| 1. |
- Bradley, Frideborg, et al.
(författare)
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Multi-omics analysis of the cervical epithelial integrity of women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate
- 2022
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Ingår i: PLoS Pathogens. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7366 .- 1553-7374. ; 18:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is an injectable hormonal contraceptive used by millions of women worldwide. However, experimental studies have associated DMPA use with genital epithelial barrier disruption and mucosal influx of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) target cells. We explored the underlying molecular mechanisms of these findings. Ectocervical biopsies and cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) specimens were collected from HIV-seronegative Kenyan sex workers using DMPA (n = 32) or regularly cycling controls (n = 64). Tissue samples were assessed by RNA-sequencing and quantitative imaging analysis, whereas protein levels were measured in CVL samples. The results suggested a DMPA-associated upregulation of genes involved in immune regulation, including genes associated with cytokine-mediated signaling and neutrophil-mediated immunity. A transcription factor analysis further revealed DMPA-associated upregulation of RELA and NFKB1 which are involved in several immune activation pathways. Several genes significantly downregulated in the DMPA versus the control group were involved in epithelial structure and function, including genes encoding keratins, small proline-rich proteins, and cell-cell adhesion proteins. Pathway analyses indicated DMPA use was associated with immune activation and suppression of epithelium development, including keratinization and cornification processes. The cervicovaginal microbiome composition (Lactobacillus dominant and non-Lactobacillus dominant) had no overall interactional impact on the DMPA associated tissue gene expression. Imaging analysis verified that DMPA use was associated with an impaired epithelial layer as illustrated by staining for the selected epithelial junction proteins E-cadherin, desmoglein-1 and claudin-1. Additional staining for CD4(+) cells revealed a more superficial location of these cells in the ectocervical epithelium of DMPA users versus controls. Altered protein levels of SERPINB1 and ITIH2 were further observed in the DMPA group. Identification of specific impaired epithelial barrier structures at the gene expression level, which were verified at the functional level by tissue imaging analysis, illustrates mechanisms by which DMPA adversely may affect the integrity of the genital mucosa. Author summarySexual transmission accounts for the majority of all new HIV infections in women, and alterations to the mucosal environment of the female genital tract have been associated with an increase in the risk of acquiring HIV. Observational epidemiological studies have implied that the use of the injectable hormonal contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) may be associated with increased HIV-acquisition. However, a prospective clinical study has not confirmed this association and the controversial findings are currently evaluated in the context of international reproductive health policies. Several studies using various model systems indicate that DMPA affects the integrity of the genital epithelial barrier as well as the mucosal immune system, but the exact mechanisms remain largely unknown. To characterize the effect of DMPA on the genital mucosal environment, we used a multi-omics approach to assess paired genital secretions and cervical tissue samples from long-term regular DMPA users living in Kenya. This unique cohort represents a population at risk of HIV infection in which DMPA is one of the most commonly used hormonal contraceptives. We identified impaired cervical epithelial barrier structures, including DMPA-associated reduction in the expression of cell-cell adhesion molecules, keratins, small proline-rich proteins and a thinner upper epithelial layer with more superficially located CD4(+) cells. Gene set enrichment pathway analyses indicated DMPA use was associated with immune activation and suppression of epithelium development including keratinization and cornification pathways. Protein analysis identified altered levels of selected anti-proteases. Our findings illustrate mechanisms by which DMPA adversely may affect the integrity of the genital mucosa.
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| 2. |
- Burmakin, Mikhail, et al.
