Signaling network of Oncostatin M pathway

NF-κB and JAK/STAT Signaling Pathways as Crucial Regulators of Neuroinflammation and Astrocyte Modulation in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to significant functional impairments below the level of the injury, and astrocytes play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of SCI. Astrocytes undergo changes and form a glial scar after SCI, which has traditionally been viewed as a barrier to axonal regeneration and functional recovery. Astrocytes activate intracellular signaling pathways, including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT), in response to external stimuli. NF-κB and STAT3 are transcription factors that play a pivotal role in initiating gene expression related to astrogliosis. The JAK/STAT signaling pathway is essential for managing secondary damage and facilitating recovery processes post-SCI: inflammation, glial scar formation, and astrocyte survival. NF-κB activation in astrocytes leads to the production of pro-inflammatory factors by astrocytes. NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways are interconnected: NF-κB activation in astrocytes leads to the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6), which interacts with the IL-6 receptor and initiates STAT3 activation. By modulating astrocyte responses, these pathways offer promising avenues for enhancing recovery outcomes, illustrating the crucial need for further investigation into their mechanisms and therapeutic applications in SCI treatment.

Predicting the Long-Term Effects of Therapeutic Neutralization of Oncostatin M on Human Hematopoiesis

Therapeutic neutralization of Oncostatin M (OSM) causes mechanism-driven anemia and thrombocytopenia, which narrows the therapeutic window complicating the selection of doses (and dosing intervals) that optimize efficacy and safety. We utilized clinical data from studies of an anti-OSM monoclonal antibody (GSK2330811) in healthy volunteers (n = 49) and systemic sclerosis patients (n = 35), to quantitatively determine the link between OSM and alterations in red blood cell (RBC) and platelet production. Longitudinal changes in hematopoietic variables (including RBCs, reticulocytes, platelets, erythropoietin, and thrombopoietin) were linked in a physiology-based model, to capture the long-term effects and variability of therapeutic OSM neutralization on human hematopoiesis. Free serum OSM stimulated precursor cell production through sigmoidal relations, with higher maximum suppression (Imax ) and OSM concentration for 50% suppression (IC50 ) for platelets (89.1% [95% confidence interval: 83.4-93.0], 6.03 pg/mL [4.41-8.26]) than RBCs (57.0% [49.7-64.0], 2.93 pg/mL [2.55-3.36]). Reduction in hemoglobin and platelets increased erythro- and thrombopoietin, respectively, prompting reticulocytosis and (partially) alleviating OSM-restricted hematopoiesis. The physiology-based model was substantiated by preclinical data and utilized in exploration of once-weekly or every other week dosing regimens. Predictions revealed an (for the indication) unacceptable occurrence of grade 2 (67% [58-76], 29% [20-38]) and grade 3 (17% [10-25], 3% [0-7]) anemias, with limited thrombocytopenia. Individual extent of RBC precursor modulation was moderately correlated to skin mRNA gene expression changes. The physiological basis and consideration of interplay among hematopoietic variables makes the model generalizable to other drug and nondrug scenarios, with adaptations for patient populations, diseases, and therapeutics that modulate hematopoiesis or exhibit risk of anemia and/or thrombocytopenia.

Oncostatin M and STAT3 Signaling Pathways Support Human Trophoblast Differentiation by Inhibiting Inflammatory Stress in Response to IFNγ and GM-CSF

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) superfamily cytokines play critical roles during human pregnancy by promoting trophoblast differentiation, invasion, and endocrine function, and maintaining embryo immunotolerance and protection. In contrast, the unbalanced activity of pro-inflammatory factors such as interferon gamma (IFNγ) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) at the maternal-fetal interface have detrimental effects on trophoblast function and differentiation. This study demonstrates how the IL-6 cytokine family member oncostatin M (OSM) and STAT3 activation regulate trophoblast fusion and endocrine function in response to pro-inflammatory stress induced by IFNγ and GM-CSF. Using human cytotrophoblast-like BeWo (CT/BW) cells, differentiated in villous syncytiotrophoblast (VST/BW) cells, we show that beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (βhCG) production and cell fusion process are affected in response to IFNγ or GM-CSF. However, those effects are abrogated with OSM by modulating the activation of IFNγ-STAT1 and GM-CSF-STAT5 signaling pathways. OSM stimulation enhances the expression of STAT3, the phosphorylation of STAT3 and SMAD2, and the induction of negative regulators of inflammation (e.g., IL-10 and TGFβ1) and cytokine signaling (e.g., SOCS1 and SOCS3). Using STAT3-deficient VST/BW cells, we show that STAT3 expression is required for OSM to regulate the effects of IFNγ in βhCG and E-cadherin expression. In contrast, OSM retains its modulatory effect on GM-CSF-STAT5 pathway activation even in STAT3-deficient VST/BW cells, suggesting that OSM uses STAT3-dependent and -independent mechanisms to modulate the activation of pro-inflammatory pathways IFNγ-STAT1 and GM-CSF-STAT5. Moreover, STAT3 deficiency in VST/BW cells leads to the production of both a large amount of βhCG and an enhanced expression of activated STAT5 induced by GM-CSF, independently of OSM, suggesting a key role for STAT3 in βhCG production and trophoblast differentiation through STAT5 modulation. In conclusion, our study describes for the first time the critical role played by OSM and STAT3 signaling pathways to preserve and regulate trophoblast biological functions during inflammatory stress.

Janus kinase 1 in Megalobrama amblycephala: Identification, phylogenetic analysis and expression profiling after Aeromonas hydrophila infection

Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), a member of the JAK family, plays an essential and non-redundant role in the mammalian immune system. However, the potential role of JAK1 in fish immune response remains largely unclear. In the present study, the JAK1 gene of Megalobrama amblycephala (MamJAK1) was identified and characterized. The open reading frame (ORF) of MamJAK1 was 3462 bp, encoding 1153 amino acids. MamJAK1 consists of four common domains of the JAK family, including B41, SH2, STyrKc (a pseudo kinase domain), and TyrKc (a kinase domain). Phylogenetic analysis showed that JAK1s are divided into two evolutionary clades, one containing fish JAK1s, and the other containing JAK1s from other vertebrates. The results of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) showed that in healthy M. amblycephala, MamJAK1 mRNA was highest expressed in blood, followed by spleen, intestine and mid-kidney, and lowly expressed in other tissues including gill, liver, head kidney, muscle, brain and heart. After Aeromonas hydrophila infection, the expression of MamJAK1 mRNA was significantly induced in four selected tissues including spleen, mid-kidney, liver and intestine, reaching a peak at 24 hpi (hour post infection) in spleen and mid-kidney, at 12 hpi in liver and at 4 hpi in intestine, and then the expression level was restricted to control levels at 72 or 120 hpi. In addition, the results of Western blot showed that the phosphorylation level of MamJAK1 protein in spleen and mid-kidney increased significantly after A. hydrophila infection, although MamJAK1 protein did not change obviously. Further, the JAK1 phosphorylation in Ctenopharyngodon idellus kidney (CIK) cells was found to be significantly induced by LPS stimulation and IL-6R over-expression. The results above suggest that MamJAK1 may play an essential role in the immune response against bacterial infection through the IL-6R mediated JAK1/STAT signaling pathway, which further deepen our understanding of JAK1 and provides a potential target for the treatment and prevention of bacterial diseases in teleost.

