains metachromatically with Stains-all, a cationic dye that stains Ca2+-binding proteins. It does not appear to be a glycoprotein, and it appears slightly larger than the 160-kDa glycoprotein previously described in sarcoplasmic reticulum. The 165-kDa protein binds LDL, beta-migrating very low density lipoprotein, and a cholesterol-induced high density lipoprotein particle that contains apoprotein E as its sole apoprotein with much higher affinity than it binds high density lipoprotein. The protein is stable to boiling and to treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, but it becomes sensitive to these treatments when its cystine residues are reduced and alkylated. The protein was purified 1300-fold to apparent homogeneity from rabbit skeletal muscle membranes. It differs from the cell surface LDL receptor in that (1) its apparent molecular weight is not changed by reduction and alkylation; (2) it is present in Watanabe-heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits, which lack functional LDL receptors; (3) binding of lipoproteins is not inhibited by EDTA; and (4) it is located within the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum where it has no access to plasma lipoproteins

  2. Characterization of a receptor for human monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor/interleukin-8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grob, P.M.; David, E.; Warren, T.C.; DeLeon, R.P.; Farina, P.R.; Homon, C.A.

    1990-01-01

    Monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor/interleukin-8 (MDNCF/IL-8) is an 8,000-dalton protein produced by monocytes which exhibits activity as a chemoattractant for neutrophils with maximal activity achieved at a concentration of 50 ng/ml. This polypeptide has been iodinated by chloramine-T methodology (350 Ci/mM), and specific receptors for MDNCF/IL-8 have been detected on human neutrophils, U937 cells, THP-1 cells, and dimethyl sulfoxide-differentiated HL-60 cells. The binding of MDNCF/IL-8 to human neutrophils is not inhibited by interleukin-1 alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, insulin, or epidermal growth factor. In addition, chemoattractants such as C5a, fMet-Leu-Phe, leukotriene B4, and platelet-activating factor fail to inhibit binding, suggesting that MDNCF/IL-8 utilizes a unique receptor. The receptor for MDNCF/IL-8 is apparently glycosylated since ligand binding is inhibited by the presence of wheat germ agglutinin, a lectin with a binding specificity for N-acetylglucosamine and neuraminic acid. Steady state binding experiments indicate Kd values of 4 and 0.5 nM and receptor numbers of 75,000 and 7,400 for human neutrophils and differentiated HL-60 cells, respectively. 125I-MDNCF/IL-8 bound to human neutrophils is rapidly internalized and subsequently released from cells as trichloroacetic acid-soluble radioactivity. Affinity labeling experiments suggest that the human neutrophil MDNCF/IL-8 receptor exhibits a mass of approximately 58,000 daltons

  3. A tool for calculating binding-site residues on proteins from PDB structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hu Jing

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the research on protein functional sites, researchers often need to identify binding-site residues on a protein. A commonly used strategy is to find a complex structure from the Protein Data Bank (PDB that consists of the protein of interest and its interacting partner(s and calculate binding-site residues based on the complex structure. However, since a protein may participate in multiple interactions, the binding-site residues calculated based on one complex structure usually do not reveal all binding sites on a protein. Thus, this requires researchers to find all PDB complexes that contain the protein of interest and combine the binding-site information gleaned from them. This process is very time-consuming. Especially, combing binding-site information obtained from different PDB structures requires tedious work to align protein sequences. The process becomes overwhelmingly difficult when researchers have a large set of proteins to analyze, which is usually the case in practice. Results In this study, we have developed a tool for calculating binding-site residues on proteins, TCBRP http://yanbioinformatics.cs.usu.edu:8080/ppbindingsubmit. For an input protein, TCBRP can quickly find all binding-site residues on the protein by automatically combining the information obtained from all PDB structures that consist of the protein of interest. Additionally, TCBRP presents the binding-site residues in different categories according to the interaction type. TCBRP also allows researchers to set the definition of binding-site residues. Conclusion The developed tool is very useful for the research on protein binding site analysis and prediction.

  4. Dietary Supplementation with Lactobacillus casei Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Liver Injury in a Porcine Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Di Zhao

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to determine whether Lactobacillus casei (L. casei could relieve liver injury in piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS. Piglets were randomly allocated into one of the three groups: control, LPS, and L. casei. The control and LPS groups were fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet, whereas the L. casei group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 6 × 106 cfu/g L. casei. On Day 31 of the trial, piglets in the LPS and L. casei groups received intraperitoneal administration of LPS (100 µg/kg body weight, while the control group received the same volume of saline. Blood and liver samples were collected for analysis. Results showed that L. casei supplementation decreased the feed/gain ratio (p = 0.027 and diarrhea incidence (p < 0.001, and attenuated LPS-induced liver histomorphological abnormalities. Compared with the control group, LPS challenge dramatically increased glutamyl transpeptidase activity (p = 0.001 in plasma as well as the concentrations of Interleukin 6 (IL-6 (p = 0.048, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α (p = 0.041, and Malondialdehyde (MDA (p = 0.001 in the liver, while decreasing the hepatic SOD activity. LPS also increased (p < 0.05 the mRNA levels for IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4, Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB and Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70 in the liver. The adverse effects of LPS challenge were ameliorated by L. casei supplementation. In conclusion, dietary L. casei alleviates LPS-induced liver injury via reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing anti-oxidative capacity.

  5. Interleukin-6 markedly decreases skeletal muscle protein turnover and increases nonmuscle amino acid utilization in healthy individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Hall, Gerrit; Steensberg, Adam; Fischer, Christian

    2008-01-01

    CONTEXT: IL-6 is a key modulator of immune function and suggested to be involved in skeletal muscle wasting as seen in sepsis. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the role of IL-6 in human in vivo systemic and skeletal muscle amino acid metabolism and protein turnover. SUBJECTS AND METHODS...... synthesis was more suppressed than breakdown, causing a small increase in net muscle protein breakdown. Furthermore, rhIL-6 decreased arterial amino acid concentration with 20-40%, despite the increase net release from muscle. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that IL-6 profoundly alters amino acid turnover....... A substantial decrease in plasma amino acids was observed with a concomitant 50% decrease in muscle protein turnover, however, modest increase in net muscle degradation. We hypothesize that the profound reduction in muscle protein turnover and modest increase in net degradation are primarily caused...

  6. A study on antigenicity and receptor-binding ability of fragment 450-650 of the spike protein of SARS coronavirus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jincun; Wang Wei; Yuan Zhihong; Jia Rujing; Zhao Zhendong; Xu Xiaojun; Lv Ping; Zhang Yan; Jiang Chengyu; Gao Xiaoming

    2007-01-01

    The spike (S) protein of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is responsible for viral binding with ACE2 molecules. Its receptor-binding motif (S-RBM) is located between residues 424 and 494, which folds into 2 anti-parallel β-sheets, β5 and β6. We have previously demonstrated that fragment 450-650 of the S protein (S450-650) is predominantly recognized by convalescent sera of SARS patients. The N-terminal 60 residues (450-510) of the S450-650 fragment covers the entire β6 strand of S-RBM. In the present study, we demonstrate that patient sera predominantly recognized 2 linear epitopes outside the β6 fragment, while the mouse antisera, induced by immunization of BALB/c mice with recombinant S450-650, mainly recognized the β6 strand-containing region. Unlike patient sera, however, the mouse antisera were unable to inhibit the infectivity of S protein-expressing (SARS-CoV-S) pseudovirus. Fusion protein between green fluorescence protein (GFP) and S450-650 (S450-650-GFP) was able to stain Vero E6 cells and deletion of the β6 fragment rendered the fusion product (S511-650-GFP) unable to do so. Similarly, recombinant S450-650, but not S511-650, was able to block the infection of Vero E6 cells by the SARS-CoV-S pseudovirus. Co-precipitation experiments confirmed that S450-650 was able to specifically bind with ACE2 molecules in lysate of Vero E6 cells. However, the ability of S450-510, either alone or in fusion with GFP, to bind with ACE2 was significantly poorer compared with S450-650. Our data suggest a possibility that, although the β6 strand alone is able to bind with ACE2 with relatively high affinity, residues outside the S-RBM could also assist the receptor binding of SARS-CoV-S protein

  7. Cleavage of host cytokeratin-6 by lysine-specific gingipain induces gingival inflammation in periodontitis patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salunya Tancharoen

    Full Text Available Lysine-specific gingipain (Kgp is a virulence factor secreted from Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis, a major etiological bacterium of periodontal disease. Keratin intermediate filaments maintain the structural integrity of gingival epithelial cells, but are targeted by Kgp to produce a novel cytokeratin 6 fragment (K6F. We investigated the release of K6F and its induction of cytokine secretion.K6F present in the gingival crevicular fluid of periodontal disease patients and in gingipain-treated rat gingival epithelial cell culture supernatants was measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer-based rapid quantitative peptide analysis using BLOTCHIP. K6F in gingival tissues was immunostained, and cytokeratin 6 protein was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry. Activation of MAPK in gingival epithelial cells was evaluated by immunoblotting. ELISA was used to measure K6F and the cytokines release induced by K6F. Human gingival fibroblast migration was assessed using a Matrigel invasion chamber assay.We identified K6F, corresponding to the C-terminus region of human cytokeratin 6 (amino acids 359-378, in the gingival crevicular fluid of periodontal disease patients and in the supernatant from gingival epithelial cells cultured with Kgp. K6F antigen was distributed from the basal to the spinous epithelial layers in gingivae from periodontal disease patients. Cytokeratin 6 on gingival epithelial cells was degraded by Kgp, but not by Arg-gingipain, P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide or Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide. K6F, but not a scrambled K6F peptide, induced human gingival fibroblast migration and secretion of interleukin (IL-6, IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. These effects of K6F were mediated by activation of p38 MAPK and Jun N-terminal kinase, but not p42/44 MAPK or p-Akt.Kgp degrades gingival epithelial cell cytokeratin 6 to K6F that, on

  8. Circulating interleukin-6 in relation to adiposity, insulin action, and insulin secretion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vozarova, B; Weyer, C; Hanson, K

    2001-01-01

    Plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine produced and released in part by adipose tissue, are elevated in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Because recent studies suggest that markers of inflammation predict the development of type 2 diabetes, we examined w...... whether circulating plasma IL-6 concentrations were related to direct measures of insulin resistance and insulin secretory dysfunction in Pima Indians, a population with high rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes....

