Young Y. Jeng

Blood pressure lowering by pioglitazone. Evidence for a direct vascular effect.

To examine potential mechanisms for the blood pressure-lowering action of the thiazolidinedione compound, pioglitazone (PIO), we studied the effects of the drug on blood pressure and insulin action in vivo and on vascular tissue in vitro. In vivo, PIO lowered blood pressure in fructose-fed and chow-fed rats to an extent that could not be explained by alterations in fasting plasma insulin or free magnesium concentrations or by alterations in whole-body insulin sensitivity. In vitro, PIO caused significant blunting of the contractile responses of aortic rings to NE, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and potassium chloride; the blunting of responses to NE was maintained after removal of the endothelium. To assess the potential importance of extracellular calcium to the vasodepressor effect of PIO, we measured contractile responses to NE in the absence of calcium, and then after acute restoration of calcium in the presence of NE. PIO had no effect on the contractile response in the absence of calcium. By contrast, PIO blunted by 42% the contractile response that occurred when the extracellular calcium supply was acutely restored in the presence of NE, suggesting that the blunting was mediated by blockade of calcium uptake by vascular smooth muscle. Such an effect was confirmed in cultured a7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells, which exhibited a brisk increase in intracellular calcium in response to AVP that was blocked by PIO in a dose-dependent fashion. Our data indicate that PIO has a direct vascular effect that appears to be mediated at least in part by inhibition of agonist-mediated calcium uptake by vascular smooth muscle. The direct vascular effect may contribute to the blood pressure-lowering actions of PIO in vivo, because that effect could not be explained by alterations in whole-body insulin sensitivity.

Alzheimer Disease-specific Conformation of Hyperphosphorylated Paired Helical Filament-Tau Is Polyubiquitinated through Lys-48, Lys-11, and Lys-6 Ubiquitin Conjugation

One of the key pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD) is the accumulation of paired helical filaments (PHFs) of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein Tau. Tandem mass spectrometry was employed to examine PHF-Tau post-translational modifications, in particular protein phosphorylation and ubiquitination, to shed light on their role in the early stages of Alzheimer disease. PHF-Tau from Alzheimer disease brain was affinity-purified by MC1 monoclonal antibody to isolate a soluble fraction of PHF-Tau in a conformation unique to human AD brain. A large number of phosphorylation sites were identified by employing a data-dependent neutral loss algorithm to trigger MS3 scans of phosphopeptides. It was found that soluble PHF-Tau is ubiquitinated at its microtubule-binding domain at residues Lys-254, Lys-311, and Lys-353, suggesting that ubiquitination of PHF-Tau may be an earlier pathological event than previously thought and that ubiquitination could play a regulatory role in modulating the integrity of microtubules during the course of AD. Tandem mass spectrometry data for ubiquitin itself indicate that PHF-Tau is modified by three polyubiquitin linkages, at Lys-6, Lys-11, and Lys-48. Relative quantitative analysis indicates that Lys-48-linked polyubiquitination is the primary form of polyubiquitination with a minor portion of ubiquitin linked at Lys-6 and Lys-11. Because modification by Lys-48-linked polyubiquitin chains is known to serve as the essential means of targeting proteins for degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and it has been reported that modification at Lys-6 inhibits ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation, a failure of the ubiquitin-proteasome system could play a role in initiating the formation of degradation-resistant PHF tangles.

