Germline CYBB mutations that selectively affect macrophages in kindreds with X-linked predisposition to tuberculous mycobacterial disease

Germline mutations in CYBB, the human gene encoding the gp91(phox) subunit of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase, impair the respiratory burst of all types of phagocytes and result in X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). We report here two kindreds in which otherwise healthy male adults developed X-linked recessive Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD) syndromes. These patients had previously unknown mutations in CYBB that resulted in an impaired respiratory burst in monocyte-derived macrophages but not in monocytes or granulocytes. The macrophage-specific functional consequences of the germline mutation resulted from cell-specific impairment in the assembly of the NADPH oxidase. This 'experiment of nature' indicates that CYBB is associated with MSMD and demonstrates that the respiratory burst in human macrophages is a crucial mechanism for protective immunity to tuberculous mycobacteria.     

Slc11a1-mediated resistance to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Leishmania donovani infections does not require functional inducible nitric oxide synthase or phagocyte oxidase activity

Solute carrier family 11a member 1 (Slc11a1; formerly natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1) encodes a late endosomal/lysosomal protein/divalent cation transporter, which regulates iron homeostasis in macrophages. During macrophage activation, Slc11a1 exerts pleiotropic effects on gene regulation and function, including generation of nitric oxide (NO) via inducible NO synthase (iNOS; encoded by Nos2A) and of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) via the phagocyte oxidase complex. As NO and ROI have potent antimicrobial activity in macrophages, it was assumed that their activities would contribute to Slc11a1-regulated innate resistance to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Leishmania donovani. By intercrossing mice with gene disruptions at Nos2A and Cybb (encoding gp91phox, the heavy chain subunit of cytochrome b-245 and an essential component of phagocyte NADPH oxidase) onto equivalent Slc11a1 wild-type and mutant genetic backgrounds, we demonstrate that neither iNOS nor gp91phox activity is required for Slc11a1-mediated innate resistance to either infection. Functional gp91phox and iNOS are required to control S. enterica serovar Typhimurium in non-Slc11a1-regulated phases of infection. For L. donovani, an organ-specific requirement for iNOS to clear parasites from the spleen was observed at 50 days post-infection, but neither iNOS nor gp91phox influenced late-phase infection in the liver. This contrasted with Leishmania major infection, which caused rapid lesion growth and death in iNOS knockout mice and some exacerbation of disease with gp91phox deficiency. This highlights the adaptive differences in tissue and cellular tropisms between L. donovani and L. major and the different genes and mechanisms that regulate visceral versus cutaneous forms of the disease.     

Point mutations in the promoter region of the CYBB gene leading to mild chronic granulomatous disease

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a clinical syndrome of recurrent bacterial and fungal infections caused by a rare disorder of phagocytic cells. In CGD, the phagocytes are unable to generate oxygen radicals after stimulation of these cells, due to a defect in the NADPH oxidase system. This NADPH oxidase is a multicomponent enzyme of at least four subunits, of which the beta-subunit of cytochrome b558, gp91-phox, is encoded by an X-linked gene (called CYBB). We report here five patients from two families; in each family we found a different mutation in the promoter region of CYBB. Both mutations prevented the expression of gp91-phox in the patients' neutrophils and thus caused inability of these cells to generate oxygen radicals. However, the mutations left the gp91-phox expression and the function of the NADPH oxidase in the patients' eosinophils intact. The relatively mild course of the CGD in these patients can probably be attributed to the fact that the eosinophils have retained their oxidative capacity. Furthermore, our results indicate that neutrophils and eosinophils differ in their regulation of gp91-phox expression.     

Leishmania pifanoi amastigotes avoid macrophage production of superoxide by inducing heme degradation

