Selective depletion of hepatic stellate cells-specific LOXL1 alleviates liver fibrosis.

The role of LOXL1 in fibrosis via mediating ECM crosslinking and stabilization is well established; however, the role of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs)-specific LOXL1 in the development of fibrosis remains unknown. We generated HSCs-specific Loxl1-depleted mice (Loxl1Gfap-cre mice) to investigate the HSCs-specific contribution of LOXL1 in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. Loxl1fl/fl mice were used as the control. Furthermore, we used RNA sequencing to explore the underlying changes in the transcriptome. Results of the sirius red staining, type I collagen immunolabeling, and hydroxyproline content analysis, coupled with the reduced expression of profibrogenic genes revealed that Loxl1Gfap-cre mice with CCl4 -induced fibrosis exhibited decreased hepatic fibrosis. In addition, Loxl1Gfap-cre mice exhibited reduced macrophage tissue infiltration by CD68-positive cells and decreased expression of inflammatory genes compared with the controls. RNA sequencing identified integrin α8 (ITGA8) as a key modulator of LOXL1-mediated liver fibrosis. Functional analyses showed that siRNA silencing of Itga8 in cultured fibroblasts led to a decline in the LOXL1 expression and inhibition of fibroblast activation. Mechanistic analyses indicated that LOXL1 activated the FAK/PI3K/AKT/HIF1a signaling pathway, and the addition of inhibitors of FAK or PI3K reversed these results via downregulation of LOXL1. Furthermore, HIF1a directly interacted with LOXL1 and upregulated its expression, indicating that LOXL1 can positively self-regulate by forming a positive feedback loop with the FAK/PI3K/AKT/HIF1a pathway. We demonstrated that HSCs-specific Loxl1 deficiency prevented fibrosis, inflammation and that ITGA8/FAK/PI3K/AKT/HIF1a was essential for the function and expression of LOXL1. Knowledge of this approach can provide novel mechanisms and targets to treat fibrosis in the future.

Mass cytometry and transcriptomic profiling reveal body-wide pathology induced by Loxl1 deficiency.

OBJECTIVE: The loss of LOXL1 expression reportedly leads to the prolapse of pelvic organs or to exfoliation syndrome glaucoma. Increasing evidence suggests that LOXL1 deficiency is associated with the pathogenesis of several other diseases. However, the characterization of the systemic functions of LOXL1 is limited by the lack of relevant investigative technologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the functions of LOXL1, a novel method for body-wide organ transcriptome profiling, combined with single-cell mass cytometry, was developed. A body-wide organ transcriptomic (BOT) map was created by RNA-Seq of tissues from 17 organs from both Loxl1 knockout (KO) and wild-type mice. RESULTS: The BOT results indicated the systemic upregulation of genes encoding proteins associated with the immune response and proliferation processes in multiple tissues of KO mice, and histological and immune staining confirmed the hyperplasia and infiltration of local immune cells in the tissues of KO mice. Furthermore, mass cytometry analysis of peripheral blood samples revealed systemic immune changes in KO mice. These findings were well correlated with results obtained from cancer databases. Patients with tumours had higher Loxl1 mutation frequencies, and patients with Loxl1-mutant tumours showed the upregulation of immune processes and cell proliferation and lower survival rates. CONCLUSION: This study provides an effective strategy for the screening of gene functions in multiple organs and also illustrates the important biological roles of LOXL1 in the cells of multiple organs as well as in systemic immunity.

