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Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive breast cancer subtypes, and treatment options are limited because of the lack of signature molecules and heterogeneous properties of cancer. COL8A1 expression is higher in breast cancer than in normal tissues and is strongly correlated with worse overall survival in patients with breast cancer. However, the biological function of COL8A1 on cancer progression is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the biological function of COL8A1 on TNBC progression.COL8A1-deficient cells were generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The tumor growth and metastasis of TNBC cells were evaluated using three-dimensional culture (3D) methods and xenograft mouse models. The activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/Src by COL8A1 in TNBC cells was evaluated by immunoblotting.COL8A1 expression was primarily distributed into TNBC cell lines. Further, relapse-free survival in TNBC patients with the MSL subtype was strongly associated with the COL8A1 expression. MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T cells, classified as the MSL subtype, strongly express COL8A1, and COL8A1 protein expression was induced by hypoxia in both cell lines. Loss of COL8A1 expression inhibited spheroid /tumor growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Further, exogenous COL8A1 promoted TNBC growth via the FAK/Src activation. Finally, the spheroid growth of MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T cells was inhibited by defactinib, a FAK inhibitor, without cytotoxicity.These results indicate that COL8A1-mediated FAK/Src activation produces a more aggressive phenotype in TNBC, and its target inhibition may be an efficacious treatment for TNBC.

We examined whether sulfated hyaluronan exerts inhibitory effects on enzymatic and biological actions of heparanase, a sole endo-beta-glucuronidase implicated in cancer malignancy and inflammation. Degradation of heparan sulfate by human and mouse heparanase was inhibited by sulfated hyaluronan. In particular, high-sulfated hyaluronan modified with approximately 2.5 sulfate groups per disaccharide unit effectively inhibited the enzymatic activity at a lower concentration than heparin. Human and mouse heparanase bound to immobilized sulfated hyaluronan. Invasion of heparanase-positive colon-26 cells and 4T1 cells under 3D culture conditions was significantly suppressed in the presence of high-sulfated hyaluronan. Heparanase-induced release of CCL2 from colon-26 cells was suppressed in the presence of sulfated hyaluronan via blocking of cell surface binding and subsequent intracellular NF-κB-dependent signaling. The inhibitory effect of sulfated hyaluronan is likely due to competitive binding to the heparanase molecule, which antagonizes the heparanase-substrate interaction. Fragment molecular orbital calculation revealed a strong binding of sulfated hyaluronan tetrasaccharide to the heparanase molecule based on electrostatic interactions, particularly characterized by interactions of (−1)- and (−2)-positioned sulfated sugar residues with basic amino acid residues composing the heparin-binding domain-1 of heparanase. These results propose a relevance for sulfated hyaluronan in the blocking of heparanase-mediated enzymatic and cellular actions.

We examined whether chondroitin sulfates (CSs) exert inhibitory effects on heparanase (Hpse), the sole endoglycosidase that cleaves heparan sulfate (HS) and heparin, which also stimulates chemokine production. Hpse-mediated degradation of HS was suppressed in the presence of glycosaminoglycans derived from a squid cartilage and mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells, including the E unit of CS. Pretreatment of the chondroitin sulfate E (CS-E) with chondroitinase ABC abolished the inhibitory effect. Recombinant proteins that mimic pro-form and mature-form Hpse bound to the immobilized CS-E. Cellular responses as a result of Hpse-mediated binding, namely, uptake of Hpse by mast cells and Hpse-induced release of chemokine CCL2 from colon carcinoma cells, were also blocked by the CS-E. CS-E may regulate endogenous Hpse-mediated cellular functions by inhibiting enzymatic activity and binding to the cell surface.

Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs) are generated by oxidation of linoleic acid in vivo and thought to mediate various pathophysiological responses. In this study, we examined the effects of HODEs on EL4 mouse lymphoma cell growth and found that 9-(E,Z)-HODE inhibited EL4 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, whereas no such growth inhibition was observed with other isomers (9-(E,E)-, 13-(Z,E)-, or 13-(E,E)-HODE), suggesting that the growth-inhibitory effect of HODEs was stereospecific. Analysis by flow cytometry (FACS) with annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining showed that 9-(E,Z)-HODE induced apoptosis with G2/M phase arrest. We next examined the growth inhibition profile of 9-(E,Z)-HODE against a panel of 39 human cancer cell lines (JFCR39). The fingerprint of growth inhibition by 9-(E,Z)-HODE exhibited a high degree of similarity to that by MLN4924, an inhibitor of NEDD8-activating enzyme. The intracellular NEDD8 (ubiquitin-like protein) expression in EL4 cells was decreased by the treatment with 9-(E,Z)-HODE as assessed by immunoblotting and flow cytometry. In conclusion, 9-(E,Z)-HODE specifically induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, and the decrease of NEDD8 expression might be involved in this effect.

