SUMOylation promotes survival and integration of neural stem cell grafts in ischemic stroke.

Background: Neural stem cell (NSC)-based therapies hold great promise for treating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). However, several fundamental problems still need to be overcome to fully exploit the clinical potential of NSC therapeutics. Chief among them is the limited survival of NSC grafts within hostile microenvironments.

Akt Protein Kinase, miR-200/miR-182 Expression and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Proteins in Hibernating Ground Squirrels.

Hibernating 13-lined ground squirrels (; TLGS) rank among the most brain hypoperfusion-tolerant mammals known. Herein we provide some evidence of cycling between an epithelial phenotype and a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotype (partial EMT) within the brains of TLGS during each bout of hibernation torpor. During hibernation torpor, expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin (E-CDH) was reduced, while expression of the well-known mesenchymal markers vimentin and Sox2 were increased.

Cerebral Ischemia Increases Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier Conjugation within Human Penumbral Tissue: Radiological-Pathological Correlation.

Posttranslational modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) regulates myriad physiological processes within cells and has been demonstrated to be highly activated in murine brains after cerebral ischemia. Numerous and murine studies have demonstrated that this increased SUMO conjugation is an endogenous neuroprotective stress response that has potential in being leveraged to develop novel therapies for ischemic stroke. However, SUMO activation has not yet been studied in poststroke human brains, presenting a clear limitation in translating experimental successes in murine models to human patients.

SUMOylation in brain ischemia: Patterns, targets, and translational implications.

Post-translational protein modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) regulates a myriad of homeostatic and stress responses. The SUMOylation pathway has been extensively studied in brain ischemia. Convincing evidence is now at hand to support the notion that a major increase in levels of SUMOylated proteins is capable of inducing tolerance to ischemic stress.

Quantitative high-throughput screening identifies cytoprotective molecules that enhance SUMO conjugation via the inhibition of SUMO-specific protease (SENP)2.

The development of novel neuroprotective treatments for acute stroke has been fraught with failures, which supports the view of ischemic brain damage as a highly complex multifactorial process. Post-translational modifications such as small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)ylation have emerged as critical molecular regulatory mechanisms in states of both homeostasis and ischemic stress, as evidenced by our previous work. Accordingly, the clinical significance of the selective control of the global SUMOylation process has become apparent in studies of ischemic pathobiology and pathophysiology.

Topotecan is a potent inhibitor of SUMOylation in glioblastoma multiforme and alters both cellular replication and metabolic programming.

Protein SUMOylation is a dynamic post-translational modification shown to be involved in a diverse set of physiologic processes throughout the cell. SUMOylation has also been shown to play a role in the pathobiology of myriad cancers, one of which is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). As such, the clinical significance and therapeutic utility offered via the selective control of global SUMOylation is readily apparent.

Neural stem cell transplantation in ischemic stroke: A role for preconditioning and cellular engineering.

Ischemic stroke continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. To protect and/or repair the ischemic brain, a multitiered approach may be centered on neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation. Transplanted NSCs exert beneficial effects not only via structural replacement, but also via immunomodulatory and/or neurotrophic actions.

Global SUMOylation facilitates the multimodal neuroprotection afforded by quercetin against the deleterious effects of oxygen/glucose deprivation and the restoration of oxygen/glucose.

The putative neuroprotective properties of various flavonoids have long been reported. Among this class of chemicals, quercetin, a major flavone/flavonol naturally occurring in plants, deserves focused attention because of the myriad of beneficial effects observed in various in vitro and in vivo models of central nervous system damage/degeneration. However, the mechanisms governing the beneficial outcomes mediated by quercetin remain to be elucidated.

A novel quantitative high-throughput screen identifies drugs that both activate SUMO conjugation via the inhibition of microRNAs 182 and 183 and facilitate neuroprotection in a model of oxygen and glucose deprivation.

The conjugation/de-conjugation of Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) has been shown to be associated with a diverse set of physiologic/pathologic conditions. The clinical significance and ostensible therapeutic utility offered via the selective control of the global SUMOylation process has become readily apparent in ischemic pathophysiology. Herein, we describe the development of a novel quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) system designed to identify small molecules capable of increasing SUMOylation via the regulation/inhibition of members of the microRNA (miRNA)-182 family.

Hypophosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 is a molecular mechanism underlying ischemic tolerance induced by either hibernation or preconditioning.

Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) have an extraordinary capacity to withstand prolonged and profound reductions in blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain without incurring any cellular damage. As such, the hibernation torpor of I. tridecemlineatus provides a valuable model of tolerance to ischemic stress.

Global SUMOylation is a molecular mechanism underlying hypothermia-induced ischemic tolerance.

The molecular mechanisms underlying hypothermic neuroprotection have yet to be fully elucidated. Herein we demonstrate that global SUMOylation, a form of post-translational modification with the Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifer, participates in the multimodal molecular induction of hypothermia-induced ischemic tolerance. Mild (32°C) to moderate (28°C) hypothermic treatment(s) during OGD (oxygen-glucose-deprivation) or ROG (restoration of oxygen/glucose) increased global SUMO-conjugation levels and protected cells (both SHSY5Y and E18 rat cortical neurons) from OGD and ROG-induced cell death.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 and its cleavage products differentially modulate cellular protection through NF-kappaB-dependent signaling.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and its cleavage products regulate cell viability and NF-kappaB activity when expressed in neurons. PARP-1 cleavage generates a 24 kDa (PARP-1(24)) and an 89 kDa fragment (PARP-1(89)). Compared to WT (PARP-1WT), the expression of an uncleavable PARP-1 (PARP-1(UNCL)) or of PARP-1(24) conferred protection from oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) or OGD/restoration of oxygen and glucose (ROG) damage in vitro, whereas expression of PARP-1(89) was cytotoxic.