Cloning, expression, purification, and immunoblotting analysis of recombinant type III fibronectin domains of human oncostatin M receptor

BACKGROUND

The human oncostatin M receptor subunit , commonly known as the oncostatin M receptor (OSMR), is a cell surface protein and belongs to the family of type I cytokine receptors. It is highly expressed in several cancers and is a potential therapeutic target. Structurally, OSMR consists of three major domains: the extracellular, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains. The extracellular domain further comprises four Type III fibronectin subdomains. The functional relevance of these type III fibronectin domains is not known yet, and it is of great interest to us to understand their role in OSMR-mediated interactions with other oncogenic proteins.

METHODS & RESULTS

The four type III fibronectin domains of hOSMR were amplified by PCR using the pUNO1-hOSMR construct as a template. The molecular size of the amplified products was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The amplicons were then cloned into a pGEX4T3 vector containing GST as an N-terminal tag. Positive clones with domain inserts were identified by restriction digestion and overexpressed in E. coli Rosetta (DE3) cells. The optimum conditions for overexpression were found to be 1 mM IPTG and an incubation temperature of 37 °C. The overexpression of the fibronectin domains was confirmed by SDS-PAGE, and they are affinity purified by using glutathione agarose beads in three repetitive steps. The purity of the isolated domains analyzed by SDS-PAGE and western blotting showed that they were exactly at their corresponding molecular weights as a single distinct band.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we have successfully cloned, expressed, and purified four Type III fibronectin subdomains of hOSMR.

A molecular network map of orexin-orexin receptor signaling system

Orexins are excitatory neuropeptides, which are predominantly associated with feeding behavior, sleep-wake cycle and energy homeostasis. The orexinergic system comprises of HCRTR1 and HCRTR2, G-protein-coupled receptors of rhodopsin family and the endogenous ligands processed from HCRT pro-hormone, Orexin A and Orexin B. These neuropeptides are biosynthesized by the orexin neurons present in the lateral hypothalamus area, with dense projections to other brain regions. The orexin-receptor signaling is implicated in various metabolic as well as neurological disorders, making it a promising target for pharmacological interventions. However, there is limited information available on the collective representation of the signal transduction pathways pertaining to the orexin-orexin receptor signaling system. Here, we depict a compendium of the Orexin A/B stimulated reactions in the form of a basic signaling pathway map. This map catalogs the reactions into five categories: molecular association, activation/inhibition, catalysis, transport, and gene regulation. A total of 318 downstream molecules were annotated adhering to the guidelines of NetPath curation. This pathway map can be utilized for further assessment of signaling events associated with orexin-mediated physiological functions and is freely available on WikiPathways, an open-source pathway database ( https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP5094 ).

Opioid receptors signaling network

Opioid receptors belong to the class A G-protein-coupled receptors and are activated by alkaloid opiates such as morphine, and endogenous ligands such as endorphins and enkephalins. Opioid receptors are widely distributed in the human body and are involved in numerous physiological processes through three major classical opioid receptor subtypes; the mu, delta and kappa along with a lesser characterized subtype, opioid receptor-like (ORL1). Opioids are the most potent analgesics and have been extensively used as a therapeutic drug for the treatment of pain and related disorders. Chronic administration of clinically used opioids is associated with adverse effects such as drug tolerance, addiction and constipation. Several investigations attempted to identify the molecular signaling networks associated with endogenous as well as synthetic opiates, however, there is a paucity of a cumulative depiction of these signaling events. Here, we report a systemic collection of downstream molecules pertaining to four subtypes of opioid receptors (MOR, KOR, DOR and ORL1) in the form of a signaling pathway map. We manually curated reactions induced by the activation of opioid receptors from the literature into five categories- molecular association, activation/inhibition, catalysis, transport, and gene regulation. This led to a dataset of 180 molecules, which is collectively represented in the opioid receptor signaling network following NetPath criteria. We believe that the public availability of an opioid receptor signaling pathway map can accelerate biomedical research in this area because of its high therapeutic significance. The opioid receptors signaling pathway map is uploaded to a freely available web resource, WikiPathways enabling ease of access ( https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP5093 ).

A modular map of Bradykinin-mediated inflammatory signaling network

Bradykinin, a member of the kallikrein-kinin system (KKS), is associated with an inflammatory response pathway with diverse vascular permeability functions, including thrombosis and blood coagulation. In majority, bradykinin signals through Bradykinin Receptor B2 (B2R). B2R is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) coupled to G protein family such as Gα_qs, Gα_q/Gα_11, Gα_i1, and Gβ1_γ2_. B2R stimulation leads to the activation of a signaling cascade of downstream molecules such as phospholipases, protein kinase C, Ras/Raf-1/MAPK, and PI3K/AKT and secondary messengers such as inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate, diacylglycerol and Ca²⁺ ions. These secondary messengers modulate the production of nitric oxide or prostaglandins. Bradykinin-mediated signaling is implicated in inflammation, chronic pain, vasculopathy, neuropathy, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Despite the biomedical importance of bradykinin, a resource of bradykinin-mediated signaling pathway is currently not available. Here, we developed a pathway resource of signaling events mediated by bradykinin. By employing data mining strategies in the published literature, we describe an integrated pathway reaction map of bradykinin consisting of 233 reactions. Bradykinin signaling pathway events included 25 enzyme catalysis reactions, 12 translocations, 83 activation/inhibition reactions, 11 molecular associations, 45 protein expression and 57 gene regulation events. The pathway map is made publicly available on the WikiPathways Database with the ID URL: https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP5132. The bradykinin-mediated signaling pathway map will facilitate the identification of novel candidates as therapeutic targets for diseases associated with dysregulated bradykinin signaling.