  9. Intramolecular interaction influences binding of the Flax L5 and L6 resistance proteins to their AvrL567 ligands.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Ravensdale

    Full Text Available L locus resistance (R proteins are nucleotide binding (NB-ARC leucine-rich repeat (LRR proteins from flax (Linum usitatissimum that provide race-specific resistance to the causal agent of flax rust disease, Melampsora lini. L5 and L6 are two alleles of the L locus that directly recognize variants of the fungal effector AvrL567. In this study, we have investigated the molecular details of this recognition by site-directed mutagenesis of AvrL567 and construction of chimeric L proteins. Single, double and triple mutations of polymorphic residues in a variety of AvrL567 variants showed additive effects on recognition strength, suggesting that multiple contact points are involved in recognition. Domain-swap experiments between L5 and L6 show that specificity differences are determined by their corresponding LRR regions. Most positively selected amino acid sites occur in the N- and C-terminal LRR units, and polymorphisms in the first seven and last four LRR units contribute to recognition specificity of L5 and L6 respectively. This further confirms that multiple, additive contact points occur between AvrL567 variants and either L5 or L6. However, we also observed that recognition of AvrL567 is affected by co-operative polymorphisms between both adjacent and distant domains of the R protein, including the TIR, ARC and LRR domains, implying that these residues are involved in intramolecular interactions to optimize detection of the pathogen and defense signal activation. We suggest a model where Avr ligand interaction directly competes with intramolecular interactions to cause activation of the R protein.

  10. Puerarin exerts antipyretic effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced fever in rats involving inhibition of pyrogen production from macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Xiu-Juan; Yin, Ji-Ai; Xia, Yu-Feng; Wei, Zhi-Feng; Luo, Yu-Bin; Liu, Mei; Feleder, Carlos; Dai, Yue

    2012-05-07

    Puerarin is the most abundant isoflavonoid in Radix Puerariae (Gegen), which has been prescribed as a medicinal herb for treating fever in China for a long history. The present study aimed at evaluating the antipyretic effect of puerarin and revealing the related mechanisms. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced fever in rats was used to assess the antipyretic effect of puerarin. After an intraperitoneal injection of LPS (100μg/kg), body temperature was tested every 30min up to 8h. Different doses of puerarin (25, 50, 100mg/kg) were intraperitoneally administered 30min before LPS injection. In vitro, LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were treated with various concentrations of puerarin (25-200μM). The pyrogenic mediators, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and nitric oxide (NO), were examined on both transcription and expression levels. Furthermore, the influences of the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) by puerarin were assayed by western blot. The intraperitoneal administration of puerarin at test doses clearly demonstrated apparent antipyretic effect through the declines in body temperature elevated by LPS in rats. The in vitro data showed that puerarin inhibited the production of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, PGE(2) and NO; moreover, the RT-PCR analysis and the western blot analysis indicated that puerarin regulated the transcriptional level via suppression of NF-κB activation and blockade of MAPK signal pathway. In summary, the antipyretic property of puerarin might result, at least in part, from an inhibition of endogenous pyrogen production and expression. Taken in this sense, our findings provide an explanation for puerarin acting as an important constituent in Gegen, thus, provide scientific basis for the wide use of Radix Puerariae in China as a traditional antipyretic. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland

  11. Estrogen receptor-independent catechol estrogen binding activity: protein binding studies in wild-type, Estrogen receptor-alpha KO, and aromatase KO mice tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philips, Brian J; Ansell, Pete J; Newton, Leslie G; Harada, Nobuhiro; Honda, Shin-Ichiro; Ganjam, Venkataseshu K; Rottinghaus, George E; Welshons, Wade V; Lubahn, Dennis B

    2004-06-01

    Primary evidence for novel estrogen signaling pathways is based upon well-documented estrogenic responses not inhibited by estrogen receptor antagonists. In addition to 17beta-E2, the catechol estrogen 4-hydroxyestradiol (4OHE2) has been shown to elicit biological responses independent of classical estrogen receptors in estrogen receptor-alpha knockout (ERalphaKO) mice. Consequently, our research was designed to biochemically characterize the protein(s) that could be mediating the biological effects of catechol estrogens using enzymatically synthesized, radiolabeled 4-hydroxyestrone (4OHE1) and 4OHE2. Scatchard analyses identified a single class of high-affinity (K(d) approximately 1.6 nM), saturable cytosolic binding sites in several ERalphaKO estrogen-responsive tissues. Specific catechol estrogen binding was competitively inhibited by unlabeled catechol estrogens, but not by 17beta-E2 or the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780. Tissue distribution studies indicated significant binding differences both within and among various tissues in wild-type, ERalphaKO, and aromatase knockout female mice. Ligand metabolism experiments revealed extensive metabolism of labeled catechol estrogen, suggesting that catechol estrogen metabolites were responsible for the specific binding. Collectively, our data provide compelling evidence for the interaction of catechol estrogen metabolites with a novel binding protein that exhibits high affinity, specificity, and selective tissue distribution. The extensive biochemical characterization of this binding protein indicates that this protein may be a receptor, and thus may mediate ERalpha/beta-independent effects of catechol estrogens and their metabolites.

  12. Plant RNA binding proteins for control of RNA virus infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung Un eHuh

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Plant RNA viruses have effective strategies to infect host plants through either direct or indirect interactions with various host proteins, thus suppressing the host immune system. When plant RNA viruses enter host cells exposed RNAs of viruses are recognized by the host immune system through processes such as siRNA-dependent silencing. Interestingly, some host RNA binding proteins have been involved in the inhibition of RNA virus replication, movement, and translation through RNA-specific binding. Host plants intensively use RNA binding proteins for defense against viral infections in nature. In this mini review, we will summarize the function of some host RNA binding proteins which act in a sequence-specific binding manner to the infecting virus RNA. It is important to understand how plants effectively suppresses RNA virus infections via RNA binding proteins, and this defense system can be potentially developed as a synthetic virus defense strategy for use in crop engineering.

  13. Fragile X mental retardation protein: A paradigm for translational control by RNA-binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Eileen; Joseph, Simpson

    2015-07-01

    Translational control is a common mechanism used to regulate gene expression and occur in bacteria to mammals. Typically in translational control, an RNA-binding protein binds to a unique sequence in the mRNA to regulate protein synthesis by the ribosomes. Alternatively, a protein may bind to or modify a translation factor to globally regulate protein synthesis by the cell. Here, we review translational control by the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), the absence of which causes the neurological disease, fragile X syndrome (FXS). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Société française de biochimie et biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  14. Genome-wide association study of genetic variants in LPS-stimulated IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1ra and TNF-α cytokine response in a Danish Cohort

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Margit Hørup; Albrechtsen, Anders; Thørner, Lise Wegner

    2013-01-01

    Cytokine response plays a vital role in various human lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infectious and inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to find genetic variants that might affect the levels of LPS-induced interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1ra and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α cytokine production....

  15. Detection and properties of A-factor-binding protein from Streptomyces griseus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyake, K.; Horinouchi, S.; Yoshida, M.; Chiba, N.; Mori, K.; Nogawa, N.; Morikawa, N.; Beppu, T.

    1989-01-01

    The optically active form of tritium-labeled A-factor (2-isocapryloyl-3R-hydroxymethyl-gamma-butyrolactone), a pleiotropic autoregulator responsible for streptomycin production, streptomycin resistance, and sporulation in Streptomyces griseus, was chemically synthesized. By using the radioactive A-factor, a binding protein for A-factor was detected in the cytoplasmic fraction of this organism. The binding protein had an apparent molecular weight of approximately 26,000, as determined by gel filtration. Scatchard analysis suggested that A-factor bound the protein in the molar ratio of 1:1 with a binding constant, Kd, of 0.7 nM. The number of the binding protein was roughly estimated to be 37 per genome. The inducing material virginiae butanolide C (VB-C), which has a structure very similar to that of A-factor and is essential for virginiamycin production in Streptomyces virginiae, did not inhibit binding. In addition, no protein capable of specifically binding 3 H-labeled VB-C was found in S. griseus. Together with the observation that VB-C had almost no biological activity on the restoration of streptomycin production or sporulation in an A-factor-deficient mutant of S. griseus, these results indicated that the binding protein had a strict ligand specificity. Examination for an A-factor-binding protein in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) and Streptomyces lividans showed the absence of any specifically binding protein

  16. TLR4-NOX4-AP-1 signaling mediates lipopolysaccharide-induced CXCR6 expression in human aortic smooth muscle cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, Devang N.; Bailey, Steven R.; Gresham, John K.; Schuchman, David B.; Shelhamer, James H.; Goldstein, Barry J.; Foxwell, Brian M.; Stemerman, Michael B.; Maranchie, Jodi K.; Valente, Anthony J.; Mummidi, Srinivas; Chandrasekar, Bysani

    2006-01-01

    CXCL16 is a transmembrane non-ELR CXC chemokine that signals via CXCR6 to induce aortic smooth muscle cell (ASMC) proliferation. While bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been shown to stimulate CXCL16 expression in SMC, its effects on CXCR6 are not known. Here, we demonstrate that LPS upregulates CXCR6 mRNA, protein, and surface expression in human ASMC. Inhibition of TLR4 with neutralizing antibodies or specific siRNA interference blocked LPS-mediated CXCR6 expression. LPS stimulated both AP-1 (c-Fos, c-Jun) and NF-κB (p50 and p65) activation, but only inhibition of AP-1 attenuated LPS-induced CXCR6 expression. Using dominant negative expression vectors and siRNA interference, we demonstrate that LPS induces AP-1 activation via MyD88, TRAF6, ERK1/2, and JNK signaling pathways. Furthermore, the flavoprotein inhibitor diphenyleniodonium chloride significantly attenuated LPS-mediated AP-1-dependent CXCR6 expression, as did inhibition of NOX4 NADPH oxidase by siRNA. Finally, CXCR6 knockdown inhibited CXCL16-induced ASMC proliferation. These results demonstrate that LPS-TLR4-NOX4-AP-1 signaling can induce CXCR6 expression in ASMC, and suggest that the CXCL16-CXCR6 axis may be an important proinflammatory pathway in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis

  17. A mosquito hemolymph odorant-binding protein family member specifically binds juvenile hormone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Il Hwan; Pham, Van; Jablonka, Willy; Goodman, Walter G.; Ribeiro, José M. C.; Andersen, John F.

