Preliminary Study on Immunoscintigraphy of a Murine Lymphoma Using Technetium-99M Labeled Chicken Antibody

AIMS AND BACKGROUND

Radiolabeled antibodies generated against tumor-associated antigens are used for immunoscintigraphy to detect tumors and tumor metastases. Although successful tumor imaging has been achieved using trace-labeled murine monoclonal antibodies, such antibodies often lead to the development of human anti-murine antibodies (HAMA), which limit their subsequent administration for tumor imaging and therapy. It has been reported recently that chicken polyclonal antibodies have high affinity and specificity for the antigen against which they are raised and do not have any immunological cross-reactivity with HAMA.

METHODS

The present study deals with immunoscintigraphy of Dalton's lymphoma, an experimental tumor model using chicken antibodies generated against Dalton's lymphoma-associated antigen (DLAA) and labeled with technetium-99m ((99m)Tc).

RESULTS

Scintigrams showed specific uptake of the radiolabel resulting in clear tumor images. The radioactivity uptake of the chicken anti-DLAA antibody was about twofold higher than that of the non-specific chicken antibody.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate the potential of chicken antibody for in vivo radioimmunodetection and localization of tumors.

Histone H3K4 trimethylation by MLL3 as part of ASCOM complex is critical for NR activation of bile acid transporter genes and is downregulated in cholestasis

The nuclear receptor Farnesoid x receptor (FXR) is a critical regulator of multiple genes involved in bile acid homeostasis. The coactivators attracted to promoters of FXR target genes and epigenetic modifications that occur after ligand binding to FXR have not been completely defined, and it is unknown whether these processes are disrupted during cholestasis. Using a microarray, we identified decreased expression of mixed lineage leukemia 3 (MLL3), a histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) lysine methyl transferase at 1 and 3 days of post-common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in mice. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis (ChIP) analysis revealed that H3K4me3 of transporter promoters by MLL3 as part of activating signal cointegrator-2 -containing complex (ASCOM) is essential for activation of bile salt export pump (BSEP), multidrug resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2), and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) genes by FXR and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Knockdown of nuclear receptor coactivator 6 (NCOA6) or MLL3/MLL4 mRNAs by small interfering RNA treatment led to a decrease in BSEP and NTCP mRNA levels in hepatoma cells. Human BSEP promoter transactivation by FXR/RXR was enhanced in a dose-dependent fashion by NCOA6 cDNA coexpression and decreased by AdsiNCOA6 infection in HepG2 cells. GST-pull down assays showed that domain 3 and 5 of NCOA6 (LXXLL motifs) interacted with FXR and that the interaction with domain 5 was enhanced by chenodeoxycholic acid. In vivo ChIP assays in HepG2 cells revealed ligand-dependent recruitment of ASCOM complex to FXR element in BSEP and GR element in NTCP promoters, respectively. ChIP analysis demonstrated significantly diminished recruitment of ASCOM complex components and H3K4me3 to Bsep and Mrp2 promoter FXR elements in mouse livers after CBDL. Taken together, these data show that the "H3K4me3" epigenetic mark is essential to activation of BSEP, NTCP, and MRP2 genes by nuclear receptors and is downregulated in cholestasis.

Bile salt excretory pump: biology and pathobiology

Bile acids are the major determinant and driving force for the generation of bile flow. Bile acid transport across the canalicular membrane is primarily an ATP-dependent process. The predominant transporter is the bile salt excretory pump (BSEP, ABCB11), a member of the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) family of transporters. Regulatory mechanisms that can coordinate the genes encoding bile acid transport proteins are critically important to avoid hepatocyte damage from intracellar accumulation of bile acids. Bile salts are natural ligands for several nuclear hormone receptors expressed in liver and intestine. Nuclear receptors are transcription factors that bind specific ligands such as bile acids and regulate gene expression according to the metabolic requirements of the cell. In cloning of the BSEP gene, we found a binding site in the promoter for the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor for bile acids. FXR activity requires heterodimerization with the 9-cis retinoid receptor (RXR alpha), and when bound by bile acids and retinoic acid, the complex effectively activates the transcription of BSEP. There is a growing body of evidence for the activation of nuclear hormone receptors through the remodeling of chromatin by histone modification involving acetylation, in concert with methylation of H3 and H4 histones. We have recently demonstrated a role for the coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), as a coactivator of the FXR/RXR receptor and regulator of FXR responsive genes such as BSEP. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that the bile acid-dependent activation of the human BSEP is associated with a simultaneous increase of FXR and CARM1 occupation of the BSEP promoter. The increased occupation of the BSEP locus by CARM1 also corresponds with the increased deposition of Arg-17 methylation and Lys-9 acetylation of histone H3 within the FXR DNA-binding element of BSEP. Our work on the role of nuclear receptors in regulation of bile acid homeostasis has led to an increased understanding of the pathogenesis of the disorder, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, type 1 (PFIC1) or Byler disease. The gene mutated in PFIC1 is called FIC1 and codes for a type IV P-type ATPase whose function is unknown. Increased ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was detected in 3 patients with PFIC1. Ileal FXR and short heterodimer partner (an inhibitory nuclear receptor) messenger RNA levels were reduced in the same 3 patients. In studies of cells after antisense-mediated knock-down of endogenous FIC1, the activity of the ileal apical bile acid transporter promoter was enhanced, whereas the activities of the human FXR and BSEP promoters were reduced. Nuclear but not cytoplasmic localization of FXR is markedly decreased in FIC1-negative cells, indicating that FIC1 is necessary for posttranslational modifications necessary for the nuclear translocation of FXR. This defect leads to enhanced ileal bile salt uptake and impaired canalicular bile salt secretion by BSEP. In PFIC1, an increased load of bile acids is retained in the liver leading to cholestasis and progressive liver injury.

Hormonal regulation of hepatic organic anion transporting polypeptides

Organic anion transporting polypeptides (Oatp) mediate the transport of a wide variety of amphipathic organic substrates. Rat Oatp1b2 and human OATP1B3 are members of a liver-specific subfamily of Oatps/OATPs. We investigated whether prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) regulated Oatp1b2 and OATP1B3 gene expression via signal transducers and activators of transcription 5 (Stat5). Binding sites for Stat5 transcription factors were located in the promoters of Oatp1b2 and OATP1B3 at -209 to -201 (5'-TTCTGGGAA-3') and -170 to -162 (5'-TTCTGAGAA-3'), respectively. In primary hepatocytes from female and male rats treated with PRL or GH, Oatp1b2 mRNA measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction was significantly induced 2-fold. HepG2 cells were transiently transfected with expression vectors containing Oatp1b2 or OATP1B3 promoter fragments, cDNAs for Stat5a, and the receptors for PRL (PRLR(L)) or GH (GHR), and treated with PRL or GH. PRL and GH induction of Oatp1b2 and OATP1B3 promoter activity required cotransfection of Stat5a and PRLR(L) or GHR. Mutation of the Stat5 binding site in both promoters eliminated hormonal induction. In DNA binding assays, HepG2 cells transfected with cDNAs for Stat5a and PRLR(L) were treated with PRL, and nuclear extracts were probed with a (32)P-labeled oligomer corresponding to -177 to -157 of the OATP1B3 promoter. PRL enhanced the binding of Stat5a to the OATP1B3 promoter and DNA-protein binding was inhibited in competition assays by excess OATP1B3 and Stat5 consensus oligomers but not by mutant Stat5 oligomers. These findings indicate that PRL and GH can regulate Oatp1b2 and OATP1B3 gene expression via the Stat5 signal-transduction pathway.

