Protamine Sulfate Is a Potent Inhibitor of Human Papillomavirus Infection and .

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are transmitted through sexual or other close contact and are etiologically associated with epithelial warts, papillomas, and intraepithelial lesions that may progress to cancer. Indeed, 4.8% of the global cancer burden is linked to HPV infection.

Activation of Rho Family GTPases by Small Molecules.

Ras and Ras-related small GTPases are key regulators of diverse cellular functions that impact cell growth, survival, motility, morphogenesis, and differentiation. They are important targets for studies of disease mechanisms as well as drug discovery. Here, we report the characterization of small molecule agonists of one or more of six Rho, Rab, and Ras family GTPases that were first identified through flow cytometry-based, multiplexed high-throughput screening of 200000 compounds.

Novel Activities of Select NSAID R-Enantiomers against Rac1 and Cdc42 GTPases.

Rho family GTPases (including Rac, Rho and Cdc42) collectively control cell proliferation, adhesion and migration and are of interest as functional therapeutic targets in numerous epithelial cancers. Based on high throughput screening of the Prestwick Chemical Library® and cheminformatics we identified the R-enantiomers of two approved drugs (naproxen and ketorolac) as inhibitors of Rac1 and Cdc42. The corresponding S-enantiomers are considered the active component in racemic drug formulations, acting as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with selective activity against cyclooxygenases.

Interaction of human papillomavirus type 16 particles with heparan sulfate and syndecan-1 molecules in the keratinocyte extracellular matrix plays an active role in infection.

Oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs) attach predominantly to extracellular matrix (ECM) components during infection of cultured keratinocytes and in the rodent vaginal challenge model in vivo. However, the mechanism of virion transfer from the ECM to receptors that mediate entry into host cells has not been determined. In this work we strove to assess the role of heparan sulfate (HS) chains in HPV16 binding to the ECM and determine how HPV16 release from the ECM is regulated.

Cellular entry of human papillomavirus type 16 involves activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/mTOR pathway and inhibition of autophagy.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in the growth factor receptor (GFR) pathway is a crucial metabolic sensor that integrates growth factor signals in cells. We recently showed that human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 exposure activates signaling from GFRs in human keratinocytes. Thus, we predicted that the virus would induce the PI3K/mTOR pathway upon interaction with host cells.

Mast cell synapses and exosomes: membrane contacts for information exchange.

In addition to their central role in allergy, mast cells are involved in a wide variety of cellular interactions during homeostasis and disease. In this review, we discuss the ability of mast cells to extend their mechanisms for intercellular communication beyond the release of soluble mediators. These include formation of mast cell synapses on antigen presenting surfaces, as well as cell-cell contacts with dendritic cells and T cells.

A competitive nucleotide binding inhibitor: in vitro characterization of Rab7 GTPase inhibition.

Mapping the functionality of GTPases through small molecule inhibitors represents an underexplored area in large part due to the lack of suitable compounds. Here we report on the small chemical molecule 2-(benzoylcarbamothioylamino)-5,5-dimethyl-4,7-dihydrothieno[2,3-c]pyran-3-carboxylic acid (PubChem CID 1067700) as an inhibitor of nucleotide binding by Ras-related GTPases. The mechanism of action of this pan-GTPase inhibitor was characterized in the context of the Rab7 GTPase as there are no known inhibitors of Rab GTPases.

Drug Repurposing from an Academic Perspective.

Academia and small business research units are poised to play an increasing role in drug discovery, with drug repurposing as one of the major areas of activity. Here we summarize project status for a number of drugs or classes of drugs: raltegravir, cyclobenzaprine, benzbromarone, mometasone furoate, astemizole, R-naproxen, ketorolac, tolfenamic acid, phenothiazines, methylergonovine maleate and beta-adrenergic receptor drugs, respectively. Based on this multi-year, multi-project experience we discuss strengths and weaknesses of academic-based drug repurposing research.

Essential roles for soluble virion-associated heparan sulfonated proteoglycans and growth factors in human papillomavirus infections.

