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Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) exist in heterogeneous micro-environments with multiple subpopulations,convoluting fate-regulation analysis. We patterned hPSCs into engineered micro-environments and screened responses to 400 small-molecule kinase inhibitors,measuring yield and purity outputs of undifferentiated,neuroectoderm,mesendoderm,and extra-embryonic populations. Enrichment analysis revealed mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition as a strong inducer of mesendoderm. Dose responses of mTOR inhibitors such as rapamycin synergized with Bone Morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and activin A to enhance the yield and purity of BRACHYURY-expressing cells. Mechanistically,small interfering RNA knockdown of RAPTOR,a component of mTOR complex 1,phenocopied the mesendoderm-enhancing effects of rapamycin. Functional analysis during mesoderm and endoderm differentiation revealed that mTOR inhibition increased the output of hemogenic endothelial cells 3-fold,with a concomitant enhancement of blood colony-forming cells. These data demonstrate the power of our multi-lineage screening approach and identify mTOR signaling as a node in hPSC differentiation to mesendoderm and its derivatives. View Publication

In this study we dissected retinal organoid morphogenesis in human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived cultures and established a convenient method for isolating large quantities of retinal organoids for modeling human retinal development and disease. Epithelialized cysts were generated via floating culture of clumps of Matrigel/hESCs. Upon spontaneous attachment and spreading of the cysts,patterned retinal monolayers with tight junctions formed. Dispase-mediated detachment of the monolayers and subsequent floating culture led to self-formation of retinal organoids comprising patterned neuroretina,ciliary margin,and retinal pigment epithelium. Intercellular adhesion-dependent cell survival and ROCK-regulated actomyosin-driven forces are required for the self-organization. Our data supports a hypothesis that newly specified neuroretina progenitors form characteristic structures in equilibrium through minimization of cell surface tension. In long-term culture,the retinal organoids autonomously generated stratified retinal tissues,including photoreceptors with ultrastructure of outer segments. Our system requires minimal manual manipulation,has been validated in two lines of human pluripotent stem cells,and provides insight into optic cup invagination in vivo. View Publication

Effector T cells and fibroblasts are major components in the tumor microenvironment. The means through which these cellular interactions affect chemoresistance is unclear. Here,we show that fibroblasts diminish nuclear accumulation of platinum in ovarian cancer cells,resulting in resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. We demonstrate that glutathione and cysteine released by fibroblasts contribute to this resistance. CD8(+) T cells abolish the resistance by altering glutathione and cystine metabolism in fibroblasts. CD8(+) T-cell-derived interferon (IFN)γ controls fibroblast glutathione and cysteine through upregulation of gamma-glutamyltransferases and transcriptional repression of system xc(-) cystine and glutamate antiporter via the JAK/STAT1 pathway. The presence of stromal fibroblasts and CD8(+) T cells is negatively and positively associated with ovarian cancer patient survival,respectively. Thus,our work uncovers a mode of action for effector T cells: they abrogate stromal-mediated chemoresistance. Capitalizing upon the interplay between chemotherapy and immunotherapy holds high potential for cancer treatment. View Publication

Antibodies to donor specific HLA antigens (DSA) detected by single antigen bead (SAB) analysis prior to kidney transplant have been associated with inferior graft outcomes. However,studies of pre-transplant DSA specifically in the setting of a negative flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) without desensitization therapy are limited. 660 kidney and kidney/pancreas recipients with a negative pre-transplant FCXM from 09/2007 to 08/2012 without desensitization therapy were analyzed with a median follow-up of 4.2 years. All patients underwent cell-based FCXM and SAB analysis on current and historic sera prior to transplantation. 162 patients (24.5%) had DSA detected prior to transplant. One-year acute rejection rates were similar in DSA(+) vs. DSA(-) patients (15.4% vs. 11.4% respectively,p=0.18) and were higher in those with DSA MFI≥3000 in multivariable analysis (p=0.046). eGFR at 3 and 4 years was lower in the DSA(+) vs. DSA(-) group (p=0.050 at 3 years) without an impact on 5-year death-censored graft survival (89.0% vs. 90.6% respectively,p=0.53). Timing (current or historic) of DSA detection did not alter these findings. In conclusion,pre-transplant DSA in the setting of a negative FCXM confers minimal immunologic risk in the intermediate-term,does not necessitate desensitization therapy,and should not represent a barrier to renal transplant. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View Publication

