Increased collagen synthesis and cross-link formation in the skin of rats exposed to vinyl chloride monomer

1987 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 673-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth R. Knight ◽  
Rochelle Gibbons

1. Rats treated orally with vinyl chloride (30 mg/kg) daily for 2 years developed a syndrome which included thickening of the skin. 2. Analysis of the skin showed a 26% increase in collagen deposition per unit weight, and a corresponding 30% increase in the levels of glycosylated lysine and hydroxylysine. There was a significant increase in the amounts of the labile borohydride reducible cross-links, such as the intermolecular hydroxylysinonorleucine (+ 31%) and histidinomerodesmosine (+ 42%) as well as the intramolecular allysine aldol cross-links (+ 17%). 3. These results provide evidence that fibrosis of the skin is one of the pathological consequences of exposure to vinyl chloride.

2018 ◽  
Vol 200 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Satya Deo Pandey ◽  
Shilpa Pal ◽  
Ganesh Kumar N ◽  
Ankita Bansal ◽  
Sathi Mallick ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTDuring the peptidoglycan (PG) maturation of mycobacteria, the glycan strands are interlinked by both 3-3 (between twomeso-diaminopimelic acids [meso-DAPs]) and 4-3 cross-links (betweend-Ala andmeso-DAP), though there is a predominance (60 to 80%) of 3-3 cross-links. Thedd-carboxypeptidases (dd-CPases) act on pentapeptides to generate tetrapeptides that are used byld-transpeptidases as substrates to form 3-3 cross-links. Therefore,dd-CPases play a crucial role in mycobacterial PG cross-link formation. However, the physiology ofdd-CPases in mycobacteria is relatively unexplored. In this study, we deleted twodd-CPase genes,msmeg_2433andmsmeg_2432, both individually and in combination, fromMycobacterium smegmatismc2155. Though the singledd-CPase gene deletions had no significant impact on the mycobacterial physiology, many interesting functional alterations were observed in the double-deletion mutant,viz., a predominance in PG cross-link formation was shifted from 3-3 cross-links to 4-3, cell surface glycopeptidolipid (GPL) expression was reduced, and susceptibility to β-lactams and antitubercular agents was enhanced. Moreover, the survival rate of the double mutant within murine macrophages was higher than that of the parent. Interestingly, the complementation with any one of thedd-CPase genes could restore the wild-type phenotype. In a nutshell, we infer that the altered ratio of 4-3 to 3-3 PG cross-links might have influenced the expression of surface GPLs, colony morphology, biofilm formation, drug susceptibility, and subsistence of the cells within macrophages.IMPORTANCEThe glycan strands in mycobacterial peptidoglycan (PG) are interlinked by both 3-3 and 4-3 cross-links. Thedd-CPases generate tetrapeptides by acting on the pentapeptides, andld-transpeptidases use tetrapeptides as substrates to form 3-3 cross-links. In this study, we showed that simultaneous deletions of twodd-CPases alter the nature of PG cross-linking from 3-3 cross-links to 4-3 cross-links. The deletions subsequently decrease the expression of glycopeptidolipids (significant surface lipid present in many nontuberculous mycobacteria, includingMycobacterium smegmatis) and affect other physiological parameters, like cell morphology, growth rate, biofilm formation, antibiotic susceptibility, and survival within murine macrophages. Thus, unraveling the physiology ofdd-CPases might help us design antimycobacterial therapeutics in the future.


Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 1559-1559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Flynn ◽  
Patrick H. van Berkel ◽  
Francesca Zammarchi ◽  
Peter C. Tyrer ◽  
Ayse U. Akarca ◽  
...  

