Aberrant expression of the polarity complex atypical PKC and non-muscle myosin IIA in active and inactive inflammatory bowel disease

Epithelial barrier function is contingent on appropriate polarization of key protein components. Work in intestinal epithelial cell cultures and animal models of bowel inflammation suggested that atypical PKC (aPKC), the kinase component of the Par3–Par6 polarity complex, is downregulated by pro-inflammatory signaling. Data from other laboratories showed the participation of myosin light chain kinase in intestinal inflammation, but there is paucity of evidence for assembly of its major target, non-muscle myosin II, in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In addition, we showed before that non-muscle myosin IIA (nmMyoIIA) is upregulated in intestinal inflammation in mice and TNFα-treated Caco-2 cells. Thus far, it is unknown if a similar phenomena occur in patients with IBD. Moreover, it is unclear whether aPKC downregulation is directly correlated with local mucosal inflammation or occurs in uninvolved areas. Frozen sections from colonoscopy material were stained for immunofluorescence with extensively validated specific antibodies against phosphorylated aPKC turn motif (active form) and nmMyoIIA. Inflammation was scored for the local area from where the material was obtained. We found a significant negative correlation between the expression of active aPKC and local inflammation, and a significant increase in the apical expression of nmMyoIIA in surface colon epithelia in inflamed areas, but not in non-inflamed mucosa even in the same patients. Changes in aPKC and nmMyoIIA expression are likely to participate in the pathogenesis of epithelial barrier function in response to local pro-inflammatory signals. These results provide a rationale for pursuing mechanistic studies on the regulation of these proteins

Black holes, gravitational waves and fundamental physics: a roadmap

The grand challenges of contemporary fundamental physics—dark matter, dark energy, vacuum energy, inflation and early universe cosmology, singularities and the hierarchy problem—all involve gravity as a key component. And of all gravitational phenomena, black holes stand out in their elegant simplicity, while harbouring some of the most remarkable predictions of General Relativity: event horizons, singularities and ergoregions. The hitherto invisible landscape of the gravitational Universe is being unveiled before our eyes: the historical direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration marks the dawn of a new era of scientific exploration. Gravitational-wave astronomy will allow us to test models of black hole formation, growth and evolution, as well as models of gravitational-wave generation and propagation. It will provide evidence for event horizons and ergoregions, test the theory of General Relativity itself, and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The synthesis of these results has the potential to radically reshape our understanding of the cosmos and of the laws of Nature. The purpose of this work is to present a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the relevant fields of research, summarize important open problems, and lay out a roadmap for future progress. This write-up is an initiative taken within the framework of the European Action on 'Black holes, Gravitational waves and Fundamental Physics'

Regulation of Hydrogen Peroxide in the Human Airway

In airway epithelia, lactoperoxidase (LPO) constitutes an important anti-microbial system to protect the host against infection and inflammation. LPO uses hydrogen peroxide and thiocyanate anion to form the biocidal compound, hypothiocyanite. The rate-limiting factor is hydrogen peroxide substrate availability. This study was conducted to identify the major source of hydrogen peroxide and to characterize its regulation in the human airway. Two homologues of the phagocytic NADPH oxidase, Duox1 and Duox2, were shown to be highly expressed and functional in human airway epithelial cells re-differentiated at the air liquid interface (ALI). Duox activity is regulated by intracellular calcium concentration via its two EF-hand motifs. A rise of intracellular calcium concentration exhibited kinetics that correlated with increase of Duox-generated hydrogen peroxide production, which was inhibited by DPI, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor. Additionally, the involvement of Duox activity in the LPO system was investigated. Bacterial products such as flagellin or inflammatory mediators were used to challenge ALI cultures. As a result, mRNAs from Duox2, LPO and DUOXA2, but not Duox1, were up-regulated in response to stimuli. This study provided new information about the regulation of the anti-microbial LPO system in innate immune host defense

PDK1 PARTICIPATES IN THE CHAPERONE-MEDIATED RESCUE OF THE POLARITY COMPLEX ATYPICAL PKC IN INTESTINAL EPITHELIA.

Objective. Atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) has a well-established role in the development of epithelial polarity. This study was conducted to determine the identity of the kinase responsible for rephosphorylation of aPKC activation domain after chaperone-mediated rescue from degradation. Background. To become active and fully functional in the cell all PKC family members need to acquire a special active conformation, which is achieved through phosphorylation. This phosphorylation is necessary not only for newly synthesized molecules, but also for kinase molecules that become dephosphorylated and need to be refolded and rephosphorylated. This “rescue” mechanism is responsible for the maintenance of the steady-state levels of aPKC. There is consensus that phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) is the activating kinase for newly synthesized PKC molecules. 60 We have hypothesized that PDK1 is involved in rescue rephosphorylation in addition to its role in activating newly synthesized aPKC. Methods. To test our hypothesis we inhibited protein synthesis and analyzed the stability of the remaining aPKC pool in the cells where function of PDK1 was abolished with specific inhibitors or by shRNAmediated knockdown. Results. PDK1 knockdown and application of two different PDK1 inhibitors destabilized the pool of active aPKC. PDK1 coimmunoprecipitated with aPKC in cells without protein synthesis, confirming that the interaction is direct. In addition, we showed that PDK1 aids the rescue of aPKC in in vitro rephosphorylation assays. Conclusion. PDK1 is the kinase that rephosphorylates aPKC after chaperone-mediated rescue and refolding in polarized epithelial cells. Grants. This work was supported by NIH Award R01DK087359 to Pedro Salas

Regulated hydrogen peroxide production by Duox in human airway epithelial cells.