BACKGROUND: The mitomycins are natural products that contain a variety of functional groups,including aminobenzoquinone- and aziridine-ring systems. Mitomycin C (MC) was the first recognized bioreductive alkylating agent,and has been widely used clinically for antitumor therapy. Precursor-feeding studies showed that MC is derived from 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA),D-glucosamine,L-methionine and carbamoyl phosphate. A genetically linked AHBA biosynthetic gene and MC resistance genes were identified previously in the MC producer Streptomyces lavendulae NRRL 2564. We set out to identify other genes involved in MC biosynthesis. RESULTS: A cluster of 47 genes spanning 55 kilobases of S. lavendulae DNA governs MC biosynthesis. Fourteen of 22 disruption mutants did not express or overexpressed MC. Seven gene products probably assemble the AHBA intermediate through a variant of the shikimate pathway. The gene encoding the first presumed enzyme in AHBA biosynthesis is not,however,linked within the MC cluster. Candidate genes for mitosane nucleus formation and functionalization were identified. A putative MC translocase was identified that comprises a novel drug-binding and export system,which confers cellular self-protection on S. lavendulae. Two regulatory genes were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: The overall architecture of the MC biosynthetic gene cluster in S. lavendulae has been determined. Targeted manipulation of a putative MC pathway regulator led to a substantial increase in drug production. The cloned genes should help elucidate the molecular basis for creation of the mitosane ring system,as well efforts to engineer the biosynthesis of novel natural products. View Publication

Human mesenchymal stem cells are thought to be multipotent cells,which are present in adult marrow,that can replicate as undifferentiated cells and that have the potential to differentiate to lineages of mesenchymal tissues,including bone,cartilage,fat,tendon,muscle,and marrow stroma. Cells that have the characteristics of human mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from marrow aspirates of volunteer donors. These cells displayed a stable phenotype and remained as a monolayer in vitro. These adult stem cells could be induced to differentiate exclusively into the adipocytic,chondrocytic,or osteocytic lineages. Individual stem cells were identified that,when expanded to colonies,retained their multilineage potential. View Publication

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are members of a multigene family of 20-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that are regulatory components in several pathways of intracellular vesicular trafficking. The relatively small (approximately 180-amino acids) ARF proteins interact with a variety of molecules (in addition to GTP/GDP,of course). Cholera toxin was the first to be recognized,hence the name. Later it was shown that ARF also activates phospholipase D. Different parts of the molecule are responsible for activation of the two enzymes. In vesicular trafficking,ARF must interact with coatomer to recruit it to a membrane and thereby initiate vesicle budding. ARF function requires that it alternate between GTP- and GDP-bound forms,which involves interaction with regulatory proteins. Inactivation of ARF-GTP depends on a GTPase-activating protein or GAP. A guanine nucleotide-exchange protein or GEP accelerates release of bound GDP from inactive ARF-GDP to permit GTP binding. Inhibition of GEP by brefeldin A (BFA) blocks ARF activation and thereby vesicular transport. In cells,it causes apparent disintegration of Golgi structure. Both BFA-sensitive and insensitive GEPs are known. Sequences of peptides from a BFA-sensitive GEP purified in our laboratory revealed the presence of a Sec7 domain,a sequence of approximately 200 amino acids that resembles a region in the yeast Sec7 gene product,which is involved in Golgi vesicular transport. Other proteins of unknown function also contain Sec7 domains,among them a lymphocyte protein called cytohesin-1. To determine whether it had GEP activity,recombinant cytohesin-1 was synthesized in E. coli. It preferentially activated class I ARFs 1 and 3 and was not inhibited by BFA but failed to activate ARF5 (class II). There are now five Sec7 domain proteins known to have GEP activity toward class I ARFs. It remains to be determined whether there are other Sec7 domain proteins that are GEPs for ARFs 4,5,or 6. View Publication

A brefeldin A (BFA)-inhibited guanine nucleotide-exchange protein (GEP) for ADP-ribosylation factors (ARF) was purified earlier from bovine brain cytosol. Cloning and expression of the cDNA confirmed that the recombinant protein (p200) is a BFA-sensitive ARF GEP. p200 contains a domain that is 50% identical in amino acid sequence to a region in yeast Sec7,termed the Sec7 domain. Sec7 domains have been identified also in other proteins with ARF GEP activity,some of which are not inhibited by BFA. To identify structural elements that influence GEP activity and its BFA sensitivity,several truncated mutants of p200 were made. Deletion of sequence C-terminal to the Sec7 domain did not affect GEP activity. A protein lacking 594 amino acids at the N terminus,as well as sequence following the Sec7 domain,also had high activity. The mutant lacking 630 N-terminal amino acids was,however,only 1% as active,as was the Sec7 domain itself (mutant lacking 697 N-terminal residues). It appears that the Sec7 domain of p200 contains the catalytic site but additional sequence (perhaps especially that between positions 595 and 630) modifies activity dramatically. Myristoylated recombinant ARFs were better than non-myristoylated as substrates; ARFs 1 and 3 were better than ARF5,and no activity was detected with ARF6. Physical interaction of the Sec7 domain with an ARF1 mutant was demonstrated,but it was much weaker than that of the cytohesin-1 Sec7 domain with the same ARF protein. Effects of BFA on p200 and all mutants with high activity were similar with approximately 50% inhibition at textless/=50 microM. The inactive BFA analogue B36 did not inhibit the Sec7 domain or p200. Thus,the Sec7 domain of p200,like that of Sec7 itself (Sata,M.,Donaldson,J. G.,Moss,J.,and Vaughan,M. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 95,4204-4208),plays a role in BFA inhibition as well as in GEP activity,although the latter is markedly modified by other structural elements. View Publication

