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Molecular and Cellular Biology, December 2003, p. 9150-9161, Vol. 23, No. 24
0270-7306/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.23.24.9150-9161.2003
Copyright © 2003, American
Society for
Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Trescowthick Research Laboratories, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002,1 St. Vincent's Institute for Medical Research, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065,3 Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3050,5 Howard Florey InstituteDepartments of,2 Medicine,4 Biochemistry,The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia6
Received 8 May 2003/ Returned for modification 10 July 2003/ Accepted 3 September 2003
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Mice have three unlinked Siah genestermed Siah1a, Siah1b, and Siah2 (8)while humans have single SIAH1 and SIAH2 genes (19). Siah1a and Siah1b (collectively Siah1) encode 282-amino-acid proteins that differ from one another at only 6 amino acid residues (98% identical). Siah2 encodes a 325-amino-acid protein that, with the exception of a longer and divergent N-terminal region, is 85% identical to Siah1 proteins. Consistent with this high degree of homology, both Siah1a and Siah2 can target DCC for proteolytic degradation, suggesting that the Siah proteins may have overlapping functions (21). However, the observation that TRAF2 is degraded by Siah2, but not by Siah1a, demonstrates that some biochemical functions of the Siah proteins are unique to individual family members (17).
Siah2 has
been implicated in the regulation of the activity of a number of
molecules that control development and activation of the immune system.
We previously demonstrated that the Siah proteins share structural
similarity with TRAF proteins
(36). TRAFs are a family
of signaling adaptor proteins (TRAF1 to -6) that play important roles
in innate and adaptive immunity by mediating signal transduction from a
variety of receptors of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor
superfamily and the interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor/Toll-like receptor
superfamily (23).
Overexpression of Siah2 induces the degradation of TRAF2 and inhibits
TNF alpha (TNF-
)-induced NF-
B and Jun N-terminal
protein kinase (JNK) activation
(17). Siah2
overexpression also inhibits signaling by Vav1
(14), a protein necessary
for antigen receptor signaling in B and T cells
(49,
61). Finally, Siah2
interacts with the B-cell-specific transcriptional coactivator OBF-1
(4).
In order to understand the physiological roles of the Siah protein family, we aim to generate mice with mutations in each of the Siah genes, singly and in combination. We have previously shown that Siah1a knockout mice exhibit severe growth retardation, frequently exhibit early lethality, and exhibit a block in meiotic cell division during meiosis I of spermatogenesis (9). In the present study we characterize hematopoiesis in Siah2 mutant mice and analyze signaling and cellular responses that are mediated by TRAF, Vav1, and OBF-1 proteins. In contrast to the deleterious effects of Siah1a mutation, mice lacking Siah2 are largely phenotypically normal. Combined mutation of Siah2 and Siah1a induces neonatal lethality, confirming the prediction that Siah proteins have partially overlapping functions.
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Generation of Siah2
mutant mice.
The
Siah2 targeting construct was generated by insertion of a
neomycin resistance gene cassette (NeoR) into the BamHI
restriction site of a fragment of Siah2 genomic DNA (see Fig.
1A) isolated from a 129Sv
genomic
phage library
(8). A thymidine kinase
(TK) resistance gene cassette was inserted at the 5' end of the
targeting construct to allow for negative selection. Transfection of J1
embryonic stem (ES) cells
(25) and selection of
drug-resistant colonies was as previously described
(9). Genomic DNA from
resistant clones was digested with EcoRI, and Southern blots
were probed with a 1-kb PCR fragment that lies 3' of the region
of DNA used in the targeting construct. Homologous recombination
introduces a new EcoRI site, leading to a size shift of the
hybridizing band from 13.2 to 3.7 kb. Four targeted clones were
isolated from 400 clones screened. Several male chimeras (95 to
100% agouti coat color) were derived by injection of clone 8.4
targeted ES cells into C57BL/6J blastocysts. Two chimeras transmitted
both agouti coat color and the targeted allele to progeny when mated to
C57BL/6J mice. Analyses of homozygous mutant mice were performed on
both the 129Sv genetic background and on mice whose genes had been
backcrossed to the C57BL/6J background for 13
generations.
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FIG. 1. Disruption
of Siah2 by gene targeting. (A) Exons I, II, III,
and IV of Siah2 are depicted as rectangles, the coding region
of Siah2 is shown in black, and untranslated regions are shown
in white. The targeting construct containing a TK gene cassette and a
neomycin resistance gene cassette (NeoR) is depicted. DNA fragments
used as the left and right arms of homology are represented by dashed
lines. Homologous recombination yields the targeted locus in which the
NeoR cassette is inserted into exon IV and introduces a new
EcoRI restriction site. Abbreviations for restriction enzymes:
B, BamHI; R, EcoRI. (B) Southern blot
genotyping of progeny derived from an intercross of Siah2
heterozygous mice. Genomic DNA was digested with EcoRI and
Southern blotted with a 1-kb probe located 3' of the region of
DNA used in the targeting construct (probe in panel A). The positions
of the 13.2-kb wild-type (WT) and 3.7-kb knockout (KO) alleles are
shown. The migration positions of known DNA molecular size markers are
shown. (C) Northern blot analysis of 3 µg of
poly(A)+ RNA isolated from brains of wild-type
(+/+), heterozygous (+/-), and
homozygous (-/-) Siah2 mutant mice. A 410-bp
ScaI-DraI fragment derived from the
3'-untranslated region of exon IV of Siah2 was used as
a probe. Probing with a fragment from the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
dehydrogenase gene served as a loading and transfer control. The
migration positions of known RNA molecular size markers are shown. (D
to G) Analysis of wild-type (D and E) and Siah2 mutant (F and
G) ovaries by in situ hybridization using an antisense riboprobe
derived from nucleotides 1159 to 1786 of the Siah2 cDNA. This
probe includes the final 110 bp of the Siah2 coding region and
extends into the 3'-untranslated region of exon IV. (D and F)
Light-field illumination. Black triangles mark the positions of
selected developing ovarian follicles. (E and G) Dark-field
illumination. White triangles mark the positions of the selected
developing ovarian follicles marked in panels D and F. Note the absence
of Siah2 expression in ovaries from
Siah2-/-
mice.