Multiple mechanisms of ontogenic regulation of nuclear receptors during rat liver development

Nuclear receptors (NRs) play pivotal roles in the regulation of genes contributing to hepatobiliary cholesterol and bile acid homeostasis. We have previously shown that transporters involved in bile formation are developmentally regulated and are poorly developed during the fetal stage, but their expression reached gradual maturity during the postnatal period. To define the molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation and the role that class II NRs and associated members [liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) and short heterodimer partner (SHP)] play, we have analyzed the ontogeny of NR expression during liver development. Real-time PCR analysis of hepatic NR expression from fetal day 17 through adult revealed that steady-state mRNA levels for all NRs were very low during the embryonic period. However, mRNA levels peaked close to that of adult rats (>6 wk-old rats) by 4 wk of age for farnesoid X receptor (FXR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), liver X receptor-alpha (LXRalpha), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha), retinoid acid receptor-alpha (RARalpha), LRH-1, and SHP, whereas RXRalpha mRNA lagged behind. FXR, PXR, LXRalpha, RARalpha, and PPARalpha functional activity in liver nuclear extracts assayed by gel EMSA demonstrated that the activity attained adult levels by 4 wk of age, exhibiting a strict correlation with mRNA levels. Surprisingly, PPARalpha activity was delayed as seen by EMSA assay. Protein levels for NRs also corresponded to the mRNA and functional activity except for RXRalpha. RXRalpha protein levels were higher than message levels, suggesting increased protein stability. We conclude that expression of NRs during rat liver development is primarily regulated by transcriptional mechanisms, which in turn, control the regulation of bile acid and cholesterol metabolic pathways.

FXR-activating ligands inhibit rabbit ASBT expression via FXR-SHP-FTF cascade

The regulation of the rabbit apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) was studied both in vivo and in vitro. New Zealand White rabbits were fed 0.5% deoxycholic acid (DCA) or SC-435, a competitive ASBT inhibitor, for 1 wk. In DCA-fed rabbits, ASBT expression was repressed, associated with activated FXR, and evidenced by increased ileal short heterodimer partner (SHP) mRNA. Feeding SC-435 to the rabbits blocked bile acid absorption, decreased SHP mRNA, and increased ASBT expression. A 1.9-kb rabbit ASBT 5'-flanking region (promoter) was cloned, and a cis-acting element for alpha-fetoprotein transcription factor (FTF) was identified (-1166/-1158). The effects of transcriptional factors and different bile acids on the rabbit ASBT promoter were studied in Caco-2 cells. FTF stimulated the rabbit ASBT promoter activity fourfold but not after the FTF binding site was deleted from the promoter. Increasing the SHP protein notably inhibited FTF-dependent trans-activation of rabbit ASBT. Adding hydrophobic bile acids deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and cholic acid, activating ligands for FXR, inhibited rabbit ASBT promoter activity in Caco-2 cells, but this inhibitory effect was abolished after the FTF binding site was deleted. Ursodeoxycholic acid and ursocholic acid, nonactivating ligands for FXR, did not repress ASBT promoter activity. Thus the rabbit ASBT promoter is negative-feedback regulated by bile acids via a functional FTF binding site. Only FXR-activating ligands can downregulate rabbit ASBT expression through the regulatory cascade FXR-SHP-FTF.

Bile secretory function in the obese Zucker rat: evidence of cholestasis and altered canalicular transport function

BACKGROUND

Obese Zucker rats (ZR) have been used as an experimental model for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and are particularly susceptible to various types of liver injury. Bile secretory function has not been assessed in ZR.

AIM

To study bile secretion and expression of the main hepatobiliary transporters in ZR.

METHODS

Bile flow and biliary secretion of lipids and glutathione were determined in eight and 14 week old obese ZR and their lean controls. Protein mass and mRNA of the Na(+)/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp), the bile salt export pump (Bsep), and the multidrug resistant associated protein 2 (Mrp2) were assessed by western and northern blot, respectively. The effects of administration of a tumour necrosis factor alpha inactivator (etanercept) and an insulin sensitiser (rosiglitazone) were assessed in obese ZR while leptin was given to non-obese rats to study its effect on Mrp2 expression.

RESULTS

ZR exhibited increased body weight and hyperlipidaemia. Only 14 week old obese ZR has fatty liver. Decreased bile flow and biliary lipid and glutathione secretion as well as reduced hepatic transport of both taurocholate and bromosulphthalein were found in obese ZR. Hepatic Mrp2 protein mass was markedly reduced (-70%) in obese rats while Ntcp and Bsep protein levels were similar to lean rats. Downregulation of Mrp2 seems to involve both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms probably related to insulin and leptin resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Obese ZR exhibit an impaired bile secretory function with significant functional and molecular alterations consistent with mild cholestasis. A defective hepatobiliary transport capacity may be a contributory factor in rendering the obese ZR more susceptible to liver injury.

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, type 1, is associated with decreased farnesoid X receptor activity

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The mechanisms by which mutations in the familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1 gene cause Byler's disease (progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1) are unknown.

METHODS

Interactions among the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter, the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), and familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1 were studied in the ileum of children with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 and in Caco-2 cells.

RESULTS

Increased ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was detected in 3 patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1. Paradoxically, ileal lipid-binding protein mRNA expression was repressed, suggesting a central defect in bile acid response. Ileal FXR and short heterodimer partner mRNA levels were reduced in the same 3 patients. In Caco-2 cells, antisense-mediated knock-down of endogenous familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1 led to up-regulation of apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter and down-regulation of FXR, ileal lipid-binding protein, and short heterodimer partner mRNA. In familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1-negative Caco-2 cells, the activity of the human apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter promoter was enhanced, whereas the human FXR and bile salt excretory pump promoters' activities were reduced. Overexpression of short heterodimer partner but not of the FXR abrogated the effect of familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1 antisense oligonucleotides. FXR cis-element binding and FXR protein were reduced primarily in nuclear but not cytoplasmic extracts from familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1-negative Caco-2 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Loss of familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1 leads to diminished nuclear translocation of the FXR, with the subsequent potential for pathologic alterations in intestinal and hepatic bile acid transporter expression. Marked hypercholanemia and cholestasis are predicted to develop, presumably because of both enhanced ileal uptake of bile salts via up-regulation of the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter and diminished canalicular secretion of bile salts secondary to down-regulation of the bile salt excretory pump.

FXR-mediated down-regulation of CYP7A1 dominates LXRalpha in long-term cholesterol-fed NZW rabbits

We investigated how cholesterol feeding regulates cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) via the nuclear receptors farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and liver X receptor alpha (LXRalpha) in New Zealand white rabbits. After 1 day of 2% cholesterol feeding, when the bile acid pool size had not expanded, mRNA levels of the FXR target genes short-heterodimer partner (SHP) and sterol 12alpha-hydroxylase (CYP8B) were unchanged, indicating that FXR activation remained constant. In contrast, the mRNA levels of the LXRalpha target genes ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) increased 5-fold and 2.3-fold, respectively, associated with significant increases in hepatic concentrations of oxysterols. Activity and mRNA levels of CYP7A1 increased 2.4 times and 2.2 times, respectively. After 10 days of cholesterol feeding, the bile acid pool size increased nearly 2-fold. SHP mRNA levels increased 4.1-fold while CYP8B declined 64%. ABCA1 mRNA rose 8-fold and CETP mRNA remained elevated. Activity and mRNA of CYP7A1 decreased 60% and 90%, respectively. Feeding cholesterol for 1 day did not enlarge the ligand pool size or change FXR activation, while LXRalpha was activated highly secondary to increased hepatic oxysterols. As a result, CYP7A1 was up-regulated. After 10 days of cholesterol feeding, the bile acid (FXR ligand) pool size increased, which activated FXR and inhibited CYP7A1 despite continued activation of LXRalpha. Thus, in rabbits, when FXR and LXRalpha are activated simultaneously, the inhibitory effect of FXR overrides the stimulatory effect of LXRalpha to suppress CYP7A1 mRNA expression.

Liver receptor homologue-1 mediates species- and cell line-specific bile acid-dependent negative feedback regulation of the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter

Intestinal reclamation of bile salts is mediated in large part by the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT). The bile acid responsiveness of ASBT is controversial. Bile acid feeding in mice results in decreased expression of ASBT protein and mRNA. Mouse but not rat ASBT promoter activity was repressed in Caco-2, but not IEC-6, cells by chenodeoxycholic acid. A potential liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) cis-acting element was identified in the bile acid-responsive region of the mouse but not rat promoter. The mouse, but not rat, promoter was activated by LRH-1, and this correlated with nuclear protein binding to the mouse but not rat LRH-1 element. The short heterodimer partner diminished the activity of the mouse promoter and could partially offset its activation by LRH-1. Interconversion of the potential LRH-1 cis-elements between the mouse and rat ASBT promoters was associated with an interconversion of LRH-1 and bile acid responsiveness. LRH-1 protein was found in Caco-2 cells and mouse ileum, but not IEC-6 cells or rat ileum. Bile acid response was mediated by the farnesoid X receptor, as shown by the fact that overexpression of a dominant-negative farnesoid X-receptor eliminated the bile acid mediated down-regulation of ASBT. In addition, ASBT expression in farnesoid X receptor null mice was unresponsive to bile acid feeding. In summary cell line- and species-specific negative feedback regulation of ASBT by bile acids is mediated by farnesoid X receptor via small heterodimer partner-dependent repression of LRH-1 activation of the ASBT promoter.

