Christiane Delbart

Bovine Brain Endothelial Cells Express Tight Junctions and Monoamine Oxidase Activity in Long-Term Culture

Abstract: The passage of substances across the blood‐brain barrier is regulated by cerebral capillaries which possess certain distinctly different morphological and enzymatic properties compared to capillaries of other organs. Investigations of the functional characteristics of brain capillaries have been facilitated by the use of cultured brain endothelial cells, but in most studies a number of characteristics of the in vivo system are lost. To provide an in vitro system for studies of brain capillary functions, we developed a method of isolating and producing a large number of bovine brain capillary endothelial cells. These cells, absolutely free of pericyte contamination, are subcultured, at the split ratio of 1:20 (20‐fold increase of the cultured surface), with no apparent changes in cell morphology up to the fiftieth generation (10 passages). Retention of endothelial‐specific characteristics (factor V11I‐related antigen, angiotensin‐converting enzyme, and nonthrombogenic surface) is shown for brain capillary‐derived endothelial cells up to passage 10, even after frozen storage at passage 3. Furthermore, we showed that bovine brain capillary endothelial cells retain, up to the fiftieth generation, some of the characteristics of the blood‐brain barrier: occurrence of tight junctions, paucity of pinocytotic vesicles, and monoamine oxidase activity

Low‐Density Lipoprotein Receptor on Endothelium of Brain Capillaries

Abstract: The presence of lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and their receptors in the brain could provide a system for cholesterol homeostasis, as they do in other tissues. This study was undertaken to determine whether plasma low‐density lipoprotein, the major carrier of cholesterol, is involved in the delivery of lipids through the blood‐brain barrier. 125I‐Labeled low‐density lipoprotein bound to a specific receptor on the endothelium of brain capillaries when it was injected immediately postmortem into bovine brain circulation. In contrast, no specific binding of 125I‐low density lipoprotein was found when the incubations were performed with isolated capillaries. Incubations of endothelial or basement membranes of brain capillaries with 125I‐low density lipoprotein demonstrated a high‐affinity association of low‐density lipoprotein with the membranes of bovine cerebral endothelial cells. The specificity of the low‐density lipoprotein binding was determined in several ways using a dot blot assay. This receptor shows the same characteristics as the low‐density lipoprotein receptor on human fibroblasts. The molecular weight of the bovine brain capillary low‐density lipoprotein receptor (132,000) was determined by ligand blotting. These results demonstrated the occurrence of a low‐density lipoprotein receptor on the endothelial cells of brain capillaries.

Analysis of phospholipid transfer during hdl binding to platelets using a fluorescent analog of phosphatidylcholine

Electron microscopic examination of the interaction of gold labelled HDL with platelets indicates that the internalized lipoprotein becomes closely associated with surface connected canaliculae and endocytic vacuoles. At the same time granule centralization occurs. Using fluorescent derivatives of naturally occurring lipids we have further investigated lipid exchange between HDL and platelets. Analogs of phosphatidylcholine containing fluorescent fatty acids are rapidly transferred from the lipoproteins to the cells and remain at the plasma membrane as long as they are kept at 4 degrees C. However when the platelets are warmed to 37 degrees C, a rapid degradation of the fluorescent lipids occurs, generating fluorescent diacylglycerol as a consequence of the activation of platelet enzymes.

Interactions of high-density lipoprotein 3 with brain capillary endothelial cells.

High-density lipoprotein 3 (HDL3) binds to capillary endothelial cells when their lumen surfaces are exposed to 125I-HDL3 by post-mortem perfusion of whole brain. Kinetic studies of binding of HDL3 to isolated membranes show that HDL3 binds only to endothelial membranes with high affinity (Kd = 7 micrograms/ml). Trypsin treatment of membranes abolishes HDL3 binding. High-affinity binding sites for HDL3 were recovered when endothelial cells from bovine brain capillaries were maintained in culture (Kd = 13 micrograms/ml HDL3 protein). The characteristics of the binding were preserved up to the 6th passage. Competition experiments using isolated luminal membranes or cultured endothelial cells indicate that only HDL3 and not LDL or methylated LDL, are able to compete binding of 125I-HDL3. Furthermore, the inhibition of 125I-HDL3 binding by lipoprotein A-I and lipoprotein A-I:A-II strongly suggests that apolipoprotein A-I is implicated in the formation of HDL3-receptor complexes. The binding is increased by loading cells with free cholesterol or LDL cholesterol. In addition, surface-bound 125I-HDL3 remains sensitive to mild trypsin treatment after subsequent incubation of BBCE at 37 degrees C. HDL3 bound to the cell surface is not endocytosed, but rather rapidly released into the medium after binding (t1/2 = 5 min).