Staphylococcus aureus produces a variety of exoproteins that interfere with host immune systems. We attempted to purify cytotoxins against human leukocytic cells from the culture supernatant of S. aureus by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography on a CM-cellulose column and HPLC on a Mono S 5/50 column. A major protein possessing cytotoxicity to HL60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells was purified, and the protein was identified as α-hemolysin (Hla, α-toxin) based on its molecular weight (34 kDa) and N-terminal amino acid sequence. Flow cytometric analysis suggested differential cytotoxicity of Hla against different human peripheral blood leukocyte populations. After cell fractionation with density-gradient centrifugation, we found that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were more susceptible to Hla than polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Moreover, cell surface marker analysis suggested that Hla exhibited slightly higher cytotoxicity against CD14-positive PBMCs (mainly monocytes) than CD3- or CD19-positive cells (T or B lymphocytes). From these results, we conclude that human leukocytes have different susceptibility to Hla depending on their cell lineages, and thereby the toxin may modulate the host immune response.

The family of staphylococcal superantigen-like proteins (SSLs) have a structure similar to bacterial superantigens but exhibit no superantigenic activity. These exoproteins have recently been shown to disturb the host immune defense system. One family member, SSL5, was reported to bind to human leukocyte P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and to interfere with leukocyte trafficking. In the present study, we explored human plasma proteins bound by glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged recombinant SSL5 (GST-SSL5) and identified plasma protease C1 inhibitor (C1Inh) as a major SSL5-binding protein based on the results of peptide mass fingerprinting analysis with MALDI-TOFMS. GST-SSL5 was found to attenuate the inhibitory activity of recombinant histidine-tagged C1Inh (C1Inh-His) toward complement C1s. We also observed that the treatment of C1Inh-His with neuraminidase markedly decreased its binding to GST-SSL5. Moreover, C1Inh-His produced by Lec2 mutant cells (deficient in sialic acid biosynthesis) showed much lower binding affinity for SSL5 than that produced by the wild-type CHO-K1 cells, as assessed by pull-down assay. These results suggest that SSL5 binds to C1Inh in a sialic acid-dependent fashion and modulates the host immune defense through perturbation of the complement system in association with S. aureus infection.

Cationic liposomes can be intravenously injected to deliver short interfering (si)RNAs into the lungs. The present study investigated the effects of sterol derivatives in systemically injected siRNA/cationic liposome complexes (siRNA lipoplexes) on gene-knockdown in the lungs of mice. Cationic liposomes composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane or dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB) were prepared as a cationic lipid, with sterol derivatives such as cholesterol (Chol), β-sitosterol, ergosterol (Ergo) or stigmasterol as a neutral helper lipid. Transfected liposomal formulations composed of DDAB/Chol or DDAB/Ergo did not suppress the expression of the luciferase gene in LLC-Luc and Colon 26-Luc cells in vitro, whereas other formulations induced moderate gene-silencing. The systemic injection of siRNA lipoplexes formulated with Chol or Ergo into mice resulted in abundant siRNA accumulation in the lungs. In comparison, systemically injected DDAB/Chol or DDAB/Ergo lipoplexes of Tie2 siRNA effectively increased the suppression of the Tie2 mRNA expression in the lungs of mice. These findings indicated that DDAB/Chol and DDAB/Ergo liposomes could function as vectors for siRNA delivery to the lungs.

Staphylococcus aureus secretes a family of exoproteins structurally homologous to bacterial superantigens, such as toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), and those exoproteins are thus called staphylococcal superantigen-like proteins (SSLs). Recent studies have revealed that SSLs play roles in evasion of the host defense by disturbing host immune responses. We previously reported that staphylococcal superantigen-like protein 5 (SSL5; a member of the SSL family) inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which is crucial for leukocyte recruitment to sites of infection. In this study, we established a mouse hybridoma clone (30G5C) producing a monoclonal antibody specific for SSL5. In immunoblotting analysis using recombinant His-tagged SSL1 to SSL14 (His-SSLs), the antibody was found to specifically recognize SSL5 without crossreactivity with other His-SSLs. The antibody bound to the C-terminal region of SSL5 (β-grasp domain), but did not interfere with the binding of SSL5 to MMP-9, suggesting that this antibody is useful for identification of SSL5-producing S. aureus and screening for inhibitors of the SSL5/MMP-9 complex formation.