    2017-07-27

    Juvenile hormone (JH) is a key regulator of insect development and reproduction. In adult mosquitoes, it is essential for maturation of the ovary and normal male reproductive behavior, but how JH distribution and activity is regulated after secretion is unclear. Here, we report a new type of specific JH-binding protein, given the name mosquito juvenile hormone-binding protein (mJHBP), which circulates in the hemolymph of pupal and adult Aedes aegypti males and females. mJHBP is a member of the odorant-binding protein (OBP) family, and orthologs are present in the genomes of Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles mosquito species. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we show that mJHBP specifically binds JH II and JH III but not eicosanoids or JH derivatives. mJHBP was crystallized in the presence of JH III and found to have a double OBP domain structure reminiscent of salivary “long” D7 proteins of mosquitoes. We observed that a single JH III molecule is contained in the N-terminal domain binding pocket that is closed in an apparent conformational change by a C-terminal domain-derived α-helix. The electron density for the ligand indicated a high occupancy of the natural 10R enantiomer of JH III. Of note, mJHBP is structurally unrelated to hemolymph JHBP from lepidopteran insects. A low level of expression of mJHBP in Ae. aegypti larvae suggests that it is primarily active during the adult stage where it could potentially influence the effects of JH on egg development, mating behavior, feeding, or other processes.

  18. A mosquito hemolymph odorant-binding protein family member specifically binds juvenile hormone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Il Hwan; Pham, Van; Jablonka, Willy; Goodman, Walter G; Ribeiro, José M C; Andersen, John F

    2017-09-15

    Juvenile hormone (JH) is a key regulator of insect development and reproduction. In adult mosquitoes, it is essential for maturation of the ovary and normal male reproductive behavior, but how JH distribution and activity is regulated after secretion is unclear. Here, we report a new type of specific JH-binding protein, given the name mosquito juvenile hormone-binding protein (mJHBP), which circulates in the hemolymph of pupal and adult Aedes aegypti males and females. mJHBP is a member of the odorant-binding protein (OBP) family, and orthologs are present in the genomes of Aedes , Culex , and Anopheles mosquito species. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we show that mJHBP specifically binds JH II and JH III but not eicosanoids or JH derivatives. mJHBP was crystallized in the presence of JH III and found to have a double OBP domain structure reminiscent of salivary "long" D7 proteins of mosquitoes. We observed that a single JH III molecule is contained in the N-terminal domain binding pocket that is closed in an apparent conformational change by a C-terminal domain-derived α-helix. The electron density for the ligand indicated a high occupancy of the natural 10 R enantiomer of JH III. Of note, mJHBP is structurally unrelated to hemolymph JHBP from lepidopteran insects. A low level of expression of mJHBP in Ae. aegypti larvae suggests that it is primarily active during the adult stage where it could potentially influence the effects of JH on egg development, mating behavior, feeding, or other processes.

  19. Lipopolysaccharide treatment suppresses spontaneously developing ankylosing enthesopathy in B10.BR male mice: The potential role of interleukin-10

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Čapková, Jana; Hrnčíř, Tomáš; Kubátová, Alena; Tlaskalová-Hogenová, Helena

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 13, č. 6 (2012) E-ISSN 1471-2474 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP304/11/1252; GA ČR GP310/09/P182; GA MŠk(CZ) 7E09091 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520701 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Ankylosing enthesopathy * Interleukin-10 * Lipopolysacharid * Cytokines Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 1.875, year: 2012

  20. Binding of plasma proteins to titanium dioxide nanotubes with different diameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kulkarni M

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Mukta Kulkarni,1,* Ajda Flašker,1,* Maruša Lokar,1 Katjuša Mrak-Poljšak,2 Anca Mazare,3 Andrej Artenjak,4 Saša Čučnik,2 Slavko Kralj,5 Aljaž Velikonja,1 Patrik Schmuki,3 Veronika Kralj-Iglič,6 Snezna Sodin-Semrl,2,7 Aleš Iglič11Laboratory of Biophysics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Rheumatology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Erlangen Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany; 4Sandoz Biopharmaceuticals Mengeš, Lek Pharmaceuticals dd, Menges, Slovenia; 5Department for Materials Synthesis, Institute Jožef Stefan (IJS, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 6Faculty of Health Studies, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 7Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Science and Information Technology, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia *These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Titanium and titanium alloys are considered to be one of the most applicable materials in medical devices because of their suitable properties, most importantly high corrosion resistance and the specific combination of strength with biocompatibility. In order to improve the biocompatibility of titanium surfaces, the current report initially focuses on specifying the topography of titanium dioxide (TiO2 nanotubes (NTs by electrochemical anodization. The zeta potential (ζ-potential of NTs showed a negative value and confirmed the agreement between the measured and theoretically predicted dependence of ζ-potential on salt concentration, whereby the absolute value of ζ-potential diminished with increasing salt concentrations. We investigated binding of various plasma proteins with different sizes and charges using the bicinchoninic acid assay and immunofluorescence microscopy. Results showed effective and comparatively higher protein binding to NTs with 100 nm diameters (compared to 50 or 15 nm. We also showed a dose

  1. Conformational Dynamics of the Receptor Protein Galactose/Glucose Binding Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messina, Troy; Talaga, David

    2006-03-01

    We have performed time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) anisotropy and Stokes Shift measurements on bulk solutions of galactose/glucose binding protein. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to provide a single cysteine amino acid near the sugar-binding center of the protein (glutamine 26 to cysteine -- Q26C). The cysteine was covalently labeled with the environmentally-sensitive fluorophore acrylodan, and a long-lived ruthenium complex was covalently attached to the N-terminus to provide a fluorescent reference. The TCSPC data were analyzed using global convolute-and-compare fitting routines over the entire glucose titration and temperature range to provide minimal reduced chi-squared values and the highest time resolution possible. Using a standard ligand-binding model, the resulting distributions show that the closed (ligand-bound) conformation exists even at zero glucose concentration. At 20^oC, the relative abundance of this conformation is as high as 40%. The temperature dependence of this conformational study will be discussed and related to the ligand-binding free energy surface.

  2. Functional Advantages of Conserved Intrinsic Disorder in RNA-Binding Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varadi, Mihaly; Zsolyomi, Fruzsina; Guharoy, Mainak; Tompa, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Proteins form large macromolecular assemblies with RNA that govern essential molecular processes. RNA-binding proteins have often been associated with conformational flexibility, yet the extent and functional implications of their intrinsic disorder have never been fully assessed. Here, through large-scale analysis of comprehensive protein sequence and structure datasets we demonstrate the prevalence of intrinsic structural disorder in RNA-binding proteins and domains. We addressed their functionality through a quantitative description of the evolutionary conservation of disordered segments involved in binding, and investigated the structural implications of flexibility in terms of conformational stability and interface formation. We conclude that the functional role of intrinsically disordered protein segments in RNA-binding is two-fold: first, these regions establish extended, conserved electrostatic interfaces with RNAs via induced fit. Second, conformational flexibility enables them to target different RNA partners, providing multi-functionality, while also ensuring specificity. These findings emphasize the functional importance of intrinsically disordered regions in RNA-binding proteins.

  3. Functional Advantages of Conserved Intrinsic Disorder in RNA-Binding Proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihaly Varadi

    Full Text Available Proteins form large macromolecular assemblies with RNA that govern essential molecular processes. RNA-binding proteins have often been associated with conformational flexibility, yet the extent and functional implications of their intrinsic disorder have never been fully assessed. Here, through large-scale analysis of comprehensive protein sequence and structure datasets we demonstrate the prevalence of intrinsic structural disorder in RNA-binding proteins and domains. We addressed their functionality through a quantitative description of the evolutionary conservation of disordered segments involved in binding, and investigated the structural implications of flexibility in terms of conformational stability and interface formation. We conclude that the functional role of intrinsically disordered protein segments in RNA-binding is two-fold: first, these regions establish extended, conserved electrostatic interfaces with RNAs via induced fit. Second, conformational flexibility enables them to target different RNA partners, providing multi-functionality, while also ensuring specificity. These findings emphasize the functional importance of intrinsically disordered regions in RNA-binding proteins.

  4. The Interleukin-6 inflammation pathway from cholesterol to aging – Role of statins, bisphosphonates and plant polyphenols in aging and age-related diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omoigui Sota

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We describe the inflammation pathway from Cholesterol to Aging. Interleukin 6 mediated inflammation is implicated in age-related disorders including Atherosclerosis, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, Osteoporosis, Type 2 Diabetes, Dementia and Alzheimer's disease and some forms of Arthritis and Cancer. Statins and Bisphosphonates inhibit Interleukin 6 mediated inflammation indirectly through regulation of endogenous cholesterol synthesis and isoprenoid depletion. Polyphenolic compounds found in plants, fruits and vegetables inhibit Interleukin 6 mediated inflammation by direct inhibition of the signal transduction pathway. Therapeutic targets for the control of all the above diseases should include inhibition of Interleukin-6 mediated inflammation.

  5. Hepatocyte growth factor modulates interleukin-6 production in bone marrow derived macrophages: implications for inflammatory mediated diseases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gina M Coudriet

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The generation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β fuel the acute phase response (APR. To maintain body homeostasis, the increase of inflammatory proteins is resolved by acute phase proteins via presently unknown mechanisms. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF is transcribed in response to IL-6. Since IL-6 production promotes the generation of HGF and induces the APR, we posited that accumulating HGF might be a likely candidate for quelling excess inflammation under non-pathological conditions. We sought to assess the role of HGF and how it influences the regulation of inflammation utilizing a well-defined model of inflammatory activation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulation of bone marrow derived macrophages (BMM. BMM were isolated from C57BL6 mice and were stimulated with LPS in the presence or absence of HGF. When HGF was present, there was a decrease in production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6, along with an increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Altered cytokine production correlated with an increase in phosphorylated GSK3β, increased retention of the phosphorylated NFκB p65 subunit in the cytoplasm, and an enhanced interaction between CBP and phospho-CREB. These changes were a direct result of signaling through the HGF receptor, MET, as effects were reversed in the presence of a selective inhibitor of MET (SU11274 or when using BMM from macrophage-specific conditional MET knockout mice. Combined, these data provide compelling evidence that under normal circumstances, HGF acts to suppress the inflammatory response.