Endothelial-Dependent Vascular Effects of Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I in the Perfused Rat Mesenteric Artery and Aortic Ring

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) exhibit vasoactivity. To examine the role of the endothelium in mediating the vascular responses to insulin and IGF-I, we exposed both isolated intact rat mesenteric arteries and rat aortic rings to these growth factors in the presence and absence of endothelium. Perfusion of rat mesenteric arteries with insulin, IGF-I, or IGF-II resulted in the potentiation of arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced vasoconstriction. Of these growth factors, IGF-I was the most potent, with a significant effect at 0.6 nM and maximal effects at 6.0 nM, followed by IGF-II and insulin. Endothelial denudation or addition of cycloheximide prevented the growth-factor effects. Tissue cGMP levels in the mesenteric artery were minimally affected by growth factors. Insulin and IGF-I vascular effects were not inhibited by BQ123, an endothelin (ET) antagonist that blocked ET-1 enhancement of AVP response. Perfusion of mesenteric arteries with IGF-I for 1 h did not alter vessel ET-1 or ET-1 mRNA contents. Addition of indomethacin markedly inhibited the IGF-I effect on AVP contraction. Thus, the mesenteric vascular effect of insulin and IGF-I is not associated with ET-1 release but appears to link to an increased release of an endothelial-derived contracting factor or the decreased production of an endothelial-derived relaxing factor from the cyclooxygenase pathway. In contrast to their action in the mesenteric artery, insulin (exceeding 100 nM) and IGF-I (1–30 nM) attenuated AVP- and norepinephrine-induced contraction in rat aortic rings. Endothelial-denudation abolished this effect. L-Ng monomethyl arginine markedly reduced insulin and IGF-I responses in the aortic rings, suggesting involvement of endothelial nitric oxide production. Furthermore, IGF-I moderately increased tissue cGMP levels in the rings. These results suggest that the vascular effects of insulin and IGF-I are vessel-specific and mediated by the endothelium, possibly via IGF-I receptors.

Identification of clathrin and clathrin adaptors on tubulovesicles of gastric acid secretory (oxyntic) cells

γ-Adaptin and clathrin heavy chain were identified on tubulovesicles of gastric oxyntic cells with the anti-γ-adaptin monoclonal antibody (MAb) 100/3 and an anti-clathrin heavy chain MAb (MAb 23), respectively. In Western blots, crude gastric microsomes from rabbit and rat and density gradient-purified, H-K-ATPase-rich microsomes from these same species were immunoreactive for γ-adaptin and clathrin. In immunofluorescent labeling of isolated rabbit gastric glands, anti-γ-adaptin and anti-clathrin heavy chain immunoreactivity appeared to be concentrated in oxyntic cells. In primary cultures of rabbit oxyntic cells, the immunocytochemical distribution of γ-adaptin immunoreactivity was similar to that of the tubulovesicular membrane marker in oxyntic cells, the H-K-ATPase. Further biochemical characterization of the tubulovesicular γ-adaptin-containing complex suggested that it has a subunit composition that is typical of that for a clathrin adaptor: in addition to the γ-adaptin subunit, it contains a β-adaptin subunit and other subunits of apparent molecular masses of 50 kDa and 19 kDa. From solubilized gastric microsomes from rabbit, γ-adaptin could be copurified with the major cargo protein of tubulovesicles, the H-K-ATPase. Thus this tubulovesicular coat may bind directly to the H-K-ATPase and may thereby mediate the regulated trafficking of the H-K-ATPase at the apical membrane of the oxyntic cell during the gastric acid secretory cycle. Given the similarities of the regulated trafficking of the H-K-ATPase with recycling of cargo through the apical recycling endosome of many epithelial cells, we propose that tubulovesicular clathrin and adaptors may regulate some part of an apical recycling pathway in other epithelial cells.

Regulation of protein and vesicle trafficking at the apical membrane of epithelial cells.

