Phagosome maturation in unicellular eukaryote Paramecium: the presence of RILP, Rab7 and LAMP-2 homologues.

Phagosome maturation is a complex process enabling degradation of internalised particles. Our data obtained at the gene, protein and cellular level indicate that the set of components involved in this process and known up to now in mammalian cells is functioning in unicellular eukaryote. Rab7-interacting partners: homologues of its effector RILP (Rab-interacting lysosomal protein) and LAMP-2 (lysosomal membrane protein 2) as well as alpha7 subunit of the 26S proteasome were revealed in Paramecium phagolysosomal compartment. We identified the gene/transcript fragments encoding RILP-related proteins (RILP1 and RILP2) in Paramecium by PCR/RT-PCR and sequencing. The deduced amino acid sequences of RILP1 and RILP2 show 60.5% and 58.3% similarity, respectively, to the region involved in regulating of lysosomal morphology and dynein-dynactin recruitment of human RILP. RILP colocalised with Rab7 in Paramecium lysosomes and at phagolysosomal membrane during phagocytosis of both the latex beads and bacteria. In the same compartment LAMP-2 was present and its expression during latex internalisation was 2.5-fold higher than in the control when P2 protein fractions (100,000 x g) of equal load were quantified by immunoblotting. LAMP-2 cross-reacting polypeptide of approximately106 kDa was glycosylated as shown by fluorescent and Western analysis of the same blot preceded by PNGase F treatment. The alpha7 subunit of 26S proteasome was detected close to the phagosomal membrane in the small vesicles, in some of which it colocalised with Rab7. Immunoblotting confirmed presence of RILP-related polypeptide and a7 subunit of 26S proteasome in Paramecium protein fractions. These results suggest that Rab7, RILP and LAMP-2 may be involved in phagosome maturation in Paramecium.

Alterations in the protein pattern of subcellular fractions isolated from Paramecium cells suppressed in phagocytosis.

SDS-PAGE and quantitative densitometric analysis revealed alterations in the protein pattern of subcellular fractions (100,000 x g) isolated from Paramecium aurelia (299s axenic) cells suppressed in phagocytosis as compared with the control. Two different agents were used to block phagocytosis: the beta-adrenergic antagonist-1-propranolol (200 microM) and inhibitor of calmodulin-dependent processes--trifluoperazine (20 microM). More than 40 polypeptides were identified in the cytosolic (soluble) fractions S1 and S2. A considerable decrease in band intensity was found for three polypeptides: by 60% for 87 kDa band, 52% for 75 kDa and 37% for 42 kDa in comparison to the control, when S2 fractions from propranolol-treated cells of equal load were quantified. TFP treatment evoked only a small decrease in the intensity of the same bands: 9%, 10% and 6%, respectively. The 42 kDa band was identified by Western blot analysis and chemiluminiscent detection to be actin. This result suggests that actin may be a primary target of pharmacological agents used in this study to inhibit Paramecium phagocytic activity.

Effect of wortmannin and phorbol ester on Paramecium fluid-phase uptake in the presence of transferrin.

The kinetics of the uptake of the fluid phase marker Lucifer Yellow (LY), and its alteration by wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K), and the PKC modulators: GF 109203 X, an inhibitor, and phorbol ester, an activator was studied in eukaryotic model Paramecium aurelia. Spectrophotometric quantification of LY accumulation was performed in the presence or absence of transferrin, a marker of receptor-mediated endocytosis. Internalization of LY showed a curvilinear kinetics: the high initial rate of LY uptake (575 ng LY/mg protein/hr) decreased almost 5-fold within 15 min, reaching plateau at 126 ng/mg protein/hr. Transferrin induced a small increase (7.5%) in the fluid phase uptake rate (after 5 min) followed by a small decrease at longer incubation times. Lucifer Yellow and transferrin (visualized by streptavidin-FITC) were localized in Paramecium by 3-D reconstruction by confocal microscopy. LY showed a scattered, diffuse fluorescence typical of fluid phase uptake whereas transferrin accumulated in membrane-surrounded endosomes. Wortmannin did not affect LY accumulation but decreased it when transferrin was present in the incubation medium. This suggests an effect on the transferrin uptake pathway, presumably on the stage of internalization in "mixing" endosomes to which transferrin and LY were targeted. Phorbol ester diminished LY accumulation by 22% and this effect persisted up to 25 min of incubation. PKC inhibitor did not affect LY uptake. However, in the presence of transferrin, the LY uptake increased within the first 15 minutes followed by a rapid 20% decrease in comparison to the control. Such an effect of PKC modulators suggests that PMA action on fluid phase uptake is not directly mediated by PKC.

[Beta-3 adrenergic receptor--structure and role in obesity and metabolic disorders]. / Receptor beta 3-adrenergiczny--struktura oraz rola w otylosci i zaburzeniach metabolicznych.

Structure and essential motifs of beta 3-adrenergic receptor (known previously as atypical beta-AR), which plays a central role in regulation of lipid metabolism have been described. Obesity results from an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. The consequence of catecholamine activation of beta 3-AR is increased mobilization of fatty acids from triglyceride stores (lipolysis) in brown and white adipose tissue as well as increased fatty acid beta-oxidation and heat-production via UCP-1 (thermogenesis) in brown adipose tissue. A pharmacokinetic effects of beta 3-agonists and putative involvement of Trp/Arg mutation in beta 3-AR gene in obesity and another metabolic disorders have been discussed.

RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis in search for a putative Paramecium beta-adrenergic receptor.

RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis were performed in order to search for a putative beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) in Paramecium using several beta2-adrenergic-specific molecular probes. Under strictly defined RT-PCR conditions DNA species of expected molecular size about 360 bp were generated with the primers corresponding to the universal mammalian beta2-AR sequence tagged sites (located within the 4th and the 6th transmembrane regions of the receptor). This RT-PCR product hybridized in Southern blot analysis with the oligonucleotide probe designed to the highly conservative beta2-AR region involved in G-proteins interaction and located within the amplified region. Northern hybridization was performed on Paramecium total RNA and mRNA with human beta2-AR cDNA and two oligonucleotide probes: the first included Phe 290 involved in agonist binding (Strader et al., 1995) and the second was the backward RT-PCR primer. All these probes revealed the presence of about 2 kb mRNA which is consistent with the size of beta2-AR transcripts found in higher eukaryotes.