Changes in membrane lipids drive increased endocytosis following Fas ligation

Once activated, some surface receptors promote membrane movements that open new portals of endocytosis, in part to facilitate the internalization of their activated complexes. The prototypic death receptor Fas (CD95/Apo1) promotes a wave of enhanced endocytosis that induces a transient intermixing of endosomes with mitochondria in cells that require mitochondria to amplify death signaling. This initiates a global alteration in membrane traffic that originates from changes in key membrane lipids occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We have focused the current study on specific lipid changes occurring early after Fas ligation. We analyzed the interaction between endosomes and mitochondria in Jurkat T cells by nanospray-Time-of-flight (ToF) Mass Spectrometry. Immediately after Fas ligation, we found a transient wave of lipid changes that drives a subpopulation of early endosomes to merge with mitochondria. The earliest event appears to be a decrease of phosphatidylcholine (PC), linked to a metabolic switch enhancing phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphoinositides, which are crucial for the formation of vacuolar membranes and endocytosis. Lipid changes occur independently of caspase activation and appear to be exacerbated by caspase inhibition. Conversely, inhibition or compensation of PC deficiency attenuates endocytosis, endosome-mitochondria mixing and the induction of cell death. Deficiency of receptor interacting protein, RIP, also limits the specific changes in membrane lipids that are induced by Fas activation, with parallel reduction of endocytosis. Thus, Fas activation rapidly changes the interconversion of PC and PI, which then drives enhanced endocytosis, thus likely propagating death signaling from the cell surface to mitochondria and other organelles

Relationship between gender differences and clinical outcome in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), characterized by artherial and/or venous thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity and "antiphospholipid" antibodies (aPLs), is more common in women than in men, with a female to male ratio of about 3.5:1. Only few studies have investigated the clinical differences between male and female patients with APS. Therefore, this study was aimed to analyze the differences of clinical manifestations and laboratory tests, at diagnosis, between female and male APS patients and the clinical outcome. We enrolled 191 consecutive APS patients (125 with primary APS, PAPS, and 66 with secondary APS, SAPS) with a female predominant ratio of approximately 3:1 (142 vs 49). The prevalence of PAPS was higher in males than females (p<0.001). The analysis of aPL profile revealed that high IgM anti-cardiolipin (aCL) and high-medium IgG aCL titers were more frequent in males. In thrombotic APS peripheral arterial thrombosis was more common in male than female patients (p=0.049), as well as myocardial infarction (p=0.031). Multivariate analysis to correct for cardiovascular risk factors, high titer of aPLs and triple positivity for aPLs, revealed that the odds ratio for myocardial infarction in male was 3.77. Thus, APS may be considered as a disease in which serological (IgM titer) and clinical profiles are influenced by gender

The Role of Autophagy as a Trigger of Post-Translational Modifications of Proteins and Extracellular Vesicles in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by persistent joint inflammation, leading to cartilage and bone destruction. Autoantibody production is directed to post-translational modified (PTM) proteins, i.e., citrullinated or carbamylated. Autophagy may be the common feature in several types of stress (smoking, joint injury, and infections) and may be involved in post-translational modifications (PTMs) in proteins and the generation of citrullinated and carbamylated peptides recognized by the immune system in RA patients, with a consequent breakage of tolerance. Interestingly, autophagy actively provides information to neighboring cells via a process called secretory autophagy. Secretory autophagy combines the autophagy machinery with the secretion of cellular content via extracellular vesicles (EVs). A role for exosomes in RA pathogenesis has been recently demonstrated. Exosomes are involved in intercellular communications, and upregulated proteins and RNAs may contribute to the development of inflammatory arthritis and the progression of RA. In RA, most of the exosomes are produced by leukocytes and synoviocytes, which are loaded with PTM proteins, mainly citrullinated proteins, inflammatory molecules, and enzymes that are implicated in RA pathogenesis. Microvesicles derived from cell plasma membrane may also be loaded with PTM proteins, playing a role in the immunopathogenesis of RA. An analysis of changes in EV profiles, including PTM proteins, could be a useful tool for the prevention of inflammation in RA patients and help in the discovery of personalized medicine

“METHOD AND KIT FOR IN VITRO DIAGNOSIS OF ANTI-PHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME”

Gli anticorpi “antifosfolipidi” sono un gruppo di autoanticorpi che, in associazione con trombosi (arteriose e/o venose) e aborti spontanei, caratterizzano la Sindrome da Anticorpi Antifosfolipidi (APS). Gli anticorpi anti-β2-Glicoproteina I (β2GPI) sono i principali autoanticorpi usati per la diagnosi di APS. Esistono pazienti con le manifestazioni cliniche dell'APS, ma negativi ai criteri diagnostici di laboratorio. E’ fondamentale identificare nuovi target antigenici per la diagnosi di APS. Dimostriamo che la β2GPI carbamilata è un nuovo autoantigene della Sindrome proponendo un metodo analitico in vitro, oggetto dell'invenzione, per rilevare anticorpi specifici per la β2GPI carbamilata.Antiphospholipid antibodies are a group of autoantibodies which, in association with thrombosis (arterial and/or venous) and recurrent abortions, characterize the Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS). Anti-β2-Glycoprotein I (β2GPI) antibodies are the main autoantibodies used for the diagnosis of APS. There are patients with clinical manifestations of APS, but negative by laboratory diagnostic criteria. It is essential to identify new antigenic targets for the diagnosis of APS. We demonstrate that carbamylated β2GPI is a new autoantigen of the Syndrome by proposing an in vitro analytical method, object of the invention, to detect specific antibodies to carbamylated β2GPI

"New" antigenic targets and methodological approaches for refining laboratory diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) are a heterogeneous group of antibodies directed against phospholipids or protein/phospholipid complexes. Currently, aPLs are assessed using either “solid-phase” assays that identify anticardiolipin antibodies and anti--glycoprotein I antibodies or “liquid-phase” assay that identifis lupus anticoagulant. However, in the last few years, “new” antigenic targets and methodological approaches have been employed for refiing laboratory diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In this review the potential diagnostic value of antibodies to domains of-GPI, prothrombin/phosphatidylserine, vimentin/cardiolipin, protein S, protein C, annexin A2, annexin A5, and phospholipid antigens is discussed. Moreover, new technical approaches, including chemiluminescence, multiline dot assay, and thin layer chromatography (TLC) immunostaining, which utilize diffrent supports for detection of aPL, have been developed. A special focus has been dedicated on “seronegative” APS, that is, those patients with a clinical profie suggestive of APS (thromboses, recurrent miscarriages, or foetal loss), who are persistently negative for the routinely used aPL. Recent fidings suggest that, in sera from patients with SN-APS, antibodies may be detected using “new” antigenic targets (mainly vimentin/cardiolipin) or methodological approaches diffrent from traditional techniques (TLC immunostaining). Ths, APS represents a mosaic, in which antibodies against diffrent antigenic targets may be detected thanks to the continuously evolving new technologies.Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) are a heterogeneous group of antibodies directed against phospholipids or protein/phospholipid complexes. Currently, aPLs are assessed using either "solid-phase" assays that identify anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies or "liquid-phase" assay that identifies lupus anticoagulant. However, in the last few years, "new" antigenic targets and methodological approaches have been employed for refining laboratory diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In this review the potential diagnostic value of antibodies to domains of β2-GPI, prothrombin/phosphatidylserine, vimentin/cardiolipin, protein S, protein C, annexin A2, annexin A5, and phospholipid antigens is discussed. Moreover, new technical approaches, including chemiluminescence, multiline dot assay, and thin layer chromatography (TLC) immunostaining, which utilize different supports for detection of aPL, have been developed. A special focus has been dedicated on "seronegative" APS, that is, those patients with a clinical profile suggestive of APS (thromboses, recurrent miscarriages, or foetal loss), who are persistently negative for the routinely used aPL. Recent findings suggest that, in sera from patients with SN-APS, antibodies may be detected using "new" antigenic targets (mainly vimentin/cardiolipin) or methodological approaches different from traditional techniques (TLC immunostaining). Thus, APS represents a mosaic, in which antibodies against different antigenic targets may be detected thanks to the continuously evolving new technologies

Altered Traffic of Cardiolipin during Apoptosis: Exposure on the Cell Surface as a Trigger for "Antiphospholipid Antibodies"

Apoptosis has been reported to induce changes in the remodelling of membrane lipids; after death receptor engagement, specific changes of lipid composition occur not only at the plasma membrane, but also in intracellular membranes. This paper focuses on one important aspect of apoptotic changes in cellular lipids, namely, the redistribution of the mitochondria-specific phospholipid, cardiolipin (CL). CL predominantly resides in the inner mitochondrial membrane, even if the rapid remodelling of its acyl chains and the subsequent degradation occur in other membrane organelles. After death receptor stimulation, CL appears to concentrate into mitochondrial "raft-like" microdomains at contact sites between inner and outer mitochondrial membranes, leading to local oligomerization of proapoptotic proteins, including Bid. Clustering of Bid in CL-enriched contacts sites is interconnected with pathways of CL remodelling that intersect membrane traffic routes dependent upon actin. In addition, CL association with cytoskeleton protein vimentin was observed. Such novel association also indicated that CL molecules may be expressed at the cell surface following apoptotic stimuli. This observation adds a novel implication of biomedical relevance. The association of CL with vimentin at the cell surface may represent a "new" target antigen in the context of the apoptotic origin of anti-vimentin/CL autoantibodies in Antiphospholipid Syndrome

The Role of Cardiolipin as a Scaffold Mitochondrial Phospholipid in Autophagosome Formation: In Vitro Evidence

Cardiolipin (CL) is a hallmark phospholipid localized within the inner mitochondrial membrane. Upon several mitochondrial stress conditions, CL is translocated to specialized platforms, where it may play a role in signaling events to promote mitophagy and apoptosis. Recent studies characterized the molecular composition of MAM-associated lipid microdomains and their implications in regulating the autophagic process. In this study we analyzed the presence of CL within MAMs following autophagic stimulus and the possible implication of raft-like microdomains enriched in CL as a signaling platform in autophagosome formation. Human 2FTGH fibroblasts and SKNB-E-2 cells were stimulated under nutrient deprivation with HBSS. MAM fraction was obtained by an ultracentrifugation procedure and analyzed by HPTLC immunostaining. CL interactions with mitofusin2 (MFN2), calnexin (CANX) and AMBRA1 were analyzed by scanning confocal microscopy and coimmunoprecipitation. The analysis revealed that CL accumulates in MAMs fractions following autophagic stimulus, where it interacts with MFN2 and CANX. It associates with AMBRA1, which in turn interacts with BECN1 and WIPI1. This study demonstrates that CL is present in MAM fractions following autophagy triggering and interacts with the multimolecular complex (AMBRA1/BECN1/WIPI1) involved in autophagosome formation. It may have both structural and functional implications in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disease(s)

TLC immunostaining for detection of "antiphospholipid" antibodies

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a nonquantitative technique, which has been employed in the detection of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is the most frequently acquired thrombophilia, characterized by thrombosis and obstetric manifestations associated to an autoimmune trait, represented by the positivity of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. Immunoassays for anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-β2 glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI) antibodies and clotting tests for lupus anticoagulant (LA) represent the standard tests for the routine detection of aPL. The term "seronegative APS" has been used to describe patients with clinical manifestation of APS and persistently negative aPL assessed with routine assays. TLC immunostaining is a useful method for the detection of different antigenic targets of "antiphospholipid" antibodies; it is able to identify the reactivity of serum aPL experimented with purified phospholipid molecules with a different exposure compared to ELISA methods. This method seems to be applicable in patients who repeatedly tested negative for the standard aPL, i.e., aCL, aβ2GPI, and LA. Therefore, this technique may be proposed as a second step test for the diagnosis of APS

Role of ERLINs in the Control of Cell Fate through Lipid Rafts

ER lipid raft-associated protein 1 (ERLIN1) and 2 (ERLIN2) are 40 kDa transmembrane glycoproteins belonging to the family of prohibitins, containing a PHB domain. They are generally localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where ERLIN1 forms a heteroligomeric complex with its closely related ERLIN2. Well-defined functions of ERLINS are promotion of ER-associated protein degradation, mediation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptors, processing and regulation of lipid metabolism. Until now, ERLINs have been exclusively considered protein markers of ER lipid raft-like microdomains. However, under pathophysiological conditions, they have been described within mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs), tethering sites between ER and mitochondria, characterized by the presence of specialized raft-like subdomains enriched in cholesterol and gangliosides, which play a key role in the membrane scrambling and function. In this context, it is emerging that ER lipid raft-like microdomains proteins, i.e., ERLINs, may drive mitochondria-ER crosstalk under both physiological and pathological conditions by association with MAMs, regulating the two main processes underlined, survival and death. In this review, we describe the role of ERLINs in determining cell fate by controlling the “interchange” between apoptosis and autophagy pathways, considering that their alteration has a significant impact on the pathogenesis of several human diseases