Loss of function of the Prx1 and Prx2 homeobox genes alters architecture of the great elastic arteries and ductus arteriosus

Prx1 (MHox) and Prx2 (S8) are non-clustered homeobox genes that are expressed in a complex, mostly mesenchyme-specific pattern throughout embryogenesis. The expression pattern and gene-targeted mice previously revealed a major role for Prx1 in skeletogenesis. In addition, specific and high expression of both Prx genes was reported in the developing cardiovascular system, predominantly in prospective connective tissues of the heart and in the great arteries and veins. We examined embryos of previously generated gene-targeted mice. Prx2-/- mutants were viable and did not show cardiovascular malformations. Intracardiac morphology of Prxl-/- and Prx1/Prx2-combined null mutants also appeared normal throughout development. However, the Prx1-/- and Prx1/Prx2 double-null mutants showed a vascular abnormality with an abnormal positioning and awkward curvature of the aortic arch in addition to a misdirected and elongated ductus arteriosus, and in two of seven combined mutants, an anomalous retro-oesophageal right subclavian artery. Generally, all great arteries appeared to run somewhat tortuously through the surrounding mesenchyme. The vascular histology and vessel wall thickness were normal in all mutants. Prx1-/- and Prx double-gene-targeted mice revealed similar spectra of vascular anomalies, but double mutants appeared to be more seriously affected. The current findings suggest that other genes may compensate for the lossof Prx in the heart, but, in contrast, our data support a role for Prx in the development of vascular and perivascular matrix. Received: 1 April 1999 / Accepted: 1 June 1999     

Prx1 and Prx2 cooperatively regulate the morphogenesis of the medial region of the mandibular process

Mice lacking both Prx1 and Prx2 display severe abnormalities in the mandible. Our analysis showed that complete loss of Prx gene products leads to growth abnormalities in the mandibular processes evident as early as embryonic day (E) 10.5 associated with changes in the survival of the mesenchyme in the medial region. Changes in the gene expression in the medial and lateral regions were related to gradual loss of a subpopulation of mesenchyme in the medial region expressing eHand. Our analysis also showed that Prx gene products are required for the initiation and maintenance of chondrogenesis and terminal differentiation of the chondrocytes in the caudal and rostral ends of Meckel's cartilage. The fusion of the mandibular processes in the Prx1/Prx2 double mutants is caused by accelerated ossification. These observations together show that, during mandibular morphogenesis, Prx gene products play multiple roles including the cell survival, the region‐specific terminal differentiation of Meckelian chondrocytes and osteogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 238: 2599–2613, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Signaling pathways regulating the expression of Prx1 and Prx2 in the chick mandibular mesenchyme

Prx1 and Prx2 are members of the aristaless‐related homeobox genes shown to play redundant but essential roles in morphogenesis of the mandibular processes. To gain insight into the signaling pathways that regulate expression of Prx genes in the mandibular mesenchyme, we used the chick as a model system. We examined the patterns of gene expression in the face and the roles of signals derived from the epithelium on the expression of Prx genes in the mandibular mesenchyme. Our results demonstrated stage‐dependent roles of mandibular epithelium on the expression of Prx in the mandibular mesenchyme and provide evidence for positive roles of members of the fibroblast and hedgehog families derived from mandibular epithelium on the expression of Prx genes in the mandibular mesenchyme. Our studies suggest that endothelin‐1 signaling derived from the mesenchyme is involved in restricting the expression of Prx2 to the medial mandibular mesenchyme. Developmental Dynamics 237:3115–3127, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Opposing roles of two isoforms of the Prx1 homeobox gene in chondrogenesis.

The Prx1 homeobox gene is critical for cartilage and bone development as suggested by previous expression studies and demonstrated by gene targeting. However, neither approach assessed the individual roles of the two isoforms Prx1a and Prx1b. In this study, Western blot analysis demonstrates that, in the early stages of chondrogenesis, during mesenchymal condensation, only Prx1a is expressed. Higher level Prx1b expression is concomitant with the formation of a defined perichondrium. Prx1a overexpression in limb micro mass cultures results in an increase in the number of prechondrogenic condensations and cartilage nodules, whereas overexpression of Prx1b results in a decrease. Prx1a increases the percentage of proliferating cells in micro mass cultures and decreases apoptosis. The Prx1b isoform does not alter proliferation, but it does increase apoptosis, which is opposite of Prx1a. These results suggest that the Prx1a:Prx1b ratio and the alternative splicing mechanism that generates these two isoforms are critical in controlling chondrogenesis.     