  6. Levels of interleukin-6 in tears before and after excimer laser treatment

    OpenAIRE

    Resan Mirko; Stanojević Ivan; Petković-Ćurčin Aleksandra; Pajić Bojan; Vojvodić Danilo

    2015-01-01

    Background/Aim. Immune response and consequent inflammatory process which originate on ocular surface after a trauma are mediated by cytokines. Photoablation of corneal stroma performed by excimer laser causes surgically induced trauma. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is mostly known as a proinflammatory cytokine. However, it also has regenerative and anti-inflammatory effects. It is supposed that this cytokine is likely to play a significant role in the process of co...

  7. Lipopolysaccharide induces the migration of human dental pulp cells by up-regulating miR-146a.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Min-Ching; Hung, Pei-Shih; Tu, Hsi-Feng; Shih, Wen-Yu; Li, Wan-Chun; Chang, Kuo-Wei

    2012-12-01

    MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that play crucial roles in regulating normal and pathologic functions. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the key regulators of pulpal pathogenesis. This study investigated how LPS regulates microRNA expression and affects the phenotype of human dental pulp cells (DPCs). Primary DPCs were established and immortalized to achieve immortalized DPCs (I-DPCs). DPCs and I-DPCs were treated with LPS and examined to identify changes in microRNA expression, cell proliferation, and cell migration. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to detect changes in gene expression. Exogenous miR-146a expression was performed transfection with pre-mir-146a mimic. Knockdown of interleukin receptor-associated kinase (IRAK1) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) expression was performed by small interference oligonucleotide transfection. Western blot analysis was used to detect changes in the expression of the IRAK1 and TRAF6 proteins. The differentiation of DPCs was induced by osteogenic medium. I-DPCs had a higher level of human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene than the parental DPCs. Up-regulation of miR-146a expression and an increase in migration was induced by LPS treatment of DPCs and I-DPCs. Exogenous miR-146a expression increased the migration of DPCs and I-DPCs and down-regulated the expression of IRAK1 and TRAF6. Knockdown of IRAK1 and/or TRAF6 increased the migration of DPCs. The results suggested that LPS is able to increase the migration of DPCs by modulating the miR-146a-TRAF6/IRAK1 regulatory cascade. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. All rights reserved.

  8. What Happened to the IGF Binding Proteins?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bach, Leon A

    2018-02-01

    Insulinlike growth factor (IGF) binding proteins (IGFBPs) 1 to 6 are high-affinity regulators of IGF activity. They generally inhibit IGF actions by preventing binding to the IGF-I receptor but can also enhance their actions under some conditions. Posttranslational modifications such as glycosylation and phosphorylation modulate IGFBP properties, and IGFBP proteolysis results in IGF release. IGFBPs have more recently been shown to have IGF-independent actions. A number of mechanisms are involved, including modulation of other growth factor pathways, nuclear localization and transcriptional regulation, interaction with the sphingolipid pathway, and binding to non-IGF biomolecules in the extracellular space and matrix, on the cell surface and intracellularly. IGFBPs modulate important biological processes, including cell proliferation, survival, migration, senescence, autophagy, and angiogenesis. Their actions have been implicated in growth, metabolism, cancer, stem cell maintenance and differentiation, and immune regulation. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the regulation of IGFBP abundance. A more complete understanding of IGFBP biology is necessary to further define their cellular roles and determine their therapeutic potential. Copyright © 2018 Endocrine Society.

  9. Promoter activity of polypyrimidine tract-binding protein genes of potato responds to environmental cues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, Nathaniel M; Hannapel, David J

    2012-12-01

    Polypyrimidine tract-binding (PTB) proteins are RNA-binding proteins that target specific RNAs for post-transcriptional processing by binding cytosine/uracil motifs. PTBs have established functions in a range of RNA processes including splicing, translation, stability and long-distance transport. Six PTB-like genes identified in potato have been grouped into two clades based on homology to other known plant PTBs. StPTB1 and StPTB6 are closely related to a PTB protein discovered in pumpkin, designated CmRBP50, and contain four canonical RNA-recognition motifs. CmRBP50 is expressed in phloem tissues and functions as the core protein of a phloem-mobile RNA/protein complex. Sequence from the potato genome database was used to clone the upstream sequence of these two PTB genes and analyzed to identify conserved cis-elements. The promoter of StPTB6 was enriched for regulatory elements for light and sucrose induction and defense. Upstream sequence of both PTB genes was fused to β-glucuronidase and monitored in transgenic potato lines. In whole plants, the StPTB1 promoter was most active in leaf veins and petioles, whereas StPTB6 was most active in leaf mesophyll. Both genes are active in new tubers and tuber sprouts. StPTB6 expression was induced in stems and stolon sections in response to sucrose and in leaves or petioles in response to light, heat, drought and mechanical wounding. These results show that CmRBP50-like genes of potato exhibit distinct expression patterns and respond to both developmental and environmental cues.

  10. Serum protein binding displacement: theoretical analysis using a hypothetical radiopharmaceutical and experimental analysis with 123I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawai, Keiichi; Nishii, Ryuichi; Shikano, Naoto; Makino, Nobuo; Kuga, Noriyuki; Yoshimoto, Mitsuyoshi; Jinnouchi, Seishi; Nagamachi, Shigeki; Tamura, Shozo; Takamura, Norito

    2009-01-01

    Introduction: The binding of radiopharmaceutical to serum proteins is thought to be an important factor that restricts its excretion and accumulation in tissue. We calculated the effect of inhibitors of serum protein binding using a hypothetical radiopharmaceutical. In vitro experiments and protein binding inhibitor-loaded monkey scintigraphy were then conducted using 123 I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) as the radiopharmaceutical. Methods: Free fraction ratios of radiopharmaceutical were calculated with one radiopharmaceutical, two serum proteins and two specific inhibitors in the steady state at various serum protein concentrations. In vitro protein binding inhibition studies using human, rat and monkey sera were performed with site-selective displacers of specific binding sites: 400 μM 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6MNA; a major nabumeton metabolite) as a serum albumin Site II inhibitor and 400 μM erythromycin (ETC) as an α 1 -acid glycoprotein (AGP) site inhibitor. Scintigraphy with or without 6MNA loading of monkeys was performed. Results: The theoretical findings roughly corresponded to the experimental results. Approximately 75% of IMP bound to serum albumin Site II and AGP in the species examined. The free fraction of IMP (25.0±0.6% for human, 22.8±0.4% for monkey, 23.7±0.3% for rat) increased with loading of specific protein binding inhibitors (6MNA: 28.0±0.3% for human, 24.5±0.7% for monkey, 24.3±0.2% for rat; ETC: 26.3±0.4% for human, 29.5±1.1% for monkey, 26.0±0.7% for rat) and was serum protein concentration dependant based on the results of calculations. Simultaneous administration of 6MNA and ETC produced a higher free fraction ratio of IMP (31.9±1.0% for human, 34.6±0.4% for monkey, 27.0±0.3% for rat) than summation of the single administrations of 6MNA and ETC (domino effect) in human, rat and monkey sera. Rapid cerebral accumulation was observed with 6MNA loading in monkey scintigraphy. Conclusions: 6MNA appears to change

  11. A constitutive damage specific DNA-binding protein is synthesized at higher levels in UV-irradiated primate cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirschfeld, S.; Levine, A.S.; Ozato, K.; Protic, M.

    1990-01-01

    Using a DNA band shift assay, we have identified a DNA-binding protein complex in primate cells which is present constitutively and has a high affinity for UV-irradiated, double-stranded DNA. Cells pretreated with UV light, mitomycin C, or aphidicolin have higher levels of this damage-specific DNA-binding protein complex, suggesting that the signal for induction can either be damage to the DNA or interference with cellular DNA replication. Physiochemical modifications of the DNA and competition analysis with defined substrates suggest that the most probable target site for the damage-specific DNA-binding protein complex is a 6-4'-(pyrimidine-2'-one)-pyrimidine dimer: specific binding could not be detected with probes which contain -TT- cyclobutane dimers, and damage-specific DNA binding did not decrease after photoreactivation of UV-irradiated DNA. This damage-specific DNA-binding protein complex is the first such inducible protein complex identified in primate cells. Cells from patients with the sun-sensitive cancer-prone disease, xeroderma pigmentosum (group E), are lacking both the constitutive and the induced damage-specific DNA-binding activities. These findings suggest a possible role for this DNA-binding protein complex in lesion recognition and DNA repair of UV-light-induced photoproducts

  12. A peptide affinity column for the identification of integrin alpha IIb-binding proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daxecker, Heide; Raab, Markus; Bernard, Elise; Devocelle, Marc; Treumann, Achim; Moran, Niamh

    2008-03-01

    To understand the regulation of integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3), a critical platelet adhesion molecule, we have developed a peptide affinity chromatography method using the known integrin regulatory motif, LAMWKVGFFKR. Using standard Fmoc chemistry, this peptide was synthesized onto a Toyopearl AF-Amino-650 M resin on a 6-aminohexanoic acid (Ahx) linker. Peptide density was controlled by acetylation of 83% of the Ahx amino groups. Four recombinant human proteins (CIB1, PP1, ICln and RN181), previously identified as binding to this integrin regulatory motif, were specifically retained by the column containing the integrin peptide but not by a column presenting an irrelevant peptide. Hemoglobin, creatine kinase, bovine serum albumin, fibrinogen and alpha-tubulin failed to bind under the chosen conditions. Immunodetection methods confirmed the binding of endogenous platelet proteins, including CIB1, PP1, ICln RN181, AUP-1 and beta3-integrin, from a detergent-free platelet lysate. Thus, we describe a reproducible method that facilitates the reliable extraction of specific integrin-binding proteins from complex biological matrices. This methodology may enable the sensitive and specific identification of proteins that interact with linear, membrane-proximal peptide motifs such as the integrin regulatory motif LAMWKVGFFKR.

