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Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a major cardiovascular disease and involves enhancement of renin-angiotensin system and recruitment/activation of inflammatory factors such as matrix metalloproteases (MMP's). Caveolae has been shown to play a role in a number of different cardiovascular diseases through different mechanisms including regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation and degradation of extracellular matrix components through MMP's. In addition, endothelial cell caveolae are known to localize the Ang-II (AT1) receptor and regulate renin-angiotensin signaling. Based on these findings, we evaluated the role of caveolae in AAA formation in the murine model. Here, eight week old mice were co-infused with Ang-II and BAPN, a lysyl oxidase inhibitor, to induce AAA. We found that mice lacking the main structural protein of caveolae, caveolin-1, did not develop AAA compared to WT animals in spite of hypertensive blood pressures measured by telemetry in both groups. This finding suggests that intact Ang-II signaling remains in place in caveolin-1 knockout mice. To begin to address the underlying mechanism by which caveolae contributes to AAA, we measured the level of oxidative stress and MMP's in aneurysms. We found an increased expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in vessels of WT mice displaying aneurysms. This increase in expression was not observed in Cav-1 knockout mice. Furthermore, KO mice showed less oxidative stress then their WT counterparts as assessed by anti-nitrotyrosine staining. Next we examined the characteristics of early AAA formation in wild-type mice. We found caveolae associated proteins, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2), were upregulated in early AAA formation, particularly in the endothelium. Also, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule (VCAM) was upregulated in the endothelium. However, macrophage infiltration and MMP-2 activation was not observed in early AAA development. In order to elucidate the role of endothelial caveolae in the formation of AAA, we induced AAA, as previously described, in endothelial specific cav-1 knockout mice. Preliminarily findings show endothelial specific knockout mice do not form AAA as compared to their WT littermates. In conclusion, caveolae appears to play a critical role in the formation of AAA in mice via oxidative stress, and recruitment and/or activation of MMPs, specifically MMP-2 and MMP-9. Early markers of AAA formation include VCAM, NOX2, eNOS, and protein nitration. Also, preliminary results indicate that endothelial specific knockout mice do not develop AAA. / Cell Biology

Die Entstehung und Progression maligner Tumoren ist ein mehrstufiger Prozeß, der auf einer Vielzahl genetischer Alterationen beruht. Essentielle Schritte sind die Aktivierung von Proto-Onkogenen und die Inaktivierung von Tumor-Suppressorgenen. Infolge dessen können die Zellen unabhängig von externen Wachstumssignalen ungebremst proliferieren, die Apoptose wird gehemmt, die Angiogenese wird aktiviert, und es kommt schließlich zur Metastasierung. Zu den bekanntesten Proto-Onkogenen, die in humanen Tumoren aktiviert werden, gehören die RAS Gene. Sie sind in einer Vielzahl von Tumoren mutiert und führen zu einer Stimulation der Proliferation. Um den Einfluß aktivierter RAS Onkogene auf die Regulation der Genexpression zu untersuchen wurden Genexpressionsprofile in Zellkultur-Modellen und humanen Tumoren erstellt. In einem Fibroblasten- und einem Epithelzell-basierten System konnten mehrere hundert, RAS-abhängig differenziell exprimierte Genen identifiziert werden. Aufgrund der bekannten Funktionen ihrer Genprodukte spielen sie eine wichtige Rolle im Verlust der