Quantitative Morphometry of Elastic Fibers in Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is common among older women who have delivered children vaginally. While the pathophysiology is not fully delineated, POP can occur in part from insufficient repair of disrupted elastic matrix fibers. Quantification of structural changes to elastic fibers has not been described previously for POP. The goal of this paper is to present a validated technique for morphometric analysis of elastic fibers in vaginal tissue cultures from lysyl oxidase like-1 knock out (LOXL1 KO) mice with POP. The effect of LOXL1 KO, effect of POP, effect of culture, and effect of elastogenic treatment on the changes in elastin fiber characteristics were tested using vaginal tissues from wild type multiparous (WT), LOXL1 KO multiparous prolapsed (POP) and LOXL1 KO multiparous non-prolapsed (NP) mice. Our results show significantly higher mean aspect ratio, maximum diameter and perimeter length in POP compared to NP after 3 weeks of tissue culture. Further, treatment of POP tissues in culture with growth factors with previously documented elastogenic effects caused a significant increase in the mean area and perimeter length of elastic fibers. This technique thus appears to be useful in quantifying structural changes and can be used to assess the pathophysiology of POP and the effect of elastogenic treatments with potential for POP.

Lysyl oxidase-like 2 depletion is protective in age-associated vascular stiffening.

Vascular stiffening and its sequelae are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. The increasingly accepted concept of "smooth muscle cell (SMC) stiffness syndrome" along with matrix deposition has emerged in vascular biology to account for the mechanical phenotype of arterial aging, but the molecular targets remain elusive. In this study, using an unbiased proteomic analysis, we identified lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) as a critical SMC mediator for age-associated vascular stiffening. We tested the hypothesis that loss of LOXL2 function is protective in aging-associated vascular stiffening. We determined that exogenous and endogenous nitric oxide markedly decreased LOXL2 abundance and activity in the extracellular matrix of isolated SMCs and LOXL2 endothelial cells suppress LOXL2 abundance in the aorta. In a longitudinal study, LOXL2+/- mice were protected from age-associated increase in pulse-wave velocity, an index of vascular stiffening, as occurred in littermate wild-type mice. Using isolated aortic segments, we found that LOXL2 mediates vascular stiffening in aging by promoting SMC stiffness, augmented SMC contractility, and vascular matrix deposition. Together, these studies establish LOXL2 as a nodal point for a new therapeutic approach to treat age-associated vascular stiffening. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Increased central vascular stiffness augments risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Despite significant advances in understanding the genetic and molecular underpinnings of vascular stiffening, targeted therapy has remained elusive. Here, we show that lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) drives vascular stiffening during aging by promoting matrix remodeling and vascular smooth muscle cell stiffening. Reduced LOXL2 expression protects mice from age-associated vascular stiffening and delays the onset of isolated systolic hypertension, a major consequence of stiffening.

Lysyl Oxidase-Like 1 Protein Deficiency Protects Mice from Adenoviral Transforming Growth Factor-ß1-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the lung parenchyma. The abnormal ECM deposition slowly overtakes normal lung tissue, disturbing gas exchange and leading to respiratory failure and death. ECM cross-linking and subsequent stiffening is thought to be a major contributor of disease progression and also promotes the activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, one of the main profibrotic growth factors. Lysyl oxidase-like (LOXL) 1 belongs to the cross-linking enzyme family and has been shown to be up-regulated in active fibrotic regions of bleomycin-treated mice and patients with IPF. We demonstrate in this study that LOXL1-deficient mice are protected from experimental lung fibrosis induced by overexpression of TGF-ß1 using adenoviral (Ad) gene transfer (AdTGF-ß1). The lack of LOXL1 prevented accumulation of insoluble cross-linked collagen in the lungs, and therefore limited lung stiffness after AdTGF-ß1. In addition, we applied mechanical stretch to lung slices from LOXL1+/+ and LOXL1-/- mice treated with AdTGF-ß1. Lung stiffness (Young's modulus) of LOXL1-/- lung slices was significantly lower compared with LOXL1+/+ lung slices. Moreover, the release of activated TGF-ß1 after mechanical stretch was significantly lower in LOXL1-/- mice compared with LOXL1+/+ mice after AdTGF-ß1. These data support the concept that cross-linking enzyme inhibition represents an interesting therapeutic target for drug development in IPF.

Lysyl Oxidase-like Protein LOXL2 Promotes Lung Metastasis of Breast Cancer.