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Single-cell lymphocyte suspensions were prepared from spleen, thymus, or lymph nodes (mesenteric, inguinal, or axilliary) by crushing organs through a wire mesh and passing them through a 40-µm-pore-size cell strainer (Becton Dickinson). Red blood cells were removed from spleen suspensions by incubation for 5 min at room temperature in red cell lysis buffer (0.15 M NH4Cl, 1 mM KHCO3, 0.1 mM EDTA [pH 7.2]), followed by two washes in phosphate-buffered saline-2% fetal bovine serum (PBS-2% FBS). Cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), 250 µM L-asparagine, 13 µM folic acid, penicillin (500 IU/ml), streptomycin (500 µg/ml) and 50 µM ß-mercaptoethanol. Cultures were initiated at starting cell densities of 2 x 106 splenocytes or lymphocytes/ml or 107 thymocytes/ml. Cultures were mitogenically stimulated by addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Escherichia coli 0111:B4; Sigma), anti-IgM (Fab')2 fragments, or concanavalin A (ConA) (Sigma) by plating in wells that had been coated for several hours with anti-CD3 with or without anti-CD28 antibodies, or by plating in wells containing 3T3 fibroblasts expressing mCD40L (50) which had previously been cell cycle arrested by treatment with 30 Gy of gamma radiation (137Cs source; 0.75 Gy/min). For proliferation assays, cells were cultured in 200-µl volumes in 96-well plates. After 2 days, 1 µCi of [6-3H]thymidine (29 Ci/mmol; Amersham) was added for the final 16 h of culture before harvesting onto glass filter paper with several washes of water (Filtermate 196 Harvester; Packard). Incorporated radioactivity was determined by scintillation counting using Readysafe scintillant (Beckman-Coulter) and a Tri-carb 2100TR liquid scintillation analyzer (Packard).
Bone marrow macrophages (BMM) were obtained by
flushing femurs with a 23-guage needle and culturing whole bone marrow
preparations for 3 days at a starting density of 106
cells/ml in RPMI supplemented with 10% FBS, 30%
L-cell-conditioned medium (a source of macrophage colony-stimulating
factor [M-CSF], prepared as described in reference
43), penicillin (500
IU/ml), streptomycin (500 µg/ml), and 50 µM
ß-mercaptoethanol. Nonadherent cells were removed and
transferred to 96-well plates at 2 x 105 cells/well,
and BMM were grown to confluence over 5 days. Fresh medium was added on
the third day. Cells were starved of M-CSF for 24 h by growth
in the absence of L-cell-conditioned medium prior to restimulation with
recombinant human CSF-1 (Chiron) with or without LPS (E. coli
0111:B4; Sigma), poly(I) · poly(C) (Calbiochem), recombinant
mouse TNF-
(BD Pharmingen), or beta interferon (IFN-ß)
(BD Pharmingen). DNA synthesis was assessed by the addition of 1
µCi of[6-3H]thymidine for the final
8 h of culture. Cells were lysed by freeze-thawing three
times, and incorporated radioactivity was quantitated as described
above.
Osteoclasts were generated from bone marrow cells by
culturing white blood cells at a starting density of 105
cells per well on a 48-well plate. Cells were grown in
-modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% FBS,
penicillin (500 IU/ml), streptomycin (500 µg/ml), and 50
µM ß-mercaptoethanol. Glutathione
S-transferase (GST)-RANKL fusion protein (100 ng/ml;
purified from a construct kindly provided by F. Patrick Ross,
Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo.) and human
CSF-1 (20 ng/ml; Genetics Institute Inc.) were added to cultures to
induce osteoclastogenesis. Cultures initiated with GST plus CSF-1 did
not yield osteoclasts (data not shown). Fresh medium was added every 3
days. After 7 days, cells were fixed for 5 min at room temperature in
4% paraformaldehyde in PBS, washed in a 1:1 mixture of acetone
and methanol, and dried before TRAP staining
(37). Osteoclasts were
scored as TRAP+ multinuclear (more than three
nuclei) cells.
Colony-forming cell assays. For agar colony-forming assays, 5 x 104 whole bone marrow cells were cultured in 0.3% agar in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium supplemented with 20% FCS and either recombinant human granulocyte CSF (G-CSF) (1,000 U/ml; Amgen), recombinant murine granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) (1,000 U/ml; Peprotech), recombinant murine M-CSF (20 ng/ml; Peprotech), recombinant murine IL-3 (1,000 U/ml; Peprotech) or stem cell factor (SCF)(approximately 100 ng/ml, derived from BHK-SCF-conditioned medium [gift of S Collins, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash.]), and recombinant human G-CSF (1,000 U/ml). Colonies were counted after 7 days of culture. Agar colonies were fixed and floated onto glass slides, air dried, and stained with hematoxylin to allow differential counting of colony types. For methylcellulose colony-forming assays, 5 x 104 whole bone marrow cells were cultured in 3% methylcellulose supplemented with 20% FCS, recombinant murine IL-3 (1,000 U/ml; Peprotech), recombinant murine IL-6 (1,000 U/ml; Peprotech), SCF (as above), and recombinant murine erythropoietin (2 U/ml; Janssen-Cilag). Colonies were counted after 12 days of culture.