Zellzyklus-Kontrolle, der Kontrolle der Signalübertragung, in der Angiogenese-Induktion sowie in der Invasion und damit Metastasierung. Die Zusammenhänge zwischen der Aktivierung bestimmter Signalkaskaden wie z.B. Raf-Mek-Erk oder PI-3K und der Expression von definierten Genmustern wurden hergestellt. Weiterhin konnte mit Hilfe von Microarray Analysen eine Vielzahl potentieller Tumormarker und Zielgene für therapeutische Intervention im Ovarialkarzinom identifiziert werden. Die Rolle der KlasseII Tumorsuppressor Gene Caveolin-1 und H-REV107-1 in humanen Ovarialkarzinomen wurde detailliert untersucht und ihre Rolle in der Regulation des Zellüberlebens nachgewiesen. Caveolin-1, ein negativer Regulator der RAS-abhängigen Signalübertragung, wird in über 80% der untersuchten humanen Ovarialkarzinome gehemmt. Hierbei spielen epigenetische Mechanismen eine Rolle, die jedoch nicht Caveolin-1 selbst, sondern einen unbekannten Regulator des Caveolin-1 Gens betreffen. Das H-REV107-1 Gen, ein Wachstumsregulator mit unbekannter Funktion wird in ca. 50% der untersuchten Ovarialkarzinome nicht mehr exprimiert. Ähnlich wie bei Caveolin-1, führt eine gezielte Expression des Gens in Tumorzellen zur Apoptose. Die Suche nach Interaktionspartnern des H-REV107-1 Gens führte zur Identifizierung der ubiquitär exprimierten Phosphatase2A (PP2A). Die Bindung zwischen H-REV107-1 und PP2A wurde weiter charakterisiert und ihre Rolle in der H-REV107-1 vermittelten Apoptose analysiert. / Development and progression of human tumours is a multistep process depending on numerous genetic alterations. Essentiell steps herein are the mutational activation of oncogenes and the inactivation of tumour suppressor genes. As a result of these alterations, the cells acquire the potential of unlimited growth independent of external growth factor signals, apoptosis is diminished, angiogenesis is stimulated and finally metastasis can occur. Among the best known proto-oncogenes, mutated in a number of human tumours, are the RAS genes. To investigate the role of RAS oncogenes in transformation-related transcriptional alterations, expressionsprofiling was performed from cell culture models and human tumours. Several hundred genes were identified to be de-regulated in a RAS-dependent manner in a fibroblast and an epithelial cell-based model. The protein products encoded by these genes play important roles in the loss of cell cycle control, control of signal transduction, angiogenesis induction as well as invasion and metastasis. Groups of de-regulated genes could be assigned to distinct signaling pathways such as the Raf-Mek-Erk or the PI-3 kinase dependent pathways. In addition, a number of potential tumour markers and potential target structures for therapeutic intervention were identified in ovarian carcinomas with the help of microarray studies. The role of the class II tumor suppressor genes Caveolin-1 and H-REV107-1 in human ovarian carcinomas was further investigated and their role in the regulation of cell survival was demonstrated. Caveolin-1, a negative regulator of RAS-dependent signal transduction, is supressed in more than 80% of the ovarian carcinomas analysed. This suppression is mediated by epigenetic mechanisms which due not target Caveolin-1 itself but an unknown regulator of the Caveolin-1 gene. The H-Rev107-1 gene, a growth regulator with unknown function, is no longer expressed in nearly 50% of the ovarian carcinomas analysed. Similar to Caveolin-1, also re-expression of H-REV107-1 results in apoptosis in the tumour cells. The search for proteins interacting with H-REV107-1 led to the identification of the ubiquitously expressed phosphatase 2A (PP2A). The interaction between H-REV107-1 and PP2A was further characterised and its role in the H-REV107-1 mediated apoptosis investigated.

