Fernando López-Casillas

The Shedding of Betaglycan Is Regulated by Pervanadate and Mediated by Membrane Type Matrix Metalloprotease-1

Betaglycan is a membrane-anchored proteoglycan that binds transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) via its core protein. A soluble form of betaglycan can be released by proteolytic cleavage (also known as shedding) of the membrane-bound form, yielding soluble betaglycan. The mechanism leading to the generation of soluble betaglycan is poorly understood. Because the membrane and soluble forms of betaglycan have opposite effects regulating the availability of TGF-β, it is important to characterize the shedding of betaglycan further. Here we present evidence showing that in certain cell types, pervanadate, a general tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, induces the release of the previously described fragment that encompasses almost the entire extracellular domain of betaglycan (sBG-120). In addition, treatment with pervanadate unveils the existence of a novel 90-kDa fragment (sBG-90). Noticeably, the cleavage that generates sBG-90 is mediated by a tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-2-sensitive protease. Overexpression of all membrane type matrix metalloproteases (MT-MMPs) described to date indicates that MT1-MMP and MT3-MMP are endowed with ability to generate sBG-90. Furthermore, the patterns of expression of different MT-MMPs in the cell lines used in this study suggest that MT1-MMP is the protease involved in the shedding of sBG-90. Overexpression of MT1-MMP in COS-1 cells, which do not express detectable levels of this metalloprotease, confirms the feasibility of this hypothesis. Unexpectedly, during the course of these experiments, we observed that MT2-MMP decreases the levels of MT1-MMP and betaglycan. Finally, binding competition experiments indicate that, similar to the wild type membrane betaglycan, sBG-90 binds the TGF-β2 isoform with greater affinity than TGF-β1, suggesting that once released, it could affect the cellular availability of TGF-β.

Role of the Juxtamembrane Domains of the Transforming Growth Factor-α Precursor and the β-Amyloid Precursor Protein in Regulated Ectodomain Shedding

Although regulated ectodomain shedding is a well known process that affects a large group of transmembrane molecules, it is not clear how the shedding system selects its substrates. Here we investigate the structural requirements for the regulated shedding of two substrates of the general shedding system, the transforming growth factor-α precursor, pro-TGF-α, and the β-amyloid precursor protein, β-APP. The ability of different regions of pro-TGF-α or β-APP to confer susceptibility to the shedding system was tested using as a reporter a transmembrane molecule that is not a substrate of this shedding system. For this purpose we chose the TGF-β accessory receptor, betaglycan, since genetic and biochemical evidence showed that betaglycan is not a substrate of the shedding system. We determined that replacement of the 14 extracellular amino acids adjacent to the transmembrane region of betaglycan with the corresponding regions of TGF-α or β-APP rendered betaglycan susceptible to ectodomain shedding. These domain swap constructs were cleaved in response to protein kinase C stimulation, and cleavage was prevented by the metalloprotease inhibitor TAPI, both effects being characteristic of the general shedding system. Domain swap constructs containing the transmembrane and/or the cytoplasmic domains of pro-TGF-α did not undergo regulated ectodomain cleavage. We conclude that despite a lack of sequence similarity, the extracellular regions of pro-TGF-α and β-APP immediately preceding their transmembrane domains are key determinants of ectodomain shedding.

Extracellular domain of TGFβ type III receptor inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth in human cancer cells

TGFβ overexpression in human cancer cells has been shown to promote tumor progression. In the present study, we sought to determine whether sequestration of endogenous TGFβ by the expression of a soluble TGFβ type III receptor (sRIII), can reduce malignancy in human carcinoma cells and whether the tumor-suppressive activity of sRIII is associated with the inhibition of angiogenesis. Ectopic expression of sRIII significantly inhibited the growth of tumors formed by human colon carcinoma HCT116 and breast carcinoma MDA-MB-435 cells in nude mice. It also reduced the metastatic potential of the MDA-MB-435 cells. Thus, endogenous TGFβ appears to be necessary for the progression of these two carcinomas. Furthermore, when the tumor cells were mixed with Matrigel and embedded subcutaneously in nude mice, the blood volume in Matrigel plugs containing sRIII-expressing cells as indicated by hemoglobin levels was significantly lower than that in Matrigel plugs containing the respective control cells. Blood vessel counts in paraffin sections of the Matrigel plugs containing sRIII-expressing cells were also significantly lower than those in paraffin sections of the Matrigel plugs containing control cells. Treatment of human endothelial cells with a recombinant sRIII significantly inhibited their ability to form a capillary web structure on Matrigel. These results for the first time indicate that the sRIII-induced tumor suppression appears to be in part due to the inhibition of angiogenesis.

Recombinant soluble betaglycan is a potent and isoform-selective transforming growth factor-beta neutralizing agent.