Staphylococcal superantigen-like proteins (SSL) show no superantigenic activity but have recently been considered to act as immune suppressors. It was previously reported that SSL5 bound to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, leading to inhibition of leukocyte adhesion and invasion. These interactions were suggested to depend on sialic acid-containing glycans of MMP-9, but the roles of sialic acids in the interaction between SSL5 and MMP-9 are still controversial. In the present study, we prepared recombinant glutathione S-transferase-tagged SSL5 (GST-SSL5) and analyzed its binding capacity to MMP-9 by pull-down assay after various modifications of its carbohydrate moieties. We observed that GST-SSL5 specifically bound to MMP-9 from a human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1 cells) and inhibited its enzymatic activity in a concentration-dependent manner. After MMP-9 was treated with neuraminidase, its binding activity towards GST-SSL5 was markedly decreased. Furthermore, recombinant MMP-9 produced by sialic acid-deficient Lec2 mutant cells showed much lower affinity for SSL5 than that produced by wild-type CHO-K1 cells. Treatment of MMP-9 with PNGase F to remove N-glycan resulted in no significant change in the GST-SSL5/MMP-9 interaction. In contrast, the binding of GST-SSL5 to MMP-9 secreted from THP-1 cells cultured in the presence of an inhibitor for the biosynthesis of O-glycan (benzyl-GalNAc) was weaker than the binding of GST-SSL5 to MMP-9 secreted from untreated cells. These results strongly suggest the importance of the sialic acid-containing O-glycans of MMP-9 for the interaction of MMP-9 with GST-SSL5.

Coronin-1, a hematopoietic cell-specific actin-binding protein, is thought to be involved in the phagocytic process through its interaction with actin filaments. The dissociation of coronin-1 from phagosomes after its transient accumulation on the phagosome surface is associated with lysosomal fusion. We previously reported that 1) coronin-1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC), 2) coronin-1 has two phosphorylation sites, Ser-2 and Thr-412, and 3) Thr-412 of coronin-1 is phosphorylated during phagocytosis. In this study, we examined which PKC isoform is responsible for the phosphorylation of coronin-1 at Thr-412 by using isotype-specific PKC inhibitors and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Thr-412 phosphorylation of coronin-1 was suppressed by Gö6976, an inhibitor of PKCα and PKCβI. This phosphorylation was attenuated by siRNA for PKCα, but not by siRNA for PKCβ. Furthermore, Thr-412 of coronin-1 was phosphorylated by recombinant PKCα in vitro, but not by recombinant PKCβ. We next examined the effects of Gö6976 on the intracellular distribution of coronin-1 in HL60 cells during phagocytosis. The confocal fluorescence microscopic observation showed that coronin-1 was not dissociated from phagosomes in Gö6976-treated cells. These results indicate that phosphorylation of coronin-1 at Thr-412 by PKCα regulates intracellular distribution during phagocytosis., Highlights • Phosphorylation of coronin-1 at Thr-412 is suppressed by PKCα/β inhibitor. • PKCα not PKCβ phosphorylates coronin-1 at Thr-412 in vitro. • Dissociation of coronin-1 from phagosome is regulated by PKCα. • Phosphorylation of coronin-1 at Thr-412 may trigger phagosome maturation.

Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs) are generated by oxidation of linoleic acid in vivo and thought to mediate various pathophysiological responses. In this study, we examined the effects of HODEs on EL4 mouse lymphoma cell growth and found that 9-(E,Z)-HODE inhibited EL4 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, whereas no such growth inhibition was observed with other isomers (9-(E,E)-, 13-(Z,E)-, or 13-(E,E)-HODE), suggesting that the growth-inhibitory effect of HODEs was stereospecific. Analysis by flow cytometry (FACS) with annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining showed that 9-(E,Z)-HODE induced apoptosis with G2/M phase arrest. We next examined the growth inhibition profile of 9-(E,Z)-HODE against a panel of 39 human cancer cell lines (JFCR39). The fingerprint of growth inhibition by 9-(E,Z)-HODE exhibited a high degree of similarity to that by MLN4924, an inhibitor of NEDD8-activating enzyme. The intracellular NEDD8 (ubiquitin-like protein) expression in EL4 cells was decreased by the treatment with 9-(E,Z)-HODE as assessed by immunoblotting and flow cytometry. In conclusion, 9-(E,Z)-HODE specifically induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, and the decrease of NEDD8 expression might be involved in this effect.

