Characterization of TRPV4-mediated signaling pathways in an optimized human choroid plexus epithelial cell line.

The objectives of these studies were twofold: 1) to characterize the human choroid plexus papilloma (HIBCPP) cell line as a model of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) via morphology, tightness, and polarization of transporters in choroid plexus epithelia (CPe), and 2) to utilize Ussing-style electrophysiology to elucidate signaling pathways associated with the activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel involved in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) secretion. RT-PCR was implemented to determine gene expression of cell fate markers, junctional complex proteins, and transporters of interest. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal three-dimensional renderings of cultures grown on permeable supports were utilized to delineate the morphology of the brush border, junctional complexes, and polarization of key transporters. Electrophysiology was used to understand and explore TRPV4-mediated signaling in the HIBCPP cell line, considering both short-circuit current (Isc) and conductance responses. HIBCPP cells grown under optimized culture conditions exhibited minimal multilayering, developed an intermediate resistance monolayer, retained differentiation properties, and expressed, and correctly localized, junctional proteins and native transporters. We found that activation of TRPV4 resulted in a robust, multiphasic change in electrogenic ion flux and increase in conductance accompanied by substantial fluid secretion. This response appears to be modulated by a number of different effectors, implicating phospholipase C (PLC), protein kinase C (PKC), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in TRPV4-mediated ion flux. The HIBCPP cell line is a representative model of the human BCSFB, which can be utilized for studies of transporter function, intracellular signaling, and regulation of CSF production.

Actin at stereocilia tips is regulated by mechanotransduction and ADF/cofilin.

Stereocilia on auditory sensory cells are actin-based protrusions that mechanotransduce sound into an electrical signal. These stereocilia are arranged into a bundle with three rows of increasing length to form a staircase-like morphology that is required for hearing. Stereocilia in the shorter rows, but not the tallest row, are mechanotransducing because they have force-sensitive channels localized at their tips. The onset of mechanotransduction during mouse postnatal development refines stereocilia length and width. However, it is unclear how actin is differentially regulated between stereocilia in the tallest row of the bundle and the shorter, mechanotransducing rows. Here, we show actin turnover is increased at the tips of mechanotransducing stereocilia during bundle maturation. Correspondingly, from birth to postnatal day 6, these stereocilia had increasing amounts of available actin barbed ends, where monomers can be added or lost readily, as compared with the non-mechanotransducing stereocilia in the tallest row. The increase in available barbed ends depended on both mechanotransduction and MYO15 or EPS8, which are required for the normal specification and elongation of the tallest row of stereocilia. We also found that loss of the F-actin-severing proteins ADF and cofilin-1 decreased barbed end availability at stereocilia tips. These proteins enriched at mechanotransducing stereocilia tips, and their localization was perturbed by the loss of mechanotransduction, MYO15, or EPS8. Finally, stereocilia lengths and widths were dysregulated in Adf and Cfl1 mutants. Together, these data show that actin is remodeled, likely by a severing mechanism, in response to mechanotransduction.

GRXCR2 Regulates Taperin Localization Critical for Stereocilia Morphology and Hearing.

Mutations in human GRXCR2, which encodes a protein of undetermined function, cause hearing loss by unknown mechanisms. We found that mouse GRXCR2 localizes to the base of the stereocilia, which are actin-based mechanosensing organelles in cochlear hair cells that convert sound-induced vibrations into electrical signals. The stereocilia base also contains taperin, another protein of unknown function required for human hearing. We show that taperin and GRXCR2 form a complex and that taperin is diffused throughout the stereocilia length in Grxcr2-deficient hair cells. Stereocilia lacking GRXCR2 are longer than normal and disorganized due to the mislocalization of taperin, which could modulate the actin cytoskeleton in stereocilia. Remarkably, reducing taperin expression levels could rescue the morphological defects of stereocilia and restore the hearing of Grxcr2-deficient mice. Thus, our findings suggest that GRXCR2 is critical for the morphogenesis of stereocilia and auditory perception by restricting taperin to the stereocilia base.

Lunasin alleviates allergic airway inflammation while increases antigen-specific Tregs.