The network map of Elabela signaling pathway in physiological and pathological conditions

Elabela (ELA; also called Apela and Toddler) is one of the recently discovered ligand among the two endogenous peptide ligands (Apelin and Elabela) of the apelin receptor (APLNR, also known as APJ). Elabela-induced signaling plays a crucial role in diverse biological processes, including formation of the embryonic cardiovascular system and early placental development by reducing the chances of occurrence of preeclampsia during pregnancy. It also plays the major role in the renoprotection by reducing kidney injury and the inflammatory response and regulation of gene expression associated with heart failure and fibrosis. Elabela may be processed into different active peptides, each of which binds to APLNR and predominantly activates the signals through PI3K/AKT pathway. Owing to its biomedical importance, we developed a consolidated signaling map of Elabela, in accordance with the NetPath criteria. The presented Elabela signaling map comprises 12 activation/inhibition events, 15 catalysis events, 1 molecular association, 34 gene regulation events and 32 protein expression events. The Elabela signaling pathway map is freely made available through the WikiPathways Database ( https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP5100 ).

Large-scale serum analysis identifies unique systemic biomarkers in psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa

BACKGROUND

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is now recognized as a systemic inflammatory disease, sharing molecular similarities with psoriasis. Direct comparison of the systemic inflammation in HS with psoriasis is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the serum proteome of HS and psoriasis, and to identify biomarkers associated with disease severity.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 1,536 serum proteins were assessed using the Olink Explore (Proximity Extension Assay/PEA) high-throughput panel in moderate-to-severe HS (n=11), psoriasis (n=10) and age- and BMI-matched healthy controls (n=10).

RESULTS

HS displayed an overall greater dysregulation of circulating proteins, with 434 differentially expressed proteins (|FCH|≥1.2, p-value≤0.05) in HS versus controls, 138 in psoriasis versus controls, and 503 between HS and psoriasis. IL-17A levels and Th1/Th17 pathway enrichment were comparable between diseases, while HS presented greater TNF and IL-1β-related signaling. Th17-associated markers, PI3 and LCN2, were able to accurately differentiate psoriasis from HS. Both diseases presented increases of atherosclerosis-related proteins. Robust correlations between clinical severity scores and immune and atherosclerosis-related proteins were observed across both diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

HS and psoriasis share significant Th1/Th17 enrichment and upregulation of atherosclerosis-related proteins. Nevertheless, despite the greater body surface area involved in psoriasis, HS presents a greater serum inflammatory burden.

A multi-cellular molecular signaling and functional network map of C-C motif chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18): a chemokine with immunosuppressive and pro-tumor functions

The C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 18 (CCL18) is a beta-chemokine sub-family member with immunomodulatory functions in primates. CCL18-dependent migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of oral squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic ductal carcinoma and bladder cancer cells are well-established. In the tumor niche, tumor-associated macrophages produce CCL18 and its overexpression is correlated with reduced patient survival in multiple cancers. Although multiple receptors including C-C chemokine receptor type 3 (CCR3), type 6 (CCR6), type 8 (CCR8) and G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER1) are reported for CCL18, the Phosphatidylinositol Transfer Protein, Membrane-Associated 3 (PITPNM3) receptor is currently considered as its predominant receptor. Characterization of the molecular events and check points associated with the immunosuppressive and cancer progression support functions induced by CCL18 for their potential towards therapeutic applications is an area of active research. Hence, in this study, we assembled 917 signaling events reported to be induced by CCL18 through their studied receptors in diverse cell types as an integrated knowledgebase for reference, data integration and gene-set enrichment analysis of global transcriptomic and/or proteomics datasets.

The Crosstalk between Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Macrophages in Bone Regeneration: A Systematic Review

Bone regeneration is a complex and well-coordinated process that involves crosstalk between immune cells and resident cells in the injury site. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a promising strategy to enhance bone regeneration. Growing evidence suggests that macrophages have a significant impact on osteogenesis during bone regeneration. However, the precise mechanisms by which macrophage subtypes influence bone regeneration and how MSCs communicate with macrophages have not yet been fully elucidated. In this systematic literature review, we gathered evidence regarding the crosstalk between MSCs and macrophages during bone regeneration. According to the PRISMA protocol, we extracted literature from PubMed and Embase databases by using "mesenchymal stem cells" and "macrophages" and "bone regeneration" as keywords. Thirty-three studies were selected for this review. MSCs isolated from both bone marrow and adipose tissue and both primary macrophages and macrophage cell lines were used in the selected studies. In conclusion, anti-inflammatory macrophages (M2) have significantly more potential to strengthen bone regeneration compared with naïve (M0) and classically activated macrophages (M1). Transplantation of MSCs induced M1-to-M2 transition and transformed the skeletal microenvironment to facilitate bone regeneration in bone fracture and bone defect models. This review highlights the complexity between MSCs and macrophages, providing more insight into the polarized macrophage behavior in this evolving field of osteoimmunology. The results may serve as a useful reference for definite success in MSC-based therapy based on the critical interaction with macrophages.

Hepatic patch by stacking patient-specific liver progenitor cell sheets formed on multiscale electrospun fibers promotes regenerative therapy for liver injury

Recently, use of cell sheets with bio-applicable fabrication materials for transplantation has been an attractive approach for the treatment of patients with liver failure. However, renewable and scalable cell sources for engineered tissue patches remain limited. We previously reported a new type of proliferating bipotent human chemically derived hepatic progenitor cells (hCdHs) developed by small molecule-mediated reprogramming. Here, we developed a patient-specific hepatic cell sheet constructed from liver biopsy-derived hCdHs on a multiscale fibrous scaffold by combining electrospinning and three-dimensional printing. Analysis of biomaterial composition revealed that the high-density electrospun sheet was superior in increasing the functional properties of hCdHs. Furthermore, the hepatic patch assembled by multilayer stacking with alternate cell sheets of hCdHs and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) recapitulated a liver tissue-like structure, with histological and morphological shape and size similar to those of primary human hepatocytes, and exhibited a significant increase in hepatic functions such as albumin secretion and activity of cytochrome P450 during in vitro hepatic differentiation compared with that in hCdH cells cultured in a two-dimensional monolayer. Interestingly, in the hepatic patch, the induction of functional hepatocytes was associated with both the electrospun fibrous-facilitated oncostatin M signaling and selective activation of AKT signaling by HUVECs. Notably, upon transplantation into a mouse model of therapeutic liver repopulation, the hepatic patch effectively repopulated the damaged parenchyma and induced the restoration of liver function with healthy morphology in the lobe and an improved survival rate (>70%) in mice. Overall, these results suggested that liver biopsy-derived hCdHs can be an efficient alternative source for developing hepatic cell sheets and patches with potential clinical applications in tissue engineering to advance liver regeneration.

