Nystatin, a polyene antifungal antibiotic, is a cholesterol sequestering agent. The antifungal agent alters composition of the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells, whereas its effects on cells are poorly investigated. In the current study, we investigated the question of whether nystatin was able to induce expression of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1). THP-1 cells rarely express MIP-1α and MIP-1β, however, upon exposure to nystatin, significantly elevated expression of MIP-1α and MIP-1β was observed in a dose-dependent fashion at the messenger and protein levels. Cellular factors activated by nystatin as well as involved in nystatin-induced expression of MIP-1 proteins were identified in order to understand the molecular mechanisms of action of the anti-fungal agent. Treatment with nystatin resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of Akt, ERK, p38 MAPK, and JNK. Abrogation or significant attenuation of nystatin-induced expression of MIP-1α and MIP-1β was observed by treatment with Akt inhibitor IV, LY294002, and SP6001250. Inhibition of ERK or p38MAPK using U0126 and SB202190 did not lead to attenuation of MIP-1 expression. In addition, inhibitors of protein kinase C, such as GF109203X and Ro-318220, also attenuated expression of MIP-1. These results indicate that nystatin is able to activate multiple cellular kinases and, among them, Akt and JNK play primary roles in nystatin-induced expression of MIP-1 proteins.
To provide a basis for a homogeneous fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) immunoassay for celiac disease, we carried out a FRET experiment using guinea pig tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and antibodies to tTG (anti-tTG) purified from rat serum. Fluorescein was utilized as the probe, and a nonfluorescent dye, QSY 7 served as the quencher. We labeled anti-tTG and tTG with fluorescein isothiocyanate and QSY 7 succinimidyl ester, respectively. Fluoresceinlabeled anti-tTG was the donor, and QSY 7-labeled tTG was the acceptor of the FRET experiment. When we titrated fluorescein-labeled anti-tTG with QSY 7-labeled tTG, we observed a large decrease in the steady-state fluorescence intensity, which was due to strong FRET from fluorescein-labeled anti-tTG to QSY 7-labeled tTG. Using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, we could also observe a decrease in the fluorescence lifetime, which confirms the steady-state data. We expect that these results might be useful in the development of a novel fluorescence immunoassay for an easy screening and follow-up of celiac patients.
Estrogens are effective neuroprotectants in vivo and in vitro. To obtain a better insight into the molecular mechanisms of action of neuroprotection by 17β-estradiol (E2), we examined the differential effects of E2 on the fluidity of synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV) isolated from rat cerebral cortex. Intramolecular excimerization of 1,3-di(1-pyrenyl)-propane (Py-3-Py) was used to investigate the effects of E2 on the bulk and annular lateral diffusion of the SPMV. In addition, we examined the effects of E2 on the rotational diffusion of individual leaflet of SPMV exploiting selective quenching of outer monolayer 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) fluorescence by trinitrophenyl groups. The Förster distance R 0 value for the tryptophan-Py-3-Py donor-acceptor pair was 26.9 Å. E2 increased the lateral mobility of both bulk and annular lipids in SPMV in a dose-dependent manner, but a larger effect on bulk lipids was observed. Although E2 decreased the anisotropy of DPH in SPMV, E2 had a greater fluidizing effect on the outer leaflet compared to the inner leaflet. These results suggest that E2 selectively fluidizes the more fluid regions within SPMV. It is highly probable that E2 mostly fluidizes the bulk lipids, away from either annular lipids or lipid rafts, in the outer leaflet of SPMV. This selective fluidization may be one of the nongenomic mechanisms of neuroprotection by E2.
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