  13. In vitro binding of germanium to proteins of rice shoots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Hideaki; Takahashi, Eiichi

    1976-01-01

    The possibility of in vitro binding between proteins of rice shoots and germanium (Ge) was investigated. The proteins in mixtures of aqueous extracts of rice shoots and radioactive germanium ( 68 GeO 2 ) were fractionated. The binding of radioactivity to the proteins was observed even after 5 successive fractionation steps from the original mixtures. At the final fractionation step using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a constant proportionality between protein concentration and associated radioactivity was found in most samples although not all. These results indicate that the binding of 68 Ge to proteins is not due to the simple adsorption by proteins. (auth.)

  14. Interleukin-6 release from the human brain during prolonged exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nybo, Lars; Nielsen, Bodil; Pedersen, Bente Klarlund

    2002-01-01

    Interleukin (IL)-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine, which has a variety of physiological roles including functions within the central nervous system. Circulating IL-6 increases markedly during exercise, partly due to the release of IL-6 from the contracting skeletal muscles, and exercise-induced IL-6 m...... influence of hyperthermia. In conclusion, IL-6 is released from the brain during prolonged exercise in humans and it appears that the duration of the exercise rather than the increase in body temperature dictates the cerebral IL-6 response....... in the brain at rest or after 15 min of exercise, but a small release of IL-6 was observed after 60 min of exercise in the first bout (0.06 +/- 0.03 ng min(-1)). This release of IL-6 from the brain was five-fold greater at the end of the second bout (0.30 +/- 0.08 ng min(-1); P

  15. Prevention of cold-associated acute inflammation in familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome by interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Hal M; Rosengren, Sanna; Boyle, David L; Cho, Jae Y; Nayar, Jyothi; Mueller, James L; Anderson, Justin P; Wanderer, Alan A; Firestein, Gary S

    Familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of rash, arthralgia, and fever after cold exposure. The genetic basis of this disease has been elucidated. Cryopyrin, the protein that is altered in FCAS, is one of the adaptor proteins that activate caspase 1, resulting in release of interleukin 1. An experimental cold challenge protocol was developed to study the acute inflammatory mechanisms occurring after a general cold exposure in FCAS patients and to investigate the effects of pretreatment with an antagonist of interleukin 1 receptor (IL-1Ra). ELISA, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry were used to measure cytokine responses. After cold challenge, untreated patients with FCAS developed rash, fever, and arthralgias within 1-4 h. Significant increases in serum concentrations of interleukin 6 and white-blood-cell counts were seen 4-8 h after cold challenge. Serum concentrations of interleukin 1 and cytokine mRNA in peripheral-blood leucocytes were not raised, but amounts of interleukin 1 protein and mRNA were high in affected skin. IL-1Ra administered before cold challenge blocked symptoms and increases in white-blood-cell counts and serum interleukin 6. The ability of IL-1Ra to prevent the clinical features and haematological and biochemical changes in patients with FCAS indicates a central role for interleukin 1beta in this disorder. Involvement of cryopyrin in activation of caspase 1 and NF-kappaB signalling suggests that it might have a role in many chronic inflammatory diseases. These findings support a new therapy for a disorder with no previously known acceptable treatment. They also offer insights into the role of interleukin 1beta in more common inflammatory diseases.

  16. Split green fluorescent protein as a modular binding partner for protein crystallization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Hau B.; Hung, Li-Wei; Yeates, Todd O.; Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Waldo, Geoffrey S.

    2013-01-01

    A strategy using a new split green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a modular binding partner to form stable protein complexes with a target protein is presented. The modular split GFP may open the way to rapidly creating crystallization variants. A modular strategy for protein crystallization using split green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a crystallization partner is demonstrated. Insertion of a hairpin containing GFP β-strands 10 and 11 into a surface loop of a target protein provides two chain crossings between the target and the reconstituted GFP compared with the single connection afforded by terminal GFP fusions. This strategy was tested by inserting this hairpin into a loop of another fluorescent protein, sfCherry. The crystal structure of the sfCherry-GFP(10–11) hairpin in complex with GFP(1–9) was determined at a resolution of 2.6 Å. Analysis of the complex shows that the reconstituted GFP is attached to the target protein (sfCherry) in a structurally ordered way. This work opens the way to rapidly creating crystallization variants by reconstituting a target protein bearing the GFP(10–11) hairpin with a variety of GFP(1–9) mutants engineered for favorable crystallization

  17. Probing binding hot spots at protein-RNA recognition sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barik, Amita; Nithin, Chandran; Karampudi, Naga Bhushana Rao; Mukherjee, Sunandan; Bahadur, Ranjit Prasad

    2016-01-29

    We use evolutionary conservation derived from structure alignment of polypeptide sequences along with structural and physicochemical attributes of protein-RNA interfaces to probe the binding hot spots at protein-RNA recognition sites. We find that the degree of conservation varies across the RNA binding proteins; some evolve rapidly compared to others. Additionally, irrespective of the structural class of the complexes, residues at the RNA binding sites are evolutionary better conserved than those at the solvent exposed surfaces. For recognitions involving duplex RNA, residues interacting with the major groove are better conserved than those interacting with the minor groove. We identify multi-interface residues participating simultaneously in protein-protein and protein-RNA interfaces in complexes where more than one polypeptide is involved in RNA recognition, and show that they are better conserved compared to any other RNA binding residues. We find that the residues at water preservation site are better conserved than those at hydrated or at dehydrated sites. Finally, we develop a Random Forests model using structural and physicochemical attributes for predicting binding hot spots. The model accurately predicts 80% of the instances of experimental ΔΔG values in a particular class, and provides a stepping-stone towards the engineering of protein-RNA recognition sites with desired affinity. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Interleukin-6 Gene Promoter Polymorphisms and Cardiovascular Risk Factors. A family study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Interleukin-6 (IL-6 is a cytokine involved in inflammatory process, as well as in glucose and lipid metabolism. Several studies of the biological relevance of IL-6 gene polymorphisms have indicated a relationship with cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to assess whether the –174 G/C and –572 G/C of IL-6 gene polymorphisms are associated with cardiovascular risk factors in Mexican families. Ninety members of 30 Mexican families, in which an index case (proband had obesity, were included in the study. We evaluated the body composition by bioelectrical impedance. Peripheral blood samples were collected to determine biochemical and hematological parameters. High sensitivity C- reactive protein levels were measurement for nephelometric analysis. Screening for both polymorphisms studied was performed by PCR-RFLP. In the parents, both polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg's equilibrium. The genotypes –174 GC/CC were associated with T2D (OR = 1.23, IC95% 1.01–1.5 and highest levels of hsCRP (p = 0.02, whereas genotype –572 GG was associated with T2D (OR = 1.24, IC95% 1.04–1.47 with an inflammatory state determined by the increase in the leukocyte count (OR = 1.24, IC95% 1.02–1.51. The genotypes –174 GC/CC and –572 GG may confer susceptibility for the development of subclinical inflammation and type 2 diabetes in Mexican families.

  19. Relationship between hot spot residues and ligand binding hot spots in protein-protein interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zerbe, Brandon S; Hall, David R; Vajda, Sandor; Whitty, Adrian; Kozakov, Dima

    2012-08-27

    In the context of protein-protein interactions, the term "hot spot" refers to a residue or cluster of residues that makes a major contribution to the binding free energy, as determined by alanine scanning mutagenesis. In contrast, in pharmaceutical research, a hot spot is a site on a target protein that has high propensity for ligand binding and hence is potentially important for drug discovery. Here we examine the relationship between these two hot spot concepts by comparing alanine scanning data for a set of 15 proteins with results from mapping the protein surfaces for sites that can bind fragment-sized small molecules. We find the two types of hot spots are largely complementary; the residues protruding into hot spot regions identified by computational mapping or experimental fragment screening are almost always themselves hot spot residues as defined by alanine scanning experiments. Conversely, a residue that is found by alanine scanning to contribute little to binding rarely interacts with hot spot regions on the partner protein identified by fragment mapping. In spite of the strong correlation between the two hot spot concepts, they fundamentally differ, however. In particular, while identification of a hot spot by alanine scanning establishes the potential to generate substantial interaction energy with a binding partner, there are additional topological requirements to be a hot spot for small molecule binding. Hence, only a minority of hot spots identified by alanine scanning represent sites that are potentially useful for small inhibitor binding, and it is this subset that is identified by experimental or computational fragment screening.

  20. Interleukin-6 Contributes to Age-Related Alteration of Cytokine Production by Macrophages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez, Christian R.; Karavitis, John; Palmer, Jessica L.; Faunce, Douglas E.; Ramirez, Luis; Nomellini, Vanessa; Kovacs, Elizabeth J.

