Alana K. Majors

ADAMTS10 Protein Interacts with Fibrillin-1 and Promotes Its Deposition in Extracellular Matrix of Cultured Fibroblasts

Autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant forms of Weill-Marchesani syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder, are caused by mutations in ADAMTS10 (encoding a secreted metalloprotease) and FBN1 (encoding fibrillin-1, which forms tissue microfibrils), respectively, yet they are clinically indistinguishable. This genetic connection prompted investigation of a potential functional relationship between ADAMTS10 and fibrillin-1. Specifically, fibrillin-1 was investigated as a potential ADAMTS10 binding partner and substrate, and the role of ADAMTS10 in influencing microfibril biogenesis was addressed. Using ligand affinity blotting and surface plasmon resonance, recombinant ADAMTS10 was found to bind to fibrillin-1 with a high degree of specificity and with high affinity. Two sites of ADAMTS10 binding to fibrillin-1 were identified, one toward the N terminus and another in the C-terminal half of fibrillin-1. Confocal microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy localized ADAMTS10 to fibrillin-1-containing microfibrils in human tissues. Furin-activated ADAMTS10 could cleave fibrillin-1, but innate resistance of ADAMTS10 zymogen to propeptide excision by furin was observed, suggesting that, unless activated, ADAMTS10 is an inefficient fibrillinase. To investigate the role of ADAMTS10 in microfibril biogenesis, fetal bovine nuchal ligament cells were cultured in the presence or absence of ADAMTS10. Exogenously added ADAMTS10 led to accelerated fibrillin-1 microfibril biogenesis. Conversely, fibroblasts obtained from a Weill-Marchesani syndrome patient with ADAMTS10 mutations deposited fibrillin-1 microfibrils sparsely compared with unaffected control cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that ADAMTS10 participates in microfibril biogenesis rather than in fibrillin-1 turnover.

Primary Murine Airway Smooth Muscle Cells Exposed to Poly(I,C) or Tunicamycin Synthesize a Leukocyte-adhesive Hyaluronan Matrix

Asthmatic attacks often follow viral infections with subsequent airway smooth muscle cell proliferation and the formation of an abnormal hyaluronan extracellular matrix with infiltrated leukocytes. In this study, we show that murine airway smooth muscle cells (MASM) treated with polyinosinic acid-polycytidylic acid (poly(I,C)), a double-stranded RNA that simulates a viral infection, synthesize an abnormal hyaluronan matrix that binds leukocytes (U937 cells). Synthesis of this matrix is initiated rapidly and accumulates linearly for ∼10 h, reaching a plateau level ∼7-fold higher than control cultures. MASM cells treated with tunicamycin, to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress, also rapidly initiate synthesis of the abnormal hyaluronan matrix with linear accumulation for ∼10 h, but only reach a plateau level ∼2-fold higher than control cultures. In contrast to poly(I,C), the response to tunicamycin depends on cell density, with pre-confluent cells producing more abnormal matrix per cell. Furthermore, U937 cell adhesion per hyaluronan content is higher in the sparse matrix produced in response to tunicamycin, suggesting that the structure in the poly(I,C)-induced matrix masks potential binding sites. When MASM cells were exposed to tunicamycin and poly(I,C) at the same time, U937 cell adhesion was partially additive, implying that these two toxins stimulate hyaluronan synthesis through two different pathways. We also characterized the size of hyaluronan produced by MASM cells, in response to poly(I,C) and tunicamycin, and we found that it ranges from 1500 to 4000 kDa, the majority of which was ∼4000 kDa and not different in size than hyaluronan made by untreated cells.

ADAMTSL4, a Secreted Glycoprotein Widely Distributed in the Eye, Binds Fibrillin-1 Microfibrils and Accelerates Microfibril Biogenesis