Removal of the bile acid pool upregulates cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase by deactivating FXR in rabbits

We investigated the role of the orphan nuclear receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in the regulation of cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), using an in vivo rabbit model, in which the bile acid pool, which includes high affinity ligands for FXR, was eliminated. After 7 days of bile drainage, the enterohepatic bile acid pool, in both New Zealand White and Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits, was depleted. CYP7A1 activity and mRNA levels increased while FXR was deactivated as indicated by reduced FXR protein and changes in the expression of target genes that served as surrogate markers of FXR activation in the liver and ileum, respectively. Hepatic bile salt export pump mRNA levels and ileal bile acid-binding protein decreased while sterol 12alpha-hydroxylase and sodium/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide mRNA levels increased in the liver. In addition, hepatic FXR mRNA levels decreased significantly. The data, taken together, indicate that FXR was deactivated when the bile acid pool was depleted such that CYP7A1 was upregulated. Further, lack of the high affinity ligand supply was associated with downregulation of hepatic FXR mRNA levels.

Targetted localisation and imaging of a murine lymphoma using 131I-labelled monoclonal antibody

In vivo tumor targetting with radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies is a promising approach for the diagnosis and therapy of tumors. A specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), DLAB was generated to the Dalton's lymphoma associated antigen (DLAA) from Haemophilus paragallinarum-induced spontaneous fusion. In order to study the tumor localisation and biodistribution properties of the monoclonal antibody, scintigraphic studies were performed using the radiolabelled DLAB. 131-labelled DLAB was administered intravenously into Swiss mice bearing Dalton's lymphoma and external scintiscanning was performed at different time intervals. Clear tumor images were obtained which revealed selective and specific uptake of radiolabel and the results were compared with biodistribution data. The radioiodinated monoclonal antibody showed fast tumor uptake which increased significantly to 14.6% injected dose (ID)/g at 12 hr post-injection. Enhanced blood clearance of radioactivity resulted in higher tumor/blood ratio of 5.96 at 48 hr. 131I-labelled DLAB resulted in selective and enhanced uptake of the radioactivity by the tumor compared to the non-specific antibody and the results suggest the potential use of spontaneous fusion for producing specific monoclonal antibodies for tumor detection and therapy.

Cholecystectomy prevents expansion of the bile acid pool and inhibition of cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase in rabbits fed cholesterol

To study the effect of cholecystectomy on the regulation of classic and alternative bile acid syntheses, gallbladder-intact (n = 20) and cholecystectomized (n = 20) New Zealand White rabbits were fed either chow or chow with 2% cholesterol (3 g/day). After 10 days, bile fistulas were constructed in half of each rabbit group to recover and measure the bile acid pool and biliary bile acid flux. After cholesterol feeding, the bile acid pool size increased from 268 +/- 55 to 444 +/- 77 mg (P < 0.01) with a 2-fold rise in the biliary bile acid flux in intact rabbits but did not expand the bile acid pool (270 +/- 77 vs. 276 +/- 62 mg), nor did the biliary bile acid flux increase in cholecystectomized rabbits. Ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter protein increased 46% from 93 +/- 6 to 136 +/- 23 units/mg (P < 0.01) in the intact rabbits but did not change in cholecystectomized rabbits (104 +/- 14 vs. 99 +/- 19 units/mg) after cholesterol feeding. Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity was inhibited 59% (P < 0.001) while cholesterol 27-hydroxylase activity rose 83% (P < 0.05) after cholesterol feeding in the intact rabbits but neither enzyme activity changed significantly in cholesterol-fed cholecystectomized rabbits. Fecal bile acid outputs reflecting bile acid synthesis increased significantly in the intact but not in the cholecystectomized rabbits fed cholesterol. Removal of the gallbladder prevented expansion of the bile acid pool after cholesterol feeding as seen in intact rabbits because ileal bile acid transport did not increase. As a result, cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase was not inhibited.

Human bile salt export pump promoter is transactivated by the farnesoid X receptor/bile acid receptor

The bile salt excretory pump (BSEP, ABCb11) is critical for ATP-dependent transport of bile acids across the hepatocyte canalicular membrane and for generation of bile acid-dependent bile secretion. Recent studies have demonstrated that the expression of this transporter is sensitive to the flux of bile acids through the hepatocyte, possibly at the level of transcription of the BSEP gene. To determine the mechanisms underlying the regulation of BSEP by bile acids, the promoter of the BSEP gene was cloned. The sequence of the promoter contained an inverted repeat (IR)-1 element (5'-GGGACA T TGATCCT-3') at base pairs -63/-50 consisting of two nuclear receptor half-sites organized as an inverted repeat and separated by a single nucleotide. This IR-1 element has been shown in several recent studies to serve as a binding site for the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor for bile acids. FXR activity requires heterodimerization with RXR alpha, and when bound by bile acids, the complex effectively regulates the transcription of several genes involved in bile acid homeostasis. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrated specific binding of FXR/RXR alpha heterodimers to the IR-1 element in the BSEP promoter. In HepG2 cells, co-transfection of FXR and RXR alpha is required to attain full transactivation of the BSEP promoter by bile acids. Two FXR transactivation-deficient mutants (an AF-2 deletion and a W469A point mutant) failed to transactivate, indicating that the effect of bile acids is FXR-dependent. Further, mutational analysis confirms that the FXR/RXR alpha heterodimer activates transcription through the IR-1 site in the human BSEP promoter. These results demonstrate a mechanism by which bile acids transcriptionally regulate the activity of the bile salt excretory pump, a critical component involved in the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids.

Human bile salt export pump promoter is transactivated by the farnesoid X receptor/bile acid receptor

The bile salt excretory pump (BSEP, ABCb11) is critical for ATP-dependent transport of bile acids across the hepatocyte canalicular membrane and for generation of bile acid-dependent bile secretion. Recent studies have demonstrated that the expression of this transporter is sensitive to the flux of bile acids through the hepatocyte, possibly at the level of transcription of the BSEP gene. To determine the mechanisms underlying the regulation of BSEP by bile acids, the promoter of the BSEP gene was cloned. The sequence of the promoter contained an inverted repeat (IR)-1 element (5'-GGGACA T TGATCCT-3') at base pairs -63/-50 consisting of two nuclear receptor half-sites organized as an inverted repeat and separated by a single nucleotide. This IR-1 element has been shown in several recent studies to serve as a binding site for the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor for bile acids. FXR activity requires heterodimerization with RXR alpha, and when bound by bile acids, the complex effectively regulates the transcription of several genes involved in bile acid homeostasis. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrated specific binding of FXR/RXR alpha heterodimers to the IR-1 element in the BSEP promoter. In HepG2 cells, co-transfection of FXR and RXR alpha is required to attain full transactivation of the BSEP promoter by bile acids. Two FXR transactivation-deficient mutants (an AF-2 deletion and a W469A point mutant) failed to transactivate, indicating that the effect of bile acids is FXR-dependent. Further, mutational analysis confirms that the FXR/RXR alpha heterodimer activates transcription through the IR-1 site in the human BSEP promoter. These results demonstrate a mechanism by which bile acids transcriptionally regulate the activity of the bile salt excretory pump, a critical component involved in the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha is an essential regulator of bile acid and plasma cholesterol metabolism

