No abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor, and chronic infection with hepatitis B virus is one of its major risk factors. To identify the proteins involved in HCC carcinogenesis, we used two-dimensional fluorescence DIGE to study the differentially expressed proteins in tumor and adjacent nontumor tissue samples. Samples from 12 hepatitis B virus-associated HCC patients were analyzed. A total of 61 spots were significantly up-regulated (ratio > 2, p < 0.01) in tumor samples, whereas 158 spots were down-regulated (ratio < ؊2, p < 0.01). Seventyone gene products were identified among these spots. Members of the heat shock protein 70 and 90 families were simultaneously up-regulated, whereas metabolismassociated proteins were decreased in HCC samples. The down-regulation of mitochondrial and peroxisomal proteins in these results suggested loss of special organelle functions during HCC carcinogenesis. Four metabolic enzymes involved in the methylation cycle in the liver were down-regulated in HCC tissues, indicating S-adenosylmethionine deficiency in HCC. Two gene products, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and formimidoyltransferase-cyclodeaminase, were identified from inversely altered spots, suggesting that different isoforms or post-translational modifications of these two proteins might play different roles in HCC. For the first time, the overexpression of Hcp70/Hsp90-organizing protein and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins C1/C2 in HCC tissues was confirmed by Western blot and then by immunohistochemistry staining in 70 HCC samples, suggesting their potential as protein tumor markers. In summary, we profiled proteome alterations in HCC tissues, and these results may provide useful insights for understanding the mechanism involved in the process of Proteomics analysis is currently considered to be a powerful tool for global evaluation of protein expression, and proteomics has been widely applied in analysis of diseases, especially in fields of cancer research. Quantitative protein expression profiling is a crucial part of proteomics, and such profiling requires methods that are able to efficiently provide accurate and reproducible differential expression values for proteins in two or more biological samples. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) 1 was a technique that was widely used for proteomics research. However, intergel variation and excessive time/labor costs have been common problems with standard 2DE. Two-dimensional (2D) DIGE might therefore be considered as one of the most significant advances in quantitative proteomics. Using the 2D DIGE approach, different samples prelabeled with mass-and charge-matched fluorescent cyanine dyes are co-separated in the same 2D gel, and an internal standard is used in every gel that has negated the problem of intergel variation (1). Moreover with the great sensitivity and dynamic range that is afforded by these dyes, 2D DIGE can give greater accuracy of quantitation than silver staining (2). It has been reported that the correlation betw...

It becomes increasingly clear that separation of pure cell populations provides a uniquely sensitive and accurate approach to protein profiling in biological systems and opens up a new area for proteomic analysis. The method we described could simultaneously isolate population of hepatocytes (HCs), hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), Kupffer cells (KCs) and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) by a combination of collagenase-based density gradient centrifugation and magnetic activated cell sorting with high purity and yield for the first time. More than 98% of the isolated HCs were positive for cytokeratin 18, with a viability of 91%. Approximately 97% of the isolated HSCs expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein with a viability of 95%. Nearly 98% of isolated KCs expressed F4/80 with a viability of 94%. And the purity of LSECs reached up to 91% with a viability of 94%. And yield for HCs, HSCs, LSECs and KCs were 6.3, 1.3, 2.6 and 5.0 million per mouse. This systematic isolation method enables us to study the proteome profiling of different types of liver cells with high purity and yield, which is especially useful for sample preparation of Human Liver Proteome Project.

No abstract

Parenchymatous organs consist of multiple cell types, primarily defined as parenchymal cells (PCs) and nonparenchymal cells (NPCs). The cellular characteristics of these organs are not well understood. Proteomic studies facilitate the resolution of the molecular details of different cell types in organs. These studies have significantly extended our knowledge about organogenesis and organ cellular composition. Here, we present an atlas of the cell-type-resolved liver proteome. In-depth proteomics identified 6000 to 8000 gene products (GPs) for each cell type and a total of 10,075 GPs for four cell types. This data set revealed features of the cellular composition of the liver: (1) hepatocytes (PCs) express the least GPs, have a unique but highly homogenous proteome pattern, and execute fundamental liver functions; (2) the division of labor among PCs and NPCs follows a model in which PCs make the main components of pathways, but NPCs trigger the pathways; and (3) crosstalk among NPCs and PCs maintains the PC phenotype. This study presents the liver proteome at cell resolution, serving as a research model for dissecting the cell type constitution and organ features at the molecular level.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a common public health problem that can progress to end-stage liver disease. A high-fat diet (HFD) may promote the development of NAFLD through a mechanism that is poorly understood. We adopted a proteomic approach to examine the effect of HFD on the liver proteome during the progression of NAFLD. Male Sprague-Dawley rats fed an HFD for 4, 12, and 24 weeks replicated the progression of human NAFLD: steatosis, nonspecific inflammation, and steatohepatitis. Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight/time of flight analysis, 95 proteins exhibiting significant changes (ratio > 1.5 or <؊1.5, P < 0.05) during the development of NAFLD were identified. Biological functions for these proteins reflected phase-specific characteristics during the progression of the disease. The potential role of enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase (ECHS1), an enzyme that catalyzes the second step of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation, received further investigation. First, the reduced protein level of ECHS1 was validated both in rat models and in patients with biopsy-proven hepatic simple steatosis via immunoblotting or immunohistochemical analysis. Then the small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of ECHS1 in the murine hepatocyte cell line alpha mouse liver 12 (AML12) demonstrated increased cellular lipid accumulation induced by free fatty acid (FFA) overload. Furthermore, using a hydradynamic transfection method, the in vivo silencing effect of siRNA duplexes targeting ECHS1 was further investigated in mice. Administering ECHS1 siRNA specifically reduced the expression of ECHS1 protein in mice liver, which significantly exacerbated the hepatic steatosis induced by an HFD. Conclusion: Our results revealed that ECHS1 down-regulation contributed to HFD-induced hepatic steatosis, which may help clarify the pathogenesis of NAFLD and point to potential targets for therapeutic interventions. (HEPATOLOGY 2010;51:1190-1199

We hypothesized that the maintenance of vascular homeostasis is critically dependent on the expression and reciprocal regulation of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in endothelial cells (ECs). Skeletal muscle biopsies from subjects with type 2 diabetes showed 50% less Cav-1 and eNOS than those from lean healthy controls. The Cav-1:eNOS expression ratio was 200:1 in primary culture human ECs. Cav-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced eNOS protein and gene expression in association with a twofold increase in eNOS phosphorylation and nitrate production per molecule of eNOS, which was reversed in cells overexpressing Adv-Cav-1-GFP. Upon addition of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 to activate eNOS, we observed eNOS Ser1177 phosphorylation, its translocation to β-catenin-positive cell–cell junctions, and increased colocalization of eNOS and Cav-1 within 5 min. We also observed Cav-1 S-nitrosylation and destabilization of Cav-1 oligomers in cells treated with A23187 as well as insulin or albumin, and this could be blocked by L-NAME, PP2, or eNOS siRNA. Finally, caveola-mediated endocytosis of albumin or insulin was reduced by Cav-1 or eNOS siRNA, and the effect of Cav-1 siRNA was rescued by Adv-Cav-1-GFP. Thus, Cav-1 stabilizes eNOS expression and regulates its activity, whereas eNOS-derived NO promotes caveola-mediated endocytosis.

Examination of the role of the nuclear localization of the GAL gene locus shows that localization to the periphery upon induction dampens gene expression and is required for rapid repression after inactivation. Thus GAL gene movement to the nuclear periphery is part of a negative feedback enabling a rapid response to changes in the environment.