In vivo antibody responses. Mice received intraperitoneal injections with 10 µg of (4-hydroxy-3-mitrophenyl)acetyl (NP)-LPS in PBS or 100 µg of NP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) precipitated on alum as previously described (41). Serum samples from nonimmunized or immunized mice were obtained by eye bleeding. Clots were formed overnight at 4°C, and serum was recovered by centrifugation for 1 min at 15,700 x g in a microcentrifuge. Ninety-six-well enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) plates (Costar) were coated for 4 h at room temperature with NP20-bovine serum albumin (BSA) (15 µg/ml) (41) in PBS. Plates were washed with three washes each of (i) PBS containing a small amount of Tween 20, (ii) PBS, and then (iii) water. Serial dilutions of serum samples were incubated overnight at room temperature and washed as above, and anti-mouse IgG1 or IgM horseradish peroxidase-conjugated antibody (Southern Biotechnology Associates, Birmingham, Ala.) was added for 4 h at room temperature. All serum and antibody incubations were conducted in block solution (PBS, 1% FBS, 0.05% Tween 20, 2% skim milk powder). Following a final series of washes, horseradish peroxidase was detected by incubation in the dark for 30 to 40 min at room temperature with 0.01% hydrogen peroxide and 2'2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid) (0.54 mg/ml; Sigma) dissolved in 0.1 M citric acid (pH 4.4). Color development was quantitated by measurement of absorbance at 405 nm minus absorbance at 490 nm.
NF-
B and JNK
assays.
Mouse embryo
fibroblasts (MEFs) stimulated with recombinant murine TNF-
(0.2 ng/ml; Promega) were washed twice with ice-cold PBS and harvested
as described below for analysis of NF-
B DNA binding activity
by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and for JNK activation
by Western blotting.
Nuclear extracts for EMSA were prepared by
incubating cells for 15 min on ice in cytoplasmic lysis buffer (10 mM
HEPES, KOH [pH 7.9], 10 mM KCl, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.5
mM dithiothreitol, leupeptin [10 µg/ml], aprotinin
[10 µg/ml], pepstatin [1 µg/ml],
0.5 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride [PMSF]), and this was
followed by addition of NP-40 to 0.59% final concentration,
vortexing, and spinning in a microcentrifuge at 15,700 x
g. The nuclear pellet was extracted for 20 min on ice with
frequent agitation in protein extraction buffer (420 mM NaCl, 20 mM
HEPES-KOH [pH 7.9], 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.2 mM EDTA,
25% glycerol, 0.5 mM dithiothreitol, leupeptin [10
µg/ml], aprotinin [10 µg/ml], pepstatin
[1 µg/ml], 0.5 mM PMSF). Lysates were centrifuged in
a microcentrifuge at 15,700 x g and 4°C for 10
min to remove insoluble material. Cleared protein lysates were
quantitated using the Dc protein assay (Bio-Rad) using BSA as a
standard. EMSA reactions were undertaken in a 15-µl total
volume, comprising 5 µg of nuclear protein extract, 1
µl (1 x 104 to 3 x 104
cpm) of 32P-end-labeled
B3 probe
(16), 1 µg of
BSA, 1 µg of poly(dI:dC) (Sigma) and an appropriate volume of
5x NF-
B binding buffer (50 mM Tris [pH 7.5],
0.5 M NaCl, 5 mM EDTA, 25% [vol/vol] glycerol,
0.5% NP-40, 5 mM dithiothreitol). The volume of 5x
NF-
B binding buffer was calculated by assuming that the
nuclear extract added to the reaction mixture represents a 1x
contribution of binding buffer. The reaction mixture was incubated at
room temperature for 20 min and then run on a native 5%
polyacrylamide-Tris-borate-EDTA gel at 200 V, before drying and
autoradiography.
Lysates for analysis of JNK phosphorylation were prepared by lysis of cells on ice in JNK lysis buffer (20 mM Tris [pH 7.4], 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA, 1 mM EGTA, 1% Triton X-100, 2.5 mM sodium pyrophosphate, 1 mM ß-glycerophosphate, 1 mM sodium orthovanadate, leupeptin [10 µg/ml], aprotinin [10 µg/ml], pepstatin [1 µg/ml], 0.5 mM PMSF). Lysates were cleared and quantitated as described above, and 30 µg of protein extract was analyzed by Western blotting using an antibody that detects doubly phosphorylated (active) JNK (V793A; Promega).
Additional techniques. In situ hybridization (7, 8), bone histomorphometry, and von Kossa staining (39), alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining (32), motoneuron apoptosis assays (33), and hematopoietic reconstitution (12) were all performed as described in the indicated references.
