👤 John W Crabb

Carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) is a transcription factor involved in hepatic lipogenesis. Its function is in part under the control of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Given known effects of ethanol on AMPK and PP2A, it is plausible that ethanol might enhance fatty acid synthesis by increasing the activity of ChREBP. We hypothesized that another potential pathway of ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis is mediated by activation of ChREBP. The effects of ethanol on ChREBP were assessed in hepatoma cells and in C57BL/6J mice fed with the Lieber-DeCarli diet. When the cells were exposed to ethanol (50 mM) for 24 hours, the activity of a liver pyruvate kinase (LPK) promoter-luciferase reporter was increased by ∼4-fold. Ethanol feeding of mice resulted in the translocation of ChREBP from cytosol to the nucleus. Protein phosphatase 2A activity was increased in the liver of ethanol-fed mice by 22%. We found no difference in the levels of hepatic Xu-5-P between ethanol-fed mice and controls. Transfection of a constitutively active AMPK expression plasmid suppressed the basal activity of the LPK luciferase reporter and abolished the effect of ethanol on the reporter activity. However, transfection of rat hepatoma cells with a dominant-negative AMPK expression plasmid induced basal LPK luciferase activity by only ∼20%. The effect of ethanol on ChREBP was attenuated in the presence of okadaic acid, an inhibitor of PP2A. The effects of ethanol on AMPK and PP2A may result in activation of ChREBP, providing another potential mechanism for ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis. However, additional okadaic acid-insensitive effects appear to be important as well. Show less

To identify and analyze diabetic macular edema (DME)-related proteins in the vitreous, en masse, using two-dimensional gel (2D gel) electrophoresis and mass-spectrometry (MS). Vitreous samples were corrected from 20 eyes with pre-proliferative diabetic retinopathy associated with DME (DME group) and without DME (non-DME group). They were subjected to 2D gel electrophoresis, and the spot intensities were compared between the groups. Apparently visible spots were excised from the gel, and the proteins were identified by liquid chromatography tandem MS (LC MS/MS) sequence analysis. We identified 14 proteins from the DME group, and 15 proteins from the non-DME group. The intensity of eight spots was markedly higher in DME than non-DME samples and one spot was detected only in non-DME samples. From the eight spots, six proteins were identified, including PEDF, ApoA-4, ApoA-1, Trip-11, PRBP, and VDBP. On the other hand, Apo H was expressed only in non-DME. Certain vitreous proteins expressed exclusively in DME and lacked in DME. These chemical mediators in the posterior vitreous may play a role in the pathogenesis of DME. Show less

Primary cultures of Müller cells have proven useful in cell biologic, developmental, and electrophysiological studies of Müller cells. However, the limited lifetime of the primary cultures and contamination from non-neural cells have restricted the utility of these cultures. The aim of this study was to obtain an immortalized cell line that exhibits characteristics of Müller cells. Primary Müller cell cultures were prepared from retinas of rats exposed to 2 weeks of constant light. Cells were immortalized by transfection with simian virus 40. Single clones were obtained by repeatedly passaging cells using cloning wells. Immunocytochemical and immunoblotting studies were carried out with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-specific and cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP)-specific antibodies. Transient transfections with CRALBP-luciferase constructs were performed by electroporation. Oncogene transformation resulted in the establishment of a permanent cell line that could be readily propagated. Immunocytochemical and immunoblotting studies demonstrated that the Müller cell line, rMC-1, expressed both GFAP, a marker for reactive gliosis in Müller cells, and CRALBP, a marker for Müller cells in the adult retina. Transient transfection assays showed that promoter-proximal sequences of the CRALBP gene were able to stimulate reporter gene expression in rMC-1. Viral oncogene transformation has been successfully used to isolate a permanent cell line that expresses Müller cell phenotype. The rMC-1 cells continue to express both induced and basal markers found in primary Müller cell cultures as well as in the retina. The availability of rMC-1 should facilitate gene expression studies in Müller cells and improve our understanding of Müller cell-neuron interactions. Show less