Common Variants Associated With OSMR Expression Contribute to Carotid Plaque Vulnerability, but Not to Cardiovascular Disease in Humans

Background and Aims: Oncostatin M (OSM) signaling is implicated in atherosclerosis, however the mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the impact of common genetic variants in OSM and its receptors, OSMR and LIFR, on overall plaque vulnerability, plaque phenotype, intraplaque OSMR and LIFR expression, coronary artery calcification burden and cardiovascular disease susceptibility. Methods and Results: We queried Genotype-Tissue Expression data and found that rs13168867 (C allele) was associated with decreased OSMR expression and that rs10491509 (A allele) was associated with increased LIFR expression in arterial tissues. No variant was significantly associated with OSM expression. We associated these two variants with plaque characteristics from 1,443 genotyped carotid endarterectomy patients in the Athero-Express Biobank Study. After correction for multiple testing, rs13168867 was significantly associated with an increased overall plaque vulnerability (β = 0.118 ± s.e. = 0.040, p = 3.00 × 10-3, C allele). Looking at individual plaque characteristics, rs13168867 showed strongest associations with intraplaque fat (β = 0.248 ± s.e. = 0.088, p = 4.66 × 10-3, C allele) and collagen content (β = -0.259 ± s.e. = 0.095, p = 6.22 × 10-3, C allele), but these associations were not significant after correction for multiple testing. rs13168867 was not associated with intraplaque OSMR expression. Neither was intraplaque OSMR expression associated with plaque vulnerability and no known OSMR eQTLs were associated with coronary artery calcification burden, or cardiovascular disease susceptibility. No associations were found for rs10491509 in the LIFR locus. Conclusions: Our study suggests that rs1316887 in the OSMR locus is associated with increased plaque vulnerability, but not with coronary calcification or cardiovascular disease risk. It remains unclear through which precise biological mechanisms OSM signaling exerts its effects on plaque morphology. However, the OSM-OSMR/LIFR pathway is unlikely to be causally involved in lifetime cardiovascular disease susceptibility.

Neutrophil-Derived Oncostatin M Triggers Diverse Signaling Pathways during Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a major public health concern, causing significant morbidity and mortality annually despite the broad use of antimicrobial agents. Underlying many of the severe sequelae of acute lung infections is dysfunction of the immune response, which remains incompletely understood yet is an attractive target of adjunct therapy in pneumonia. Here, we investigate the role of oncostatin M (OSM), a pleiotropic cytokine of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family, and how its signaling modulates multiple innate immune pathways during pneumonia. Previously, we showed that OSM is necessary for neutrophil recruitment to the lungs during pneumonia by stimulating STAT3-driven CXCL5 expression. In this study, transcriptional profiling of whole-lung pneumonia with OSM neutralization revealed 241 differentially expressed genes following only 6 h of infection. Many downregulated genes are associated with STAT1, STAT3, and interferon signaling, suggesting these pathways are induced by OSM early in pneumonia. Interestingly, STAT1 and STAT3 activation was subsequently upregulated with OSM neutralization by 24 h, suggesting that OSM interruption dysregulates these central signaling pathways. When we investigated the source of OSM in pneumonia, neutrophils and, to a lesser extent, macrophages appear to be primary sources, suggesting a positive feedback loop of OSM production by neutrophils. From these studies, we conclude that OSM produced by recruited neutrophils tunes early innate immune signaling pathways, improving pneumonia outcomes.

An assembly of galanin-galanin receptor signaling network

The galanin receptor family of proteins is present throughout the central nervous system and endocrine system. It comprises of three subtypes-GalR1, GalR2, and GalR3; all of which are G-protein-coupled receptors. Galanin predominantly acts as an inhibitory, hyper-polarizing neuromodulator, which has several physiological as well as pathological functions. Galanin has a role in mediating food intake, memory, sexual behavior, nociception and is also associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, and chronic pain. However, the understanding of signaling mechanisms of the galanin family of neuropeptides is limited and an organized pathway map is not yet available. Therefore, a detailed literature mining of the publicly available articles pertaining to the galanin receptor was followed by manual curation of the reactions and their integration into a map. This resulted in the cataloging of molecular reactions involving 64 molecules into five categories such as molecular association, activation/inhibition, catalysis, transport, and gene regulation. For enabling easy access of biomedical researchers, the galanin-galanin receptor signaling pathway data was uploaded to WikiPathways ( https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP4970 ), a freely available database of biological pathways.

A complete map of the Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2) signaling pathway

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2) is a serine/threonine-protein kinase belonging to the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase subfamily. CAMKK2 has an autocatalytic site, which gets exposed when Ca²⁺/calmodulin (CAM) binds to it. This results in autophosphorylation and complete activation of CAMKK2. The three major known downstream targets of CAMKK2 are 5'-adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPKα), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 1 (CAMK1) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 4 (CAMK4). Activation of these targets by CAMKK2 is important for the maintenance of different cellular and physiological processes within the cell. CAMKK2 is found to be important in neuronal development, bone remodeling, adipogenesis, and systemic glucose homeostasis, osteoclastgensis and postnatal myogensis. CAMKK2 is reported to be involved in pathologies like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, inflammation, osteoporosis and bone remodeling and is also reported to be overexpressed in prostate cancer, hepatic cancer, ovarian and gastric cancer. CAMKK2 is involved in increased cell proliferation and migration through CAMKK2/AMPK pathway in prostate cancer and activation of AKT in ovarian cancer. Although CAMKK2 is a molecule of great importance, a public resource of the CAMKK2 signaling pathway is currently lacking. Therefore, we carried out detailed data mining and documentation of the signaling events associated with CAMKK2 from published literature and developed an integrated reaction map of CAMKK2 signaling. This resulted in the cataloging of 285 reactions belonging to the CAMKK2 signaling pathway, which includes 33 protein-protein interactions, 74 post-translational modifications, 7 protein translocation events, and 22 activation/inhibition events. Besides, 124 gene regulation events and 25 activator/inhibitors involved in CAMKK2 activation were also cataloged. The CAMKK2 signaling pathway map data is made freely accessible through WikiPathway database ( https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP4874 ). We expect that data on a signaling map of CAMKK2 will provide the scientific community with an improved platform to facilitate further molecular as well as biomedical investigations on CAMKK2 and its utility in the development of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Cells of the adult human heart

