Degradation of glomerular basement membrane by a neutral metalloproteinase(s) present in glomeruli isolated from normal rat kidney

Mice lacking core 1-derived O-glycan in podocytes develop transient proteinuria, resulting in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

The glomerular filtration barrier is composed of podocytes, glomerular basement membrane, and endothelial cells. Disruption of these structures causes several glomerular injuries, such as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The surface of podocyte apical membranes is coated by negatively charged sialic acids on core 1-derived mucin-type O-glycans. Here, we aimed to investigate the physiological role of core 1-derived O-glycans in the podocytes using adult mice lacking podocyte-specific core 1-derived O-glycans (iPod-Cos). iPod-Cos mice exhibited early and transient proteinuria with foot process effacements and developed typical FSGS-like disease symptoms. To identify the key molecules responsible for the FSGS-like phenotype, we focused on podocalyxin and podoplanin, which possess mucin-type O-glycans. Expression and localization of podocalyxin did not change in iPod-Cos glomeruli. Besides, western blot analysis revealed significantly lower levels of intact podocalyxin in isolated glomeruli of iPod-Cos mice, and high levels of processed forms in iPod-Cos glomeruli, as compared to that in control glomeruli. Conversely, podoplanin mRNA, and protein levels were lower in iPod-Cos mice than in control mice. These results demonstrated that core 1-derived O-glycan on podocytes is required for normal glomerular filtration and may contribute to the stable expression of podocalyxin and podoplanin.

Identification of proteins that interact with podocin using the yeast 2-hybrid system

PURPOSE

As a membrane protein at the insertion site of the slit diaphragm (SD) complex in podocyte foot processes, podocin has been reported to act as a scaffolding protein required to maintain or regulate the structural integrity of the SD. In order to identify proteins that associate or interact with podocin, we screened a mouse kidney complementary DNA (cDNA) library using a yeast 2-hybrid system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

1) The full-length cDNA of podocin from the mouse kidney was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), 2) The PCR product was cloned into a pGBKT7 vector, pGBKT7-podocin, 3) After the pGBKT7-podocin was transformed into AH109, the AH109/pGBKT7-podocin product was obtained, 4) The mouse kidney cDNA library was transformed into the AH109/pGBKT7-podocin and screened by selection steps, 5) Next, twelve clones were cultured and isolated, 6) The yeast-purified plasmids were transformed into Escherichia coli (E. coli) by heat shock, and 7) To identify the activation domain (AD)/library inserts, we digested them with Him III, and the fragments were then sequenced.

RESULTS

12 positive clones that interacted with podocin were obtained by screening a mouse kidney cDNA library using pGBKT7-podocin. Among them, only 4 clones were found to function at the podocyte where podocin is present.

CONCLUSION

Additional studies are needed to clarify the role and interaction with podocin and candidates.

Ischemia–reperfusion injury stimulates gelatinase expression and activity in kidney glomeruli

Although ischemia remains the leading cause of acute renal failure in humans, there is little information on the expression and activities of gelatinases of kidney glomeruli during ischemia–reperfusion injury. In this study, we used a unilateral ischemia–reperfusion model to investigate the activity and expression of gelatinases in glomeruli during acute ischemia. Unilateral ischemia was induced in rats by vascular clamping (30 min) followed by reperfusion (60 min) and isolation of glomeruli. The activity and expression of gelatinase proteins were determined by gelatin zymography and Western blotting. Gelatinase mRNA levels were evaluated by reverse transciptase-PCR. Ischemia and reperfusion increased serum creatinine levels, hallmark of acute renal failure. Ischemia induced mRNA and protein MMP-2 expression. There was strong stimulation of MMP-9 mRNA, both forms of dimeric MMP-9, and active mono meric MMP-9. In contrast to TIMP-1 decreasing, TIMP-2 protein and mRNA increased during ischemia. During reperfusion, there was a gradual reversal of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels and a strong inhibition of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 at the protein and mRNA levels. Endocytic receptor LRP was increased during ischemia and returned to normal during reperfusion. Expression of MMP-9 docking receptor CD-44 was increased during reperfusion. Finally, ZO-1, an in vivo MMP-9 substrate, was degraded during ischemia, revealing that MMP-9 upregulated during ischemia was functional. Our data suggest that stimulation of gelatinase activity during ischemia could contribute to glomeruli injury, providing new therapeutic targets for acute renal failure in humans. In contrast, elevated monomeric MMP-9 activity due to TIMP-1 decrease during reperfusion may participate to glomerular recovery.Key words: gelatinases, ischemia-reperfusion, TIMPs, ZO-1, CD-44, LRP, glomeruli.

