<p>In this Ph.D. dissertation, the capacity of cultured bovine polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) to passively acquire functional membrane proteins from apoptotic or necrotic cells was examined. The rapid transfer of membrane proteins from a variety of syngeneic, allogeneic and xenogeneic donor cells to PMNs was observed. In contrast to PMNs from other species, bovine PMNs did not express endogenous major histocompatability class II (MHC II) protein, either constitutively or inducibly. The entire bovine PMN population was, however, able to acquire detectable levels of surface MHC II or cluster of differentiation (CD) 3 protein following PMN co-culture with cells in conditions which permitted close contact with dieing cells. Therefore, it was hypothesized that membrane lipids and proteins were acquired by bovine PMN following fusion with microparticles (MPs) shed from either apoptotic or necrotic cells. </p> <p>It was then determined whether the lifespan of bovine PMNs could be sufficient to provide an opportunity for PMNs to interact with T cells. Lymphocyte recruitment to sites of inflammation often occurs 3-5 days after the initial PMN recruitment. PMN survival would need to span this interval to provide an opportunity for an interaction between PMNs and lymphocytes. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interferon (IFN)-ã and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were observed to prolong the lifespan of cultured PMNs beyond 96 hours. These observations supported the conclusion that it was biologically possible for PMNs and T cells to interact at sites of inflammation.</p> <p>Using confocal microscopy, direct evidence was provided for the formation and release of MPs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the attachment of these MPs to bovine PMNs. A time-dependent integration of both MP membranes and integral membrane proteins into the PMN plasma membrane was also observed. The passively acquired membrane lipids and proteins then diffused throughout the PMN plasma membrane. Another observation was the formation of MPs which contained donor cell cytoplasmic proteins and subsequent transfer this cytoplasmic protein to recipient PMNs. These observations raised the possibility that MPs could also transfer genetic material. Thus, confocal microscopy provided direct evidence that MPs were one mechanism by which bovine PMNs could passively acquire membrane lipids and integral membrane proteins.</p> <p>Finally, the functional consequences of passive acquisition of membrane proteins were examined using two different approaches. A significant increase in green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene expression was observed following PMN infection using the GFP expressing bovine adenovirus vector (BAV304). These PMNs had passively acquired membranes from an adenovirus permissive cell line. This observation provided indirect evidence for the passive acquisition of a functional viral receptor protein. Direct evidence that PMNs passively acquired functional membrane proteins was provided by the observation that the passive transfer of ovine MHC II molecules to bovine PMNs enabled these cells to induce antigen-specific proliferation and cytokine expression by xenoreactive T cell lines. Despite a reduction in amplitude and duration, T cell responses induced by PMNs were qualitatively similar to those observed following activation by the stimulator B cell line. These observations supported the conclusion that PMNs could function as antigen presenting cells (APCs) following the passive acquisition of MHC II protein.</p> <p>In conclusion, this research project provided evidence that bovine PMNs have an impressive ability to acquire membranes and functional integral membrane proteins from dead or dying cells. The implications of this transfer of immunological information are discussed within the context of the role which PMNs might play in both innate and adaptive immune responses. </p>

<p>In this Ph.D. dissertation, the capacity of cultured bovine polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) to passively acquire functional membrane proteins from apoptotic or necrotic cells was examined. The rapid transfer of membrane proteins from a variety of syngeneic, allogeneic and xenogeneic donor cells to PMNs was observed. In contrast to PMNs from other species, bovine PMNs did not express endogenous major histocompatability class II (MHC II) protein, either constitutively or inducibly. The entire bovine PMN population was, however, able to acquire detectable levels of surface MHC II or cluster of differentiation (CD) 3 protein following PMN co-culture with cells in conditions which permitted close contact with dieing cells. Therefore, it was hypothesized that membrane lipids and proteins were acquired by bovine PMN following fusion with microparticles (MPs) shed from either apoptotic or necrotic cells. </p> <p>It was then determined whether the lifespan of bovine PMNs could be sufficient to provide an opportunity for PMNs to interact with T cells. Lymphocyte recruitment to sites of inflammation often occurs 3-5 days after the initial PMN recruitment. PMN survival would need to span this interval to provide an opportunity for an interaction between PMNs and lymphocytes. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interferon (IFN)-ã and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were observed to prolong the lifespan of cultured PMNs beyond 96 hours. These observations supported the conclusion that it was biologically possible for PMNs and T cells to interact at sites of inflammation.</p> <p>Using confocal microscopy, direct evidence was provided for the formation and release of MPs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the attachment of these MPs to bovine PMNs. A time-dependent integration of both MP membranes and integral membrane proteins into the PMN plasma membrane was also observed. The passively acquired membrane lipids and proteins then diffused throughout the PMN plasma membrane. Another observation was the formation of MPs which contained donor cell cytoplasmic proteins and subsequent transfer this cytoplasmic protein to recipient PMNs. These observations raised the possibility that MPs could also transfer genetic material. Thus, confocal microscopy provided direct evidence that MPs were one mechanism by which bovine PMNs could passively acquire membrane lipids and integral membrane proteins.</p> <p>Finally, the functional consequences of passive acquisition of membrane proteins were examined using two different approaches. A significant increase in green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene expression was observed following PMN infection using the GFP expressing bovine adenovirus vector (BAV304). These PMNs had passively acquired membranes from an adenovirus permissive cell line. This observation provided indirect evidence for the passive acquisition of a functional viral receptor protein. Direct evidence that PMNs passively acquired functional membrane proteins was provided by the observation that the passive transfer of ovine MHC II molecules to bovine PMNs enabled these cells to induce antigen-specific proliferation and cytokine expression by xenoreactive T cell lines. Despite a reduction in amplitude and duration, T cell responses induced by PMNs were qualitatively similar to those observed following activation by the stimulator B cell line. These observations supported the conclusion that PMNs could function as antigen presenting cells (APCs) following the passive acquisition of MHC II protein.</p> <p>In conclusion, this research project provided evidence that bovine PMNs have an impressive ability to acquire membranes and functional integral membrane proteins from dead or dying cells. The implications of this transfer of immunological information are discussed within the context of the role which PMNs might play in both innate and adaptive immune responses. </p>

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / One of the critical steps in a current Western blot technique is a blotting process, which in general requires one electrophoretic gel for every protein species to be analyzed. In most cases, multiple protein species are analyzed simultaneously and thus it is necessary for a scientist to run multiple gels. In order to make it possible to analyze multiple protein species from a single gel, a novel blotting device, BlotMan, was employed in this study. Designed by Dr. Chien’s group (YC Bioelectric), BlotMan uses pulse width modulation (PWM) for applying a protein size-dependent voltage during a blotting process. In this study, the differential average voltage profile, depending on protein size (e.g. 17 kDa to 140 kDa), was built and enabled BlotMan to transfer all protein species in equal efficiency regardless of the protein size. Furthermore, Blot- Man consists of a user-friendly, custom-made interface box, which can be remotely controlled by a smart phone. BlotMan’s capability was evaluated using standard protein markers, as well as protein samples that were isolated from chondrosarcoma cells (SW1353) and breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-213). The experimental results revealed that BlotMan was capable of generating 5 blotting membranes from a single gel simultaneously. Protein species such as c-Src, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) and its phosphorylated form (p-eIF2α), lamin B, and β-actin were successfully detected. It is also demonstrated that compared to a regular constant voltage, PWM signals improved transfer efficiency and a signal-to-noise ratio. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that BlotMan was able to facilitate Western blotting analysis by generating multiple blotting membranes from a single gel with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. Further analysis is recommended for understanding the mechanism of PWMts action on transfer efficiency and noise reduction.