The lysyl oxidase-like protein LOXL2 has been suggested to contribute to tumor progression and metastasis, but in vivo evidence has been lacking. Here we provide functional evidence that LOXL2 is a key driver of breast cancer metastasis in two conditional transgenic mouse models of PyMT-induced breast cancer. LOXL2 ablation in mammary tumor cells dramatically decreased lung metastasis, whereas LOXL2 overexpression promoted metastatic tumor growth. LOXL2 depletion or overexpression in tumor cells does not affect extracellular matrix stiffness or organization in primary and metastatic tumors, implying a function for LOXL2 independent of its conventional role in extracellular matrix remodeling. In support of this likelihood, cellular and molecular analyses revealed an association of LOXL2 action with elevated levels of the EMT regulatory transcription factor Snail1 and expression of several cytokines that promote premetastatic niche formation. Taken together, our findings established a pathophysiologic role and new function for LOXL2 in breast cancer metastasis. Cancer Res; 77(21); 5846-59. ©2017 AACR.

Lysyl Oxidase 3 Is a Dual-Specificity Enzyme Involved in STAT3 Deacetylation and Deacetylimination Modulation.

In mammalian cells, histone deacetylase (HDAC) and Sirtuin (SIRT) are two families responsible for removing acetyl groups from acetylated proteins. Here, we describe protein deacetylation coupled with deacetylimination as a function of lysyl oxidase (LOX) family members. LOX-like 3 (Loxl3) associates with Stat3 in the nucleus to deacetylate and deacetyliminate Stat3 on multiple acetyl-lysine sites. Surprisingly, Loxl3 N-terminal scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) repeats, rather than the C-terminal oxidase catalytic domain, represent the major deacetylase/deacetyliminase activity. Loxl3-mediated deacetylation/deacetylimination disrupts Stat3 dimerization, abolishes Stat3 transcription activity, and restricts cell proliferation. In Loxl3-/- mice, Stat3 is constitutively acetylated and naive CD4+ T cells are potentiated in Th17/Treg cell differentiation. When overexpressed, the SRCR repeats from other LOX family members can catalyze protein deacetylation/deacetylimination. Thus, our findings delineate a hitherto-unknown mechanism of protein deacetylation and deacetylimination catalyzed by lysyl oxidases.

Attenuating l-lysine production by deletion of ddh and lysE and their effect on l-threonine and l-isoleucine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

The fermentative production of l-threonine and l-isoleucine with Corynebacterium glutamicum is usually accompanied by the by-production of l-lysine, which shares partial biosynthesis pathway with l-threonine and l-isoleucine. Since the direct precursor for l-lysine synthesis, diaminopimelate, is a component of peptidoglycan and thus essential for cell wall synthesis, reducing l-lysine by-production could be troublesome. Here, a basal strain with eliminated l-lysine production was constructed from the wild type C. glutamicum ATCC13869 by deleting the chromosomal ddh and lysE. Furthermore, the basal strain as well as the ddh single mutant strain was engineered for l-threonine production by over-expressing lysC1, hom1 and thrB, and for l-isoleucine production by over-expressing lysC1, hom1, thrB and ilvA1. Fermentation experiments with the engineered strains showed that (i) deletion of ddh improved l-threonine production by 17%, and additional deletion of lysE further improved l-threonine production by 28%; (ii) deletion of ddh improved l-isoleucine production by 8% and improved cell growth by 21%, whereas additional deletion of lysE had no further influence on both l-isoleucine production and cell growth; (iii) l-lysine by-production was reduced by 95% and 86% in l-threonine and l-isoleucine production, respectively, by deletion of ddh and lysE. This is the first report on improving l-threonine and l-isoleucine production by deleting ddh and lysE in C. glutamicum. The results demonstrate deletion of ddh and lysE as an effective strategy to reduce l-lysine by-production without surrendering the cell growth of C. glutamicum.

Loss of Lysyl Oxidase-like 3 Attenuates Embryonic Lung Development in Mice.