Selective modulation of the secretion of proteinases and their inhibitors by growth factors in cultured differentiated podocytes

Selective modulation of the secretion of proteinases and their inhibitors by growth factors in cultured differentiated podocytes.

BACKGROUND

Podocyte damage is considered to be an important factor in the development of glomerulosclerosis. Morphological studies on experimental models of progressive glomerular disease have identified the detachment of podocytes from the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) as a critical step in the development and progression of glomerulosclerosis. Degradation of the GBM by proteinases also might be a potential mechanism of the detachment because the process impairs the connection between podocytes and the GBM. The present study examined the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on the secretion of proteinases [cathepsin L and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)] and their inhibitors [cystatin C and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2)] from differentiated podocytes in culture.

METHODS

Expression of mRNAs for receptors of growth factors (bFGF, PDGF, TGF-beta1), the proteinases and their inhibitors in differentiated podocytes were shown by RT-PCR. The secretion of cathepsin L, cystatin C and TIMP-2 from differentiated podocytes were shown by immunoblot analysis. The activities of MMPs-2 and -9 from differentiated podocytes were shown by gelatin zymography.

RESULTS

Expression of mRNAs for receptors of the growth factors, the proteinases and their inhibitors were confirmed. bFGF increased the secretion of cathepsin L (5.04-fold at 20 ng/mL), but did not alter the secretion of its extracellular inhibitor, cystatin C. In contrast, TGF-beta1 increased the activities of MMPs-2 and -9 (3.23-fold at 10 ng/mL and 25.3-fold at 10 ng/mL, respectively) from differentiated podocytes, but did not enhance the secretion of its inhibitor, TIMP-2. In addition, bFGF enhanced the secretion of TIMP-2 (2.75-fold at 20 ng/mL) and TGF-beta1 enhanced the secretion of cystatin C (2.32-fold at 20 ng/mL). These results demonstrate the imbalance of the secretion of proteinases and their inhibitors after incubation of such growth factors. Of particular interest was the observation of differences in regulation of proteinases and their extracellular inhibitors in response to bFGF and TGF-beta1. PDGF only slightly increased the secretion of cathepsin L (2.54-fold at 20 ng/mL) but exerted no effect on the secretion of cystatin C, MMPs, and TIMP-2 from differentiated podocytes.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate, to our knowledge for the first time, that in differentiated podocytes, both cathepsin L and its inhibitor are independently regulated by different growth factors. It appears that increases in proteolytic activities may induce degradation of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), which plays an important role in the progression of glomerulosclerosis.

The concept of glomerular self-defense

The balance between local offense factors and defense machinery determines the fate of tissue injury: progression or resolution. In glomerular research, the most interest has been on the offensive side, for example, the roles of leukocytes, platelets, complement, cytokines, eicosanoids, and oxygen radical intermediates. There has been little focus on the defensive side, which is responsible for the attenuation and resolution of disease. The aim of this review is to address possible mechanisms of local defense that may be exerted during glomerular injury. Cytokine inhibitors, proteinase inhibitors, complement regulatory proteins, anti-inflammatory cytokines, anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, antithrombotic molecules, and extracellular matrix proteins can participate in the extracellular and/or cell surface defense. Heat shock proteins, antioxidants, protein phosphatases, and cyclin kinase inhibitors may contribute to the intracellular defense. This article outlines how the glomerulus, when faced with injurious cells or exposed to pathogenic mediators, defends itself via the intrinsic machinery that is brought into play in resident glomerular cells.

Presence of cerium-cytochemical reactions of glomerular phosphatases of normal gerbil Meriones crassus: an ultrastructural localization study

