A Crude 1-DNJ Extract from Home Made Bombyx Batryticatus Inhibits Diabetic Cardiomyopathy-Associated Fibrosis in db/db Mice and Reduces Protein N-Glycosylation Levels.

The traditional Chinese drug Bombyx Batryticatus (BB), which is also named the white stiff silkworm, has been widely used in Chinese clinics for thousands of years. It is famous for its antispasmodic and blood circulation-promoting effects. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, interstitial cell hyperplasia, and myocardial fibrosis are closely related to the N-glycosylation of key proteins. To examine the alterations of N-glycosylation that occur in diabetic myocardium during the early stage of the disease, and to clarify the therapeutic effect of 1-Deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ) extracted from BB, we used the db/db (diabetic) mouse model and an approach based on hydrophilic chromatography solid-phase extraction integrated with an liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS) identification strategy to perform a site-specific N-glycosylation analysis of left ventricular cardiomyocyte proteins. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), hydroxyproline, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and other serum biochemical indicators were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). In addition, the α-1,6-fucosylation of N-glycans was profiled with lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA) lectin blots and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled lectin affinity histochemistry. The results indicated that 1-DNJ administration obviously downregulated myocardium protein N-glycosylation in db/db mice. The expression levels of serum indicators and fibrosis-related cytokines were reduced significantly by 1-DNJ in a dose-dependent manner. The glycan α-1,6-fucosylation level of the db/db mouse myocardium was elevated, and the intervention effect of 1-DNJ administration on N-glycan α-1,6-fucosylation was significant. To verify this result, the well-known transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß)/Smad2/3 pathway was selected, and core α-1,6-fucosylated TGF-ß receptor II (TGFR-ßII) was analysed semi-quantitatively with western blotting. The result supported the conclusions obtained from LCA lectin affinity histochemistry and lectin blot analysis. The expression level of α-1,6-fucosyltransferase (FUT8) mRNA was also detected, and the results showed that 1-DNJ administration did not cause obvious inhibitory effects on FUT8 expression. Therefore, the mechanism of 1-DNJ for relieving diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM)-associated fibrosis can be concluded as the inhibition of N-acetylglucosamine (N-GlcNAc) formation and the reduction of substrate concentration.

Comparison of three methods of protein extraction from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus for two-dimensional electrophoresis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore an effective method of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus protein extraction suitable for two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis. METHODS: The extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were prepared with Coca's solution, lysis buffer of 2-DE, and Trizol reagent, respectively. Bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay was used to determine the total protein concentration of the samples. The efficiency of different protein extraction methods were evaluated with 2-DE analysis. RESULTS: The concentrations of extracted protein by methods of Coca's solution, lysis buffer, and Trizol reagent were 0.63 g/L, 0.90 g/L, and 0.80 g/L, respectively. The 2-DE analysis results showed that some protein spots in low molecular weight (LMW) range could be detected with the Coca's solution method. With the lysis buffer of 2-DE method, more protein spots in LMW range could be detected, while the medium molecular weight (MMW) protein spots were absent. Several MMW protein spots (174-178 kD and 133 kD) and more LMW protein spots were detected with Trizol reagent method. CONCLUSIONS: Among Coca's solution, lysis buffer of 2-DE, and Trizol reagent, the concentration of extracted protein of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus by lysis buffer of 2-DE is the highest. However, most protein components of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus purified mite bodies can be extracted by Trizol reagent, which may generally reflect the whole profile of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens.

A strategy for precise and large scale identification of core fucosylated glycoproteins.

Core fucosylation (CF) patterns of some glycoproteins are more sensitive and specific than evaluation of their total respective protein levels for diagnosis of many diseases, such as cancers. Global profiling and quantitative characterization of CF glycoproteins may reveal potent biomarkers for clinical applications. However, current techniques are unable to reveal CF glycoproteins precisely on a large scale. Here we developed a robust strategy that integrates molecular weight cutoff, neutral loss-dependent MS(3), database-independent candidate spectrum filtering, and optimization to effectively identify CF glycoproteins. The rationale for spectrum treatment was innovatively based on computation of the mass distribution in spectra of CF glycopeptides. The efficacy of this strategy was demonstrated by implementation for plasma from healthy subjects and subjects with hepatocellular carcinoma. Over 100 CF glycoproteins and CF sites were identified, and over 10,000 mass spectra of CF glycopeptide were found. The scale of identification results indicates great progress for finding biomarkers with a particular and attractive prospect, and the candidate spectra will be a useful resource for the improvement of database searching methods for glycopeptides.

[Proteomic analysis of G2/M arrest of HL-60 cells induced by MG132].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Proteasome inhibitor, which can induce apoptosis in various tumor cells, is a kind of potential antitumor drug. This study was to identify the proteins involved in G(2)/M arrest of leukemia cell line HL-60 exposed to proteasome inhibitor MG132 by proteomic techniques. METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to examine cell cycle of HL-60 cells exposed to 2.5 micromol/L MG132. Nuclear extracts of HL-60 cells were prepared, and the purity was detected by light microscopy and Western blot, and the differentially expressed protein spots were determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and identified with MALDI-TOF-TOF/MS. RESULTS: There was a distinct G(2)/M phase arrest before the apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by 2.5 micromol/L MG132. Twenty-three differentially expressed protein spots were found between MG132-treated and control HL-60 cells; 8 nuclear proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF-TOF/MS analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The detected proteins, such as eIF5A and splicing factor, may be involved in regulation of G(2)/M arrest of HL-60 cells. These findings will be helpful for revealing molecular mechanisms of proteasome inhibitor-induced G(2)/M phase arrest and apoptosis of leukemia cell line.