Lysyl oxidase-like 3 (LOXL3), a human disease gene candidate, is a member of the lysyl oxidase (LOX) family and is indispensable for mouse palatogenesis and vertebral column development. Our previous study showed that the loss of LOXL3 resulted in a severe cleft palate and spinal deformity. In this study, we investigated a possible role for LOXL3 in mouse embryonic lung development. LOXL3-deficient mice displayed reduced lung volumes and weights, diminished saccular spaces, and deformed and smaller thoracic cavities. Excess elastic fibres were detected in LOXL3-deficient lungs, which might be related to the increased LOXL4 expression. Increased transforming growth factor ß1 (TGFß1) expression might be involved in the up-regulation of LOXL4 in LOXL3-deficient lungs. We concluded that the loss of LOXL3 attenuates mouse embryonic lung development.

Sex-Linked Skeletal Phenotype of Lysyl Oxidase Like-1 Mutant Mice.

Lysyl oxidases are required for collagen and elastin cross-linking and extracellular matrix maturation including in bone. The lysyl oxidase family consists of lysyl oxidase (LOX) and 4 isoforms (LOXL1-4). Here we investigate whether deletion of LOXL1, which has been linked primarily to elastin maturation, leads to skeletal abnormalities. Left femurs (n = 8), L5 vertebrae (n = 8), and tibiae (n = 8) were analyzed by micro-computed tomography in 13-week-old wild-type (WT) and LOXL1-/- male and female mice. Right femurs (n = 8) were subjected to immunohistochemistry for LOXL1, and histochemical/histology analyses of osteoclasts and growth plates. Sera from all mice were analyzed for bone turnover markers. Results indicate strong expression of LOXL1 in wild-type growth plates in femurs. Significant deterioration of trabecular bone structure in long bones and vertebrae from female was observed but not from male, mutant mice compared with WT. Decreases in BV/TV, Conn.D, trabecular thickness, and number in the femoral distal metaphysis were observed in female, but not in male, mutant mice. Trabecular spacing was increased significantly in femurs of female mutant mice. Findings were similar in trabeculae of L5 vertebrae from female mutant mice. The number of TRAP positive osteoclasts at the trabecular bone surface was increased in female mutant mice compared with WT females, consistent with increased serum RANKL and decreased OPG levels. Analysis of bone turnover markers confirmed increased bone resorption as indicated by significantly elevated CTX-1 in the serum of female LOXL1-/- mice compared to their wild-type counterparts, as well as decreased bone formation as measured by decreased serum levels of PINP. Picrosirius red staining revealed a loss of heterogeneity in collagen organization in female LOXL1-/- mice only, with little to no yellow and orange birefringence. Organization was also impaired in chondrocyte columns in both female and male LOXL1-/- mice, but to a greater extent in females. Data indicate that LOXL1-/- mutant mice develop appendicular and axial skeletal phenotypes characterized by decreased bone volume fraction and compromised trabecular microstructure, predominantly in females.

LOXL1 deficiency negatively impacts the biomechanical properties of the mouse vagina and supportive tissues.

Mice deficient in lysyl oxidase-like1 protein (LOXL1(-/-)) develop pelvic organ prolapse (POP). We sought to determine the impact of LOXL1(-/-) on the biomechanical properties of the vagina and its supportive tissues tested as a complex. Tissues of nulliparous LOXL1(-/-) and age-matched wild type (WT) mice were tested to failure to obtain load-distension curves. Data were compared utilizing one-way analysis of variance and appropriate post hoc tests. The groups demonstrated different biomechanical behavior, with LOXL1(-/-) animals displaying a 31% decrease in ultimate load at failure (p=0.001). Experimental disruption of specific levels of support in WT mice failed to generate load-distension curves similar to the LOXL1(-/-) mice indicating a global instead of a site-specific tissue defect. The decrease in the ultimate load at failure in the LOXL1(-/-) mice suggests mechanically weaker tissues. LOXL1 mutation results in a global defect in connective tissues and correlates with altered biomechanical behavior of the vagina and supportive tissues.