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advanced insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies require a deeper understanding of the molecular processes involved in the healthy heart. Knowledge of the full repertoire of cardiac cells and their gene expression profiles is a fundamental first step in this endeavour. Here, using state-of-the-art analyses of large-scale single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomes, we characterize six anatomical adult heart regions. Our results highlight the cellular heterogeneity of cardiomyocytes, pericytes and fibroblasts, and reveal distinct atrial and ventricular subsets of cells with diverse developmental origins and specialized properties. We define the complexity of the cardiac vasculature and its changes along the arterio-venous axis. In the immune compartment, we identify cardiac-resident macrophages with inflammatory and protective transcriptional signatures. Furthermore, analyses of cell-to-cell interactions highlight different networks of macrophages, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes between atria and ventricles that are distinct from those of skeletal muscle. Our human cardiac cell atlas improves our understanding of the human heart and provides a valuable reference for future studies.

Off-target effects of protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors on oncostatin M-treated human epidermal keratinocytes: the phosphatase targeting STAT1 remains unknown

Cytokine signaling in the epidermis has an important role in maintaining barrier function and is perturbed in pathological conditions. Environmental exposures, such as to metal compounds, are of interest for their potential contribution to skin disease. Present work explores the possibility that vanadate is a more effective protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor in human keratinocytes than previously observed in fibroblasts. It focuses on the state of phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) on tyrosine 701 upon treatment of cultured human keratinocytes with the cytokine oncostatin M, a cutaneous inflammatory mediator that is highly effective in suppressing several differentiation markers and in preserving proliferative potential of keratinocytes. Exposure to sodium vanadate in the medium greatly prolonged the phosphorylation of STAT1, but only at high concentration (>30 µM). Inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatases known to dephosphorylate STAT1 (SHP2, TCPTP, PTP1B) were ineffective in mimicking the action of vanadate. The irreversible protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor phenyl vinyl sulfonate alone induced STAT1 phosphorylation and appeared to induce its limited cleavage. It also inhibited cross-linked envelope formation, a characteristic step of keratinocyte terminal differentiation, likely due to its reaction with the active site cysteine of keratinocyte transglutaminase. Thus, the key protein tyrosine phosphatase responsible for STAT1 dephosphorylation remains to be identified, and an off-target effect of a potential inhibitor was revealed.

The role of the oncostatin M/OSM receptor β axis in activating dermal microvascular endothelial cells in systemic sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Scleroderma (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by vascular impairment and progressive fibrosis of the skin and other organs. Oncostatin M, a member of the IL-6 family, is elevated in SSc serum and was recognized as a significant player in various stages of fibrosis. The goal of this study was to assess the contribution of the OSM/OSMRβ pathway to endothelial cell (EC) injury and activation in SSc.

METHODS

IHC and IF were used to assess the distribution of OSM and OSMRβ in SSc (n = 14) and healthy control (n = 7) skin biopsies. Cell culture experiments were performed in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) and included mRNA and protein analysis, and cell migration and proliferation assays. Ex vivo skin organoid culture was used to evaluate the effect of OSM on perivascular fibrosis.

RESULTS

OSMRβ protein was elevated in dermal ECs and in fibroblasts of SSc patients. Treatments of HDMECs with OSM or IL-6+sIL-6R have demonstrated that both cytokines similarly stimulated proinflammatory genes and genes related to endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). OSM was more effective than IL-6+sIL-6R in inducing cell migration, while both treatments similarly induced cell proliferation. The effects of OSM were mediated via OSMRβ and STAT3, while the LIFR did not contribute to these responses. Both OSM and IL-6+sIL-6R induced profibrotic gene expression in HDMECs, as well as expansion of the perivascular PDGFRβ+ cells in the ex vivo human skin culture system. Additional studies in HDMECs showed that siRNA-mediated downregulation of FLI1 and its close homolog ERG resulted in increased expression of OSMRβ in HDMECs.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides new insights into the role of the OSM/OSMRβ axis in activation/injury of dermal ECs and supports the involvement of this pathway in SSc vascular disease.

Deducing signaling pathways from parallel actions of arsenite and antimonite in human epidermal keratinocytes

Inorganic arsenic oxides have been identified as carcinogens in several human tissues, including epidermis. Due to the chemical similarity between trivalent inorganic arsenic (arsenite) and antimony (antimonite), we hypothesized that common intracellular targets lead to similarities in cellular responses. Indeed, transcriptional and proteomic profiling revealed remarkable similarities in differentially expressed genes and proteins resulting from exposure of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes to arsenite and antimonite in contrast to comparisons of arsenite with other metal compounds. These data were analyzed to predict upstream regulators and affected signaling pathways following arsenite and antimonite treatments. A majority of the top findings in each category were identical after treatment with either compound. Inspection of the predicted upstream regulators led to previously unsuspected roles for oncostatin M, corticosteroids and ephrins in mediating cellular response. The influence of these predicted mediators was then experimentally verified. Together with predictions of transcription factor effects more generally, the analysis has led to model signaling networks largely accounting for arsenite and antimonite action. The striking parallels between responses to arsenite and antimonite indicate the skin carcinogenic risk of exposure to antimonite merits close scrutiny.

The opposing effects of interferon-beta and oncostatin-M as regulators of cancer stem cell plasticity in triple-negative breast cancer

Background

Highly aggressive, metastatic and therapeutically resistant triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are often enriched for cancer stem cells (CSC). Cytokines within the breast tumor microenvironment (TME) influence the CSC state by regulating tumor cell differentiation programs. Two prevalent breast TME cytokines are oncostatin-M (OSM) and interferon-β (IFN-β). OSM is a member of the IL-6 family of cytokines and can drive the de-differentiation of TNBC cells to a highly aggressive CSC state. Conversely, IFN-β induces the differentiation of TNBC, resulting in the repression of CSC properties. Here, we assess how these breast TME cytokines influence CSC plasticity and clinical outcome.