Phosphatase cytochemical activity in the normal glomerulus of the desert gerbil Meriones crassus was demonstrated using cerium ions as capturing agents. Three major enzymes have been recognized: sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase), alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) and acid phosphatase (ACPase). However, cytochemical staining for these markers to map their localizations and distributions reveal a high positivity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. This appeared as uniform dense precipitates surrounding the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and the plasma membranes of the epithelial and endothelial cells of the glomerular layers. Negligible ALKase reaction product being over the glomerular epithelia including the GBM. In contrast, the cytochemical profiles of ACPase was unusual, with dense reaction products extensively covering the endoplasmic reticulum at the region of Golgi apparatus products lysosomes (GERL) complex, including its cisternal and tubular elements and the lysosomal-vacuolar apparatus of the glomerular epithelial cells. All other subcellular organelles showed no activity. For Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, the reaction product was successive when acetate buffer (as decalcifying agent, pH 5.0) was used. This reaction was still seen when a medium containing levamisole was used. Cytochemical controls for all enzymes were incubated in substrate-free media including those using levamisole as an inhibitor of ALPase. The data presented, which is reported for the first time, is not an attempt to determine the contribution of the selected phosphatases in the glomerular physiology and pathology. Such findings may, nevertheless, have functional implications in the fact that these markers may be involved in the ultrafiltration and other metabolic activities of the glomerulus at the molecular and/or cellular level. In addition to earlier morphological and recent histochemical work, the present study updates and recognizes information to be used as a baseline to which the gerbil model can now be employed to investigate the behavioural adaptations of the desert rodents.

Matrix metalloproteinase (stromelysin-1) increases the albumin permeability of isolated rat glomeruli

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secreted by connective tissue cells are capable of acting on extracellular matrix components of glomerular basement membrane at a slow rate and thus may play a role in the control of protein permeability and in the progression of certain kinds of glomerulonephritis. We have used an in vitro assay to measure the direct effect of three MMPs and human neutrophil elastase on glomerular albumin permeability (Palbumin). Glomeruli were isolated from normal male Sprague-Dawley rats and suspended in isolation medium with or without interstitial collagenase, gelatinase-A, stromelysin-1, or elastase and were incubated at 37 degrees C for up to 4 hours. A tissue-specific inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) and a plasma proteinase inhibitor, alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2M), were used to block the activity of MMPs. Palbumin was calculated from the change in glomerular volume in response to an applied oncotic gradient. In this study stromelysin-1 (10 microg/ml) and elastase (5 microg/ml) increased Palbumin significantly. Stromelysin-1 increased Palbumin after 4 hours, whereas elastase had an effect after 2 hours. Lower concentrations of stromelysin-1 or shorter incubation time had no effect on Palbumin. Incubation for up to 4 hours with interstitial collagenase (10 microg/ml) or gelatinase-A (10 microg/ml) had no effect on Palbumin. Coincubation with TIMP-1 and alpha2M blocked the stromelysin-1-mediated increase in Palbumin. We conclude that stromelysin-1 is capable of affecting the glomerular filtration barrier directly and that it may play an important role in causing proteinuria in glomerular diseases.

The aging rat kidney displays low glomerular and tubular proteinase activities

The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship of age-related changes in renal function and structure with changes in glomerular and tubular proteinase activities in young (3 weeks), mature (3 months), and older (18 months) male Wistar rats. Glomerular filtration rate, expressed per 100 g body weight, remained unchanged during adolescence, but declined significantly (-44%) in aging animals. In parallel, albuminuria, which was barely detectable in young and mature rats, increased almost 10-fold in the aging animals. In comparison to young animals, the kidney weight in aging rats was 10-fold higher, signifying considerable tubular hypertrophy. The glomerular protein to DNA ratio increased by almost 70%, suggesting deposition of mesangial matrix within the glomerulus. These structural changes were associated with significant reductions in glomerular cysteine and metalloproteinase activities in the adolescent and older animals. Similarly, lower activities of both types of proteinases were observed in isolated proximal tubules. This behavior of proteolytic enzyme activities in the aging rat kidney corresponds well to the 10-fold increase in kidney weight (proximal tubular hypertrophy) and to the enhanced deposition of glomerular matrix. This study suggests a causal involvement of renal cysteine proteinases and metalloproteinases in the protein accumulation of the aging rat kidney.

Ultrastructure of developing kidney glomerular basement membranes: temporal changes in binding of anti-laminin IgG and cationized ferritin

In vivo labeling of infant rat and mouse glomerular basement membranes (GBMs) with polyclonal anti-laminin IgGs results in binding across the full widths of GBMs at all stages of development. These stages include the pre-fusion, double basement membranes found beneath endothelial cells and podocytes in early glomeruli, and the subepithelial matrix outpockets where newly synthesized GBM is spliced into fused basement membrane during glomerular maturation. Identical binding results are obtained either with peroxidase or post-embedding immunogold techniques. Although injected cationized ferritin also binds abundantly to all developing GBMs, it quickly disappears and, 24 hours after injection, is generally absent from GBMs but remains within mesangial matrices. Injection of newborn mice with monoclonal anti-laminin IgGs results in dense labeling of pre-fusion GBMs but post-fusion GBMs and subepithelial outpockets are weak-negative. Although masking can not be excluded, these results indicate that laminin epitopes are removed during GBM fusion and splicing, either by isoform substitution or proteolytic processing. The loss of bound cationized ferritin is believed to occur mainly through rapid turnover of GBM proteoglycans.

