Mast Cells are Dependent on Glucose Transporter 1 (GLUT1) and GLUT3 for IgE-mediated Activation.

Mast cells (MCs) are known to have a pathological impact in a variety of settings, in particular in allergic conditions. There is also limited evidence implicating MCs in diabetes, raising the possibility that MC function may be influenced by alterations in glucose levels. However, it is not known whether MCs are directly affected by elevated glucose concentrations.

Monensin induces secretory granule-mediated cell death in eosinophils.

Background: Eosinophils contribute to the pathology of several types of disorders, in particular of allergic nature, and strategies to limit their actions are therefore warranted.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the possibility of targeting the acidic, lysosome-like eosinophil granules as a potential means of inducing eosinophil cell death.

Methods: To this end, we used monensin, an ionophoric drug that has previously been shown to permeabilize the secretory granules of mast cells, thereby inducing cell death.

Landscape of mast cell populations across organs in mice and humans.

Mast cells (MCs) are tissue-resident immune cells that exhibit homeostatic and neuron-associated functions. Here, we combined whole-tissue imaging and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets to generate a pan-organ analysis of MCs in mice and humans at steady state. In mice, we identify two mutually exclusive MC populations, MrgprB2+ connective tissue-type MCs and MrgprB2neg mucosal-type MCs, with specific transcriptomic core signatures.

Mast Cell Tryptase Potentiates Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation.

Previous research has indicated an intimate functional communication between mast cells (MCs) and neutrophils during inflammatory conditions, but the nature of such communication is not fully understood. Activated neutrophils are known to release DNA-containing extracellular traps (neutrophil extracellular traps [NETs]) and, based on the known ability of tryptase to interact with negatively charged polymers, we here hypothesized that tryptase might interact with NET-contained DNA and thereby regulate NET formation. In support of this, we showed that tryptase markedly enhances NET formation in phorbol myristate acetate-activated human neutrophils.

Serglycin Is Involved in Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Obesity.

Chronic local inflammation of adipose tissue is an important feature of obesity. Serglycin is a proteoglycan highly expressed by various immune cell types known to infiltrate adipose tissue under obese conditions. To investigate if serglycin expression has an impact on diet-induced adipose tissue inflammation, we subjected and mice (C57BL/6J genetic background) to an 8-wk high-fat and high-sucrose diet.

Dynamin inhibition causes context-dependent cell death of leukemia and lymphoma cells.

Current chemotherapy for treatment of pediatric acute leukemia, although generally successful, is still a matter of concern due to treatment resistance, relapses and life-long side effects for a subset of patients. Inhibition of dynamin, a GTPase involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis and regulation of the cell cycle, has been proposed as a potential anti-cancer regimen, but the effects of dynamin inhibition on leukemia cells has not been extensively addressed. Here we adopted single cell and whole-population analysis by flow cytometry and live imaging, to assess the effect of dynamin inhibition (Dynasore, Dyngo-4a, MitMAB) on pediatric acute leukemia cell lines (CCRF-CEM and THP-1), human bone marrow biopsies from patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), as well as in a model of lymphoma (EL4)-induced tumor growth in mice.

Mast Cell β-Tryptase Is Enzymatically Stabilized by DNA.

Tryptase is a tetrameric serine protease located within the secretory granules of mast cells. In the secretory granules, tryptase is stored in complex with negatively charged heparin proteoglycans and it is known that heparin is essential for stabilizing the enzymatic activity of tryptase. However, recent findings suggest that enzymatically active tryptase also can be found in the nucleus of murine mast cells, but it is not known how the enzmatic activity of tryptase is maintained in the nuclear milieu.

Mouse connective tissue mast cell proteases tryptase and carboxypeptidase A3 play protective roles in itch induced by endothelin-1.

Background: Itch is an unpleasant sensation that can be debilitating, especially if it is chronic and of non-histaminergic origin, as treatment options are limited. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent endogenous vasoconstrictor that also has the ability to induce a burning, non-histaminergic pruritus when exogenously administered, by activating the endothelin A receptor (ETR) on primary afferents. ET-1 is released endogenously by several cell-types found in the skin, including macrophages and keratinocytes.

Glutamate triggers the expression of functional ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors in mast cells.

Mast cells are emerging as players in the communication between peripheral nerve endings and cells of the immune system. However, it is not clear the mechanism by which mast cells communicate with peripheral nerves. We previously found that mast cells located within healing tendons can express glutamate receptors, raising the possibility that mast cells may be sensitive to glutamate signaling.

Protective role of mouse mast cell tryptase Mcpt6 in melanoma.

Tryptase-positive mast cells populate melanomas, but it is not known whether tryptase impacts on melanoma progression. Here we addressed this and show that melanoma growth is significantly higher in tryptase-deficient (Mcpt6 ) versus wild-type mice. Histochemical analysis showed that mast cells were frequent in the tumor stroma of both wild-type and Mcpt6 mice, and also revealed their presence within the tumor parenchyma.

Mouse mast cells and mast cell proteases do not play a significant role in acute tissue injury pain induced by formalin.