Lunasin is a naturally occurring peptide isolated from soybeans and has been explored in cancer treatment. Lunasin inhibits NF-κB activation and thus pro-inflammatory cytokine and mediator production in macrophages. In this study we demonstrate that lunasin can effectively suppress allergic airway inflammation in two murine models of asthma. In an OVA+Alum sensitization model, intranasal lunasin treatment at the time of OVA challenges significantly reduced total cells counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and eosinophilia, peribronchiolar inflammatory infiltration, goblet cell metaplasia and airway IL-4 production. In an OVA+LPS intranasal sensitization model, lunasin treatment either at the time of sensitization or challenge has similar effects in suppress allergic airway inflammation including significantly reduced total cell and eosinophil counts in BAL fluid, inflammatory gene Fizz1 expression in the lung, and IL-4 production by OVA re-stimulated cells from mediastinal lymph nodes. We further show that intranasal instillation of OVA+lunasin significantly increases OVA-specific regulatory T cell (Treg) accumulation in the lung comparing to OVA only treatment. Taken together, our results suggest lunasin as an anti-inflammatory agent can be potentially used in asthma therapy or as an adjuvant to enhance the induction of antigen-specific Tregs and thus boost the efficacy of allergy immunotherapy.

Activation of dendritic cell function by soypeptide lunasin as a novel vaccine adjuvant.

The addition of an appropriate adjuvant that activates the innate immunity is essential to subsequent development of the adaptive immunity specific to the vaccine antigens. Thus, any innovation capable of improving the immune responses may lead to a more efficacious vaccine. We recently identified a novel immune modulator using a naturally occurring seed peptide called lunasin. Lunasin was originally isolated from soybeans, and it is a small peptide containing 43 amino acids. Our studies revealed stimulatory effects of lunasin on innate immune cells by regulating expression of a number of genes that are important for immune responses. The objective was to define the effectiveness of lunasin as an adjuvant that enhances immune responses. The immune modulating functions of lunasin were characterized in dendritic cells (DCs) from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Lunasin-treated conventional DCs (cDCs) not only expressed elevated levels of co-stimulatory molecules (CD86, CD40) but also exhibited up-regulation of cytokines (IL1B, IL6) and chemokines (CCL3, CCL4). Lunasin-treated cDCs induced higher proliferation of allogeneic CD4+ T cells when comparing with medium control treatment in the mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR). Immunization of mice with ovalbumin (OVA) and lunasin inhibited the growth of OVA-expressing A20 B-lymphomas, which was correlated with OVA-specific CD8+ T cells. In addition, lunasin was an effective adjuvant for immunization with OVA, which together improved animal survival against lethal challenge with influenza virus expressing the MHC class I OVA peptide SIINFEKL (PR8-OTI). These results suggest that lunasin may function as a vaccine adjuvant by promoting DC maturation, which in turn enhances the development of protective immune responses to the vaccine antigens.

Soypeptide lunasin in cytokine immunotherapy for lymphoma.

Immunostimulatory cytokines can enhance anti-tumor immunity and are part of the therapeutic armamentarium for cancer treatment. We have previously reported that post-transplant lymphoma patients have an acquired deficiency of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4, which results in defective IFNγ production during clinical immunotherapy. With the goal of further improving cytokine-based immunotherapy, we examined the effects of a soybean peptide called lunasin that synergistically works with cytokines on natural killer (NK) cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors and post-transplant lymphoma patients were stimulated with or without lunasin in the presence of IL-12 or IL-2. NK activation was evaluated, and its tumoricidal activity was assessed using in vitro and in vivo tumor models. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to evaluate the histone modification of gene loci that are regulated by lunasin and cytokine. Adding lunasin to IL-12- or IL-2-stimulated NK cells demonstrated synergistic effects in the induction of IFNG and GZMB involved in cytotoxicity. The combination of lunasin and cytokines (IL-12 plus IL-2) was capable of restoring IFNγ production by NK cells from post-transplant lymphoma patients. In addition, NK cells stimulated with lunasin plus cytokines displayed higher tumoricidal activity than those stimulated with cytokines alone using in vitro and in vivo tumor models. The underlying mechanism responsible for the effects of lunasin on NK cells is likely due to epigenetic modulation on target gene loci. Lunasin represents a different class of immune modulating agent that may augment the therapeutic responses mediated by cytokine-based immunotherapy.

Infectious bursal disease DNA vaccination conferring protection by delayed appearance and rapid clearance of invading viruses.

The present study was undertaken to determine the kinetics of viral load and immune response in protection against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) by DNA vaccination. Chickens were DNA-vaccinated and challenged with IBDV one week after the third vaccination. Tissues were collected at 12 hours postinfection (HPI), 1 day postinfection (DPI), 3, 5, 7 and 10 DPI. The vaccinated chickens had less viral RNA, with delayed appearance and shorter duration in the bursa of Fabricius, spleen, and cecal tonsil than the challenged control chickens. Their ELISA and neutralizing antibody titers were decreased at 12 HPI and significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those in the challenged control chickens at later time points. Their spleen IFNγ expression was up-regulated compared to that in the DNA-vaccinated chickens without IBDV challenge. These results indicate that DNA vaccination confers protection against IBDV challenge by delayed appearance and rapid clearance of the invading viruses.