Rationale Endothelial adherens junction proteins constitute an important element in the control of microvascular permeability. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) increases permeability to macromolecules via translocation of eNOS to cytosol and stimulation of eNOS-derived NO signaling cascade. The mechanisms by which NO signaling regulates permeability at adherens junctions are still incompletely understood. Objective We explored the hypothesis that PAF stimulates hyperpermeability via S-nitrosation (SNO) of adherens junction proteins. Methods and Results We measured PAF-stimulated S-nitrosation of β-catenin and p120-catenin (p120) in three cell lines: ECV-eNOSGFP, EAhy926 (derived from human umbilical vein) and CVEC (derived from bovine heart endothelium) and in the mouse cremaster muscle in vivo. SNO correlated with diminished abundance of β-catenin and p120 at the adherens junction and with hyperpermeability. TNF-α increased NO production and caused similar increase in S-nitrosation as PAF. To ascertain the importance of eNOS subcellular location in this process, we used ECV-304 cells transfected with cytosolic eNOS (GFPeNOSG2A) and plasma membrane eNOS (GFPeNOSCAAX). PAF induced S-nitrosation of β-catenin and p120 and significantly diminished association between these proteins in cells with cytosolic eNOS but not in cells wherein eNOS is anchored to the cell membrane. Inhibitors of NO production and of S-nitrosation blocked PAF-induced S-nitrosation and hyperpermeability whereas inhibition of the cGMP pathway had no effect. Mass spectrometry analysis of purified p120 identified cysteine 579 as the main S-nitrosated residue in the region that putatively interacts with VE-cadherin. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that agonist-induced SNO contributes to junctional membrane protein changes that enhance endothelial permeability.

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The adherens junction complex, composed mainly of vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, β-catenin, p120, and γ-catenin, is the main element of the endothelial barrier in postcapillary venules.S-nitrosylation of β-catenin and p120 is an important step in proinflammatory agents-induced hyperpermeability. We investigated in vitro and in vivo whether or not VE-cadherin isS-nitrosylated using platelet-activating factor (PAF) as agonist. We report that PAF-stimulates S-nitrosylation of VE-cadherin, which disrupts its association with β-catenin. In addition, based on inhibition of nitric oxide production, our results strongly suggest that S-nitrosylation is required for VE-cadherin phosphorylation on tyrosine and for its internalization. Our results unveil an important mechanism to regulate phosphorylation of junctional proteins in association with S-nitrosylation.

Paratuberculosis (Ptbc) has a high prevalence in Argentina, that affects dairy and beef cattle. The culture is the gold standard to the diagnosis of the disease. Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis), the aetiological agent, is difficult to isolate and grow in culture. In this study, 24 randomly selected cows of the Fresian breed from a dairy herd with a history of Ptbc were used to evaluate the performance of different diagnostic techniques. These animals did not show clinical signs of the disease. However, another animal from this herd presented evidence of clinical disease at the moment of the present study. This animal was necropsied and one strain of M. paratuberculosis was isolated from faeces, lymph nodes and intestine. Serum for indirect absorbed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) tests and whole blood samples to perform gamma interferon (gammaIFN) release assays were obtained from each animal. Faeces and milk samples to carry out bacteriological cultures, PCR identification of M. paratuberculosis, and direct examinations of smears with Ziehl-Neelsen's (ZN) stain were also collected. Tuberculin test with bovine purified protein derivative (PPD) in the caudal fold was performed. The results showed that 10 out of 24 animals (41.6%) were positive to ELISA. Eight strains of M. paratuberculosis were isolated, six from faeces, two from milk. Five of the animals that excreted the bacteria through faeces were ELISA-positive, whereas the excreters through milk were negative to ELISA. No positive samples by AGID were obtained in clinical asymptomatic animals. Seven samples gave positive gammaIFN results with avian PPD, but only two of these animals were confirmed with culture. Direct PCR, to detect IS900 (M. paratuberculosis) in faeces and milk samples, was negative, but PCR using material taken from faecal and milk cultures gave positive results before visualizing the colonies. No sample was positive by PCR directed to IS6110 (M. tuberculosis complex). There was not always agreement between isolations and ZN in the studied samples. In conclusion, the absorbed ELISA was useful to detect positive animals and excreters through faeces but not through milk. PCR applied to cultures with incipient development before the visualization of colonies was effective to specifically determine the presence of M. paratuberculosis. The gammaIFN test was not able to detect the most positive animals confirmed by culture. The importance of using ELISA and cultures is emphasized by this study but it is necessary to continue with the gammaIFN test development for early detection of the disease.

It has been reported recently that genes encoding antigens of bacterial and viral pathogens can be expressed in plants in a form in which they retain native immunogenic properties. The structural protein VP1 of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which has frequently been shown to contain critical epitopes, has been expressed in different vectors and shown to induce virus-neutralizing antibodies and protection in experimental and natural hosts. Here we report the production of transformed plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing VP1. Mice immunized with leaf plant extracts elicited specific antibody responses to synthetic peptides representing amino acid residues 135 to 160 of VP1, to VP1 itself, and to intact FMDV particles. Additionally, all of the immunized mice were protected against challenge with virulent FMDV. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing protection against a viral disease by immunization with an antigen expressed in a transgenic plant.

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Galectin-8 (Gal-8) is a mammalian β-galactoside-binding lectin, endowed with proinflammatory properties. Given its capacity to enhance antigen-specific immune responses in vivo, we investigated whether Gal-8 was also able to promote APC activation to sustain T cell activation after priming. Both endogenous [dendritic cells (DCs)] and bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) treated with exogenous Gal-8 exhibited a mature phenotype characterized by increased MHC class II (MHCII), CD80, and CD86 surface expression. Moreover, Gal-8-treated BMDCs (Gal-8-BMDCs) stimulated antigen-specific T cells more efficiently than immature BMDCs (iBMDCs). Proinflammatory cytokines IL-3, IL-2, IL-6, TNF, MCP-1, and MCP-5, as well as growth factor G-CSF, were augmented in Gal-8-BMDC conditioned media, with IL-6 as the most prominent. Remarkably, BMDCs from Gal-8-deficient mice ( BMDC) displayed reduced CD86 and IL-6 expression and an impaired ability to promote antigen-specific CD4 T cell activation. To test if Gal-8-induced activation correlates with the elicitation of an effective immune response, soluble Gal-8 was coadministrated with antigen during immunization of BALB/cJ mice in the experimental foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) model. When a single dose of Gal-8 was added to the antigen formulation, an increased specific and neutralizing humoral response was developed, sufficient to enhance animal protection upon viral challenge. IL-6 and IFN-γ, as well as lymphoproliferative responses, were also incremented in Gal-8/antigen-immunized animals only at 48 h after immunization, suggesting that Gal-8 induces the elicitation of an inflammatory response at an early stage. Taking together, these findings argue in favor of the use of Gal-8 as an immune-stimulator molecule to enhance the adaptive immune response.