Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.25.1 (proteasome)
28,817 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tolerance in vivo and its in vitro counterpart, anergy, are defined as the state in which helper T lymphocytes are alive but incapable of producing IL-2 and expanding in response to optimal antigenic stimulation. Anergy is induced when the T cell receptor (TCR) is engaged by antigen in the absence of costimulation or IL-2. This leads to unique intracellular signaling events that stand in contrast to those triggered by coligation of the TCR and costimulatory receptors. Specifically, anergy is characterized by lack of activation of lck, ZAP 70, Ras, ERK, JNK, AP-1, and NF-AT. In contrast, anergizing stimuli appear to activate the protein tyrosine kinase fyn, increase intracellular calcium levels, and activate Rap1. Moreover, anergizing TCR signals result in increased intracellular concentrations of the second messenger cAMP. This second messenger upregulates the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor p27kip1, sequestering cyclin D2-cdk4, and cyclin E/cdk2 complexes and preventing progression of T cells through the G1 restriction point of the cell cycle. In contrast, costimulation through CD28 prevents p27kip1 accumulation by decreasing the levels of intracellular cAMP and promotes p27kip1 down-regulation due to direct degradation of the protein via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Subsequent autocrine action of IL-2 leads to further degradation of p27kip1 and entry into S phase. Understanding the biochemical and molecular basis of T cell anergy will allow the development of new assays to evaluate the immune status of patients in a variety of clinical settings in which tolerance has an important role, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplantation. Precise understanding of these biochemical and molecular events is necessary in order to develop novel treatment strategies against cancer. One of the mechanisms by which tumors down-regulate the immune system is through the anergizing inactivation of helper T lymphocytes, resulting in the absence of T cell help to tumor-specific CTLs. Although T-cells specific for tumor associated antigens are detected in cancer patients they often are unresponsive. Reversal of the defects that block the cell cycle progression is mandatory for clonal expansion of tumor specific T cells during the administration of tumor vaccines. Reversal of the anergic state of tumor specific T cells is also critical for the sufficient expansion of such T cells ex vivo for adoptive immunotherapy. On the other hand, understanding the molecular mechanisms of anergy will greatly improve our ability to design novel clinical therapeutic approaches to induce antigen-specific tolerance and prevent graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease. Such treatment approaches will allow transplantation of bone marrow and solid organs between individuals with increasing HLA disparity and therefore expand the donor pool, enable reduction in the need for nonspecific immunosuppression, minimize the toxicity of chemotherapy, and reduce the risk of opportunistic infections.
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PMID:Helper T cell anergy: from biochemistry to cancer pathophysiology and therapeutics. 1143 20

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are well known to be functionally impaired typified by the inability to lyse cognate tumor cells in vitro. We have investigated the basis for defective TIL lytic function in transplantable murine tumor models. CD8(+) TIL are nonlytic immediately on isolation even though they express surface activation markers, contain effector phase cytokine mRNAs, and contain perforin and granzyme B proteins which are packaged into lytic granules. Ag-specific lytic capability is rapidly recovered if purified TIL are briefly cultured in vitro and tumor lysis is perforin-, but not Fas ligand mediated. In response to TCR ligation of nonlytic TIL in vitro, proximal and distal signaling events are normal; calcium flux is rapid; mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-related kinase kinase, extracellular regulatory kinase 2, phosphoinositide-3 kinase, and protein kinase C are activated; and IL-2 and IFN-gamma is secreted. However, on conjugate formation between nonlytic TIL and cognate tumor cells in vitro, the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) does not localize to the immunological synapse, thereby precluding exocytosis of preformed lytic granules and accounting for defective TIL lytic function. Recovery of TCR-mediated, activation-dependent MTOC mobilization and lytic activity requires proteasome function, implying the existence of an inhibitor of MTOC mobilization. Our findings show that the regulated release of TIL cytolytic granules is defective despite functional TCR-mediated signal transduction.
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PMID:CD8(+) tumor-infiltrating T cells are deficient in perforin-mediated cytolytic activity due to defective microtubule-organizing center mobilization and lytic granule exocytosis. 1167 13

To evaluate the effects of proteasome inhibitors lactacystin (LAC) and beta-lactacystin (beta-LAC) on the proliferation and activation of T lymphocytes, flow cytometry was used to analyze the proliferation and the expression of CD69, CD25 and CD3 of T lymphocytes activated by PHA. Furthermore, the expressions of PA28 and IL-2 mRNA were assayed by competitive RT-PCR. The results indicated that: (1) LAC and beta-LAC significantly decreased the incorporation of BrdU and inhibited T lymphocytes proliferation in T lymphocytes activated by PHA; (2) although LAC and beta-LAC did not affect the expression of CD69 at any time, they significantly inhibited the expression of CD25 (48 h, 72 h, P<0.05); (3) in comparison with control, LAC and beta--LAC significantly down-regulated the expression of PA28 and IL-2 mRNA (48 h, 72 h, P<0.05). LAC and beta-LAC significantly inhibited the proliferation and activation of T cells. Mechanisms involved are inhibition of CD25 and down-regulation of PA28 and IL-2 mRNA expressions.
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PMID:The inhibitory role of lactacystin and beta-lactacystin on T-cell activation and proliferation. 1497 Sep 8