It has recently been recognized that inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-&alpha, (TNF-&alpha, ), upregulate the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) from cancer cells and thereby promote peritoneal dissemination. In this study, we found that TNF-&alpha, also stimulated peritoneal mesothelial cells to secrete MMP-9 as assessed by zymography. MMP-9 gene expression in mesothelial cells induced by TNF-&alpha, was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. We then utilized the reconstituted artificial mesothelium, which was composed of a monolayer of mesothelial cells cultured on a Matrigel layer in a Boyden chamber system, to examine the effects of TNF-&alpha, on carcinoma cell invasion. The transmigration of MKN1 human gastric carcinoma cells through the reconstituted mesothelium was promoted by TNF-&alpha, in a dose-dependent manner. The increased MKN1 cell migration was partially inhibited by the anti-&alpha, 3 integrin antibody, indicating that the invasion process involves an integrin-dependent mechanism. Finally, we observed that the invasion of MMP-9-knockdown MKN1 cells into Matrigel membranes was potentiated by the exogenous addition of purified proMMP-9. These results suggest that TNF-&alpha, induced MMP-9 secretion from mesothelial cells plays an important role in the metastatic dissemination of gastric cancer.

We investigated the fate of proheparanase added to the culture media of mast cells. A recombinant protein mimicking proheparanase was continuously internalized into mastocytoma cells as well as bone marrow- and peritoneal cell-derived mast cells. Internalized heparanase molecules were accumulated in granules and a significant portion was released by stimulation with ionomycin, indicating that the internalized heparanase was sorted into secretory granules. The pro-form heparanase was processed into a mature and an active form inside the cells, in which intracellular heparin was fragmented by the mature enzyme. The internalization was substantially inhibited by addition of heparin and heparan sulfate to the culture medium, suggesting that glycosaminoglycan is involved in the uptake pathway. Out of four syndecans, expression of syndecan-3 and syndecan-4, especially cell surface syndecan-4, was detected in the mastocytoma cells. Two knockdown clones transfected with a shRNA expression vector targeting the syndecan-4 gene took up significantly lower amounts of heparanase than mock cells. We propose that some exogenous substances like proheparanase can be incorporated into mast cell granules via a glycosaminoglycan-mediated, especially syndecan-4-dependent, uptake pathway.

Considerable evidence has been accumulated concerning the roles of platelets in immune responses. In the present study, we examined the functional modulation of macrophages by platelets. When mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were co-cultured with platelets, BMDMs produced lower levels of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 in response to a bacterial endotoxin (LPS) and zymosan. The attenuation in the macrophage susceptibility to LPS appeared to be mediated by soluble factors secreted from platelets. The mRNA levels of NOS2 (iNOS), TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated BMDMs that had been cultured with a conditioned medium of platelets were also decreased as analyzed by RT-qPCR. The ability of the platelet-conditioned medium to suppress macrophage NO production was recovered in a high-molecular-weight fraction (>670 kDa) after gel-filtration chromatography on a Superose 6 column. These results suggest that platelets control the susceptibility of macrophages to prevent excessive responses to LPS and provide mechanistic insight into a previous report that experimental thrombocytopenia aggravated organ failure in LPS-induced endotoxemia.

Staphylococcal superantigen-like proteins (SSL) show no superantigenic activity but have recently been considered to act as immune suppressors. It was previously reported that SSL5 bound to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, leading to inhibition of leukocyte adhesion and invasion. These interactions were suggested to depend on sialic acid-containing glycans of MMP-9, but the roles of sialic acids in the interaction between SSL5 and MMP-9 are still controversial. In the present study, we prepared recombinant glutathione S-transferase-tagged SSL5 (GST-SSL5) and analyzed its binding capacity to MMP-9 by pull-down assay after various modifications of its carbohydrate moieties. We observed that GST-SSL5 specifically bound to MMP-9 from a human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1 cells) and inhibited its enzymatic activity in a concentration-dependent manner. After MMP-9 was treated with neuraminidase, its binding activity towards GST-SSL5 was markedly decreased. Furthermore, recombinant MMP-9 produced by sialic acid-deficient Lec2 mutant cells showed much lower affinity for SSL5 than that produced by wild-type CHO-K1 cells. Treatment of MMP-9 with PNGase F to remove N-glycan resulted in no significant change in the GST-SSL5/MMP-9 interaction. In contrast, the binding of GST-SSL5 to MMP-9 secreted from THP-1 cells cultured in the presence of an inhibitor for the biosynthesis of O-glycan (benzyl-GalNAc) was weaker than the binding of GST-SSL5 to MMP-9 secreted from untreated cells. These results strongly suggest the importance of the sialic acid-containing O-glycans of MMP-9 for the interaction of MMP-9 with GST-SSL5.

