José J. García-Ramírez

Notch-1 Up-Regulation and Signaling following Macrophage Activation Modulates Gene Expression Patterns Known to Affect Antigen-Presenting Capacity and Cytotoxic Activity

Notch signaling has been extensively implicated in cell-fate determination along the development of the immune system. However, a role for Notch signaling in fully differentiated immune cells has not been clearly defined. We have analyzed the expression of Notch protein family members during macrophage activation. Resting macrophages express Notch-1, -2, and -4, as well as the Notch ligands Jagged-1 and -2. After treatment with LPS and/or IFN-γ, we observed a p38 MAPK-dependent increase in Notch-1 and Jagged-1 mRNA and protein levels. To study the role of Notch signaling in macrophage activation, we forced the transient expression of truncated, active intracellular Notch-1 (Notch-IC) proteins in Raw 264.7 cells and analyzed their effects on the activity of transcription factors involved in macrophage activation. Notch-IC increased STAT-1-dependent transcription. Furthermore, Raw 264.7 Notch-IC stable transfectants increased STAT1-dependent transcription in response to IFN-γ, leading to higher expression of IFN regulatory factor-1, suppressor of cytokine signaling-1, ICAM-1, and MHC class II proteins. This effect was independent from an increase of STAT1 Tyr or Ser phosphorylation. However, inducible NO synthase expression and NO production decreased under the same conditions. Our results show that Notch up-regulation and subsequent signaling following macrophage activation modulate gene expression patterns known to affect the function of mature macrophages.

Notch1 upregulates LPS-induced macrophage activation by increasing NF-κB activity

Macrophages present different Notch receptors and ligands on their surface. Following macrophage activation by LPS or other TLR ligands, Notch1 expression is upregulated. We report here that Notch signaling increases both basal and LPS‐induced NF‐κB activation, favoring the expression of genes implicated in the inflammatory response, such as the cytokines TNF‐α and IL‐6, or enzymes, such as iNOS. Delta4 seems to be the most effective ligand to induce Notch activation and increasing NF‐κB transcriptional activity in macrophages. We show that Notch1 signaling promotes NF‐κB translocation to the nucleus and DNA binding by increasing both phosphorylation of the IκB kinase α/β complex and the expression of some NF‐κB family members. Treatment of macrophages with the γ‐secretase inhibitor DAPT, which prevents the cleavage and activation of Notch receptors, inhibits all these processes, diminishing NF‐κB activity following LPS stimulation. Additionally, we show that the active intracellular Notch fragment can directly interact with TNF‐α and iNOS promoters. Our results suggest that Notch signaling results in an amplification of the macrophage‐dependent inflammatory response by enhancing NF‐κB signaling.

The EGF-like proteins DLK1 and DLK2 function as inhibitory non-canonical ligands of NOTCH1 receptor that modulate each other's activities

The protein DLK2, highly homologous to DLK1, belongs to the EGF-like family of membrane proteins, which includes NOTCH receptors and their DSL-ligands. The molecular mechanisms by which DLK proteins regulate cell differentiation and proliferation processes are not fully established yet. In previous reports, we demonstrated that DLK1 interacts with itself and with specific EGF-like repeats of the NOTCH1 extracellular region involved in the binding to NOTCH1 canonical ligands. Moreover, the interaction of DLK1 with NOTCH1 caused an inhibition of basal NOTCH signaling in preadipocytes and mesenchymal multipotent cells. In this work, we demonstrate, for the first time, that DLK2 interacts with itself, with DLK1, and with the same NOTCH1 receptor region as DLK1 does. We demonstrate also that the interaction of DLK2 with NOTCH1 similarly results in an inhibition of NOTCH signaling in preadipocytes and Mouse Embryo fibloblasts. In addition, we demonstrate that a membrane DLK1 variant, lacking the sequence recognized by the protease TACE, also inhibits NOTCH signaling. Furthermore, both DLK1 and DLK2 are able to decrease NOTCH activity also when triggered by specific NOTCH ligands. However, the decrease in NOTCH signaling induced by overexpression of Dlk2 is reversed by the overexpression of Dlk1, and viceversa. We conclude that DLK1 and DLK2 act as inhibitory non-canonical protein ligands for the NOTCH1 receptor that modulate NOTCH signaling.

