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Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and congenital muscular dystrophy 1A (MDC1A) are the two most common forms of muscular dystrophy in humans, caused by mutations in dystrophin and laminin α2 genes respectively. Both are severe forms of the disease that lead to premature death due and are both now known to have a significant effect on the central nervous system. This project investigated the role of both proteins involved in each of these diseases in cerebellar Purkinje cells of two murine models of disease: the mdx mouse a dystrophin-deficient model of DMD and the dy2J a laminin α2-deficient murine model of MDC1A. In the case of dystrophin further studies were undertaken in order to determine if increasing age had any effects on cerebellar function. It was found that there is no difference in electrophysiological characteristics (RMP, IR, eEPSP) of the cells when compared to appropriate control groups, nor was there any difference when young and aged dystrophin-deficient mdx groups were compared. Evoked IPSP characteristics were examined in young mdx cerebellar Purkinje cells and again no difference was found when compared to wildtype. There was a significant difference in response to the GABAA antagonist bicuculline, with wildtype increasing eEPSP amplitude by almost double that found in mdx. There was no difference in short term plasticity as measured by paired pulse facilitation in any of these groups. There was no difference in paired pulse depression at the inhibitory interneuron- Purkinje cell synapse of young wildtype and mdx cerebellar Purkinje cells. There a significant blunting of long term depression (LTD, (a form of long term synaptic plasticity) between young wildtype and mdx. When young wildtype animals were compared to aged wildtype animals LTD was found to be similar, when young mdx was compared to aged mdx, there was a recovery of LTD seen in the aged population. There was also significant differences in LTD found when littermate controls were compared to dy2J (laminin α2 mutants). A third of the phenotypic animals (dy2J) potentiated. Finally when rebound potentiation (a GABA-ergic form of long term synaptic plasticity in the cerebellum) was compared in young wildtype and mdx mice, mdx mice displayed depression, rather than the expected potentiation in contrast to potentiation (or no change) as seen in all wildtype cells.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Universiẗat, Diss.--Jena, 2007.

Mainz, Univ., Diss., 2001.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-06-25Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:55:57Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_hc_me_arafcf.pdf: 1420769 bytes, checksum: b06f79633d6d6736be281777e90904a5 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb) é o agente etiológico da paracoccidioidomicose, micose sistêmica de grande importância no Brasil, país que possui a maior concentração de áreas endêmicas para essa doença no mundo. Uma das estratégias possivelmente utilizadas pelo patógeno seria a expressão de genes envolvendo adaptação às condições do hospedeiro, que pode também estar relacionadas à captação de micronutrientes. A matriz extracelular (MEC) desempenha um papel importante na regulação da adesão celular, diferenciação, migração e proliferação das células. Este estudo propõe uma análise de transcritos e de proteínas expressas em condições de depleção de cobre, na presença de quatro matrizes extracelulares – laminina, fibronectina e colágeno I e IV, mimetizando as condições de infecção por P. brasiliensis por meio das técnicas de RDA (Representational Difference Analysis) e eletroforese bidimensional. Para isso, o isolado Pb01 foi cultivado por 3 horas no meio quimicamente definido (MVM), depletado de cobre (Cu) e a seguir colocado em contato com os quatro diferentes componentes da MEC e a adesão foi avaliada por citometria de fluxo. Um aumento significativo (p ≤ 0,05) na adesão frente a todos os componentes da MEC foi observado quando o fungo foi cultivado sem Cu. Então, o RNA e os extratos protéicos foram obtidos de Pb sem Cu e Pb sem Cu em contato com os diferentes componentes da MEC. Ensaios de RDA foram realizados para demonstrar os genes envolvidos neste processo. Duas hibridizações foram realizadas nas proporções de 1:10 e 1:100 de tester e driver, respectivamente, com um excesso de driver para remover as seqüências comuns em ambas condições. Os produtos diferencialmente expressos foram amplificados, resultando em padrões distintos que foram seqüenciados... / Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb) is the etiologic agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic mycosis of great importance in Brazil, which has the highest concentration of endemic areas for this disease in the world. One of the strategies used by the pathogen may be the expression of proteins related to the adaptation to the host conditions, which may also be related to the uptake of micronutrients. Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the regulation of cell adhesion, differentiation, migration and proliferation of cells. This study proposes an analysis of transcripts and proteins expressed in condition of copper depletion in the presence of four components of extracellular matrix - laminin, fibronectin and collagen I and IV, mimicking the conditions of infection by P. brasiliensis, using techniques of RDA (Representational Difference Analysis) and two-dimensional electrophoresis. For this, we cultured the Pb 01 strain at 3 hours in a chemically defined media (MVM) with depletion copper (Cu). After, the fungus was placed at contact with the four differents ECM components and the adhesion was evaluated by flow cytometry. A significant increase of binding (p ≤ 0,05) to all ECM components was observed when the fungal was cultured without Cu. So RNA and protein extracts were obtained of Pb without Cu, and Pb without Cu in contact with the differents ECM components. RDA assay was developed to demonstrate the genes involved in this process. Two hybridizations were performed in the proportions of 1:10 and 1:100 of tester and driver respectively, with an excess of driver to remove the common sequences in both conditions. The differentially expressed products were amplified, resulting in distinct patterns that were sequenced revealing genes involved in differents process like virulence (25%), protein synthesis... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Laminin binding integrins (α6β1 and α3β1) are persistently but differentially expressed throughout prostate cancer progression and metastasis. Prostate cancer primarily invades through laminin rich nerve for extracapsular escape during cancer metastasis. An intense expression of the pro-metastatic α6 integrin was observed during perineural invasion with a heterogeneous distribution of the integrin on the cancer cell membrane as well as intracellularly. Bone and soft tissue metastasis of human prostate cancer demonstrated a similar pattern where 75-80% of the cancers had significant intracellular staining. This was correlated with an mRNA overexpression of various intracellular trafficking regulators. Using a prostate cancer cell culture model of DU145 cells, the α6 integrin was found to be constitutively internalized in cancer cells at a rate of 3.25 min-1, which was 3 fold greater than internalization rate of α3 integrin, classically considered a "non-circulating" receptor. α6 and α3 integrins function coordinately to regulate cell migration during development, wound healing. Their orchestrated redistribution during these processes is well-known, but the mechanism remains elusive. Current study identifies intracellular trafficking of these integrins as a key mechanism of their coordination. Depletion of α3 integrin in prostate cancer cells significantly increased internalization of α6 integrin up to 1.7-fold and increased localization of α6 integrin at cell-cell membrane locations. There was a concomitant 1.8-fold increase in cell migration significantly dependent on α6 integrin. Depletion of α6 integrin expression however, had no effects on the internalization of α3 integrin indicating that the identified coordination was unidirectional. α6 integrin trafficking drives cancer invasion, but its selective regulators are unknown. Here, Rab11FIP5 was identified as a selective regulator of α6 integrin recycling to cell membrane. Interestingly, α6 integrin was found to be primarily recycled to the cell-cell membranes where it colocalized with Rab11 and Rab11FIP5. Depletion of Rab11FIP5 reduced such membrane expression of α6 integrin, inhibited cell-cell cohesion in 3D culture and significantly reduced cell migration. The localization of α6 and α3 integrin at these locations have been implicated in cell adhesion. Based on current study α6 recycling by Rab11FIP5 might be key to such function. Another Rab11 effector protein Rab11FIP1 was identified as a regulator of both α3 and α6 integrin trafficking. Depletion of Rab11FIP1 reduced membrane expression of α3 integrin by significantly increasing its internalization and reducing the recycling. There was a major effect on α6 integrin internalization, which increased to an extent similar to that observed on α3 integrin depletion. Rab11FIP1 regulated α6 integrin recycling, in a pathway found to be independent of Rab11FIP5. Taken together, current research defined Rab11FIPs as regulators of α6 and α3 integrins. A unidirectional coordination between α6 and α3 integrin was identified such that loss of α3 integrin, representative of high grade prostate cancer, amplifies integrin α6 integrin internalization and a resultant migratory phenotype.