Integrins are a major family of adhesion molecules, consisting of heterodimers (α and β subunits). Several reports have suggested the presence of splice variants in the cytoplasmic domain of certain integrin subunits. In the present study, we detected mRNA of integrin α3 splice variants (α3A and α3B) by RT-PCR using total RNA from the human brain as a template. The α3B variant lacks the sequence coded by exon 25 and appears to be generated by alternative splicing. We established mouse hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (both of which are of IgG1 class) specific for each variant. Each antibody exhibited specific reactivity towards the corresponding integrin α3 variant in Western blotting and immunoprecipitation experiments, suggesting it to be a useful tool for detection of the respective integrin variant.

The α3β1 integrin is an adhesion receptor for extracellular matrix proteins, and plays crucial roles in cell motility, proliferation, and differentiation. The aberrant expression of this adhesion molecule on tumor cells is frequently associated with their malignant behaviors. We previously reported that the Ets transcription factor-binding consensus sequence 133 bp upstream of the mouse α3 integrin gene is an important element for its expression in various tumor cell lines. In the present study, we attempted to identify a transcription factor bound to the Ets-consensus sequence, and found that Ets-1 bound to this sequence in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, and pull-down assay with a tandem repeat of the sequence as adsorbent. We next examined the role of Ets-1 in α3 integrin gene expression by use of a luciferase assay with a reporter plasmid containing the 5'-flanking region of the α3 integrin gene. Cotransfection of HEK293T cells with an Ets-1 expression construct and the reporter plasmid increased luciferase activity. By contrast, transfection of HT1080 cells (high α3 integrin expresser) with a dominant-negative mutant of Ets-1 decreased luciferase activity. Overexpression of Ets-1 in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells (low α3 integrin expresser) upregulated α3 integrin expression as assessed by immunoprecipitation. Finally, the induction of α3 integrin gene expression in HepG2 cells after transforming growth factor-β1 treatment was abrogated by the dominant-negative mutant of Ets-1. These results suggest that Ets-1 is involved in transcriptional activation of the α3 integrin gene through its binding to the Ets-consensus sequence at -133 bp.

Staphylococcal superantigen-like proteins (SSLs) constitute a family of exoproteins exhibiting structural similarities to superantigens and enterotoxins but no superantigenic activity. In this article, we present evidence that SSL5 specifically binds to matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and inhibits its enzymatic activity. When human neutrophil cell lysate was applied to recombinant His-tagged SSL5 conjugated to Sepharose, the bound fraction gave a major band of approximately 100 kDa in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This protein was identified as the proform of MMP-9 (proMMP-9) by peptide mass fingerprinting analysis. The recombinant SSL5-Sepharose also bound to proMMP-9 secreted by interleukin 8 (IL-8)-stimulated neutrophils and HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed that recombinant SSL5 bound to proMMP-9 with rather high affinity (dissociation constant [KD] = 1.9 nM). Recombinant SSL5 was found to effectively inhibit MMP-9-catalyzed hydrolysis of gelatin and a synthetic fluorogenic peptide in a noncompetitive manner (Ki= 0.097 nM), as assessed by zymography and the fluorescence quenching method. Finally, the transmigration of neutrophils across Matrigel basement membranes in response toN-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) was suppressed by the presence of recombinant SSL5. We discuss possible roles that SSL5 may play in immune evasion of staphylococci by inhibiting MMP and interfering with leukocyte trafficking.

By using immunofluorostaining and confocal laser microscopy, acetylcholine-induced translocation of RhoA was visualized in freshly isolated bronchial smooth muscle cells of the rat. The cellular distribution of RhoA at rest was observed uniformly in the cytosolic space with no staining in the nucleus, whereas acetylcholine stimulation induced a relocalization of RhoA to the cell periphery. From the results of line scans and surface plots, the peripheral to cytosolic ratio of RhoA was significantly increased by acetylcholine stimulation. Thus, the present study clearly demonstrated an acetylcholine-induced translocation of RhoA to the plasma membrane in single bronchial smooth muscle cells of the rat. Keywords:: bronchial smooth muscle cell, RhoA translocation, Ca2+ sensitization