Whereas infections of macrophages by promastigote forms of Leishmania mexicana pifanoi induce the production of superoxide, infections by amastigotes barely induce superoxide production. Several approaches were employed to gain insight into the mechanism by which amastigotes avoid eliciting superoxide production. First, in experiments with nitroblue tetrazolium, we found that 25% of parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) that harbor promastigotes are positive for the NADPH oxidase complex, in contrast to only 2% of PVs that harbor amastigotes. Second, confocal microscope analyses of infected cells labeled with antibodies to gp91phox revealed that this enzyme subunit is found in PVs that harbor amastigotes. Third, in immunoblots of subcellular fractions enriched with PVs from amastigote-infected cells and probed with antibodies to gp91phox, only the 65-kDa premature form of gp91phox was found. In contrast, subcellular fractions from macrophages that ingested zymosan particles contained both the 91- and 65-kDa forms of gp91phox. This suggested that only the immature form of gp91phox is recruited to PVs that harbor amastigotes. Given that gp91phox maturation is dependent on the availability of heme, we found that infections by Leishmania parasites induce an increase in heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation. Infections by amastigotes performed in the presence of metalloporphyrins, which are inhibitors of HO-1, resulted in superoxide production by infected macrophages. Taken together, we propose that Leishmania amastigotes avoid superoxide production by inducing an increase in heme degradation, which results in blockage of the maturation of gp91phox, which prevents assembly of the NADPH oxidase enzyme complex.     

A functional NADPH oxidase prevents caspase involvement in the clearance of phagocytic neutrophils

Neutrophils play a prominent role in host defense. Phagocytosis of bacteria leads to the formation of an active NADPH oxidase complex that generates reactive oxygen species for bactericidal purposes. A critical step in the resolution of inflammation is the uptake of neutrophils by macrophages; however, there are conflicting reports on the mechanisms leading to the apoptosis of phagocytic neutrophils. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of effector caspases in these processes. Caspase activity was measured by DEVDase activity assays or immunofluorescence detection of active caspase-3. With normal human and wild-type murine neutrophils there was no caspase activation following phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus. However, caspase activity was observed in phagocytic neutrophils with a defective NADPH oxidase, including neutrophils isolated from X-linked gp91(phox) knockout chronic granulomatous disease mice. These results indicate that a functional NADPH oxidase and the generation of oxidants in the neutrophil phagosome prevent the activation of the cytoplasmic caspase cascade.     

Evaluation of the expression of NADPH oxidase components during maturation of HL-60 clone 15 cells to eosinophilic lineage

OBJECTIVE: Superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase consists of the membrane-bound cytochrome b558 (gp91phox and p22Phox) and the cytosolic components (p67phox, p47phox, p40phox and rac). In this study, we evaluated the superoxide-generating activity and the expression of NADPH oxidase components during eosinophilic maturation using HL-60 clone 15 cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HL-60 clone 15 cells were matured to eosinophils by incubation with 0.5 mM butyrate for 7 days, and NADPH oxidase components were detected by Northern blot, Western blot analyses and immunocytochemical staining. Moreover, superoxide-generating activity was examined by nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay. RESULTS: Northern blot and Western blot analyses revealed that mRNAs and proteins for gp91phox, p67phox and p47phox were expressed after eosinophilic myelocyte stages, whereas mRNAs and proteins for p40phox and rac-2 were expressed from the promyelocyte stage. Interestingly, p22phox mRNA was expressed from the promyelocyte stage, but its protein was expressed after eosinophilic myelocyte stages. Consistent with the results of Western blotting, immunocytochemical staining of butyrate-induced HL-60 clone 15 cells indicated that gp91phox, p22phox, p67phox and p47phox were detected after eosinophilic myelocyte stages (eosinophilic myelocytes, eosinophilic metamyelocytes, eosinophilic band cells and eosinophilic-segmented cells), whereas p40phox and rac-2 were expressed from the promyelocyte stage. Moreover, almost the same results as those with butyrate-treated HL-60 clone 15 cells were obtained using human bone marrow cells by immunocytochemical staining. Furthermore, nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay indicated that superoxide could be produced after eosinophilic myelocyte stages but not produced before the promyelocyte stage. CONCLUSIONS: Together these observations indicate that all the components for NADPH oxidase are expressed, and the superoxide-producing activity is obtained after myelocyte stages during eosinophilic maturation.     

NADPH oxidase-like activity in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) macrophages.

Evidence for the existence of an NADPH oxidase-like enzyme in rainbow trout macrophages is given. Reduced-minus-oxidised difference spectroscopy revealed the presence of a cytochrome b with three absorbance peaks, at 430, 533, and 558 nm. The low midpoint potential of the latter peak suggests this cytochrome is the same as the terminal component of NADPH oxidase (i.e., cytochrome b-245). Subcellular fractionation of macrophages revealed two peaks of cytochrome b activity, in accord with the concept of a plasma membrane localisation of cytochrome b activity in addition to a mitochondrial localisation. Finally, that the rainbow trout oxidase is a multicomponent enzyme was suggested by inhibitor studies, where specific inhibitors of the flavin and cytochrome b-245 components of NADPH oxidase induced significant reduction in superoxide anion production.     