SUMO and ischemic tolerance.

Hibernating squirrels slow blood flow to a crawl, but sustain no damage to brain or other tissues. This phenomenon provides an excellent model of natural tolerance to ischemia. Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a 100-residue peptide that modifies other proteins by being attached to the epsilon amino group of specific lysine residues.

A method for hypothermia-induction and maintenance allows precise body and brain temperature control in mice.

The benefits as well as mechanisms of hypothermia in brain injuries are actively studied at the bench and in the clinic. However, methods used in controlling hypothermia vary among laboratories, and usually brain temperatures are not monitored directly in animals due to the need for an invasive procedure. Here we show a method, water immersion technique, which we developed recently to regulate body temperature in mice during hypothermia process.

Global protein conjugation by ubiquitin-like-modifiers during ischemic stress is regulated by microRNAs and confers robust tolerance to ischemia.

Hibernation torpor provides an excellent model of natural tolerance to ischemia. We have previously shown that massive global SUMOylation occurs during hibernation torpor in ground squirrels. We have also shown that overexpression of Ubc9, SUMO-1, or SUMO-2/3 provides protection against ischemic damage in cell lines and cortical neurons exposed to oxygen/glucose deprivation, and in mice exposed to middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Elevated global SUMOylation in Ubc9 transgenic mice protects their brains against focal cerebral ischemic damage.

We have previously shown that a massive increase in global SUMOylation occurs during torpor in ground squirrels, and that overexpression of Ubc9 and/or SUMO-1 in cell lines and cortical neurons protects against oxygen and glucose deprivation. To examine whether increased global SUMOylation protects against ischemic brain damage, we have generated transgenic mice in which Ubc9 is expressed strongly in all tissues under the chicken β-actin promoter. Ubc9 expression levels in 10 founder lines ranged from 2 to 30 times the endogenous level, and lines that expressed Ubc9 at modestly increased levels showed robust resistance to brain ischemia compared to wild type mice.

SUMOylation participates in induction of ischemic tolerance.

Ground squirrels in hibernation torpor have been shown to have striking increases in global SUMOylation on tissue immunoblots. Here, we find evidence that global SUMOylation is also involved in ischemic tolerance in primary cortical neuronal cultures (from rats and mice) and SHSY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Cultured cortical neurons preconditioned by sublethal oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) were less vulnerable to severe OGD than non-preconditioned neurons.

Protein SUMOylation is massively increased in hibernation torpor and is critical for the cytoprotection provided by ischemic preconditioning and hypothermia in SHSY5Y cells.

Hibernation torpor provides an excellent natural model of tolerance to profound reductions in blood flow to the brain and other organs. Here, we report that during torpor of 13-lined ground squirrels, massive SUMOylation occurs in the brain, liver, and kidney. The level of small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) conjugation coincides with the expression level of Ubc9, the SUMO specific E2-conjugating enzyme.

Release of OPA1 during apoptosis participates in the rapid and complete release of cytochrome c and subsequent mitochondrial fragmentation.

Mitochondria are important participants in apoptosis, releasing cytochrome c into the cytoplasm and undergoing extensive fragmentation. However, mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that cytochrome c release during apoptosis precedes mitochondrial fragmentation.

Roles of the mammalian mitochondrial fission and fusion mediators Fis1, Drp1, and Opa1 in apoptosis.

During apoptosis, the mitochondrial network fragments. Using short hairpin RNAs for RNA interference, we manipulated the expression levels of the proteins hFis1, Drp1, and Opa1 that are involved in mitochondrial fission and fusion in mammalian cells, and we characterized their functions in mitochondrial morphology and apoptosis. Down-regulation of hFis1 powerfully inhibits cell death to an extent significantly greater than down-regulation of Drp1 and at a stage of apoptosis distinct from that induced by Drp1 inhibition.

Bcl-x(L) sequesters its C-terminal membrane anchor in soluble, cytosolic homodimers.

Bcl-x(L) is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis. While Bcl-x(L) can be bound to mitochondria, a substantial fraction, depending on the cell type or tissue, is found in the cytosol of healthy cells. Gel filtration and crosslinking experiments reveal that, unlike monomeric Bax, Bcl-x(L) migrates in a complex of approximately 50 kDa in the cytosol.

Spatial and temporal association of Bax with mitochondrial fission sites, Drp1, and Mfn2 during apoptosis.

We find that Bax, a proapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, translocates to discrete foci on mitochondria during the initial stages of apoptosis, which subsequently become mitochondrial scission sites. A dominant negative mutant of Drp1, Drp1K38A, inhibits apoptotic scission of mitochondria, but does not inhibit Bax translocation or coalescence into foci. However, Drp1K38A causes the accumulation of mitochondrial fission intermediates that are associated with clusters of Bax.