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The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, offers a simple system to study the growth and duplication of the Golgi. Cell lines stably expressing a photoactivatable GFP attached to an endogenous Golgi protein are permeabilized using digitonin. Photoactivation followed by imaging can then be used to follow the formation of the new Golgi., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Previously we have shown that lactoferrin (LTF), a protein of secondary neutrophilic granules, can be efficiently modified by hypohalous acids (HOCl and HOBr), which are produced at high concentrations during inflammation and oxidative/halogenative stress by myeloperoxidase, an enzyme of azurophilic neutrophilic granules. Here we compared the effects of recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLTF) and its halogenated derivatives (rhLTF-Cl and rhLTF-Br) on functional responses of neutrophils. Our results demonstrated that after halogenative modification, rhLTF lost its ability to induce mobilization of intracellular calcium, actin cytoskeleton reorganization, and morphological changes in human neutrophils. Moreover, both forms of the halogenated rhLTF prevented binding of N-acetylglucosamine-specific plant lectin Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (WGA) to neutrophils and, in contrast to native rhLTF, inhibited respiratory burst of neutrophils induced by N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine and by two plant lectins (WGA and PHA-L). However, we observed no differences between the effects of rhLTF, rhLTF-Cl, and rhLTF-Br on respiratory burst of neutrophils induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), digitonin, and number of plant lectins with different glycan-binding specificity. Furthermore, all rhLTF forms interfered with PMA- and ionomycin-induced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. Thus, halogenative modification of LTF is one of the mechanisms involved in modulating a variety of signaling pathways in neutrophils to control their pro-inflammatory activity., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lymph nodes (LNs) are essential secondary immune organs where the adaptive immune response is generated against most infections and vaccines. We recently described the use of live ex vivo LN slices to study the dynamics of adaptive immunity. However, when working with reactive lymph nodes from vaccinated animals, the tissues frequently became dislodged from the supportive agarose matrix during slicing, leading to damage that prevented downstream analysis. Because reactive lymph nodes expand into the surrounding adipose tissue, we hypothesized that dislodging was a result of excess lipids on the collagen capsule of the LN, and that a brief wash with a mild detergent would improve LN interaction with the agarose without damaging tissue viability or function. Therefore, we tested the use of digitonin on improving slicing of vaccinated LNs. Prior to embedding, LNs were quickly dipped into a digitonin solution and washed in saline. Lipid droplets were visibly removed by this procedure. A digitonin wash step prior to slicing significantly reduced the loss of LN during slicing from 13 to 75% to 0-25%, without substantial impact on viability. Capture of fluorescent microparticles, uptake and processing of protein antigen, and cytokine secretion in response to a vaccine adjuvant, R848, were all unaffected by the detergent wash. This novel approach will enable ex vivo analysis of the generation of adaptive immune response in LNs in response to vaccinations and other immunotherapies., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro systems closely resemble tissue microenvironments and provide predictive models for studying cytotoxic drug responses. The ability to capture the kinetic profiles of such responses in a dynamic and noninvasive way can further advance the utility of 3D cell cultures. Here, we describe the use of a luminescent lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) toxicity assay for monitoring time- and dose-dependent effects of drug treatment in 3D cancer spheroids. HCT116 spheroids formed in 96-well ultralow attachment plates were treated with increasing drug concentrations. Medium samples were collected at different timepoints, frozen, stored, and analyzed at the end of experiments using the luminescent LDH-Glo™ Assay. High assay sensitivity and low volume sampling enabled drug-induced toxicity profiling in a time- and dose-dependent manner.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy leads to severe congenital Zika syndrome, which includes microcephaly and other neurological malformations. No therapeutic agents have, so far, been approved for the treatment of ZIKV infection in humans; as such, there is a need for a continuous effort to develop effective and safe antiviral drugs to treat ZIKV-caused diseases. After screening a natural product library, we have herein identified four natural products with anti-ZIKV activity in Vero E6 cells, including gossypol, curcumin, digitonin, and conessine. Except for curcumin, the other three natural products have not been reported before to have anti-ZIKV activity. Among them, gossypol exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity against almost all 10 ZIKV strains tested, including six recent epidemic human strains. The mechanistic study indicated that gossypol could neutralize ZIKV infection by targeting the envelope protein domain III (EDIII) of ZIKV. In contrast, the other natural products inhibited ZIKV infection by targeting the host cell or cell-associated entry and replication stages of ZIKV. A combination of gossypol with any of the three natural products identified in this study, as well as with bortezomib, a previously reported anti-ZIKV compound, exhibited significant combinatorial inhibitory effects against three ZIKV human strains tested. Importantly, gossypol also demonstrated marked potency against all four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV) human strains in vitro. Taken together, this study indicates the potential for further development of these natural products, particularly gossypol, as the lead compound or broad-spectrum inhibitors against ZIKV and other flaviviruses, such as DENV., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Light drives photosynthesis. In plants it is absorbed by light-harvesting antenna complexes associated with Photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII). As PSI and PSII work in series, it is important that the excitation pressure on the two photosystems is balanced. When plants are exposed to illumination that overexcites PSII, a special pool of the major light-harvesting complex LHCII is phosphorylated and moves from PSII to PSI (state 2). If instead PSI is over-excited the LHCII complex is dephosphorylated and moves back to PSII (state 1). Recent findings have suggested that LHCII might also transfer energy to PSI in state 1. In this work we used a combination of biochemistry and (time-resolved) fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the PSI antenna size in state 1 and state 2 for Arabidopsis thaliana. Our data shows that 0.7 ± 0.1 unphosphorylated LHCII trimers per PSI are present in the stroma lamellae of state-1 plants. Upon transition to state 2 the antenna size of PSI in the stroma membrane increases with phosphorylated LHCIIs to a total of 1.2 ± 0.1 LHCII trimers per PSI. Both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated LHCII function as highly efficient PSI antenna., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Flow cytometry approaches combined with a genetically encoded targeted fluorescent biosensor are used to determine the subcellular compartmental availability of the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ). The availability of free NAD + can affect the activities of NAD + -consuming enzymes such as sirtuin, PARP/ARTD, and cyclic ADPR-hydrolase family members. Many methods for measuring the NAD + available to these enzymes are limited because they cannot determine free NAD + as it exists in various subcellular compartments distinctly from bound NAD + or NADH. Here, an approach to express the sensor in mammalian cells, monitor NAD + -dependent fluorescence intensity changes using flow cytometry approaches, and analyze data obtained is described. The benefit of flow cytometry approaches with the NAD + sensor is the ability to monitor compartmentalized free NAD + fluctuations simultaneously within many cells, which greatly facilitates analyses and calibration. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

In this chapter, we present an experimental protocol for the targeted metabolic profiling of full cells and mitochondria in selectively permeabilized cells. Mitochondria of adherent cell cultures are made accessible by the addition of digitonin-a compound that selectively permeabilizes the cytosolic membrane without affecting mitochondrial integrity. The generated in situ mitochondria are subsequently used in a stable isotope labeling assay in which their metabolic fluxes can be analyzed without any interfering influence originating from cytosolic components. The protocol is complemented by oxygen consumption measurements of permeabilized cells on a Seahorse XF instrument. The additional data on mitochondrial respiration can be used to validate the functionality of mitochondria in the applied setup but are also a valuable add-on to the stable isotope labeling data.

