Lance C. Bridges

ADAM-Integrin Interactions: potential integrin regulated ectodomain shedding activity.

ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) are a family of cell surface proteins related to the Class III snake venom metalloproteases (SVMP). ADAMs are members of the Metazincin family which includes the matrix matalloproteases and the ADAMTS proteins. Unlike their snake venom relatives, ADAMs are expressed as transmembrane cell surface proteins. The domain structure of ADAMs suggests that these proteins posses both proteolytic and adhesive functions. Several members of the ADAM protein family have been shown to be involved in ectodomain shedding of many important cell surface proteins resulting in the release of biologically active soluble factors. The carboxyl-terminal domains, especially the disintegrin-like domain of ADAMs, have been demonstrated to support cell adhesion. The disintegrin-like domains of many ADAMs are capable of acting as integrin ligands. Integrins known to interact with ADAM disintegrin-like domains include alpha4beta1, alpha4beta7, alpha5beta1, alpha6beta1, alpha9beta1, alphavbeta3, and alphavbeta5. This integrin mediated interaction of the disintegrin-like domains with the cell surface suggests that ADAMs may function as cellular counter receptors. In this review we discuss the individual functions ascribed to members of the ADAM family especially those related to integrin interactions and the potential for integrin mediated regulation of ectodomain shedding.

ADAM13 Induces Cranial Neural Crest by Cleaving Class B Ephrins and Regulating Wnt Signaling

The cranial neural crest (CNC) consists of multipotent embryonic cells that contribute to craniofacial structures and other cells and tissues of the vertebrate head. During embryogenesis, CNC is induced at the neural plate boundary through the interplay of several major signaling pathways. Here, we report that the metalloproteinase activity of ADAM13 is required for early induction of CNC in Xenopus. In both cultured cells and X. tropicalis embryos, membrane-bound Ephrins (Efns) B1 and B2 were identified as substrates for ADAM13. ADAM13 upregulates canonical Wnt signaling and early expression of the transcription factor snail2, whereas EfnB1 inhibits the canonical Wnt pathway and snail2 expression. We propose that by cleaving class B Efns, ADAM13 promotes canonical Wnt signaling and early CNC induction.

Fish oil disrupts MHC class II lateral organization on the B-cell side of the immunological synapse independent of B-T cell adhesion☆

Fish oil-enriched long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids disrupt the molecular organization of T-cell proteins in the immunological synapse. The impact of fish oil derived n-3 fatty acids on antigen-presenting cells, particularly at the animal level, is unknown. We previously demonstrated B-cells isolated from mice fed with fish oil-suppressed naïve CD4(+) T-cell activation. Therefore, here we determined the mechanistic effects of fish oil on murine B-cell major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecular distribution using a combination of total internal reflection fluorescence, Förster resonance energy transfer and confocal imaging. Fish oil had no impact on presynaptic B-cell MHC II clustering. Upon conjugation with transgenic T-cells, fish-oil suppressed MHC II accumulation at the immunological synapse. As a consequence, T-cell protein kinase C theta (PKCθ) recruitment to the synapse was also diminished. The effects were independent of changes in B-T cell adhesion, as measured with microscopy, flow cytometry and static cell adhesion assays with select immune ligands. Given that fish oil can reorganize the membrane by lowering membrane cholesterol levels, we then compared the results with fish oil to cholesterol depletion using methyl-B-cyclodextrin (MβCD). MβCD treatment of B-cells suppressed MHC II and T-cell PKCθ recruitment to the immunological synapse, similar to fish oil. Overall, the results reveal commonality in the mechanism by which fish oil manipulates protein lateral organization of B-cells compared to T-cells. Furthermore, the data establish MHC class II lateral organization on the B-cell side of the immunological synapse as a novel molecular target of fish oil.

Introduction to the ADAM Family

ADAMs (proteins containing A Disintegrin and A Metalloprotease domain) are multidomain and multifunctional proteins that are emerging as key regulators of critical events that occur at the cell surface. Many ADAMs (roughly half) are active metalloproteases, and several of these (e.g. ADAMs 10, 17, and 19) exert important functions in vivo, for example in development of the heart and brain. The best-characterized in vivo activity of ADAM proteases is as ectodomain sheddases. By shedding cell surface proteins (e.g. cytokines and growth factors), ADAMs initiate extracellular signaling events (e.g. signaling through epidermal growth factor receptors). ADAM-mediated ectodomain shedding (e.g. of Notch) can also set the stage for important intracellular signaling events. ADAMs have also been reported to shed surface proteins involved in both cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion. The disintegrin and cysteine-rich domains of ADAMs exhibit adhesive activities in tissue culture-based studies. The important roles that several proteolytically inactive ADAMs play in development (ADAMs 2, 3, 14, and 23) suggest that ADAM adhesive activities may be relevant to their function. In this chapter, we first review the history and phylogeny of the ADAMs as well as structural and functional aspects of their major domains. We next review how ADAMs function as ectodomain sheddases, how their protease activities may be regulated, and how ADAMs may function in modulating cell adhesion and cell migration. We end with a very brief discussion of the role of ADAMs in development and disease and conclude by posing some questions for future research. Our goal is to give an appreciation for the widespread, varied, and fascinating means by which ADAMs affect, or may affect, key cell surface events: cell signaling, cell adhesion, and cell migration.