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 3 (MODY3) is caused by haploinsufficiency of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha (encoded by TCF1). Tcf1-/- mice have type 2 diabetes, dwarfism, renal Fanconi syndrome, hepatic dysfunction and hypercholestrolemia. Here we explore the molecular basis for the hypercholesterolemia using oligonucleotide microchip expression analysis. We demonstrate that Tcf1-/- mice have a defect in bile acid transport, increased bile acid and liver cholesterol synthesis, and impaired HDL metabolism. Tcf1-/- liver has decreased expression of the basolateral membrane bile acid transporters Slc10a1, Slc21a3 and Slc21a5, leading to impaired portal bile acid uptake and elevated plasma bile acid concentrations. In intestine and kidneys, Tcf1-/- mice lack expression of the ileal bile acid transporter (Slc10a2), resulting in increased fecal and urinary bile acid excretion. The Tcf1 protein (also known as HNF-1alpha) also regulates transcription of the gene (Nr1h4) encoding the farnesoid X receptor-1 (Fxr-1), thereby leading to reduced expression of small heterodimer partner-1 (Shp-1) and repression of Cyp7a1, the rate-limiting enzyme in the classic bile acid biosynthesis pathway. In addition, hepatocyte bile acid storage protein is absent from Tcf1-/- mice. Increased plasma cholesterol of Tcf1-/- mice resides predominantly in large, buoyant, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. This is most likely due to reduced activity of the HDL-catabolic enzyme hepatic lipase (Lipc) and increased expression of HDL-cholesterol esterifying enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase (Lcat). Our studies demonstrate that Tcf1, in addition to being an important regulator of insulin secretion, is an essential transcriptional regulator of bile acid and HDL-cholesterol metabolism.

Differential expression of canalicular membrane Ca2+/Mg(2+)-ecto-ATPase in estrogen-induced and obstructive cholestasis in the rat

Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) may regulate hepatocyte and cholangiocyte functions, and under some conditions it may have deleterious effects on bile secretion and cause cholestasis. The canalicular membrane enzyme Ca2+/Mg2+-ecto-ATPase (ecto-ATPase) hydrolyzes ATP/adenosine diphosphate (ATP/ADP) and regulates hepatic extracellular ATP concentration. Changes in liver ecto-ATPase in estrogen-induced cholestasis were examined in male rats receiving 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (E groups) for 1, 3, or 5 days (5 mg/kg/day, sc) and compared with changes in rats subjected to obstructive cholestasis (O groups) for 1, 3, or 8 days. Activity of ecto-ATPase, protein mass in canalicular membranes and bile (estimated by Western blotting), steady state mRNA levels (by Northern blotting), and cellular and acinar distributions of the enzyme (histochemistry and immunocytochemistry) were assessed in these groups. Activity of ecto-ATPase, protein mass in isolated canalicular membranes, and enzyme mRNA levels were significantly increased in E group rats as compared with controls. In contrast, these parameters were markedly decreased in O group rats, and the enzyme protein was undetectable in bile. The ecto-ATPase histochemical reaction was markedly increased in the canalicular membrane of E group rats, extending from acinar zone 2 to zone 1, whereas it decreased in the O group. The ecto-ATPase immunocytochemical reaction was present in the canalicular membrane and pericanalicular vesicles in control and E group hepatocytes, but it decreased in obstructive cholestasis and was localized only to the canalicular membrane. Thus, significant changes in liver ecto-ATPase were apparent in 17alpha-ethinylestradiol-induced cholestasis that were opposite to those observed in obstructive cholestasis. Assuming that the alterations observed in obstructive cholestasis are the result of the cholestatic phenomenon, we conclude that changes in ecto-ATPase in 17alpha-ethinylestradiol-treated rats might be either primary events or part of an adaptive response in 17alpha-ethinylestradiol-induced cholestasis.

Production of monoclonal antibodies to a tumor--associated antigen by spontaneous cell fusion

Spontaneous cell fusion induced by the bacterium Haemophilus paragallinarum has been recently reported as an alternative technique to generate hybridomas producing monoclonal antibody (mAb). In order to investigate the advantages of this technique to produce anti-tumor monoclonal antibodies we performed comparative experiments between H. paragallinarum induced spontaneous cell fusion and polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediated fusion. Hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies to an experimental murine lymphoma antigen, the Dalton's lymphoma associated antigen (DLAA) were generated and their sensitivity and specificity were ascertained. The spontaneous fusion yielded more number of stable and specific hybridomas than PEG mediated fusion. The results suggest the advantage of H. paragalinarum induced cell fusion for the simplified production of specific antitumor monoclonal antibodies.

Sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide is a serine, threonine phosphoprotein and is dephosphorylated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Na+/taurocholate (Na+/TC) cotransport in hepatocytes is mediated primarily by Na+/TC cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) stimulates Na+/TC cotransport by inducing translocation of Ntcp to the plasma membrane. The aim of the present study was to determine if Ntcp is a phosphoprotein and if cAMP alters Ntcp phosphorylation. Freshly prepared hepatocytes from rat livers were incubated with carrier-free 32PO4 for 2 hours, followed by incubation with 10 micromol/L 8-chlorophenylthio adenosin 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (CPT-cAMP) for 15 minutes. Subcellular fractions isolated from 32P-labeled hepatocytes were subjected to immunoprecipitation using Ntcp antibody, followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and autoradiography to determine if Ntcp is phosphorylated. Ntcp immunoprecipitated from plasma membranes isolated from nonlabeled hepatocytes was subjected to immunoblot analysis using anti-phosphoserine, anti-phosphothreonine, or anti-phosphotyrosine antibody to determine whether Ntcp is a serine, threonine, or tyrosine phosphoprotein. Hepatocytes were loaded with bis-(2-amino-5-methylphenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (MAPTA), a Ca2+ buffering agent, and the effect of CPT-cAMP on TC uptake, cytosolic [Ca2+], and ntcp phosphorylation and translocation was determined. In addition, the effect of cAMP on protein phosphatases 1 and 2A (PP1/2A) was determined in homogenates and plasma membranes obtained from CPT-cAMP-treated hepatocytes. Phosphorylation study showed that phosphorylated Ntcp is detectable in plasma membranes, and cAMP treatment resulted in dephosphorylation of Ntcp. Immunoblot analysis with phosphoamino antibodies revealed that Ntcp is a serine/threonine, and not a tyrosine, phosphoprotein, and cAMP inhibited both serine and threonine phosphorylation. In MAPTA-loaded hepatocytes, CPT-cAMP failed to stimulate TC uptake, failed to increase cytosolic [Ca2+], and failed to induce translocation and dephosphorylation of Ntcp. cAMP did not alter the activity of PP1/2A in either homogenates or in plasma membranes. Taken together, these results suggest that Ntcp is a serine/threonine phosphoprotein and is dephosphorylated by cAMP treatment. Activation of PP1/2A is not involved in cAMP-mediated dephosphorylation of Ntcp. Both translocation and dephosphorylation of Ntcp may be involved in the regulation of hepatic Na+/TC cotransport.

Sorting of rat liver and ileal sodium-dependent bile acid transporters in polarized epithelial cells

The rat ileal apical Na+-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) and the liver Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp) are members of a new family of anion transporters. These transport proteins share limited sequence homology and almost identical predicted secondary structures but are localized to the apical surface of ileal enterocytes and the sinusoidal surface of hepatocytes, respectively. Stably transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells appropriately localized wild-type ASBT and Ntcp apically and basolaterally as assessed by functional activity and immunocytochemical localization studies. Truncated and chimeric transporters were used to determine the functional importance of the cytoplasmic tail in bile acid transport activity and membrane localization. Two cDNAs were created encoding a truncated transporter in which the 56-amino-acid COOH-terminal tail of Ntcp was removed or substituted with an eight-amino-acid epitope FLAG. For both mutants there was some loss of fidelity in basolateral sorting in that approximately 75% of each protein was delivered to the basolateral surface compared with approximately 90% of the wild-type Ntcp protein. In contrast, deletion of the cytoplasmic tail of ASBT led to complete loss of transport activity and sorting to the apical membrane. An Ntcp chimera in which the 56-amino-acid COOH-terminal tail of Ntcp was replaced with the 40-amino-acid cytoplasmic tail of ASBT was largely redirected (82.4 +/- 3.9%) to the apical domain of stably transfected MDCK cells, based on polarity of bile acid transport activity and localization by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. These results indicate that a predominant signal for sorting of the Ntcp protein to the basolateral domain is located in a region outside of the cytoplasmic tail. These studies have further shown that a novel apical sorting signal is localized to the cytoplasmic tail of ASBT and that it is transferable and capable of redirecting a protein normally sorted to the basolateral surface to the apical domain of MDCK cells.

