BackgroundCysteine cathepsins are known to primarily cleave their substrates at reducing and acidic conditions within endo-lysosomes. Nevertheless, they have also been linked to extracellular proteolysis, that is, in oxidizing and neutral environments. Although the impact of reducing or oxidizing conditions on proteolytic activity is a key to understand physiological protease functions, redox conditions have only rarely been considered in routine enzyme activity assays. Therefore we developed an assay to test for proteolytic processing of a natural substrate by cysteine cathepsins which accounts for redox potentials and pH values corresponding to the conditions in the extracellular space in comparison to those within endo-lysosomes of mammalian cells.ResultsThe proteolytic potencies of cysteine cathepsins B, K, L and S towards thyroglobulin were analyzed under conditions simulating oxidizing versus reducing environments with neutral to acidic pH values. Thyroglobulin, the precursor molecule of thyroid hormones, was chosen as substrate, because it represents a natural target of cysteine cathepsins. Thyroglobulin processing involves thyroid hormone liberation which, under physiological circumstances, starts in the extracellular follicle lumen before being continued within endo-lysosomes. Our study shows that all cathepsins tested were capable of processing thyroglobulin at neutral and oxidizing conditions, although these are reportedly non-favorable for cysteine proteases. All analyzed cathepsins generated distinct fragments of thyroglobulin at extracellular versus endo-lysosomal conditions as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting or N-terminal sequencing. Moreover, the thyroid hormone thyroxine was liberated by the action of cathepsin S at extracellular conditions, while cathepsins B, K and L worked most efficiently in this respect at endo-lysosomal conditions.ConclusionThe results revealed distinct cleavage patterns at all conditions analyzed, indicating compartment-specific processing of thyroglobulin by cysteine cathepsins. In particular, proteolytic activity of cathepsin S towards the substrate thyroglobulin can now be understood as instrumental for extracellular thyroid hormone liberation. Our study emphasizes that the proteolytic functions of cysteine cathepsins in the thyroid are not restricted to endo-lysosomes but include pivotal roles in extracellular substrate utilization. We conclude that understanding of the interplay and fine adjustment of protease networks in vivo is better approachable by simulating physiological conditions in protease activity assays.

In mammalian cells, short-term (acute) exposure to a moderate heat shock leads to a transient arrest of cells at mainly two cell cycle checkpoints, the G1/S and G2/M transitions. This is documented by the more or less synchronous resumption of cell cycle progression from these checkpoints during recovery. The reason for the accumulation of cells at these checkpoints may be found in activity thresholds of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) at both transitions which are determined by (i) the amounts of the responsible cyclins, (ii) regulatory phosphorylation of the Cdks and (iii) the inhibition of Cdks by associated regulatory proteins (Ckis). All three regulatory systems may be subject to heat-shock-dependent changes, the amounts of Ckis, in particular, being increased. Cdk-dependent phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein and the subsequent release of active S-phase-specific transcription factors E2F/DP are considered as major heat-sensitive steps in cell cycle progression. Furthermore, high acute heat shock and long-term (chronic) heat treatment may lead to cell-type-specific forms of cell death. All types of responses to heat treatment are subject to adaptation after a 'priming' treatment, probably due to higher levels of heat shock proteins.

Prior to binding to a high affinity peptide and transporting it to the cell surface, major histocompatibility complex class I molecules are retained inside the cell by retention in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), recycling through the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and possibly the cis-Golgi, or both. Using fluorescence microscopy and a novel in vitro COPII (ER-to-ERGolgi intermediate compartment) vesicle formation assay, we find that in both lymphocytes and fibroblasts that lack the functional transporter associated with antigen presentation, class I molecules exit the ER and reach the cis-Golgi. Intriguingly, in wild-type T1 lymphoma cells, peptide-occupied and peptidereceptive class I molecules are simultaneously exported from ER membranes with similar efficiencies. Our results suggest that binding of high affinity peptide and exit from the ER are not coupled, that the major histocompatibility complex class I quality control compartment extends into the Golgi apparatus under standard conditions, and that peptide loading onto class I molecules may occur in post-ER compartments.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a growth and survival factor for oligodendrocyte lineage cells and induces myelination. Its actions are modulated by IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) that are present in the extracellular fluids or on the cell surface. Additionally, IGFBPs are also known to exert actions that are independent of IGF-1. We studied whether IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs)-1 and -2 modulate rat oligodendrocyte precursor (O2A) cell survival and differentiation in vitro both in the absence and presence of exogenously added IGF-1. The data reveal that IGFBP-1 and -2 reduced O2A cell survival in the absence and presence of exogenously added IGF-1. The effects of IGFBP-1 on cell survival in the presence of exogenously added IGF-1 were IGF-1-dependent, whereas IGFBP-2 displayed both IGF-1-dependent and IGF-1-independent effects. Furthermore, IGFBP-1 and -2 inhibited O2A cell differentiation in the presence of IGF-1 as reflected by decreased expression levels of two myelin proteins, CNPase (2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase) and MAG (myelin associated glycoprotein). Analysis of medium samples revealed that O2A cells do not secrete proteases that degrade these IGFBPs. Taken together the data show that IGFBP-1 and -2 are negative effectors of oligodendrocyte survival and differentiation. Accordingly, the role of IGFBPs should be explicitly taken into account when investigating IGF-1 effects on oligodendrocytes, especially in the context of therapeutic purposes.

In the present study, the cAMP analogs 8-bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP), N6-2'O-dibutyryl-cAMP (DBcAMP) and 8-para-chlorophenylthio-cAMP (8-CPT-cAMP), as well as the corresponding cAMP-acetoxymethyl (AM)-ester-prodrugs were tested in a HPLC study for their membrane permeability, intracellular accumulation and biotransformation. Antiproliferative activities of these compounds were studied in the rat C6 glioma cell line. Chromatographic analysis revealed that the AM-ester analogs of the cyclic nucleotides penetrate quantitatively into rat C6 glioma cells and generate high amounts of their parent cyclic nucleotides intracellularly within 60 min; however, long-term growth inhibition tested in C6 cells is only slightly enhanced with the AM-ester prodrugs of 8-Br-cAMP or DBcAMP.