Previous work on the binding of resting platelets to the basement membrane glycoprotein, laminin, has identified the Ic/IIa integrin c01aplex (CD49f/CD29), also known as VLA-6, as the receptor. There exists however, another protein with a molecular weight of 67kDa, that mediates this function on other cells. It is abundantly expressed on the membranes of breast cancer cells, where it plays a key role in both the localisation at, and penetration of vascular beds, by metastases. The objectives of this study were: * The development of a micro-titre assay similar to those used in previous studies, standardised and calibrated to characterize the adhesion of unstimulated normal human platelets to laminin-coated surfaces. * To determine the effect on adhesion of platelet activation, enzymatic surface-glycoprotein removal, antibodies to specific receptors and interaction with other adhesive proteins known to bind to platelet membranes. * To establish the in vivo relevance of the experimental findings, by the assay of adhesion of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-deficient platelets of two patients with Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia. These studies serve d to distinguish specific binding sites for laminin from the known surface receptors of platelets. The methodology used to isolate laminin receptors from the membranes of breast carcinoma cells was then applied to platelet concentrates. Membranes were obtained by centrifuging the ultrasonic lysate of a unit of platelets. These were solubilized and passed over a laminin-Sepharose column. The bound components were eluted and identified by means of SDS-gel electrophoresis, after which a concentrate was tested for laminin binding by means of dot-blot methodology. The principle contribution of this work is the finding of a 67kDa receptor for laminin on the surface membranes of platelets. The combination of the various approaches applied to characterise the adhesion of platelets to laminin, show that this is a specific, Mg²⁺-dependent process, inhibited by Ca²⁺ and not enhanced by platelet activation. Adhesion was decreased by proteolysis with trypsin and chymotrypsin, showing that the adhesion is mediated by a surface glycoprotein. Proteolysis with the Serratia marcescens metalloprotease, which cleaves off glycoprotein lb, did not affect adhesion, proving that this well-known receptor for platelet adhesion is not involved in the adhesion. The receptors GPIV and glycocalicin were also excluded, as the presence of antibodies to these receptors had no effect. Prior incubation with fibrinogen or von Willebrand factor, which binds to specific receptors on the platelet membrane, inhibited adhesion, most likely due to spatial interference with the receptor site for laminin. The presence of the tetrapeptide recognised by the membrane receptors for many adhesive proteins, RGDS, at concentrations of up to 1mM, had no effect. The platelets of the two subjects with Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia adhered normally, definitively ruling out the involvement of GPIIb/IIIa, which is absent from these platelets. The isolation process recovered a membrane component from the laminin-Sepharose column with an elution pattern identical to that for the well characterised 67kDa receptor for laminin on the surface of breast carcinoma cells. They have the same molecular weights in both the reduced (67kDa) and non-reduced (53kDa) states. Blot identification demonstrated laminin binding by the eluate. In the last part of the work, collaborative studies using more sophisticated methodology have confirmed that platelet receptors for laminin play a role in their adhesion to living tissue. Anti-laminin Fab antibodies significantly decreased the adhesion when whole blood was perfused over isolated rabbit aortic segments. That these receptors are identical to the 67kDa receptor of breast carcinoma cells was shown by the specific, high affinity binding of antibodies directed at the carcinoma receptors to the surface of platelets when examined by flow cytometry. In addition, they inhibit platelet adhesion by 50-60% in the micro-titre assay. It is proposed that both the VLA-6 and the 67kDa receptors are required for platelet adhesion to laminin, possibly as a two-stage process, similar to the systems for adhesion to von Willebrand factor, where binding is initially to GPIb, followed by binding to GPIIb/IIIa. The possible relevance of this receptor in the pathophysiology of the metastatic process is discussed.

The extracellular matrix (ECM), as the native cellular substrate, provides necessary mechanical and biological signals to cells. Cells exert forces in the nanonewton range, which when applied over time can strain extracellular matrix fibers until breakage. Cells and tissues inherently interact mechanically with their surrounding matrix, so tissue engineering materials would benefit from the ability to fully exploit mechanical-biochemical interactions to enhance integration with the human body. In this work, I developed an increased understanding of ECM fiber mechanical and mechano-biochemical properties. First, I generated novel composite ECM fibers that can be used to study combinations of ECM proteins in a controlled way. I determined how protein composition impacts mechanical properties of novel single ECM fibers in a hydrated state and showed how mechanical properties can be tuned through composition. Next, I assayed for strain and heparin-sensitive allosteric binding of ligands to fibronectin and fibrin fibers, and determined that the binding of two key growth factors is impacted by strain and heparin. Finally, I investigated the impact of fiber strain, heparin-pretreatment, and growth factor interactions on endothelial cell migration. The novel contributions of this project are the generation of new composite extracellular matrix fiber types with tunable mechanical properties, as well as the identification of extracellular matrix protein mechanosensitive and heparin-sensitive interactions with growth factors and their impact on endothelial cell migration, which could be used to aid in the design of protein-based biomaterials for cardiovascular applications. / 2024-05-23T00:00:00Z

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