Betaglycan is an accessory receptor of members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily, which regulates their actions through ligand-dependent interactions with type II receptors. A natural soluble form of betaglycan is found in serum and extracellular matrices. Soluble betaglycan, prepared as a recombinant protein using the baculoviral expression system, inhibits the actions of TGF-beta. Because of its potential use as an anti-TGF-beta therapeutic agent, we have purified and characterized baculoviral recombinant soluble betaglycan. Baculoviral soluble betaglycan is a homodimer formed by two 110 kDa monomers associated by non-covalent interactions. This protein is devoid of glycosaminoglycan chains, although it contains the serine residues, which, in vertebrate cells, are modified by these carbohydrates. On the other hand, mannose-rich carbohydrates account for approximately 20 kDa of the mass of the monomer. End-terminal sequence analysis of the soluble betaglycan showed that Gly(24) is the first residue of the mature protein. Similarly to the natural soluble betaglycan, baculoviral soluble betaglycan has an equilibrium dissociation constant (K(d)) of 3.5 nM for TGF-beta1. Ligand competition assays indicate that the relative affinities of recombinant soluble betaglycan for the TGF-beta isoforms are TGF-beta2>TGF-beta3>TGF-beta1. The anti-TGF-beta potency of recombinant soluble betaglycan in vitro is 10-fold higher for TGF-beta2 than for TGF-beta1. Compared with a commercial pan-specific anti-TGF-beta neutralizing antibody, recombinant soluble betaglycan is more potent against TGF-beta2 and similar against TGF-beta1. These results indicate that baculoviral soluble betaglycan has the biochemical and functional properties that would make it a suitable agent for the treatment of the diseases in which excess TGF-beta plays a central physiopathological role.

Two Epitopes Shared by Taenia crassiceps and Taenia solium Confer Protection against Murine T. crassiceps Cysticercosis along with a Prominent T1 Response

ABSTRACT Taenia crassiceps recombinant antigens KETc1 and KETc12 have been shown to induce high level of protection against experimental murine T. crassiceps cysticercosis, an experimental model successfully used to test candidate antigens for use in vaccination against porcine Taenia solium cysticercosis. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, KETc1 and KETc12 were chemically synthesized in linear form. Immunization with KETc1 induced 66.7 to 100% protection against murine cysticercosis, and immunization with KETc12 induced 52.7 to 88.1% protection. The elicited immune response indicated that both peptides contain at least one B-cell epitope (as demonstrated by their ability to induce specific antibodies) and one T-cell epitope that strongly stimulated the proliferation of T cells primed with either the free peptide or total cysticercal T. crassiceps antigens. The high percentage of spleen cells expressing inflammatory cytokines points to the likelihood of a T1 response being involved in protection. The protective capacity of the peptides and their presence in all developmental stages of T. solium point to these two epitopes as strong candidates for inclusion in a polyepitopic synthetic vaccine against T. solium pig cysticercosis.

p32 (gC1qBP) Is a General Protein Kinase C (PKC)-binding Protein INTERACTION AND CELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF P32-PKC COMPLEXES IN RAT HEPATOCYTES

The aim of this study was to identify cellular proteins that bind protein kinase C (PKC) and may influence its activity and its localization. A 32-kDa PKC-binding protein was purified to homogeneity from the Triton X-100-insoluble fraction obtained from hepatocytes homogenates. The protein was identified by NH2-terminal amino acid sequencing as the previously described mature form of p32 (gC1qR). Recombinant p32 was expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein, affinity-purified, and tested for an in vitro interaction with PKC using an overlay assay approach. All PKC isoforms expressed in rat hepatocytes interacted in vitro with p32, but the binding dependence on PKC activators was different for each one. Whereas PKCδ only binds to p32 in the presence of PKC activators, PKCζ and PKCα increase their binding when they are in the activated form. Other PKC isoforms such as β, ε, and θ bind equally well to p32 regardless of the presence of PKC activators, and PKCμ binds even better in their absence. It was also found that p32 is not a substrate for any of the PKC isoforms tested, but interestingly, its presence had a stimulatory effect (2-fold for PKCδ) on PKC activity. We also observed in vivo interaction between PKC and p32 by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. A time course of phorbol ester treatment of cultured rat hepatocytes (C9 cells) showed that PKCθ and p32 are constitutively associated in vivo, whereas PKCδ activation is required for its association with p32. Our data also showed that phorbol ester treatment induces a transient translocation of p32 from the cytoplasm to the cell nucleus. Together, these findings suggest that p32 may be a regulator of PKC location and function.