Conservation and divergence of ADAM family proteins in the Xenopus genome

BackgroundMembers of the disintegrin metalloproteinase (ADAM) family play important roles in cellular and developmental processes through their functions as proteases and/or binding partners for other proteins. The amphibian Xenopus has long been used as a model for early vertebrate development, but genome-wide analyses for large gene families were not possible until the recent completion of the X. tropicalis genome sequence and the availability of large scale expression sequence tag (EST) databases. In this study we carried out a systematic analysis of the X. tropicalis genome and uncovered several interesting features of ADAM genes in this species.ResultsBased on the X. tropicalis genome sequence and EST databases, we identified Xenopus orthologues of mammalian ADAMs and obtained full-length cDNA clones for these genes. The deduced protein sequences, synteny and exon-intron boundaries are conserved between most human and X. tropicalis orthologues. The alternative splicing patterns of certain Xenopus ADAM genes, such as adams 22 and 28, are similar to those of their mammalian orthologues. However, we were unable to identify an orthologue for ADAM7 or 8. The Xenopus orthologue of ADAM15, an active metalloproteinase in mammals, does not contain the conserved zinc-binding motif and is hence considered proteolytically inactive. We also found evidence for gain of ADAM genes in Xenopus as compared to other species. There is a homologue of ADAM10 in Xenopus that is missing in most mammals. Furthermore, a single scaffold of X. tropicalis genome contains four genes encoding ADAM28 homologues, suggesting genome duplication in this region.ConclusionsOur genome-wide analysis of ADAM genes in X. tropicalis revealed both conservation and evolutionary divergence of these genes in this amphibian species. On the one hand, all ADAMs implicated in normal development and health in other species are conserved in X. tropicalis. On the other hand, some ADAM genes and ADAM protease activities are absent, while other novel ADAM proteins in this species are predicted by this study. The conservation and unique divergence of ADAM genes in Xenopus probably reflect the particular selective pressures these amphibian species faced during evolution.

B Cell Activity Is Impaired in Human and Mouse Obesity and Is Responsive to an Essential Fatty Acid upon Murine Influenza Infection

Obesity is associated with increased risk for infections and poor responses to vaccinations, which may be due to compromised B cell function. However, there is limited information about the influence of obesity on B cell function and underlying factors that modulate B cell responses. Therefore, we studied B cell cytokine secretion and/or Ab production across obesity models. In obese humans, B cell IL-6 secretion was lowered and IgM levels were elevated upon ex vivo anti-BCR/TLR9 stimulation. In murine obesity induced by a high fat diet, ex vivo IgM and IgG were elevated with unstimulated B cells. Furthermore, the high fat diet lowered bone marrow B cell frequency accompanied by diminished transcripts of early lymphoid commitment markers. Murine B cell responses were subsequently investigated upon influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 infection using a Western diet model in the absence or presence of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA, an essential fatty acid with immunomodulatory properties, was tested because its plasma levels are lowered in obesity. Relative to controls, mice consuming the Western diet had diminished Ab titers whereas the Western diet plus DHA improved titers. Mechanistically, DHA did not directly target B cells to elevate Ab levels. Instead, DHA increased the concentration of the downstream specialized proresolving lipid mediators (SPMs) 14-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid, 17-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid, and protectin DX. All three SPMs were found to be effective in elevating murine Ab levels upon influenza infection. Collectively, the results demonstrate that B cell responses are impaired across human and mouse obesity models and show that essential fatty acid status is a factor influencing humoral immunity, potentially through an SPM-mediated mechanism.

9-cis-Retinoic acid promotes cell adhesion through integrin dependent and independent mechanisms across immune lineages

Retinoids are essential in the proper establishment and maintenance of immunity. Although retinoids are implicated in immune related processes, their role in immune cell adhesion has not been well established. In this study, the effect of 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) on human hematopoietic cell adhesion was investigated. 9-cis-RA treatment specifically induced cell adhesion of the human immune cell lines HuT-78, NB4, RPMI 8866 and U937. Due to the prominent role of integrin receptors in mediating immune cell adhesion, we sought to evaluate if cell adhesion was integrin-dependent. By employing a variety of integrin antagonist including function-blocking antibodies and EDTA, we establish that 9-cis-RA prompts immune cell adhesion through established integrin receptors in addition to a novel integrin-independent process. The novel integrin-independent adhesion required the presence of retinoid and was attenuated by treatment with synthetic corticosteroids. Finally, we demonstrate that 9-cis-RA treatment of primary murine B-cells induces ex vivo adhesion that persists in the absence of integrin function. Our study is the first to demonstrate that 9-cis-RA influences immune cell adhesion through at least two functionally distinct mechanisms.