dlk1 Specifically Interacts with Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 to Modulate Adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 Cells

dlk1 is an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like homeotic protein containing an intracellular region, a single transmembrane domain, and an extracellular region possessing six EGF-like repeats and a protease-target sequence. dlk1 functions as a modulator of adipogenesis, and other differentiation processes. The molecular mechanisms by which dlk1 regulates these processes are unclear. It has been reported that different Dlk1 mRNA spliced variants, encoding for isoforms possessing the protease-target sequence or not, determine the production of membrane-associated or soluble, secreted extracellular dlk1 proteins that appear to affect adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells differently. In particular, only soluble variants inhibit this process. Some recent evidence suggest that dlk1 may modulate extracellular stimuli inducing differentiation. Thus, an enforced decrease of Dlk1 expression in BALB/c 3T3 cells, which results in an increase of their adipogenic potential in response to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), modifies the kinetics and levels of activation of ERK1/2 triggered by it. In this work, we identified a strong and specific interaction between the protease-target dlk1 region and the non-IGF binding region of IGF binding protein 1 (IGFBP1), a protein that binds to IGFs and modulates their action. We also observed that the increased adipogenic potential of 3T3-L1 cells caused by diminishing Dlk1 expression through transfection with an antisense Dlk1 expression construct was inhibited by the presence of IGFBP1 in the differentiation medium. On the other hand, the presence of IGFBP1 in the culture medium slightly increased the adipogenic potential of control 3T3-L1 cells, expressing regular levels of Dlk1. These data suggest that membrane dlk1 variants bind to extracellular IGFBP1/IGF-1 complexes, which may favor the release of IGF-1 and increase the local concentration of free IGF-1 that can enhance IGF receptor signaling, leading to adipogenesis.

Temporal Profiling of the Coding and Noncoding Murine Cytomegalovirus Transcriptomes

ABSTRACT The global transcriptional program of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), involving coding, noncoding, and antisense transcription, remains unknown. Here we report an oligonucleotide custom microarray platform capable of measuring both coding and noncoding transcription on a genome-wide scale. By profiling MCMV wild-type and immediate-early mutant strains in fibroblasts, we found rapid activation of the transcriptome by 6.5 h postinfection, with absolute dependency on ie3, but not ie1 or ie2, for genomic programming of viral gene expression. Evidence is also presented to show, for the first time, genome-wide noncoding and bidirectional transcription at late stages of MCMV infection.

Dominance of Virus over Host Factors in Cross-Species Activation of Human Cytomegalovirus Early Gene Expression

ABSTRACT Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) exhibits a highly restricted host range. In this study, we sought to examine the relative significance of host and viral factors in activating early gene expression of the HCMV UL54 (DNA polymerase) promoter in murine cells. Appropriate activation of the UL54 promoter at early times is essential for viral DNA replication. To study how the HCMV UL54 promoter is activated in murine cells, a transgenesis system based on yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) was established for HCMV. A 178-kb YAC, containing a subgenomic fragment of HCMV encompassing the majority of the unique long (UL) region, was constructed by homologous recombination in yeast. This HCMV YAC backbone is defective for viral growth and lacks the major immediate-early (IE) gene region, thus permitting the analysis of essential cis-acting sequences when complemented intrans. To quantitatively measure the level of gene expression, we generated HCMV YACs containing a luciferase reporter gene inserted downstream of either the UL54 promoter or, as a control for late gene expression, the UL86 promoter, which directs expression of the major capsid protein. To determine the early gene activation pathway, point mutations were introduced into the inverted repeat 1 (IR1) element of the UL54 promoter of the HCMV YAC. In the transgenesis experiments, HCMV YACs and derivatives generated in yeast were introduced into NIH 3T3 murine cells by polyethylene glycol-mediated fusion. We found that infection of YAC, but not plasmid, transgenic lines with HCMV was sufficient to fully recapitulate the UL54 expression program at early times of infection, indicating the importance of remote regulatory elements in influencing regulation of the UL54 promoter. Moreover, YACs containing a mutant IR1 in the UL54 promoter led to reduced (∼30-fold) reporter gene expression levels, indicating that HCMV major IE gene activation of the UL54 promoter is fully permissive in murine cells. In comparison with HCMV, infection of YAC transgenic NIH 3T3 lines with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) resulted in lower (more than one order of magnitude) efficiency in activating UL54 early gene expression. MCMV is therefore not able to fully activate HCMV early gene expression, indicating the significance of virus over host determinants in the cross-species activation of key early gene promoters. Finally, these studies show that YAC transgenesis can be a useful tool in functional analysis of viral proteins and control of gene expression for large viral genomes.