Pelvic organ prolapse in fibulin-5 knockout mice: pregnancy-induced changes in elastic fiber homeostasis in mouse vagina.

Pelvic organ prolapse is strongly associated with a history of vaginal delivery. The mechanisms by which pregnancy and parturition lead to failure of pelvic organ support, however, are not known. Recently, it was reported that mice with null mutations in lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) develop pelvic organ prolapse. Elastin is a substrate for lysyl oxidase (LOX) and LOXL1, and LOXL1 interacts with fibulin-5 (FBLN5). Therefore, to clarify the potential role of elastic fiber assembly in the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic organ support was characterized in Fbln5-/- mice, and changes in elastic fiber homeostasis in the mouse vagina during pregnancy and parturition were determined. Pelvic organ prolapse in Fbln5-/- mice was remarkably similar to that in primates. The temporal relationship between LOX mRNA and protein, processing of LOXL1 protein, FBLN5 and tropoelastin protein, and desmosine content in the vagina suggest that a burst of elastic fiber assembly and cross linking occurs in the vaginal wall postpartum. Together with the phenotype of Fbln5-/- mice, the results suggest that synthesis and assembly of elastic fibers are crucial for recovery of pelvic organ support after vaginal delivery and that disordered elastic fiber homeostasis is a primary event in the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse in mice.

PKU is a reversible neurodegenerative process within the nigrostriatum that begins as early as 4 weeks of age in Pah(enu2) mice.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a common genetic disorder in humans that arises from deficient activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), which catalyzes the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine. There is a resultant hyperphenylalanemia with subsequent impairment in cognitive abilities, executive functions and motor coordination. The neuropathogenesis of the disease has not been completely elucidated, however, oxidative stress is considered to be a key feature of the disease process. Hyperphenylalanemia also adversely affects monoaminergic metabolism in the brain. For this reason we chose to evaluate the nigrostriatum of Pah(enu2) mice, to determine if alterations of monoamine metabolism resulted in morphologic nigrostriatal pathology. Furthermore, we believe that recent developments in adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors have greatly increased the potential for long-term gene therapy and may be a viable alternative to dietary treatment for this metabolic disorder. In this study we identified neurodegenerative changes with regenerative responses in the nigrostriatum of Pah(enu2) mice that are consistent with oxidative injury and occurred as early as 4 weeks of age. These neuropathologic changes were reversed following portal vein delivery of a recombinant adeno-associated virus-mouse phenylalanine hydroxylase-woodchuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional response element (rAAV-mPAH-WPRE) vector to Pah(enu2) mice and corresponded to rapid reduction of serum Phe levels.

Structural and mechanistic studies on ThiO, a glycine oxidase essential for thiamin biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis.

The thiO gene of Bacillus subtilis encodes an FAD-dependent glycine oxidase. This enzyme is a homotetramer with a monomer molecular mass of 42 kDa. In this paper, we demonstrate that ThiO is required for the biosynthesis of the thiazole moiety of thiamin pyrophosphate and describe the structure of the enzyme with N-acetylglycine bound at the active site. The closest structural relatives of ThiO are sarcosine oxidase and d-amino acid oxidase. The ThiO structure, as well as the observation that N-cyclopropylglycine is a good substrate, supports a hydride transfer mechanism for the enzyme. A mechanistic proposal for the role of ThiO in thiazole biosynthesis is also described.

Non-concordance of CVS and liver glycine cleavage enzyme in three families with non-ketotic hyperglycinaemia (NKH) leading to false negative prenatal diagnoses.

