Avaliação da relação entre o inflamassoma NLRP3 e as propriedades tumorais no câncer de mama

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Molecular, 2013.O câncer de mama é o tipo de câncer mais prevalente entre as mulheres em todo o mundo e o responsável pelo maior índice de morte feminina por câncer. Em modelos experimentais, a inflamação crônica foi descrita como indutora, porém alguns dados não são reproduzidos na clínica. Os inflamassomas, complexos multiprotéicos de sinalização intracelular atuantes na imunidade inata e adaptativa, vem sendo associados a funções celulares contrastantes dependendo do tipo de célula cancerígena analisada, o que também é verdade para os receptores do tipo Toll. Porém, a relação do inflamassoma NLRP3 e o câncer de mama é pouco conhecida. Considerando ainda a presença dos receptores NLRs e TLRs nas células não hematopoiéticas e, logo, a possibilidade de modulação do microambiente inflamatório pela própria célula tumoral, propôs-se analisar a presença e função do receptor NLRP3 e seu inflamassoma em células tumorais da mama in vitro. Foi observado que os componentes NLRP3 e ASC estão presentes em MCF7, porém há baixa expressão de ASC em MDA-MB-231. Ainda, houve ativação de caspase-1, indicando ativação do complexo, e diminuição das quantidades de proteínas NLRP3 e ASC na presença de Nigericina. A utilização de LPS e Nigericina induziu elevada morte celular em ambas as linhagens, com características como fragmentação nuclear, rompimento da membrana plasmática e PARP1 não clivado, eventos típicos da piroptose, a morte celular induzida pela ativação dos inflamassomas. Apenas a MDA-MB-231 secretou TNFα após as estimulações, e nenhuma das células secretou IL1β e IL6. Além disso, a utilização dos estímulos alterou os padrões de ciclo celular e diminuiu a taxa de proliferação em ambas as linhagens, mas não alterou o fenótipo CD24/CD44 de forma geral. O uso de sobrenadantes de monócitos estimulados para o inflamassoma NLRP3 na cultura das células de câncer de mama demonstrou efeitos fenotípicos semelhantes ao uso dos agonistas, indicando um direcionamento tumoricida dos monócitos ativados, atuando por meio de seus fatores secretados. Estes resultados sugerem que o inflamassoma NLRP3 não só está presente em células tumorais da mama, mas que sua ativação possui um efeito tumoricida, quando ocorre na própria célula tumoral ou por fatores secretados de monócitos. Essa via pode representar um novo aspecto de modulação, o qual pode ser explorado para o desenvolvimento de novas terapias contra o câncer de mama. ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTBreast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women worldwide and the one responsible for their major cause of cancer death. In experimental models for this cancer, chronic inflammation is particularly described as an inducer; however there is some inconsistency in the clinic. The inflammasomes, intracellular multiprotein signaling complexes related to adaptative and innate immunity, are associated with contrasting roles regarding cancer immunity, depending on the cancer analyzed, which is also true for Toll-like Receptors. However, the relationship between the NLRP3 inflammasome and breast cancer is not completely understood. Considering the non-hematopoietic presence of TLRs and NLRs and, therefore, the possible generation of an inflammatory microenvironment by the tumor cells itself, we proposed to study the presence and function of the NLRP3 receptor and its inflammasome in breast tumor cells in vitro. We observed that the components NRLP3 and ASC are present in MCF7 cell line, but ASC is in low amounts in MDA-MB-231. Our data suggest caspase-1 activation, indicating activation of the complex, and diminished protein amounts of NLRP3 and ASC in the presence of Nigericin. When we used LPS and Nigericin, there was cell death induction in both cell lines, with nuclear fragmentation, plasma membrane rupture and non-cleaved PARP1, typical features of pyroptosis, the inflammasome mediated cell death. Only the MDA-MB-231 cell line secreted TNFα after stimulation, and neither of cells secreted IL1β nor IL6. Also, in the presence of the stimulus, there was alteration in the cell cycle pattern and decrease in the proliferation index of both cell lines, but not in the phenotype CD24/CD44 globally. The use of supernatants from NLRP3 stimulated monocytes in the culture of breast cancer cells induced similar phenotypic events to the presence of the agonists, which indicate an antitumoral activity of the activated monocytes, functioning through its secreted factors. Ours results suggest that the NLRP3 inflammasome is not only present in breast cancer cells, but its activation has a tumoricidal effect when occurring in the cancer cell or through secreted factors from monocytes. This pathway may represent a new modulation aspect, which may be further studied for the development of therapies against breast cancer

Single-cell analysis of pyroptosis dynamics reveals conserved GSDMD-mediated subcellular events that precede plasma membrane rupture