The CD56 adhesion molecule is the major determinant for detecting non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxic mononuclear cells from the intestinal lamina propria.

In this study, specific antibodies against natural killer (NK) cell surface markers identify these cells to be commonly present in normal intestinal mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and carcinoma patients. Cells expressing the CD56 adhesion molecule were found to be far more abundant than CD16+ cells. Functional studies revealed that cells mediating non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxicity (NK activity) in the lamina propria express the CD56 surface antigen, whereas only a minority of this activity resides in the population with CD16 expression. This is in contrast with peripheral blood NK cells, which were found to be almost exclusively both CD16+ and CD56+. Moreover, in the lamina propria of the intestine we found CD3+ T lymphocytes not to be involved in spontaneous cell-mediated killing of tumor cells. Considerably higher numbers of cells with the CD16 or CD56 surface markers were found to be present in normal mucosa of IBD patients compared with normal mucosa of carcinoma patients, which was also reflected in higher levels of cytotoxicity detected in lamina propria mononuclear cell preparations from normal IBD mucosa. Because of the disease-related localization of the mucosa studied from both patient groups, i.e. ileum vs. colon, the observed differences may be related to tissue characteristics. Within the IBD group, relatively high levels of cytotoxicity were found in cell preparations from normal mucosa of Crohn's disease patients compared with ulcerative colitis patients, which might support the current concept that Crohn's disease affects the whole of the gastrointestinal tract.     

阿托伐他汀对大鼠缺血再灌注脑组织中NADPH氧化酶源性超氧阴离子的抑制作用

目的：脑组织在缺血再灌注的早期，超氧阴离子的大量生成加重了脑组织损伤，本实验研究阿托伐他汀对缺血再灌注脑组织保护作用的可能机制。方法:成年雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠经线栓法阻断大脑中动脉建立脑缺血再灌注模型，再灌注前经腹腔给予阿托伐他汀（立普妥）治疗。脑梗死灶体积用四唑氮蓝染色后测量；NADPH氧化酶酶活性和超氧阴离子水平使用光泽精增强化学发光法定量测定；NADPH氧化酶膜亚基gp91phox、膜易位亚基p47phox和小GTP酶Rac-1蛋白的表达用蛋白质印迹分析。结果:缺血半暗区的NADPH氧化酶活性和超氧阴离子水平增高，于再灌注2 h达到高峰，但缺血中心区的NADPH氧化酶活性和超氧阴离子水平无明显增高。阿托伐他汀预治疗能抑制再灌注2 h后缺血半暗区的NADPH氧化酶活性和超氧阴离子增高，减少膜亚基gp91phox蛋白的表达和预防细胞质亚基p47phox蛋白易位至细胞膜。结论:阿托伐他汀对缺血再灌注脑组织NADPH氧化酶源性超氧阴离子的抑制作用，是其脑保护作用机制之一。     

Phagocyte NADPH oxidase: a multicomponent enzyme essential for host defenses

Phagocytes such as neutrophils and monocytes play an essential role in host defenses against microbial pathogens. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, the hydroxyl radical, and hypochlorous acid, together with microbicidal peptides and proteases, constitute their antimicrobial arsenal. The enzyme responsible for superoxide anion production and, consequently, ROS generation, is called NADPH oxidase or respiratory burst oxidase. This multicomponent enzyme system is composed of cytosolic proteins (p47phox, p67phox, p40phox, and rac1/2) and membrane proteins (p22phox and gp91phox, which form cytochrome b558) which assemble at membrane sites upon cell activation. The importance of this enzyme in host defenses is illustrated by a life-threatening genetic disorder called chronic granulomatous disease in which the phagocyte enzyme is dysfunctional, leading to life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. Also, because ROS can damage surrounding tissues, their production, and thus NADPH oxidase activation, must be tightly regulated. This review describes the structure and activation of the neutrophil NADPH enzyme complex.     