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is found in exhaled breath and is produced by airway epithelia. In addition, H(2)O(2) is a necessary substrate for the airway lactoperoxidase (LPO) anti-infection system. To investigate the source of H(2)O(2) produced by airway epithelia, PCR was used to screen nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase expression in human airway epithelia redifferentiated at the air-liquid interface (ALI) and demonstrated the presence of Duox1 and 2. Western blots of culture extracts indicated strong expression of Duox, and immunohistochemistry of human tracheal sections localized the protein to the apical portion of epithelial cells. Apical H(2)O(2) production was stimulated by 100 microM ATP or 1 microM thapsigargin, but not 100 microM ADP. Diphenyleneiodonium, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, and dimethylthiourea, a reactive oxygen species scavenger, both inhibited this stimulation. ATP did not stimulate the basolateral H(2)O(2) production by ALI cultures. ATP and thapsigargin increased intracellular Ca(2+) with kinetics similar to increasing H(2)O(2) production, and thus consistent with the expected Ca(2+) sensitivity of Duox. These data suggest that Duox is the major NADPH oxidase expressed in airway epithelia and therefore a contributor of H(2)O(2) production in the airway lumen. In addition, the data suggest that extracellular H(2)O(2) production may be regulated by stimuli that raise intracellular Ca(2+).Journal Articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

The cell polarity kinase Par1b/ MARK2 activation selects specific NF-kB transcripts via phosphorylation of core Mediator Med17/TRAP80

Par1b/MARK2 is a Ser/Thr kinase with pleiotropic effects which participates in the generation of apico-basal polarity in C. elegans. It is phosphorylated by atypical PKC(ι/λ) in Thr595 and inhibited. Because previous work showed a decrease in aPKC activity under pro-inflammatory conditions, we analyzed the hypothesis that resulting decrease in Thr595-MARK2 with increased kinase activity may also participate in innate immunity. We confirmed that pT595-MARK2 was decreased under inflammatory stimulation. Increase in MARK2 activity was verified by Par3 delocalization and rescue with a specific inhibitor. MARK2 overexpression significantly enhanced the transcriptional activity of NF-kB for a subset of transcripts. It also resulted in phosphorylation of a single band (∼Mr 80,000) coimmunoprecipitating with RelA, identified as Med17. In vitro phosphorylation showed direct phosphorylation of Med17 in Ser152 by recombinant MARK2. Expression of S152D-Med17 mimicked the effect of MARK2 activation on downstream transcriptional regulation, which was antagonized by S152A-Med17. Decrease in pThr595 phosphorylation was validated in aPKC-deficient mouse jejunal mucosae. The transcriptional effects were confirmed in transcriptome analysis and transcript enrichment determinations in cells expressing S152D-Med17. We conclude that the axis MARK2- Med17 represents a novel form of crosstalk between polarity signaling and transcriptional regulation including, but not restricted to, innate immunity responses

Par-complex aPKC and Par3 cross-talk with innate immunity NF- B pathway in epithelial cells

Components of the Par-complex, atypical PKC and Par3, have been found to be downregulated upon activation of NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells. To determine their possible role in pro-inflammatory responses we transduced Caco-2 human colon carcinoma cells with constitutively active (ca) PKCι or anti-Par3 shRNA-expressing lentiviral particles. Contrary to previous reports in other cell types, ca-PKCι did not activate, but rather decreased, baseline NF-κB activity in a luminiscence reporter assay. An identical observation applied to a PB1 domain deletion PKCι, which fails to localize to the tight-junction. Conversely, as expected, the same ca-PKCι activated NF-κB in non-polarized HEK293 cells. Likewise, knockdown of Par3 increased NF-κB activity and, surprisingly, greatly enhanced its response to TNFα, as shown by transcription of IL-8, GRO-1, GRO-2 and GRO-3. We conclude that aPKC and Par3 are inhibitors of the canonical NF-κB activation pathway, although perhaps acting through independent pathways, and may be involved in pro-inflammatory responses

Par-complex aPKC and Par3 cross-talk with innate immunity NF-κB pathway in epithelial cells

Summary Components of the Par-complex, atypical PKC and Par3, have been found to be downregulated upon activation of NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells. To determine their possible role in pro-inflammatory responses we transduced Caco-2 human colon carcinoma cells with constitutively active (ca) PKCι or anti-Par3 shRNA-expressing lentiviral particles. Contrary to previous reports in other cell types, ca-PKCι did not activate, but rather decreased, baseline NF-κB activity in a luminiscence reporter assay. An identical observation applied to a PB1 domain deletion PKCι, which fails to localize to the tight-junction. Conversely, as expected, the same ca-PKCι activated NF-κB in non-polarized HEK293 cells. Likewise, knockdown of Par3 increased NF-κB activity and, surprisingly, greatly enhanced its response to TNFα, as shown by transcription of IL-8, GRO-1, GRO-2 and GRO-3. We conclude that aPKC and Par3 are inhibitors of the canonical NF-κB activation pathway, although perhaps acting through independent pathways, and may be involved in pro-inflammatory responses