Methods

Using transformed human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) and TNBC cell models, we assessed the CSC markers and properties following exposure to OSM and/or IFN-β. CSC markers included CD24, CD44, and SNAIL; CSC properties included tumor sphere formation, migratory capacity, and tumor initiation.

Results

There are three major findings from our study. First, exposure of purified, non-CSC to IFN-β prevents OSM-mediated CD44 and SNAIL expression and represses tumor sphere formation and migratory capacity. Second, during OSM-induced de-differentiation, OSM represses endogenous IFN-β mRNA expression and autocrine/paracrine IFN-β signaling. Restoring IFN-β signaling to OSM-driven CSC re-engages IFN-β-mediated differentiation by repressing OSM/STAT3/SMAD3-mediated SNAIL expression, tumor initiation, and growth. Finally, the therapeutic use of IFN-β to treat OSM-driven tumors significantly suppresses tumor growth.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the levels of IFN-β and OSM in TNBC dictate the abundance of cells with a CSC phenotype. Indeed, TNBCs with elevated IFN-β signaling have repressed CSC properties and a better clinical outcome. Conversely, TNBCs with elevated OSM signaling have a worse clinical outcome. Likewise, since OSM suppresses IFN-β expression and signaling, our studies suggest that strategies to limit OSM signaling or activate IFN-β signaling will disengage the de-differentiation programs responsible for the aggressiveness of TNBCs.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13058-019-1136-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The 5-Hydroxytryptamine signaling map: an overview of serotonin-serotonin receptor mediated signaling network

The monoamine neurotransmitter, 5-Hydroxytryptamine or serotonin, is derived from tryptophan and synthesized both centrally and systemically. Fourteen structurally and functionally distinct receptor subtypes have been identified for serotonin, each of which mediates the neurotransmitter's effects through a range of downstream signaling molecules and effectors. Although it is most frequently described for its role in the etiology of neuropsychiatric and mood disorders, serotonin has been implicated in a slew of fundamental physiological processes, including apoptosis, mitochondrial biogenesis, cell proliferation and migration. Its roles as the neurotransmitter have also emerged in pathogenic conditions ranging from anorexia nervosa to cancer. This has necessitated the understanding of the signaling mechanisms underlying the serotonergic system, which led us to construct a consolidative pathway map, which will provide as a resource for future biomedical investigation on this pathway. Using a set of stringent NetPath annotation criteria, we manually curated molecular reactions associated with serotonin and its receptors from publicly available literature; the reaction categories included molecular associations, activation/inhibition, post-translation modification, transport, and gene regulation at transcription and translational level. We identified 90 molecules in serotonin-serotonin receptor pathway. We submitted the curated data to NetPath, a publicly available database of human signaling pathways, in order to enable the wider scientific community to readily access data and contribute further to this pathway.

The transcriptional response of skin to fluorescent light exposure in viviparous (Xiphophorus) and oviparous (Danio, Oryzias) fishes

Differences in light sources are common in animal facilities and potentially can impact experimental results. Here, the potential impact of lighting differences on skin transcriptomes has been tested in three aquatic animal models commonly utilized in biomedical research, (Xiphophorus maculatus (platyfish), Oryzias latipes (medaka) and Danio rerio (zebrafish). Analysis of replicate comparative RNA-Seq data showed the transcriptional response to commonly utilized 4100K or "cool white" fluorescent light (FL) is much greater in platyfish and medaka than in zebrafish. FL induces genes associated with inflammatory and immune responses in both medaka and zebrafish; however, the platyfish exhibit suppression of genes involved with immune/inflammation, as well as genes associated with cell cycle progression. Furthermore, comparative analyses of gene expression data from platyfish UVB exposures, with medaka and zebrafish after exposure to 4100K FL, show comparable effects on the same stress pathways. We suggest the response to light is conserved, but that long-term adaptation to species specific environmental niches has resulted in a shifting of the wavelengths required to incite similar "genetic" responses in skin. We forward the hypothesis that the "genetic perception" of light may have evolved differently than ocular perception and suggest that light type (i.e., wavelengths emitted) is an important parameter to consider in experimental design.

Oncostatin M and Kit-Ligand Control Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fate during Zebrafish Embryogenesis

Understanding the molecular pathways controlling hematopoietic stem cell specification and expansion is a necessary milestone to perform regenerative medicine. Here, we used the zebrafish model to study the role of the ckit signaling pathway in this process. We show the importance of kitb/kitlgb signaling in the specification and expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), in the hemogenic endothelium and caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT), respectively. Moreover, we identified the zebrafish ortholog of Oncostatin M (osm) in the zebrafish genome. We show that the osm/osmr pathway acts upstream of kitb during specification of the hemogenic endothelium, while both pathways act synergistically to expand HSCs in the CHT. Moreover, we found that osm, in addition to its role in promoting HSC proliferation, inhibits HSC commitment to the lymphoid fate. Altogether, our data identified two cytokines, kitlgb and osm, secreted by the vascular niche, that control HSCs during early embryonic development.

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kitb/kitlgb signaling is necessary for HSCs in the zebrafish model

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osm is a new cytokine important for HSCs in the zebrafish model

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osmr and kitb signaling are required sequentially for HSC specification

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osmr and kitb synergize to expand HSCs in the caudal hematopoietic tissue

A network map of IL-33 signaling pathway

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines that play a central role in the regulation of immune responses. Its release from epithelial and endothelial cells is mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, cell damage and by recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The activity of IL-33 is mediated by binding to the IL-33 receptor complex (IL-33R) and activation of NF-κB signaling via the classical MyD88/IRAK/TRAF6 module. IL-33 also induces the phosphorylation and activation of ERK1/2, JNK, p38 and PI3K/AKT signaling modules resulting in the production and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Aberrant signaling by IL-33 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, including asthma, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis among others. Considering the biomedical importance of IL-33, we developed a pathway resource of signaling events mediated by IL-33/IL-33R in this study. Using data mined from the published literature, we describe an integrated pathway reaction map of IL-33/IL-33R consisting of 681 proteins and 765 reactions. These include information pertaining to 19 physical interaction events, 740 enzyme catalysis events, 6 protein translocation events, 4 activation/inhibition events, 9 transcriptional regulators and 2492 gene regulation events. The pathway map is publicly available through NetPath ( http://www.netpath.org /), a resource of human signaling pathways developed previously by our group. This resource will provide a platform to the scientific community in facilitating identification of novel therapeutic targets for diseases associated with dysregulated IL-33 signaling. Database URL: http://www.netpath.org/pathways?path_id=NetPath_120 .