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Northern blotting using a probe isolated from the 3' untranslated region of Siah2 revealed that expression of Siah2 mRNA is abolished by the mutation (Fig. 1C). This probe also hybridized with a weakly expressed larger transcript in heterozygous and homozygous mutant mice. This band was also detected using a probe spanning exons I and II and using a NeoR probe, suggesting that this transcript results from read-through of the NeoR cassette (data not shown). Siah2 mRNA is expressed at low levels in most mouse tissues (8). We generated polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies that recognize recombinant and overexpressed Siah2 in Western blotting and immunoprecipitation (17), but these were of insufficient sensitivity to detect endogenous Siah2 protein in any tissue or cell line derived from wild-type mice (data not shown). To further confirm loss of Siah2 expression, we performed in situ hybridization to developing ovarian follicles, a site where Siah2 mRNA is normally strongly expressed (7). When an antisense riboprobe located 3' of the insertion site was used for this analysis we found that expression of Siah2 mRNA was lost in mutant mice (Fig. 1F and G) while being evident in wild-type mice (Fig. 1D and E), confirming that targeting of the locus was successful. Siah1 protein expression is not altered in MEFs, lymphocytes, or tissues from Siah2 mutant mice (reference 12 and data not shown).
Phenotypic analysis of Siah2 mutant mice. Siah2 homozygous mutant mice were born at the expected Mendelian frequency from intercrosses of Siah2 heterozygous mice (29 Siah2+/+:57 Siah2+/-:31 Siah2-/-) and, unlike Siah1a mutant mice, did not exhibit growth retardation or early lethality. Siah2 mutant mice appear outwardly normal and healthy. As Siah1a mutant male mice exhibit a block in spermatogenesis (9) and Siah2 is highly expressed in germ cells in the ovary and testis (7), we analyzed reproductive tissues in Siah2 mutant mice. Both male and female Siah2 mutant mice are fertile and exhibit no histological abnormalities in ovaries (Fig. 1D and F) or testes (Fig. 2A and B).
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FIG. 2. Histological
analysis of Siah2 mutant mice. Hematoxylin and eosin staining
of seminiferous tubules from adult wild-type (A) and
Siah2-/- (B) mice. Note
the presence of elongated spermatids and spermatozoa in wild-type and
Siah2-/- mice. These cells are
absent in Siah1a-/- mice
(9). (C to F) Olfactory
neuroepithelium in adult wild-type (C and E) and
Siah2-/- (D and F) mice. Olfactory
epithelium is marked by triangles in hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained
sections (C and D) and by in situ hybridization, using an antisense
riboprobe corresponding to nucleotides 242 to 958 of the olfactory
marker protein cDNA, in dark-field illumination of sections (E and F).
(G and H) Retina from adult wild-type (G) and
Siah2-/- (H) mice. The
ganglion cell layer is marked by arrowheads in these
hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections. (I to K) Horizontal sections
through brains of wild-type (I and K) and
Siah2-/- (J and L) E18.5 embryos
displaying axonal commissures of the corpus callosum (cc), hippocampal
commissure (hc) (I and J), and posterior (pAC) and anterior (aAC) arms
of the anterior commissure (AC) (K and L). The rostral part
ofthe brain is shown at
the top (C to F and I to L) or to the right (G and H). Scale bars: 50
µm (A to H) and 200 µm (I to
L).
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Functional redundancy between Siah2 and Siah1a in vivo. To investigate the effect of combined mutation of two of the three highly homologous murine Siah genes, we crossed heterozygous and homozygous Siah2 mutations into Siah1a mutant genetic backgrounds. While Siah1a-/- mice are born at normal Mendelian frequency, approximately 70% of pups die during the nursing period (9). We find that loss of a single copy of Siah2 enhances this phenotype with all Siah2+/- Siah1a-/- pups dying before weaning. Twelve of sixteen pups died within 1 day of birth, and 15 of these pups were dead by day 5. This phenotype of synthetic lethality was further enhanced by the loss of both copies of the Siah2 gene. Siah2-/- Siah1a-/- pups were born at a sub-Mendelian ratio from the intercross of Siah2-/- Siah1a+/- mice (35 Siah2-/- Siah1a+/+:57 Siah2-/- Siah1a+/-:19 Siah2-/- Siah1a-/-, or 1:1.6:0.5) and all died within hours of birth. Siah2 Siah1a double-mutant pups were the same weight at birth as Siah1a single-mutant pups, were born alive, exhibited normal breathing and reflexes, and did not exhibit any overt histological defects (data not shown). The cause of death of Siah2 Siah1a mutant mice remains to be identified. These findings demonstrate that as well as having unique functions, Siah2 and Siah1a perform partially overlapping functions in vivo.
Normal immune system
development in the absence of Siah2 or both Siah2 and
Siah1a.
As Siah2 has
been implicated in regulating the activity of proteins that are
important in immunityincluding TRAF2, OBF-1, Vav1, and
NF-
Bwe analyzed hematopoietic development in
Siah2 mutant mice. Loss of Siah2 did not affect the
cellularity of thymus, spleen, lymph node, or bone marrow (data not
shown), and flow cytometry demonstrated that the percentages of cells
in each tissue that expressed T-cell markers (CD4 and CD8), B-cell
markers (B220, IgM, and IgD), granulocyte and monocyte markers (Gr-1,
Mac-1, and F4/80), or the erythroid marker TER-119 were unchanged in
Siah2-/- mice (Table
1). To investigate the effect of combined mutation of Siah2 and
Siah1a on hematopoiesis, fetal liver cells from
Siah2-/- or
Siah2-/-
Siah1a-/- embryos (CD45.2 allotype)
were adoptively transferred into irradiated host mice (CD45.1 allotype)
and the hematopoietic system was analyzed after long-term
reconstitution. Antibodies against CD45.2 and B-cell (B220), T-cell
(CD4 and CD8), and myeloid (Mac-1) lineage markers demonstrated that
fetal liver cells from Siah2-/- or
Siah2-/-
Siah1a-/- embryos functioned
equivalently in reconstituting the hematopoietic system of lethally
irradiated mice (Table
2). Thus, Siah2 and Siah1a are dispensable for
steady-state hematopoiesis.