Maternal cholestasis does not affect the ontogenic pattern of expression of the Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (ntcp) in the fetal and neonatal rat liver

To assess the effects of cholestasis during pregnancy on fetal and neonatal mRNA expression, protein mass, and function of the Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp), common bile duct ligation (BDL) was performed in pregnant rats on day 14 of pregnancy (maternal cholestasis [MC] group), and livers were harvested at days 20 and 21 of fetal life, as well as at days 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after birth. Sham-operated rats and their litters were used as controls. Ntcp steady-state mRNA levels, protein mass, and function were determined by Northern blotting, immunoblotting, and taurocholate (TC) transport studies in isolated short-term cultured hepatocytes, respectively. In addition, protein mass and function of the organic anion transporting polypeptide (Oatp1), another sinusoidal bile acid transporter, were studied at 4 weeks of age. The majority of pregnant cholestatic rats (94%) were able to carry pregnancy to term. Body and liver weights of the offspring from the MC group were lower than those from sham-operated animals at all postnatal time points. Ntcp steady-state mRNA levels, protein mass, and function were unaffected by MC. The ontogenic pattern of expression was identical in offspring from MC and controls with detection of the Ntcp mRNA at day 21 of fetal life. There was a significant increase in mRNA postnatally, reaching adult levels by 7 days of age. Protein mass and function of Ntcp as well as of Oatp1 were similar in offspring from MC and control groups at 4 weeks of age. In conclusion, maternal obstructive cholestasis during the last third of pregnancy does not affect the fetal/neonatal expression of the basolateral bile acid transporters, Ntcp and Oatp1. This suggests that the impaired bile acid excretion described in this experimental model is not related to altered uptake of bile acids in the affected neonate.

Cloning and characterization of a novel peptidase from rat and human ileum

A novel 100-kDa ileal brush border membrane protein (I100) has been purified by anionic glycocholate affinity chromatography. Polyclonal antibodies raised against this protein were utilized to clone and characterize I100 in rats. A partial length human I100 cDNA was identified by hybridization screening. In the rat, the I100 protein is a 746-amino acid glycosylated (calculated core molecular mass of 80 kDa) type II integral membrane protein found on the apical surface of ileal villus enterocytes. Its 2.6-kilobase mRNA is expressed in distal small intestine in rats and in humans. The I100 cDNA is homologous to but distinct from human prostate-specific membrane antigen and rat brain N-acetylaspartylglutamate peptidase. It is expressed on both the basolateral and apical surfaces of stably transfected Madin Darby canine kidney cells. Analysis of these stably transfected Madin Darby canine kidney cells and I100 immunoprecipitates of rat ileal brush border membrane vesicles reveals that it has dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity. Future invesitgations will need to determine the exact substrate specificity of this novel peptidase.

cAMP increases liver Na+-taurocholate cotransport by translocating transporter to plasma membranes

Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), acting via protein kinase A, increases transport maximum of Na+-taurocholate cotransport within 15 min in hepatocytes (S. Grüne, L. R. Engelking, and M. S. Anwer. J. Biol. Chem. 268: 17734-17741, 1993); the mechanism of this short-term stimulation was investigated. Cycloheximide inhibited neither basal nor cAMP-induced increases in taurocholate uptake in rat hepatocytes, indicating that cAMP does not stimulate transporter synthesis. Studies in plasma membrane vesicles showed that taurocholate uptake was not stimulated by the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A but was higher when hepatocytes were pretreated with cAMP. Immunoblot studies with anti-fusion protein antibodies to the cloned Na+-taurocholate cotransport polypeptide (Ntcp) showed that pretreatment of hepatocytes with cAMP increased Ntcp content in plasma membranes but not in homogenates. Ntcp was detected in microsomes, endosomes, and Golgi fractions, and cAMP pretreatment resulted in a decrease only in endosomal Ntcp content. It is proposed that cAMP increases transport maximum of Na+-taurocholate cotransport, at least in part, by translocating Ntcp from endosomes to plasma membranes.

Evidence for an ATP-dependent bile acid transport protein other than the canalicular liver ecto-ATPase in rats

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Canalicular secretion is rate limiting in overall blood-to-bile transport of bile acids. Studies using transfected cells have implicated the canalicular ecto-adenosine triphosphatase (ecto-ATPase) in adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent bile acid transport. However, the structural features of this ecto-ATPase are not those anticipated for an in-to-out ATP-dependent transporter. The aim of this study was to explore the possible existence of an ATP-dependent bile acid transport mechanism distinct from ecto-ATPase.

METHODS

Bile acid transport activity and ecto-ATPase expression were analyzed in primary rat hepatocytes, rat hepatoma HTC cells, and specially adapted HTC (HTC-R) cells using plasma membrane vesicles and Northern blot, slot blot, ribonuclease protection assay, and Western blot analyses.

RESULTS

Plasma membranes isolated from HTC-R cells exhibited ATP-dependent taurocholate transport, which was many-fold greater than that in HTC cells. Hepatocytes showed the highest transport rates. Protein and RNA analyses showed very low expression of ecto-ATPase in HTC and HTC-R cells compared with hepatocytes. There was no difference between the two cell types at both the RNA and protein level.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show the presence in HTC-R cells and, apparently in hepatocytes, of one or more proteins other than the ecto-ATPase that mediate ATP-dependent transport of bile acids.

The rat canalicular conjugate export pump (Mrp2) is down-regulated in intrahepatic and obstructive cholestasis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The excretion of various organic anions into bile is mediated by an adenosine triphosphate-dependent conjugate export pump, which has been identified as the canalicular isoform of the multidrug resistance protein (Mrp2). Mrp2 function is impaired in various experimental models of intrahepatic and obstructive cholestasis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate these molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

The effects of endotoxin, ethinylestradiol, and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) on Mrp2 protein, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, and Mrp2 tissue localization were determined in rat livers by Northern blotting, Western analysis, and tissue immunofluorescence. To assess whether changes were specific for Mrp2, we also examined the expression of canalicular ecto-adenosine triphosphatase (ecto-ATPase) and mdr P-glycoproteins (P-gp).

RESULTS

All three cholestatic models resulted in a marked decrease in Mrp2 protein (P < 0.01) and its tissue localization at the canalicular membrane. Mrp2 mRNA levels diminished profoundly after endotoxin (P < 0.0005) and CBDL (P < 0.05), but did not change after ethinylestradiol. In contrast to Mrp2, protein expression of ecto-ATPase and P-gp remained unchanged in endotoxin- and ethinylestradiol-treated animals, whereas P-gp levels increased after CBDL (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Down-regulation of Mrp2 expression may explain impaired biliary excretion of amphiphilic anionic conjugates in these models of cholestasis.

Hepatic basolateral sodium-dependent-bile acid transporter expression in two unusual cases of hypercholanemia and in extrahepatic biliary atresia

The recent cloning of a human sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (NTCP) permits analysis of its expression in human liver disease and investigation of potential primary defects in its expression. NTCP from normal human liver (NHL) was first characterized in detail. Northern blotting of RNA from NHL revealed a 1.8-kb NTCP transcript. Western blotting of crude NHL plasma membranes using a carboxyterminal antipeptide antibody showed that NTCP is a 39-kd polypeptide that is N-glycosylated to a final molecular weight of 56 kd. Indirect immunofluorescent analysis of NHL sections indicated that the NTCP protein is expressed on the basolateral surface of hepatocytes. We hypothesized that the clinical phenotype of a defect in NTCP might be hypercholanemia in the relative absence of liver disease. Accordingly, the coding region of the NTCP gene of two children with this phenotype was sequenced after reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) amplification. No primary defects in the deduced NTCP amino acid sequence were found. Despite the extremely high serum bile salt levels (235 and 126 micromol/L) in these two patients, NTCP messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression were quantitatively normal, in contrast to the published observations in a rat model of cholestasis secondary to common bile duct ligation. Hepatic steady-state NTCP mRNA levels in a group of 23 pre- and postportoenterostomy biliary atresia patients were inversely related to total bilirubin, indicating that extrahepatic bile duct obstruction leads to down-regulation of NTCP mRNA levels, similar to that observed in rat common bile duct ligation. Therefore the lack of down-regulation in the two patients with hypercholanemia indicates that elevated serum bile salts are not sufficient to down-regulate NTCP expression, these two patients have abnormal responses to hypercholanemia, or these two patients have a defect in a gene other than NTCP that influences hepatic clearance of bile salts.