This study assessed the anthelmintic activity of plant-derived compounds against gastrointestinal nematodes of goats using the egg hatch and larval motility assays. The compounds tested were saponins (digitonin and aescin) and their respective sapogenins (aglycones), hecogenin acetate and flavonoids (catechin, hesperidin, isocordoin and a mixture of isocordoin and cordoin). Additionally, cytotoxicity of active substances was analysed on Vero cell through 3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl,2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and propidium iodide (PI) tests. Significant reduction on the egg hatching (P 90%). Nevertheless, higher cytotoxicity was observed in the MTT assay, with IC50 of 0.20 mg mL-1 (aescin) and 0.0074 mg mL-1 (digitonin). Aescin and digitonin have a pronounced in vitro anthelmintic effect and the glycone portion of these saponins plays an important role in this activity.

Background: Cancer is one of the most common life-threatening diseases worldwide; many patients develop multidrug resistance after treatment with anticancer drugs. The main mechanism leading to multidrug resistance is the overexpression of ABC transporters in cancer cells. Chemosensitizers are needed to inhibit the activity of ABC transporters, resulting in higer intracellular concentration of anticancer drugs. Some secondary metabolites have been reported to be chemosensitizers by inhibiting ABC transporters. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), tannic acid, and curcumin were employed in this study. Different assays were used to detect whether they have the ability to inhibit P-gp activity and overcome multidrug resistance in cancer cells overexpressing P-gp. Hypothesis/Purpose: CEM/ADR 5000 and Caco-2 cell lines, which overexpress P-gp, are multidrug resistant cell lines. We first detected whether the combination of polyphenols (EGCG, tannic acid, curcumin) and doxorubicin, an anticancer drug, is synergistic or not. To further understand the potential mechanism, EGCG, tannic acid, and curcumin were tested to check whether they have the ability to inhibit P-gp activity. When P-gp activity is inhibited, the intracellular concentration of doxorubicin is higher, resulting in enhanced cytotoxicity of doxorubicin., Study Design: The P-gp overexpressing human colon cancer cell line Caco-2 and human T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell line CEM/ADR 5000 were used in this study. Two-drug combinations (doxorubicin + polyphenol) and three-drug combinations (doxorubicin + polyphenol + digitonin) were tested to examine potential synergism. The potential mechanism leading to synergism would be the inhibition of P-gp activity. A Rhodamine 123 assay and Calcein-AM assay in Caco-2 and CEM/ADR 5000, respectively, were used to detect P-gp inhibition by EGCG, curcumin, and tannic acid., Methods: MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, polyphenols and digitonin alone, and then their combinations. Furthermore, Rhodamine 123 and Calcein-AM were used to detect the effects of polyphenols on the activity of P-gp., Results: The results demonstrated that a combination of non-toxic concentrations of each polyphenol with doxorubicin synergistically sensitized Caco-2 and CEM/ADR 5000 cells. Furthermore, three-drug combinations (doxorubicin + polyphenol + digitonin) were much more effective. In addition, the activity of P-gp in Caco-2 and CEM/ADR 5000 cells was measured. Consistent with the combination results, tannic acid and curcumin decreased the activity of P-gp both in Caco-2 and CEM/ADR 5000. EGCG, which weakly affected the activity of P-gp in CEM/ADR 5000, only had an effect on P-gp under higher concentration in Caco-2 cells., Conclusion: Our results show that EGCG, curcumin, and tannic acid, when combined with doxorubicin, can exert synergism, mediated by a reduced activity of P-gp. This study suggests that polyphenols, by modulating the activity of P-gp, may be used as chemosensitisers., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

It is well established that mRNAs encoding secretory or membrane-bound proteins are translated on the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The extent to which mRNAs that encode cytosolic proteins associate with the ER, however, remains controversial. To address this question, we quantified the number of cytosolic protein-encoding mRNAs that co-localize with the ER using single-molecule RNA imaging in fixed and living cells. We found that a small but significant number of mRNAs that encode cytosolic proteins associate with the ER and show that this interaction is translation dependent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that cytosolic protein-encoding transcripts can remain on the ER with dwell times consistent with multiple rounds of translation and have higher ribosome occupancies than transcripts translated in the cytosol. These results advance our understanding of the diversity and dynamics of localized translation on the ER., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

OSW-1 is a structurally unique steroidal saponin isolated from the bulbs of Ornithogalum saundersiae, and has exhibited highly potent and selective cytotoxicity in tumor cell lines. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism for the membrane-permeabilizing activity of OSW-1 in comparison with those of other saponins by using various spectroscopic approaches. The membrane effects and hemolytic activity of OSW-1 were markedly enhanced in the presence of membrane cholesterol. Binding affinity measurements using fluorescent cholestatrienol and solid-state NMR spectroscopy of a 3-d-cholesterol probe suggested that OSW-1 interacts with membrane cholesterol without forming large aggregates while 3-O-glycosyl saponin, digitonin, forms cholesterol-containing aggregates. The results suggest that OSW-1/cholesterol interaction is likely to cause membrane permeabilization and pore formation without destroying the whole membrane integrity, which could partly be responsible for its highly potent cell toxicity., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Quercetin and dehydrosilybin are polyphenols which are known to behave like uncouplers of respiration in isolated mitochondria. Here we investigated whether the effect is conserved in whole cells. Following short term incubation, neither compound uncouples mitochondrial respiration in whole H9c2 cells below 50μM. However, following hypoxia, or long term incubation, leak (state IV with oligomycin) oxygen consumption is increased by quercetin. Both compounds partially protected complex I respiration, but not complex II in H9c2 cells following hypoxia. In a permeabilised H9c2 cell model, the increase in leak respiration caused by quercetin is lowered by increased [ADP] and is increased by adenine nucleotide transporter inhibitor, atractyloside, but not bongkrekic acid. Both quercetin and dehydrosilybin dissipate mitochondrial membrane potential in whole cells. In the case of quercetin, the effect is potentiated post hypoxia. Genetically encoded Ca++ sensors, targeted to the mitochondria, enabled the use of fluorescence microscopy to show that quercetin decreased mitochondrial [Ca++] while dehydrosilybin did not. Likewise, quercetin decreases accumulation of [Ca++] in mitochondria following hypoxia. Fluorescent probes were used to show that both compounds decrease plasma membrane potential and increase cytosolic [Ca++]. We conclude that the uncoupler-like effects of these polyphenols are attenuated in whole cells compared to isolated mitochondria, but downstream effects are nevertheless apparent. Results suggest that the effect of quercetin observed in whole and permeabilised cells may originate in the mitochondria, while the mechanism of action of cardioprotection by dehydrosilybin may be less dependent on mitochondrial uncoupling than originally thought. Rather, protective effects may originate due to interactions at the plasma membrane.