The characterization of endocytotic and post-endocytotic trafficking pathways at the apical membrane of epithelial cells presents a potential avenue for the identification of targets to modulate the initial stages of absorption and transepithelial transport of macromolecules. In addition, it is becoming increasingly clear that the activity of a number of apical membrane transporters is acutely regulated by vesicular trafficking. The gastric HCl-secreting parietal (oxyntic) cell is a model system to characterize an apical membrane vesicular trafficking pathway and its relationship to the regulation of the function of the gastric proton pump. The subapical tubulovesicular compartment of the parietal cell is highly enriched in the H,K-ATPase and is a key endosomal-like system in the apical membrane recycling pathway. In the process of cataloging the proteins that interact with the H,K-ATPase and tubulovesicles, we have identified novel components that may regulate protein sorting through this compartment and candidate linker proteins between the vesicular trafficking machinery and the cytoskeleton. One protein associated with H,K-ATPase-rich tubulovesicles is the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-src, identified by a screen for dynamin-binding proteins. The tyrosine kinase is active, as it can tyrosine-phosphorylate tubulovesicular proteins in vitro. One of the tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins of M(r) 100 kDa may be the H,K-ATPase itself, or a protein in a complex with the H,K-ATPase that is stable to dissociation by nonionic detergents. By virtue of its association with tubulovesicular membranes, c-src may regulate the trafficking and/or activity of the H,K-ATPase. A second protein identified by a screen for dynamin-binding proteins is the protein lasp-1. Lasp-1, through its modular protein structure, may bind to dynamin and to the actin cytoskeleton, thus linking the vesicular trafficking machinery with the cytoskeleton. These two examples illustrate the utility of the parietal cell in the biochemical characterization of components potentially involved in the regulation of apical membrane trafficking pathways.

ACTIVATION OF A MEMBRANE-ASSOCIATED PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL KINASE THROUGH TYROSINE-PROTEIN PHOSPHORYLATION BY NAPHTHOQUINONES AND ORTHOVANADATE

We have previously reported that several naphthoquinones stimulated tyrosine-specific protein phosphorylation in isolated rat liver membranes. Our more recent study demonstrated a similar effect by orthovanadate, which concomitantly stimulated phosphorylation of protein-tyrosine and phosphatidylinositol (Ptd-Ins). Results presented here show a simultaneous increase in PtdIns phosphorylation along with stimulation of tyrosine-protein phosphorylation by naphthoquinones. This PtdIns kinase resembles the type I PtdIns kinase in that it was insensitive to adenosine inhibition. The product, nevertheless, comigrated with a PtdIns-4-phosphate standard in TLC using three different solvent systems. Stimulation of PtdIns phosphorylation by vanadate or naphthoquinones could be achieved in the following preparations: intact rat liver membranes, Triton X-100-solubilized membranes, solubilized membranes partially purified by Sephacryl chromatography, solubilized membranes purified by wheat germ agglutinin chromatography. The naphthoquinone or vanadate-activated PtdIns kinase activity could be isolated by antiphosphotyrosine antibody-agarose affinity chromatography. The relative potencies of a series of ring-substituted naphthoquinones in the stimulation of tyrosine-protein phosphorylation, PtdIns kinase activity, dithiothreitol-dependent oxygen consumption, and cytochrome c reduction were highly correlated. We conclude that oxidant(s) produced by redox cycling of naphthoquinones stimulated an adenosine-insensitive PtdIns kinase through tyrosine phosphorylation of the enzyme.

Norepinephrine release and reuptake by hypothalamic synaptosomes of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We compared the overflow of endogenous norepinephrine during electrical field stimulation, the norepinephrine content, and the rate of initial neuronal uptake of [3H]norepinephrine in synaptosomes isolated from hypothalamus and brainstem of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats at 7 and 13 weeks of age. The synaptosomes of two rats, a SHR and a WKY rat control, were simultaneously processed and subjected to the same electrical field stimulation. The overflow of endogenous norepinephrine during electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 2 minutes) in the hypothalamic synaptosomes of 7-week-old SHR was significantly greater, whereas the overflow of 13-week-old SHR was equivalent to the age-matched WKY rat. The norepinephrine content of synaptosomes was about the same in SHR and age-matched controls. There was also significantly enhanced [3H]norepinephrine uptake in the hypothalamic synaptosomes of young SHR, but neither the hypothalamic nor the brainstem samples of 13-week-old SHR showed any significant difference in their rate of [3H]norepinephrine uptake. These data are similar to those we observed (unpublished observations) in perfused mesenteric artery system in which norepinephrine release was significantly elevated during periarterial nerve stimulation only in young SHR. Thus, these results suggest that a parallel enhancement of norepinephrine release in hypothalamus with that of peripheral nervous system may play an important role during development of hypertension in young SHR.