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TABLE 1. Flow
cytometry analysis of hematopoietic lineages in wild-type and
Siah2 mutant micea
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TABLE 2. Flow
cytometry analysis of reconstitution of hematopoietic lineages in
irradiated mice by Siah2-/- and
Siah2-/-
Siah1a-/- fetal liver
cellsa
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FIG. 3. Expansion
of myeloid progenitors in Siah2 mutant mice. (A)
Twelve-day methylcellulose colony-forming cell assay of bone marrow
from wild-type and
Siah2-/- mice. Bone marrow was
obtained from six mice of each genotype, and each sample was cultured
in duplicate with IL-3 (1,000 U/ml), IL-6 (1,000 U/ml), SCF
(approximately 100 ng/ml), and erythropoietin (2 U/ml). Colony type was
assigned based on distinctive morphology, and mean colony numbers are
shown (error bars, standard errors of the means). *,
statistically significant difference between genotypes (P
< 0.00003; Student's t test). (B)
Seven-day agar colony-forming cell assay of bone marrow from wild-type
and Siah2-/- mice. Bone marrow was
obtained from six mice of each genotype, and each sample was cultured
in duplicate. Data represent mean numbers of colonies (error bars,
standard errors of the means) after 7 days of culture with either G-CSF
(1,000 U/ml), GM-CSF (1,000 U/ml), M-CSF (20 ng/ml), IL-3 (1,000 U/ml),
or SCF (approximately 100 ng/ml) and G-CSF (1,000 U/ml). *,
statistically significant difference between genotypes (P
< 0.001; Student's t test). (C to F)
Hematopoietic recovery assay after intraperitoneal injection of
wild-type and Siah2-/- mice with
5-fluorouracil (150 mg/kg of body weight). Peripheral blood was
analyzed at the time of injection (day 0) and 7, 14, and 28 days after
injection for total white blood cell counts (C), percentage of white
blood cells expressing the common myeloid marker CD11b (D), high levels
of Gr-1 and CD11b (markers of mature granulocytes) (E), or high levels
of F4/80 (marker of macrophages) (F). Data represent means +
standard deviations (error bars) from analysis of five wild-type and
four Siah2-/-
mice.
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Enhanced osteoclast production in vitro, but normal in vivo bone metabolism, in Siah2-/- mice. Hematopoietic colonies elicited by M-CSF in semisolid medium contain osteoclast progenitors capable of both proliferation and differentiation in vitro (58). To assess whether the expansion of M-CSF-responsive colony-forming cells in Siah2 mutant mice might affect osteoclast production, we induced in vitro osteoclast formation from bone marrow in the presence of human CSF-1 (the human homologue of mouse M-CSF which can functionally substitute for M-CSF in mouse cells) and using purified GST-RANKL as the osteoclastogenic stimulus (37). Bone marrow from Siah2 mutant mice yielded almost twice as many osteoclasts as bone marrow from wild-type mice in these cultures (Fig. 4A). Cultures from wild-type and Siah2-/- mice that were grown in the absence of GST-RANKL yielded equivalent numbers of adherent cells (Fig. 4B), demonstrating that the enhanced formation of osteoclasts does not simply reflect an increase in proliferation of Siah2-/- cells in response to CSF-1. In light of this finding, and of the observations that Siah2 mRNA is highly expressed in cartilage undergoing endochronal ossification (8), we analyzed skeletal development in Siah2-/- mice. Alizarin red-S and Alcian blue staining of wild-type and Siah2 mutant embryonic-day-17.5 (E17.5) embryos revealed no differences between genotypes in cartilage and bone development (Fig. 4C). Similarly, histomorphometric analysis of tibiae from Siah2 mutant mice revealed no alterations in bone size, structure, or numbers or in activity of osteoclasts or osteoblasts in vivo (Fig. 4D and Table 3). Thus, the enhanced formation of osteoclasts observed in vitro is not reflected in vivo in Siah2-/- mice.
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FIG. 4. Osteoclast
formation and analysis of bone structure in Siah2 mutant mice.
(A) Bone marrow cells from wild-type or
Siah2-/- mice were cultured in
48-well plates at a starting density of 105 cells/well in
the presence of CSF-1 (20 ng/ml) and GST-RANKL fusion protein (100
ng/ml) for 7 days. Osteoclast formation was assessed by TRAP staining.
TRAP+ multinuclear cells (three or more nuclei) were
scored as osteoclasts. Data represent means + standard error of
means (SEM) derived from four independent experiments. In each
experiment, bone marrows from two or three mice were pooled and
osteoclast formation was induced in five separate wells. Statistically
significant differences between genotypes are depicted (*,
P < 0.001; Student's t test).