Subcutaneous formalin injections are used as a model for tissue injury-induced pain where formalin induces pain and inflammation indirectly by crosslinking proteins and directly through activation of the transient receptor potential A1 receptor on primary afferents. Activation of primary afferents leads to both central and peripheral release of neurotransmitters. Mast cells are found in close proximity to peripheral sensory nerve endings and express receptors for neurotransmitters released by the primary afferents, contributing to the neuro/immune interface.

Inhibition of the BET family of epigenetic reader proteins: A novel principle for modulating gene expression in IgE-activated mast cells.

Introduction: The BET family of bromodomain-containing proteins constitute epigenetic readers that bind to acetylated lysine residues of core histones, thereby translating epigenetic histone marks to effects on gene expression. BET inhibitors are currently emerging as promising therapeutic agents for treatment of various pathological conditions. Here, we explored the potential of using BET inhibition to modulate IgE-mediated responses in mast cells.

The combined action of mast cell chymase, tryptase and carboxypeptidase A3 protects against melanoma colonization of the lung.

Mast cell secretory granules are densely packed with various bioactive mediators including proteases of chymase, tryptase and CPA3 type. Previous studies have indicated that mast cells can affect the outcome of melanoma but the contribution of the mast cell granule proteases to such effects has not been clear. Here we addressed this issue by assessing mice lacking either the chymase Mcpt4, the tryptase Mcpt6 or carboxypeptidase A3 (Cpa3), as well as mice simultaneously lacking all three proteases, in a model of melanoma dissemination from blood to the lung.

Mast cells promote melanoma colonization of lungs.

Mast cells have been implicated in malignant processes, mainly through clinical correlative studies and by experiments performed using animals lacking mast cells due to defective c-kit signaling. However, mast cell-deficient mouse models based on c-kit defects have recently been questioned for their relevance. Here we addressed the effect of mast cells in a tumor setting by using transgenic Mcpt5-Cre+ R-DTA+ mice, in which the deficiency of mast cells is independent of c-kit defects.

Mast cells are activated by Staphylococcus aureus in vitro but do not influence the outcome of intraperitoneal S. aureus infection in vivo.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen that can cause a broad spectrum of serious infections including skin infections, pneumonia and sepsis. Peritoneal mast cells have been implicated in the host response towards various bacterial insults and to provide mechanistic insight into the role of mast cells in intraperitoneal bacterial infection we here studied the global effects of S. aureus on mast cell gene expression.

Distorted secretory granule composition in mast cells with multiple protease deficiency.

Mast cells are characterized by an abundance of secretory granules densely packed with inflammatory mediators such as bioactive amines, cytokines, serglycin proteoglycans with negatively charged glycosaminoglycan side chains of either heparin or chondroitin sulfate type, and large amounts of positively charged proteases. Despite the large biological impact of mast cell granules and their contents on various pathologies, the mechanisms that regulate granule composition are incompletely understood. In this study, we hypothesized that granule composition is dependent on a dynamic electrostatic interrelationship between different granule compounds.

Active caspase-3 is stored within secretory compartments of viable mast cells.

Caspase-3 is a main executioner of apoptotic cell death. The general notion is that, in viable cells, caspase-3 is found as a cytosolic inactive proenzyme and that caspase-3 activation is largely confined to processes associated with cell death. In this study, we challenge this notion by showing that enzymatically active caspase-3 is stored in viable mast cells.

Prion formation correlates with activation of translation-regulating protein 4E-BP and neuronal transcription factor Elk1.

Cellular mechanisms play a role in conversion of the normal prion protein PrP(C) to the disease-associated protein PrP(Sc). The cells provide not only PrP(C), but also still largely undefined factors required for efficient prion replication. Previously, we have observed that interference with ERK and p38-JNK MAP kinase pathways has opposing effects on the formation of prions indicating that the process is regulated by a balance in intracellualar signaling pathways.

Mast cell apoptosis induced by siramesine, a sigma-2 receptor agonist.

Mast cells (MCs) are well known for their detrimental effects in the context of allergic disorders. Strategies that limit MC function can therefore have a therapeutic value. Previous studies have shown that siramesine, a sigma-2 receptor agonist originally developed as an anti-depressant, can induce cell death in transformed cells through a mechanism involving lysosomal destabilization.

Serglycin proteoglycan promotes apoptotic versus necrotic cell death in mast cells.

The mechanisms that govern whether a cell dies by apoptosis or necrosis are not fully understood. Here we show that serglycin, a secretory granule proteoglycan of hematopoietic cells, can have a major impact on this decision. Wild type and serglycin(-/-) mast cells were equally sensitive to a range of cell death-inducing regimens.

Tumor-mast cell interactions: induction of pro-tumorigenic genes and anti-tumorigenic 4-1BB in MCs in response to Lewis Lung Carcinoma.

Mast cells (MCs) can have either detrimental or beneficial effects on malignant processes but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we addressed this issue by examining the interaction between Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) cells and MCs. In vivo, LLC tumors caused a profound accumulation of MCs, suggesting that LLC tumors have the capacity to attract MCs.