The serum levels of the EGF‐like homeotic protein dlk1 correlate with different metabolic parameters in two hormonally different children populations in Spain

Background  The Dlk1 gene encodes for dlk1, a transmembrane protein belonging to the EGF‐like repeat‐containing family. Dlk1 has been shown to act as a regulator of adipogenesis. Fc‐dlk1 transgenic mice show a decrease in adipose tissue and glucose tolerance, hypertriglyceridaemia and lower insulin sensitivity. Dlk1‐deficient mice show growth retardation, increased serum lipid metabolites and develop obesity. These data advocate for a role of dlk1 in the maintenance of lipid homeostasis, and suggest that dlk1 levels may influence the development of cardiovascular disease.

Principles of homeostasis in governing virus activation and latency

The goal of our work is to understand, from the molecular to the organismal level, the principles that drive and sustain life long infection by viruses. These infectious agents live in a dynamic equilibrium (homeostasis) with their hosts in which both immune and nonimmune pathways contribute to viral homeostasis. Disruption of these pathways can have dramatic consequences on pathogenesis. Immune responses to infection provide a vital countermeasure by the host butarenonsterilizing. They effect an essential and primary control mechanism for viral growth. Essential non immune pathways for effecting control of a viral life cycle relate to the obligate dependency of the virus on its host. For these reasons, we view infections as a highly dynamic interplay that takes place between the pathogen and host. This, in many cases, leads to the establishment of an incurable life long infection that remains benign but can become life threatening once key homeostatic pathways are disrupted. We discuss these issues in the context of our studies using cytomegalovirus as a clinically relevant pathogen.

The Tetraspanin TSPAN33 Controls TLR-Triggered Macrophage Activation through Modulation of NOTCH Signaling

The involvement of NOTCH signaling in macrophage activation by Toll receptors has been clearly established, but the factors and pathways controlling NOTCH signaling during this process have not been completely delineated yet. We have characterized the role of TSPAN33, a tetraspanin implicated in a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) 10 maturation, during macrophage proinflammatory activation. Tspan33 expression increases in response to TLR signaling, including responses triggered by TLR4, TLR3, and TLR2 activation, and it is enhanced by IFN-γ. In this study, we report that induction of Tspan33 expression by TLR and IFN-γ is largely dependent on NOTCH signaling, as its expression is clearly diminished in macrophages lacking Notch1 and Notch2 expression, but it is enhanced after overexpression of a constitutively active intracellular domain of NOTCH1. TSPAN33 is the member of the TspanC8 tetraspanin subgroup more intensely induced during macrophage activation, and its overexpression increases ADAM10, but not ADAM17, maturation. TSPAN33 favors NOTCH processing at the membrane by modulating ADAM10 and/or Presenilin1 activity, thus increasing NOTCH signaling in activated macrophages. Moreover, TSPAN33 modulates TLR-induced proinflammatory gene expression, at least in part, by increasing NF-κB–dependent transcriptional activity. Our results suggest that TSPAN33 represents a new control element in the development of inflammation by macrophages that could constitute a potential therapeutic target.

DLK2 is a transcriptional target of KLF4 in the early stages of adipogenesis.

The epidermal growth factor-like protein DLK2, highly homologous to DLK1, has been identified as a modulator of adipogenesis in vitro. Knocking down Dlk2 expression prevents adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells but enhances that of the mesenchymal cell line C3H10T1/2. The expression of Dlk2 shows two peaks along this differentiation process: the first one, in response to 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and dexamethasone (Dex), and the second, shortly after exposure to insulin. Nothing is known about the transcriptional regulation of Dlk2 during adipogenesis. Here, we report that, during early adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells, Dlk2 expression is controlled independently by IBMX and Dex. We also show that KLF4, a transcription factor critical for the control of early adipogenesis, binds directly to the Dlk2 promoter and increases Dlk2 expression in response to IBMX. Overexpression of KLF4 leads to an increase in DLK2 expression levels, whereas KLF4 knockdown downregulates the transcriptional activity of the Dlk2 promoter. Finally, we demonstrate that KLF4 regulates the basal expression of Dlk2 in C3H10T1/2 cells, and it is required for the adipogenic differentiation of those cells. These results indicate that KLF4 mediates the transcriptional regulation of Dlk2 in response to IBMX during the early stages of adipogenesis.