The actin-binding protein p57, a member of the coronin protein family, is expressed in a variety of immune cells. It has five WD repeats and a coiled-coil motif containing a leucine zipper, both of which are known to mediate protein-protein interactions. In order to identify the precise actin-binding regions in p57, and to assess the contribution of these structural motifs, we prepared various truncated p57 as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and examined their actin-binding activity. A co-sedimentation assay demonstrated that p57(1-371) (C-terminal truncated p57) had the ability to bind F-actin, but p57(372-461) (a fragment containing the coiled-coil motif) did not. A segment consisting of the N-terminal 34 amino acids of p57 (p57(1-34)) was found to bind to F-actin in the co-sedimentation assay. Furthermore, fluorescence microscopic observation showed that p57(1-34) was co-localized with F-actin in COS-1 cells after the transfection with the p57(1-34) construct. Deletion of (10)KFRHVF(15), a sequence conserved among coronin-related proteins, from p57(1-34) abolished its actin-binding activity, suggesting that this sequence with basic and hydrophobic amino acids is crucial for p57 to bind to F-actin. However, the N-terminal deletion mutant p57(63-461) retained the binding ability to F-actin. This result suggests the presence of a second actin-binding region. Further deletion analysis revealed that p57(111-204), which includes the second and third WD repeats, also exhibited weak actin-binding activity in the co-sedimentation assay. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that at least two regions within Met-1 to Asp-34 and Ile-111 to Glu-204 of p57 are responsible for its binding to the actin cytoskeleton.

We have previously shown that Txk, a member of Tec family tyrosine kinase, is expressed in Th1 and ThO cells and directly contributes to gene transcription of Th1-related proteins, including interferon (IFN)-gamma, through nuclear translocation in response to mitogenic stimuli. Btk, another member of Tec family tyrosine kinase, has been shown to have a Src family tyrosine kinase-dependent transphosphorylation site and an autophosphorylation site. However, little is known about the phosphorylation mechanism of Txk, except that 420 tyrosine residue was identified as the transphosphorylation site. In this study, we found that Txk autophosphorylated itself by using an in vitro kinase assay. To elucidate the role of phosphorylation in Txk function, we studied IFN-gamma secretion by Jurkat T cells expressing mutant Txk proteins. While transfection with the wild-type Txk resulted in increased IFN-gamma production, the function was abrogated by disruption of the ATP biding site, which is presumably involved in the autophosphorylation mechanism. The results suggest that phosphorylated Txk is an active form to promote IFN-gamma synthesis. The 91 tyrosine residue of Txk is deduced to be an autophosphorylation site by comparing its structure with Btk. In Jurkat cells transfected with Txk Y91A, IFN-gamma production was decreased in comparison with the wild-type Txk transfected Jurkat cells. These data suggest that phosphorylation of the 91 tyrosine residue in Txk plays a positive regulatory role in Txk function.

Coronin-1, a hematopoietic cell-specific actin-binding protein, is thought to be involved in phagocytic process through its interaction with actin filaments. The dissociation of coronin-1 from phag...

The actin-binding protein p57/coronin-1, a member of the coronin protein family, is selectively expressed in hematopoietic cells and plays crucial roles in the immune response through reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. We previously reported that p57/coronin-1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C, and the phosphorylation down-regulates the association of this protein with actin. In this study we analyzed the phosphorylation sites of p57/coronin-1 derived from HL60 human leukemic cells by MALDI-TOF-MS, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and Phos-tag® acrylamide gel electrophoresis in combination with site-directed mutagenesis and identified Ser-2 and Thr-412 as major phosphorylation sites. A major part of p57/coronin-1 was found as an unphosphorylated form in HL60 cells, but phosphorylation at Thr-412 of p57/coronin-1 was detected after the cells were treated with calyculin A, a Ser/Thr phosphatase inhibitor, suggesting that p57/coronin-1 undergoes constitutive turnover of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation at Thr-412. A diphosphorylated form of p57/coronin-1 was detected after the cells were treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus calyculin A. We then assessed the effects of phosphorylation at Thr-412 on the association of p57/coronin-1 with actin. A co-immunoprecipitation experiment with anti-p57/coronin-1 antibodies and HL60 cell lysates revealed that β-actin was co-precipitated with the unphosphorylated form but not with the phosphorylated form at Thr-412 of p57/coronin-1. Furthermore, the phosphorylation mimic (T412D) of p57/coronin-1 expressed in HEK293T cells exhibited lower affinity for actin than the wild-type or the unphosphorylation mimic (T412A) did. These results indicate that the constitutive turnover of phosphorylation at Thr-412 of p57/coronin-1 regulates its interaction with actin.

