Biotinylation Assay to Determine LFA-1 Recycling in Motile T-Lymphocytes.

The cycles of internalization of the cell surface β2 integrin receptor lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) and its re-exposure on the plasma membrane are important for T-cell trafficking. Biotinylation of cells enables to measure surface expression of receptors, and after reducing surface biotin with reducing buffer, enables to measure the internalization of receptors. Here, by using biotin in combination with reducing buffer and recombinant intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (rICAM-1)-coated dishes and subsequent Western immunoblot analysis, we describe how to measure internalization of the LFA-1 receptor and its re-expression back to the cell surface in motile T-lymphocytes.

Integrin Dependent RhoB Activation Assay Using Leukocytes.

To be able to migrate, leukocyte needs to re-use its adhesion molecules to move forward. These adhesion molecules are called integrins and are intracellularly transported via endocytosis and exocytosis in order to translocate to a new site on the cell membrane. The intracellular transportation is regulated by different small GTPases including RhoB.

Flow Cytometry Assay for Recycling of LFA-1 in T-lymphocytes.

To enable cells to move forward, cell surface integrins are internalized into an endosomal compartment and subsequently intracellularly transported to be re-exposed at a new site on the cell membrane. Leukocytes are the fastest migrating cell type in the human body, which express the leukocyte-specific integrin LFA-1. Here, we describe a flow cytometry-based assay that allows the quantification of LFA-1 internalization and its re-expression on the cell surface in T lymphocytes.

RhoB controls the Rab11-mediated recycling and surface reappearance of LFA-1 in migrating T lymphocytes.

The regulation of cell adhesion and motility is complex and requires the intracellular trafficking of integrins to and from sites of cell adhesion, especially in fast-moving cells such as leukocytes. The Rab family of guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) is essential for vesicle transport, and vesicles mediate intracellular integrin trafficking. We showed that RhoB regulates the vesicular transport of the integrin LFA-1 along the microtubule network in migrating T lymphocytes.

Superresolution imaging of the cytoplasmic phosphatase PTPN22 links integrin-mediated T cell adhesion with autoimmunity.

Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane proteins that play a fundamental role in the migration of leukocytes to sites of infection or injury. We found that protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22) inhibits signaling by the integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) in effector T cells. PTPN22 colocalized with its substrates at the leading edge of cells migrating on surfaces coated with the LFA-1 ligand intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1).

Anchored FRET sensors detect local caspase activation prior to neuronal degeneration.

Background: Recent studies indicate local caspase activation in dendrites or axons during development and in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Emerging evidences point to soluble oligomeric amyloid-β peptide as a causative agent in AD.

Results: Here we describe the design of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based caspase sensors, fused to the microtubule associated protein tau.

The CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) δ is differently regulated by fibrillar and oligomeric forms of the Alzheimer amyloid-β peptide.

Background: The transcription factors CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBP) α, β and δ have been shown to be expressed in brain and to be involved in regulation of inflammatory genes in concert with nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). In general, C/EBPα is down-regulated, whereas both C/EBPβ and δ are up-regulated in response to inflammatory stimuli. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) one of the hallmarks is chronic neuroinflammation mediated by astrocytes and microglial cells, most likely induced by the formation of amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits.

Alzheimer amyloid-beta peptides block the activation of C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta in glial cells.

Members of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family of transcription factors have been reported to be up-regulated in Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides on C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta, previously shown to be induced by inflammatory stimuli in glial cells. Surprisingly, electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that both Abeta(1-42) and Abeta(25-35) blocked C/EBP activation induced by the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mixed primary glial cell cultures from rat.

Targeting cytokine expression in glial cells by cellular delivery of an NF-kappaB decoy.

Inhibition of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB has emerged as an important strategy for design of anti-inflammatory therapies. In neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory reactions mediated by glial cells are believed to promote disease progression. Here, we report that uptake of a double-stranded oligonucleotide NF-kappaB decoy in rat primary glial cells is clearly facilitated by noncovalent binding to a cell-penetrating peptide, transportan 10, via a complementary peptide nucleic acid (PNA) sequence.

beta-Amyloid and interleukin-1beta induce persistent NF-kappaB activation in rat primary glial cells.

An increasing body of evidence suggests that beta-amyloid (Abeta) and activated glial cells play a crucial part in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Activated glial cells surrounding the senile plaques, formed by Abeta peptides, have been proposed to promote neurodegeneration by producing putatively toxic factors, including the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). Elevated levels of both IL-1beta and activated nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), a key transcription factor regulating a wide variety of inflammatory genes, have been found in the brains of AD patients.