scholarly journals The Actin-Bundling Protein L-Plastin: A Critical Regulator of Immune Cell Function

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Celeste Morley
Keyword(s):  
B Lymphocyte ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Antigen Receptor Signaling ◽  
Cross Links ◽  
The Stability ◽  
And Function

L-plastin is a leukocyte-specific protein that cross-links actin filaments into tight bundles, increasing the stability of actin-based structures such as podosomes and lamellipodia. While first identified as an abundant cytoplasmic protein in hematopoietically derived cells over 25 years ago, the requirement for L-plastin in multiple functions critical for immunity, such as antigen receptor signaling, adhesion, and motility, has only recently become clear. L-plastin has been identified as an important component in cellular processes critical for neutrophil, macrophage, osteoclast, eosinophil, and T- and B-lymphocyte biology. Following a brief description of the structure and function of L-plastin, the regulation of immune cell functions by L-plastin will be reviewed in detail.

scholarly journals DDRE-09. DEVELOPING IDO-PROTACS TO IMPROVE IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC EFFICACY IN PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii63-ii63
Author(s):  
Lakshmi Bollu ◽  
Derek Wainwright ◽  
Lijie Zhai ◽  
Erik Ladomersky ◽  
Kristen Lauing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Degradation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Enzyme Inhibitors ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Ubiquitin Proteasome System ◽  
Degradation Pathway ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Cell Functions

Abstract INTRODUCTION Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO; IDO1) is a rate-limiting enzyme that metabolizes the essential amino acid tryptophan into kynurenine. Recent work by our group has revealed that IDO promotes tumor development and suppresses immune cell functions independent of its enzyme activity. Moreover, pharmacologic IDO enzyme inhibitors that currently serve as the only class of drugs available for targeting immunosuppressive IDO activity, fail to improve the survival of patients with GBM. Here, we developed IDO-Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (IDO-PROTACs). PROTACs bind to a specific protein and recruit an E3 ubiquitin ligase that enhance proteasome-mediated degradation of the target protein. METHODS A library of ≥100 IDO-PROTACs were developed by joining BMS986205 (IDO binder) with a linker group to various E3-ligase ligands. Western blot analysis of PROTAC-induced IDO degradation was tested in vitro among multiple human and mouse GBM cell lines including U87, GBM6, GBM43 and GL261 along a time course ranging between 1–96 hours of treatment and at varying concentrations. The mechanism of IDO protein degradation was investigated using pharmacologic ligands that inhibit or compete with the proteasome-mediated protein degradation pathway. RESULTS Primary screening identified several IDO-PROTACs with IDO protein degradation potential. Secondary screening showed that our lead compound has a DC50 value of ~0.5µM with an ability to degrade IDO in all GBM cells analyzed, and an initial activity within 12 hours of treatment that extended for up to 96 hours. Mutating the CRBN-binding ligand, pretreatment with the ubiquitin proteasome system inhibitors MG132 or MLN4924 or using unmodified parental compound all inhibited IDO protein degradation. CONCLUSIONS This study developed an initial IDO-PROTAC technology that upon further optimization, can neutralize both IDO enzyme and non-enzyme immunosuppressive effects. When combined with other forms of immunotherapy, IDO-PROTACs have the potential to substantially enhance immunotherapeutic efficacy in patients with GBM.

scholarly journals Cellular and metabolic mechanisms of nutrient actions in immune function

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Newsholme
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Nutritional Intervention ◽  
Immune Cell Function ◽  
And Function

AbstractVarious nutrients can change cell structure, cellular metabolism, and cell function which is particularly important for cells of the immune system as nutrient availability is associated with the activation and function of diverse immune subsets. The most important nutrients for immune cell function and fate appear to be glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamin D. This perspective will describe recently published information describing the mechanism of action of prominent nutritional intervention agents where evidence exists as to their action and potency.

EZH2 function in immune cell development

2020 ◽  
Vol 401 (8) ◽  
pp. 933-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen L. Nutt ◽  
Christine Keenan ◽  
Michaël Chopin ◽  
Rhys S. Allan
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Proliferating Cells ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 ◽  
Current State ◽  
Core Components ◽  
And Function ◽  
Cell Cycle Inhibitors

AbstractThe polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) consists of three core components EZH2, SUZ12 and EED. EZH2 catalyzes the methylation of lysine 27 of histone H3, a modification associated with gene silencing. Through gene duplication higher vertebrate genomes also encode a second partially redundant methyltransferase, EZH1. Within the mammalian immune system most research has concentrated on EZH2 which is expressed predominantly in proliferating cells. EZH2 and other PRC2 components are required for hematopoietic stem cell function and lymphocyte development, at least in part by repressing cell cycle inhibitors. At later stages of immune cell differentiation, EZH2 plays essential roles in humoral and cell-mediated adaptive immunity, as well as the maintenance of immune homeostasis. EZH2 is often overactive in cancers, through both gain-of-function mutations and over-expression, an observation that has led to the development and clinical testing of specific EZH2 inhibitors. Such inhibitors may also be of use in inflammatory and autoimmune settings, as EZH2 inhibition dampens the immune response. Here, we will review the current state of understanding of the roles for EZH2, and PRC2 more generally, in the development and function of the immune system.