Stress granules are non-membrane bound RNA-protein (RNP) assemblies that form when translation initiation is limited and contain a biphasic structure with stable core structures surrounded by a less concentrated shell. The order of assembly and disassembly of these two structures remains unknown. Time course analysis of granule assembly suggests that core formation is an early event in granule assembly. Stress granule disassembly is also a stepwise process with shell dissipation followed by core clearance. Perturbations that alter liquid-liquid phase separations (LLPS) driven by intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDR) of RNA binding proteins in vitro have the opposite effect on stress granule assembly in vivo. Taken together, these observations argue that stress granules assemble through a multistep process initiated by stable assembly of untranslated mRNPs into core structures, which could provide sufficient high local concentrations to allow for a localized LLPS driven by IDRs on RNA binding proteins., Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

The transport of macromolecules into the nucleus is mediated by soluble cellular receptors of the importin β superfamily and requires the Ran-GTPase cycle. Several studies have provided evidence that there are exceptions to this canonical nuclear import pathway. Here, we report a new unconventional nuclear import mechanism exploited by the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). We found that AcMNPV nucleocapsids entered the nucleus of digitonin-permeabilized cells in the absence of exogenous cytosol or under conditions that blocked the Ran-GTPase cycle. AcMNPV contains a protein that activates the Arp2/3 complex and induces actin polymerization at one end of the rod-shaped nucleocapsid. We show that inhibitors of Arp2/3 blocked nuclear import of nucleocapsids in semi-permeabilized cells. Nuclear import of nucleocapsids was also reconstituted in purified nuclei supplemented with G-actin and Arp2/3 under actin polymerization conditions. Thus, we propose that actin polymerization drives not only migration of baculovirus through the cytoplasm but also pushes the nucleocapsid through the nuclear pore complex to enter the cell nucleus. Our findings point to a very distinct role of actin-based motility during the baculovirus infection cycle., (© 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Trypanosoma evansi is a monomorphic protist that can infect horses and other animal species of economic importance for man. Like the bloodstream form of the closely related species Trypanosoma brucei, T. evansi depends exclusively on glycolysis for its free-energy generation. In T. evansi as in other kinetoplastid organisms, the enzymes of the major part of the glycolytic pathway are present within organelles called glycosomes, which are authentic but specialized peroxisomes. Since T. evansi does not undergo stage-dependent differentiations, it occurs only as bloodstream forms, it has been assumed that the metabolic pattern of this parasite is identical to that of the bloodstream form of T. brucei. However, we report here the presence of two additional enzymes, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and PPi-dependent pyruvate phosphate dikinase in T. evansi glycosomes. Their colocalization with glycolytic enzymes within the glycosomes of this parasite has not been reported before. Both enzymes can make use of PEP for contributing to the production of ATP within the organelles. The activity of these enzymes in T. evansi glycosomes drastically changes the model assumed for the oxidation of glucose by this parasite., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Membranes prepared from rat brain were treated with increasing concentrations of cationic, neutral, anionic and zwitterionic surfactants. Potent inactivation of [(3)H]MK-801 binding to NMDA receptors (NRs) was provided by the cation cetyl pyridinium (IC50 25 μM) and the neutral digitonin (IC50 37 μM). A 2 h incubation of rat brain membranes at 24°C with 100 μM of the neutral Triton X-100 resulted in about 50% reversible inhibition (without inactivation). Reversible inhibition was also effected by the anion deoxycholate (IC50 700 μM), and by the zwitterions N-lauryl sulfobetaine (12-SB(±), 400 μM) and CHAPS (1.5 mM), with inactivation at higher concentrations. Keeping the NR cation channel in the closed state significantly protected against inactivation by cations and by 12-SB(±), but not by the other detergents. Inactivation depended differentially on the amount of the membranes, on the duration of the treatment, and on the temperature. Varying the amount of membranes by a factor 8 yielded for cetyl trimethylammonium (16-NMe3(+)) IC50s of inactivation from 10 to 80 μM, while for deoxycholate the IC50 of inactivation was 1.2 mM for all tissue quantities. Some compounds inactivated within a few min (16-NMe3(+), digitonin, CHAPS), while inactivation by others took at least half an hour (Triton X-100, deoxycholate, 12-SB(±)). These last 3 ones also exhibited the steepest temperature dependence. Knowledge about the influence of various parameters is helpful in selecting appropriate conditions allowing the treatment of brain membranes with amphiphiles without risking irreversible inactivation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present investigation we studied the molecular mechanisms of the monodesmosidic saponin digitonin on natural and artificial membranes. We measured the hemolytic activity of digitonin on red blood cells (RBCs). Also different lipid membrane models (large unilamellar vesicles, LUVs, and giant unilamellar vesicles, GUVs) in the presence and absence of cholesterol were employed. The stability and permeability of the different vesicle systems were studied by using calcein release assay, GUVs membrane permeability assay using confocal microscopy (CM) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and vesicle size measurement by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results support the essential role of cholesterol in explaining how digitonin can disintegrate biological and artificial membranes. Digitonin induces membrane permeability or causes membrane rupturing only in the presence of cholesterol in an all-or-none mechanism. This effect depends on the concentrations of both digitonin and cholesterol. At low concentrations, digitonin induces membrane permeability while keeping the membrane intact. When digitonin is combined with other drugs, a synergistic potentiation can be observed because it facilitates their uptake.

Two LHC-like proteins, Photosystem II Subunit S (PSBS) and Light-Harvesting Complex Stress-Related (LHCSR), are essential for triggering excess energy dissipation in chloroplasts of vascular plants and green algae, respectively. The mechanism of quenching was studied in Physcomitrella patens, an early divergent streptophyta (including green algae and land plants) in which both proteins are active. PSBS was localized in grana together with photosystem II (PSII), but LHCSR was located mainly in stroma-exposed membranes together with photosystem I (PSI), and its distribution did not change upon high-light treatment. The quenched conformation can be preserved by rapidly freezing the high-light-treated tissues in liquid nitrogen. When using green fluorescent protein as an internal standard, 77K fluorescence emission spectra on isolated chloroplasts allowed for independent assessment of PSI and PSII fluorescence yield. Results showed that both photosystems underwent quenching upon high-light treatment in the wild type in contrast to mutants depleted of LHCSR, which lacked PSI quenching. Due to the contribution of LHCII, P. patens had a PSI antenna size twice as large with respect to higher plants. Thus, LHCII, which is highly abundant in stroma membranes, appears to be the target of quenching by LHCSR., (© 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)

