Kinesin-dependent motility generation as target mechanism of cadmium intoxication

Cadmium induces endosomal/lysosomal enlargement and blocks autophagy flux in rat hepatocytes by damaging microtubules

Acute exposure to cadmium (Cd) causes vacuolar degeneration in buffalo rat liver 3 A (BRL 3 A) cells. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between Cd-induced microtubule damage and intracellular vacuolar degeneration. Western blotting results showed that Cd damaged the microtubule network and downregulated the expression of microtubule-associated proteins-kinesin-1 heavy chain (KIF5B), γ-tubulin, and acetylated α-tubulin in BRL 3 A cells. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that Cd inhibited interactions between α-tubulin and microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) as well as KIF5B. Increasing Cd concentrations decreased the levels of the lipid kinase, PIKfyve, which regulates the activity of endosome-lysosome fission. Immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy revealed vacuole-like organelles that were late endosomes and lysosomes. The PIKfyve inhibitor, YM201636, and the microtubule depolymerizer, nocodazole, aggravated Cd-induced endosome-lysosome enlargement. Knocking down the kif5b gene that encodes KIF5B intensified the enlargement of endosome-lysosomes and expression of early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1), Ras-related protein Rab-7a (RAB7), and lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 2 (LAMP2). Nocodazole, YM201636, and the knockdown of kif5b blocked autophagic flux. We concluded that Cd-induced damage to the microtubule network is the main reason for endosome-lysosome enlargement and autophagic flux blockage in BRL 3 A cells, and kinesin-1 plays a critical role in this process.

Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and cadmium: A three models approach to the comprehension of its neurotoxic effects

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread toxic environmental contaminant, released by anthropogenic activities. It interferes with essential metal ions homeostasis and affects protein structures and functions by substituting zinc, copper and iron. In this study, the effect of cadmium on SOD1, a CuZn metalloenzyme catalyzing superoxide conversion into hydrogen peroxide, has been investigated in three different biological models. We first evaluated the effects of cadmium combined with copper and/or zinc on the recombinant GST-SOD1, expressed in E. coli BL21. The enzyme activity and expression were investigated in the presence of fixed copper and/or zinc doses with different cadmium concentrations, in the cellular medium. Cadmium caused a dose-dependent reduction in SOD1 activity, while the expression remains constant. Similar results were obtained in the cellular model represented by the human SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line. After cadmium treatment for 24 and 48 h, SOD1 enzymatic activity decreased in a dose- and time-dependent way, while the protein expression remained constant. Finally, a 16 h cadmium treatment caused a 25 % reduction of CuZn-SOD activity without affecting the protein expression in the Caenorhabditis elegans model. Taken together our results show an inhibitory effect of cadmium on SOD1 enzymatic activity, without affecting the protein expression, in all the biological models used, suggesting that cadmium can displace zinc from the enzyme catalytic site.

Toxic effects of zinc ions on kinesin - Potential molecular cause of impaired intracellular transport

In healthy organisms the metabolism of the trace element zinc is well balanced. If this balance becomes destroyed the free zinc level might increase and cause toxic effects. The present study demonstrates that under definite conditions zinc ions are able to inhibit the ATPase activity of neuron-specific KIF5A (kinesin-1). Correspondingly, the motility activity of KIF5A also decreased. The inhibition rates have been found to depend on the magnesium ion concentration. Lowering the magnesium concentration weakens the inhibition. In addition, also decreases of temperature or increasing the ATP concentration result in reduced inhibition. Zinc ion-mediated inhibition of KIF5A activity might be one molecular cause contributing to impaired transport processes within brain and other organs in cases of zinc dyshomeostasis.

Cadmium induced inhibition of autophagy is associated with microtubule disruption and mitochondrial dysfunction in primary rat cerebral cortical neurons

Recent studies have reported that mitochondria serve as direct targets for cadmium- (Cd-) induced neuronal toxicity, which can be attenuated by autophagy. The molecular mechanisms' underlying Cd-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy in neurons are not known. In this study, we studied the upstream signaling pathways induced by Cd-mediated mitochondrial metabolism alterations using primary rat neuron as a model. We found that Cd induced the destruction of microtubules (MTs), and resulted in tau hyper-phosphorylation and decreased acetylated tubulin levels, which were related to a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. As a result of taxol disruption, alterations in macroautophagy, like altered cellular distribution of the autophagy-related protein light chain 3 beta (LC3B) and the expression of Atg5 were found compared with Cd group. We found for the first time that MT disruption induced by Cd reduced the levels of autophagy, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. These observations suggest new therapeutic strategies aimed to activate or ameliorate pro-survival macroautophagy.