    2010-01-01

    Here, we studied in vitro cytokine production by splenic macrophages obtained from young and aged BALB/c wild type (WT) and IL-6 knockout (IL-6 KO) mice. Relative to macrophages obtained from young WT mice given lipopolysaccharide (LPS), those from aged WT mice had decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines. In contrast, when compared to macrophages from young IL-6 KO mice, LPS stimulation yielded higher levels of these cytokines by cells from aged IL-6 KO mice. Aging or IL-6 deficiency did not affected the percentage of F4/80+ macrophages, or the surface expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and components of the IL-6 receptor. Overall, our results indicate that IL-6 plays a role in regulating the age-related defects in macrophages through alteration of proinflammatory cytokines, adding to the complexity of IL-6-mediated impairment of immune cell function with increasing age. PMID:20671912

  1. Specific Internalisation of Gold Nanoparticles into Engineered Porous Protein Cages via Affinity Binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paramelle, David; Peng, Tao; Free, Paul; Fernig, David G; Lim, Sierin; Tomczak, Nikodem

    2016-01-01

    Porous protein cages are supramolecular protein self-assemblies presenting pores that allow the access of surrounding molecules and ions into their core in order to store and transport them in biological environments. Protein cages' pores are attractive channels for the internalisation of inorganic nanoparticles and an alternative for the preparation of hybrid bioinspired nanoparticles. However, strategies based on nanoparticle transport through the pores are largely unexplored, due to the difficulty of tailoring nanoparticles that have diameters commensurate with the pores size and simultaneously displaying specific affinity to the cages' core and low non-specific binding to the cages' outer surface. We evaluated the specific internalisation of single small gold nanoparticles, 3.9 nm in diameter, into porous protein cages via affinity binding. The E2 protein cage derived from the Geobacillus stearothermophilus presents 12 pores, 6 nm in diameter, and an empty core of 13 nm in diameter. We engineered the E2 protein by site-directed mutagenesis with oligohistidine sequences exposing them into the cage's core. Dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy analysis show that the structures of E2 protein cages mutated with bis- or penta-histidine sequences are well conserved. The surface of the gold nanoparticles was passivated with a self-assembled monolayer made of a mixture of short peptidols and thiolated alkane ethylene glycol ligands. Such monolayers are found to provide thin coatings preventing non-specific binding to proteins. Further functionalisation of the peptide coated gold nanoparticles with Ni2+ nitrilotriacetic moieties enabled the specific binding to oligohistidine tagged cages. The internalisation via affinity binding was evaluated by electron microscopy analysis. From the various mutations tested, only the penta-histidine mutated E2 protein cage showed repeatable and stable internalisation. The present work overcomes the limitations of currently

  2. Characterization of a Chitin-Binding Protein from Bacillus thuringiensis HD-1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naresh Arora

    Full Text Available Strains of Bacillus thuringiensis produce insecticidal proteins. These strains have been isolated from diverse ecological niches, such as soil, phylloplane, insect cadavers and grain dust. To effectively propagate, these strains produce a range of molecules that facilitate its multiplication in a competing environment. In this report, we have examined synthesis of a chitin-binding protein and evaluated its effect on fungi encountered in environment and its interaction with insecticidal proteins synthesized by B. thuringiensis. The gene encoding chitin-binding protein has been cloned and expressed. The purified protein has been demonstrated to interact with Cry insecticidal protein, Cry1Ac by Circular Dichrosim spectroscopy (CD and in vitro pull down assays. The chitin-binding protein potentiates insecticidal activity of bacillar insecticidal protein, Cry1Ac. Further, chitin-binding protein was fungistatic against several soil fungi. The chitin binding protein is expressed in spore mother cell and deposited along with insecticidal protein, Cry1Ac. It interacts with Cry1Ac to potentiate its insecticidal activity and facilitate propagation of Bacillus strain in environment by inhibiting growth of certain fungi.

  3. Effect of marine-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on C-reactive protein, interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kelei; Huang, Tao; Zheng, Jusheng; Wu, Kejian; Li, Duo

    2014-01-01

    Previous studies did not draw a consistent conclusion about the effects of marine-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on fasting blood level of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). A comprehensive search of Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and Medline (from 1950 to 2013) and bibliographies of relevant articles was undertaken. Sixty-eight RCTs with a total of 4601 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. Marine-derived n-3 PUFAs supplementation showed a lowering effect on Marine-derived n-3 PUFAs supplementation had a significant lowering effect on TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP in three groups of subjects (subjects with chronic non-autoimmune disease, subjects with chronic autoimmune disease and healthy subjects). A significant negative linear relationship between duration and effect size of marine-derived n-3 PUFAs supplementation on fasting blood levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in subjects with chronic non-autoimmune disease was observed, indicating that longer duration of supplementation could lead to a greater lowering effect. A similar linear relationship was also observed for IL-6 levels in healthy subjects. Restricted cubic spline analysis and subgroup analysis showed that the lowering effect of marine-derived n-3 PUFAs on CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α in subjects with chronic non-autoimmune disease became weakened when body mass index was greater than 30 kg/m². The effect of marine-derived n-3 PUFAs from dietary intake was only assessed in subjects with chronic non-autoimmune disease, and a significant lowering effect was observed on IL-6, but not on CRP and TNF-α. Marine-derived n-3 PUFAs supplementation had a significant lowering effect on CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α level. The lowering effect was most effective in non-obese subjects and consecutive long-term supplementation was recommended.

  4. Echinococcus granulosus fatty acid binding proteins subcellular localization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvite, Gabriela; Esteves, Adriana

    2016-05-01

    Two fatty acid binding proteins, EgFABP1 and EgFABP2, were isolated from the parasitic platyhelminth Echinococcus granulosus. These proteins bind fatty acids and have particular relevance in flatworms since de novo fatty acids synthesis is absent. Therefore platyhelminthes depend on the capture and intracellular distribution of host's lipids and fatty acid binding proteins could participate in lipid distribution. To elucidate EgFABP's roles, we investigated their intracellular distribution in the larval stage by a proteomic approach. Our results demonstrated the presence of EgFABP1 isoforms in cytosolic, nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions, suggesting that these molecules could be involved in several cellular processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Quantifying drug-protein binding in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchholz, B; Bench, G; Keating III, G; Palmblad, M; Vogel, J; Grant, P G; Hillegonds, D

    2004-01-01

    Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) provides precise quantitation of isotope labeled compounds that are bound to biological macromolecules such as DNA or proteins. The sensitivity is high enough to allow for sub-pharmacological (''micro-'') dosing to determine macromolecular targets without inducing toxicities or altering the system under study, whether it is healthy or diseased. We demonstrated an application of AMS in quantifying the physiologic effects of one dosed chemical compound upon the binding level of another compound in vivo at sub-toxic doses [4].We are using tissues left from this study to develop protocols for quantifying specific binding to isolated and identified proteins. We also developed a new technique to quantify nanogram to milligram amounts of isolated protein at precisions that are comparable to those for quantifying the bound compound by AMS

  6. Identification and characterization of riboflavin-binding proteins in human circulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Innis-Whitehouse, W.S.A.

    1988-01-01

    Riboflavin binding by plasma proteins from healthy human subjects was examined by equilibrium dialysis and binding was observed to vary over a greater than 10-fold range. Upon fractionation of plasma by gel filtration, the major riboflavin-binding components eluted with albumin and gamma-globulins. Albumin was purified and found to bind riboflavin only very weakly, although FMN and photo-chemical degradation products were more tightly bound. Most of the binding occurred in the gamma-globulin fraction and was attributed to immunoglobulins because the binding proteins and immunoglobulins copurified using various methods, were removed by treatment of plasma with protein A-agarose, and were coincident upon immuno-electrophoresis followed by autoradiography to detect [2- 14 C]-riboflavin. Binding differences among plasma samples were reflected in the binding recovered with the immunoglobulin fractions; however, there was not a direct relationship between the amount of immunoglobulin and the amount of [2- 14 C]riboflavin bound. Hence, it appeared that the binding was due to a subfraction of immunoglobulins

  7. NifI inhibits nitrogenase by competing with Fe protein for binding to the MoFe protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodsworth, Jeremy A.; Leigh, John A.

    2007-01-01

    Reduction of substrate by nitrogenase requires direct electron transfer from the Fe protein to the MoFe protein. Inhibition of nitrogenase activity in Methanococcus maripaludis occurs when the regulatory protein NifI 1,2 binds the MoFe protein. This inhibition is relieved by 2-oxoglutarate. Here we present evidence that NifI 1,2 binding prevents association of the two nitrogenase components. Increasing amounts of Fe protein competed with NifI 1,2 , decreasing its inhibitory effect. NifI 1,2 prevented the co-purification of MoFe protein with a mutant form of the Fe protein that forms a stable complex with the MoFe protein, and NifI 1,2 was unable to bind to an AlF 4 - -stabilized Fe protein:MoFe protein complex. NifI 1,2 inhibited ATP- and MoFe protein-dependent oxidation of the Fe protein, and 2OG relieved this inhibition. These results support a model where NifI 1,2 competes with the Fe protein for binding to MoFe protein and prevents electron transfer

  8. [Effect of lipopolysaccharides from Porphyromonas endodontalis on the expression of interleukin-34 in mouse osteoblasts].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Ya-Qiong; Guo, Jia-Jie; Qiu, Li-Hong; Li, Xiao-Lin; Yang, Di; Guo, Yan

    2017-02-01

    To investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) extracted from Porphyromonas endodontalis (P.e) on the expression of interleukin-34 (IL-34) mRNA in MC3T3-E1 cells and the role of p38MAPK, ERK1/2, NF-κB and SIRT1 in the process. MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with different concentrations of P.e-LPS(0-50 mg/L) and 20 mg/L P.e-LPS for different time (0-24 h). The expression of IL-34 mRNA was detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR). MC3T3-E1 cells were pretreated with inhibitor of NF-κB(BAY 11-7082),inhibitor of p38MAPK (SB203580), inhibitor of ERK1/2 (PD98059), agonist of sirtuin1 (SIRT1) [resveratrol (RES)] and inhibitor of SIRT1 (EX-527) for 1 h, and then were treated with 20 mg/L P.e-LPS. The expression of IL-34 mRNA was detected by real time RT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and Dunnett t test with SPSS 13.0 software package. The level of IL-34 mRNA increased significantly after treatment with different concentrations of P.e-LPS(0-50 mg/L),which indicated that P.e-LPS induced osteoblasts to express IL-34 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal induction of IL-34 mRNA expression was observed in MC3T3-E1 cells treated with 20 mg/L P.e-LPS for 24 h.At 48 h, the expression of IL-34 mRNA decreased gradually. The mRNA of IL-34 decreased significantly after pretreatment with 10 μmol/L BAY-117082, SB203580 and PD98059 for 1 h. P.e-LPS-induced IL-34 upregulation was attenuated by pretreatment with RES, but increased by EX-527. These results suggest that P.e-LPS may mediate IL-34 mRNA expression in MC3T3-E1 cells. This process is dependent, at least in part, on p38MAPK, ERK1/2, NF-κB and SIRT1 signaling pathways.