The flagellate Trypanosoma brucei causes sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. Only a few drugs are registered to treat trypanosomiasis, but those drugs show severe side effects. Also, because some pathogen strains have become resistant, new strategies are urgently needed to combat this parasitic disease. An underexplored possibility is the application of combinations of several trypanocidal agents, which may potentiate their trypanocidal activity in a synergistic fashion. In this study, the potential synergism of mutual combinations of bioactive alkaloids and alkaloids with a membrane-active steroidal saponin, digitonin, was explored with regard to their effect on T. b. brucei. Alkaloids were selected that affect different molecular targets: berberine and chelerythrine (intercalation of DNA), piperine (induction of apoptosis), vinblastine (inhibition of microtubule assembly), emetine (intercalation of DNA, inhibition of protein biosynthesis), homoharringtonine (inhibition of protein biosynthesis), and digitonin (membrane permeabilization and uptake facilitation of polar compounds). Most combinations resulted in an enhanced trypanocidal effect. The addition of digitonin significantly stimulated the activity of almost all alkaloids against trypanosomes. The strongest effect was measured in a combination of digitonin with vinblastine. The highest dose reduction indexes (DRI) were measured in the two-drug combination of digitonin or piperine with vinblastine, where the dose of vinblastine could be reduced 9.07-fold or 7.05-fold, respectively. The synergistic effects of mutual combinations of alkaloids and of alkaloids with digitonin present a new avenue to treat trypanosomiasis but one which needs to be corroborated in future animal experiments., (Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

To verify experimentally the model of permeabilized hepatocytes, the degree of cell permeability was assessed using trypan blue and polarographycally determined cell respiration rate upon succinate (0.35 mM) and a-ketoglutarate (1 mM) oxidation. Oxidative phosphorylation was stimulated by ADP (750 μM). Hepatocyte permeabilization depends on digitonin concentraion in medium and on the number of cells in suspension. Thus, the permeabilization of 0.9-1.7 million cells/ml was completed by 25 μg/ml of digitonin, permeabilization of 2.0-3.0 million cells/ml--by 50 μg/ml of digitonin and permeabilization of 4.0-5.6 million cells/ml--by 100 μg/ml. Thus, the higher is the suspension density, the higher digitonin concentration is required. Treatment of hepatocytes with digitonin resulted in a decrease of endogenous respiration rate to a minimum upon 20-22 μg of digitonin per 1 million cells. Supplementation of permeabilized hepatocytes with α-ketoglutarate maintained stable respiration rate, on the level higher than endogenous respiration at the corresponding digitonin concentration, unlike the intact cells. Respiration rate of permeabilized hepatocytes at the simultaneous addition of α-ketoglutarate and ADP increased to the level of intact cell respiration, irrespective of digitonin concentration. Addition of solely succinate and especially succinate plus ADP markedly intensified the respiration of permeabilized hepatocytes to the level higher than that of intact cells. The dependence of succinate-stimulated respiration on digitonin concentration reached maximum at 20-22 αg of digitonin per 1 million cells. Optimal ratio of digitonin amount and the cell number in suspension is expected to be different in various tissues.

Recently we found that cytoplasm of permeabilized mammalian cells behaves as a hydrogel displaying intrinsic osmosensitivity. This study examined the role of microfilaments and microtubules in the regulation of hydrogel osmosensitivity, volume-sensitive ion transporters, and their contribution to volume modulation of intact cells. We found that intact and digitonin-permeabilized A549 cells displayed similar rate of shrinkage triggered by hyperosmotic medium. It was significantly slowed-down in both cell preparations after disruption of actin microfilaments by cytochalasin B, suggesting that rapid water release by intact cytoplasmic hydrogel contributes to hyperosmotic shrinkage. In hyposmotic swelling experiments, disruption of microtubules by vinblastine attenuated the maximal amplitude of swelling in intact cells and completely abolished it in permeabilized cells. The swelling of intact cells also triggered ~10-fold elevation of furosemide-resistant (86)Rb+ (K+) permeability and the regulatory volume decrease (RVD), both of which were abolished by Ba2+. Interestingly, RVD and K+ permeability remained unaffected in cytocholasin/vinblastine treated cells demonstrating that cytoskeleton disruption has no direct impact on Ba2+-sensitive K+-channels involved in RVD. Our results show, for the first time, that the cytoskeleton network contributes directly to passive cell volume adjustments in anisosmotic media via the modulation of the water retained by the cytoplasmic hydrogel., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: The human papillomavirus (HPV) capsid is composed of the major capsid protein L1 and the minor capsid protein L2. During entry, the HPV capsid undergoes numerous conformational changes that result in endosomal uptake and subsequent trafficking of the L2 protein in complex with the viral DNA to the trans-Golgi network. To facilitate this transport, the L2 protein harbors a number of putative motifs that, if capable of direct interaction, would interact with cytosolic host cell factors. These data imply that a portion of L2 becomes cytosolic during infection. Using a low concentration of digitonin to selectively permeabilize the plasma membrane of infected cells, we mapped the topography of the L2 protein during infection. We observed that epitopes within amino acid residues 64 to 81 and 163 to 170 and a C-terminal tag of HPV16 L2 are exposed on the cytosolic side of intracellular membranes, whereas an epitope within residues 20 to 38, which are upstream of a putative transmembrane region, is luminal. Corroborating these findings, we also found that L2 protein is sensitive to trypsin digestion during infection. These data demonstrate that the majority of the L2 protein becomes accessible on the cytosolic side of intracellular membranes in order to interact with cytosolic factors to facilitate vesicular trafficking., Importance: In order to complete infectious entry, nonenveloped viruses have to pass cellular membranes. This is often achieved through the viral capsid protein associating with or integrating into intracellular membrane. Here, we determine the topography of HPV L2 protein in the endocytic vesicular compartment, suggesting that L2 becomes a transmembrane protein with a short luminal portion and with the majority facing the cytosolic side for interaction with host cell transport factors., (Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Intracellular bacterial pathogens can replicate in the cytosol or in specialized pathogen-containing vacuoles (PCVs). To reach the cytosol, bacteria like Shigella flexneri and Francisella novicida need to induce the rupture of the phagosome. In contrast, Salmonella typhimurium replicates in a vacuolar compartment, known as Salmonella-containing vacuole (SCV). However certain mutants of Salmonella fail to maintain SCV integrity and are thus released into the cytosol. The percentage of cytosolic vs. vacuolar bacteria on the level of single bacteria can be measured by differential permeabilization, also known as phagosome-protection assay. The approach makes use of the property of detergent digitonin to selectively bind cholesterol. Since the plasma membrane contains more cholesterol than other cellular membranes, digitonin can be used to selectively permeabilize the plasma membrane while leaving intracellular membranes intact. In brief, following infection with the pathogen expressing a fluorescent marker protein (e.g. mCherry among others), the plasma membrane of host cells is permeabilized with a short incubation in digitonin containing buffer. Cells are then washed and incubated with a primary antibody (coupled to a fluorophore of choice) directed against the bacterium of choice (e.g. anti-Salmonella-FITC) and washed again. If unmarked bacteria are used, an additional step can be done, in which all membranes are permeabilized and all bacteria stained with a corresponding antibody. Following the staining, the percentage of vacuolar and cytosolic bacteria can be quantified by FACS or microscopy by counting single or double-positive events. Here we provide experimental details for use of this technique with the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium. The advantage of this assay is that, in contrast to other assay, it provides a quantification on the level of single bacteria, and if analyzed by microscopy provides the exact number of cytosolic and vacuolar bacteria in a given cell.