[Proteomics-based identification of Maspin differential expression in bronchial epithelial immortalized cells and malignant transformation cells].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Maspin, a serepin inhibitor, plays a key role in tumor growth and metastasis. The aim of this study was to identify the differential expression of Maspin in malignant transformation process of bronchial epithelial cells by proteomics. METHODS: Functional proteomics analysis of Maspin on bronchial epithelial immortalized cells and malignant transformation cells was carried out using immobilized pH gradient (IPG) two-dimensional electrophoresis, peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF), and post source decay (PSD) of bio-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Nearly 1500 expressed proteins profile on bronchial epithelial immortalized cells and malignant transformation cells were obtained in the range of MW 14.4-94 kDa, PI 3-10. Image analysis showed that Maspin was down-regulated in malignant transformation cells compared with that in immortalized cells. Northern blot analysis showed that the mRNA abundance of Maspin in malignant transformation cells was much lower than that in immortalized cells. CONCLUSION: Alteration expression of Maspin at transcription and translation levels might be involved in carcinogenesis of lung.

Loss of clusterin both in serum and tissue correlates with the tumorigenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via proteomics approaches.

AIM: To identify the differentially secreted proteins or polypeptides associated with tumorigenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) from serum and to find potential tumor secreted biomarkers. METHODS: Proteins from human ESCC tissue and its matched adjacent normal tissue; pre-surgery and post-surgery serum; and pre-surgery and normal control serum were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) to identify differentially expressed proteins. The silver-stained 2-DE were scanned with digital ImageScanner and analyzed with ImageMaster 2D Elite 3.10 software. A cluster of protein spots differentially expressed were selected and identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). One of the differentially expressed proteins, clusterin, was down-regulated in cancer tissue and pre-surgery serum, but it was reversed in post-surgery serum. The results were confirmed by semi-quantitative reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR and western blot. RESULTS: Comparisons of the protein spots identified on the 2-DE maps from human matched sera showed that some proteins were differentially expressed, with most of them showing no differences in composition, shape or density. Being analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS and database searching, clusterin was differentially expressed and down-regulated in both cancer tissue and pre-surgery serum compared with their counterparts. The results were also validated by RT-PCR and western blot. CONCLUSION: The differentially expressed clusterin may play a key role during tumorigenesis of ESCC. The 2DE-MS based proteomic approach is one of the powerful tools for discovery of secreted markers from peripheral.

[Analysis of proteins with altered expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is characterized by high incidence and high mortality. This study was designed to identify the proteins dysregulated in ECSS by. METHODS: Microdissection of routinely unstained frozen sections was used to procure cancer cells from seven esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, and esophageal epithelial cells from normal tissues adjacent to the tumors. By two-dimensional electrophoresis, protein profiles of normal and cancerous tissues were obtained. Selected proteins with altered expression in tumors were identified through MALDI-TOF-MS. RESULTS: Compared the protein profiles of tumors with those of normal epithelia, 11 proteins were found as dysregulated in tumors. Among them, HSP27 was observed up-expressed and three isoforms of ANNEXIN I were seen down-expressed in cancerous tissues. CONCLUSION: Two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry can contribute to rapidly screen dysregulated proteins in human maligancies. Altered expressions of HSP27 and ANNEXIN I were the frequent events in Chinese esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

[Analysis of the proteomic changes of the serum of the Smad3 targeted deficient mice].

We have studied the proteomic changes of the serum of the Smad3 targeted deficient mice using 2-DE and PMF approaches. 7 proteins expressed at different level in wild type mice and the Smad3 deficient mice were identified. These results would benefit the research on diagnosis and therapy of osteoarthritis and provided clues to studying the important function of Smad3 mediated TGF-beta signals during the skeletal development.

Three isoforms of annexin I are preferentially expressed in normal esophageal epithelia but down-regulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

The development and progression of human cancer are believed to be due to the alterations of multiple genes or/and their protein products. For identifying the proteins associated with esophageal cancer, we analysed the protein profiles of 24 pairs of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas/matched adjacent normal epithelia. Microdissection of routinely unstained frozen sections was performed to purify cancerous and epithelial cells. The protein expression profiles were obtained by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Selected proteins dysregulated in tumors were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. Three isoforms of annexin I were detected in normal esophageal mucosa and down-regulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. RT-PCR analysis showed annexin I mRNA levels were significantly reduced in 17 out of 24 carcinomas. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that annexin I appeared strong positive in all normal epithelia layers except basal cells. In cancer tissues, decreased expression of annexin I was observed in 12 out of 16 well differentiated tumors, 16 out of 17 moderately differentiated tumors, and 3 out of 3 poorly differentiated tumors as compared with the corresponding normal esophageal epithelia. There was a significant correlation between annexin I expression and the status of tumor differentiation. Well differentiated tumors presented stronger immunohistochemical reaction than moderately and poorly differentiated tumors. These data suggested that there existed three different isoforms of annexin I in normal esophageal epithelia, which may be the results of post-translational modification. Down-expression of three annexin I isoforms was a frequent event in esophageal carcinogenesis.