PURPOSE ADAMTSL4 mutations cause autosomal recessive isolated ectopia lentis (IEL) and ectopia lentis et pupillae. Dominant FBN1 mutations cause IEL or syndromic ectopia lentis (Marfan syndrome and Weill-Marchesani syndrome). The authors sought to characterize recombinant ADAMTSL4 and the ocular distribution of ADAMTSL4 and to investigate whether ADAMTSL4 influences the biogenesis of fibrillin-1 microfibrils, which compose the zonule. METHODS ADAMTSL4 was expressed by the transfection of HEK293F cells. Protein extracts and paraffin sections from human eyes were analyzed by Western blot analysis and by immunoperoxidase staining, respectively. Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate fibrillin-1 deposition in the ECM of fetal bovine nuchal ligament cells after culture in ADAMTSL4-conditioned medium or control medium. Confocal microscopy was performed to investigate ADAMTSL4 and fibrillin-1 colocalization in these cultures. RESULTS Western blot analysis identified ADAMTSL4 as a glycoprotein in HEK293F cells and as a major band of 150 kDa in ocular tissues including ciliary body, sclera, cornea, and retina. Immunoperoxidase staining showed a broad ocular distribution of ADAMTSL4, associated with both cells and fibrillar ECM. When cultured in ADAMTSL4-containing medium, fetal bovine nuchal ligament cells showed accelerated fibrillin-1 deposition in ECM. ADAMTSL4 colocalized with fibrillin-1 microfibrils in the ECM of these cells. CONCLUSIONS ADAMTSL4 is a secreted glycoprotein that is widely distributed in the human eye. Enhanced fibrillin-1 deposition in the presence of ADAMTSL4 and colocalization of ADAMTSL4 with fibrillin-1 in the ECM of cultured fibroblasts suggest a potential role for ADAMTSL4 in the formation or maintenance of the zonule.

Hyperhomocysteinemia induced by methionine supplementation does not independently cause atherosclerosis in C57BL/6J mice

A causal relationship between diet‐induced hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and accelerated atherosclerosis has been established in apolipoprotein E‐deficient (apoE−/−) mice. However, it is not known whether the proatherogenic effect of HHcy in apoE−/− mice is independent of hyperlipidemia and/or deficiency of apoE. In this study, a comprehensive dietary approach using C57BL/6J mice was used to investigate whether HHcy is an independent risk factor for accelerated atherosclerosis or dependent on additional dietary factors that increase plasma lipids and/or inflam mation. C57BL/6J mice at 4 wk of age were divided into 6 dietary groups: chow diet (C), chow diet + methionine (C+M), western‐type diet (W), western‐type diet + methionine (W+M), atherogenic diet (A), or atherogenic diet + methionine (A+M). After 2, 10, 20, or 40 wk on the diets, mice were sacrificed, and the levels of total plasma homocysteine, cysteine, and glutathione, as well as total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides were analyzed. Aortic root sections were examined for atherosclerotic lesions. HHcy was induced in all groups supplemented with methionine, compared to diet‐matched control groups. Plasma total cholesterol was significantly increased in mice fed the W or A diet. However, the W diet increased LDL/IDL and HDL levels, while the A diet significantly elevated plasma VLDL and LDL/IDL levels without increasing HDL. No differences in plasma total cholesterol levels or lipid profiles were observed between methionine‐supplemented groups and the diet‐matched control groups. Early atherosclerotic lesions containing macrophage foam cells were only observed in mice fed the A or A + M diet. Furthermore, lesion size was significantly larger in the A + M group compared to the A group at 10 and 20 wk; however, mature lesions were never observed even after 40 wk on these diets. The presence of lymphocytes, increased hyaluronan staining, and the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers were also increased in atherosclerotic lesions from the A + M group. Taken together, these results suggest that HHcy does not independently cause atherosclerosis in C57BL/6J mice even in the presence of increased total plasma lipids induced by the W diet. However, HHcy can accelerate atherosclerotic lesion development under dietary conditions that increase plasma VLDL levels and/or inflammation.—Zhou, J., Werstuck, G. H., Lhoták, Š., Shi, Y. Y., Tedesco, V., Trigatti, B., Dickhout, J., Majors, A. K., DiBello, P. M., Jacobsen, D. W., Austin, R. C. Hyperhomocysteinemia induced by methionine supplementation does not independently cause atherosclerosis in C57BL/6J mice. FASEB J. 22, 2569–2578 (2008)

Cell density and proliferation modulate collagen synthesis and procollagen mRNA levels in arterial smooth muscle cells

Collagen synthesis and procollagen mRNA levels were determined and compared in (1) sparse, rapidly proliferating smooth muscle cells (SMC); (2) postconfluent, density-arrested SMC; and (3) sparse, nonproliferating (mitogen-deprived) rabbit arterial SMC. Collagen synthesis per SMC was decreased by 70% in postconfluent versus proliferating cells. However, relative collagen synthesis, expressed as the percentage of total protein synthesis, increased from 3.7% in sparse cultures to approximately 7% in postconfluent cultures. Slot blot analyses demonstrated that the relative steady state alpha 1(I) and alpha 1(III) procollagen mRNA levels were also increased in postconfluent cultures when compared to sparse cultures. As with collagen synthesis per cell, the mRNA levels per cell for types I and III procollagen in postconfluent cells, determined by densitometry of blots, were likewise approximately half that found in sparse, proliferating cells. In a separate study to determine if cell-cell contact was necessary for eliciting these changes in collagen synthesis, we determined collagen synthesis in mitogen-deprived and proliferating SMC cultures at low density. Mitogen-deprived cultures synthesized only 10% the amount of collagen produced (per cell) by proliferating cultures in 10% fetal bovine serum. Relative collagen synthesis in proliferating and nonproliferating cultures was 5.0 and 8.3%, respectively. These results demonstrate elevated collagen synthesis, per cell, by proliferating cultures compared with nonproliferating cultures, regardless of whether cells were rendered quiescent by density arrest or by mitogen deprivation. Results also suggest a pretranslational mechanism for the regulation of collagen synthesis in rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells.