We investigated the efficiency of increasing the permeability (permeabilization) of cell membranes in primary liver cells by Bacillus cereus hemolysin II. An assessment of the degree of permeabilization was car ried out by measuring the fluorescence intensity of various low molecular weight dyes, which enter through pores into hepatocyte cells cultivated with hemolysin. We uncovered a high efficacy of hemolysin HlyII action on hepatocyte cell walls, which exceeded the effect of nonionic detergent, digitonin, which is commonly employed for pore formation in various cell membranes. Our results also point to the reversibility of membrane permeabilization in primary hepatocytes. The data obtained in this study can be utilized for assessments of pore-forming activity, in studies of hepatic mechanisms of action, and also the determination of the liver toxicity for different low molecular weight drugs.

Lysosomal cell death is triggered by lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and subsequent release of lysosomal hydrolases from the lysosomal lumen into the cytosol. Once released into the cytosol, the lysosomal cathepsin proteases act as executioner proteases for the subsequent cell death-either autonomously without caspase activation or in concert with the classical apoptotic machinery. Lysosomal cell death usually remains functional in apoptosis-resistant cancer cells and thus holds great potential as a therapeutic strategy for circumventing apoptosis deficiency in cancers. Notably, lysosomal cell death also plays an important role in normal physiology, e.g., during the regression of the mammary gland. Here we present four complementary methods for the quantification and visualization of LMP during the onset of death: (1) enzymatic activity measurements of released lysosomal hydrolases in the cytosol after digitonin extraction, (2) direct visualization of LMP by monitoring the release of fluorescent dextran from lysosomes into the cytosol, (3) immunocytochemistry to detect cathepsins released into the cytosol, and (4) detection of the translocation of galectins to damaged lysosomes. The methods presented here can ideally be combined as needed to provide solid evidence for LMP after a given cytotoxic stimuli., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondria play a key role in various modes of cell death. Analysis of mitochondrial dysfunction and the release of proteins from the intermembrane space of mitochondria represent essential tools in cell death investigation. Here we describe how to evaluate release of intermembrane space proteins during apoptosis, alterations in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxygen consumption in apoptotic cells.

Plasma membrane damage can be triggered by numerous phenomena, and efficient repair is essential for cell survival. Endocytosis, membrane patching, or extracellular budding can be used for plasma membrane repair. We found that endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT), involved previously in membrane budding and fission, plays a critical role in plasma membrane repair. ESCRT proteins were recruited within seconds to plasma membrane wounds. Quantitative analysis of wound closure kinetics coupled to mathematical modeling suggested that ESCRTs are involved in the repair of small wounds. Real-time imaging and correlative scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified extracellular buds and shedding at the site of ESCRT recruitment. Thus, the repair of certain wounds is ensured by ESCRT-mediated extracellular shedding of wounded portions.

Bcs1 is a transmembrane chaperone in the mitochondrial inner membrane, and is required for the mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Complex III assembly. It has been shown that the highly-conserved C-terminal region of Bcs1 including the AAA ATPase domain in the matrix side is essential for the chaperone function. Here we describe the importance of the N-terminal short segment located in the intermembrane space in the Bcs1 function. Among the N-terminal 44 amino acid residues of yeast Bcs1, the first 37 residues are dispensable whereas a hydrophobic amino acid in the residue 38 is essential for integration of Rieske Iron-sulfur Protein into the premature Complex III from the mitochondrial matrix. Substitution of the residue 38 by a hydrophilic amino acid residue affects conformation of Bcs1 and interactions with other proteins. The evolutionarily-conserved short α helix of Bcs1 in the intermembrane space is an essential element for the chaperone function., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nucleocytoplasmic transport affects the subcellular localization of a large proportion of cellular proteins. Transported proteins interact with a set of ~20 transport receptors, importins and exportins, which mediate translocation through the nuclear pore complex. Here we describe two novel methods based on quantitative proteome analysis for the identification of cargo proteins that are transported by a specific importin or exportin. The first approach is based on SILAC (stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cells) using cells that have been treated or not with specific reagents, followed by subcellular fractionation. Applying this approach to cells treated with or without the selective CRM1 inhibitor leptomycin B, we identified substrates of CRM1, the major nuclear export receptor. In the second SILAC approach, digitonin-permeabilized cells are incubated with nuclear and cytosolic extracts in the absence or presence of particular import receptors of interest. Proteomic analysis of the permeabilized cells then yields proteins whose nuclear import depends specifically on the added import receptor. Using this system, we identified substrates of two representative import receptors, transportin and importin-α/β., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The role of mitochondrial calcium-uniporter in calcium-homeostasis maintenance and correlations of calcium-uniporter with other calcium-transport systems of the rat exorbital lacrimal gland secretory cells were studied. The experiments were performed on intact and digitonin-permeabilized cells. The interdependence of calcium-uniporter and other calcium-transporting systems functioning was estimated on the basis of additivity of their inhibitors/agonists effects, which was accompanied with a decrease in the Ca2+ content in the gland cells. It was found that in conditions of simultaneously inhibition of sarco endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and mitochondrial calcium-uniporter Ca2+ passively released from different calcium stores, because the effects of these calcium-transport systems inhibitors (thapsigargin and ruthenium red, respectively) were additive. Similarly, the processes of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) activation and calcium-uniporter inhibition were additive. In contrast, the effects of ryanodine and ruthenium red on the Ca2+ content in cells were significantly non-additive. In addition, ryanodine at concentrations 1-3 μM reduced respiration rate of studied cells in dose-dependent manner, and this effect was persisted at cells preincubation with ruthenium red or tapsigargin. Thus, besides the activation of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in endoplasmic reticulum, ryanodine inhibits Ca2+ influx to the mitochondrial matrix, that was insensitive to ruthenium red.

The regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport is crucial not only for basic cellular activities but also for physiological adaptation to specific situation during the cell cycle, development, or stress. Although a wide variety of transport pathways have been identified in eukaryotic cells, the functional significance of their multiplicity remains unclear. The best-characterized nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) are the members of the importin β family (karyopherin, transportin) whose association with specific cargoes is regulated by the GTPase Ran. In this chapter, we first provide an overview of the various expression vectors used to purify recombinant NTRs. We then describe two sets of recent examples of using well-established digitonin-permeabilized cell-free transport systems in mammalian cells to mimic different cellular conditions in living cells: normal/heat-shock conditions and interphase/mitosis. In the former case, physiological regulation impacts different transport pathways in opposite ways. In the latter case, the importin β-Ran system is used at different cell-cycle stages but with the same biochemical principle to specify the nuclear localization and chromatin loading of a specific protein, respectively. This in vitro transport assay, when adapted to specific cellular conditions or particular substrates, should help to uncover specific transport pathways or transport factors function under different cellular conditions., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