Abstract ADCT-301, currently in Phase I clinical trial, is an ADC composed of a recombinant human IgG1, HuMax®-TAC against human IL-2R-α (CD25) conjugated through a cleavable linker to a PBD dimer warhead with a drug-antibody ratio of 2.3. In vitro and ex vivo, ADCT-301 binds human CD25 with picomolar affinity. ADCT-301 has highly potent and targeted cytotoxicity against a panel of human lymphoma cell lines. On release, PBD dimers bind in the DNA minor groove and exert their cytotoxic action via the formation of DNA interstrand cross-links. In vivo, ADCT-301 demonstrates dose-dependent antitumor activity against subcutaneous and disseminated lymphoma models. For example, in the Karpas 299 xenograft model, 10/10 tumor-free survivors are observed following a single dose of 0.5 mg/kg, whereas Adcetris® gives only a modest delay in mean tumor growth at 0.5 mg/kg, despite this tumor expressing three-fold higher target antigen levels for this drug. The current study aimed to further define the mechanism of action of ADCT-301 and validate pharmacodynamic assays for clinical development. In Karpas 299 cells, evidence for internalization of ADCT-301 was shown by a reduction of CD25 molecules on the cell surface over the first three hours post-treatment followed by a return to pre-treatment levels by 16 hours. This is consistent with the documented rapid recycling of CD25 to the membrane after exposure to IL-2 (Hemar et al Journal of Cell Biology 1995). Furthermore, ADCT-301 on the cell surface declined by >70% over four hours. Following a two-hour exposure to ADCT-301, DNA interstrand cross-linking, measured using a modification of the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay, reached a peak between 4 and 8 hours after which cross-links persisted up to 36 hours. In contrast, the peak of cross-link formation for an equimolar concentration of warhead was immediately following drug exposure and a non-targeted PBD-containing ADC did not produce crosslinks in these cells. A strong correlation (r = 0.97) between loss of viability and DNA cross-link formation provides support for this DNA damage being the critical initiating mechanism of cytotoxicity of ADCT-301. We have previously shown that PBD-induced DNA interstrand cross-links elicit a robust, but delayed γ-H2AX response (Wu et al Clinical Cancer Research 2013). In Karpas 299 cells phosphorylation of H2AX was observed 24 hours after a two-hour exposure to sub-GI50 concentrations of ADCT-301. In these cells continuous exposure to ADCT-301 resulted in a dose-dependent G2/M arrest, peaking at 48 hours, later than for the naked warhead. The peak of the early apoptosis marker annexin-V on the cell surface of Karpas 299 cells was observed between 60 and 72 hours and maximal loss of viability was at 96 hours. Significant bystander killing of CD25-negative human Burkitt's lymphoma-derived Ramos cells was demonstrated for ADCT-301 both by co-culture experiments with CD25-positive Karpas 299 cells, and by media transfer from Karpas 299 cells treated with ADCT-301. This is important as many lymphomas are heterogeneous in their CD25 expression profile (Strauchen et al American Journal of Pathology 1987). In SCID mice with Karpas 299 subcutaneous tumors a single dose of ADCT-301 was administered at 0.2 or 0.6 mg/kg. 24 hours after treatment, excised tumors showed a dose proportional increase in intensity of membrane and cytoplasmic staining by an anti-PBD payload antibody. Cross-linking was determined as 23% (0.2 mg/kg) vs 49% (0.6 mg/kg) (p ≤ 0.01) reduction in Tail Moment using the comet assay and dose-dependent γ-H2AX formation measured by immunohistochemistry was observed. No cross-linking was observed in matched lymphocyte samples. These data confirm the mechanism of cell killing of ADCT-301 and provide relevant pharmacodynamic assays for use in the clinical development of PBD-based ADCs. Disclosures Flynn: Spirogen/Medimmune: Employment. van Berkel:ADC Therapeutics: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Zammarchi:ADC Therapeutics: Employment. Tyrer:Spirogen/Medimmune: Employment. Williams:Spirogen/Medimmune: Employment. Howard:ADCT Spirogen/Medimmune: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Hartley:ADCT Spirogen/Medimmune: Employment, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (11) ◽  
pp. e2100137118
Author(s):  
David A. Dik ◽  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Emily J. Sturgell ◽  
Brittany B. Sanchez ◽  
Jason S. Chen ◽  
...  

Gram-positive bacteria assemble a multilayered cell wall that provides tensile strength to the cell. The cell wall is composed of glycan strands cross-linked by nonribosomally synthesized peptide stems. Herein, we modify the peptide stems of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis with noncanonical electrophilic d-amino acids, which when in proximity to adjacent stem peptides form novel covalent 5,3-cross-links. Approximately 20% of canonical cell-wall cross-links can be replaced with synthetic cross-links. While a low level of synthetic cross-link formation does not affect B. subtilis growth and phenotype, at higher levels cell growth is perturbed and bacteria elongate. A comparison of the accumulation of synthetic cross-links over time in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria highlights key differences between them. The ability to perturb cell-wall architecture with synthetic building blocks provides a novel approach to studying the adaptability, elasticity, and porosity of bacterial cell walls.


1998 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 750-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Nieuwenhuizen ◽  
Sandjai Timal ◽  
Jeroen M. van Veen ◽  
Jaap G. Haasnoot ◽  
Jan Reedijk

Abstract This paper reports a novel approach for the study of the mechanism of accelerated vulcanization, namely, Reaction-Stage Modeling (RSM). By carefully studying the reactivity of relevant model compounds under selected conditions, detailed knowledge about a particular reaction stage of vulcanization can be obtained. Background, experimental details and synthesis of model compounds are described. An RSM study after cross-link formation in the thiuram- and dithiocarbamate type vulcanization has been performed, and the role of zinc compounds herein was investigated. In contrast to earlier studies, it has appeared that at 140 °C, cross-links form from cross-link precursors solely via disproportionation. Allylic substitution was not observed. Zinc compounds act as catalysts for disproportionation, but especially ZDMC can be regarded as an efficient, soluble molecular turntable for sulfur atoms.


