We characterized a rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against human recombinant connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). The antibody recognised a higher molecular mass form (approx. 56 kDa) of CTGF in mesangial cell lysates as well as the monomeric (36-38 kDa) and lower molecular mass forms (<30 kDa) reported previously. Immunohistochemistry detected CTGF protein in glomeruli of kidneys of non-obese diabetic mice 14 days after the onset of diabetes, and this was prominent by 70 days. CTGF protein is also present in glomeruli of human patients with diabetic nephropathy. No CTGF was detected in either normal murine or human glomeruli. Transient transfection of a transformed human mesangial cell line with a CTGF-V5 epitope fusion protein markedly increased fibronectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 synthesis in cultures maintained in normal glucose (4 mM) conditions; a CTGF-antisense construct reduced the elevated synthesis of these proteins in high glucose (30 mM) cultures. Culture of primary human mesangial cells for 14 days in high glucose, or in low glucose supplemented with recombinant CTGF or transforming growth factor beta1, markedly increased CTGF mRNA levels and fibronectin synthesis. However, whilst co-culture with a CTGF-antisense oligonucleotide reduced the CTGF mRNA pool by greater than 90% in high glucose, it only partially reduced fibronectin mRNA levels and synthesis. A chick anti-CTGF neutralizing antibody had a similar effect on fibronectin synthesis. Thus both CTGF and CTGF-independent pathways mediate increased fibronectin synthesis in high glucose. Nevertheless CTGF expression in diabetic kidneys is likely to be a key event in the development of glomerulosclerosis by affecting both matrix synthesis and, potentially through plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, its turnover.
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a secreted cysteine-rich protein now considered as an important effector molecule in both physiological and pathological processes. An increasing amount of evidence indicates that CTGF plays a key role in the pathogenesis of different fibrotic disorders including diabetic nephropathy. However, the molecular mechanisms by which CTGF exerts its effects are not known. Here we provide the first evidence for the existence of an intracellular transport pathway for the growth factor in human mesangial cells. Our results demonstrate that CTGF is internalized from the cell surface in endosomes and accumulates in a juxtanuclear organelle from which the growth factor is then translocated into the cytosol. In the cytosol CTGF is phosphorylated by protein kinase C and PMA treatment can enhance this phosphorylation. Phosphorylated CTGF may have an important role in the cytosol, but it is also translocated into the nucleus where it may directly affect transcription.
We characterized a rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against human recombinant connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). The antibody recognised a higher molecular mass form (approx. 56kDa) of CTGF in mesangial cell lysates as well as the monomeric (36–38kDa) and lower molecular mass forms (< 30kDa) reported previously. Immunohistochemistry detected CTGF protein in glomeruli of kidneys of non-obese diabetic mice 14 days after the onset of diabetes, and this was prominent by 70 days. CTGF protein is also present in glomeruli of human patients with diabetic nephropathy. No CTGF was detected in either normal murine or human glomeruli. Transient transfection of a transformed human mesangial cell line with a CTGF–V5 epitope fusion protein markedly increased fibronectin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 synthesis in cultures maintained in normal glucose (4mM) conditions; a CTGF-antisense construct reduced the elevated synthesis of these proteins in high glucose (30mM) cultures. Culture of primary human mesangial cells for 14 days in high glucose, or in low glucose supplemented with recombinant CTGF or transforming growth factor β1, markedly increased CTGF mRNA levels and fibronectin synthesis. However, whilst co-culture with a CTGF-antisense oligonucleotide reduced the CTGF mRNA pool by greater than 90% in high glucose, it only partially reduced fibronectin mRNA levels and synthesis. A chick anti-CTGF neutralizing antibody had a similar effect on fibronectin synthesis. Thus both CTGF and CTGF-independent pathways mediate increased fibronectin synthesis in high glucose. Nevertheless CTGF expression in diabetic kidneys is likely to be a key event in the development of glomerulosclerosis by affecting both matrix synthesis and, potentially through plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, its turnover.
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a secreted cysteine-rich protein now considered as an important effector molecule in both physiological and pathological processes. An increasing amount of evidence indicates that CTGF plays a key role in the pathogenesis of different fibrotic disorders including diabetic nephropathy. However, the molecular mechanisms by which CTGF exerts its effects are not known. Here we provide the first evidence for the existence of an intracellular transport pathway for the growth factor in human mesangial cells. Our results demonstrate that CTGF is internalized from the cell surface in endosomes and accumulates in a juxtanuclear organelle from which the growth factor is then translocated into the cytosol. In the cytosol CTGF is phosphorylated by protein kinase C and PMA treatment can enhance this phosphorylation. Phosphorylated CTGF may have an important role in the cytosol, but it is also translocated into the nucleus where it may directly affect transcription.
The cellular features and sensitivity of MSH2-deficient primary human cells are broadly in agreement with observations of primary murine cells lacking the same gene. The data therefore support the view that the murine model recapitulates early features of MMR deficiency in humans, and implies that the variable data reported for MMR-deficient immortalised human cells may be due to further genetic or epigenetic lesions. We suggest caution in the use of radiotherapy for treatment of malignancies in individuals with functional loss of MSH2.
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