(författare)
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Pharmacological HIF-PHD inhibition reduces renovascular resistance and increases glomerular filtration by stimulating nitric oxide generation
- 2021
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Ingår i: Acta Physiologica. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1748-1708 .- 1748-1716. ; 233:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are O2 -sensitive transcription factors that regulate multiple biological processes which are essential for cellular adaptation to hypoxia. Small molecule inhibitors of HIF-prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) dioxygenases (HIF-PHIs) activate HIF-dependent transcriptional programs and have broad clinical potential. HIF-PHIs are currently in global late-stage clinical development for the treatment of anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease. Although the effects of hypoxia on renal haemodynamics and function have been studied in animal models and in humans living at high altitude, the effects of pharmacological HIF activation on renal haemodynamics, O2 metabolism and metabolic efficiency are not well understood.METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study design, we investigated renal haemodynamics, O2 metabolism, gene expression and NO production in healthy rats treated with different doses of HIF-PHIs roxadustat or molidustat compared to vehicle control.RESULTS: Systemic administration of roxadustat or molidustat resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in renovascular resistance (RVR). This was associated with increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine flow and tubular sodium transport rate (TNa ). Although both total O2 delivery and TNa were increased, more O2 was extracted per transported sodium in rats treated with high-doses of HIF-PHIs, suggesting a reduction in metabolic efficiency. Changes in RVR and GFR were associated with increased nitric oxide (NO) generation and substantially suppressed by pharmacological inhibition of NO synthesis.CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide mechanistic insights into dose-dependent effects of short-term pharmacological HIF activation on renal haemodynamics, glomerular filtration and O2 metabolism and identify NO as a major mediator of these effects.
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| 3. |
- Cunnea, Paula M, et al.
(författare)
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ERdj5, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident protein containing DnaJ and thioredoxin domains, is expressed in secretory cells or following ER stress.
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 278:2, s. 1059-66
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A complex array of chaperones and enzymes reside in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to assist the folding and assembly of and the disulfide bond formation in nascent secretory proteins. Here we characterize a novel human putative ER co-chaperone (ERdj5) containing domains resembling DnaJ, protein-disulfide isomerase, and thioredoxin domains. Homologs of ERdj5 have been found in Caenorhabditis elegans and Mus musculus. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ERdj5 interacts via its DnaJ domain with BiP in an ATP-dependent manner. ERdj5 is a ubiquitous protein localized in the ER and is particularly abundant in secretory cells. Its transcription is induced during ER stress, suggesting potential roles for ERdj5 in protein folding and translocation across the ER membrane.
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| 4. |
- Damdimopoulos, Anastasios E., et al.
(författare)
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An alternative splicing variant of the selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase is a modulator of estrogen signaling
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 279:37, s. 38721-38729
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1) is an integral part of the thioredoxin system. It serves to transfer electrons from NADPH to thioredoxin leading to its reduction. Interestingly, recent work has indicated that thioredoxin reductase can regulate the activity of transcription factors such as p53, hypoxia-inducible factor, and AP-1. Here, we describe that an alternative splicing variant of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1b) containing an LXXLL peptide motif, is implicated in direct binding to nuclear receptors. In vitro interaction studies revealed direct interaction of the TrxR1b with the estrogen receptors alpha and beta. Confocal microscopy analysis showed nuclear colocalization of the TrxR1b with both estrogen receptor alpha and beta in estradiol-17beta-treated cells. Transcriptional studies demonstrated that TrxR1b can affect estrogen-dependent gene activation differentially at classical estrogen response elements as compared with AP-1 response elements. Based on these results, we propose a model where thioredoxin reductase directly influences the estrogen receptor-coactivator complex assembly on non-classical estrogen response elements such as AP-1. In summary, our results suggest that TrxR1b is an important modulator of estrogen signaling.
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| 5. |
- Damdimopoulos, Anastasios E., et al.
(författare)
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Human mitochondrial thioredoxin. Involvement in mitochondrial membrane potential and cell death
- 2002
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 277:36, s. 33249-33257
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thioredoxins (Trx) are a class of small multifunctional redox-active proteins found in all organisms. Recently, we reported the cloning of a mitochondrial thioredoxin, Trx2, from rat heart. To investigate the biological role of Trx2 we have isolated the human homologue, hTrx2, and generated HEK-293 cells overexpressing Trx2 (HEK-Trx2). Here, we show that HEK-Trx2 cells are more resistant toward etoposide. In addition, HEK-Trx2 are more sensitive toward rotenone, an inhibitor of complex I of the respiratory chain. Finally, overexpression of Trx2 confers an increase in mitochondrial membrane potential, DeltaPsi(m). Treatment with oligomycin could both reverse the effect of rotenone and decrease the membrane potential suggesting that Trx2 interferes with the activity of ATP synthase. Taken together, these results suggest that Trx2 interacts with specific components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and plays an important role in the regulation of the mitochondrial membrane potential.