The Prx1 limb enhancers: Targeted gene expression in developing zebrafish pectoral fins

Limbs represent an excellent model to study the induction, growth, and patterning of several organs. A breakthrough to study gene function in various tissues has been the characterization of regulatory elements that allow tissue‐specific interference of gene function. The mouse Prx1 promoter has been used to generate limb‐specific mutants and overexpress genes in tetrapod limbs. Although zebrafish possess advantages that favor their use to study limb morphogenesis, there is no driver described suitable for specifically interfering with gene function in developing fins. We report the generation of zebrafish lines that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) driven by the mouse Prx1 enhancer in developing pectoral fins. We also describe the expression pattern of the zebrafish prrx1 genes and identify three c onserved n on‐coding e lements (CNEs) that we use to generate fin‐specific EGFP reporter lines. Finally, we show that the mouse and zebrafish regulatory elements may be used to modify gene function in pectoral fins. Developmental Dynamics 240:1977–1988, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Biochemical characterization of Toxoplasma gondii 1-Cys peroxiredoxin 2 with mechanistic similarities to typical 2-Cys Prx

TgPrx2 represents a recently discovered cytosolic 1-Cys peroxiredoxin (Prx) from the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Over-expression of the respective gene confers protection against H(2)O(2), suggesting that the protein possesses peroxidase activity. According to the current nomenclature eukaryotic typical and atypical 2-Cys Prx contain a second conserved resolving cysteine residue whereas 1-Cys Prx work on the basis of a monothiol mechanism. Only a few 1-Cys peroxiredoxins have been biochemically characterized to date. Here we describe the mechanistic characterization of TgPrx2 in vitro, including site directed mutagenesis studies, gel filtration chromatography, and molecular modeling. TgPrx2 has general antioxidant properties as indicated by its ability to protect glutamine synthetase against a dithiothreitol Fe(3+)-catalyzed oxidation system. However, TgPrx2 does not reduce H(2)O(2) nor tert-butyl hydroperoxide at the expense of glutaredoxin, thioredoxin or glutathione. Cys(47) was identified as the active site cysteine residue. Most interestingly, Cys(47) was found to form an intermolecular disulfide with Cys(209) from the C-terminal domain of a second subunit which acts as the resolving cysteine. This is a mechanism analogous to typical peroxiredoxins. In contrast to the latter, however, dimeric TgPrx2 does not oligomerize to decamers but is able to form tetramers and hexamers which are non-covalently associated. To our knowledge, TgPrx2 is the first eukaryotic 'so called' 1-Cys peroxiredoxin shown to act on the basis of a 2-Cys mechanism. Our data indicate that mechanistic studies are essential for classifying peroxiredoxins.     

Regulation of 1-cys peroxiredoxin expression in lung epithelial cells

1-cys peroxiredoxin (1-cys Prx), the only member of a Prx subfamily that contains a single conserved cysteine residue, is abundant in lung. This bifunctional protein has both glutathione peroxidase and phospholipase A2 activities compatible with a role both in protection against lung oxidant injury and also in lung phospholipid metabolism. Here we studied the developmental expression of 1-cys Prx in rat lungs and hormonal effects on protein expression in human and rat lung cells. There was little change in 1-cys Prx expression during the prenatal period, but a marked increase in expression immediately after birth. Enzymatic (peroxidase and phospholipase) activities increased gradually after birth and reached adult level at 7-14 postnatal days. Expression of the protein was induced in the presence of dexamethasone (Dex) in cultured human and rat lung epithelial cells and also was upregulated in neonatal rat lung in vivo. cAMP treatment had no effect on expression, although there was a modest synergistic effect when combined with Dex in human fetal lung epithelial cells. The increased expression of 1-cys Prx at birth may be important for surfactant phospholipid turnover related to the phopholipase A2 activity of the protein and for antioxidant defense based on its peroxidase function.     

T lymphocytes and dendritic cells are activated by the deletion of peroxiredoxin II (Prx II) gene

Peroxiredoxin II (Prx II) is a member of antioxidant enzyme family and it plays a protective role against oxidative damage. Constitutive production of endogenous reactive oxygen species was detected in spleen and bone marrow cells lacking Prx II. Here, we investigated the role of Prx II in immune responses. The total number of splenocytes (especially, the population of S-phase cells and CD3(+) T cells) was significantly higher in Prx II(-/-) mice than in wild type. Number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in Prx II(-/-) mice was also higher than wild type. Differentiation of Prx II(-/-) mouse bone marrow cells into CD11c-positive dendritic cells was greater than that of wild type. Transplantation of Prx II(-/-) bone marrow cells into wild type mice increased PBMCs in blood and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Prx II deletion enhances concanavalin A (ConA)-induced splenocyte proliferation and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) activity of bone marrow-derived CD11c-positive dendritic cells to stimulate recipient splenocytes. Collectively, these data suggest that Prx II inhibits the immune cell responsiveness, which may be regulated by scavenging the low amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS).     

