Defective biosynthesis or function of proteoglycans causes pathological conditions in a variety of tissue systems. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disorder characterized by progressive cartilage destruction caused by imbalanced proteoglycan synthesis and degradation. Identifying agents that regulate proteoglycan metabolism may benefit the development of OA-modifying therapeutics. High-throughput screening (HTS) of chemical libraries has paved the way for achieving this goal. However, the implementation and adaptation of HTS assays based on proteoglycan measurement remain underexploited. Using primary porcine chondrocytes as a model, we report a miniaturized dimethyl-methylene blue (DMMB) assay, which is commonly used to quantitatively evaluate sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content, with an optimized detection range and reproducibility and its integration with HTS. Treatment with TGF-β1 and IL1-α, known as positive and negative proteoglycan regulators, respectively, supported the assay specificity. A pre-test of chemical screening of 960 compounds identified both stimulators (4.48%) and inhibitors (6.04%) of GAG production. Fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis validated the activity of selected hits on chondroitin sulfate expression in an alginate culture system. Our findings support the implementation of this simple colorimetric assay in HTS to discover modifiers of OA or other diseases related to dysregulated proteoglycan metabolism.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8776954PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-04805-yDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

proteoglycan metabolism
12
dmmb assay
8
high-throughput screening
8
proteoglycan
6
integration miniaturized
4
miniaturized dmmb
4
assay
4
assay high-throughput
4
screening identifying
4
identifying regulators
4

Similar Publications

It is well recognized that type II Diabetes (T2D) and overweight/obesity are established risk factors for stroke, worsening also their consequences. However, the underlying mechanisms by which these disorders aggravate outcomes are not yet clear limiting the therapeutic opportunities. To fill this gap, we characterized, for the first time, the effects of T2D and obesity on the brain repair mechanisms occurring 7 days after stroke, notably glial scarring.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

SNORA37/CMTR1/ELAVL1 feedback loop drives gastric cancer progression via facilitating CD44 alternative splicing.

J Exp Clin Cancer Res

January 2025

Department of Pathology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.

Background: Emerging evidence shows that small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), a type of highly conserved non-coding RNA, is involved in tumorigenesis and aggressiveness. However, the roles of snoRNAs in regulating alternative splicing crucial for cancer progression remain elusive.

Methods: High-throughput RNA sequencing and comprehensive analysis were performed to identify crucial snoRNAs and downstream alternative splicing events.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The endonuclease activity of MCPIP1 controls the neoplastic transformation of epithelial cells via the c-Met/CD44 axis.

Cell Commun Signal

January 2025

Department of General Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.

The RNase activity of MCPIP1 is essential for regulating cellular homeostasis, proliferation, and tumorigenesis. Our study elucidates the effects of downregulation of MCPIP1 expression and an RNase-inactivating mutation (D141N) on normal epithelial kidney cells, indicating that MCPIP1 expression is a key factor that suppresses neoplastic transformation. We observed that either expression downregulation or mutation of MCPIP1 significantly increased its clonogenicity and altered the expression of cancer stem cell (CSC) markers and factors involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Rotator cuff repairs may fail because of compromised blood supply, suture anchor pullout, or poor fixation to bone. To augment the repairs and promote healing of the tears, orthobiologics, such a platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and biologic scaffolds have been applied with mixed results. Adipose allograft matrix (AAM), which recruits native cells to damaged tissues, may also be a potential treatment for rotator cuff tears.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Competitive displacement of lipoprotein lipase from heparan sulfate is orchestrated by a disordered acidic cluster in GPIHBP1.

J Lipid Res

January 2025

Finsen Laboratory, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address:

Movement of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) from myocytes or adipocytes to the capillary lumen is essential for intravascular lipolysis and plasma triglyceride homeostasis-low LPL activity in the capillary lumen causes hypertriglyceridemia. The trans-endothelial transport of LPL depends on ionic interactions with GPIHBP1's intrinsically disordered N-terminal tail, which harbors two acidic clusters at positions 5-12 and 19-30. This polyanionic tail provides a molecular switch that controls LPL detachment from heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) by competitive displacement.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!