Nox enzymes in immune cells

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase of phagocytes is a multi-component electron transferase that uses cytoplasmic NADPH to convert molecular oxygen to superoxide anion, consequently delivering reactive oxygen species to the site of invading microorganisms. Together with soluble factors and other phagocyte-derived agents, the resultant toxic species kill and degrade the ingested microbe. Flavocytochrome b (558), a heterodimeric protein composed of gp91 phox and p22 phox, is the membrane component of the NADPH oxidase and was previously thought to be uniquely expressed in phagocytes. Based on structural homology with gp91 phox, recent studies have defined a family of NADPH oxidase proteins (Nox) that is widely distributed throughout the plant and animal kingdoms and in many tissues in multicellular organisms. The goals of this review are to review features of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase that serve as a paradigm for exploiting oxidants for host defense, and to discuss contributions of other Nox proteins to innate immunity.     

Baculovirus mediated expression of human phagocytic cell oxidase cytochrome b558 in sf9 insect cells

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) results from deficient production of components of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Most commonly affected is cytochrome b₅₅₈, a heterodimer composed of a 22-kDa protein (p22^phox noncovalently bound to a 91-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein (gp91^phox). CGD phagocytes lack both p22^phox and gp91^phox peptides when either gene is affected, suggesting that both peptides must be produced for individual subunit stability. Both genes have been cloned, but eukaryotic expression of recombinant gp91^phox has not been reported. To investigate the stability and interaction of cytochrome b₅₅₈ subunits, we introduced p22^phox and gp91^phox cDNA into recombinant baculoviruses. Recombinant gp91^phox (rgp91^phox) and p22^phox (rp22^phox) were detected individually and together in the same cells by in situ immunofluorescence and by SDS-PAGE immunoblotting of membranes from sf9 cells infected with baculovirus constructs. Formation of rp22^phox/ rgp91^phox complexes was demonstrated by coprecipitation using subunit-specific antibodies. This study demonstrates for the first time that cDNA encoding either subunit is capable of initiating production of stable recombinant cytochrome b₅₅₈ subunits in eukaryotic cells.     

NADPH oxidase inhibition improves neurological outcomes in surgically-induced brain injury

Neurosurgical procedures can result in brain injury by various means including direct trauma, hemorrhage, retractor stretch, and electrocautery. This surgically-induced brain injury (SBI) can cause post-operative complications such as brain edema. By creating a mouse model of SBI, we tested whether NADPH oxidase, an important reactive oxygen species producing enzyme, is involved in SBI using transgenic mice lacking gp91^phox subunit of NADPH oxidase (gp91^phox KO) and apocynin, a specific inhibitor of NADPH oxidase. Neurological function and brain edema were evaluated at 24 h post-SBI in gp91^phox KO and wild-type littermates grouped into SBI and sham-surgery groups. Alternatively, mice were grouped into vehicle- and apocynin-treated (5 mg/kg, i.p. 30 min before SBI) groups. Oxidative stress indicated by lipid peroxidation (LPO) was measured at 3 and 24 h post-SBI. The gp91^phox KO mice, but not the apocynin-treated mice showed significantly improved neurological scores. Brain edema was observed in both gp91^phox KO and wild-type groups after SBI; however, there was no significant difference between these two groups. Brain edema was also not affected by apocynin-pretreatment. LPO levels were significantly higher in SBI group in both gp91^phox KO and wild-type groups as compared to sham group. A trend, although without statistical significance, was noted towards attenuation of LPO in the gp91^phox KO animals as compared to wild-type group. LPO levels were significantly attenuated at 3 h post-SBI by apocynin-pretreatment but not at 24 h post-SBI. These results suggest that chronic and acute inhibition of NADPH oxidase activity does not reduce brain edema after SBI. Long-term inhibition of NADPH oxidase, however improves neurological functions after SBI.     

NADPH氧化酶NOX家族的组织分布及生理功能

NADPH 氧化酶特异存在于吞噬细胞质膜，能生成用于清除病原微生物的活性氧(reactive oxygen species, ROS)。最近发现吞噬细胞NADPH氧化酶的6个同源物即NOX1, NOX3, NOX4, NOX5, DUOX1, DUOX2。NADPH 氧化酶催化亚基gp91phox/NOX2及其同源物统称为NOX家族蛋白。这些酶能通过质膜传递电子产生活性氧(ROS)。NOX家族不同成员的激活机制及分布是不同的。NOX激活多条信号转导通路，调节细胞的生长、增殖、分化等，NOX缺陷会导致免疫抑制，如DUOX2突变可以导致甲状腺功能减低症。     

Epimorphin expression in human colonic myofibroblasts

Epimorphin is a membrane-associated protein that has been postulated to regulate epithelial morphogenesis in several tissues. However, epimorphin expression in the human intestine has not been fully investigated. In this study, we investigated epimorphin expression in the inflamed mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Tissue samples were obtained surgically from patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) (n=5) and active Crohn's disease (CD) (n=5). Epimorphin and alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) were stained immunohistochemically. Epimorphin expression in human intestinal subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMFs) was analyzed by Western and Northern blotting. In the normal colon, epimorphin expression was detected partly in the alpha-SMA-positive cells under the epithelial cells. Epimorphin was also expressed in alpha-SMA-positive cells in the capillary wall. In the inflamed mucosa of UC and CD patients, epimorphin expression was not altered. In isolated human SEMFs, epimorphin was detected as a single band of molecular weight 34-kDa under reducing and non-reducing conditions. In intestinal SEMFs, epimorphin mRNA expression was not affected by inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. Epimorphin was constitutively expressed in the normal colonic mucosa, and this was not altered in the inflamed mucosa of IBD patients. The localization of epimorphin may indicate a potential role in maintaining normal tissue structure in normal and IBD mucosa.     

The C-terminal flavin domain of gp91phox bound to plasma membranes of granulocyte-like X-CGD PLB-985 cells is sufficient to anchor cytosolic oxidase components and support NADPH oxidase-associated diaphorase activity independent of cytosolic phospholipase A2 regulation

We have previously established a model of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2))-deficient PLB-985 cells and demonstrated that cPLA(2)-generated arachidonic acid (AA) is essential for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activation and NADPH-dependent diaphorase activity. The present study focuses on the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of gp91(phox) (residues 283-570), which contains the NADPH binding and flavin adenine dinucleotide-reducing center, to determine if this portion is regulated by AA. The gp91(phox) C-terminal reductase domain was expressed in X-CGD PLB-985 cells lacking normal gp91(phox) (X-CGD PLB 91CT cells) and was detected in the plasma membrane. It appears to be bound electrostatically to the plasma membrane, as it is eluted by high salt. Permeabilized, granulocyte-like X-CGD PLB 91CT cells lacking cPLA(2) protein and activity, as well as AA release after stimulation, supported NADPH-dependent diaphorase activity after stimulation, similar to granulocyte-like X-CGD PLB 91CT cells. Normal translocation of p47(phox) and p67(phox) to the membrane fractions of both stimulated cell types indicated that the gp91(phox) C-terminal region is sufficient to anchor the cytosolic oxidase components to the membranes. cPLA(2) translocated to membranes and bound the assembled oxidase in granulocyte-like X-CGD PLB 91CT cells after stimulation. Therefore, the assembled membrane-bound oxidase complex encompassing the flavin domain of gp91(phox) provides a docking site for cPLA(2) but is not the site of AA-based regulation of oxidase activity.     

Epithelial overexpression of interleukin-32alpha in inflammatory bowel disease

Interleukin (IL)-32 is a recently described proinflammatory cytokine, characterized by induction of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation. We studied IL-32alpha expression in the inflamed mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We also investigated mechanisms regulating IL-32alpha expression. Tissue samples were obtained endoscopically or surgically from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 10), Crohn's disease (CD) (n = 10), ischaemic colitis (n = 4) and normal colorectal tissues (n = 10). IL-32alpha expression was evaluated by standard immunohistochemical procedure. IL-32 mRNA expression was analysed by Northern blot. IL-32alpha was expressed weakly by colonic epithelial cells from normal individuals and subjects with ischaemic colitis. In the inflamed mucosa of IBD patients, epithelial IL-32alpha expression was increased markedly. In UC and CD patients, IL-32alpha expression was enhanced in affected mucosa compared to non-affected mucosa. In intestinal epithelial cell lines, expression of IL-32alpha mRNA and protein was enhanced by IL-1beta, interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. A combination of TNF-alpha plus IFN-gamma exerted synergistic effects. IL-32alpha induction by IL-1beta and/or TNF-alpha was mediated by NF-kappaB activation. Epithelial IL-32alpha expression was increased in IBD patients, and in CD patients in particular. IL-32alpha might be involved in the pathophysiology of IBD as a proinflammatory cytokine and a mediator of innate immune response.