Lysyl oxidase regulation and protein aldehydes in the injured newborn lung

During newborn lung injury, excessive activity of lysyl oxidases (LOXs) disrupts extracellular matrix (ECM) formation. Previous studies indicate that TGFβ activation in the O2-injured mouse pup lung increases lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression. But how TGFβ regulates this, and whether the LOXs generate excess pulmonary aldehydes are unknown. First, we determined that O2-mediated lung injury increases LOX protein expression in TGFβ-stimulated pup lung interstitial fibroblasts. This regulation appeared to be direct; this is because TGFβ treatment also increased LOX protein expression in isolated pup lung fibroblasts. Then using a fibroblast cell line, we determined that TGFβ stimulates LOX expression at a transcriptional level via Smad2/3-dependent signaling. LOX is translated as a pro-protein that requires secretion and extracellular cleavage before assuming amine oxidase activity and, in some cells, reuptake with nuclear localization. We found that pro-LOX is processed in the newborn mouse pup lung. Also, O2-mediated injury was determined to increase pro-LOX secretion and nuclear LOX immunoreactivity particularly in areas populated with interstitial fibroblasts and exhibiting malformed ECM. Then, using molecular probes, we detected increased aldehyde levels in vivo in O2-injured pup lungs, which mapped to areas of increased pro-LOX secretion in lung sections. Increased activity of LOXs plays a critical role in the aldehyde generation; an inhibitor of LOXs prevented the elevation of aldehydes in the O2-injured pup lung. These results reveal new mechanisms of TGFβ and LOX in newborn lung disease and suggest that aldehyde-reactive probes might have utility in sensing the activation of LOXs in vivo during lung.

Specificity of California mouse pup vocalizations in response to olfactory cues

In rodents, young pups communicate with their parents through harmonic calls and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). These forms of communication can improve chances of survival, since pups rely on their parents for thermoregulation, nutrition and protection. The extent to which pups modulate calls in response to their surroundings remains unclear. In this study we examined whether olfactory stimuli influence characteristics of pup calls, and how these calls may be affected by pup sex and litter size, in the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). Pups were isolated and audio recorded during an initial, 3-minute control period, after which they were exposed for 5 minutes to bedding containing one of 4 olfactory cues: scent from their home cage, scent from the home cage of an unfamiliar family, coyote urine, or no scent. Latency to call, call rate, call duration and call characteristics (e.g. frequency and amplitude) were compared between the control period and olfactory-exposure period as well as among olfactory conditions. Pups from 2-pup litters called more quietly (lower amplitude) when exposed to odor from a predator while pups from 3-pup litters called louder (higher amplitude). Additionally, pups tended to reduce their call rates in response to odors from their home cage, consistent with contact quieting. However, pups tended to increase their rate of calling when exposed to predator urine, in contrast to the expectations of predator-induced vocal suppression. Lastly, male pups produced higher-frequency calls and more USVs than females. These results indicate that a number of pup call characteristics in this species can be influenced by acute olfactory stimuli as well as factors such as litter size and sex. The value of these pup call variations for offspring-parent communication is unclear: whether they elicit different parental responses is unknown and would be an interesting/valuable/informative avenue for future studies.

All the Pups We Cannot See: Cannibalism Masks Perinatal Death in Laboratory Mouse Breeding but Infanticide Is Rare

Perinatal mortality is a major issue in laboratory mouse breeding. We compared a counting method using daily checks (DAILY_CHECK) with a method combining daily checks with detailed video analyses to detect cannibalisms (VIDEO_TRACK) for estimating the number of C57BL/6 pups that were born, that died and that were weaned in 193 litters from trios with (TRIO-OVERLAP) or without (TRIO-NO_OVERLAP) the presence of another litter. Linear mixed models were used at litter level. To understand whether cannibalism was associated with active killing (infanticide), we analysed VIDEO_TRACK recordings of 109 litters from TRIO-OVERLAP, TRIO-NO_OVERLAP or SOLO (single dams). We used Kaplan-Meier method and logistic regression at pup level. For DAILY_CHECK, the mean litter size was 35% smaller than for VIDEO_TRACK (p < 0.0001) and the number of dead pups was twice lower (p < 0.0001). The risk of pup loss was higher for TRIO-OVERLAP than TRIO-NO_OVERLAP (p < 0.0001). A high number of pup losses occurred between birth and the first cage check. Analyses of VIDEO_TRACK data indicated that pups were clearly dead at the start of most of the cannibalism events and infanticide was rare. As most pups die and disappear before the first cage check, many breeding facilities are likely to be unaware of their real rates of mouse pup mortality.