Vasoinhibins prevent retinal vasopermeability associated with diabetic retinopathy in rats via protein phosphatase 2A–dependent eNOS inactivation

Increased retinal vasopermeability contributes to diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. Despite clinical progress, effective therapy remains a major need. Vasoinhibins, a family of peptides derived from the protein hormone prolactin (and inclusive of the 16-kDa fragment of prolactin), antagonize the proangiogenic effects of VEGF, a primary mediator of retinal vasopermeability. Here, we demonstrate what we believe to be a novel function of vasoinhibins as inhibitors of the increased retinal vasopermeability associated with diabetic retinopathy. Vasoinhibins inhibited VEGF-induced vasopermeability in bovine aortic and rat retinal capillary endothelial cells in vitro. In vivo, vasoinhibins blocked retinal vasopermeability in diabetic rats and in response to intravitreous injection of VEGF or of vitreous from patients with diabetic retinopathy. Inhibition by vasoinhibins was similar to that achieved following immunodepletion of VEGF from human diabetic retinopathy vitreous or blockage of NO synthesis, suggesting that vasoinhibins inhibit VEGF-induced NOS activation. We further showed that vasoinhibins activate protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), leading to eNOS dephosphorylation at Ser1179 and, thereby, eNOS inactivation. Moreover, intravitreous injection of okadaic acid, a PP2A inhibitor, blocked the vasoinhibin effect on endothelial cell permeability and retinal vasopermeability. These results suggest that vasoinhibins have the potential to be developed as new therapeutic agents to control the excessive retinal vasopermeability observed in diabetic retinopathy and other vasoproliferative retinopathies.

TGF-β signalling is mediated by two autonomously functioning TβRI:TβRII pairs

Transforming growth factor (TGF)‐βs are dimeric polypeptides that have vital roles in regulating cell growth and differentiation. They signal by assembling a receptor heterotetramer composed of two TβRI:TβRII heterodimers. To investigate whether the two heterodimers bind and signal autonomously, one of the TGF‐β protomers was substituted to block receptor binding. The substituted dimer, TGF‐β3 WD, bound the TβRII extracellular domain and recruited the TβRI with affinities indistinguishable from TGF‐β3, but with one‐half the stoichiometry. TGF‐β3 WD was further shown to retain one‐quarter to one‐half the signalling activity of TGF‐β3 in three established assays for TGF‐β function. Single‐molecule fluorescence imaging with GFP‐tagged receptors demonstrated a measurable increase in the proportion of TβRI and TβRII dimers upon treatment with TGF‐β3, but not with TGF‐β3 WD. These results provide evidence that the two TβRI:TβRII heterodimers bind and signal in an autonomous manner. They further underscore how the TGF‐βs diverged from the bone morphogenetic proteins, the ancestral ligands of the TGF‐β superfamily that signal through a RI:RII:RII heterotrimer.

A combination of a transforming growth factor-β antagonist and an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase is an effective treatment for murine pulmonary tuberculosis

Transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) and prostaglandins (PG) regulate the cell‐mediated immune response, so it has been proposed that they affect the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis. Here we report that the administration of soluble betaglycan, a potent TGF‐β antagonist, and niflumic acid, a PG synthesis inhibitor, during the chronic phase of experimental murine tuberculosis enhanced Th1 and decreased Th2 cytokines, increased the expression of iNOS and reduced pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis and bacillary load. This immunotherapeutic approach resulted in significant control of the disease comparable to that achieved by anti‐microbial treatment alone. Importantly, the combination of immunotherapy and anti‐microbials resulted in an accelerated clearance of bacilli from the lung. These results confirm that TGF‐β and PG have a central pathophysiological role in the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis in the mouse and suggest that the addition of immunotherapy to conventional anti‐microbial drugs might result in improved treatment of the disease.

Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis: humoral immune response and protection elicited by DNA immunization.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate DNA vaccination in cysticercosis prevention by using a Taenia crassiceps cDNA of a recombinant antigen (KETc7) that has been reported as protective against murine cysticercosis. The KETc7 cDNA was cloned into the pcDNA3 plasmid alone or with the betaglycan signal peptide sequence (pTc-7 and pTc-sp7, respectively). Positive expression of the pTc-sp7 product was confirmed by transfection of C33 cells and immunofluorescence using sera of mice infected with T. crassiceps. Immunization of mice with 3 injections of pTc-sp7 DNA at the higher dose (200 microg) was the most effective to induce antibody with or without bupivacaine. Immunization with pTc-sp7 induced protection against challenge with T. crassiceps cysticerci as successfully as previously observed with the KETc7 recombinant protein. Antibodies elicited by DNA immunization with pTc-sp7 specifically reacted with the native protein of 56 kDa previously reported, which is immunolocalized in the tegument of T. crassiceps cysticerci. The 56-kDa antigen is also present in Taenia solium oncospheres, cysticerci, and adult tissue. The protection induced in DNA-immunized mice and the observation that the injected plasmid remains as an episomic form within muscle cells, encouraged us to continue testing this procedure to prevent T. solium cysticercosis.