A subset of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections is causally related to the development of human epithelial tumors and cancers. Like a number of pathogens, HPV entry into target cells is initiated by first binding to heparan sulfonated proteoglycan (HSPG) cell surface attachment factors. The virus must then move to distinct secondary receptors, which are responsible for particle internalization.

High-throughput flow cytometry bead-based multiplex assay for identification of Rho GTPase inhibitors.

Rho family GTPases and their effector proteins regulate a wide range of cell signaling pathways. In normal physiological conditions, their activity is tightly controlled and it is not surprising that their aberrant activation contributes to tumorigenesis or other diseases. For this reason, the identification of small, cell permeable molecules capable of inhibition of Rho GTPases can be extraordinarily useful, particularly if they are specific and act reversibly.

Continuous expression of HIF-1α in neural stem/progenitor cells.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha subunit (HIF-1α) is a transcriptional activator mediating adaptive cellular response to hypoxia. Normally degraded in most cell types and tissues, HIF-1α becomes stable and transcriptionally active under conditions of hypoxia. In contrast, we found that HIF-1α is continuously expressed in adult brain neurogenic zones, as well as in neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) from the embryonic and post-natal mouse brain.

Identification of a small GTPase inhibitor using a high-throughput flow cytometry bead-based multiplex assay.

Small GTPases are key regulators of cellular activity and represent novel targets for the treatment of human diseases using small-molecule inhibitors. The authors describe a multiplex, flow cytometry bead-based assay for the identification and characterization of inhibitors or activators of small GTPases. Six different glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-tagged small GTPases were bound to glutathione beads, each labeled with a different red fluorescence intensity.

Flow cytometry for real-time measurement of guanine nucleotide binding and exchange by Ras-like GTPases.

Ras-like small GTPases cycle between GTP-bound active and GDP-bound inactive conformational states to regulate diverse cellular processes. Despite their importance, detailed kinetic or comparative studies of family members are rarely undertaken due to the lack of real-time assays measuring nucleotide binding or exchange. Here we report a bead-based flow cytometric assay that quantitatively measures the nucleotide binding properties of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) chimeras for prototypical Ras family members Rab7 and Rho.

FcepsilonRI and Thy-1 domains have unique protein and lipid compositions.

Receptor activation leads to the dynamic remodeling of the plasma membrane. Previous work using immunoelectron microscopy showed that aggregated high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (FcRI) and aggregated Thy-1, a glycerophosphoinositol (GPI)-anchored protein, have distinct membrane distributions. We now report lipidomics analysis of FcRI- and Thy-1-enriched vesicles obtained by magnetic bead isolation in the absence of detergent.

Plasma membrane-associated proteins are clustered into islands attached to the cytoskeleton.

Although much evidence suggests that the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is not homogenous, the precise architecture of this important structure has not been clear. Here we use transmission electron microscopy of plasma membrane sheets and specific probes to show that most or all plasma membrane-associated proteins are clustered in cholesterol-enriched domains ("islands") that are separated by "protein-free" and cholesterol-low membrane. These islands are further divided into subregions, as shown by the localization of "raft" and "non-raft" markers to specific areas.

Revealing the topography of cellular membrane domains by combined atomic force microscopy/fluorescence imaging.

Simultaneous atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal fluorescence imaging were used to observe in aqueous buffer the three-dimensional landscape of the inner surface of membrane sheets stripped from fixed tumor mast cells. The AFM images reveal prominent, irregularly shaped raised domains that label with fluorescent markers for both resting and activated immunoglobin E receptors (FcepsilonRI), as well as with cholera toxin-aggregated GM1 and clathrin. The latter suggests that coated pits bud from these regions.

A polycystin multiprotein complex constitutes a cholesterol-containing signalling microdomain in human kidney epithelia.