(B) Bone marrow cells pooled from three wild-type and three
Siah2-/- mice were cultured in the
presence of human CSF-1 (10,000 U/ml) on 35-mm-diameter bacterial petri
dishes at a starting cell density (1.2 x 106
cells/dish) equivalent to that of cultures in panel A. Medium was
replaced every 3 days, and the number of adherent cells was determined
at day 7 by harvesting in 0.54 mM EDTA in PBS. Data represent mean
numbers of cells per plate + SEM (error bars) and are derived
from six separate cultures of each genotype. (C) Alizarin
red-S (bone) and Alcian blue (cartilage) staining of wild-type and
Siah2-/- E17.5 embryos.
(D) Representative sections of tibiae from 10-week-old female
wild-type and Siah2-/- mice,
stained by a modification of the von Kossa technique (bone is stained
black).
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TABLE 3. Histomorphometric
analysis of bone structure and remodelling in Siah2 mutant
micea
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-mediated
signaling and cellular response in Siah2 mutant primary
cells.
Since our previous
structural, biochemical, and genetic observations implicate Siah2 in
the degradation of TRAF2
(17,
36), we focused further
analysis of Siah2 deficient mice on signaling and cellular
events that are mediated by TRAF2 and other TRAF
proteins.
TNF-
-induced activation of NF-
B is
mediated by TRAF2 and TRAF5
(46,
59), and
TNF-
-induced JNK activation is completely eliminated by loss
of TRAF2 (59). As we have
shown that Siah2 regulates TRAF2 abundance in response to treatment
with TNF-
plus actinomycin D or cycloheximide, and that
overexpression of Siah2 inhibits TNF-
-induced NF-
B
and JNK activation (17),
it was of interest to determine whether TRAF2-mediated signal
transduction is altered in Siah2 mutant cells. We hypothesized
that Siah2 may degrade TRAF2 in response to activation of TNF-
receptors and may thus serve to limit the duration or magnitude of
TNF-
signaling responses. However, stimulation of wild-type
and Siah2-/- primary MEFs with
submaximal doses of TNF-
revealed identical magnitude and time
course of NF-
B and JNK activation in each genotype (Fig.
5A and
B). Siah2-/-
Siah1a-/- MEFs similarly displayed
normal activation of NF-
B and JNK in response to TNF-
(Fig. 5A and B). Thus,
signal transduction by TRAF2 is not altered by loss of Siah2
and Siah1a in primary cells.
![]() View larger version (56K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 5. Normal
TNF- signaling and cellular responses in Siah2 mutant
primary cells. (A) Nuclear extracts were prepared from
wild-type, Siah2-/-, and
Siah2-/-
Siah1a-/- MEFs that were
unstimulated (U) or treated with a submaximal dose of
TNF- (0.2 ng/ml) for 7, 30, or 70 min. NF- B binding
activity was analyzed by EMSA after incubation of nuclear extracts (5
µg of total protein) at room temperature for 20 min with
32P-radiolabeled B3 double-stranded
oligonucleotide. In each experiment, two or three independent MEF
preparations of each genotype were pooled prior to stimulation.
(B) Pools of MEFs (as in panel A) were treated with a
submaximal dose of TNF- (0.2 ng/ml) for the indicated time
periods (minutes), and JNK activation was analyzed by Western blotting
using an antibody that specifically detects doubly phosphorylated JNK.
(C) Wild-type or Siah2-/-
MEFs were treated with either TNF- (10 ng/ml)
[T(10)] or TNF- (0.5 ng/ml) [T(0.5)] in
the presence or absence of actinomycin D (1 µg/ml) (A).
Cellular viability was assessed after 10 and 16 h by flow
cytometry and exclusion of propidium iodide by viable
cells. Data represent averages of duplicate determinations (range, less
than 10% of the mean [not shown]) for each treatment,
and similar results were seen in two independent experiments.
(D) Lymph node T cells pooled from two 8-week-old wild-type
or Siah2-/- mice were activated in
vitro for 2 days with ConA (5 µg/ml), washed with
-methylmannoside (100 µg/ml) to remove ConA, and
cultured for a further 2 days with IL-2 (100 U/ml). Cells were treated
with TNF- (0.5 or 20 ng/ml) for 48 h and analyzed by
flow cytometry using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-CD4,
phycoerythrin-conjugated anti-CD8, and 7-AAD. Specific
CD8+-T-cell death was determined by calculating the
percentage of total viable cells (exclusion of 7-AAD) that stained
positive for CD8 in untreated cultures minus the percentage in
TNF- -treated cultures. Data represent means ± standard
deviations (error bars) of triplicate cultures for each treatment.
(E) Thymocytes from 8-week-old wild-type or
Siah2-/- mice were cultured in
vitro for 64 h in the presence of a submitogenic dose of ConA
(0.5 µg/ml) and increasing concentrations of TNF- .
Proliferation was analyzed by [3H]thymidine
incorporation for the final 16 h of culture. Data represent
means ± standard deviations (error bars) of triplicate
activations from each of three mice of each
genotype.
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induces
signals that can lead either to apoptosis or to cellular activation,
proliferation, and differentiation
(29). Most cell types are
resistant to the cytotoxic effects of TNF-
due to the
NF-
B-mediated induction of prosurvival signaling pathways
(3,
55). Treatment with
actinomycin D or cycloheximide renders cells sensitive to apoptosis in
response to TNF-
due to inhibition of NF-
B-induced
expression of antiapoptotic genes. TRAF2 mutant MEFs are hypersensitive
to apoptosis induced by TNF-
plus cycloheximide
(59) and overexpression
of Siah2 sensitized cells to the same treatment
(17). However, wild-type
and Siah2 mutant MEFs were equally sensitive to apoptosis
induced by TNF-
plus actinomycin D (Fig.