All-trans-retinoic acid induces integrin-independent B-cell adhesion to ADAM disintegrin domains.

Cell adhesion is an integral aspect of immunity facilitating extravasation of immune cells during homing and activation. All -trans-Retinoic acid ( t-RA) regulates leukocyte differentiation, proliferation, and transmigration. However, the role of t-RA in immune cell adhesion is poorly defined. In this study, we evaluated the impact of t-RA and its metabolism on B and T cell adhesion. Specifically, we address the impact of t-RA on the adhesive properties of the human mature B and T cell lines RPMI 8866, Daudi and Jurkats. The effect of t-RA exposure on cell adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), a well-established integrin counter receptor involved in immunity, and to nonconventional ADAM integrin ligands was assessed. We show for the first time that t-RA potently induces B cell adhesion in an integrin-independent manner to both VCAM-1 and select ADAM disintegrin domains. Using retinoid extraction and reverse-phase HPLC analysis, we identify the retinoid that is functionally responsible for this augmented adhesion. We also provide evidence that this novel t-RA adhesive response is not prototypical of lymphocytes since both Daudi and Jurkats do not alter their adhesive properties upon t-RA treatment. Further, the t-RA metabolic profiles between these lineages is distinct with 9- cis-retinoic acid being exclusively detected in Jurkat media. This study is the first to demonstrate that t-RA directly induces B cell adhesion in an integrin-independent manner and is not contingent upon t-RA metabolism.

Roles of ADAM13-regulated Wnt activity in early Xenopus eye development

Pericellular proteolysis by ADAM family metalloproteinases has been widely implicated in cell signaling and development. We recently found that Xenopus ADAM13, an ADAM metalloproteinase, is required for activation of canonical Wnt signaling during cranial neural crest (CNC) induction by regulating a novel crosstalk between Wnt and ephrin B (EfnB) signaling pathways (Wei et al., 2010b). In the present study we show that the metalloproteinase activity of ADAM13 also plays important roles in eye development in Xenopus tropicalis. Knockdown of ADAM13 results in reduced expression of eye field markers pax6 and rx1, as well as that of the pan-neural marker sox2. Activation of canonical Wnt signaling or inhibition of forward EfnB signaling rescues the eye defects caused by loss of ADAM13, suggesting that ADAM13 functions through regulation of the EfnB-Wnt pathway interaction. Downstream of Wnt, the head inducer Cerberus was identified as an effector that mediates ADAM13 function in early eye field formation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of the Wnt target gene snail2 restores cerberus expression and rescues the eye defects caused by ADAM13 knockdown. Together these data suggest an important role of ADAM13-regulated Wnt activity in eye development in Xenopus.

Short-chain ceramides depress integrin cell surface expression and function in colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly metastatic, significantly so to liver, a characteristic that embodies one of the most challenging aspects of treatment. The integrin family of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion receptors plays a central role in migration and invasion, functions that underlie metastatic potential. In the present work we sought to determine the impact of ceramide, which plays a key modulatory role in cancer suppression, on integrin cell surface expression and function in CRC cells in order to reveal possible ceramide-centric effects on tumor cell motility. Human CRC cells LoVo, HT-29, and HCT-116 were employed, which represent lines established from primary and metastatic sites. A cell-permeable, short-chain analog, C6-ceramide, was used as ceramide mimic. Exposure of cells to C6-ceramide (24 h) promoted a dose-dependent (2.5-10 µM) decrease in the expression of cell surface β1 and β4 integrin subunits in all cell lines; at 10 µM C6-ceramide, the decreases ranged from 30 to 50% of the control. Expression of cell surface αVβ6 integrin, which is associated with advanced invasion in CRC, was also suppressed by C6-ceramide. Decreases in integrin expression translated to diminished cellular adhesion, 50% of the control at 5 µM C6-ceramide, and markedly reduced cellular migration, approximately 30-40% of the control in all cell lines. Physicochemical examination revealed potent efficacy of nano-formulated C6-ceramide, but inferior activity of dihydro-C6-ceramide and L-C6-ceramide, compared to the unsaturated counterpart and the natural d-enantiomer, respectively. These studies demonstrate novel actions of ceramides that may have application in suppression of tumor metastasis, in addition to their known tumor suppressor effects.