Macrophages that infiltrate tumor tissues, or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), affect the malignant behaviors of tumor cells. In this study, we attempted to induce monocytes to differentiate into TAM-like cells producing matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by co-culture with tumor cells. When human monocytes were co-cultured for 3-7 days with tumor cell lines, monocytes differentiated to produce MMP-9, accompanied by morphological changes. The in vitro cell invasion of MKN1 human gastric carcinoma cells into Matrigel membranes was promoted in the presence of differentiated monocytes, and the enhancement of cell invasion by differentiated monocytes was correlated with their MMP-9 productivity. The addition of an RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptide to the culture significantly inhibited monocyte differentiation. The MMP-9 production from monocytes was diminished by the depletion of fibronectin from the conditioned media with gelatin-Sepharose, and potentiated by culturing them in fibronectin-coated plates. These results suggest that cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix plays a crucial role in monocyte differentiation into TAM-like cells.

We previously reported that the adhesion of gastric carcinoma cells to the peritoneum mediated by the alpha3beta1 integrin-laminin interaction is a key step in the initial process of peritoneal metastatic dissemination. Carcinoma cells subsequently invade through the intercellular gaps of mesothelial linings. In this study, we examined the role of the interaction of carcinoma cells with laminin-5, which is a major component of submesothelial basement membranes and serves as a high-affinity ligand for alpha3beta1 integrin, in carcinoma cell invasion. Human gastric carcinoma cell lines (MKN1, GT3TKB, and NUGC-4) adhered in an alpha3beta1 integrin-dependent manner to the extracellular matrix deposited by peritoneal mesothelial cells. An in vitro invasion assay using the Boyden chamber system revealed that MKN1 cell migration through the membranes increased when the membranes were coated with matrices produced by mesothelial cells or with laminin-5-containing Matrigel as compared to Matrigel alone. The cell migration promoted by laminin-5-containing Matrigel was inhibited by the presence of anti-alpha3 integrin antibody. When MKN1 cells were cultured in a laminin-5-coated plate, these cells were promoted to produce matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, as assessed by gelatin zymography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. These results suggest that the production of MMP-9 by MKN1 cells was potentiated by the alpha3beta1 integrin-laminin-5 interaction, which facilitated their invasion via degradation of the matrix.

The p57/coronin-1 protein is a member of the coronin family of actin-binding proteins, which are characterized by the presence of WD (tryptophan/aspartic acid) repeats and a coiled-coil motif in the molecule. It is selectively expressed in immune cells and has been suggested to play crucial roles in leukocyte functions, including cell migration and phagocytosis. In this study we examined the effects of p57/coronin-1 phosphorylation on the association of the protein with actin. Treatment of HL60 human leukemic cells or p57/coronin-1-transfected HEK293 cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) reduced the association of p57/coronin-1 with the actin cytoskeleton, as indicated by cell fractionation experiments and by fluorescence microscopic observation. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of HL60 cell lysate revealed that p57/coronin-1 was phosphorylated upon PMA stimulation of the cells, giving two major and two minor spots of phosphorylated forms, each with distinct isoelectric points. The p57/coronin-1 molecules associated with the cytoskeleton in PMA-treated HL60 cells were phosphorylated at lower levels than those recovered in the cytosolic fraction. In addition, p57/coronin-1 co-sedimented with F-actin polymerized in vitro had lower phosphorylation levels than the molecules remaining in the supernatant. By affinity chromatographic analysis using anti-p57/coronin-1 antibody-conjugated Sepharose, p57/coronin-1 derived from PMA-treated HL60 cells showed lower affinity for actin than that from untreated cells. Finally, recovery of p57/coronin-1 in the actin cytoskeleton-rich fraction from neutrophil-like differentiated HL60 cells decreased during phagocytosis, concomitant with enhanced phosphorylation of p57/coronin-1. These results strongly suggest that the phosphorylation of p57/coronin-1 down-regulates its association with actin and modulates the reorganization of actin-containing cytoskeleton.

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, is a human pathogen that multiplies within alveolar macrophages. L. pneumophila establishes specialized phagosomes in which it evades the host defense through largely unknown mechanisms. Here we analyzed the role of an actin-binding protein, p57/coronin-1, a member of the coronin protein family, during Legionella infection. On fluorescence microscopy, p57/coronin-1 and F-actin were found to be co-localized at the sites on the plasma membrane where L. pneumophila adhered to U937 human macrophage-like cells. The localization of p57/coronin-1 at the sites of bacterial adherence was inhibited by treatment with cytochalasin D (an inhibitor of actin polymerization), suggesting that p57/coronin-1 is involved in the actin-dependent uptake of L. pneumophila into U937 cells. In addition, we showed that p57/coronin-1 was excluded from phagosomes containing live L. pneumophila throughout the infection, whereas transient accumulation of p57/coronin-1 was observed on phagosomes containing Texas-Red-labeled opsonized zymosan (TROpZ) or heat-killed L. pneumophila at an early stage of phagocytosis. The exclusion of p57/coronin-1 from phagosomes containing live another Legionella species Legionella gratiana at an early stage of infection was also observed. Taken together, these results suggest that the endocytic pathways of live Legionella species are distinct from general phagocytic pathways, which lead to lysosomal degradation.

