Project description:Human peripheral blood T cells (total CD3+) were stimulated for 12 and 24 h with plate bound CD3/CD28 or CD3/CD63 mAbs in the presence or absence of the D2-domain of the cytoplasmic tail of CD45. Total RNA was purified and gene expression profiles were obtained.
Project description:IgG cytoplasmic tail interferes with the induction of antigen-response genes Experiment Overall Design: Comparing antigen-induced genes between B cells expressing anti-HEL IgM BCR and IgMG BCR (chimeric receptor where the extracellular spacer, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domain of IgM are replaced with those of IgG1)
Project description:Integrins, the principal extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors of the cell, promote cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation, which are key events for cancer growth and metastasis. To date, most integrin-targeted cancer therapeutics have disrupted integrin-ECM interactions, which are viewed as critical for integrin functions. However, such agents have failed to improve cancer patient outcomes. We show that integrin b1, a highly expressed subunit in lung epithelium, is required for lung adenocarcinoma development in a carcinogen-induced mouse model. Likewise, human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines with integrin b1 deletion failed to form colonies in soft agar and tumors in mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that these effects do not require integrin b1-mediated adhesion to ECM but are dependent on integrin b1 cytoplasmic tail-mediated activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Together, these studies support a critical role for integrin b1 in lung tumorigenesis that is mediated through constitutive, ECM-binding independent signaling involving the cytoplasmic tail.
Project description:TC-510 is a novel cell therapy that consists of autologous genetically engineered T cells expressing two synthetic constructs: first, a single-domain antibody that recognizes human Mesothelin, fused to the CD3-epsilon subunit which, upon expression, is incorporated into the endogenous T cell receptor (TCR) complex and second, a PD-1:CD28 switch receptor, which is expressed on the surface of the T cell, independently from the TCR. The PD-1:CD28 switch receptor comprises the PD-1 extracellular domain fused to the CD28 intracellular domain via a transmembrane domain. Thus, the switch is designed to produce a costimulatory signal upon engagement with PD-L1 on cancer cells.
Project description:ADAMs are transmembrane metalloproteases that control cell behavior by cleaving both cell adhesion and signaling molecules. The cytoplasmic domain of ADAMs can regulate the proteolytic activity by controlling the subcellular localization and/or the activation of the protease domain. Here we show that the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM13 is cleaved and translocates into the nucleus. Preventing this translocation renders the protein incapable of promoting cranial neural crest (CNC) cell migration in vivo, without affecting its proteolytic activity. In addition, the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM13 regulates the expression of multiple genes in the CNC. This study shows that the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM metalloproteases can perform essential functions in the nucleus of cells and may contribute substantially to the overall function of the protein.
Project description:Kindlin-1, -2, and -3, directly bind integrin β cytoplasmic tails to regulate integrin activation and signaling. Despite their functional significance and link to several diseases, structural information on full-length kindlin proteins remains unknown. Here, we report the crystal structure of human full-length kindlin-3, which reveals a novel homotrimer state. Unlike kindlin-3 monomer, which is the major population in insect and mammalian cell expression systems, kindlin-3 trimer does not bind integrin β cytoplasmic tail as the integrin-binding pocket in the F3 sub-domain of one protomer is occluded by the PH domain of another protomer, suggesting that kindlin-3 is auto-inhibited upon trimer formation. This is also supported by functional assays in which kindlin-3 knockout K562 erythroleukemia cells re-constituted with the mutant kindlin-3 containing trimer-disrupting mutations exhibited an increase in integrin-mediated adhesion and spreading on fibronectin compared to those re-constituted with wild type kindlin-3. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel mechanism of kindlin auto-inhibition that involves its homotrimer formation.