Polycystins are plasma membrane proteins that are expressed in kidney epithelial cells and associated with the progression of ADPKD (autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease). A polycystin multiprotein complex, including adherens junction proteins, is thought to play an important role in cell polarity and differentiation. Sucrose gradient analyses and immunoprecipitation studies of primary human kidney epithelial cells showed the polycystins and their associated proteins E-cadherin and beta-catenin distributed in a complex with the raft marker flotillin-2, but not caveolin-1, in high-density gradient fractions.

Membrane receptor mapping: the membrane topography of Fc(epsilon)RI signaling.

Ligand binding to membrane receptors initiates cascades of biochemical events leading to physiological responses. Hundreds of proteins and lipids are implicated in signaling networks and programs in genomics and proteomics are continuously adding new components to the signaling "parts lists". Here, we generate high resolution maps of signaling networks using cytoplasmic face-up membrane sheets that can be labeled with immunogold probes (3-10 nm) and imaged in the transmission electron microscope.

Dysregulated FcepsilonRI signaling and altered Fyn and SHIP activities in Lyn-deficient mast cells.

Studies in B cells from Lyn-deficient mice have identified Lyn as both a kinetic accelerator and negative regulator of signaling through the BCR. The signaling properties of bone marrow-derived mast cells from Lyn(-/-) mice (Lyn(-/-) BMMCs) have also been explored, but their signaling phenotype remains controversial. We confirm that Lyn(-/-) BMMCs release more beta-hexosaminidase than wild-type BMMCs following FcepsilonRI cross-linking and show that multiple mast cell responses to FcepsilonRI cross-linking (the phosphorylation of receptor subunits and other proteins, the activation of phospholipase Cgamma isoforms, the mobilization of Ca(2+), the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate, the activation of the alpha(4)beta(1) integrin, VLA-4) are slow to initiate in Lyn(-/-) BMMCs, but persist far longer than in wild-type cells.

Markers for detergent-resistant lipid rafts occupy distinct and dynamic domains in native membranes.

Lipid rafts isolated by detergent extraction and sucrose gradient fractionation from mast cells are enriched for the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked protein Thy-1, the ganglioside GM1, palmitoylated LAT, and cross-linked IgE receptors, FcepsilonRI. This study addresses the relationship of fractionation data to the organization of raft markers in native membranes. Immunogold labeling and electron microscopy shows there is little or no colocalization of the raft markers Thy-1, GM1, and LAT with each other or with FcepsilonRI on native membrane sheets prepared from unstimulated cells.

Overcoming the signaling defect of Lyn-sequestering, signal-curtailing FcepsilonRI dimers: aggregated dimers can dissociate from Lyn and form signaling complexes with Syk.

Clustering the tetrameric (alphabetagamma(2)) IgE receptor, FcepsilonRI, on basophils and mast cells activates the Src-family tyrosine kinase, Lyn, which phosphorylates FcepsilonRI beta and gamma subunit tyrosines, creating binding sites for the recruitment and activation of Syk. We reported previously that FcepsilonRI dimers formed by a particular anti-FcepsilonRI alpha mAb (H10) initiate signaling through Lyn activation and FcepsilonRI subunit phosphorylation, but cause only modest activation of Syk and little Ca(2+) mobilization and secretion. Curtailed signaling was linked to the formation of unusual, detergent-resistant complexes between Lyn and phosphorylated receptor subunits.

High resolution mapping of mast cell membranes reveals primary and secondary domains of Fc(epsilon)RI and LAT.

In mast cells, cross-linking the high-affinity IgE receptor (Fc(epsilon)RI) initiates the Lyn-mediated phosphorylation of receptor ITAMs, forming phospho-ITAM binding sites for Syk. Previous immunogold labeling of membrane sheets showed that resting Fc(epsilon)RI colocalize loosely with Lyn, whereas cross-linked Fc(epsilon)RI redistribute into specialized domains (osmiophilic patches) that exclude Lyn, accumulate Syk, and are often bordered by coated pits. Here, the distribution of Fc(epsilon)RI beta is mapped relative to linker for activation of T cells (LAT), Grb2-binding protein 2 (Gab2), two PLCgamma isoforms, and the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), all implicated in the remodeling of membrane inositol phospholipids.