P-glycoprotein (P-gp or MDR1) is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. It is involved in the efflux of several anticancer drugs, which leads to chemotherapy failure and multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells. Representative secondary metabolites (SM) including phenolics (EGCG and thymol), terpenoids (menthol, aromadendrene, β-sitosterol-O-glucoside, and β-carotene), and alkaloids (glaucine, harmine, and sanguinarine) were evaluated as potential P-gp inhibitors (transporter activity and expression level) in P-gp expressing Caco-2 and CEM/ADR5000 cancer cell lines. Selected SM increased the accumulation of the rhodamine 123 (Rho123) and calcein-AM (CAM) in a dose dependent manner in Caco-2 cells, indicating that they act as competitive inhibitors of P-gp. Non-toxic concentrations of β-carotene (40μM) and sanguinarine (1μM) significantly inhibited Rho123 and CAM efflux in CEM/ADR5000 cells by 222.42% and 259.25% and by 244.02% and 290.16%, respectively relative to verapamil (100%). Combination of the saponin digitonin (5μM), which also inhibits P-gp, with SM significantly enhanced the inhibition of P-gp activity. The results were correlated with the data obtained from a quantitative analysis of MDR1 expression. Both compounds significantly decreased mRNA levels of the MDR1 gene to 48% (p<0.01) and 46% (p<0.01) in Caco-2, and to 61% (p<0.05) and 1% (p<0.001) in CEM/ADR5000 cells, respectively as compared to the untreated control (100%). Combinations of digitonin with SM resulted in a significant down-regulation of MDR1. Our findings provide evidence that the selected SM interfere directly and/or indirectly with P-gp function. Combinations of different P-gp substrates, such as digitonin alone and together with the set of SM, can mediate MDR reversal in cancer cells., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Platelets express neuronal and glial glutamate transporters EAAT 1-3 in the plasma membrane and vesicular glutamate transporters VGLUT 1,2 in the membrane of secretory granules. This study is focused on the assessment of non-exocytotic glutamate release, that is, the unstimulated release, heteroexchange and glutamate transporter reversal in platelets. Using the glutamate dehydrogenase assay, the absence of unstimulated release of endogenous glutamate from platelets was demonstrated, even after inhibition of glutamate transporters and cytoplasmic enzyme glutamine synthetase by dl-threo-β-benzyloxyaspartate and methionine sulfoximine, respectively. Depolarization of the plasma membrane by exposure to elevated [K(+)] did not induce the release of glutamate from platelets that was shown using the glutamate dehydrogenase assay and radiolabeled l-[(14)C]glutamate. Glutamate efflux by means of heteroexchange with transportable inhibitor of glutamate transporters dl-threo-β-hydroxyaspartate (dl-THA) was not observed. Furthermore, the protonophore cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-hydrazon (FCCP) and inhibitor of V-type H(+)-ATPase bafilomycin A1 also failed to stimulate the release of glutamate from platelets. However, exocytotic release of glutamate from secretory granules in response to thrombin stimulation was not prevented by elevated [K(+)], dl-THA, FCCP and bafilomycin A1. In contrast to nerve terminals, platelets cannot release glutamate in a non-exocytotic manner. Heteroexchange, transporter-mediated and unstimulated release of glutamate are not inherent to platelets. Therefore, platelets may be used as a peripheral marker/model for the analysis of glutamate uptake by brain nerve terminals only (direct function of transporters), whereas the mechanisms of glutamate release are different in platelets and nerve terminals. Glutamate is released by platelets exclusively by means of exocytosis. Also, reverse function of vesicular glutamate transporters of platelets is rather ambiguous., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The role of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate of (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ channels in Ca2+ homeostasis maintenance under activation of M-cholinergic receptors and P2Y receptors in the secretory cells of the rat lacrimal gland was investigated. The study was carried out on intact and permeabilized secretory cells of exorbital lacrimal glands of rats. The cells were isolated using the modified Herzog, Sides, Miller method (1976) and permeabilized with digitonin (50 mg per 0.5 million cells). The functioning of the Ca(2+)-transport systems was estimated by changes of Ca2+ content in the studied cells, which was determined by the spectrophotometric method using arsenazo III. It was shown that IP3-sensitive Ca2+ channels (IP3Rs) of investigated cells are directly inhibited by 2-APB (10 microM/l). On the other hand, the channels are activated by IP3, cholinomimetic (carbacholine) and purine receptor agonist (ATP). When both M-cholinergic receptors and P2Y receptors were activated Ca2+ was released from the same IP3-sensitive store because the effects of ATP and carbacholine at high concentrations (1mM/l and 10 microM/l, respectively) on the Ca2+ content were non-additive. The presence of the store-operated Ca(2+)-channels in secretory cells of the lacrimal gland is confirmed by the observed increase of cellular Ca2+ content as a result of Ca2+ mobilization from the store by carbacholine or thapsigargin and following restoration of Ca2+ concentration in the extracellular solution.

The development of a fluorescent assay to detect activity of the mitochondrial cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is described. A peptide-based sensor was utilized to quantify the relative amount of PKA activity present in each compartment of the mitochondria (the outer membrane, the intermembrane space, and the matrix). In the process of validating this assay, we discovered that PKA activity is regulated by the protease calpain. Upon exposure of bovine heart mitochondria to digitonin, Ca(2+), and a variety of electron transport chain inhibitors, the regulatory subunits of the PKA holoenzyme (R2C2) are digested, releasing active catalytic subunits. This proteolysis is attenuated by calpain inhibitor I (ALLN). This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Inhibitors of Protein Kinases (2012)., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rapid analysis of a cell's propensity to undergo apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway is hindered by the complex network of interactions between more than fifteen known members of the BCL2 family that govern the decision to undergo mitochondrial apoptosis, and measurement of protein levels alone fails to account for critical interactions between the proteins. To address this issue, we have developed two functional assays for same-day analysis of cell lines or primary tissue samples. Using defined inputs in the form of peptides derived primarily from the BH3 domains of pro-apoptotic members of the BCL2 family, we invoke a response in the mitochondria in the form of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization measured indirectly using potential sensitive dyes. BH3 profiling can be applied to any viable single cell suspension and provides a response from the sum total of all known and unknown interactions within the BCL2 family for each stimulus, and the pattern of response can provide both a cell's propensity towards mitochondrial apoptosis, or 'priming', as well as indicate dependencies on specific anti-apoptotic proteins. Described here are optimized conditions for both plate-based and FACS-based BH3 profiling for homogeneous and heterogeneous samples., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The influence ofadenosine diphosphate (ADP) on respiration of pancreatic acinar cell mitochondria in situ was studied. The model of digitonin-treated pancreatic acini was used. It was found that succinate or a mixture of pyruvate, glutamate and malate intensified respiration ofpermeabilized cells. Low ADP concentration (100 microM) did not influence the rate of oxygen uptake, whereas at higher concentration (750 microM) brief intensification of respiration was observed when using nominally Ca(2+)-free medium. When the medium with 100 nM Ca2+ was used, ADP had no effect on oxygen uptake, while the rate of respiration stimulated by a mixture of pyruvate, glutamate and malate increased. Rate of succinate-stimulated respiration did not depend on Ca2+ content in medium. The presence of ATP in the medium reduced the stimulatory effect of ADP, but increased its duration. Intensification of respiration by ADP, occurred only at elevated Ca2+ content, was not associated with oxidative phosphorylation because oligomycin did not inhibit it. The effect ofADP might be a novel "functional marker" of development of pathological processes in the mitochondria of acinar pancreacytes.