Bile acid transport across the hepatocyte canalicular membrane

Transport of bile acids across the canalicular membrane of the hepatocyte provides the primary motive force for generation of bile flow and is rate limiting in the vectorial movement of bile acids from blood to bile. Several distinct carriers for bile acids have been defined based on physiological studies in isolated hepatocytes, membrane vesicles, hepatocyte couples, and the perfused rat liver including membrane potential-driven and ATP-dependent mechanisms. Several groups have isolated and functionally reconstituted a canalicular bile acid transport protein of M(r) approximately 110 kDa. The ATP-dependent mechanism for secretion of monovalent bile acids appears to be mediated by a yet to be identified protein of the ATP binding cassette family of transporters. However, it remains conjectural whether the ATP-dependent and membrane potential-driven components of canalicular bile acid transport are mediated by one or more transport proteins. Bile acid sulfates and glucuronides are substrates for the canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter whose activity has recently been associated with the multidrug resistance-associated protein.

Effect of endotoxin on bile acid transport in rat liver: a potential model for sepsis-associated cholestasis

Intrahepatic cholestasis in the setting of extrahepatic bacterial infection has been attributed to the effects of endotoxin and cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on bile acid transport. To define the mechanism of sepsis-associated cholestasis, taurocholate transport was examined in basolateral (bLPM) and canalicular (cLPM) rat liver plasma membrane vesicles derived from control and endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)]-treated animals and in plasma membrane vesicles prepared after TNF-alpha treatment. Na(+)-dependent [3H]taurocholate uptake and both membrane-potential-dependent and ATP-dependent [3H]taurocholate transport were reduced in bLPM and cLPM vesicles, respectively, after LPS treatment. In membrane vesicles from TNF-alpha-treated animals, Na(+)-dependent [3H]taurocholate uptake was also reduced. Northern blot hybridization, using cDNA probes for the putative sinusoidal bile acid transporter (Ntcp) and canalicular ecto-adenosinetriphosphatase, demonstrated decreased mRNA levels after LPS and TNF-alpha treatment. Immunoblot analysis of membrane extracts from LPS-treated animals revealed decreased levels of these putative bile acid transporters. Impaired bile acid transport at the sinusoidal and canalicular membrane domains by these and other mediators of the inflammatory response may account for sepsis-associated cholestasis.

Multiple factors regulate the rat liver basolateral sodium-dependent bile acid cotransporter gene promoter

The hepatic uptake of bile acids from the portal circulation is primarily dependent upon a sodium-dependent basolateral membrane transporter. In order to begin to investigate the factors controlling rat liver sodium-dependent bile acid cotransporter (ntcp) gene expression, we isolated approximately 30 kilobase pairs of rat genomic DNA in three overlapping lambdaphage clones. The rat ntcp gene is distributed over 16.5 kilobase pairs as five exons. Primer extension analysis revealed two closely spaced transcription initiation sites, 27 and 41 nucleotides downstream of a TATA sequence. Regulation of transcription was investigated first by transfection of primary rat hepatocytes by a series of 5'-deleted rat ntcp promoter-driven luciferase constructs (from approximately -6 kilobase pairs to -59 base pairs of upstream sequences, terminating at nucleotide +47), identifying a minimal promoter element: nucleotide -158 to +47. This minimal promoter was active in transfected HepG2, but inactive in NIH3T3, Caco-2, and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, indicating that the determinants of hepatocyte-specific expression reside within this region. The individual elements within the minimal promoter were investigated via transfection of HepG2 cells by a series of 20 mutant plasmids, each containing a 10-base pair sequential block mutation. Eight mutant constructs profoundly suppressed promoter activity; encompassing sequences from -66 to +4 nt, and +15 to +24 nucleotides, while no other 10-base pair mutation significantly interfered with minimal promoter activity. Deoxyribonuclease I footprint analysis of the minimal promoter revealed three bound regions; -92 to -74 (footprint C), -50 to -37 (footprint B), and -17 to +12 (footprint A). Gel mobility shift assays provided evidence for hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 binding within footprint A and a liver-enriched factor(s) that binds within a novel palindrome in footprint B. These studies indicate that three elements direct the basal and tissue-restricted expression of the rat ntcp promoter; a TATA element, the liver-enriched transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 1, and an unknown liver-enriched factor that binds within a novel palindrome in footprint B.

Down-regulation of expression and function of the rat liver Na+/bile acid cotransporter in extrahepatic cholestasis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The molecular regulation of hepatic bile acid transporters during cholestasis is largely unknown. Cloning of complementary DNAs for the sinusoidal sodium-dependent taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (ntcp), the cytosolic bile acid-binding protein 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 alpha-HSD), and a putative canalicular bile acid transporter Ca2+, Mg(2+)-ecto-adenosine triphosphatase, now facilitates such studies.

METHODS

Protein mass, steady-state messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, and gene transcription were assessed in rat livers after common bile duct ligation (CBDL) from 1-7 days, and taurocholate uptake was determined in isolated hepatocytes.

RESULTS

After CBDL, Na(+)-dependent taurocholate uptake (Vmax) declined by 70%. The levels of ntcp protein were reduced by more than 90%, and 3 alpha-HSD levels decreased by 66% by 7 days. Expression and canalicular localization of the ecto-adenosine triphosphatase remained unchanged. mRNA levels for both ntcp and 3 alpha-HSD diminished by about 60% 1 day after CBDL and remained unchanged up to 7 days. Transcriptional activity was decreased 1 day after CBDL only for ntcp.

CONCLUSIONS

Extrahepatic cholestasis results in rapid down-regulation of Na(+)-dependent taurocholate uptake, ntcp transcription, and posttranscriptional regulation of both ntcp and 3 alpha-HSD mRNA. This selective decline of ntcp may represent a protective feedback mechanism in cholestasis to diminish uptake of potentially hepatotoxic bile acids.

Differential ontogenic regulation of basolateral and canalicular bile acid transport proteins in rat liver

The hepatic transport systems mediating bile acid uptake and excretion undergo independent, stage-specific expression during development in the rat. In this study, the mechanisms underlying ontogenic regulation of both the Na(+)-dependent basolateral bile acid transporter and canalicular bile acid transporter/ecto-ATPase were examined. Steady state mRNA levels for the basolateral transporter were less than 20% of adult values prior to birth, increased to 35% on the first postnatal day, and reached adult levels by 1 week of age. This was paralleled by transcription rates, which were low prior to birth, reached 47% by day 1, and were maximal by 1 week of age. Steady state mRNA levels for ecto-ATPase were 12% of adult values prior to birth and showed a 2-fold increase by the first day of life. Thereafter, there was a gradual increase in mRNA for this transporter, with adult levels being reached at 4 weeks of age. Transcription rates paralleled this increment, although adult levels were reached earlier. Surprisingly, for both transporters, the full complement of protein was present well before adult levels of mRNA were reached. The basolateral protein was expressed at 82% of adult levels on the first day of life but was of lower apparent molecular mass (39 kDa), a difference that persisted until 4 weeks of age. N-Glycanase digestion suggested that this difference could be fully accounted for by N-linked glycosylation. The ecto-ATPase protein was present at 33% of adult levels prior to birth, 77% by 1 day, and 84% of adult levels by 1 week of age. Unlike the basolateral transporter, the apparent molecular weight of this protein did not change during development. In summary, the ontogeny of bile acid transporters on the plasma membrane of the hepatocyte is complex and appears to be regulated at transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels.