Placental HTRA1 cleaves alpha-1-antitrypsin to generate a NET-Inhibitory Peptide

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are important components of innate immunity. Neonatal neutrophils (PMNs) fail to form NETs due to circulating NET-Inhibitory Peptides (NIPs) -cleavage fragments of alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT). However, how fetal and neonatal blood NIPs are generated remains unknown. The placenta expresses High-Temperature Requirement serine protease A1 (HTRA1) during fetal development, which can cleave A1AT. We hypothesized that placentally expressed HTRA1 regulates the formation of NIPs and that NET competency changed in PMNs isolated from neonatal HTRA1-knock out mice (HTRA1-/-). We found that umbilical cord blood plasma has elevated HTRA1 levels compared to adult plasma, and that recombinant and placenta-eluted HTRA1 cleaves A1AT to generate an A1AT cleavage fragment (A1ATM383S-CF) of similar molecular weight to previously identified NIPs that block NET formation by adult neutrophils. We demonstrated that neonatal mouse pup plasma contains A1AT fragments which inhibit NET formation by PMNs isolated from adult mice, indicating that NIP generation during gestation is conserved across species. LPS-stimulated PMNs isolated from HTRA1+/+ littermate control pups exhibit delayed NET formation following birth. However, plasma from HTRA1-/- pups had no detectable NIPs and PMNs from HTRA1-/- pups became NET competent earlier after birth compared to HTRA1+/+ littermate controls. Finally, in the cecal slurry model of neonatal sepsis, A1ATM383S-CF improved survival in C57BL/6 pups by preventing pathogenic NET formation. Our data indicate that placentally expressed HTRA1 is a serine protease that cleaves A1AT in utero to generate NIPs that regulate NET formation by human and mouse PMNs.

All the Pups We Cannot See: Cannibalism Masks Perinatal Death in Laboratory Mouse Breeding but Infanticide Is Rare

Perinatal mortality is a major issue in laboratory mouse breeding. We compared a counting method using daily checks (DAILY_CHECK) with a method combining daily checks with detailed video analyses to detect cannibalisms (VIDEO_TRACK) for estimating the number of C57BL/6 pups born, died and weaned in 193 litters from trios with (TRIO-OVERLAP) or without (TRIO-NO_OVERLAP) the presence of another litter. Linear mixed models were used at litter level. To understand if cannibalism was associated with active killing (infanticide), we analysed VIDEO_TRACK recordings of 109 litters from TRIO-OVERLAP, TRIO-NO_OVERLAP or SOLO (single dams). We used Kaplan-Meier method and logistic regression at pup level. For DAILY_CHECK, the mean litter size was 35% smaller than for VIDEO_TRACK (P&amp;lt;0.0001) and the number of dead pups was twice lower (P&amp;lt;0.0001). The risk of pup loss was higher for TRIO-OVERLAP than TRIO-NO_OVERLAP (P&amp;lt;0.0001). A high number of pup losses occurred between birth and the first cage checking. Analyses of VIDEO_TRACK data indicated that pups were clearly dead at the start of most of the cannibalism events and infanticide was rare. As most pups die and disappear before the first cage check, many breeding facilities are likely to be unaware of their real rates of mouse pup mortality.

Resolving the Complexity of Spatial Lipidomics Using MALDI TIMS Imaging Mass Spectrometry

<p>Lipids are a structurally diverse class of molecules with important biological functions including cellular signaling and energy storage. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) allows for direct map-ping of biomolecules in tissue. Fully characterizing the structural diversity of lipids remains a challenge due to the presence of isobaric and isomeric species, which greatly complicates data interpretation when only <i>m/z </i>information is available. Integrating ion mobility separations aids in deconvoluting these complex mixtures and addressing the challenges of lipid IMS. Here we demonstrate that a MALDI quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer with trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) enables approximately a ~270% increase in the peak capacity during IMS experiments. MALDI TIMS-MS separation of lipid isomer standards, including sn-backbone isomers, acyl chain isomers, as well as double bond positional and geometric isomers are demonstrated. As a proof-of-concept, <i>in situ </i>separation and imaging of lipid isomers with distinct spatial distributions was performed using tissue sections from a whole-body mouse pup.</p>

Resolving the Complexity of Spatial Lipidomics Using MALDI TIMS Imaging Mass Spectrometry

<p>Lipids are a structurally diverse class of molecules with important biological functions including cellular signaling and energy storage. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) allows for direct map-ping of biomolecules in tissue. Fully characterizing the structural diversity of lipids remains a challenge due to the presence of isobaric and isomeric species, which greatly complicates data interpretation when only <i>m/z </i>information is available. Integrating ion mobility separations aids in deconvoluting these complex mixtures and addressing the challenges of lipid IMS. Here we demonstrate that a MALDI quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer with trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) enables approximately a ~270% increase in the peak capacity during IMS experiments. MALDI TIMS-MS separation of lipid isomer standards, including sn-backbone isomers, acyl chain isomers, as well as double bond positional and geometric isomers are demonstrated. As a proof-of-concept, <i>in situ </i>separation and imaging of lipid isomers with distinct spatial distributions was performed using tissue sections from a whole-body mouse pup.</p>

Resolving the Complexity of Spatial Lipidomics Using MALDI TIMS Imaging Mass Spectrometry

<p>Lipids are a structurally diverse class of molecules with important biological functions including cellular signaling and energy storage. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) allows for direct map-ping of biomolecules in tissue. Fully characterizing the structural diversity of lipids remains a challenge due to the presence of isobaric and isomeric species, which greatly complicates data interpretation when only <i>m/z </i>information is available. Integrating ion mobility separations aids in deconvoluting these complex mixtures and addressing the challenges of lipid IMS. Here we demonstrate that a MALDI quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer with trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) enables approximately a ~270% increase in the peak capacity during IMS experiments. MALDI TIMS-MS separation of lipid isomer standards, including sn-backbone isomers, acyl chain isomers, as well as double bond positional and geometric isomers are demonstrated. As a proof-of-concept, <i>in situ </i>separation and imaging of lipid isomers with distinct spatial distributions was performed using tissue sections from a whole-body mouse pup.</p>