In eukaryotes, most of the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that encode secreted and membrane proteins are localized to the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, the visualization of these mRNAs can be challenging. This is especially true when only a fraction of the mRNA is ER-associated and their distribution to this organelle is obstructed by non-targeted (i.e. "free") transcripts. In order to monitor ER-associated mRNAs, we have developed a method in which cells are treated with a short exposure to a digitonin extraction solution that selectively permeabilizes the plasma membrane, and thus removes the cytoplasmic contents, while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of the ER. When this method is coupled with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), one can clearly visualize ER-bound mRNAs by fluorescent microscopy. Using this protocol the degree of ER-association for either bulk poly(A) transcripts or specific mRNAs can be assessed and even quantified. In the process, one can use this assay to investigate the nature of mRNA-ER interactions.

We determined the ability of some phytochemicals, including alkaloids (glaucine, harmine, and sanguinarine), phenolics (EGCG and thymol), and terpenoids (menthol, aromadendrene, β-sitosterol-O-glucoside, and β-carotene), alone or in combination with the saponin digitonin to reverse the relative multi-drug resistance of Caco-2 and CEM/ADR5000 cells to the chemotherapeutical agent doxorubicin. The IC(50) of doxorubicin in Caco-2 and CEM/ADR5000 was 4.22 and 44.08μM, respectively. Combination of non-toxic concentrations of individual secondary metabolite with doxorubicin synergistically sensitized Caco-2 and CEM/ADR5000 cells, and significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin. Furthermore, three-drug combinations (secondary metabolite+digitonin+doxorubicin) were even more powerful. The best synergist was the benzophenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine. It reduced the IC(50) value of doxorubicin 17.58-fold in two-drug combinations (sanguinarine+doxorubicin) and even 35.17-fold in three-drug combinations (sanguinarine+digitonin+doxorubicin) in Caco-2 cells. Thus synergistic drug combinations offer the possibility to enhance doxorubicin efficacy in chemotherapy., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

In phytotherapy, extracts from medicinal plants are employed which contain mixtures of secondary metabolites. Their modes of action are complex because the secondary metabolites can react with single or multiple targets. The components in a mixture can exert additive or even synergistic activities. In this study, the cytotoxicity of some phytochemicals, including phenolics (EGCG and thymol), terpenoids (menthol, aromadendrene, β-sitosterol-O-glucoside, and β-carotene) and alkaloids (glaucine, harmine, and sanguinarine) were investigated alone or in combination with the cytotoxic monodesmosidic steroidal saponin digitonin in Caco-2, MCF-7, CEM/ADR5000, and CCRF-CEM cells. Digitonin was combined in non-toxic concentrations (5μM in each cell line; except in MCF-7 the concentration was 2μM), together with a selection of phenolics, terpenoids, and alkaloids to evaluate potential synergistic or additive effects. An enhanced cytotoxicity was observed in most combinations. Even multi-drug resistant (MDR) cells (such as CEM/ADR5000 cells), with a high expression of P-glycoprotein, were responsive to combinations. Sanguinarine was the most cytotoxic alkaloid against CEM/ADR5000, MCF-7, and CCRF-CEM cells alone and in combination with digitonin. As compared to sanguinarine alone, the combination was 44.53-, 15.38-, and 6.65-fold more toxic in each cell line, respectively. Most combinations synergistically increased the cytotoxicity, stressing the importance of synergy when using multi-target drugs and mixtures in phytotherapy., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Brain mitochondria are not only major producers of reactive oxygen species but they also considerably contribute to the removal of toxic hydrogen peroxide by the glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin-2 (Trx2) antioxidant systems. In this work we estimated the relative contribution of both systems and catalase to the removal of intrinsically produced hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) by rat brain mitochondria. By using the specific inhibitors auranofin and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB), the contribution of Trx2- and GSH-systems to reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification in rat brain mitochondria was determined to be 60±20% and 20±15%, respectively. Catalase contributed to a non-significant extent only, as revealed by aminotriazole inhibition. In digitonin-treated rat hippocampal homogenates inhibition of Trx2- and GSH-systems affected mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide production rates to a much higher extent than the endogenous extramitochondrial hydrogen peroxide production, pointing to a strong compartmentation of ROS metabolism. Imaging experiments of hippocampal slice cultures showed on single cell level substantial heterogeneity of hydrogen peroxide detoxification reactions. The strongest effects of inhibition of hydrogen peroxide removal by auranofin or DNCB were detected in putative interneurons and microglial cells, while pyramidal cells and astrocytes showed lower effects. Thus, our data underline the important contribution of the Trx2-system to hydrogen peroxide detoxification in rat hippocampus. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 17th European Bioenergetics Conference (EBEC 2012)., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y2 receptor shows a large masked surface population in adherent CHO cells or in forebrain cell aggregates, but not in dispersed cells or in particulates from these sources. This is related to adhesion via acidic motifs in the extracellular N-terminal domain. Masking of the Y2 receptor is lifted by non-permeabilizing mechanical dispersion of cells, which also increases internalization of Y2 agonists. Mechanical dispersion and detachment by EDTA expose the same number of surface sites. As we have already shown, phenylarsine oxide (PAO), a cysteine-bridging agent, and to a lesser extent also the cysteine alkylator N-ethylmaleimide, unmask the surface Y2 sites without cell detachment or permeabilization. We now demonstrate that unmasking by permeabilizing but non-detaching treatment with cholesterol-binding detergents digitonin and edelfosine compares with and overlaps that of PAO. The caveolar/raft cholesterol-targeting macrolide filipin III however produces only partial unmasking. Depletion of the surface sites by N-terminally clipped Y2 agonists indicates larger accessibility for a short highly helical peptide. These findings indicate presence of a dynamic masked pool including majority of the cell surface Y2 receptors in adherent CHO cells. This compartmentalization is obviously involved in the low internalization of Y2 receptors in these cells., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nuclear localization of multiple receptor-tyrosine kinases (RTKs), such as EGF receptor (EGFR), ErbB-2, FGF receptor (FGFR), and many others, has been reported by several groups. We previously showed that cell surface EGFR is trafficked to the nucleus through a retrograde pathway from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and that EGFR is then translocated to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) through the INTERNET (integral trafficking from the ER to the nuclear envelope transport) pathway. However, the nuclear trafficking mechanisms of other membrane RTKs, apart from EGFR, remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the nuclear transport of EGFR family proteins with that of FGFR-1. Interestingly, we found that digitonin permeabilization, which selectively releases soluble nuclear transporters from the cytoplasm and has been shown to inhibit nuclear transport of FGFR-1, had no effects on EGFR nuclear transport, raising the possibility that EGFR and FGFR-1 use different pathways to be translocated into the nucleus. Using the subnuclear fractionation assay, we further demonstrated that biotinylated cell surface ErbB-2, but not FGFR-1, is targeted to the INM, associating with Sec61β in the INM, similar to the nuclear trafficking of EGFR. Thus, ErbB-2, but not FGFR-1, shows a similar trafficking pathway to EGFR for translocation to the nucleus, indicating that at least two different pathways of nuclear transport exist for cell surface receptors. This finding provides a new direction for investigating the trafficking mechanisms of various nuclear RTKs.