5C) or cycloheximide (data
not shown). Mitogenically activated CD8+ T cells
undergo apoptosis in response to TNF-
in the absence of RNA or
protein synthesis inhibitors, a physiological process that contributes
to downregulation of immune responses in vivo by removing activated T
cells (38,
45,
62). Activated
CD8+ T cells from wild-type and Siah2
knockout mice were equally sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of
TNF-
(Fig. 5D).
Finally, thymocytes treated in vitro with submitogenic doses of ConA
are induced to proliferate when the TNFR2 receptor is stimulated with
TNF-
(51,
52). Thymocytes from
Siah2 mutant mice proliferated equivalently to wild-type
thymocytes when stimulated with TNF-
and ConA (Fig.
5E). These findings
demonstrate that loss of Siah2 does not modulate the
sensitivity of MEFs or T cells to TNF-
-mediated apoptotic or
proliferative responses. Normal lymphocyte proliferation, antibody production and macrophage activation in Siah2 mutant mice. It is possible that Siah2 may regulate degradation of TRAF proteins other than TRAF2. Since TRAF family proteins transduce signals from a range of receptors in diverse cell types, loss of Siah2 expression may have phenotypic consequences that are cell type and/or stimulus specific. To address this possibility we examined a range of known TRAF-mediated cellular responses in Siah2 mutant mice and cells.
To assess
TRAF-mediated lymphocyte proliferation in
Siah2-/- mice, splenocytes were
activated in vitro with LPS, which requires TRAF6 for induction of
B-cell proliferation
(30), or with CD40L,
which requires TRAF2, TRAF5, and TRAF6 for optimal B-cell proliferative
responses (30,
34,
35). B-cell proliferation
in response to submaximal and maximal doses of both mitogens was
unaltered by loss of Siah2 (Fig.
6A). Siah2 is also proposed to function as a negative regulator of Vav1
signaling (14). Vav1 is
necessary for B- and T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to antigen
receptor activation, but not for proliferation induced by other
mitogens (11,
49,
61). To analyze
Vav1-mediated proliferative responses in Siah2 mutant mice,
splenic B cells were activated with agonistic antibodies against IgM
(Fig. 6A) and T cells were
activated with agonistic antibodies against the T-cell receptor subunit
CD3
or with ConA, which induces cross-linking of the T-cell
receptor (Fig. 6B). Loss
of Siah2 did not affect B- or T-cell proliferation in response
to antigen receptor activation. Thus, loss of Siah2, which is
proposed to function as a negative regulator of TRAF and Vav1
signaling, does not enhance TRAF- and Vav1-mediated lymphocyte
proliferative responses.
![]() View larger version (34K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 6. Normal
TRAF-, Vav1-, and OBF-1-mediated responses in Siah2 mutant
mice and primary cells. (A) B-cell proliferation. Splenic
white blood cells from 8-week-old wild-type or
Siah2-/- mice were activated in
vitro for 72 h with LPS (0.5, 1, 2, and 20 µg/ml) or
anti-IgM (5 and 20 µg/ml) or by culture on irradiated 3T3
fibroblasts expressing CD40L (1,000 and 2,000 irradiated cells per
well). Proliferation was analyzed by [3H]thymidine
incorporation for the final 16 h of culture. Data represent
the means + standard deviations (SD) (error bars) of triplicate
activations from each of three mice of each genotype. (B)
T-cell proliferation was analyzed as in panel A after stimulation of
splenic white blood cells in 96-well plates with ConA (0.5
µg/ml) or by culture in wells coated with anti-CD3 (5 and 10
µg/ml) or anti-CD3 (5 µg/ml) plus anti-CD28 (10
µg/ml) antibodies. (C and D) Wild-type () or
Siah2-/- ( ) mice received
intraperitoneal injections with 10 µg of the T-independent
antigen NP-LPS (C) or with 100 µg of the T-dependent
antigen NP-KLH precipitated on alum (D). Serum samples were obtained at
time points after immunization and analyzed using an anti-NP and
IgM-specific ELISA (C) or an anti-NP and IgG1-specific ELISA.
Each circle in panel C represents the absorbance reading obtained from
a 1:1,585 dilution of serum from an immunized mouse (the absorbance
reading was linear with respect to dilution over the range 1:500 to
1:5,000), and each circle in panel D represents the absorbance reading
obtained from a 1:10,000 dilution of serum from an immunized mouse (the
absorbance reading was linear with respect to dilution over the range
1:3,170 to 1:31,700). Mean values are shown by horizontal lines.
(E) Confluent BMM pooled from two wild-type or
Siah2-/- mice were starved of M-CSF
for 24 h prior to stimulation for a further 24 h
with recombinant CSF-1 (10,000 U/ml) alone or in combination with LPS
(0.1 µg/ml), poly(I) · poly(C)
(pI.pC, 0.1 or 50 µg/ml), TNF- (1 or 100 ng/ml), or
IFN-ß (100 U/ml). DNA synthesis was measured by incorporation
of [3H]thymidine for the final 8 h of
culture. Data represent means + SD (error bars) of triplicate
stimulations.
