Cell Cycle Dependent Association of EBP50 with Protein Phosphatase 2A in Endothelial Cells

Ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM)-binding phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50) is a phosphorylatable PDZ domain-containing adaptor protein that is abundantly expressed in epithelium but was not yet studied in the endothelium. We report unusual nuclear localization of EBP50 in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAEC). Immunofluorescent staining and cellular fractionation demonstrated that EBP50 is present in the nuclear and perinuclear region in interphase cells. In the prophase of mitosis EBP50 redistributes to the cytoplasmic region in a phosphorylation dependent manner and during mitosis EBP50 co-localizes with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Furthermore, in vitro wound healing of BPAEC expressing phospho-mimic mutant of EBP50 was accelerated indicating that EBP50 is involved in the regulation of the cell division. Cell cycle dependent specific interactions were detected between EBP50 and the subunits of PP2A (A, C, and Bα) with immunoprecipitation and pull-down experiments. The interaction of EBP50 with the Bα containing form of PP2A suggests that this holoenzyme of PP2A can be responsible for the dephosphorylation of EBP50 in cytokinesis. Moreover, the results underline the significance of EBP50 in cell division via reversible phosphorylation of the protein with cyclin dependent kinase and PP2A in normal cells

Confocal Raman data analysis enables identifying apoptosis of MCF-7 cells caused by anticancer drug paclitaxel

Confocal Raman microscopy is a noninvasive, label-free imaging technique used to study apoptosis of live MCF-7 cells. The images are based on Raman spectra of cells components, and their apoptosis is monitored through diffusion of cytochrome c in cytoplasm. K-mean clustering is used to identify mitochondria in cells, and correlation analysis provides the cytochrome c distribution inside the cells. Our results demonstrate that incubation of cells for 3 h with 10 mu M of paclitaxel does not induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. On the contrary, incubation for 30 min at a higher concentration (100 mu M) of paclitaxel induces gradual release of the cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, indicating cell apoptosis via a caspase independent pathway. (C) 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) [DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.18.5.056010

Mutations of the central tyrosines of putative cholesterol recognition amino acid consensus (CRAC) sequences modify folding, activity, and sterol-sensing of the human ABCG2 multidrug transporter

Human ABCG2 is a plasma membrane glycoprotein causing multidrug resistance in cancer. Membrane cholesterol and bile acids are efficient regulators of ABCG2 function, while the molecular nature of the sterol-sensing sites has not been elucidated. The cholesterol recognition amino acid consensus (CRAC, L/V-(X)(1-5)-Y-(X)(1-5)-R/K) sequence is one of the conserved motifs involved in cholesterol binding in several proteins. We have identified five potential CRAC motifs in the transmembrane domain of the human ABCG2 protein. In order to define their roles in sterol-sensing, the central tyrosines of these CRACs (Y413, 459, 469, 570 and 645) were mutated to S or F and the mutants were expressed both in insect and mammalian cells. We found that mutation in Y459 prevented protein expression; the Y469S and Y645S mutants lost their activity; while the Y570S, Y469F, and Y645F mutants retained function as well as cholesterol and bile acid sensitivity. We found that in the case of the Y413S mutant, drug transport was efficient, while modulation of the ATPase activity by cholesterol and bile acids was significantly altered. We suggest that the Y413 residue within a putative CRAC motif has a role in sterol-sensing and the ATPase/drug transport coupling in the ABCG2 multidrug transporter

Az ABCA1 membránfehérje funkciójának és fehérje-kölcsönhatásainak vizsgálata = Investigation of the function and protein interactions of the ABCA1 membrane protein

A kutatás célja az ABCA1 membránfehérje működésének és fehérje-kölcsönhatásainak jellemzése volt. Új modellrendszereket alakítottunk ki Sf9 rovarsejt-bakulovírus és retrovirális expressziós rendszerek segítségével, részletesen vizsgáltuk a vad-típusú és mutáns ABCA1 fehérjék sejten belüli lokalizációját, működését és PDZ fehérjékkel való kölcsönhatását. Bizonyítottuk, hogy az ABCA1 fehérje mind az ApoA1-függő koleszterin kiáramlás, mind a Ca2+-aktivált sejtfelszíni foszfatidilszerin expozíció folyamatában fontos szerepet játszik. Elsőként mutattunk ki összefüggést egy vérzékenységi betegség és az ABCA1 működése között. Elemeztük az ABCA1 mutációnak hatását a betegségre jellemző hibás foszfatidilszerin expozícióban. Vizsgáltuk a lipidanyagcserére ható vegyületek hatását az ABCA1-hez köthető funkciókra, azonosítottunk két új gátló vegyületet. Megállapítottuk, hogy egy speciális PDZ fehérje a vizsgált ABC fehérjék közül egyedül az ABCA1 fehérjével lép kölcsönhatásba, más ABC transzporterekhez kötő egyéb PDZ fehérjék nem kötődtek az ABCA1-hez. Kimutattuk polarizált sejtekben az ABCA1, a b2-syntrophin és az utrophin bazolaterális ko-lokalizációját. A kidolgozott mérési módszereket más ABC transzporterek működésének vizsgálatára is eredményesen alkalmaztuk. Megkezdtük a foszfolipid-transzportért felelős ABC fehérjék azonosítását trombocitákban. | The aims of this project were the functional characterization of the ABCA1 protein and identification of its potential interactions with intracellular proteins. We installed new assay systems to analyse the function, subcellular localization and protein interactions of the wild-type and mutant ABCA1 versions, by using two expression systems: the baculovirus-Sf9 insect cell system and retrovirus based expression system for mammalian cells. We proved that ABCA1 plays a key role both in cellular ApoAI-mediated cholesterol removal pathway, and in the exofacial translocation of phosphatidylserine. Our results provided the first link between a defect in a transbilayer phospholipid transport pathway, that of ABCA1, and the bleeding phenotype. We analysed the effects of various mutations of ABCA1 on the Ca2+-stimulated PS exposition. We screened the influence of potential inhibitors on the ABCA1-dependent processes and identified new inhibitors of the PS exposition. We demonstrated that among the examined ABC transporters only ABCA1 binds b2-syntrophin. A diverse group of PDZ proteins that interacts with other ABC proteins does not bind to ABCA1. We showed basolateral colocalization of ABCA1 protein with b2-syntrophin and utrophin. The assays for ABCA1 characterization were applied for studying other ABC proteins successfully. We started the identification of ABC proteins involved in phospholipid translocation in platelets