Retinol and its metabolites modulate epithelial differentiation and serve as cellular UV sensors through changes in retinoid status. Of note is the dehydroretinol family which may serve functions distinct from parental retinol. This study focuses on the metabolism of this family and its potential participation in the response of normal epidermal human keratinocytes to UV irradiation. There were three findings. First, keratinocytes contain two pools of dehydroretinyl esters, one of which is shielded from UVB-, but not from UVA-induced decomposition. Second, using a novel in vitro assay we demonstrated that both UVA and UVB promote dehydroretinol biosynthesis in keratinocytes, but only UVB exposure promotes retinoid ester accretion by enhancing the activity of at least one acyl transferase. Finally, dehydroretinol sufficiency reduces UVA/B driven apoptosis more effectively than retinol sufficiency. This may in part be due to differences in the expression of Fas ligand, which we found to be upregulated by retinoic acid, but not dehydroretinoic acid. These observations implicate a role of dehydroretinol and its metabolites in UVA/B adaptation. Thus, the keratinocyte response to UV is jointly shaped by both the retinoids and dehydroretinoids.

Pre-treating donor cells before somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT, 'cloning') may improve the efficiency of the technology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early development of cloned embryos produced with porcine fibroblasts pre-treated with a permeabilizing agent and extract from Xenopus laevis eggs. In Experiment 1, fetal fibroblasts were permeabilized by digitonin, incubated in egg extract and, after re-sealing of cell membranes, cultured for 3 or 5 days before use as donor cells in handmade cloning (HMC). Controls were produced by HMC with non-treated donor cells. The blastocyst rate for reconstructed embryos increased significantly when digitonin-permeabilized, extract-treated cells were used after 5 days of culture after re-sealing. In Experiment 2, fetal and adult fibroblasts were treated with digitonin alone before re-sealing the cell membranes, then cultured for 3 or 5 days and used as donor cells in HMC. Treatment with digitonin alone increased the blastocyst rate, but only when fetal, and not adult fibroblasts, were used as donor cells, and only after 3 days of culture. In conclusion, we find a time window for increased efficiency of porcine SCNT using donor cells after pre-treatment with permeabilization/re-sealing and Xenopus egg extract. Interestingly, we observe a similar increase in cloning efficiency by permeabilization/re-sealing of donor cells without extract treatment that seems to depend on choice of donor cell type. Thus, pre-treatment of donor cells using permeabilizing treatment followed by re-sealing and in vitro culture for few days could be a simple way to improve the efficiency of porcine cloning.

The visualization of nuclear architecture, which changes dynamically depending on the physiological and the pathological situation, remains an important challenge. Here we report that exposure of fluoresceinisothiocyanate-labeled polyethylenimine (FITC-PEI) to digitonin-permeabilized cervical cancer HeLa cells enable rapid detection of the morphology of the nuclear rim, the nucleolus, and mitotic chromosomes. This simple detection strategy can aid in scientific investigation for both basic research and diagnostic purposes.

The obesity-related 16 kDa peptide leptin is synthesized primarily in white adipocytes although its production has been reported in other tissues including the heart. There is emerging evidence that leptin may contribute to cardiac pathology especially that related to myocardial remodelling and heart failure. In view of the importance of mitochondria to these processes, the goal of the present study is to determine the effect of leptin on mitochondria permeability transition pore opening and the potential consequence in terms of development of apoptosis. Experiments were performed using neonatal rat ventricular myocytes exposed to 3.1 nM (50 ng/ml) leptin for 24 hours. Mitochondrial transition pore opening was analyzed as the capacity of mitochondria to retain the dye calcein-AM in presence of 200 µM CaCl2. Leptin significantly increased pore opening although the effect was markedly more pronounced in digitonin-permeabilized myocytes in the presence of calcium with both effects prevented by the transition pore inhibitor sanglifehrin A. These effects were associated with increased apoptosis as evidenced by increased TUNEL staining and caspase 3 activity, both of which were prevented by the transition pore inhibitor sanglifehrin A. Leptin enhanced Stat3 activation whereas a Stat 3 inhibitor peptide prevented leptin-induced mitochondrial transition pore opening as well as the hypertrophic and pro-apoptotic effects of the peptide. Inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK pathway prevented the hypertrophic response to leptin but had no effect on increased pore opening following leptin administration. We conclude that leptin can enhance calcium-mediated, Stat3-dependent pro-apoptotic effects as a result of increased mitochondrial transition pore opening and independently of its hypertrophic actions. Leptin may therefore contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction and the development of apoptosis in the diseased myocardium particularly under conditions of excessive intracellular calcium accumulation.

Respiration characteristics of mitochondria of the parental and giant cells of murine NK/Ly (Nemeth-Kellner lymphoma) were studied. The giant cell-enriched ascites were obtained by serial intraperitoneal injections of vinblastine in tumour-bearing mice. Ascites containing >70% giant cells were used. Their diameter of was over 17 μm (~2800 μm(3)), while the diameter of the parental cells was 12.7 μm (1100 μm(3)). The respiration rate of mitochondria in situ was measured by oxygen consumption in intact and digitonin-permeabilized NK/Ly cells. Endogenous respiration of intact giant NK/Ly cells was three times higher compared to the parental ones, roughly in agreement with the volume change. The giant NK/Ly cells were far more resistant to permeabilization with digitonin than the parental cells, as shown by Trypan Blue and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) release tests. After digitonin permeabilization, oxygen consumption was reduced to a minimal level (0.06 ng atom O/(s × 106 cells) in both types of cells. Addition of α-ketoglutarate or succinate to the incubation medium increased oxygen consumption in the parental cells by 46 and 164% respectively. In the giant NK/Ly cells, the corresponding increases were 164 and 276%. Addition of ADP to α-ketoglutarate- or succinate-supplemented medium further stimulated oxygen consumption of the permeabilized NK/Ly cells; however, the effect of ADP was more pronounced in the giant cells. In addition, indices of respiratory control were significantly higher in the giant cells. Oligomycin suppressed considerably the respiration of the intact giant cells but had a much weaker effect on parental cells. Thus, giant NK/Ly cells possess much higher respiration rates and show tighter coupling between the respiration and oxidative phosphorylation compared with parental cells., (© The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2012 Portland Press Limited)