Upregulation of smooth muscle cell collagen production by homocysteine-insight into the pathogenesis of homocystinuria.

Patients with untreated homocystinuria have widespread premature atherosclerosis with intimal thickening and collagen-rich, fibrous plaques. We previously demonstrated that homocysteine (Hcy) upregulates collagen synthesis and accumulation by arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) [A. Majors, L.A. Ehrhart, E.H. Pezacka, Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 17 (1997) 2074-2081] but the underlying mechanisms are not known. Since many of the effects of Hcy on intact vessels and vascular cells are thought to involve reactive oxygen species generated from Hcy oxidation, we investigated the role of reactive oxygen species in the upregulation of collagen production by Hcy. Treatment of SMCs with 300 microM l-Hcy increased collagen accumulation 2-3-fold. When added to culture medium containing serum, the exogenous Hcy was rapidly oxidized with a half-life of approximately 1 h but only very low amounts of H(2)O(2) (up to 2 microM) were detected. Three lines of evidence demonstrate that the increased accumulation of collagen was not mediated by reactive oxygen species generated from Hcy oxidation: (1) catalase in the medium did not block the accumulation of collagen in Hcy-treated cultures; (2) the addition of xanthine/xanthine oxidase, a system that generates superoxide and H(2)O(2), did not increase collagen accumulation; and (3) the direct addition of H(2)O(2) did not substantially enhance collagen accumulation. In contrast, heparin, a potent modulator of SMC function, significantly blocked the accumulation of collagen in Hcy-treated cultures. Together, these results demonstrate that the increase in collagen accumulation in Hcy-treated cultures involves alternate mechanisms not involving H(2)O(2).

Hyaluronan and Its Heavy Chain Modification in Asthma Severity and Experimental Asthma Exacerbation

Background: Hyaluronan has been linked to asthma severity and inflammation. Results: We characterized the hyaluronan levels and its heavy chain modification in an experimental model of human asthma exacerbation. Conclusion: These data implicate hyaluronan and its heavy chain modification in human asthma severity. Significance: Repetitive asthma exacerbations exacerbate hyaluronan pathobiology, which contribute to the chronic inflammation associated with this disease. Hyaluronan (HA) is a large (>1500 kDa) polysaccharide of the extracellular matrix that has been linked to severity and inflammation in asthma. During inflammation, HA becomes covalently modified with heavy chains (HC-HA) from inter-α-inhibitor (IαI), which functions to increase its avidity for leukocytes. Our murine model of allergic pulmonary inflammation suggested that HC-HA may contribute to inflammation, adversely effecting lower airway remodeling and asthma severity. Our objective was to characterize the levels of HA and HC-HA in asthmatic subjects and to correlate these levels with asthma severity. We determined the levels and distribution of HA and HC-HA (i) from asthmatic and control lung tissue, (ii) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from non-severe and severe asthmatics and controls, and (iii) in serum and urine from atopic asthmatics after an experimental asthma exacerbation. HC-HA distribution was observed (i) in the thickened basement membrane of asthmatic lower airways, (ii) around smooth muscle cells of the asthmatic submucosa, and (iii) around reserve cells of the asthmatic epithelium. Patients with severe asthma had increased HA levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid that correlated with pulmonary function and nitric oxide levels, whereas HC-HA was only observed in a patient with non-severe asthma. After an experimental asthma exacerbation, serum HA was increased within 4 h after challenge and remained elevated through 5 days after challenge. Urine HA and HC-HA were not significantly different. These data implicate HA and HC-HA in the pathogenesis of asthma severity that may occur in part due to repetitive asthma exacerbations over the course of the disease.

Novel insights in mammalian catalase heme maturation: effect of NO and thioredoxin-1.