Author(s):  
Timothy C. Johnstone ◽  
Kogularamanan Suntharalingam ◽  
Stephen J. Lippard

Platinum compounds are a mainstay of cancer chemotherapy, with over 50% of patients receiving platinum. But there is a great need for improvement. Major features of the cisplatin mechanism of action involve cancer cell entry, formation mainly of intrastrand cross-links that bend and unwind nuclear DNA, transcription inhibition and induction of cell-death programmes while evading repair. Recently, we discovered that platinum cross-link formation is not essential for activity. Monofunctional Pt compounds such as phenanthriplatin, which make only a single bond to DNA nucleobases, can be far more active and effective against a range of tumour types. Without a cross-link-induced bend, monofunctional complexes can be accommodated in the major groove of DNA. Their biological mechanism of action is similar to that of cisplatin. These discoveries opened the door to a large family of heavy metal-based drug candidates, including those of Os and Re, as will be described.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (35) ◽  
pp. 10956-10961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santosh Kumar Singh ◽  
Sadiya Parveen ◽  
L SaiSree ◽  
Manjula Reddy

Bacterial growth and morphogenesis are intimately coupled to expansion of peptidoglycan (PG), an extensively cross-linked macromolecule that forms a protective mesh-like sacculus around the cytoplasmic membrane. Growth of the PG sacculus is a dynamic event requiring the concerted action of hydrolases that cleave the cross-links for insertion of new material and synthases that catalyze cross-link formation; however, the factors that regulate PG expansion during bacterial growth are poorly understood. Here, we show that the PG hydrolase MepS (formerly Spr), which is specific to cleavage of cross-links during PG expansion inEscherichia coli, is modulated by proteolysis. Using combined genetic, molecular, and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that MepS is rapidly degraded by a proteolytic system comprising an outer membrane lipoprotein of unknown function, NlpI, and a periplasmic protease, Prc (or Tsp). In summary, our results indicate that the NlpI–Prc system contributes to growth and enlargement of the PG sacculus by modulating the cellular levels of the cross-link–cleaving hydrolase MepS. Overall, this study signifies the importance of PG cross-link cleavage and its regulation in bacterial cell wall biogenesis.


1981 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 459-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
S S Lehrer

Reaction of F-actin and the F-actin-tropomyosin complex with 20 mM glutaraldehyde for 19-22 h at 0 degrees C and 25 degrees C results in extensively cross-linked filaments, as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Electron micrographs show shorter, more irregular filaments for glutaraldehyde-treated F-actin in the absence of tropomyosin as compared to the presence of tropomyosin or untreated controls. There was a 40% drop in viscosity of glutaraldehyde-treated F-actin solutions but a 90% increase in viscosity for the glutaraldehyde-treated F-actin-tropomyosin complex in solution, as compared to the untreated controls, indicating different effects of cross-linking. SDS gels indicate that intrasubunit cross-links are introduced into F-actin and that when tropomyosin is present, intramolecular cross-link formation is inhibited. Inhibition of the salt-induced G leads to F polymerization results when intramolecular cross-links are introduced into G-actin under similar or milder reaction conditions. These data indicate that, under conditions for which extensive F-actin filament cross-linking (fixing) occurs, the filaments become damaged due to the concurrent formation of intrasubunit cross-links that cause local depolymerization and distortion and that tropomyosin protects against this damage.


1984 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald E. Johnston

SummaryA general theory of gel formation by cross-linking of polymer molecules, orginally developed for the study of rubber vulcanization, is proposed as a model for milk gel formation. The model divides gel formation and development into 4 stages, an enzymic and a non-enzymic stage preceding gelation, then a stage of material transition from the sol to the gelled state and a stage of increase in gel strength due to internal cross-link formations. The 2 post-gelation stages overlap to a variable degree depending upon particular circumstances. Gel formation and properties are interpreted in terms of the number of initial units which combine to form the gel and the number of cross-links eventually formed by each unit. When combined with a kinetic expression for the rate of cross-link formation the time course of gel shear modulus development or of the incorporation of material into the gel may be predicted. The classical asymmetric sigmoid shape of gel shear modulus development curves results from the third stage of material transition into the gel, which in turn depends upon the number of cross-links eventually formed by each initial unit. The modulus of mature gels is found to depend upon the square of material concentration, and gel breaking strength is found to be proportional to the modulus, in agreement with the predictions of the theory.


1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1687-1691 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. L. Harwood ◽  
D. Amiel

Parameters of collagen metabolic behavior were analyzed in the periarticular connective tissues, i.e., medial collateral ligament (MCL), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and patellar tendon (PT), of control and immobilized rabbit knees. Two periods of immobilization were studied: 9 and 12 wk. Collagen turnover and collagen cross-links were quantitatively assessed in the three tissues. The results showed that after 9 wk both synthesis and degradation were significantly increased in the MCL and ACL, whereas the PT showed lesser effects. After 12 wk all three tissues experienced significant losses of collagen mass, which resulted in tissue atrophy. The concentrations of the reducible collagen cross-links dihydroxylysinonorleucine and hydroxylysinonorleucine in the immobilized MCL and ACL were greater than their respective controls, indicating an increase in collagen synthesis, whereas concentrations of the nonreducible cross-link hydroxypyridinoline were observed to be decreased in these tissues. Of the reducible cross-links in the PT, only hydroxylysinonorleucine was found to be increased over control, whereas hydroxypyridinoline was slightly less concentrated. These results taken together have demonstrated that the ligamentous tissues are more susceptible to the effects of stress deprivation secondary to joint immobilization than the PT, and, in particular, the ACL of the three tissues studied appears to be most vulnerable.


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