Detection of second-order nonlinear optical magnetization by mapping normalized Stokes parameters

A measurable magnetic (nonlocal) contribution to the second harmonic generation (SHG) of nonmagnetic materials is an intriguing issue related to chiral materials, such as biomolecules. Here we report the detection of an intensity-dependent optically induced magnetization of a chiral bacteriorhodopsin film under femtosecond pulse excitation (830 nm) and far from the material's resonance. The analysis of the pump intensity-dependent noncollinear SHG signal, by means of the polarization map of normalized Stokes parameters, allows one to improve the detection of the nonlinear optical magnetization M (2 omega) contribution to the SHG signal. (c) 2013 Optical Society of Americ

De-adhesion dynamics of melanoma cells from brain endothelial layer

Metastasis formation is a complex and not entirely understood process. The poorest prognosis and the most feared complications are associated to brain metastases. Melanoma derived brain metastases show the highest prevalence. Due to the lack of classical lymphatic drainage, in the process of brain metastases formation the haematogenous route is of primordial importance. The first and crucial step in this multistep process is the establishment of firm adhesion between the blood travelling melanoma cells and the tightly connected layer of the endothelium, which is the fundamental structure of the blood-brain barrier. This study compares the de-adhesion properties and dynamics of three melanoma cells types (WM35, A2058 and A375) to a confluent layer of brain micro-capillary endothelial cells. Cell type dependent adhesion characteristics are presented, pointing towards the existence of metastatic potential related nanomechanical aspects. Apparent mechanical properties such as elasticity, maximal adhesion force, number, size and distance of individual rupture events showed altered values pointing towards cell type dependent aspects. Our results underline the importance of mechanical details in case of intercellular interactions. Nevertheless, it suggests that in adequate circumstances elastic and adhesive characterizations might be used as biomarkers

Fluorescent probes for the dual investigation of MRP2 and OATP1B1 function and drug interactions

Detoxification in hepatocytes is a strictly controlled process, in which the governed action of membrane transporters involved in the uptake and efflux of potentially dangerous molecules has a crucial role. Major transporters of hepatic clearance belong to the ABC (ATP Binding Cassette) and Solute Carrier (SLC) protein families. Organic anion-transporting polypeptide OATP1B1 (encoded by the SLCO1B1 gene) is exclusively expressed in the sinusoidal membrane of hepatocytes, where it mediates the cellular uptake of bile acids, bilirubin, and also that of various drugs. The removal of toxic molecules from hepatocytes to the bile is accomplished by several ABC transporters, including P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), MRP2 (ABCC2) and BCRP (ABCG2). Owing to their pharmacological relevance, monitoring drug interaction with OATP1B1/3 and ABC proteins is recommended. Our aim was to assess the interaction of recently identified fluorescent OATP substrates (various dyes used in cell viability assays, pyranine, Cascade Blue hydrazide (CB) and sulforhodamine 101 (SR101)) (Bakos et al., 2019; Patik et al., 2018) with MRP2 and ABCG2 in order to find fluorescent probes for the simultaneous characterization of both uptake and efflux processes. Transport by MRP2 and ABCG2 was investigated in inside-out membrane vesicles (IOVs) allowing a fast screen of the transport of membrane impermeable substrates by efflux transporters. Next, transcellular transport of shared OATP and ABC transporter substrate dyes was evaluated in MDCKII cells co-expressing OATP1B1 and MRP2 or ABCG2. Our results indicate that pyranine is a general substrate of OATP1B1, OATP1B3 and OATP2B1, and we find that the dye Live/Dead Violet and CB are good tools to investigate ABCG2 function in IOVs. Besides their suitability for MRP2 functional tests in the IOV setup, pyranine, CB and SR101 are the first dual probes that can be used to simultaneously measure OATP1B1 and MRP2 function in polarized cells by a fluorescent method. © 2020 The Author(s