We report three false negative prenatal diagnostic results, using direct measurement of glycine cleavage enzyme activity in uncultured chorionic villus tissue from 290 pregnancies at risk for non-ketotic hyperglycinaemia (NKH). Testing was done by two centres: Vancouver, Canada and Lyon, France. One false negative result had activity near the lower limit of the normal range but two samples gave completely normal results well within the control range. All three pregnancies continued and the three children were born affected with NKH. Because of the first result, we now counsel that there is a grey zone of uninterpretable activity where affected and normal enzyme values overlap. Because of the other two results we now counsel that there is an approximately 1% chance of a pregnancy with a normal CVS activity resulting in an affected child. The clinical and biochemical findings in the three families are discussed.

Hypertension in mice lacking the gene for endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

Nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator produced by endothelial cells, is thought to be the endothelium-dependent relaxing factor (EDRF) which mediates vascular relaxation in response to acetylcholine, bradykinin and substance P in many vascular beds. NO has been implicated in the regulation of blood pressure and regional blood flow, and also affects vascular smooth-muscle proliferation and inhibits platelet aggregation and leukocyte adhesion. Abnormalities in endothelial production of NO occur in atherosclerosis, diabetes and hypertension. Pharmacological blockade of NO production with arginine analogues such as L-nitroarginine (L-NA) or L-N-arginine methyl ester affects multiple isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and so cannot distinguish their physiological roles. To study the role of endothelial NOS (eNOS) in vascular function, we disrupted the gene encoding eNOS in mice. Endothelium-derived relaxing factor activity, as assayed by acetylcholine-induced relaxation, is absent, and the eNOS mutant mice are hypertensive. Thus eNOS mediates basal vasodilation. Responses to NOS blockade in the mutant mice suggest that non-endothelial isoforms of NOS may be involved in maintaining blood pressure.

Effects of targeted neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene disruption and nitroG-L-arginine methylester on the threshold for isoflurane anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Considerable evidence suggests that nitric oxide plays a role in synaptic transmission in the central and peripheral nervous system. Nonselective inhibition of nitric oxide synthase by nitroG-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) reduces the minimum alveolar concentration of halothane anesthesia. The effects of selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibition on the anesthetic requirements in mice congenitally deficient in neuronal nitric oxide synthase (knockout mice) were examined. METHODS: Isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration and righting reflex ED50 (RRED50) were determined in knockout and wild-type mice. Subsequently, the effects of intraperitoneal L-NAME on minimum alveolar concentration and RRED50 of knockout and wild-type mice were examined. In a separate experiment, the effects of week-long administration of L-NAME were examined in wild-type mice. Isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration and RRED50 were measured on the 8th day and were repeated after an acute intraperitoneal dose of L-NAME. RESULTS: Targeted disruption of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene did not modify isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration and RRED50 of knockout mice. Acute intraperitoneal L-NAME decreased the minimum alveolar concentration and RRED50 of wild-type but did not alter those values in knockout mice. The wild-type mice, when given L-NAME for a week, showed a minimum alveolar concentration and RRED50 identical to that of untreated wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS: Although acute nonselective inhibition of nitric oxide synthase reduces the anesthetic requirements of wild-type mice, a chronic congenital deficiency of neuronal nitric oxide synthase or a week of L-NAME treatment of wild-type mice does not produce a state of greater sensitivity to the effects of isoflurane anesthesia.

Cerebrovascular alterations in mice lacking neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene expression.

Nitric oxide (NO) is known to mediate increases in regional cerebral blood flow elicited by CO2 inhalation. In mice with deletion of the gene for neuronal NO synthase (NOS), CO2 inhalation augments cerebral blood flow to the same extent as in wild-type mice. However, unlike wild-type mice, the increased flow in mutants is not blocked by the NOS inhibition, N omega-nitro-L-arginine, and CO2 exposure fails to increase brain levels of cGMP. Topical acetylcholine elicits vasodilation in the mutants which is blocked by N omega-nitro-L-arginine, indicating normal functioning of endothelial NOS. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining for endothelial NOS is normal in the mutants. Thus, following loss of neuronal NOS, the cerebral circulatory response is maintained by a compensatory system not involving NO.