Integrative analysis of Multiple Sclerosis using a systems biology approach

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammatory-demyelinating events in the central nervous system. Despite more than 40 years of MS research its aetiology remains unknown. This study aims to identify the most frequently reported and consistently regulated molecules in MS in order to generate molecular interaction networks and thereby leading to the identification of deregulated processes and pathways which could give an insight of the underlying molecular mechanisms of MS. Driven by an integrative systems biology approach, gene-expression profiling datasets were combined and stratified into "Non-treated" and "Treated" groups and additionally compared to other disease patterns. Molecular identifiers from dataset comparisons were matched to our Multiple Sclerosis database (MuScle; www.padb.org/muscle ). From 5079 statistically significant molecules, correlation analysis within groups identified a panel of 16 high-confidence genes unique to the naïve MS phenotype, whereas the "Treated" group reflected a common pattern associated with autoimmune disease. Pathway and gene-ontology clustering identified the Interferon gamma signalling pathway as the most relevant amongst all significant molecules, and viral infections as the most likely cause of all down-stream events observed. This hypothesis-free approach revealed the most significant molecular events amongst different MS phenotypes which can be used for further detailed studies.

Paracrine Effects of FGF23 on the Heart

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23 is a phosphaturic hormone primarily secreted by osteocytes to maintain phosphate and mineral homeostasis. In patients with and without chronic kidney disease, enhanced circulating FGF23 levels associate with pathologic cardiac remodeling, i.e., left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and myocardial fibrosis and increased cardiovascular mortality. Experimental studies demonstrate that FGF23 promotes hypertrophic growth of cardiac myocytes via FGF receptor 4-dependent activation of phospholipase Cγ/calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cell signaling independent of its co-receptor klotho. Recent studies indicate that FGF23 is also expressed in the heart, and markedly enhanced in various clinical and experimental settings of cardiac remodeling and heart failure independent of preserved or reduced renal function. On a cellular level, FGF23 is expressed in cardiac myocytes and in other non-cardiac myocytes, including cardiac fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells in coronary arteries, and in inflammatory macrophages. Current data suggest that secreted by cardiac myocytes, FGF23 can stimulate pro-fibrotic factors in myocytes to induce fibrosis-related pathways in fibroblasts and consequently cardiac fibrosis in a paracrine manner. While acting on cardiac myocytes, FGF23 directly induces pro-hypertrophic genes and promotes the progression of LVH in an autocrine and paracrine fashion. Thus, enhanced FGF23 may promote cardiac injury in various clinical settings not only by endocrine but also via paracrine/autocrine mechanisms. In this review, we discuss recent clinical and experimental data regarding molecular mechanisms of FGF23's paracrine action on the heart with respect to pathological cardiac remodeling.

STAT3-mediated SMAD3 activation underlies Oncostatin M-induced Senescence

Cytokines in the developing tumor microenvironment (TME) can drive transformation and subsequent progression toward metastasis. Elevated levels of the Interleukin-6 (IL-6) family cytokine Oncostatin M (OSM) in the breast TME correlate with aggressive, metastatic cancers, increased tumor recurrence, and poor patient prognosis. Paradoxically, OSM engages a tumor-suppressive, Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3)-dependent senescence response in normal and non-transformed human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). Here, we identify a novel link between OSM-activated STAT3 signaling and the Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway that engages senescence in HMEC. Inhibition of functional TGF-β/SMAD signaling by expressing a dominant-negative TGF-β receptor, treating with a TGF-β receptor inhibitor, or suppressing SMAD3 expression using a SMAD3-shRNA prevented OSM-induced senescence. OSM promoted a protein complex involving activated-STAT3 and SMAD3, induced the nuclear localization of SMAD3, and enhanced SMAD3-mediated transcription responsible for senescence. In contrast, expression of MYC (c-MYC) from a constitutive promoter abrogated senescence and strikingly, cooperated with OSM to promote a transformed phenotype, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and invasiveness. Our findings suggest that a novel STAT3/SMAD3-signaling axis is required for OSM-mediated senescence that is coopted during the transformation process to confer aggressive cancer cell properties. Understanding how developing cancer cells bypass OSM/STAT3/SMAD3-mediated senescence may help identify novel targets for future "pro-senescence" therapies aiming to reengage this hidden tumor-suppressive response.

Proteomics in India: the clinical aspect

Proteomics has emerged as a highly promising bioanalytical technique in various aspects of applied biological research. In Indian academia, proteomics research has grown remarkably over the last decade. It is being extensively used for both basic as well as translation research in the areas of infectious and immune disorders, reproductive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, eye disorders, human cancers and hematological disorders. Recently, some seminal works on clinical proteomics have been reported from several laboratories across India. This review aims to shed light on the increasing use of proteomics in India in a variety of biological conditions. It also highlights that India has the expertise and infrastructure needed for pursuing proteomics research in the country and to participate in global initiatives. Research in clinical proteomics is gradually picking up pace in India and its future seems very bright.

An integrated signal transduction network of macrophage migration inhibitory factor

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a glycosylated multi-functional protein that acts as an enzyme as well as a cytokine. MIF mediates its actions through a cell surface class II major histocompatibility chaperone, CD74 and co-receptors such as CD44, CXCR2, CXCR4 or CXCR7. MIF has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Although MIF is a molecule of biomedical importance, a public resource of MIF signaling pathway is currently lacking. In view of this, we carried out detailed data mining and documentation of the signaling events pertaining to MIF from published literature and developed an integrated reaction map of MIF signaling. This resulted in the cataloguing of 68 molecules belonging to MIF signaling pathway, which includes 24 protein-protein interactions, 44 post-translational modifications, 11 protein translocation events and 8 activation/inhibition events. In addition, 65 gene regulation events at the mRNA levels induced by MIF signaling have also been catalogued. This signaling pathway has been integrated into NetPath ( http://www.netpath.org ), a freely available human signaling pathway resource developed previously by our group. The MIF pathway data is freely available online in various community standard data exchange formats. We expect that data on signaling events and a detailed signaling map of MIF will provide the scientific community with an improved platform to facilitate further molecular as well as biomedical investigations on MIF.