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| 6. |
- Damdimopoulos, Anastasios E
(författare)
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Identification and functional characterization of novel thioredoxin systems
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Thioredoxins (Trx) are a class of small multifunctional 12-kDa proteins that are characterized by the redox active site Trp-Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys (WCGPC). In the oxidized (inactive) form of Trx (Trx-S2), the two cysteines at the active site form a disulfide bond. This can then be reduced by thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and NADPH, the so-called thioredoxin system, to a dithiol (Trx-(SH)2), which can then act as a general protein disulfide reductase. Thioredoxins are present in all living organisms and have been isolated and characterized from a wide variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In this thesis we describe the identification and functional characterization of novel members of the thioredoxin superfamily. We present evidence for a novel Trx (Trx2) in Escherichia coli. The E. coli Trx2 contains two domains: an N-terminal domain of 32 amino acids containing two CXXC motifs and a C-terminal domain with high homology to the prokaryotic thioredoxins, containing the conserved active site. Trx2 together with TrxR and NADPH can reduce ribonucleotide reductase as well as the interchain disulfide bridges of insulin. Thioredoxins are ubiquitously expressed in an tissues within the same organism. We have identified the first tissue specific Trx (Sptrx1) exclusively expressed in human spermatozoa. Sptrx1 is an active thioredoxin which under native conditions appears to have a multimeric structure. We also identify and characterize a complete thioredoxin system (Trx2, TrxR2) located in mitochondria. We show that Trx2 overexpressing cells have a higher mitochondrial membrane potential that is dependent on the function of the ATP synthase complex. Furthermore, overexpression of Trx2 was found to protect cells against the cytotoxic effects of etoposide, a drug commonly used in anticancer treatment. In addition, we showed that the second compound of the mitochondrial thioredoxin system, TrxR2, is capable of reducing cytochrome c and could protect cells against the cytotoxic effects of antimycin and myxothiazol, chemicals that inhibit the function of complex III in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Furthemore, we identified an alternative splicing variant of cytosolic thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1b) that could bind to the Estrogen Receptors (ER) alpha and beta. As a result of this binding, a distinct subnuclear localization of TrxR1b was observed, co localizing with both ER alpha and beta. TrxR1b can act as a coactivator and enhance the transcriptional activity of ER in the classical activation pathway, which relies on the binding of the ER to an ER response element on the DNA. By contrast, TrxR1b is a co-repressor in the alternative pathway where ER activates AP-I transcription independently of its DNA binding activity. In summary, the results presented in this thesis give a better understanding of Thioredoxin systems in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, with the introduction of new members in this redox superfamily of proteins. This study, which shows a wide spectrum of functions for these Thioredoxin systems in influencing various redox mechanisms and processess in biological systems, indicates that there is still a great deal of work yet to be done in this expanding field of research.
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| 7. |
- Damdimopoulos, Anastasios E., et al.
(författare)
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Ligands differentially modify the nuclear mobility of estrogen receptors alpha and beta
- 2008
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Ingår i: Endocrinology. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0013-7227 .- 1945-7170. ; 149:1, s. 339-345
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Signaling of nuclear receptors depends on the structure of their ligands, with different ligands eliciting different responses. In this study using a comparative analysis, an array of ligands was examined for effects on estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and ERbeta mobility. Our results indicated that these two receptors share similarities in response to some ligands but differ significantly in response to others. Our results suggest that for ERalpha, ligands can be classified into three distinct groups: 1) ligands that do not affect the mobility of the receptor, 2) ligands that cause a moderate effect, and 3) ligands that strongly impact mobility of ERalpha. Interestingly, we found that for ERbeta such a classification was not possible because ERbeta ligands caused a wider spectrum of responses. One of the main differences between the two receptors was the response toward the antiestrogens ICI and raloxifene, which was not attributable to differential subnuclear localization or different conformations of helix 12 in the C-terminal domain. We showed that both of these ligands caused a robust phenotype, leading to an almost total immobilization of ERalpha, whereas ERbeta retained its mobility; we provide evidence that the mobility of the two receptors depends upon the function of the proteasome machinery. This novel finding that ERbeta retains its mobility in the presence of antiestrogens could be important for its ability to regulate genes that do not contain classic estrogen response element sites and do not require DNA binding and could be used in the investigation of ligands that show ER subtype specificity.