We have generated rat monoclonal antibodies specific for the mouse eotaxin receptor,C-C chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3). Several anti-CCR3 mAbs proved to be useful for in vivo depletion of CCR3-expressing cells and immunofluorescent staining. In vivo CCR3 mAbs of the IgG2b isotype substantially depleted blood eosinophil levels in Nippostrongyus brasiliensis-infected mice. Repeated anti-CCR3 mAb treatment in these mice significantly reduced tissue eosinophilia in the lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Flow cytometry revealed that mCCR3 was expressed on eosinophils but not on stem cells,dendritic cells,or cells from the thymus,lymph node,or spleen of normal mice. Unlike human Th2 cells,mouse Th2 cells did not express detectable levels of CCR3 nor did they give a measurable response to eotaxin. None of the mAbs were antagonists or agonists of CCR3 calcium mobilization. To our knowledge,the antibodies described here are the first mAbs reported to be specific for mouse eosinophils and to be readily applicable for the detection,isolation,and in vivo depletion of eosinophils. View Publication

Wine polyphenols were examined for their capacity to protect the lipid and protein moieties of porcine low density lipoproteins (LDL) during oxidation. The efficiency of resveratrol (3,4',5,trihydroxystilbene) and defined flavonoids was compared to that of a wine extract (WE) containing 0.5 g/g proanthocyanidols. The efficiency of resveratrol for protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was higher than that of flavonoids in copper-induced oxidation and lower in AAPH (radical initiator)-induced oxidation. The LDL receptor activity was evaluated by flow cytometry using LDL labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1). The incubation of CHO-K1 with FITC-LDL oxidized for 16 h reduced the proportion of fluorescent cells from 97% to 4%. At a concentration of 40 microM,resveratrol and flavonoids completely restored the uptake of copper-oxidized LDL and AAPH-oxidized LDL respectively. Total fluorescence could also be obtained with 20 mg/L of WE with both oxidation systems. These data are consistent with previous findings relative to the formation of degradative products from PUFA. They confirm that resveratrol was more effective than flavonoids as a chelator of copper and less effective as a free-radical scavenger. Moreover,they show that WE,which contained monomeric and oligomeric forms of flavonoids and phenolic acids,protected LDL by both mechanisms. View Publication

Bispecific antibodies directed against tumor-associated target antigens and to surface receptors mediating T-cell activation,such as the TCR/CD3 complex and the costimulatory receptor CD28,are capable of mediating T-cell activation resulting in tumor cell killing. In this study,we used the B-cell-associated antigens CD19 and CD20 as target structures on human leukemic cells. We found that a combination of bispecific antibody fragments (bsFab2) with target x CD3 and target x CD28 specificity induces vigorous autologous T-cell activation and killing of malignant cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow cultures from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and follicular lymphoma. The bsFab2 targeting CD20 were considerably more effective than those binding to CD19. The colony-forming capacity of treated bone marrow was impaired due to large amounts of tumor necrosis factor alpha produced during bsFab2-induced T-cell activation. Neutralizing tumor necrosis factor alpha antibodies were found to reverse this negative effect without affecting T-cell activation and tumor cell killing. CD20 x CD28 bsFab2,when used alone rather than in combination,markedly improved the recognition of leukemic cells by allogeneic T cells. Therefore,these reagents may be capable of enhancing the immunogenicity of leukemic cells in general and,in particular,of increasing the antileukemic activity of allogeneic donor buffy coat cells in relapsed bone marrow transplanted patients. View Publication

Adult human mesenchymal stem cells are primary,multipotent cells capable of differentiating to osteocytic,chondrocytic,and adipocytic lineages when stimulated under appropriate conditions. To characterize the molecular mechanisms that regulate osteogenic differentiation,we examined the contribution of mitogen-activated protein kinase family members,ERK,JNK,and p38. Treatment of these stem cells with osteogenic supplements resulted in a sustained phase of ERK activation from day 7 to day 11 that coincided with differentiation,before decreasing to basal levels. Activation of JNK occurred much later (day 13 to day 17) in the osteogenic differentiation process. This JNK activation was associated with extracellular matrix synthesis and increased calcium deposition,the two hallmarks of bone formation. Inhibition of ERK activation by PD98059,a specific inhibitor of the ERK signaling pathway,blocked the osteogenic differentiation in a dose-dependent manner,as did transfection with a dominant negative form of MAP kinase kinase (MEK-1). Significantly,the blockage of osteogenic differentiation resulted in the adipogenic differentiation of the stem cells and the expression of adipose-specific mRNAs peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2,aP2,and lipoprotein lipase. These observations provide a potential mechanism involving MAP kinase activation in osteogenic differentiation of adult stem cells and suggest that commitment of hMSCs into osteogenic or adipogenic lineages is governed by activation or inhibition of ERK,respectively. View Publication