Induction of STAT3-Dependent CXCL5 Expression and Neutrophil Recruitment by Oncostatin-M during Pneumonia

Acute bacterial pneumonia is a significant public health concern worldwide. Understanding the signals coordinating lung innate immunity may foster the development of therapeutics that limit tissue damage and promote host defense. We have previously shown that lung messenger RNA expression of the IL-6 family cytokine oncostatin-M (OSM) is significantly elevated in response to bacterial stimuli. However, its physiological significance during pneumonia is unknown. Here we demonstrate that OSM is rapidly increased in the airspaces of mice after pulmonary infection with Escherichia coli. Neutralization of OSM caused a substantial decrease in airspace neutrophils and macrophages. OSM blockade also caused a marked reduction in lung chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL) 5 expression, whereas other closely related neutrophil chemokines, CXCL1 and CXCL2, were unaffected. Intratracheal administration of recombinant OSM was sufficient to recapitulate the effect on CXCL5 induction, associated with robust activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) transcription factor. Cell sorting revealed that OSM effects were specific to lung epithelial cells, including a positive feedback loop in which OSM may facilitate expression of its own receptor. Finally, in vitro studies demonstrated that STAT3 was required for maximal OSM-induced CXCL5 expression. These studies demonstrate a novel role for OSM during pneumonia as an important signal to epithelial cells for chemokine induction mediating neutrophil recruitment.

Characterization of type I interferon pathway during hepatic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells and hepatitis C virus infection

Pluripotent stem cells are being actively studied as a cell source for regenerating damaged liver. For long-term survival of engrafting cells in the body, not only do the cells have to execute liver-specific function but also withstand the physical strains and invading pathogens. The cellular innate immune system orchestrated by the interferon (IFN) pathway provides the first line of defense against pathogens. The objective of this study is to assess the innate immune function as well as to systematically profile the IFN-induced genes during hepatic differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. To address this objective, we derived endodermal cells (day 5 post-differentiation), hepatoblast (day 15) and hepatocyte-like cells (day 21) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Day 5, 15 and 21 cells were stimulated with IFN-α and subjected to IFN pathway analysis. Transcriptome analysis was carried out by RNA sequencing. The results showed that the IFN-α treatment activated STAT-JAK pathway in differentiating cells. Transcriptome analysis indicated stage specific expression of classical and non-classical IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Subsequent validation confirmed the expression of novel ISGs including RASGRP3, CLMP and TRANK1 by differentiated hepatic cells upon IFN treatment. Hepatitis C virus replication in hESC-derived hepatic cells induced the expression of ISGs--LAMP3, ETV7, RASGRP3, and TRANK1. The hESC-derived hepatic cells contain intact innate system and can recognize invading pathogens. Besides assessing the tissue-specific functions for cell therapy applications, it may also be important to test the innate immune function of engrafting cells to ensure adequate defense against infections and improve graft survival.

Transcriptional regulation of adrenomedullin by oncostatin M in human astroglioma cells: implications for tumor invasion and migration

Adrenomedullin (ADM), a secretory peptide with multiple functions in physiological to pathological conditions, is upregulated in several human cancers, including brain, breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of ADM expression in cancerous cells are not fully understood. Here, we report that oncostatin M (OSM), a cytokine belonging to the interleukin-6 family, induces ADM expression in astroglioma cells through induction of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and subsequent DNA binding to the ADM promoter. STAT-3 knockdown decreased OSM-mediated expression of ADM, indicating that ADM expression is regulated by STAT-3 in astroglioma cells. Lastly, scratch wound healing assay showed that astroglioma cell migration was significantly enhanced by ADM peptides. These data suggest that aberrant activation of STAT-3, which is observed in malignant brain tumors, may function as one of the key regulators for ADM expression and glioma invasion.

A novel missense mutation in oncostatin M receptor beta causing primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis

Primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis (PLCA) is a chronic skin disorder, caused by amyloid material deposition in the upper dermis. Autosomal dominant PLCA has been mapped earlier to pathogenic missense mutations in the OSMR gene, which encodes the oncostatin M receptor ß subunit (OSMRß). OSMRß is interleukin-6 family cytokine receptors and possesses two ligands, oncostatin M and interleukin-31, which both have biologic roles in inflammation and keratinocyte cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Here, we identified a new OSMR mutation in a Kurdish family for the first time. Blood samples were taken from all the affected individuals in the family. DNA extraction was performed using salting out technique. Primers were designed for intron flanking individual exons of OSMR gene which were subjected to direct sequencing after PCR amplification for each sample. Sequencing showed a C/T substitution at position 613 in the proband. This mutation results in an L613S (leucine 613 to serine) amino acid change. The identified mutation was observed in all affected family members but not in 100 ethnically matched healthy controls. Elucidating the molecular basis of familial PLCA provides new insight into mechanisms of itch in human skin and may lead to new therapeutic targets for pruritus.

Role of the interleukin 6 receptor family in epithelial ovarian cancer and its clinical implications

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, with few effective treatment options in most cases. Therefore, understanding the biology of ovarian cancer remains an important area of research in order to improve clinical outcomes. Cytokine receptor signaling through the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway is an essential component of normal development and homeostasis. However, numerous studies have implicated perturbation of this pathway in a range of cancers. In particular, members of the IL-6R family acting via the downstream STAT3 transcription factor play an important role in a number of solid tumors - including ovarian cancer - by altering the expression of target genes that impact on key phenotypes. This has led to the development of specific inhibitors of this pathway which are being used in combination with standard chemotherapeutic agents. This review focuses on the role of IL-6R family members in the etiology of epithelial ovarian cancer, and the application of therapies specifically targeting IL-6R signaling in this disease setting.

Proteomic profiling of serum samples from chikungunya-infected patients provides insights into host response

BACKGROUND

Chikungunya is a highly debilitating febrile illness caused by Chikungunya virus, a single-stranded RNA virus, which is transmitted by Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito species. The pathogenesis and host responses in individuals infected with the chikungunya virus are not well understood at the molecular level. We carried out proteomic profiling of serum samples from chikungunya patients in order to identify molecules associated with the host response to infection by this virus.

RESULTS

Proteomic profiling of serum obtained from the infected individuals resulted in identification of 569 proteins. Of these, 63 proteins were found to be differentially expressed (≥ 2-fold) in patient as compared to control sera. These differentially expressed proteins were involved in various processes such as lipid metabolism, immune response, transport, signal transduction and apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report providing a global proteomic profile of serum samples from individuals infected with the chikungunya virus. Our data provide an insight into the proteins that are involved as host response factors during an infection. These proteins include clusterin, apolipoproteins and S100A family of proteins.