Until recently, the main mechanism of argininosuccinate synthase (AS) regulation was described to exist mainly at the level of transcription. Transcriptional regulation of AS has been shown to be coordinate with eNOS in response to shear stress, hypoxia, tumor necrosis factor á (TNF-á), and PPAR ã agonist troglitizone. However, it is now understood that one level of NO regulation is cellular control of arginine availability to eNOS via post-translational modifications of AS such as phosphorylation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine under what conditions AS is phosphorylated at S328, identify the pathway that AS phosphorylation at S328 plays a role, and how phosphorylation affects AS function in endothelial cells. We developed a phospho-specific antibody directed against pS328 AS and assayed for increases or decreases in phosphorylation relative to physiological factors. We found that AS phosphorylation at S328 occurred when endothelial cells were stimulated with physiological factors that stimulate nitric oxide production through calcium-dependent stimulation of eNOS. Furthermore, by utilizing kinase inhibitors and kinase knockdown experiments, we showed that phosphorylation at S328 significantly decreased when PKCá was knocked down, suggesting that S328 phosphorylation of AS is involved in PKCá signaling. In addition, by confocal microscopy, immunoprecipitation, and membrane fractionation, we showed that phosphorylation at S328 of AS promotes its co-localization with eNOS in the perinuclear region. These findings describe a novel pathway involving AS regulation of nitric oxide production, and may serve as a novel drug target in the restoration of vascular nitric oxide homeostasis.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 229 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

La Fibrose Pulmonaire idiopathique (FPI) est une maladie fibroproliférative pour laquelle il n’existe aucun traitement efficace. Les mécanismes à l’origine de cette pathologie sont méconnus et impliquent plusieurs types cellulaires et facteurs de croissance, comme le TGF-β responsable de la différenciation de fibroblastes en myofibroblastes. Pour mieux comprendre ces mécanismes physiopathologiques, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’implication des miARN dans ce processus. Une analyse par puces à ADN de l’ensemble des miARN modulés dans des échantillons pulmonaires de souris, résistantes ou sensibles à la fibrose pulmonaire induite par la bléomycine, nous a permis d’identifier miR-199a-5p comme le meilleur candidat associé à la fibrose pulmonaire mais aussi fibrose rénale et hépatique. J’ai ensuite démontré que l’expression de miR-199a-5p était induite par le TGF-β in vitro, et que sa surexpression ectopique induisait la différenciation des fibroblastes. Une combinaison d’approche in silico et expérimentale, m’a permis d’identifier la Cavéoline-1 (CAV-1) comme cible de ce miARN. La CAV-1 est impliquée dans la dégradation du récepteur TGF-β. Ainsi, l’inhibition de CAV-1 par miR-199a-5p constitue une boucle de rétrocontrôle positif exacerbant la voie TGF-β. De manière intéressante, l’inhibition de miR-199a-5p in vitro régule la différenciation, la prolifération et la migration des fibroblastes pulmonaires par le TGF-β. Par ailleurs, nos résultats précliniques indiquent que l’inhibition de ce miARN diminue les marqueurs de fibrose, permettant d’envisager le développement de nouvelles approches thérapeutiques dans le traitement de la FPI et d’autres maladies fibroprolifératives. / Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a fibroproliferative disease with poor prognosis and for which no effective treatment exists. The mechanisms of this disease remain poorly understood and involve numerous cell types and growth factors such as TGF-β, which leads to the activation of lung fibroblasts into myofibroblasts; the key cell type driving the fibrogenic process. In this context, we focused the involvement of miRNAs in fibrosis process. To identify miRNAs with potential roles in lung fibrogenesis, we performed a genome-wide assessment of miRNA expression in lungs from two different mouse strains known for their distinct susceptibility to lung fibrosis after bleomycin exposure. We identified miR- 199a-5p as the best candidate associated with lung fibrosis but also kidney and liver fibrosis. I observed that miR-199a-5p expression was induced upon TGF-β exposure, and that its ectopic expression was sufficient to promote the pathogenic activation of pulmonary fibroblasts. Using combination of targets miRNA prediction tools and a transcriptomic approach we identified the Caveolin-1 (CAV-1), a critical mediator of pulmonary fibrosis, as a specific target of miR-199a-5p. Thus, we shown that miR-199a-5p is a key effector of TGF-β signaling in lung fibroblasts by regulating CAV1. Interestingly, inhibition of miR-199a-5p in vitro prevents the differentiation, proliferation and migration of fibroblasts after TGF-β stimulation. Finally, our preclinical results indicate that inhibition of this miRNA decreases fibrosis markers. Thus, miR-199a-5p behaves as a major regulator of tissue fibrosis with therapeutic potency for the treatment of IPF and fibroproliferative diseases.