Project description:ADAMs are transmembrane metalloproteases that control cell behavior by cleaving both cell adhesion and signaling molecules. The cytoplasmic domain of ADAMs can regulate the proteolytic activity by controlling the subcellular localization and/or the activation of the protease domain. Here we show that the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM13 is cleaved and translocates into the nucleus. Preventing this translocation renders the protein incapable of promoting cranial neural crest (CNC) cell migration in vivo, without affecting its proteolytic activity. In addition, the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM13 regulates the expression of multiple genes in the CNC. This study shows that the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM metalloproteases can perform essential functions in the nucleus of cells and may contribute substantially to the overall function of the protein. Total RNA from cranial neural crest explants dissected from Xenopus laevis embryos at stage 15 to 17. Embryos were injected with either control morpholino (CMO), morpholino to ADAM13 (MO13) or MO13 and a fusion between GFP- and the cytoplasmic domain of ADAM13 (GFP-C13). Triplicate microarray correspond to independent experiments labeled DA4, DA5 and DA2. For each sample 1 is CMO, sample 2 is MO13 and sample 3 is MO13+C13. Embryos were injected with 10 ng of morpholino and 0.5 ng of GFP-C13 mRNA. Supplementary files: [1] matrix2_sig-genes.txt CNC array: Genes significantly affected by the loss of ADAM13 p<0.01. Normalized probe set generated by GC-RMA. [2] matrix3_sig-genes.txt CNC array: Genes significantly affected by the loss of ADAM13 and the addition of GFP-C13 p<0.01. Normalized probe set generated by GC-RMA.
Project description:WWOX expression is lost during tumor progression in many human malignancies including breast cancer. To understand the effects of loss of WWOX expression we analyzed the consequences of its silencing in normal human breast cells (MCF10F). WWOX silencing led to the formation of larger cell colonies, increased cell motility and decreased cell attachment. WWOX silenced cells demonstrated deregulated expression on genes involved in cell cycle, DNA damage response and cell motility. We detected an enrichment of targets activated by the SMAD3 transcription factor. Most notably expression of ANGPTL4, FST, PTHLH and SERPINE1 were all significantly increased upon WWOX silencing. Upregulation of these genes can be reversed by re-expressing WWOX in the previously silenced cells thus suggesting an inverse correlation between WWOX protein expression and SMAD3 transcriptional activity. Importantly, we demonstrate that WWOX physically interacts with SMAD3 protein via WW domain 1, that WWOX expression dramatically decreases SMAD3 occupancy at the ANGPTL4 and SERPINE1 promoters and significantly quenches activation of a TGFM-NM-2 responsive reporter (3TP-LUX). Furthermore, WWOX expression leads to intracellular redistribution of SMAD3 protein levels redirecting protein availability from the nuclear to the cytoplasmic compartment. Interestingly, meta-analysis of gene expression breast cancer datasets indicate that WWOX and ANGPTL4 expression, encoding a secreted protein of key relevance in breast cancer lung metastatic cells, are inversely correlated and the WWOXlo/ANGPTL4hi cluster of tumors are enriched in triple-negative and basal-like sub-types. In summary, we demonstrate that WWOX modulates SMAD3 signaling in breast cells via direct WW-domain binding and potential cytoplasmic sequestration of SMAD3 protein. Since loss of WWOX expression increases with breast cancer progression and it behaves as an inhibitor of SMAD3 transcriptional activity these observations may help explain, at least in part, the paradoxical pro-tumorigenic effects of TGFM-NM-2 signaling in advanced breast cancer. We compared two independent shRNAs: shWWOX-A and shWWOX-B with 3 biological replicates each one, targeting different regions of the WWOX transcript as a means of ruling out any potential off-target effects.
Project description:A trimeric glycoprotein complex on the surface of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) binds to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor α (PDGFRα) to mediate host cell recognition and fusion of the viral and cellular membranes. Soluble PDGFRα potently neutralizes CMV in tissue culture, and its potential use as an antiviral therapeutic has the benefit that any escape mutants will likely be attenuated. However, PDGFRα binds multiple PDGF ligands in the human body as part of developmental programs in embryogenesis and continuing through adulthood. Any therapies with soluble receptor therefore come with serious efficacy and safety concerns, especially for the treatment of congenital CMV. Soluble virus receptors that are orthogonal to human biology would reduce safety and efficacy concerns. This engineering problem is solved by deep mutational scanning on the D2-D3 domains of PDGFRα to identify variants that maintain interactions with the CMV glycoprotein trimer in the presence of competing PDGF ligands.