  9. Salidroside attenuates inflammatory responses by suppressing nuclear factor-κB and mitogen activated protein kinases activation in lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Depeng; Fu, Yunhe; Zhang, Wen; Su, Gaoli; Liu, Bo; Guo, Mengyao; Li, Fengyang; Liang, Dejie; Liu, Zhicheng; Zhang, Xichen; Cao, Yongguo; Zhang, Naisheng; Yang, Zhengtao

    2013-01-01

    Mastitis is defined as inflammation of the mammary gland in domestic dairy animals and humans. Salidroside, a major component isolated from Rhodiola rosea L., has potent anti-inflammatory properties, but whether it can be used in mastitis treatment has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the protective effects of salidroside against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis in mice and the mechanism of action. We used a mouse mastitis model in which mammary gland inflammation was induced by LPS challenge. Salidroside administered 1 h before LPS infusion significantly attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration, reduced the activity of myeloperoxidase in mammary tissue, and decreased the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies revealed that salidroside down-regulated phosphorylation of LPS-induced nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 and inhibitor of NF-κB α (IκBα) in the NF-κB signal pathway, and suppressed phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) in MAPKs signal pathways. This study demonstrates that salidroside is an effective suppressor of inflammation and may be a candidate for the prophylaxis of mastitis.

  10. The preparation of recombinant interleukin-6 and its protection for irradiated guinea-pigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Junfu; Zhang Jie; Zhang Jianhua; Feng Jinbo; Xu Jie; Wang Baohong

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To purify recombinant human interleukin-6 from gene-engineered E. coli and study the effects of IL-6 on survival period and platelet count of irradiated guinea-pigs. Methods: Recombinant human IL-6 was expressed in gene-engineered E. coli and purified with reversed phase chromatography. Purified IL-6 was then administered to irradiated guinea-pig. Results: IL-6 could significantly prolong the survival period and increase the platelet count of irradiated guinea-pigs. Conclusion: IL-6 showed its effective protection for irradiated guinea-pigs

  11. Interaction of the protein transduction domain of HIV-1 TAT with heparan sulfate: binding mechanism and thermodynamic parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, André; Seelig, Joachim

    2004-01-01

    The positively charged protein transduction domain of the HIV-1 TAT protein (TAT-PTD; residues 47-57 of TAT) rapidly translocates across the plasma membrane of living cells. This property is exploited for the delivery of proteins, drugs, and genes into cells. The mechanism of this translocation is, however, not yet understood. Recent theories for translocation suggest binding of the protein transduction domain (PTD) to extracellular glycosaminoglycans as a possible mechanism. We have studied the binding equilibrium between TAT-PTD and three different glycosaminoglycans with high sensitivity isothermal titration calorimetry and provide the first quantitative thermodynamic description. The polysulfonated macromolecules were found to exhibit multiple identical binding sites for TAT-PTD with only small differences between the three species as far as the thermodynamic parameters are concerned. Heparan sulfate (HS, molecular weight, 14.2 +/- 2 kDa) has 6.3 +/- 1.0 independent binding sites for TAT-PTD which are characterized by a binding constant K0 = (6.0 +/- 0.6) x 10(5) M(-1) and a reaction enthalpy deltaHpep0 = -4.6 +/- 1.0 kcal/mol at 28 degrees C. The binding affinity, deltaGpep0, is determined to equal extent by enthalpic and entropic contributions. The HS-TAT-PTD complex formation entails a positive heat capacity change of deltaCp0 = +135 cal/mol peptide, which is characteristic of a charge neutralization reaction. This is in contrast to hydrophobic binding reactions which display a large negative heat capacity change. The stoichiometry of 6-7 TAT-PTD molecules per HS corresponds to an electric charge neutralization. Light scattering data demonstrate a maximum scattering intensity at this stoichiometric ratio, the intensity of which depends on the order of mixing of the two components. The data suggest cross-linking and/or aggregation of HS-TAT-PTD complexes. Two other glycosaminoglycans, namely heparin and chondroitin sulfate B, were also studied with isothermal

  12. Identification of the DNA-Binding Domains of Human Replication Protein A That Recognize G-Quadruplex DNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aishwarya Prakash

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Replication protein A (RPA, a key player in DNA metabolism, has 6 single-stranded DNA-(ssDNA- binding domains (DBDs A-F. SELEX experiments with the DBDs-C, -D, and -E retrieve a 20-nt G-quadruplex forming sequence. Binding studies show that RPA-DE binds preferentially to the G-quadruplex DNA, a unique preference not observed with other RPA constructs. Circular dichroism experiments show that RPA-CDE-core can unfold the G-quadruplex while RPA-DE stabilizes it. Binding studies show that RPA-C binds pyrimidine- and purine-rich sequences similarly. This difference between RPA-C and RPA-DE binding was also indicated by the inability of RPA-CDE-core to unfold an oligonucleotide containing a TC-region 5′ to the G-quadruplex. Molecular modeling studies of RPA-DE and telomere-binding proteins Pot1 and Stn1 reveal structural similarities between the proteins and illuminate potential DNA-binding sites for RPA-DE and Stn1. These data indicate that DBDs of RPA have different ssDNA recognition properties.

  13. Discrete persistent-chain model for protein binding on DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Pui-Man; Zhen, Yi

    2011-04-01

    We describe and solve a discrete persistent-chain model of protein binding on DNA, involving an extra σ(i) at a site i of the DNA. This variable takes the value 1 or 0, depending on whether or not the site is occupied by a protein. In addition, if the site is occupied by a protein, there is an extra energy cost ɛ. For a small force, we obtain analytic expressions for the force-extension curve and the fraction of bound protein on the DNA. For higher forces, the model can be solved numerically to obtain force-extension curves and the average fraction of bound proteins as a function of applied force. Our model can be used to analyze experimental force-extension curves of protein binding on DNA, and hence deduce the number of bound proteins in the case of nonspecific binding. ©2011 American Physical Society

  14. Factor H Binds to the Hypervariable Region of Many Streptococcus pyogenes M Proteins but Does Not Promote Phagocytosis Resistance or Acute Virulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristensen, Bodil M.; Olsen, John E.; Harris, Claire L.; Ufret-Vincenty, Rafael L.; Stålhammar-Carlemalm, Margaretha; Lindahl, Gunnar

    2013-01-01

    Many pathogens express a surface protein that binds the human complement regulator factor H (FH), as first described for Streptococcus pyogenes and the antiphagocytic M6 protein. It is commonly assumed that FH recruited to an M protein enhances virulence by protecting the bacteria against complement deposition and phagocytosis, but the role of FH-binding in S. pyogenes pathogenesis has remained unclear and controversial. Here, we studied seven purified M proteins for ability to bind FH and found that FH binds to the M5, M6 and M18 proteins but not the M1, M3, M4 and M22 proteins. Extensive immunochemical analysis indicated that FH binds solely to the hypervariable region (HVR) of an M protein, suggesting that selection has favored the ability of certain HVRs to bind FH. These FH-binding HVRs could be studied as isolated polypeptides that retain ability to bind FH, implying that an FH-binding HVR represents a distinct ligand-binding domain. The isolated HVRs specifically interacted with FH among all human serum proteins, interacted with the same region in FH and showed species specificity, but exhibited little or no antigenic cross-reactivity. Although these findings suggested that FH recruited to an M protein promotes virulence, studies in transgenic mice did not demonstrate a role for bound FH during acute infection. Moreover, phagocytosis tests indicated that ability to bind FH is neither sufficient nor necessary for S. pyogenes to resist killing in whole human blood. While these data shed new light on the HVR of M proteins, they suggest that FH-binding may affect S. pyogenes virulence by mechanisms not assessed in currently used model systems. PMID:23637608

  15. Factor H binds to the hypervariable region of many Streptococcus pyogenes M proteins but does not promote phagocytosis resistance or acute virulence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mattias C U Gustafsson

    Full Text Available Many pathogens express a surface protein that binds the human complement regulator factor H (FH, as first described for Streptococcus pyogenes and the antiphagocytic M6 protein. It is commonly assumed that FH recruited to an M protein enhances virulence by protecting the bacteria against complement deposition and phagocytosis, but the role of FH-binding in S. pyogenes pathogenesis has remained unclear and controversial. Here, we studied seven purified M proteins for ability to bind FH and found that FH binds to the M5, M6 and M18 proteins but not the M1, M3, M4 and M22 proteins. Extensive immunochemical analysis indicated that FH binds solely to the hypervariable region (HVR of an M protein, suggesting that selection has favored the ability of certain HVRs to bind FH. These FH-binding HVRs could be studied as isolated polypeptides that retain ability to bind FH, implying that an FH-binding HVR represents a distinct ligand-binding domain. The isolated HVRs specifically interacted with FH among all human serum proteins, interacted with the same region in FH and showed species specificity, but exhibited little or no antigenic cross-reactivity. Although these findings suggested that FH recruited to an M protein promotes virulence, studies in transgenic mice did not demonstrate a role for bound FH during acute infection. Moreover, phagocytosis tests indicated that ability to bind FH is neither sufficient nor necessary for S. pyogenes to resist killing in whole human blood. While these data shed new light on the HVR of M proteins, they suggest that FH-binding may affect S. pyogenes virulence by mechanisms not assessed in currently used model systems.

  16. Classification of a Haemophilus influenzae ABC Transporter HI1470/71 through Its Cognate Molybdate Periplasmic Binding Protein, MolA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tirado-Lee, Leidamarie; Lee, Allen; Rees, Douglas C.; Pinkett, Heather W. (CIT); (NWU)

    2014-10-02

    molA (HI1472) from H. influenzae encodes a periplasmic binding protein (PBP) that delivers substrate to the ABC transporter MolB{sub 2}C{sub 2} (formerly HI1470/71). The structures of MolA with molybdate and tungstate in the binding pocket were solved to 1.6 and 1.7 {angstrom} resolution, respectively. The MolA-binding protein binds molybdate and tungstate, but not other oxyanions such as sulfate and phosphate, making it the first class III molybdate-binding protein structurally solved. The {approx}100 {mu}M binding affinity for tungstate and molybdate is significantly lower than observed for the class II ModA molybdate-binding proteins that have nanomolar to low micromolar affinity for molybdate. The presence of two molybdate loci in H. influenzae suggests multiple transport systems for one substrate, with molABC constituting a low-affinity molybdate locus.