Nicotine promotes the development of oral leukoplakia via regulating peroxiredoxin 1 and its binding proteins

Tobacco can induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production extensively in cells, which is a major risk factor for oral leukoplakia (OLK) development. Peroxiredoxin 1 (Prx1) is a key antioxidant protein, upregulated in a variety of malignant tumors. We previously found that nicotine, the main ingredient of tobacco, promotes oral carcinogenesis via regulating Prx1. The aim of the present study was to screen and identify the Prx1 interacting proteins and investigate the mechanisms of nicotine on the development of OLK. Through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with bioinformatics analysis, the candidate Prx1 interacting proteins of cofilin-1 (CFL1), tropomyosin alpha-3 chain (TPM3), and serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A 65 kDa regulatory subunit A alpha isoform (PPP2R1A) were screened in human dysplastic oral keratinocyte cells treated with nicotine. CFL1, TPM3, and PPP2R1A were highly expressed in human OLK tissues. The expression of CFL1 increased and the expression of PPP2R1A decreased in OLK of smokers compared to that in OLK of non-smokers. Nicotine upregulated CFL1 and downregulated PPP2R1A in 4-nitro-quinoline-1-oxide (4NQO)-induced OLK tissues in mice in part dependent on Prx1. Furthermore, the in-situ interaction of CFL1, TPM3, and PPP2R1A with Prx1 were validated in human OLK tissues. Our results suggested that tobacco might promote the development of OLK via regulating Prx1 and its interacting proteins CFL1 and PPP2R1A.     

Molecular characterization of a 2-Cys peroxiredoxin from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

We have identified the 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (PfPrx-1) from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The PfPrx-1 showed the highest identity at amino acid level to the type II Prx among the currently known six subfamilies of mammalian Prx. The sequence identity between the PfPrx-1 and the previously reported 1-Cys Prx of P. falciparum (PfPrx-2), which corresponded to mammalian type VI Prx, was 25%. This suggests that the parasite possesses two Prx subfamilies. The PfPrx-1 showed significant sequence similarities with those of 2-Cys peroxiredoxins of plants in the BLASTX search. This may reflect the consequences of a genetic transfer from an algal endosymbiont to the parasite nucleus during evolution. The recombinant PfPrx-1 protein (rPfPrx-1) was expressed as a histidine fusion protein in Escherichia coli and purified with Ni chromatography. The rPfPrx-1 existed as dimers under non-reducing conditions and dissociated into monomers in the presence of dithiothreitol. The PfPrx-1 protein also exists as a dimer in the parasites themselves. The reduction of the oxidized enzyme by the donation of electrons from E. coli thioredoxin (Trx)/Trx reductase system was demonstrated in its reaction with H(2)O(2), using the rPfPrx-1 protein. These results suggested that the PfPrx-1 can act as a terminal peroxidase of the parasite Trx system. An elevated expression of the PfPrx-1 protein seen in the trophozoite, the stage with active metabolism, suggests an association of the parasite Trx system with its intracellular redox control.     

Oxidative/nitrosative stress and peroxiredoxin 2 are associated with grade and prognosis of human renal carcinoma

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) 1-6 were assessed in 138 renal cell carcinomas (RCC) using immunohistochemistry and selected samples by Western blotting analysis. Oxidative/nitrosative damage was evaluated using nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity. The expressions of Prxs were correlated with tumor grade and survival and nitrotyrosine reactivity. Non-malignant kidney tubular cells showed positivity with variable intensity for all six Prxs. In RCCs, most cases were positive for Prxs 1 and 2, while only 15-20% of tumors showed expression for Prxs 3 and 4. Prx 2 was associated with tumors of a lower grade (p=0.009) and with a lower frequency of distant metastases (p=0.046). Patients with tumors expressing Prx2 had better prognosis (p=0.027). Instead, nitrotyrosine was significantly associated with high grade tumors (p=0.001). Compared with the non-malignant kidney tubular cells, low Prx expression in the tumor cells can make them more susceptible to oxidative damage. Prx 2 was more abundantly expressed in low grade tumors, suggesting that this protein could play a role in preventing the development of oxidative damage, which in turn can lead to the activation of pathways leading to aggressive tumors.     