Degradation of basement membranes by human matrix metalloproteinase 3 (stromelysin)

Connective tissue cells synthesize and secrete a group of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), all of which are capable of degrading the extracellular-matrix components. One of them, MMP-3 (stromelysin) has been shown to degrade purified basement-membrane components, collagen IV and laminin [Okada, Y., Nagase, H. & Harris, E. D., Jr. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 14245-14255]. Here we report that MMP-3 degrades collagen IV and laminin in intact basement membranes from bovine glomeruli (GBM) and bovine anterior-lens capsules (LBM). Degradation products were analysed by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis to determine the number and sizes of polypeptide fragments. Immunoblotting techniques were used to identify the origins of the fragments, i.e. collagen IV or laminin. The fragments of collagen IV were further mapped using specific antibodies that recognize the N-terminal (7 S) domain, the C-terminal (NC-1) domain, or the major triple-helical region between the terminal domains. Degradation of collagen IV was extensive; many fragments were found, from both GBM and LBM, in the Mr range 25,000-380,000. A large fragment of laminin (Mr greater than 380,000) was found in the GBM digests without reduction, but it dissociated into 220,000-Mr chains upon reduction. The results suggest that MMP-3 plays an important role in the catabolism of basement membranes.

The cysteine proteinase inhibitor, E-64, reduces proteinuria in an experimental model of glomerulonephritis

Proteinuria is a major manifestation of glomerular disease (glomerulonephritis, GN). We examined the effect of trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane (E-64), a specific and irreversible cysteine proteinase inhibitor, on urinary protein excretion in a complement- and neutrophil-independent model of antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody disease. A single injection of rabbit antirat-GBM IgG produced a marked increase in urinary protein excretion 24hr after injection. In two separate studies using different pools of antiGBM IgG, administration of E-64 (5mg every 6h starting 2hr prior to induction of GN) reduced proteinuria (-45 +/- 7%, and -41 +/- 14%, Mean +/- SEM, n = 6; P less than 0.001) in the 24 hour period following induction of the disease. This reduction in urinary protein excretion was accompanied by a marked decrease in the specific activity of the cysteine proteinases cathepsins B and L in glomeruli (B: -97%; L: -84%) and renal cortex (B: -87%; L: -75%) isolated from the same E-64-treated rats compared to same saline-treated controls. These data, combined with the specificity of E-64 for cysteine proteinases, suggest a potential role for cysteine proteinases in the increased GBM permeability and proteinuria in this experimental model of glomerular disease.

Degradation of glomerular basement membrane by purified mammalian metalloproteinases

Neutral metalloproteinases degrade components of the extracellular matrix, including collagen types I-V, fibronectin, laminin and proteoglycan. However, their ability to degrade intact glomerular basement membrane (GBM) has not previously been investigated. Incubation of [3H]GBM (50,000 c.p.m.; pH 7.5; 24 h at 37 degrees C) with purified gelatinase or stromelysin (2 units) resulted in significant GBM degradation: gelatinase, 46 +/- 2.2; stromelysin, 59 +/- 5.8 (means +/- S.E.M.; percentage release of non-sedimentable radioactivity; n = 4). In contrast, 2 units of collagenase released only 5.6 +/- 0.52% (n = 3) of the [3H]GBM radioactivity compared with 2.0 +/- 0.15% (n = 7) released from [3H]GBM incubated alone. Sephadex G-200 gel chromatography of supernatants obtained from incubations of [3H]GBM with either gelatinase or stromelysin confirmed the ability of these enzymes to degrade GBM and revealed both high-(800,000) and relatively low-(less than 20,000) Mr degradation products for both enzymes. GBM degradation by gelatinase and stromelysin was dose-dependent (range 0.02-2.0 units), near maximal between pH 6.0 and 8.6, and was completely inhibited (greater than 95%) by 2 mM-o-phenanthroline. Collagenase (2 units) did not enhance the degradation of GBM by either gelatinase (0.02 or 0.2 unit) or stromelysin (0.02 or 0.2 unit). Our results indicate that metalloproteinase-mediated GBM degradation by neutrophils and glomeruli may be attributable to gelatinase (neutrophils) and/or stromelysin (glomeruli) and suggest an important role for these proteinases in glomerular pathophysiology.