  17. Por secretion system-dependent secretion and glycosylation of Porphyromonas gingivalis hemin-binding protein 35.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikio Shoji

    Full Text Available The anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major pathogen in severe forms of periodontal disease and refractory periapical perodontitis. We have recently found that P. gingivalis has a novel secretion system named the Por secretion system (PorSS, which is responsible for secretion of major extracellular proteinases, Arg-gingipains (Rgps and Lys-gingipain. These proteinases contain conserved C-terminal domains (CTDs in their C-termini. Hemin-binding protein 35 (HBP35, which is one of the outer membrane proteins of P. gingivalis and contributes to its haem utilization, also contains a CTD, suggesting that HBP35 is translocated to the cell surface via the PorSS. In this study, immunoblot analysis of P. gingivalis mutants deficient in the PorSS or in the biosynthesis of anionic polysaccharide-lipopolysaccharide (A-LPS revealed that HBP35 is translocated to the cell surface via the PorSS and is glycosylated with A-LPS. From deletion analysis with a GFP-CTD[HBP35] green fluorescent protein fusion, the C-terminal 22 amino acid residues of CTD[HBP35] were found to be required for cell surface translocation and glycosylation. The GFP-CTD fusion study also revealed that the CTDs of CPG70, peptidylarginine deiminase, P27 and RgpB play roles in PorSS-dependent translocation and glycosylation. However, CTD-region peptides were not found in samples of glycosylated HBP35 protein by peptide map fingerprinting analysis, and antibodies against CTD-regions peptides did not react with glycosylated HBP35 protein. These results suggest both that the CTD region functions as a recognition signal for the PorSS and that glycosylation of CTD proteins occurs after removal of the CTD region. Rabbits were used for making antisera against bacterial proteins in this study.

  18. Adiponectin, interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and regional fat mass during 12-month randomized treatment with metformin and/or oral contraceptives in polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glintborg, Dorte; Mumm, Hanne; Altinok, Magda Lambaa; Richelsen, Bjørn; Bruun, Jens Meldgaard; Andersen, Marianne

    2014-08-01

    Central obesity in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with increased inflammatory markers and increased risk for type 2 diabetes. To evaluate if improved body composition during treatment with metformin (M) vs. oral contraceptive pills (OCP) was associated with changes in circulating adiponectin, interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. Ninety patients with PCOS were randomized to 12-month treatment with M (2 g/day), M + OCP (150 mg desogestrel + 30 microgram ethinylestradiol) or OCP. Adiponectin, IL-6, MCP-1, whole body DXA scans, and clinical evaluations were performed before and after the intervention period in the 65 study completers. Changes in inflammatory markers and changes in total and regional fat mass estimates. Adiponectin, IL-6, and MCP-1 levels were unchanged during the three types of medical intervention. Treatment with M and M + OCP was superior to OCP regarding decreased regional fat mass. Baseline adiponectin and IL-6 were associated with BMI, waist, and trunk fat mass. Changes in trunk fat were significantly associated with changes in IL-6 and MCP-1 during M + OCP. Long-term treatment with M alone or in combination with OCP was associated with improved body composition compared to OCP, whereas inflammatory markers were unchanged. OCP was not associated with increased inflammatory markers despite a small but significant weight gain.

  19. Peripheral blood corticotropin-releasing factor, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cytokine (Interleukin Beta, Interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha) levels after high- and low-dose total-body irradiation in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Girinsky, T.A.; Pallardy, M.; Comoy, E.; Benassi, T.; Roger, R.; Ganem, G.; Socie, G.; Cossett, J.M.; Magdelenat, H.

    1994-01-01

    Total-body irradiation (TBI) induces an increase in levels of granulocytes and cortisol in blood. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we studied 26 patients who had TBI prior to bone marrow transplantation. Our findings suggest that only a high dose of TBI (10 Gy) was capable of activating the hypothalamopituitary area since corticotropin-releasing factor and blood adrenocorticotropic hormone levels increased at the end of the TBI. There was a concomitant increase in the levels of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor in blood, suggesting that these cytokines might activate the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis. Interleukin 1 was not detected. Since vascular injury is a common after radiation treatment, it is possible that interleukin 6 was secreted by endothelial cells. The exact mechanisms of the production of cyctokines induced by ionizing radiation remain to be determined. 25 refs., 1 fig

  20. Interleukin-6 receptor pathways in coronary heart disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of 82 studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sarwar, Nadeem; Butterworth, Adam S.; Freitag, Daniel F.; Gregson, John; Willeit, Peter; Gorman, Donal N.; Gao, Pei; Saleheen, Danish; Rendon, Augusto; Nelson, Christopher P.; Braund, Peter S.; Hall, Alistair S.; Chasman, Daniel I.; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Chambers, John C.; Benjamin, Emelia J.; Franks, Paul W.; Clarke, Robert; Wilde, Arthur A. M.; Trip, Mieke D.; Steri, Maristella; Witteman, Jacqueline C. M.; Qi, Lu; van der Schoot, C. Ellen; de Faire, Ulf; Erdmann, Jeanette; Stringham, Heather M.; Koenig, Wolfgang; Rader, Daniel J.; Melzer, David; Reich, David; Psaty, Bruce M.; Kleber, Marcus E.; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B.; Willeit, Johann; Wennberg, Patrik; Woodward, Mark; Adamovic, Svetlana; Rimm, Eric B.; Meade, Tom W.; Gillum, Richard F.; Shaffer, Jonathan A.; Hofman, Albert; Onat, Altan; Sundström, Johan; Wassertheil-Smoller, Sylvia; Mellström, Dan; Gallacher, John; Cushman, Mary; Tracy, Russell P.; Kauhanen, Jussi; Karlsson, Magnus; Salonen, Jukka T.; Wilhelmsen, Lars; Amouyel, Philippe; Cantin, Bernard; Best, Lyle G.; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Manson, JoAnn E.; Davey-Smith, George; de Bakker, Paul I. W.; O'Donnell, Christopher J.; Wilson, James F.; Wilson, Anthony G.; Assimes, Themistocles L.; Jansson, John-Olov; Ohlsson, Claes; Tivesten, Åsa; Ljunggren, Östen; Reilly, Muredach P.; Hamsten, Anders; Ingelsson, Erik; Cambien, Francois; Hung, Joseph; Thomas, G. Neil; Boehnke, Michael; Schunkert, Heribert; Asselbergs, Folkert W.; Kastelein, John J. P.; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Salomaa, Veikko; Harris, Tamara B.; Kooner, Jaspal S.; Allin, Kristine H.; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Hopewell, Jemma C.; Goodall, Alison H.; Ridker, Paul M.; Hólm, Hilma; Watkins, Hugh; Ouwehand, Willem H.; Samani, Nilesh J.; Kaptoge, Stephen; Di Angelantonio, Emanuele; Harari, Olivier; Danesh, John; Quertermous, Thomas; Go, Alan S.; Hlatky, Mark A.; Knowles, Joshua W.; Smith, Albert V.; Chrysohoou, Christina; Pitsavos, Christos; Stefanadis, Christodoulos; Balmforth, Anthony J.; Thompson, John R.; Sivapalaratnam, Suthesh; Maiwald, Stephani; Basart, Hanneke; Motazacker, Mahdi; de Jong, Jonas S. S. G.; Dekker, Lucas R. C.; Tanck, Michael; Bezzina, Connie R.; Whincup, Peter H.; Morris, Richard W.; Wannamethee, S. Goya; Kiechl, Stefan; Yarnell, John W. G.; Lowe, Gordon; Rumley, Ann; Mukamal, Kenneth J.; Havulinna, Aki S.; Lokki, Marja-Liisa; Nieminen, Markku S.; Ripatti, Samuli; Sinisalo, Juha; McQuillan, Brendan M.; Beilby, John P.; Thompson, Peter L.; Thorleifsson, Guðmar; Thorgeirsson, Guðmundur; Thorsteinsdóttir, Unnur; Stefansson, Kari; Jula, Antti; Männistö, Satu; Perola, Markus; Tikkanen, Emmi; Boer, Jolanda M. A.; Onland-Moret, N. Charlott; van der Schouw, Yvonne T.; Verschuren, W. M. Monique; Jansson, Jan-Håkan; Dupuis, Josée; Fontes, João D.; Yin, Xiaoyan; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Koenig, Inke R.; Nahrstaedt, Janja; Loley, Christina; Stark, Klaus; Willenborg, Christina; Hengstenberg, Christian; Schreiber, Stefan; Preuss, Michael; Barroso, Inês; Hallmans, Göran; Shungin, Dmitry; Cheng, Kar Keung; Lam, Tai Hing; Jiang, Chao Chiang; Pai, Jennifer; Collins, Rory; Parish, Sarah; Armitage, Jane; Jackson, Anne; Hveem, Kristian; Wiggins, Kerri L.; Heckbert, Susan R.; Smith, Nicholas L.; Bis, Joshua C.; Ferrucci, Luigi; Guralnik, Jack M.; Bandinelli, Stefania; Singleton, Andrew B.; Tuomainen, Tomi-Pekka; Kurl, Sudhir; Zhang, Weihua; Kooner, Angad S.; Das, Debashis; März, Winfried; Scharnagl, Hubert; Böhm, Bernhard O.; Winkelmann, Bernhard R.; Folsom, Aaron R.; Shea, Steven J.; Laakso, Markku; Kuusisto, Johanna; Baumert, Jens; Thorand, Barbara; Illig, Thomas; Meisinger, Christa; Rosengren, Annika; Karlsson, Magnus K.; Hu, Frank B.; Hankinson, Susan E.; Davidson, Karina W.; Fraser, Ross; Wild, Sarah; Campbell, Harry; Qasim, Atif; Qu, Liming; Li, Mingyao; Lind, Lars; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Arveiler, Dominique; Farrall, Martin; Peden, John F.; Deloukas, Panos; Sheikh, Nasir; Rasheed, Asif; Dagenais, Gilles R.; Dehghan, Abbas; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Abecasis, Goncalo R.; Cucca, Francesco; Sanna, Serena; Uda, Manuela; Schlessinger, David; Sabater-Lleal, Maria; Silveira, Angela; Gigante, Bruna; Howard, Barbara V.; Basu, Samar; Rose, Lynda M.; Buring, Julie

    2012-01-01

    Background Persistent inflammation has been proposed to contribute to various stages in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) signalling propagates downstream inflammation cascades. To assess whether this pathway is causally relevant to coronary heart disease, we