Ipriflavone promotes osteogenesis of MSCs derived from osteoporotic rats.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether Ipriflavone could prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) and improve bone quality via promoting osteogenesis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSCs were extracted from rats and identified using flow cytometry. Osteogenic specific genes and adipogenic specific genes in MSCs were detected by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effect of Ipriflavone on osteogenesis was detected by CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assay, ALP activity detection, alizarin red staining and Western blot, respectively. Furthermore, ovariectomized PMOP rat model was constructed. The effects of Ipriflavone on osteogenesis, BMD and bone biomechanical properties of ovariectomized rats were detected. RESULTS: MSCs derived from ovariectomized rats exerted multiple differentiation potentials. CCK-8 assay indicated that 0.8 µM Ipriflavone were the maximal dose that did not affect MSCs proliferation, which was selected for the following experiments. In vitro researches demonstrated that Ipriflavone remarkably promoted MSCs osteogenesis. In vivo results indicated that BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N and Tb.Th were decreased in ovariectomized rats than those of rats in sham group. Ipriflavone treatment remarkably prevented osteoporosis via promoting MSCs osteogenesis in ovariectomized rats. CONCLUSIONS: Ipriflavone prevents postmenopausal osteoporosis, improves bone quality and protects bone tissue via promoting MSCs osteogenesis.

Fungal pathogen protection in potato by expression of a plant defensin peptide.

Defensins are small cysteine-rich peptides with antimicrobial activity. We demonstrate that the alfalfa antifungal peptide (alfAFP) defensin isolated from seeds of Medicago sativa displays strong activity against the agronomically important fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae. Expression of the alfAFP peptide in transgenic potato plants provides robust resistance in the greenhouse. Importantly, this resistance is maintained under field conditions. There have been no previous demonstrations of a single transgene imparting a disease resistance phenotype that is at least equivalent to those achieved through current practices using fumigants.

The thrombospondin receptor integrin-associated protein (CD47) functionally couples to heterotrimeric Gi.

Integrin-associated protein (IAP; CD47) is a thrombospondin receptor that forms a signaling complex with beta3 integrins resulting in enhanced alphavbeta3-dependent cell spreading and chemotaxis and, in platelets, alphaIIbbeta3-dependent spreading and aggregation. These actions of CD47 are all specifically abrogated by pertussis toxin treatment of cells. Here we report that CD47, its beta3 integrin partner, and Gi proteins form a stable, detergent-soluble complex that can be recovered by immunoprecipitation and affinity chromatography. Gialpha is released from this complex by treatment with GTP or AlF4. GTP and AlF4 also reduce the binding of CD47 to its agonist peptide (4N1K) derived from thrombospondin, indicating a direct association of CD47 with Gi. 4N1K peptide causes a rapid decrease in intraplatelet cyclic AMP levels, a Gi-dependent event necessary for aggregation. Finally, 4N1K stimulates the binding of GTPgamma35S to membranes from cells expressing IAP and alphavbeta3. This functional coupling of CD47 to heterotrimeric G proteins provides a mechanistic explanation for the biological effects of CD47 in a wide variety of systems.

Thrombspondin acts via integrin-associated protein to activate the platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3.

Integrin-associated protein (IAP or CD47) is a receptor for the cell/platelet-binding domain (CBD) of thrombospondin-1 (TS1), the most abundant protein of platelet alpha granules. Although it associates with alphaIIbbeta3, IAP has no known function in platelets. TS1, the CBD, and an IAP agonist peptide (4N1K) from the CBD of TS1 activate the platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3, resulting in platelet spreading on immobilized fibrinogen, stimulation of platelet aggregation, and enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase. Furthermore, 4N1K peptide selectively stimulates the phosphorylation of LYN and SYK and their association with FAK. The phosphorylation of SYK is blocked by pertussis toxin, implicating a Gi-like heterotrimeric G protein. IAP solublized from membranes of unstimulated platelets binds specifically to an affinity column of 4N1K peptide. Both alphaIIb and beta3 integrin subunits and c-Src bind along with IAP. This complex of proteins is also detected with immunoprecipitation. Activation of platelets with the agonist peptide 4N1K results in the association of FAK with the IAP-alphaIIbbeta3 complex. Thus an important function of TS1 in platelets is that of a secreted costimulator of alphaIIbbeta3 whose unique properties result in its localization to the platelet surface and the fibrin clot.

Thrombospondin modulates alpha v beta 3 function through integrin-associated protein.