Protein kinase C-dependent desensitization of HDL3-activated phospholipase C in human platelets.

In isolated human platelets, exposure of subfraction 3 high-density lipoprotein (HDL3) binding sites to high concentrations of HDL3 (1 mg/mL) causes rapid desensitization of HDL3 (50 micrograms/mL)-stimulated breakdown of phosphatidylcholine, as shown in approximately a 70% depression of the maximal 1,2-diacylglycerol release activity by phospholipase C. This desensitization is HDL3 dose dependent (IC50, 150 +/- 20 micrograms/mL, n = 6) and time dependent (t1/2, < 30 seconds). It requires the binding of HDL3, as pretreatment of HDL3 by tetranitromethane does not cause the desensitization of HDL3-induced phospholipase C activity. Permeabilization of human platelets with 10 micrograms/mL digitonin, used to permit access of charged inhibitors to the cytosol, does not interfere with the pattern of HDL3 (1 mg/mL)-induced desensitization of HDL3 (50 micrograms/mL)-stimulated phospholipase C. Inhibitors of protein kinase C (100 mumol/L H-7 and 10 mumol/L staurosporine) markedly inhibit desensitization of HDL3-induced phospholipase C activity, whereas cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor (1 mumol/L), heparin (100 nmol/L), or concanavalin A (0.25 mg/mL) were ineffective. HDL3-induced desensitization is accompanied at least by the phosphorylation of the 94- and 110-kD proteins. Inhibition of HDL3-induced desensitization by 100 mumol/L H-7 or 10 mumol/L staurosporine is characterized by a marked reduction of the phosphorylation state of these proteins in permeabilized platelets. Whereas protein kinase C inhibitors fully inhibited the phosphorylation of the 94- and 110-kD proteins, inhibitors of protein kinase A were less effective. These data establish that phosphorylation by protein kinase C represent a step in the desensitization of HDL3 binding sites in human platelets.

Pertussis toxin sensitive G-protein coupling of HDL receptor to phospholipase C in human platelets

Initially we established that, in human platelets, low concentrations of HDL3 stimulate phosphatidylcholine (PC) hydrolysis and a transient increase in 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG). In (3H) PC prelabelled platelets, phosphocholine is released into the medium during HDL3 induced PC turnover with a 1.5 to 2 fold increment, indicating that HDL3 stimulated DAG generation in platelets is likely due to phospholipase C (PLC). GTP or GTP-gamma-S augments, and pertussis toxin inhibits HDL3 stimulated DAG production. Treatment of platelet membranes with HDL3 or with proteoliposome containing apo A-I or A-II substantially prevents 41 kDa protein ADP-ribosylation that was induced by pertussis toxin, with apo A-II having an inhibitory potency greater than apo A-I. These data provide strong evidence that the pertussis sensible G protein (Go or Gi) is directly involved in coupling PLC to HDL3 receptor in platelets.

Phosphatidylcholine breakdown in HDL3 stimulated platelets.

Low concentrations of HDL3 stimulate a transient biphasic increase in 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), with an early phase peaking at 30 seconds and a late phase at 60 seconds in (3H)-phosphatidylcholine prelabelled platelets. DAG generation is coupled to apolipoprotein AII or AI binding to specific surface receptors. Coincubations with HDL3 and 0.2 microM phorbol ester induced a significant rise in the second phase DAG indicating the involvement of protein kinase C in this late phase. The HDL3 induced production of DAG in platelets pretreated with 6 microM R 59022 is enhanced, while phosphatidic acid (PA) content was reduced, suggesting that DAG attenuation is derived at least in part from a pathway involving DAG-Kinase.