An immunologically distinct β-adaptin on tubulovesicles of gastric oxyntic cells

Clathrin and the γ-adaptin subunit of the AP-1 clathrin adaptor have been previously identified on H-K-ATPase-rich tubulovesicles from gastric acid secretory (oxyntic) cells [C. T. Okamoto, S. M. Karam, Y. Y. Jeng, J. G. Forte, and J. Goldenring. Am. J. Physiol. 274 ( Cell Physiol. 43): C1017-C1029]. We further characterized this AP-1 adaptor from rabbit and hog tubulovesicles biochemically and immunologically. Clathrin coat proteins were stripped from purified tubulovesicular membranes and fractionated by hydroxyapatite chromatography. The AP-1 adaptor appears to elute at 200 mM sodium phosphate, based on the presence of proteins in this fraction that are immunoreactive with antibodies against three of the four subunits of this heterotetrameric complex: the γ-, μ1-, and ς1-adaptin subunits. Although the putative β-adaptin subunit in this fraction is not immunoreactive with the anti-β-adaptin monoclonal antibody (MAb), this β-adaptin is immunoreactive with polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) directed against the peptide sequence Gly625-Asp-Leu-Leu-Gly-Asp-Leu-Leu-Asn-Leu-Asp-Leu-Gly-Pro-Pro-Val640, a region conserved between β1- and β2-adaptins that is thought to be involved in the binding of clathrin heavy chain. Immunoprecipitation of the AP-1 adaptor complex from this fraction with anti-γ-adaptin MAb 100/3 resulted in the coimmunoprecipitation of the β-adaptin that did not react with the anti-β-adaptin MAb but did react with the anti-β-adaptin PAbs. In contrast, immunoprecipitation of the AP-1 adaptor complex from crude clathrin-coated vesicles from brain resulted in the coimmunoprecipitation of a β-adaptin that was recognized by both the anti-β-adaptin MAb and PAbs. These results suggest that the tubulovesicular AP-1 adaptor complex may be distinct from that found in the trans-Golgi network and may contain an immunologically distinct β-adaptin. This immunologically distinct β-adaptin may be diagnostic of apical tubulovesicular endosomes of epithelial cells.

Norepinephrine overflow and re-uptake in perfused mesenteric arteries of Dahl salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats.

We compared the overflow of endogenous norepinephrine (NE) upon electrical stimulation, the associated pressor response and rate of initial neuronal uptake of 3H-I-NE in the perfused mesenteric arteries of Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) rats on two dietary NaCl regimens (0.4 and 8.0% for 2 weeks) from 4 weeks of age. The tissues of two rats, a DS and a DR control, were simultaneously processed and subjected to the same electrical stimulation. The pressor response and overflow of endogenous NE during periarterial nerve stimulation (5, 10 Hz, 1 min) in the tissue of DS rats on a high-salt diet (HS) were significantly greater, while those of DS on a low-salt diet (LS) were moderately but significantly higher than those of DR rats on either a high (HR) or a low-salt diet (LR). The tissue content of NE in DS rats was significantly lower than DR groups. There was a significantly reduced 3H-I-NE uptake in the tissues of DS rats on both salt diet groups compared with DR rats. A submaximal dose of exogenous NE evoked a significantly greater pressor response amplitude in mesenteric tissues from DS rats on a high-salt diet than in any of the other three groups, suggesting that smooth muscle supersensitivity, either in the density of the NE receptor or in the excitation-contraction coupling system, had been induced in the vasculature of DS rats by feeding them on a high-salt diet for 2 weeks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)