High EGFR_1 Inside-Out Activated Inflammation-Induced Motility through SLC2A1-CCNB2-HMMR-KIF11-NUSAP1-PRC1-UBE2C

48 different Pearson mutual-positive-correlation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR_1)-activatory molecular feedback, up- and down-stream network was constructed from 171 overlapping of 366 GRNInfer and 223 Pearson under EGFR_1 CC ≥0.25 in high lung adenocarcinoma compared with low human normal adjacent tissues. Our identified EGFR_1 inside-out upstream activated molecular network showed SLC2A1 (solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter) member 1), CCNB2 (cyclin B2), HMMR (hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (RHAMM)), KIF11 (kinesin family member 11), NUSAP1 (nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1), PRC1 (protein regulator of cytokinesis 1), UBE2C (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C) in high lung adenocarcinoma. EGFR_1 inside-out upstream activated terms network includes intracellular, membrane fraction, cytoplasm, plasma membrane, integral to membrane, basolateral plasma membrane, transmembrane transport, nucleus, cytosol, cell surface; T cell homeostasis, inflammation; microtubule cytoskeleton, embryonic development (sensu Mammalia), cell cycle, mitosis, thymus development, cell division, regulation of cell cycle, Contributed--cellular process--Hs cell cycle KEGG, cytokinesis, M phase, M phase of mitotic cell cycle, estrogen-responsive protein Efp controls cell cycle and breast tumors growth, cell motility, locomotion, locomotory behavior, neoplasm metastasis, spindle pole, spindle microtubule, microtubule motor activity, microtubule-based movement, mitotic spindle organization and biogenesis, mitotic centrosome separation, spindle pole body organization and biogenesis, microtubule-based process, microtubule, cytokinesis after mitosis, mitotic chromosome condensation, establishment of mitotic spindle localization, positive regulation of mitosis, mitotic spindle elongation, spindle organization and biogenesis, positive regulation of exit from mitosis, regulation of cell proliferation, positive regulation of cell proliferation based on integrative GO, KEGG, GenMAPP, BioCarta and disease databases in high lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, we propose high EGFR_1 inside-out activated inflammation-induced motility through SLC2A1-CCNB2-HMMR-KIF11-NUSAP1-PRC1-UBE2C in lung adenocarcinoma.

Cadmium-induced genotoxicity in human osteoblast-like cells

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread heavy metal used in numerous industrial processes. Cd exerts toxicological effects mostly in kidney and liver. Bone is also an important target of Cd, however, the cellular mechanisms of Cd toxicological effects in the bone cells are still poorly understood. Therefore, the present work aimed to investigate the putative cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Cd to human bone cells. For that, the osteoblast-like MG-63 cells were exposed to 20 and 50μM Cd for 24 and 48h. Results showed a dose-dependent increase in Cd accumulation in cells and a decrease in cell viability, especially after 48h. Cell cycle analysis showed a delay at S phase concomitant with a decrease in cells at G0/G1 phase. After 24h, Cd treatment downregulated the expression of CHEK1, CHEK2 and CDK2 genes and upregulated the expression of CCNE1 gene. After 48h, the expression of ATM and CCNB1 genes were downregulated. Also, a 3.3 fold increase on the expression of gene CCNE1 was detected. Both Cd doses induced DNA fragmentation at 48h, while an increase in micronuclei (MN) and nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) together with an increase in the percentage of apoptotic/necrotic cells was detected for both time periods. Overall, our results demonstrate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Cd in human bone cells. Also, the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay parameters (MN, NPBs and the percentage of cells under apoptosis or necrosis) together with the cell cycle appear as the most sensitive to Cd cyto- and genotoxicity, being early affected even with the lowest Cd dose. Therefore, these cyto-/genotoxic techniques may be selected for early detection of Cd-induced toxicity.