Characterization of cloned rat liver Na(+)-bile acid cotransporter using peptide and fusion protein antibodies

A cDNA encoding a rat liver Na(+)-bile acid cotransporter (Ntcp) has recently been cloned (Hagenbuch, B., B. Steiger, M. Fouget, H. Lubbert, and P. J. Meier. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88: 10629, 1991) using expression cloning in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Although the open reading frame coded for a protein of 39 kDa, in vitro translation experiments produced a 35-kDa protein which increased to a product of 41 kDa after glycosylation by pancreatic microsomes. To more clearly characterize the native protein in rat liver, we have raised antipeptide and anti-fusion protein antibodies to the COOH-terminal part of the cloned transporter. On Western blot analysis both antisera but not preimmune serum specifically detected a protein of approximately 50 kDa in isolated rat liver basolateral plasma membranes (BLPM). The reactivity was abolished when the antiserum was preincubated with the synthetic alpha-337 peptide. Deglycosylation of BLPM with N-glycanase followed by antibody probing led to decrease of the molecular mass to 34.5 kDa, suggesting that the protein is N-glycosylated in vivo. Two-dimensional immunoblotting indicated that the Ntcp protein had an isoelectric point of approximately 6.0. The antibody did not react with any proteins in rat ileal and kidney cortex brush-border membranes, human liver basolateral plasma membranes, or rat hepatoma tissue culture cell homogenates. Immunofluorescence localization studies with both antibodies revealed specific staining of the sinusoidal membrane domain but not of intracellular or bile canalicular membranes. Moreover, there was no acinar gradient in the pattern of staining.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diet affects hepatocyte membrane composition, fluidity, and taurocholate transport in suckling rats

We postulated that age-related changes in hepatocyte basolateral membrane lipid composition might contribute to the diminished Na(+)-dependent taurocholate transport noted in suckling animals. Basolateral membrane vesicles (BLMVs) were prepared from suckling rats (day 11) whose dams were fed diets predominant in lard (LBLMV), corn oil (COBLMV), or fish oil (FOBLMV). Fatty acid compositions of milk and BLMV differed significantly among the groups. Membrane cholesterol was higher in FOBLMV compared with the COBLMV and LBLMV groups; lipid phosphorus and the relative distribution of phospholipid classes were similar. Fluorescence anisotropy (1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene) was higher in FOBLMV (0.230) than in LBLMV (0.222) or COBLMV (0.217). Excited state lifetimes were similar in all groups. Na(+)-dependent taurocholate transport was increased at 5 and 20 s in LBLMV and COBLMV compared with FOBLMV. In vitro alteration of membrane cholesterol-fluidity did not alter taurocholate transport. In conclusion, although affected by alterations in diet, simple changes in membrane fluidity-cholesterol content do not affect Na(+)-dependent taurocholate transport.

Expression and characterization of a functional rat liver Na+ bile acid cotransport system in COS-7 cells

A cDNA for the rat liver sodium-dependent bile acid cotransporter was expressed in COS-7 cells to study the functional properties of the translated protein in a mammalian cell line. A 1.2-kb insert was ligated into a pMAMneo vector and transiently transfected using electroporation. After optimal conditions were established, the transiently transfected COS cells were screened with fluorescent-conjugated labeled bile acids for evidence of expression of the cotransporter after 48 h. The uptake of [3H]taurocholate ([3H]TC) was then determined in cells transfected with or without the bile acid insert. Progressive uptake of [3H]TC (0.45 microM) was observed for 30 min in the presence of sodium. In contrast, no uptake of [3H]TC was observed in the absence of sodium, in nontransfected COS cells, or in COS cells transfected with the empty plasmid. Kinetic studies revealed a Michaelis constant (Km) of 29 microM, essentially identical to the Km of this cotransporter described in intact rat hepatocytes and membrane vesicles. Uptake of [3H]TC (5.0 microM) at 5 min (n = 3-6) was inhibited by 100 microM taurochenodeoxycholic acid (81%), tauroursodeoxycholic acid (77%), cholic acid (55%), chenodeoxycholic acid (74%), and ursodeoxycholic acid (56%) but not by 100 microM taurodehydrocholate, 1 mM probenecid, or 100 microM bilirubin. In contrast, bumetanide (500 microM) inhibited [3H]TC uptake by 52%. These studies indicate that the isolated cDNA codes for a physiological bile acid transporter present in rat hepatocytes and that posttranslational factors present in mammalian cells may not be as important in defining properties of this cotransport system.

The rat liver ecto-ATPase is also a canalicular bile acid transport protein

A approximately 110-kDa glycoprotein purified from canalicular vesicles by bile acid affinity chromatography has been identified as the canalicular bile acid transport protein. Internal amino acid sequence and chemical and immunochemical characteristics of this protein were found to be identical to a rat liver canalicular ecto-ATPase. In order to definitively determine whether these were two activities of a single polypeptide, we examined the possibility that transfection of cDNA for the ecto-ATPase would confer bile acid transport characteristics, as well as ecto-ATPase activity, on heterologous cells. The results show that transfection of the ecto-ATPase cDNA conferred on COS cells de novo synthesis of a approximately 110-kDa polypeptide, as immunoprecipitated by antibody to the purified canalicular bile acid transport protein and conferred on COS cells the capacity to pump out [3H]taurocholate with efflux characteristics comparable with those previously determined in canalicular membrane vesicles (Km = 100 microM; Vmax = 200 pmol/mg of protein/20 s). A truncated ecto-ATPase cDNA, missing the cytoplasmic tail, was targeted correctly to the cell surface but did not confer bile acid transport activity on COS cells. The results of this study also show that the canalicular ecto-ATPase/bile acid transport protein is phosphorylated on its cytoplasmic tail and that its phosphorylation is stimulated by activation of protein kinase C and inhibited by inhibitors of protein kinase C activation. Moreover, inhibition of protein kinase C activation by staurosporine completely abrogates bile acid transport but does not affect ATPase activity. This study, therefore, demonstrates that the rat liver canalicular ecto-ATPase is also a bile acid transport protein, that the capacity to pump out bile acid can be conferred on a heterologous cell by DNA-mediated gene transfer, and that phosphorylation within the cytoplasmic tail of the transporter is essential for bile acid efflux activity but not for ATPase activity.

Phylogenic and ontogenic expression of hepatocellular bile acid transport

The phylogenic and ontogenic expression of mRNA for the Na+/bile acid cotransporter was determined by Northern analysis utilizing a full-length cDNA probe recently cloned from rat liver. mRNA was detected in several mammalian species, including rat, mouse, and man, but could not be found in livers from nonmammalian species, including chicken, turtle, frog, and small skate. When expression of the bile acid transporter in developing rat liver was studied, mRNA was detected between 18 and 21 days of gestation, at the time when Na(+)-dependent bile acid transport is first detected. Two hepatoma cell lines (HTC and HepG2), the latter of which is known to have lost the Na+/bile acid cotransport system, also did not express mRNA for this transporter. Finally, when mRNA from the lower vertebrate (the small skate) was injected into Xenopus oocytes, only a sodium-independent, chloride-dependent transport system for bile acids was expressed, confirming the integrity of the mRNA and consistent with prior functional studies of bile acid transport in this species. These findings establish that the Na+/bile acid cotransport mRNA is first transcribed in mammalian species, a process that is recapitulated late during mammalian fetal development in rat liver, and that this mRNA is lost in dedifferentiated hepatocytes. In contrast, the mRNA for a multispecific Na+/independent organic anion transport system is transcribed earlier in vertebrate evolution.

An ontogenically regulated 48-kDa protein is a component of the Na(+)-bile acid cotransporter of rat liver

Recent evidence suggests that the Na(+)-coupled carrier mechanism for bile acids on the hepatocyte basolateral plasma membrane is a polypeptide in the molecular weight range of 48,000-50,000. In this study we used a strategy for the identification and isolation of this transport protein based on the observation that Na(+)-dependent transport activity is abruptly expressed in fetal rat liver just before birth [Suchy et al. Am. J. Physiol. 251 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 14): G665-G673, 1986]. Analysis of basolateral plasma membranes by SDS-PAGE revealed that a protein of apparent molecular weight 48,000 was absent from fetal rat liver on day 19 of gestation, barely detectable on day 20, and thereafter increased progressively with postnatal development. Monospecific, polyclonal antibodies raised against the 48-kDa protein but not preimmune antibodies significantly inhibited the initial rate of Na(+)-dependent taurocholate uptake by isolated rat hepatocytes. In contrast, Na(+)-independent taurocholate transport and uptake of another anion, 35SO4(2-), were not affected by antibody treatment. When an extract containing the total complement of basolateral proteins was incorporated into asolectin liposomes, Na+ gradient-dependent uptake of taurocholate was observed, including a 2- to 2.5-fold accumulation of substrate above its equilibrium concentration (overshoot). However, if the membrane extract was first selectively depleted of the 48-kDa protein by immunoprecipitation with the anti-48-kDa antibody before reconstitution, Na(+)-dependent stimulation of taurocholate transport was completely abolished. These studies indicate that an ontogenically regulated 48-kDa protein is a component of the basolateral Na(+)-dependent transport system for bile acids.