The invasive and metastatic potentials of hepatocellular carcinoma are positively correlated with the expression level of alpha3beta1 integrin, a high-affinity adhesion receptor for laminin isoforms including laminin-5. In this study, we investigated changes in the adhesive and invasive behaviors of human HCC HepG2 cells after transfection with cDNA for alpha3 integrin in order to elucidate the direct involvement of this integrin in these cellular processes. We introduced cDNA for splice variants of alpha3 integrin (alpha3A and alpha3B) into the cells, and selected two transfectant clones (HepG2-3A and HepG2-3B), which express the alpha3A and alpha3B integrins, respectively. Both transfectant cells adhered almost equally to laminin-5-coated plates in an alpha3 integrin-dependent manner, indicating that transfected alpha3Abeta1 and alpha3Bbeta1 integrins were functionally active in these cells. The migratory and invasive potentials of the transfectant cells were assessed by scratch wound assay and in vitro chemoinvasion assay. The results demonstrated that the migration of HepG2-3A and HepG2-3B cells but not of mock transfectant (HepG2-M) cells was stimulated on the plates coated with laminin-5. Furthermore, HepG2-3A and HepG2-3B cells were found to be more invasive into laminin-5-containing matrices than were HepG2-M cells. These results strongly suggest that enhanced expression of alpha3beta1 integrin on HCC cells is directly involved in their malignant phenotypes such as invasion and metastasis.

The actin-binding protein p57/coronin-1, a member of the coronin protein family, is selectively expressed in immune cells, and has been implicated in leucocyte migration and phagocytosis by virtue of its interaction with F-actin (filamentous actin). We previously identified two sites in the N-terminal region of p57/coronin-1 by which it binds actin, and in the present study we examine the role of the leucine zipper motif located in the C-terminal coiled-coil domain in mediating the homotypic association of p57/coronin-1. Recombinant p57/coronin-1 protein in solution formed a homodimer, as analysed by Superose 12 column chromatography and by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. In vivo, a truncated form consisting of the C-terminal coiled-coil domain co-precipitated with full-length p57/coronin-1 when both were co-expressed in COS-1 cells. A chimaeric construct composed of the C-terminal domain of p57/coronin-1 (which lacks the actin-binding sites) fused with green fluorescent protein co-localized with cortical F-actin-rich regions in COS-1 cells only when full-length p57/coronin-1 was expressed simultaneously in the cells, suggesting that the C-terminal region is required for the homotypic association of p57/coronin-1. Furthermore, p57LZ, a polypeptide consisting of the C-terminal 90 amino acid residues of p57/coronin-1, was sufficient for dimerization. When two leucine residues out of the four that constitute the leucine zipper structure in p57LZ or full-length p57 were replaced with alanine residues, the mutants failed to form homodimers. Taken together, these results demonstrate that p57/coronin-1 forms homodimers, that the association is mediated by the leucine zipper structure in the C-terminal region, and that it plays a role in the cross-linking of F-actin in the cell.

Phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan (OpZ) particles by differentiated cells of the human leukemic cell line HL-60 induced transient periphagosomal association of p57, a coronin family actin-binding protein, and F-actin with dissociation from the phagosomes after ingestion was completed. Coincident with OpZ ingestion, p57 phosphorylation increased transiently and peaked with its dissociation from phagosomes. Since p57 contains several putative sites for protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation, we examined the effect of PKC on p57 phosphorylation and association with the phagosome. Purified p57 was phosphorylated in vitro by PKC isoforms alpha and delta, and PMA, an activator of PKC, induced p57 phosphorylation in HL-60 cells. Furthermore, chelerythrine, a specific PKC inhibitor, blocked p57 phosphorylation and the dissociation of p57 and F-actin from phagosomes, whereas wortmannin, genistein, and H-89 did not. Chelerythrine also inhibited the translocation of LAMP-1, a marker protein of lysosomes, to the OpZ-containing phagosomes, indicating that PKC-mediated phosphorylation is required for phagosome-lysosome fusion. Taken together, these data suggest that PKC-mediated phosphorylation of p57 triggers its dissociation from phagosomes, an event that may be necessary for the fusion of phagosomes with lysosomes.