HDL3 binds to glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins to activate signalling pathways

Previous studies have indicated that in HepG2 cells HDL3-signalling involves glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored proteins. HDL3-binding to HepG2 cells was found to be enhanced by cellular preincubation with PI-PLC inhibitors and sensitive to a cellular preincubation with exogenous PI-PLC, suggesting that HDL3 binds directly on GPI-anchored proteins to initiate signaling. Moreover HDL3-binding was found to be partly inhibited by antibodies against the HDL-binding protein (AbHBP). HDL3, when binding to HepG2 cells, promoted the release in the culture medium of a 110 kDa protein that binds AbHBP, while a cellular preincubation with antibodies against the inositol-phosphoglycan (IPG) moiety of GPI-anchor (AbIPG), used to block lipolytic cleavage of the GPI-anchor, inhibits HDL3-induced release of the 110 kDa protein in the culture medium. In [3H]-PC prelabeled HepG2 cells, AbHBP were found to stimulate PC-hydrolysis and DAG generation within 5 min as did HDL3 stimulation. Cellular preincubation with AbIPG was found to inhibit only the HDL3-signal and not the AbHBP-signal, while a prior cellular pretreatment with PI-PLC from Bacillus cereus was found to inhibit the HDL3-and AbHBP-signal. Moreover cellular preincubation with AbHBP for 1 h at 37 degrees C was found to inhibit HDL3-signalling pathways. Our results suggest that in HepG2 cells a 110 kDa protein, which could be HBP, can be anchored to the membrane via GPI, and can function in HDL3-signalling pathways as binding sites.

HDL3-signalling in HepG2 cells involves glycosyl-phospatidylinositol-anchored proteins

In [3H]phosphatidylcholine (PC) prelabelled HepG2 cells, HDL3 stimulates a biphasic increase in 1.2-diacylglycerol (DAG). The early phase is mediated in part by a phospholipase C which is inhibited by 10 microM D 609, RHC-80267 or U-73122 and less by 100 microM propranolol. A phospholipase D is more likely involved in the late phase, as the DAG peak lags behind phosphatidic acid rise and is blocked by 100 microM propranolol. Cellular preincubation with 200 microg/ml antibodies against the inositolphosphoglycan (IPG) moiety of the GPI-anchor (Ab(IPG)), or depletion in GPI-anchored proteins by cellular pretreatment with 0.5 U/ml PI-PLC, 1 mM insulin and 2 HU/ml streptolysin-O, or depletion in membrane cholesterol content by filipin (5 microg/ml), digitonin (5 microg/ml) and cholesterol oxidase (0.5 U/ml) decreases the HDL3-signal, suggesting the involvement of a lipolytic cleavage of GPI-anchored proteins. Inhibition of proteases by 1 mM leupeptin/PMSF improves the response time to HDL3, with a DAG peak at 2-3 min. In the presence of protease-inhibitors, HDL3 releases in the culture medium several proteins with a residual IPG that binds Ab(IPG) after SDS-PAGE analysis and immunoblotting. HDL3-signalling pathways comprise tyrosine kinases, as preincubation with 100 microg/ml genistein or tyrphostin inhibits the HDL3-signal. HDL3 activates PC hydrolysis through a multistep pathway involving the cleavage of GPI-anchored proteins.

Acylgalactosylceramides in Developing Dysmyelinating Mutant Mice

Acylgalactosylceramides (AGC) from forebrains of normal and dysmyelinating (quaking and shiverer) mice were purified by Florisil column chromatography and preparative TLC. These procedures resolved the AGC on the basis of their Rf values into two main fractions which co‐nigrate with their homologs from rat forebrains. In control animals, AGC were detectable in mouse forebrains from the eighth postnatal day and reached maximal values within 20 days. The same developmental pattern was obtained in dysmyelinating shiverer mice but the AGC content was reduced to approximately 30% of control values. In quaking mutants, the AGC were hardly detected. They were also present in sciatic nerve of normal mice and to a lesser extent in trembler mice. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of both ester‐ and amide‐linked fatty acids isolated from AGC of normal and shiverer mice shows that the shiverer mutant AGC display a chemical structure similar to that of normal AGC. AGC constituents of control myelin are reduced by approximately 70% in shiverer myelin, indicating that these molecules can be considered as early markers of oligodendrocyte differentiation. The early arrest of myelinogenesis in the quaking animals and the near absence of AGC are in good agreement with this proposal. Moreover, the reduced amount of AGC in the trembler PNS indicates that AGC could also be early markers for differentiation of the Schwann cell.