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| 8. |
- Damdimopoulos, Anastasios E., et al.
(författare)
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Nuclear immobilization of DsRed1 tagged proteins : a novel tool for studying DNA-protein interactions?
- 2007
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. - : Elsevier. - 0006-3002 .- 1878-2434. ; 1773:6, s. 687-690
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- DsRed1 is a red fluorescent protein that can be used as a fusion partner with other proteins to determine their subcellular localization, similarly to the popular green fluorescent proteins (GFP). Here, we report that fusion of DsRed1 to estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) renders the transcription factor immobile within the nucleus. Furthermore, we show that the immobilization is dependent on DNA interaction and that the binding to the DNA can be direct as well as indirect for DsRed to immobilize with its fusion partners. This observation could provide a new tool to be used for the identification of target genes containing low affinity binding sites for several transcription factors including ER alpha. In addition, it could be employed for studies on protein-DNA interactions as well as protein-protein interactions during protein complex formation on chromatin in the event of transcription initiation and regulation.
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| 9. |
- Damdimopoulou, Pauliina, et al.
(författare)
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A single dose of enterolactone activates estrogen signaling and regulates expression of circadian clock genes in mice.
- 2011
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Ingår i: The Journal of nutrition. - : Elsevier BV. - 1541-6100 .- 0022-3166. ; 141:9, s. 1583-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enterolactone (EL) is an enterolignan produced by gut microbiota from dietary plant lignans. Epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that EL and plant lignans may reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer as well as cardiovascular disease. These effects are thought to at least in part involve modulation of estrogen receptor activity. Surprisingly little is known about the in vivo estrogenicity of EL. In the present study, we investigated the target tissues of EL, the genes affected by EL treatment, and the response kinetics. Following a single dose of EL, luciferase was significantly induced in reproductive and nonreproductive tissues of male and female 3xERE-luciferase mice, indicating estrogen-like activity. Microarray analysis revealed that EL regulated the expression of only 1% of 17β-estradiol target genes in the uterus. The majority of these genes were traditional estrogen target genes, but also members of the circadian signaling pathway were affected. Kinetic analyses showed that EL undergoes rapid phase II metabolism and is efficiently excreted. In vivo imaging demonstrated that the estrogen response followed similar, fast kinetics. We conclude that EL activates estrogen signaling in both male and female mice and that the transient responses may be due to the fast metabolism of the compound. Lastly, EL may represent a link among diet, gut microbiota, and circadian signaling.
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| 10. |
- Erlandsson, Malin, 1972, et al.
(författare)
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Survivin promotes a glycolytic switch in CD4+ T cells by suppressing the transcription of PFKFB3 in rheumatoid arthritis.
- 2022
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Ingår i: iScience. - : Elsevier BV. - 2589-0042. ; 25:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, we explore the role of nuclear survivin in maintaining the effector phenotype of IFNγ-producing Tcells acting through the transcriptional control of glucose utilization. High expression of survivin in CD4+T cells was associated with IFNγ-dependent phenotype and anaerobic glycolysis. Transcriptome of CD4+ cells and sequencing of survivin-bound chromatin showed that nuclear survivin had a genome-wide and motif-specific binding to regulatory regions of the genes controlling cell metabolism. Survivin coprecipitates with transcription factors IRF1 and SMAD3, which repressed the transcription of the metabolic check-point enzyme phosphofructokinase 2 gene PFKFB3 and promoted anaerobic glycolysis. Combining transcriptome analyses of CD4+ cells and functional studies in glucose metabolism, we demonstrated that the inhibition of survivin reverted PFKFB3 production, inhibited glucose uptake, and reduces interferon effects in CD4+ cells. These results present a survivin-dependent mechanism in coordinating the metabolic adaptation of CD4+T cells and propose an attractive strategy to counteract IFNγ-dependent inflammation in autoimmunity.
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