The role of membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46) on human T cell activation has been analyzed. Coligation of CD3 and CD46 in the presence of PMA or CD28 costimuli enhanced IL-2, IFN-gamma, or IL-10 secretion by CD4+ T lymphocytes. The effect of CD46 on IL-10 secretion did not require additional costimuli like anti-CD28 antibodies or phorbol esters. CD46 also enhanced IL-2 or IFN-gamma secretion by CD4+ blasts. In contrast, IL-5 secretion was inhibited upon CD46-CD3 coligation, in all the cells analyzed. These effects were independent of IL-12 and suggest that CD46 costimulation promotes a Th1-biased response in human CD4+ T lymphocytes. CD46 enhanced TCR/CD3-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of CD3zeta and ZAP-70, as well as the activation of the ERK, JNK, and p38, but did not modify intracellular calcium. The effect of specific inhibitors shows that enhanced ERK activation contributes to augmented IFN-gamma and lower IL-5 secretion and, consequently, to the Th1 bias. Cross-linking CD46 alone induced weak tyrosine phosphorylation of CD3zeta and ZAP-70. However, CD46 cross-linking by itself did not induce cell proliferation or lymphokine secretion, and pretreatment of CD4+ T lymphocytes with anti-CD46 antibodies did not significantly alter TCR/CD3 activation.
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PMID:CD46-mediated costimulation induces a Th1-biased response and enhances early TCR/CD3 signaling in human CD4+ T lymphocytes. 1530 76

The stromal compartments of hematopoietic organs (eg, spleen) are known to influence the viability and growth of diseased hematopoietic progenitors. Here we have used Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV)-induced erythroleukemia to investigate factors of the splenic microenvironment that may make it fertile for the expansion and survival of malignant erythroblasts. We found that splenectomized, erythroleukemic mice exhibited extended survival compared with age-matched sham controls. In vitro, the proliferation of primary erythroleukemic cells cocultured with leukemic-derived splenic adherent cells or their conditioned media was found to be significantly higher than that observed in cocultures with healthy-derived adherent splenic cells. Cytokine protein arrays revealed that F-MuLV-infected splenocytes secreted elevated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), macrophage chemoattractant protein-5 (MCP-5), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR1), IL-12p70, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and IL-2 over normal splenocytes. Medium supplemented with both VEGF-A and MCP-5 could sustain proliferation of primary erythroleukemic cells in vitro, and significant proliferative suppression was observed upon addition of neutralizing antibodies to either of these factors. Furthermore, in vivo administration of a neutralizing antibody to VEGF-A extended survival times of erythroleukemic mice in comparison with controls. These findings suggest that VEGF-A and MCP-5 are potentially pivotal paracrine mediators occurring within the diseased splenic microenvironment capable of promoting disease acceleration and expansion of erythroleukemic blasts.
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PMID:The splenic microenvironment is a source of proangiogenesis/inflammatory mediators accelerating the expansion of murine erythroleukemic cells. 1570 19

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates a cascade of cellular and molecular responses including both pro- and anti-inflammatory. Although post-traumatic hypothermia has been shown to improve outcome in various models of brain injury, the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects have not been clarified. In this study, inflammation cDNA arrays and semi-quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect genes that are differentially regulated after TBI. In addition, the effect of post-traumatic hypothermia on the expression of selective genes was also studied. Rats (n = 6-8 per group) underwent moderate fluid-percussion (F-P) brain injury with and without hypothermic treatment (33 degrees C/3 h). RNA from 3-h or 24-h survival was analyzed for the expression of IL1-beta, IL2, IL6, TGF-beta2, growth-regulated oncogene (GRO), migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and MCP (a transcription factor). The interleukins IL-1beta, IL-2, and IL-6 and TGF-beta and GRO were strongly upregulated early and transiently from 2- to 30-fold over sham at 3 h, with normalization by 24 h. In contrast, the expressions of MIF and MCP were both reduced by TBI compared to sham. Post-traumatic hypothermia had no significant effect on the acute expression of the majority of genes investigated. However, the expression of TGF-beta2 at 24 h was significantly reduced by temperature manipulation. The mechanism by which post-traumatic hypothermia is protective may not involve a general genetic response of the inflammatory genes. However, specific genes, including TGF-beta2, may be altered and effect cell death mechanisms after TBI. Hypothermia differentially regulates certain genes and may target more delayed responses underlying the secondary damage following TBI.
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PMID:The effect of therapeutic hypothermia on the expression of inflammatory response genes following moderate traumatic brain injury in the rat. 1592 84