scholarly journals Glucose Triggers ATP Secretion from Bacteria in a Growth-Phase-Dependent Manner

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 2328-2335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ippei Hironaka ◽  
Tadayuki Iwase ◽  
Shinya Sugimoto ◽  
Ken-ichi Okuda ◽  
Akiko Tajima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stationary Phase ◽  
Growth Phase ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
T Helper 17 ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Atp Secretion ◽  
Enterococcus Gallinarum

ABSTRACTATP modulates immune cell functions, and ATP derived from gut commensal bacteria promotes the differentiation of T helper 17 (Th17) cells in the intestinal lamina propria. We recently reported thatEnterococcus gallinarum, isolated from mice and humans, secretes ATP. We have since found and characterized several ATP-secreting bacteria. Of the tested enterococci,Enterococcus mundtiisecreted the greatest amount of ATP (>2 μM/108cells) after overnight culture. Glucose, not amino acids and vitamins, was essential for ATP secretion fromE. mundtii. Analyses of energy-deprived cells demonstrated that glycolysis is the most important pathway for bacterial ATP secretion. Furthermore, exponential-phaseE. mundtiiandEnterococcus faecaliscells secrete ATP more efficiently than stationary-phase cells. Other bacteria, includingPseudomonas aeruginosa,Escherichia coli, andStaphylococcus aureus, also secrete ATP in exponential but not stationary phase. These results suggest that various gut bacteria, including commensals and pathogens, might secrete ATP at any growth phase and modulate immune cell function.

Emerging Mechanisms of Immunosuppression in Oral Cancers

2006 ◽  
Vol 85 (12) ◽  
pp. 1061-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Jewett ◽  
C. Head ◽  
N.A. Cacalano
Keyword(s):  
Oral Cancer ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽  
Oral Cancers ◽  
Oral Cancer Patients ◽  
And Function

Mounting effective anti-tumor immune responses against tumors by both the innate and adaptive immune effectors is important for the clearance of tumors. However, accumulated evidence indicates that immune responses that should otherwise suppress or eliminate transformed cells are themselves suppressed by the function of tumor cells in a variety of cancer patients, including those with oral cancers. Signaling abnormalities, spontaneous apoptosis, and reduced proliferation and function of circulating natural killer cells (NK), T-cells, dendritic cells (DC), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been documented previously in oral cancer patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the functional deficiencies of tumor-associated immune cells in oral cancer patients. Both soluble factors and contact-mediated immunosuppression by the tumor cells have been implicated in the inhibition of immune cell function and the progression of tumors. More recently, elevated levels and function of key transcription factors in tumor cells, particularly NFκB and STAT3, have been shown to mediate immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment. This review will focus on these emerging mechanisms of immunosuppression in oral cancers.

scholarly journals Hypoxia. 4. Hypoxia and ion channel function

2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (5) ◽  
pp. C951-C967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa A. Shimoda ◽  
Jan Polak
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cardiac Contractility ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Oxygen Sensitive ◽  
Sense And Respond ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Control

The ability to sense and respond to oxygen deprivation is required for survival; thus, understanding the mechanisms by which changes in oxygen are linked to cell viability and function is of great importance. Ion channels play a critical role in regulating cell function in a wide variety of biological processes, including neuronal transmission, control of ventilation, cardiac contractility, and control of vasomotor tone. Since the 1988 discovery of oxygen-sensitive potassium channels in chemoreceptors, the effect of hypoxia on an assortment of ion channels has been studied in an array of cell types. In this review, we describe the effects of both acute and sustained hypoxia (continuous and intermittent) on mammalian ion channels in several tissues, the mode of action, and their contribution to diverse cellular processes.

scholarly journals Lymphotoxin: stimulation and regulation of colony-stimulating factors in fibroblasts

Blood ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 2383-2390
Author(s):  
M Akashi ◽  
M Saito ◽  
HP Koeffler
Keyword(s):  
Cell Function ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Activated Lymphocytes ◽  
Colony Stimulating Factors ◽  
Gm Csf ◽  
Csf Proteins ◽  
Consensus Region ◽  
The Stability ◽  
And Function

Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are pivotal for proliferation and function of hematopoietic cells. We found that lymphotoxin, a product of activated lymphocytes, stimulates accumulation of granulocyte- macrophage (GM)-CSF and macrophage (M)-CSF proteins and mRNAs in fibroblasts. An increase in GM- and M-CSF mRNA levels occurred within 2 hours after addition of 1,000 U/mL lymphotoxin and levels plateaued over the next 24 hours. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) was about five times more potent than lymphotoxin at low concentrations, and was nearly 1.5 to to 2 times more potent at maximally stimulating concentrations of the cytokines. Stimulation by lymphotoxin did not require either new protein synthesis or protein kinase-C stimulation. Stability studies of GM- and M-CSF transcripts in fibroblasts showed that M-CSF mRNA was five times more stable (half-life [t 1/2], 100 minutes) than GM-CSF mRNA (t 1/2, 20 minutes). Stability of these mRNAs was unchanged after stimulation of the cells with lymphotoxin. In addition, exposure of cells to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate did not alter stability of M-CSF mRNA but markedly prolonged the stability of GM-CSF mRNA. This is consistent with data showing that the AT-rich consensus region in the 3′ untranslated region of many transiently expressed cytokines including GM-CSF but not M-CSF, play a major role in their mRNA stability. Our results suggest that activated lymphocytes can affect hematopoietic cell function and growth by stimulating production of CSFs by mesenchymal cells.