Catalase is a tetrameric heme-containing enzyme with essential antioxidant functions in biology. Multiple factors including nitric oxide (NO) have been shown to attenuate its activity. However, the possible impact of NO in relation to the maturation of active catalase, including its heme acquisition and tetramer formation, has not been investigated. We found that NO attenuates heme insertion into catalase in both short-term and long-term incubations. The NO inhibition in catalase heme incorporation was associated with defective oligomerization of catalase, such that inactive catalase monomers and dimers accumulated in place of the mature tetrameric enzyme. We also found that GAPDH plays a key role in mediating these NO effects on the structure and activity of catalase. Moreover, the NO sensitivity of catalase maturation could be altered up or down by manipulating the cellular expression level or activity of thioredoxin-1, a known protein-SNO denitrosylase enzyme. In a mouse model of allergic inflammatory asthma, we found that lungs from allergen-challenged mice contained a greater percentage of dimeric catalase relative to tetrameric catalase in the unchallenged control, suggesting that the mechanisms described here are in play in the allergic asthma model. Together, our study shows how maturation of active catalase can be influenced by NO, S-nitrosylated GAPDH, and thioredoxin-1, and how maturation may become compromised in inflammatory conditions such as asthma.

Graft smooth muscle cells specifically synthesize increased collagen

PURPOSE Anastomotic intimal hyperplasia is characterized by smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, but its final form is predominantly extracellular matrix. The purpose of this study was to compare collagen synthesis from graft SMC to that from adjacent native arterial SMC. METHODS Thoracoabdominal bypass grafts were excised 20 weeks after implantation into canine models. SMC harvested from six anastomotic graft segments and adjacent native aorta were passaged twice, grown to near-confluence, and then assayed for collagen synthesis and total protein synthesis. In four of these sites type I alpha-1 procollagen mRNA levels were measured and normalized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. To control for increases in collagen synthesis associated with proliferation, SMC were plated at equal densities and tritium-thymidine incorporation and DNA concentration were determined. Data (mean +/- SE) were analyzed with two-factor ANOVA for repeated measures and paired Student t test and were considered significant if p < 0.05. RESULTS There was no difference in thymidine incorporation and total protein synthesis between groups, but collagen synthesis (graft: 52.9 +/- 1.6 disintegrations per minute/ng DNA versus native: 42.6 +/- 1.9 dpm/ng DNA; p = 0.03) and collagen synthesis as a percentage of total protein synthesis (graft: 7.16% +/- 0.11% versus native: 5.8% +/- 0.14%; p = 0.001) increased significantly in graft SMC as compared to native SMC. Type I alpha-1 procollagen mRNA levels were higher in graft SMC, but this difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Graft SMC specifically produce more collagen than SMC from adjacent native artery. This change does not simply reflect increases in either total protein synthesis or proliferation and may, in part, be due to increased collagen gene expression.

TNF−stimulated gene 6 promotes formation of hyaluronan−inter-α-inhibitor heavy chain complexes necessary for ozone−induced airway hyperresponsiveness

Exposure to pollutants, such as ozone, exacerbates airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness (AHR). TNF-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) is required to transfer inter-α-inhibitor heavy chains (HC) to hyaluronan (HA), facilitating HA receptor binding. TSG-6 is necessary for AHR in allergic asthma, because it facilitates the development of a pathological HA–HC matrix. However, the role of TSG-6 in acute airway inflammation is not well understood. Here, we hypothesized that TSG-6 is essential for the development of HA- and ozone-induced AHR. TSG-6−/− and TSG-6+/+ mice were exposed to ozone or short-fragment HA (sHA), and AHR was assayed via flexiVent. The AHR response to sHA was evaluated in the isolated tracheal ring assay in tracheal rings from TSG-6−/− or TSG-6+/+, with or without the addition of exogenous TSG-6, and with or without inhibitors of Rho-associated, coiled-coil–containing protein kinase (ROCK), ERK, or PI3K. Smooth-muscle cells from mouse tracheas were assayed in vitro for signaling pathways. We found that TSG-6 deficiency protects against AHR after ozone (in vivo) or sHA (in vitro and in vivo) exposure. Moreover, TSG-6−/− tracheal ring non-responsiveness to sHA was reversed by exogenous TSG-6 addition. sHA rapidly activated RhoA, ERK, and Akt in airway smooth-muscle cells, but only in the presence of TSG-6. Inhibition of ROCK, ERK, or PI3K/Akt blocked sHA/TSG-6–mediated AHR. In conclusion, TSG-6 is necessary for AHR in response to ozone or sHA, in part because it facilitates rapid formation of HA–HC complexes. The sHA/TSG-6 effect is mediated by RhoA, ERK, and PI3K/Akt signaling.