After specific activation, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) enter a refractory state termed activation-induced nonresponsiveness (AINR) that is characterized by the inability of T cells to respond to a secondary stimulus. Here, we show that T cell receptor triggering results in rapid degradation of the src-family protein kinase lck through a mechanism that is proteasome- and lysosome-independent, sensitive to cysteine protease inhibitors, and distinct from the pathways involved in degradation of ZAP-70 kinase or zeta-chain of the CD3 complex. Pharmacologic blockade of lck degradation, as well as transfection of refractory cells with an lck expression vector, increased responsiveness of CTLs to repeated antigenic challenge. The development or maintenance of AINR was not affected by exogenously added IL-2, whereas IL-15 or IFN-alpha restored both lck expression and responsiveness of preactivated CTLs. Our results suggest that lck degradation plays an important role in the development of AINR in human CTLs and that this condition can be reverted by pharmacologic agents or lymphokines that prevent lck degradation or induce its expression.
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PMID:Regulation of lck degradation and refractory state in CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. 1595 29

Human neuroblastomas possess several mechanisms of self-defense that may confer an ability to resist apoptosis and contribute to the observed difficulty in treating these tumors in the clinical setting. These molecular alterations may include defects in proapoptotic genes as well as the overexpression of prosurvival factors, such as Akt among others. As a key regulator of the turnover of proteins that modulate the cell cycle and mechanisms of apoptosis, the proteasome could serve as an important target for the treatment of neuroblastoma. The present studies provide the first evidence that bortezomib, a newly approved inhibitor of proteasome function, inhibits phosphorylation of Akt, induces the translocation of proapoptotic Bid, and potently enhances the apoptosis of murine neuroblastoma tumor cells in vitro. Furthermore, in that inhibitors of the Akt pathway can sensitize otherwise resistant TBJ/Neuro-2a cells to apoptosis induced by IFN-gamma plus TNF-alpha, we hypothesized that bortezomib also could sensitize these cells to IFN-gamma plus TNF-alpha. We demonstrate for the first time that bortezomib not only up-regulates the expression of receptors for IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha on both TBJ neuroblastoma and EOMA endothelial cell lines, but also markedly enhances the sensitivity of these cells to apoptosis induced by IFN-gamma plus TNF-alpha in vitro. Furthermore, bortezomib enhances the in vivo antitumor efficacy of IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha-inducing cytokines, including both IL-2 and IL-12 in mice bearing well-established primary and/or metastatic TBJ neuroblastoma tumors. Collectively, these studies suggest that bortezomib could be used therapeutically to enhance the proapoptotic and overall antitumor activity of systemic cytokine therapy in children with advanced neuroblastoma.
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PMID:Proteasome inhibition to maximize the apoptotic potential of cytokine therapy for murine neuroblastoma tumors. 1667 Mar 42

During selection in the thymus or any subsequent response, T-cells recognize peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Peptides produced by lysosomes or by proteasome/immunoproteasome stimulate CD4+ or CD8+ T-cell, respectively. Inflammation alters components of both antigen-processing pathways resulting in the production of different peptides. The role of such changes in self/non-self discrimination was examined in autologous mixed peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures. Stimulator cells were incubated in the presence or absence of INF-gamma, with or without lysosome inhibitors (ammonium chloride/chloroquine), cathepsin inhibitor (E-64), or proteasome/immunoproteasome inhibitor (epoxomicin). Responder cells were added and zeta-chain phosphorylated forms were used as read out. INF-gamma did not affect zeta-chain phosphorylated forms, which means that the expected INF-gamma induced alterations in antigen processing machinery do not influence self/non-self discrimination. Surprisingly, the completely phosphorylated 23-kDa zeta-chain was always present except in the case of epoxomicin, indicating the presence of MHC class I restricted autoreactive CD8+ T-cells but not of MHC class II restricted autoreactive CD4+ T-cells, possibly due to more efficient negative selection in the thymus of the latter. Autoimmunity is prevented due to absence of help by CD4+ T-cells. This conclusion was confirmed by the lack of differences in IL-2 levels in cell culture supernatants, as well as, by the absence of differences in cell proliferation under the various conditions described above.
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PMID:Major histocompatibility complex class I restricted T-cell autoreactivity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. 1688 7

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) is in a complex with WASP-interacting protein (WIP). WASP levels, but not mRNA levels, were severely diminished in T cells from WIP(-/-) mice and were increased by introduction of WIP in these cells. The WASP binding domain of WIP was shown to protect WASP from degradation by calpain in vitro. Treatment with the proteasome inhibitors MG132 and bortezomib increased WASP levels in T cells from WIP(-/-) mice and in T and B lymphocytes from two WAS patients with missense mutations (R86H and T45M) that disrupt WIP binding. The calpain inhibitor calpeptin increased WASP levels in activated T and B cells from the WASP patients, but not in primary T cells from the patients or from WIP(-/-) mice. Despite its ability to increase WASP levels proteasome inhibition did not correct the impaired IL-2 gene expression and low F-actin content in T cells from the R86H WAS patient. These results demonstrate that WIP stabilizes WASP and suggest that it may also be important for its function.
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PMID:WIP is a chaperone for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP). 1721 9


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