scholarly journals Differential Effects of “Resurrecting” Csp Pseudoproteases during Clostridioides difficile Spore Germination

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lauren Donnelly ◽  
Emily R. Forster ◽  
Amy E. Rohlfing ◽  
Aimee Shen
Keyword(s):  
Spore Germination ◽  
Protease Activity ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Catalytic Triad ◽  
Spore Form ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Serine Protease Family ◽  
The Stability ◽  
And Function

AbstractClostridioides difficile is a spore-forming bacterial pathogen that is the leading cause of hospital-acquired gastroenteritis. C. difficile infections begin when its spore form germinates in the vertebrate gut upon sensing bile acids. These germinants induce a proteolytic signaling cascade controlled by three members of the subtilisin-like serine protease family, CspA, CspB, and CspC. Notably, even though CspC and CspA are both pseudoproteases, they are nevertheless required to sense germinants and activate the protease, CspB. Thus, CspC and CspA are part of a growing list of pseudoenzymes that play important roles in regulating cellular processes. However, despite their importance, the structural properties of pseudoenzymes that allow them to function as regulators remain poorly understood. Our recently determined crystal structure of CspC revealed that its degenerate site residues align closely with the catalytic triad of CspB, so in this study we tested whether the ancestral protease activity of the CspC and CspA pseudoproteases could be “resurrected.” Restoring the catalytic triad to these pseudoproteases failed to resurrect their protease activity, although the mutations differentially affected the stability and function of these pseudoproteases. Degenerate site mutations destabilized CspC and impaired spore germination without impacting CspA stability or function. Thus, our results surprisingly reveal that the presence of a catalytic triad does not necessarily predict protease activity. Since close homologs of C. difficile CspA occasionally carry an intact catalytic triad, our results imply that bioinformatics predictions of enzyme activity may overlook pseudoenzymes in some cases.

scholarly journals The interplay of the type II TA system with other processes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wen-ping ◽  
Jia Wan Zhong ◽  
Yang Min
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Regulatory Mechanism ◽  
Phage Infection ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
System Research ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
The Stability ◽  
And Function ◽  
Insight Into

The type II toxin antitoxin (TA) system is the most well-studied TA system and is widely distributed in bacteria, especially pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Type II TA system plays an important role in many cellular processes, including maintaining the stability of mobile genetic elements, and bacterial altruistic suicide in response to nutritional starvation, environmental stress and phage infection. Interactions between toxin proteins and antitoxin proteins are critical for the regulation and function of type II TA systems; indeed, the understanding of their function is mainly derived from interaction and regulation of paired TA system proteins. Nonetheless, investigating interaction between unpaired TA system proteins, and the interaction between TA system proteins and other functional proteins, are becoming more common and have provided new insight into the complexity of its regulatory mechanism. In this review, we outlined the cross-interaction between TA system proteins, and the interaction between TA system proteins and other functional proteins, and we are trying to explain novel mechanism of TA system in the regulation of cellular activities. On this basis, we further discussed the knowledge and physiological implications of the relevant aspects of TA system research.

scholarly journals Protein manipulation using single copies of short peptide tags in cultured cells and in Drosophila melanogaster

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Alessandra Vigano ◽  
Clara-Maria Ell ◽  
Manuela MM Kustermann ◽  
Gustavo Aguilar ◽  
Shinya Matsuda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Peptide Tags ◽  
Genetic Technologies ◽  
Protein Binders ◽  
And Function

AbstractCellular development and specialized cellular functions are regulated processes which rely on highly dynamic molecular interactions among proteins, distributed in all cell compartments. Analysis of these interactions and their mechanisms of action has been one of the main topics in cellular and developmental research over the last fifty years. Studying and understanding the functions of proteins of interest (POIs) has been mostly achieved by their alteration at the genetic level and the analysis of the phenotypic changes generated by these alterations. Although genetic and reverse genetic technologies contributed to the vast majority of information and knowledge we have gathered so far, targeting specific interactions of POIs in a time- and space-controlled manner or analyzing the role of POIs in dynamic cellular processes such as cell migration or cell division would require more direct approaches. The recent development of specific protein binders, which can be expressed and function intracellularly, together with several improvements in synthetic biology techniques, have contributed to the creation of a new toolbox for direct protein manipulations. We selected a number of short tag epitopes for which protein binders from different scaffolds have been developed and tested whether these tags can be bound by the corresponding protein binders in living cells when they are inserted in a single copy in a POI. We indeed find that in all cases, a single copy of a short tag allows protein binding and manipulation. Using Drosophila, we also find that single short tags can be recognized and allow degradation and relocalization of POIs in vivo.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document