The muscle-specific membrane protein, Caveolin-3, is a building block of caveolae a type of specialised lipid raft. Caveolin-3 is proposed to play a central role in variety of cellular functions both structural and functional, from cell signalling to cholesterol homeostasis. Caveolin-3 has also been implicated in processes involved in targeting membrane proteins to the plasma membrane, as well as mediating a host of cell signalling processes. Initial attempts were made to express full-length Caveolin-3 in E.coli. However, more success was achieved in expressing and purifying domains of Caveolin-3. To produce purified full-length Caveolin-3 the baculovirus expression system was employed and we report here that the expression of Caveolin-3 in insect (Sf9) cells leads to the formation of caveolae comparable in size to those observed in native vesicles. We subsequently purified the recombinant Caveolin-3 and determined, using multi-angle laser light scattering, that the isolated protein forms an oligomer with a molecular mass of ~200-220kDa. Using negative-stain transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with single particle analysis we have determined the first three-dimensional structure for Caveolin-3 with data converging to suggest that it forms a nonamer. The 9-fold symmetric three-dimensional Caveolin-3 volume is toroidal, ~16.5nm in diameter and 5.5nm thick, and is characterised by an outer rim of protein connected to a central 'cone-shaped' domain. Labelling studies revealed that the C-terminal domain of each of the contributing Caveolin-3 monomers associate to form the central cone density. There is also evidence to suggest that Caveolin-3 is associated with a range of proteins involved in excitation-contraction coupling. Having identified multiple potential caveolin-binding motifs within the Ryanodine Receptor, one of the key protein components of excitation-contraction coupling, we have purified the skeletal isoform of the Ryanodine Receptor (Ryanodine Receptor-1) from sheep calf muscle and using several biophysical techniques probed whether there is an interaction between Caveolin-3 and Ryanodine Receptor-1. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that the two proteins do indeed interact, but functional studies for analysis of binding characteristics were inconclusive. In conclusion, this thesis describes both the successfully purification and structural determination of Caveolin-3, generating the first 3D data for any of the caveolin proteins, as well as work aimed at understanding its functional relationship with Ryanodine Receptor-1.

Metastasis is characterized pathologically by uncontrolled cell invasion, proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Steroid hormones, such as estrogen, and growth factors, which include insulin growth factor I/II (IGF-1/IGF-2) therapy has been associated with most if not all of the features of metastasis. It has been determined that IGF-1 increases cell survival of cancer cells and potentiate the effect of E2 and other ligand growth factors on breast cancer cells. However not much information is available that comprehensively expounds on the roles of insulin growth factor receptor (IGFR) and Rab GTPases may play in breast cancer. The latter, Rab GTPases, are small signaling molecules and critical in the regulation of many cellular processes including cell migration, growth via the endocytic pathway. This research involves the role of Rab GTPases, specifically Rab5 and its guanine exchange factors (GEFs), in the promotion of cancer cell migration and invasion. Two important questions abound: Are IGFR stimulation and downstream effect involved the endocytic pathway in carcinogenesis? What role does Rab5 play in cell migration and invasion of cancer cells? The hypothesis is that growth factor signaling is dependent on Rab5 activity in mediating the aggressiveness of cancer cells. The goal is to demonstrate that IGF-1 signaling is dependent on Rab5 function in breast cancer progression. Here, the results thus far, have shown that while activation of Rab5 may mediate increased cell proliferation, migration and invasion in breast cancer cells, the Rab5 GEF, RIN1 interacts with the IGFR thereby facilitating migration and invasion activities in breast cells. Furthermore, endocytosis of the IGFR in breast cancer cells seems to be caveolin dependent as the data has shown. This taken together, the data shows that IGF-1 signaling in breast cancer cells relies on IGF-1R phosphorylation, caveolae internalization and sequestration to the early endosome RIN1 function and Rab5 activation.