Postnatal expression of the canalicular bile acid transport system of rat liver

Canalicular plasma membrane (CPM) vesicles prepared by a Ca2+ precipitation method from developing (7 and 14 days old) and adult rat liver were used to directly examine the postnatal ontogenesis of taurocholate (TC) transport. The initial rate of 50 microM TC uptake by vesicles derived from 14-day-old and adult but not 7-day-old animals was markedly inhibited by the anion transport inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS). DIDS-sensitive TC uptake was 21.6 +/- 5.6 (SE) at 14 days compared with 58.1 +/- 8.1 pmol.mg protein-1.5 s-1 in adults (P less than or equal to 0.01). Kinetic studies were performed by preloading these predominantly "right-side out" vesicles with TC (25-800 microM) and measuring the initial rate (5 s) of efflux into bile salt-free medium. Computer analysis of the DIDS-sensitive portion of efflux revealed saturable kinetics with a similar Vmax (2.72 +/- 0.36 vs. 1.97 +/- 0.17 nmol.mg protein-1.min-1; P = NS) but a threefold higher Km (0.35 +/- 0.09 vs. 0.11 +/- 0.02 mM; P less than or equal to 0.05) in 14 day vs. adult CPM vesicles. In contrast, efflux from 7 day CPM vesicles increased linearly with increasing concentrations of TC and was not inhibited by DIDS. Immunoblots of canalicular membranes, probed with an antibody against the 100-kDa bile acid transport protein, showed that the amount of immunoreactive carrier protein in the membranes of 14-day-old and adult rats was similar but was only 37% of the adult level at 7 days of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Isolation and characterization of the canalicular membrane bile acid transport protein of rat liver

The aim of this study was to isolate the Na(+)-independent bile acid transporter from rat canalicular plasma membranes by affinity chromatography. The affinity matrix used consisted of lysylcholic acid covalently linked to CH-Sepharose 4B, resulting in an anionic ligand essentially identical to glycocholic acid. The protein fraction, adsorbed and eluted from the affinity column, was markedly enriched in a 100-kDa band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) compared with the total membrane and membrane extract. The 100-kDa band, further purified by preparative SDS-PAGE, was electroeluted from excised gel fragments and used as an immunogen for antibody production in rabbits. The immune serum, but not preimmune serum, specifically recognized a single, 100-kDa polypeptide on one- and two-dimensional immunoblots of canalicular membranes. In contrast, no reactivity was observed with proteins in liver basolateral or ileal brush-border membranes. The 125I-labeled protein was immunoprecipitated from membrane extracts solubilized in NP-40 and was found to migrate with a pI of 5.3 on two-dimensional electrophoresis. The apparent molecular weight of the protein was reduced by 50% after deglycosylation with N-glycanase. The 100-kDa protein was localized specifically and exclusively by immunocytochemical methods to the bile canalicular domain of the hepatocyte plasma membrane. Moreover, the immunoglobin G fraction prepared from the antiserum significantly inhibited taurocholate transport by canalicular membrane vesicles and decreased the covalent labeling of the 100-kDa protein by the anion transport inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid. Thus the isolation of a single 100-kDa protein by bile acid-affinity chromatography, as well as the inhibitory effects of antibodies directed against this polypeptide, provide further support for its role in the canalicular transport of bile acids.

Identification of the hepatocyte Na+-dependent bile acid transport protein using monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies have been utilized to characterize the hepatocyte Na+-dependent bile acid transport system. Sinusoidal plasma membrane proteins in the 49-54-kDa range, which are thought to be components of this transport system, based on photo-affinity labeling and reconstitution studies, have been partially purified by affinity chromatography and utilized as an immunogen for the production of a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAb). One of these mAbs, 25A-3, recognized both a 49- and a 54-kDa protein as assessed by immunoprecipitation. In addition, it was shown to protect the bile acid transport system from inhibition by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) in a dose-dependent manner. DIDS covalently labeled membrane proteins of 49 and 54 kDa, and this process could be significantly inhibited when performed in the presence of mAb 25A-3. Furthermore, the DIDS-labeled membrane proteins were immunoprecipitated by 25A-3. These results establish that one of these membrane components is the bile acid carrier protein. Another mAb (25D-1) which immunoprecipitated only a 49-kDa protein was shown to block the protective effect of 25A-3 on DIDS inhibition of bile acid transport. In addition both antibodies effected each other's binding capacity to hepatocytes and reacted with the same 49-kDa protein as established by sequential immunoprecipitation. Binding studies indicated that there are approximately 3.3 X 10(6) 49-kDa transport molecules/hepatocyte. These results firmly establish that the 49-kDa protein is the Na+-dependent hepatocyte bile acid transporter.

Purification and reconstitution of the bile acid transport system from hepatocyte sinusoidal plasma membranes

The taurocholic acid transport system from hepatocyte sinusoidal plasma membranes has been studied using proteoliposome reconstitution procedures. Membrane proteins were initially solubilized in Triton X-100. Following detergent removal, the resultant proteins were incorporated into lipid vesicles prepared from soybean phospholipids (asolectin) using sonication and freeze-thaw procedures. The resultant proteoliposomes demonstrated Na+-dependent transport of taurocholic acid which could be inhibited by bile acids. Greatly reduced amounts of taurocholic acid were associated with the phospholipid or membrane proteins alone prior to proteoliposome formation. Membrane proteins were fractionated on an anionic glycocholate-Sepharose 4B affinity column which was prepared by coupling (3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-oyl)-N alpha-lysine to activated CH-Sepharose 4B via the epsilon-amino group of lysine resulting in the retention of a free carboxyl group. The adsorbed proteins enriched in components in the 54 kDa zone, which were originally identified by photoaffinity labeling to be components of the bile acid transport system, were also incorporated into liposomes. This vesicle system showed almost a 4-fold increase in Na+-dependent taurocholic acid uptake when compared to proteoliposomes formed from total membrane protein, as well as sensitivity to inhibition by bile acids. These results demonstrate that the bile acid carrier system can be reconstituted in proteoliposomes and that utilizing proteins in the 54 kDa zone leads to a significant enhancement in the transport capacity of the reconstituted system, consistent with the role of 54 kDa protein(s) as component(s) of the bile acid carrier system.

Structural and functional properties of the folate transport protein from a methotrexate-resistant subline of Lactobacillus casei

A methotrexate-resistant subline of Lactobacillus casei has been isolated which transports folate at a reduced rate and contains a binding protein whose affinity for folate (Kd = 280 nM) is considerably lower than that of the corresponding protein of wild-type cells (Kd = 0.6 nM). After the addition of mercaptoethanol, however, this same protein exhibits a high affinity for folate (Kd = 1.2 nM) and transports the substrate at a normal rate. Subsequent removal of mercaptoethanol causes a rapid reversal of the activation process. Binding protein labeled covalently with carbodiimide-activated [3H]folate, solubilized with Triton X-100, and subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate had an apparent molecular weight which was approximately twofold higher than that of the corresponding protein of wild-type cells, but it could be reduced to the parental size (Mr = 20,000) by prior treatment with mercaptoethanol. Purified binding protein also exhibited a similarly elevated molecular weight, and its amino acid composition was indistinguishable from that of the wild-type counterpart, except for the presence of a single cysteine residue. These findings indicate that the mutant binding protein exists in a low-affinity form due to disulfide bridge formation between two homologous protein subunits and that cleavage of this bond by mercaptoethanol generates the high-affinity state. The rapid and specific interconversion of these binding forms suggests further that the high-affinity form of the binding protein also resides in the membrane as a dimer, held together by noncovalent interactions.