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio (fiscina@bahia.fiocruz.br) on 2013-10-18T17:05:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos Soares Vieira.Atividades das paraoxanase... 2013.pdf: 1230050 bytes, checksum: 912c1ef5707ad9fba3fa861c29a41e7e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-10-18T17:05:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos Soares Vieira.Atividades das paraoxanase... 2013.pdf: 1230050 bytes, checksum: 912c1ef5707ad9fba3fa861c29a41e7e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) são as principais causas de morbidade e mortalidade do ocidente, aparecendo como causa mais frequente de óbitos nos países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Alterações no metabolismo das lipoproteínas estão diretamente relacionadas ao aumento do risco de DCV. Objetivos: Avaliar o remodelamento da partícula HDL determinando a capacidade de incorporação de fosfolipídeos na HDL, a atividade da paraoxonase/aril-esterase (PON), dentre outros marcadores plasmáticos relacionados ao metabolismo da HDL, além da influência da hipertrigliceridemia neste processo. Casuística e Métodos: Estudo de corte transversal, com amostragem por conveniência. Foram avaliados ambulatorialmente 66 indivíduos do sexo masculino, idade entre 32 e 75 anos (média: 51,1), distribuídos em dois grupos, não-hipertrigliceridêmicos (NHipTRI) e hipertrigliceridêmicos (HipTRI), estes últimos estratificados em dois níveis, HipTRI HDL-C≥40 e HipTRI HDL-C<40. Foram realizados testes estatísticos paramétricos e não-paramétricos, utilizando o software GraphPad Prism 5.01 (USA), e as diferenças foram consideradas significantes quando p<0,05 para intervalo de confiança de 95%. Resultados: Não foram observadas diferenças nas prevalências dos fatores de risco para DCV, como sedentarismo, etilismo, hipertensão, diabetes e tabagismo, entre os grupos. A atividade da PON e a incorporação de fosfolipídeos foram similares nos três grupos estudados. O tamanho estimado da partícula HDL foi maior no grupo NHipTRI (0,29±0,05), do que nos grupos hipertrigliceridemicos: HipTRI HDL ≥40 (0,26±0,03), e HipTRI HDL<40 (0,24±0,05). No grupo NHipTRI foi encontrada correlação linear positiva entre a atividade da PON e apoA (r=0,3908, p=0,0484, Pearson). Já no grupo HipTRI HDL≥40 houve correlação positiva entre PON e apoB (r=0,5678, p=0,0342, Pearson). Por outro lado, no grupo HipTRI HDL<40 houve correlação linear negativa entre apoB e incorporação de fosfolipídeos na HDL (r=-0,5144, p=0,0290, Pearson). Conclusão: Desta forma, os resultados sugerem que a hipertrigliceridemia interfere não só no remodelamento da HDL, como também sua capacidade antioxidante. / Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the western world and is the major cause of death in developed and developing countries. Lipoprotein metabolism is directly related to the risk of developing CVD. Objectives: this study aimed to evaluate HDL particle remodeling, determining HDL ability to incorporate phospholipids, paraoxonase (PON) activity, among others plasma markers related to HDL metabolism, besides the influence of hypertriglyceridemia in this process. Casuistic and Methods: a cross-sectional study with convenience sampling, were carried out with 66 subjects outpatient males, aged between 32 and 75 years old (mean: 51.1), into nonhypertriglyceridemic (NHipTRI) and hypertriglyceridemic (HipTRI) groups, the HipTRI group were stratified in HipTRI com HDL-C ≥ 40 mg/dL and HipTRI com HDL-C <40 mg/dL. Parametric and non-parametric statistic tests were performed in GraphPad Prism 5.01 (USA), and differences were considered significant when p <0.05 to C.I of 95%. Results: there were no differences in the prevalence of CVD risk factors, such as sedentarism, alcohol drinkers, hypertension, diabetes, and tobacco users in the groups. PON activity and phospholipids incorporation were similar in the three groups. The estimated size of HDL particles was greater in NHipTRI (0.29 ± 0.05) when compared to hypertriglyceridemic groups: HipTRI HDL≥40 mg/dL (0.26 ± 0.03) and HipTRI HDL>40 mg/dL (0.24 ± 0.05). In NHipTRI group positive linear correlation was found between PON activity and apoA (r = 0.3908, p = 0.0484, Pearson). In HipTRI HDL≥40 mg/dL group, positive correlation were found between PON and apoB (r = 0.5678, p = 0.0342, Pearson). On the other hand, HipTRI HDL<40 mg/dL shows a negative linear correlation between apoB and phospholipids incorporation into HDL (r = -0.5144, p = 0.0290, Pearson). Conclusion: the results suggest that hypertriglyceridemia can affect both remodeling of particles HDL, as their antioxidant capacity.