Proapoptotic role of Hsp90 by its interaction with c-Jun N-terminal kinase in lipid rafts in edelfosine-mediated antileukemic therapy.

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a survival signaling chaperone and a cancer chemotherapeutic target. However, we have found that inhibitors of Hsp90 diminished the apoptotic response induced in leukemic cells by the antitumor alkyl-lysophospholipid analog edelfosine, which acts through lipid raft reorganization. Edelfosine treatment recruited Hsp90, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and apoptotic molecules in lipid rafts, but not the JNK regulators apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and Daxx, or the survival signaling molecules extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt. Following edelfosine treatment, Hsp90 bound to JNK in lipid rafts and Hsp90-JNK clusters were identified at the plasma membrane by immunoelectron microscopy. Hsp90 inhibition reduced JNK protein level in lipid rafts and turned proapoptotic persistent JNK activation into a transient response in edelfosine-treated cells. Decrease in edelfosine-induced JNK activation and apoptosis by Hsp90 inhibition was prevented through proteasome inhibition, suggesting that Hsp90 inhibition diminishes apoptosis by promoting JNK protein degradation. Expression of ASK1 dominant negative mutant did not affect JNK activation and apoptosis following edelfosine treatment. These data indicate that lipid raft-recruited JNK is ASK1-independent and becomes a novel Hsp90 client protein. Our results reveal a new chaperoning role of Hsp90 on JNK-mediated apoptosis following its recruitment in lipid rafts.

Changes in the two-dimensional proteome of the soluble fraction of nuclear proteins from Lepidium sativum root meristematic cells grown under clinorotation.

The changes in the fundamental biological processes of nuclear RNA transcription and splicing under altered gravity conditions are still unclear. The quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the proteins involved in nuclear RNA metabolism in control and under clinorotation were investigated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. We revealed firstly a decrease in the isoelectric point range of nuclear soluble proteins, which are known to be actively engaged in nuclear RNA metabolism, and a shortening in the molecular weight range of them under clinorotation. Moreover, minor and major proteins in clinorotated samples had decreased optical densities in comparison with control ones. Our results are in agreement with the hypothesis that a rearrangement of the pattern of nuclear proteins involved in gene expression processes occurs in seedlings grown and developed in altered gravity.

Optimization and validation of recombinant serological tests for African Swine Fever diagnosis based on detection of the p30 protein produced in Trichoplusia ni larvae.

We describe the validation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmatory immunoblotting assays based on a recombinant p30 protein (p30r) produced in insect larvae using a baculovirus vector. Such validation included the following: (i) the scaling up and standardization of p30r production and the associated immunoassays, (ii) a broad immunological analysis using a large number of samples (a total of 672) from Spain and different African locations, and (iii) the detection of the ASF virus (ASFV)-antibody responses at different times after experimental infection. Yields of p30r reached up to 15% of the total protein recovered from the infected larvae at 3 days postinfection. Serological analysis of samples collected in Spain revealed that the p30r-based ELISA presented similar sensitivity to and higher specificity than the conventional Office International des Epizooties-approved ASFV ELISA. Moreover, the p30r ELISA was more sensitive than the conventional ELISA test in detecting ASFV-specific antibodies in experimentally infected animals at early times postinfection. Both the recombinant and conventional ELISAs presented variable rates of sensitivity and specificity with African samples, apparently related to their geographical origin. Comparative analyses performed on the sequences, predicted structures, and antigenicities of p30 proteins from different Spanish and African isolates suggested that variability among isolates might correlate with changes in antigenicity, thus affecting detection by the p30r ELISA. Our estimations indicate that more than 40,000 ELISA determinations and 2,000 confirmatory immunoblotting tests can be performed with the p30r protein obtained from a single infected larva, making this a feasible and inexpensive strategy for production of serological tests with application in developing countries.

Subnucleolar location of fibrillarin and NopA64 in Lepidium sativum root meristematic cells is changed in altered gravity.

Fibrillarin and the plant nucleolin homolog NopA64 are two important nucleolar proteins involved in pre-rRNA processing. In order to determine the effects of the altered gravity environment on the nucleolus, we have investigated the location of fibrillarin and NopA64 in nucleolar subcomponents of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) root meristematic cells grown under clinorotation, which reproduces an important feature of microgravity, namely, the absence of the orienting action of a gravity vector, and compared it to the location in control cells grown in normal 1 g conditions. Prior to these experiments, we report here the characterization of cress fibrillarin as a 41 kDa protein which can be isolated from meristematic cells in three nuclear fractions, namely, the soluble ribonucleoprotein fraction, the chromatin fraction, and the nuclear-matrix fraction. Furthermore, as reported for other species, the location of both fibrillarin and NopA64 in the cress cell nucleolus was in zones known to contain complex ribonucleoprotein particles involved in early pre-rRNA processing, i.e., processomes. Under altered gravity, a decrease in the quantity of both fibrillarin and NopA64 compared to controls was observed in the transition zone between fibrillar centers and the dense fibrillar component, as well as in the bulk of the dense fibrillar component. These data suggest that altered (reduced) gravity results in a lowered level of functional activity in the nucleolus.

[Altered gravity affects subnucleolus localization of fibrillarin and NopA64, the most important proteins of rRNA processing].

Fibrillarin and plant nucleolin homologue NopA64 are two important nucleolar proteins involved in pre-rRNA processing. To understand better the effects of the altered gravity environment on the nucleolus functioning we have investigated the location of fibrillarin and NopA64 in nucleolar subcomponents of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) root meristematic cells grown under simulated microgravity that was compared to the control cells grown in normal conditions at I g. Cress fibrillarin was first shown to have the molecular weight 41 kDa. Both fibrillarin and NopA64 in the cress cell nucleolus are located in the zones known to contain processing pre-rRNA molecules as it has been previously reported in other species. The data confirm participation of these proteins in processomes--RNP complex particles involved in pre-rRNA processing. Under altered gravity a decrease in the quantity of both fibrillarin and NopA64 in the transition zone between fibrillar centres and the dense fibrillar component was observed, compared to control, which could point out to a lowering of the level of early pre-rRNA processing in these experimental conditions. This decrease was also detected in the bulk of the dense fibrillar component. These data support the idea that altered (reduced) gravity results in lowering the level of functional activity of the nucleolus.

Alterations of the intranucleolar DNA localization caused by simulated microgravity.

The functions of the nucleolus responsible for the biosynthesis of ribosomes in altered gravity are still unclear. The location of nucleolar DNA both in control and simulated microgravity with fluorescent and immunogold cytochemistry was investigated. We determined firstly the redistribution of rDNA in the nucleolar components accompanied with the changes in their ultrastructure. According to it, lowering the level of rDNA transcription in simulated microgravity was firstly proposed.