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Finally, TRAF-mediated
signaling is important in macrophage activation induced by bacterially
produced LPS, virally produced double-stranded RNA [mimicked by
synthetic poly(I) · poly(C)], and endogenous inflammatory
cytokines, including TNF-
(1,
18). Macrophages respond
to these activating stimuli by undergoing G1-phase cell
cycle arrest and secreting cytokines and toxic nitric oxide
(1,
54). The
antiproliferative effects of activation of TRAF-dependent receptors are
mediated by the production of IFN-
/ß(18,
22). To analyze the role
of Siah2 in antiproliferative TRAF-mediated signaling, BMM derived from
wild-type and Siah2-/- mice were
stimulated for 24 h with recombinant human CSF-1 in the
presence or absence of LPS, poly(I) · poly(C), TNF-
,
or IFN-ß and proliferation was assessed by incubation with
[3H]thymidine for the final 8 h of
culture. Antiproliferative responses induced by all stimuli were
equivalent in wild-type and
Siah2-/- macrophages (Fig.
6E).
In conclusion, a number of well-characterized in vivo and ex vivo TRAF-mediated responses are unaffected by mutation of Siah2.
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The expression patterns of Siah1 and Siah2 genes yield few clues as to their specific functions. Mouse Siah1a, Siah1b, and Siah2 appear to be ubiquitously expressed (8; unpublished observations). High Siah1 expression in testes (7) correlates with the spermatogenic phenotype in Siah1a mutant mice (9). In contrast, sites of high Siah2 expression, including ovaries, testes, cartilage, and retinal and olfactory neuroepithelia (7, 8), are histologically normal in Siah2 mutant mice.
Siah2 mutant mice exhibit an expansion of the bone marrow myeloid progenitor compartment. Methylcellulose assays revealed an increased number of CFU-GM colonies, while agar assays conducted under restricted cytokine stimulation revealed an increased number of colonies in response to M-CSF. These data suggest that at least in in vitro assays, Siah2 is important in the regulation of the myeloid progenitor compartment, in particular those progenitors that are responsive to M-CSF. Our observation of increased osteoclast yield in in vitro cultures of bone marrow from Siah2 mutant mice is consistent with previous findings that osteoclasts derive from an M-CSF-responsive myeloid lineage progenitor (58). The M-CSF phenotype appears to be restricted to an early myeloid progenitor cell type, since we observed no differences between wild-type and Siah2 mutant mice in (i) the yield of nonadherent BMM precursor cells after culture of bone marrow for 3 days in M-CSF (data not shown), (ii) the yield of adherent cells (mostly BMM) after culture of bone marrow for 7 days in CSF-1 (Fig. 4B), and (iii) the proliferation of M-CSF-starved BMM after restimulation with CSF-1 (Fig. 6E). The mechanism by which Siah2 regulates myelopoiesis is not clear. Real-time PCR analysis of Siah1 and Siah2 expression in fluorescence-activated cell sorter-purified hematopoietic cell populations did not reveal any obvious expression pattern that would indicate a myeloid lineage-specific function for Siah2. Siah genes appear to be expressed in all progenitor and mature hematopoietic cell populations (data not shown). In summary, while there is an expansion of myeloid progenitor cells in Siah2 mutant mice, homeostatic mechanisms appear to tightly control the production of mature cells to ensure that the total cellularity of hematopoietic tissues and the frequency of granulocytes, macrophages, and osteoclasts remain unaffected.
Overexpression studies have implicated Siah2 in the degradation or inhibition of the activity of a number of proteins that participate in diverse signaling pathways. These include DCC, Vav1, OBF-1, and TRAF2 (4, 14, 17, 20, 21, 53). In this study we focused our analysis of the effects of loss of Siah2 on cellular or physiological processes that are mediated by putative Siah2 targets. We showed that DCC-mediated formation of axonal commissures, Vav1-mediated proliferation of B and T lymphocytes, in vivo OBF-1-mediated antibody production, and a variety of signaling and cellular responses mediated by TRAF2 and other TRAF family proteins are unaltered in Siah2 mutant mice. Therefore, loss of Siah2 alone does not grossly alter a range of physiological processes that require putative Siah2 substrate proteins.
One explanation for the absence of phenotypes may be that the abundance of Siah2 substrate proteins are regulated by factors other than Siah2. Supporting this idea, protein abundance of TRAF2 in MEFs is unaffected by loss of Siah2, yet the half-life of exogenously expressed TRAF2 is longer in Siah2 mutant MEFs (17). These data are consistent with the notion that alterations in rates of transcription or translation may act to maintain normal steady-state abundance of Siah2 target proteins in Siah2 mutant mice.
Finally, functional redundancy between Siah2 and Siah1 genes may obscure phenotypic consequences of loss of Siah2. We find that loss of a single copy of Siah2 enhances the phenotype of early lethality caused by Siah1a homozygous mutation. This phenotype is further enhanced by removal of both copies of Siah2, with Siah2-/- Siah1a-/- mice being born at sub-Mendelian frequency and subsequently dying within hours of birth. Thus, Siah1a and Siah2 appear to perform partially overlapping functions in vivo. Functional compensation by Siah1a and Siah1b may therefore maintain normal regulation of Siah2 substrate proteins in Siah2-/- mice. Our ongoing experiments aiming to generate Siah1b mutant mice and Siah double- and triple-mutant animals should further our understanding of the full repertoire of physiological functions of the Siah gene family.
This work was supported by grants to D.D.L.B. and M.T.G. from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). L.E.P. is supported by a Special Fellowship of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, N.A.S. is supported by an R. D. Wright Fellowship of the NHMRC, and A.J.H. was supported by a guest scientist grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
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