Inhibitory role of peroxiredoxin 2 in LRRK2 kinase activity induced cellular pathogenesis

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a major neurodegenerative disease. One of the known genetic contributors to PD pathogenesis is leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) whose mutations with elevated kinase activity could lead to both familial and sporadic PD. However, how the pathogenic kinase activity of LRRK2 is regulated remains largely unclear. Here we report that peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) was identified as a novel interacting protein to LRRK2 with preferential expression in dopaminergic neurons over other Prx proteins. We also confirmed that Prx2 interacted with LRRK2 through its COR domain and its overexpression significantly decreased the kinase activity of mutant LRRK2. Functionally, overexpressed Prx2 rescued the transfected cells from LRRK2 mutant induced apoptotic processes. Importantly, overexpressed Prx2 reversed the altered subcellular distribution of cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-M6PR) induced by PD-mutant LRRK2. Our results suggest that, by interacting with LRRK2, Prx2 may play an inhibitory role in the LRRK2 mediated cellular toxicity in PD by inhibiting its kinase activity.     

Peroxiredoxin 4 as an independent prognostic marker for survival in patients with early-stage lung squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: Peroxiredoxin 4 (Prx 4) is a newly emerging antioxidant protein that has been studied in several human cancers. Recently, it was revealed that Prx 4 is highly expressed in human lung cancer and is needed for the promotion of lung cancer progression in vitro. However, there are no clinical data regarding the association of Prx 4 and prognosis in lung cancer. Materials and methods: The Prx 4 expression state as a prognostic indicator was assessed by immunohistochemical staining in 142 patients with stage II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had undergone curative surgery between 2006 and 2010. The association between the degree of Prx 4 expression and several clinicopathologic parameters was then evaluated by statistical analyses. Results: The degree of Prx 4 expression was associated with histology and recurrence in the overall NSCLC patient group, with the proportion of patients with positive Prx 4 expression significantly higher for the adenocarcinoma subtype (39/70, 56%) than the squamous cell carcinoma subtype (23/72, 32%) (P = 0.004). However, when subgroup analyses according to histopathology were performed in terms of recurrence, positive Prx 4 expression was significantly correlated with higher recurrence rates (P = 0.003) and shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.003, hazard ratio = 3.910) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma. In contrast, no meaningful relationship was observed between the level of Prx 4 expression and DFS in the adenocarcinoma subgroup. Conclusion: Positive Prx 4 expression is significantly correlated with recurrence and shorter DFS in patients with early-stage lung squamous cell carcinoma.     

Peroxiredoxin 2 and peroxide metabolism in the erythrocyte

Peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) is an antioxidant enzyme that uses cysteine residues to decompose peroxides. Prx2 is the third most abundant protein in erythrocytes, and competes effectively with catalase and glutathione peroxidase to scavenge low levels of hydrogen peroxide, including that derived from hemoglobin autoxidation. Low thioredoxin reductase activity in the erythrocyte is able to keep up with this basal oxidation and maintain the Prx2 in its reduced form, but exposure to exogenous hydrogen peroxide causes accumulation of the disulfide-linked dimer. The high cellular concentration means that although turnover is slow, erythrocyte Prx2 can act as a noncatalytic scavenger of hydrogen peroxide and a sink for hydrogen peroxide before turnover becomes limiting. The consequences of Prx2 oxidation for the erythrocyte are not well characterized, but mice deficient in this protein develop severe hemolytic anemia associated with Heinz body formation. Prx2, also known as calpromotin, regulates ion transport by associating with the membrane and activating the Gárdos channel. How Prx2 redox transformations are linked to membrane association and channel activation is yet to be established. In this review, we discuss the functional properties of Prx2 and its role as a major component of the erythrocyte antioxidant system.     

Visualizing the lateral somitic frontier in the Prx1Cre transgenic mouse

Changes in the organization of the musculoskeletal system have accounted for many evolutionary adaptations in the vertebrate body plan. The musculoskeletal system develops from two mesodermal populations: somitic mesoderm gives rise to the axial skeleton and all of the skeletal muscle of the body, and lateral plate mesoderm gives rise to the appendicular skeleton. The recognition of embryonic domains resulting from the dynamics of morphogenesis has inspired new terminology based on developmental criteria. Two mesodermal domains are defined, primaxial and abaxial. The primaxial domain includes musculoskeletal structures comprising just somitic cells. The abaxial domain contains somitic myoblasts in connective tissue derived from lateral plate mesoderm, as well as lateral plate-derived skeletal structures. The boundary between these two domains is the lateral somitic frontier. Recent studies have described the developmental relationship between these two domains in the chick. In the present study, we describe the labelling pattern in the body of the Prx1/Cre/Z/AP compound transgenic mouse. The enhancer employed in this transgenic leads to reporter expression in the postcranial, somatic lateral plate mesoderm. The boundary between labelled and unlabelled cell populations is described at embryonic day (E)13.5 and E15.5. We argue that the distribution of labelled cells is consistent with the somatic lateral plate lineage, and therefore provides an estimate of the position of the lateral somitic frontier. The role of the frontier in both development and evolution is discussed.