Inhibition of protein ubiquitination by paraquat and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium impairs ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation pathways

Intracytoplasmic inclusions of protein aggregates in dopaminergic cells (Lewy bodies) are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Ubiquitin (Ub), alpha [α]-synuclein, p62/sequestosome 1 and oxidized proteins are major components of Lewy bodies. However, the mechanisms involved in the impairment of misfolded/oxidized protein degradation pathways in PD are still unclear. PD is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and environmental pesticide exposure. In this work, we evaluated the effect of the pesticide paraquat (PQ) and the mitochondrial toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) on Ub-dependent protein degradation pathways. No increase in the accumulation of Ub-bound proteins or aggregates was observed in dopaminergic cells (SK-N-SH) treated with PQ or MPP+, or in mice chronically exposed to PQ. PQ decreased Ub protein content, but not its mRNA transcription. Protein synthesis inhibition with cycloheximide depleted Ub levels and potentiated PQ–induced cell death. Inhibition of proteasomal activity by PQ was found to be a late event in cell death progression, and had no effect on either the toxicity of MPP+ or PQ, or the accumulation of oxidized sulfenylated, sulfonylated (DJ-1/PARK7 and peroxiredoxins) and carbonylated proteins induced by PQ. PQ- and MPP+-induced Ub protein depletion prompted the dimerization/inactivation of the Ub-binding protein p62 that regulates the clearance of ubiquitinated proteins by autophagic. We confirmed that PQ and MPP+ impaired autophagy flux, and that the blockage of autophagy by the overexpression of a dominant-negative form of the autophagy protein 5 (dnAtg5) stimulated their toxicity, but there was no additional effect upon inhibition of the proteasome. PQ induced an increase in the accumulation of α-synuclein in dopaminergic cells and membrane associated foci in yeast cells. Our results demonstrate that inhibition of protein ubiquitination by PQ and MPP+ is involved in the dysfunction of Ub-dependent protein degradation pathways

Electroweak parameters of the z0 resonance and the standard model

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COX-1 (PTGS1) and COX-2 (PTGS2) polymorphisms, NSAID interactions, and risk of colon and rectal cancers in two independent populations

PURPOSE: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) target the prostaglandin H synthase enzymes, cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2, and reduce colorectal cancer risk. Genetic variation in the genes encoding these enzymes may be associated with changes in colon and rectal cancer risk and in NSAID efficacy. METHODS: We genotyped candidate polymorphisms and tagSNPs in PTGS1 (COX-1) and PTGS2 (COX-2) in a population-based case-control study (Diet, Activity and Lifestyle Study, DALS) of colon cancer (n=1470 cases/1837 controls) and rectal cancer (n=583/775), and independently among cases and controls from the Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR; colon n= 959/1535, rectal n= 505/839). RESULTS: In PTGS2, a functional polymorphism (−765G>C; rs20417) was associated with a 2-fold increased rectal cancer risk (p=0.05) in the DALS study. This association replicated with a significant nearly 5-fold increased risk of rectal cancer in the CCFR study (OR(CC vs GG)=4.88; 95%CI=1.54–15.45; OR(GC vs GG)=1.36; 95%CI: 0.95–1.94). Genotype-NSAID interactions were observed in the DALS study for PTGS1 and rectal cancer risk, and for PTGS2 and colon cancer risk, but were no longer significant after correcting for multiple comparisons and did not replicate in the CCFR. No significant associations between PTGS1 polymorphisms and colon or rectal cancer risk were observed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that polymorphisms in PTGS2 may be associated with rectal cancer risk and impact the protective effects of NSAIDs