Integrin-associated protein (IAP) is a receptor for the carboxyl-terminal "cell-binding domain" (CBD) of thrombospondin 1 (TS1). IAP associates with alpha v beta 3 integrin and mAbs against IAP inhibit certain integrin functions. Here we examine the effects of the TS1 CBD and 4N1K (KRFYVVMWKK), a cell-binding peptide derived from it, on the adhesion and spreading on vitronectin (VN) of C32 human melanoma cells which express IAP, alpha v beta 3, and alpha v beta 5. Cells adhere to VN at low surface densities via alpha v beta 5 and spread very slowly while adhesion to higher density VN involves both alpha v beta 5 and alpha v beta 3 and results in rapid spreading. Spreading of the cells, but not adhesion, on sparse VN coatings is markedly enhanced by the presence of soluble TS1, the recombinant CBD and 4N1K, but not the "mutant" peptide 4NGG, KRFYGGMWKK, which fails to bind IAP. This enhanced spreading is completely blocked by mAb LM609 against alpha v beta 3 and the anti-IAP mAb B6H12. Correlated with this enhanced spreading is increased tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), paxillin, and a protein of ca. 90 kD. The enhanced spreading induced by TS1 and 4N1K and the constitutive spreading on higher density VN are both blocked by calphostin C (100 nM), wortmannin (10 nM), and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In contrast, pertussis toxin specifically blocks only the TS1 stimulated spreading on low density VN, indicating that IAP exerts its effects on signal transduction via a heterotrimeric Gi protein acting upstream of a common cell spreading pathway which includes PI-3 kinase, PKC, and tyrosine kinases.

[Impairment in the phosphorylation of Ca(2+)-transport ATPase of rat liver endoplasmic reticulum during sepsis].

The phosphorylation of Ca(2+)-transport ATPase of rat liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during early and late septic shock induced by cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) was investigated by determining incorporation of [gamma-32P] ATP into Ca(2+)-ATP phosphoprotein intermediate. Hepatic endoplasmic reticulum was isolated by differential centrifugation with sucrose density gradient. The Ca(2+)-ATPase phosphoprotein intermediate was identified by SDS-PAGE. The results showed that the phosphorylation of Ca(2+)-ATPase (115 kD) was decreased respectively by 15-23% (P < 0.05) and 17-27% (P < 0.05) at 9 h (early sepsis) and 18 h (late sepsis), following the CLP in the rough, intermediate and smooth ER preparations. Kinetic analysis using rough ER showed that the Vmax for Ca2+ and for ATP for the phosphorylation of Ca(2+)-ATPase were decreased dramatically during early and late sepsis, but without changes in the K(m) values. These results demonstrate that the phosphorylation of the phosphoprotein intermediate of Ca(2+)-ATPase in rat liver was impaired during different phases of sepsis.

Integrin-associated protein is a receptor for the C-terminal domain of thrombospondin.

The C-terminal "cell-binding domain" (CBD) of thrombospondin-1 (TS1) is a binding site for many cell types. Cell-binding peptides based on the sequence RFYVVM from the CBD of TS1 affinity label a 52-kDa cell surface glycoprotein, which we show is integrin-associated protein (IAP or CD47). IAP associates with alpha v beta 3 and thereby modulates the activity of several integrins. Cells that express IAP bind strongly to TS1, the CBD, and its active cell-binding peptides while IAP negative cells do not. The 52-kDa protein is affinity labeled on IAP-positive but not IAP-negative cells, and monoclonal antibodies against IAP specifically immunoprecipitate the affinity-labeled 52-kDa protein from lysates of IAP-positive cells. Consistent with the association of IAP with alpha v beta 3 integrin, the labeled 52-kDa protein is immunoprecipitated by an anti-alpha v beta 3 antibody. Endothelial cells exhibit chemotaxis toward TS1 (at concentrations above 10 nM) and RFYVVM peptides. Chemotaxis to both agents is specifically inhibited by a function blocking anti-IAP monoclonal antibody. These data establish IAP (CD47) as a receptor for the CBD of TS1 and suggest a mechanism for the well established effects of the CBD on cell motility.

Identification of a receptor candidate for the carboxyl-terminal cell binding domain of thrombospondins.

The carboxyl-terminal cell binding domain (CBD) of thrombospondin-1 (TS1) contains two cell attachment peptides, 4N1s (RFYVVMWK) and 7N3 (FIRVVMY-EGKK), which share the sequence VVM. These peptides, and more soluble derivatives have been radiolabeled with 125I and used in conjunction with a variety of membrane impermeant cross-linking reagents to identify and characterize receptor candidates on several cell types. All of the VVM containing peptides tested with five different cross-linking reagents specifically labeled a 52-kDa protein, which was also affinity labeled by the recombinant TS1 CBD. After cross-linking peptide to K562 cells to block the 52-kDa protein, both cell adhesion to and affinity labeling by VVM peptides were inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. Peptide labeling, like cell adhesion, was partially inhibited by heparin and stimulated by EDTA. The 52-kDa protein did not appear to contain sulfated glycan chains and was trypsin sensitive. It was recovered in a membrane fraction and was readily solubilized with Triton X-100 and X-114. Upon phase separation of the Triton X-114, the 52-kDa protein partitioned into the hydrophobic detergent phase. The detergent-solubilized receptor candidate bound selectively to wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose, and after cell surface labeling with a membrane impermeant biotinylating reagent, bound to streptavidin-Sepharose. Furthermore, fluorescent beads covalently derivatized with peptide specifically decorated intact K562 cells. Thus the properties of the 52-kDa protein are consistent with those of a receptor for the CBD of TS1 and other TS isoforms.