Pyroptosis is rapidly emerging as a mechanism of anti-microbial host defense, and of extracellular release of the inflammasome-dependent cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-18, which contributes to autoinflammatory pathology. Caspases 1, 4, 5 and 11 trigger this regulated form of necrosis by cleaving the pyroptosis effector gasdermin D (GSDMD), causing its pore-forming amino-terminal domain to oligomerize and perforate the plasma membrane. However, the subcellular events that precede pyroptotic cell lysis are ill defined. In this study, we triggered primary macrophages to undergo pyroptosis from three inflammasome types and recorded their dynamics and morphology using high-resolution live-cell spinning disk confocal laser microscopy. Based on quantitative analysis of single-cell subcellular events, we propose a model of pyroptotic cell disintegration that is initiated by opening of GSDMD-dependent ion channels or pores that are more restrictive than recently proposed GSDMD pores, followed by osmotic cell swelling, commitment of mitochondria and other membrane-bound organelles prior to sudden rupture of the plasma membrane and full permeability to intracellular proteins. This study provides a dynamic framework for understanding cellular changes that occur during pyroptosis, and charts a chronological sequence of GSDMD-mediated subcellular events that define pyroptotic cell death at the single-cell level

An apoptotic caspase network safeguards cell death induction in pyroptotic macrophages

Pyroptosis has emerged as a key mechanism by which inflammasomes promote host defense against microbial pathogens and sterile inflammation. Gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated cell lysis is a hallmark of pyroptosis, but our understanding of cell death signaling during pyroptosis is fragmented. Here, we show that independently of GSDMD-mediated plasma membrane permeabilization, inflammasome receptors engage caspase-1 and caspase-8, both of which redundantly promote activation of apoptotic executioner caspase-3 and caspase-7 in pyroptotic macrophages. Impaired GSDMD pore formation downstream of caspase-1 and caspase-8 activation suffices to unmask the apoptotic phenotype of pyroptotic macrophages. Combined inactivation of initiator caspase-1 and caspase-8, or executioner caspase-3 and caspase-7, is required to abolish inflammasome-induced DEVDase activity during pyroptosis and in apoptotic Gsdmd(-/-) cells. Collectively, these results unveil a robust apoptotic caspase network that is activated in parallel to GSDMD-mediated plasma membrane permeabilization and safeguards cell death induction in pyroptotic macrophages

Caspase-1 engagement and TLR-induced c-FLIP expression suppress ASC/caspase-8-dependent apoptosis by inflammasome sensors NLRP1b and NLRC4

The caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD)-based inflammasome sensors NLRP1b and NLRC4 induce caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis independent of the inflammasome adaptor ASC. Here, we show that NLRP1b and NLRC4 trigger caspase-8-mediated apoptosis as an alternative cell death program in caspase-1(-/-) macrophages and intestinal epithelial organoids (IECs). The caspase-8 adaptor FADD was recruited to ASC specks, which served as cytosolic platforms for caspase-8 activation and NLRP1b/NLRC4-induced apoptosis. We further found that caspase-1 protease activity dominated over scaffolding functions in suppressing caspase-8 activation and induction of apoptosis of macrophages and IECs. Moreover, TLR-induced c-FLIP expression inhibited caspase-8-mediated apoptosis downstream of ASC speck assembly, but did not affect pyroptosis induction by NLRP1b and NLRC4. Moreover, unlike during pyroptosis, NLRP1b- and NLRC4-elicited apoptosis retained alarmins and the inflammasome-matured cytokines interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and IL-18 intracellularly. This work identifies critical mechanisms regulating apoptosis induction by the inflammasome sensors NLRP1b and NLRC4 and suggests converting pyroptosis into apoptosis as a paradigm for suppressing inflammation

DPP8/DPP9 inhibition elicits canonical Nlrp1b inflammasome hallmarks in murine macrophages

Activating germline mutations in the human inflammasome sensor NLRP1 causes palmoplantar dyskeratosis and susceptibility to Mendelian autoinflammatory diseases. Recent studies have shown that the cytosolic serine dipeptidyl peptidases DPP8 and DPP9 suppress inflammasome activation upstream of NLRP1 and CARD8 in human keratinocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of DPP8/DPP9 protease activity was shown to induce pyroptosis in murine C57BL/6 macrophages without eliciting other inflammasome hallmark responses. Here, we show that DPP8/DPP9 inhibition in macrophages that express a Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LeTx)–sensitive Nlrp1b allele triggered significantly accelerated pyroptosis concomitant with caspase-1 maturation, ASC speck assembly, and secretion of mature IL-1β and IL-18. Genetic ablation of ASC prevented DPP8/DPP9 inhibition-induced caspase-1 maturation and partially hampered pyroptosis and inflammasome-dependent cytokine release, whereas deletion of caspase-1 or gasdermin D triggered apoptosis in the absence of IL-1β and IL-18 secretion. In conclusion, blockade of DPP8/DPP9 protease activity triggers rapid pyroptosis and canonical inflammasome hallmarks in primary macrophages that express a LeTx-responsive Nlrp1b allele

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality