Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression analysis of lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α factor (LITAF) in the mud crab, Scylla paramamosain

Crustaceana ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 549-566
Author(s):  
Yue Wu ◽  
Yuxiao Sun ◽  
Wanrong Zhang ◽  
Jingjing Yang ◽  
Xiefei Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α factor (LITAF) is an important transcription factor mediating the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, which is involved in the innate immune defence against infectious agents. In this study, the Scylla paramamosain LITAF (LITAF) gene was cloned and identified from S. paramamosain using RT-PCR and RACE. The full length cDNA of LITAF was 1116 bp, contained an ORF of 495 bp encoding a polypeptide of 164 amino acids with predicted molecular mass of 17.86 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 8.51. Sequence alignment showed that LITAF possessed a typical LITAF domain with two CXXC motifs and eight conserved cysteine residues. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that LITAF clustered closely with known LITAFs from Eriocheir sinensis and Litopenaeus vannamei. qRT-PCR analysis showed LITAF mRNA transcript expressed ubiquitously in all examined tissues with the highest expression in haemocytes, while lower expression in hepatopancreas. Its expression levels displayed a trend of up-regulation and then returned to its initial value in haemocytes and gill, post challenge with LPS, Poly (I : C), and Vibrio alginolyticus, respectively. Furthermore, the LITAF protein was verified to be located in hyalinocytes, semi-granulocytes and granulocytes, and was distributed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus, especially in cytoplasm. These results provide a basis for further investigating the roles of LITAF in the immune signaling pathways as a transcription factor in S. paramamosain.

2006 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Messager ◽  
C Carrière ◽  
X Bertagna ◽  
Y de Keyzer

Objective: ACTH is frequently produced in non-pituitary tumours, leading to the ectopic-ACTH syndrome, but the molecular mechanisms of its expression remain obscure. This study was aimed at understanding the transcription mechanisms of the ACTH-precursor gene in carcinoid tumours of the lung or thymus. Design: Transcripts coding for a series of corticotroph-associated transcription factor genes were detected, together with markers of the corticotroph phenotype. We studied a series of 41 carcinoid tumours including 15 with proven ectopic-ACTH syndrome. Methods: Specific RT-PCR reactions were designed for each gene including alternatively spliced isoforms. Results: The markers of the corticotroph phenotype were detected in all ACTH-positive tumours. Expression of the Tpit and Pitx1 genes were not restricted to ACTH-positive tumours but were also detected in many ACTH-negative carcinoids. Only a subset of ACTH-negative tumours expressed NAK-1/Nur77, and NeuroD1 expression was detected in <50% of the tumours regardless of their secretory status. The glucocorticoid receptor alpha was detected in every tumour in contrast to its beta isoform detectable in a few tumours only. Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor 1 (COUP-TF1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ2 were expressed in 50% of the tumours of each group whereas PPARγ1 was expressed in almost every tumour. Conclusions: ACTH-positive carcinoids do not share a characteristic expression pattern of the corticotroph-associated transcription factor genes, suggesting that the transcriptional mechanisms of the ACTH-precursor gene differ from those in normal pituitary corticotrophs. Expression of Tpit and Pitx1 genes in most carcinoids suggests that some aspects of the pituitary corticotroph phenotype may belong to general carcinoid differentiation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 124 (7) ◽  
pp. 681-692
Author(s):  
Jiaxiang Luo ◽  
Tingting Zhu ◽  
Min Jin ◽  
Xin Cheng ◽  
Ye Yuan ◽  
...  

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary Zn level on growth performance, Zn bioaccumulation, antioxidant capacity and innate immunity in juvenile mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain). Six semi-purified diets were formulated to contain dietary Zn levels of 44·5, 56·9, 68·5, 97·3, 155·6 or 254·7 mg/kg. Dietary Zn level significantly influenced percentage weight gain (PWG), with the highest observed in crabs fed the diet containing 97·3 mg/kg Zn. Tissue Zn concentrations significantly increased as dietary Zn levels increased from 44·5 to 254·7 mg/kg. Retention of Zn in hepatopancreas increased with dietary Zn levels up to 68·5 mg/kg and then significantly decreased. Moreover, inadequate dietary Zn (44·5 and 56·9 mg/kg) reduced antioxidation markers including total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Cu/Zn SOD activities and total antioxidant level. Crabs fed the diet with 44·5 mg/kg Zn also showed significantly lower expression of genes involved in antioxidant status, such as Cu/Zn SOD, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and thioredoxin than those fed diets containing 68·5 and 97·3 mg/kg Zn. The highest activities of phenoloxidase and alkaline phosphatase were recorded in crabs fed the diets containing 68·5 and 97·3 mg/kg Zn. Expression levels of prophenoloxidase and toll-like receptor 2 were higher in crabs fed the 97·3 mg/kg Zn diet compared with crabs fed the other diets. Based on PWG alone, the optimal dietary Zn level was estimated to be 82·9 mg/kg, with 68·5 to 97·3 mg/kg recommended for maintaining optimal Zn bioaccumulation, oxidation resistance and innate immune response of juvenile mud crabs.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1743-1743
Author(s):  
Mathew L. Lesniewski ◽  
Laura R. Fanning ◽  
Margeret Kozik ◽  
Richard P. Weitzel ◽  
Yeal Hegerfeldt ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) CD4+ T-cells have been shown to express significant levels of BACH2 transcription factor protein compared to adult blood (AB) CD4+ T-cells. Previously, NFAT1 siRNA knockdown of UCB T-cells exhibited a significantly higher BACH2 mRNA expression, and IFN-γ, TNF-α. and CTLA-4 mRNA levels were significantly suppressed. BACH2, a member of the b-Zip family, has been shown to act as a heterodimer with the bZip protein MafK, as a transcriptional inhibitor via recruitment of a histone deacetylase class II complex (HDAC II) in differentiating B-cells, and neurons. Due to observed inverse expression of BACH2 and NFAT1 in UCB CD4+ T-cells, we hypothesized that BACH2 may regulate transcription factors known to bind with NFAT1 including AP-1 proteins JunB and FosL1. We tested this by siRNA knockdown of BACH2 in primary UCB-derived CD4+ T-cells. Key developmental transcription factors JUNB, FosL1, NFAT1 and downstream IFN-γ, and TNF-α were mRNA analyzed. Methods: UCB T-cells were purified using autoMACs system (Miltenyi). After overnight culture, T-cells were transfected with BACH2 siRNA (Dharmacon) using Amaxa Nucleofector system (Amaxa Inc). Both siRNA treated and control cells were incubated in media for 18 hours, and then stimulated using anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies (BD BioScience). Aliquots of cells were collected at specified time points post-stimulation for protein and total RNA isolation. The relative change in mRNA levels for BACH2, JUNB, FosL1, IFN-γ, NFAT1, and TNF-α were determined by Lightcycler SybrGreen real time RT-PCR system (Roche). siRNA knockdown of BACH2 protein in transfected UCB T-cells was confirmed by western blot. Results: Real-time RT-PCR of BACH2 siRNA treated UCB CD4+ T-cells stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies and analyzed after 6 hrs of stimulation showed a 4 log increase in FosL1 and NFAT1 mRNA, a 3 log increase in JunB mRNA, a 5 log increase in IFN-γ as compared to stimulated control UCB T-cells. TNF-α mRNA was decreased by 5 logs in BACH2 siRNA treated UCB T-cells as compared to control. CD3/CD28 stimulated untransfected UCB T-cells were previously shown to have decrease expression of NFAT1, JunB, FosL1, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, and in UCB T-cells compared to stimulated AB T-cells. Conclusions: BACH2 expression correlates with an inhibition of expression of AP1 transcription regulatory proteins in UCB T-cells during primary CD3/CD28 stimulation. The complete activation of the T-cell requires the activation of AP1 by CD28 pathway otherwise the antigen presenting cell signals the T-cell to enter anergy. In UCB CD4+ T-cells express BACH2, which acts as a transcriptional inhibitor of two critical AP1 genes, JUNB and FosL1, which mediate the CD28 co-stimulatory pathway. These results further suggests that expression of BACH2 in UCB T-cells may contribute to lower incidence of alloreactivity observed in leukemia patients receiving UCB stem cells compared to AB bone marrow stem cells and thus leads to low GVHD, and contribute to the weak Th1 response seen in stimulated UCB T-cells by reduced amounts of AP1 protein available for activating the T-cell.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 721-721
Author(s):  
Charles G. Mullighan ◽  
Christopher B. Miller ◽  
Letha A. Phillips ◽  
James Dalton ◽  
Jing Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Using high-resolution SNP arrays and genomic resequencing, we recently reported deletions, translocations, and mutations involving regulators of B cell development in 40% of pediatric B-progenitor ALL (Nature2007;446:758). The most frequently involved genes were PAX5, EBF1, IKZF1 (Ikaros), IKZF3 (Aiolos) and LEF1. Ikaros is a transcription factor required for normal lymphoid development and acts as a tumor suppressor in mice. Focal deletions of IKZF1 were observed in 7 B-progenitor ALL cases, suggesting that the previously reported expression of dominant-negative, non-DNA binding Ikaros isoforms may be caused by genomic IKZF1 abnormalities. We have now extended the analysis to 283 pediatric ALL cases, including B-progenitor ALL with high hyperdiploidy (N=39), hypodiploidy (N=10), rearrangement of MLL (N=23), TCF3-PBX1 (N=17), ETV6-RUNX1 (N=48) and BCR-ABL1 (N=21), as well as cases with low hyperdiploid, normal or miscellaneous cytogenetics (N=75), and T-lineage ALL (N=50). We also examined 22 adult BCR-ABL1 positive ALL cases, 37 acute leukemia cell lines and 49 samples from 23 chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cases at various stages of disease, including 15 with matched blast crisis samples (12 myeloid, 3 lymphoid). All samples were examined with 500,000 feature Affymetrix SNP arrays (250k Sty and Nsp). The 50k Hind and Xba arrays were also used in 252 ALL cases. Sixty-two (20.3%) ALL cases harboured IKZF1 deletions, including 36 of 43 (83.7%) BCR-ABL1 positive B-ALL cases (76.2% of 21 childhood cases, and 90.9% of 22 adult cases). The deletions were limited to IKZF1 in 25 BCR-ABL1 ALL cases, and in 19 cases deleted an internal subset of IKZF1 exons, most commonly 3–6 (Δ3–6). Remarkably, chronic phase CML samples lacked evidence of IKZF1 deletion, whereas four of 15 matched CML blast crisis samples (66% of lymphoid and 17% of myeloid) had acquired an IKZF1 deletion. The IKZF1 Δ3–6 deletion was also detected in the BCR-ABL1 B-progenitor cell lines BV173, OP1 and SUP-B15, the Δ1–6 deletion in the MYC-IGH/BCL2-IGH B-progenitor cell line 380, and Δ1–7 in the BCR-ABL1 B-progenitor cell line TOM-1. RT-PCR analysis for IKZF1 transcripts demonstrated complete concordance between the extent of IKZF1 deletion and the expression of aberrant Ikaros transcripts lacking internal exons. Importantly, on quantitative RT-PCR analysis and western blotting, expression of the dominant-negative Ik6 transcript and protein, which lacks exons 3–6, was exclusively observed in those cases with IKZF1 Δ3–6, demonstrating that the Ik6 transcript is the result of a specific genetic lesions and not alternative splicing of wild-type IKZF1. Lastly, sequence analysis of the IKZF1 Δ3–6 breakpoints indicated that the deletions arise from aberrant activity of RAG-mediated V(D)J recombination. Taken together, these data demonstrate that deletion of IKZF1, resulting in either haploinsufficiency or the expression of a dominant negative form of the transcription factor, is a central event in the pathogenesis of both pediatric and adult BCR-ABL1 B-progenitor ALL.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 469-469
Author(s):  
Ehssan Sharif-Askari ◽  
Hui Zeng ◽  
Lothar Vassen ◽  
Christian Kosan ◽  
Cyrus Khandanpour ◽  
...  

Abstract Inflammatory responses are complex and comprise multiple mediators including cytokines such as TNF-alpha (TNF-α) and IL-1beta. These cytokines are synthesized and secreted in response to signaling by plasma membrane receptors of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family. A central downstream element of TLR-dependent signaling is the transcription factor NF-kappaB (NF-κB), which plays a pivotal role in controlling the proper sequence of events during an inflammatory response. In unstimulated cells, NF-κB is bound to inhibitory IkappaB (IκB) proteins and remains sequestered in the cytoplasm. Stimulation of TLRs triggers a signaling cascade that leads to phosphorylation and proteasomal degradation of IκB, resulting in the translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus, where it acts as a transcriptional activator of target genes. To keep the innate immune system under control, the TLR signaling cascade is under a tight control of many positive and negative regulators. We have previously shown that the transcription factor Growth Factor Independence 1 (Gfi1) represents a novel factor limiting the inflammatory immune response including TNF-α. Gfi1-deficient (Gfi1−/−) mice show a very strong systemic response to the TLR4 ligand and endotoxin LPS and die rapidly within 36 h with symptoms of septic shock. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of this exaggerated TNF-α production in the absence of Gfi1. It is known that endotoxin stimulation results in the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB through TLR4, leading to TNF-α production. This activation also resulted in rapid and de novo expression of Gfi1 in the nucleus in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The expression of Gfi1 was not due to feedback regulation from secreted TNF, since TNF-deficient macrophages were also able to upregulate Gfi1 mRNA following LPS stimulation. As expected, LPS stimulation of Gfi1−/− macrophages resulted in significantly higher levels of TNF-α mRNA, and secreted TNF-α cytokine. Strikingly and in contrast to most known negative regulators of TLRs, Gfi1 did not affect the activity or the expression levels of the cytoplasmic components of TLR signaling pathway. Additionally, NF-κB phosphorylation and nuclear translocation post- LPS treatment were intact in both Gfi1−/− and Gfi1+/+ macrophages. Immunoprecipitation analysis from cells endogenously expressing Gfi1 and NF-κB or over-expressing these two proteins post transfection, clearly revealed a direct interaction between Gfi1 and the p65 subunit of NF-κB. Immunofluorescence staining of macrophages post-LPS treatment confirmed direct interaction of these two proteins in the nucleus at the endogenous level. Gfi1 represses transcription by binding to DNA recognition sequences in target gene promoters. Thus, aiming to investigate the effect of Gfi1 expression on NF-κB nuclear signaling, we found that LPS treatment enhances NF-κB DNA binding activity in Gfi1−/− macrophages as compared to Gfi1+/+ cells. Furthermore, over expression of Gfi1 protein resulted in negative regulation of NF-κB mediated gene activation in a dose-dependent manner. Chromatin immune precipitation with anti-p65 antibodies from LPS stimulated Gfi1+/+ and Gfi1−/− macrophages revealed enhanced NF-κB promoter occupancy at the TNF gene in Gfi1−/− macrophages as compared to Gfi1+/+ cells. In conclusion, our findings reveal a novel function for Gfi1 in the innate immune response by directly antagonizing NF-κB function. This molecular perceptive of TNF-α regulation during inflammation may provide an attractive strategy for therapeutic intervention in chronic inflammatory diseases and certain cancers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanwei Sun ◽  
Zhongzhen Li ◽  
Shasha Wang ◽  
Weisong Wan ◽  
Shuqi Wang ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa Casey ◽  
Aridany Suarez-Trujillo ◽  
Shelby Cummings ◽  
Katelyn Huff ◽  
Jennifer Crodian ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe role the mammary epithelial circadian clock plays in gland development and lactation is unknown. We hypothesized that mammary epithelial clocks function to regulate mammogenesis and lactogenesis, and propose the core clock transcription factor BMAL1:CLOCK regulates genes that control mammary epithelial development and milk synthesis. Our objective was to identify transcriptional targets of BMAL1 in undifferentiated (UNDIFF) and lactogen differentiated (DIFF) mammary epithelial cells (HC11) using ChIP-seq. Ensembl gene IDs with the nearest transcriptional start site to peaks were explored as potential targets, and represented 846 protein coding genes common to UNDIFF and DIFF cells and 2773 unique to DIFF samples. Genes with overlapping peaks between samples (1343) enriched cell-cell adhesion, membrane transporters and lipid metabolism categories. To functionally verify targets, an HC11 line with Bmal1 gene knocked out (BMAL1-KO) using CRISPR-CAS was created. BMAL1-KO cultures had lower cell densities over an eight-day growth curve, which was associated with increased (p<0.05) levels of reactive oxygen species and lower expression of superoxide dismutase 3 (Sod3). Q-PCR analysis also found lower expression of the putative targets, prolactin receptor (Prlr), Ppara, and beta-casein (Csn2). Findings support our hypothesis and highlight potential importance of clock in mammary development and substrate transport.


Author(s):  
Mohammed M Idris ◽  
Sarena Banu ◽  
Archana B Siva ◽  
Ramakrishnan Nagaraj

Defensins, crucial components of the innate immune system, play a vital role against infection as part of frontline immunity. Association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with defensins has not been investigated till date. In this study, we have investigated the expression of defensin genes in the buccal cavity during COVID-19 infection. Nasopharyngeal/Oropharyngeal swab samples collected for screening SARS-CoV-2 infection were analyzed for the expression of major defensin genes by the quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, qRT-PCR. 40 SARS-CoV-2 infected positive and 40 negative swab samples were selected for the study. Based on the RT-PCR analysis involving gene specific primer for defensin genes, 10 defensin genes were found to be expressed in the Nasopharyngeal/Oropharyngeal cavity. Six defensin genes were further found to be significantly downregulated in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients as against the control, negative samples based on differential expression analysis. The genes significantly downregulated were defensin beta 4A, 4B, 106B, 107B, 103A and defensin alpha 1B. Downregulation of several defensin genes suggests that innate immunity provided by defensins is or may be compromised in SARS-CoV-2 infection resulting in progression of the disease caused by the virus. Upregulation of defensin gene expression and use of defensin peptides could be attractive therapeutic interventions.


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