The Functional Roles of Ph-Sensing G Protein
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The Functional Roles of pH-sensing G protein-coupled receptors in Intestinal Inflammation by Edward Joseph Sanderlin November, 2018 Director of Dissertation: Li Yang, PhD Department: Internal Medicine The inflammatory microenvironment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex, replete with microbial byproducts, complement, leukocytes, and resulting inflammatory cytokines. Parallel to these microenvironmental factors are protons, which are produced in excess due to altered metabolism of infiltrated leukocytes and local ischemia. Immune cells and intestinal microvasculature exist in the acidic, inflamed microenvironment and in turn alter their function in response to the acidic pH. Currently, only little is known how cells sense extracellular acidity and subsequently alter the inflammatory response. Recently, a class of proton-sensing G protein- coupled receptors (GPCRs) have emerged as functional pH-sensors, expressed in either leukocytes or vasculature, and are capable of altering immune cell inflammatory programs in response to acidic pH. These family members include GPR4, OGR1 (GPR68), TDAG8 (GPR65), and G2A (GPR132). Our group has uncovered a novel role for GPR4 in mediating endothelial cell (EC) inflammation in response to acidic pH. GPR4 activation in ECs have resulted in increased vascular adhesion molecule expression and functionally mediates leukocyte-EC interactions which are essential for the leukocyte extravasation process. Proton-sensors GPR65 and GPR68, however, are not expressed in ECs but are highly expressed in myeloid and lymphoid cells. GPR65 and GPR68, therefore, has been shown to mediate both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in leukocytes in response to acidic pH. GPR132, however, has been described as a promiscuous GPCR, capable of responding to protons, bioactive lipids, and oxidized free fatty acids. Evidence suggests GPR132 is highly expressed in immune cells and plays important roles in immunity and the inflammatory response. Several lines of evidence suggest loss of pH homeostasis is associated IBD and could correspond to the degree of inflammation. For these reasons we sought to investigate the functional roles of pH- sensors GPR4, GPR65, and GPR132 in the regulation of intestinal inflammation. We utilized the acute and chronic dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)- induced experimental colitis mouse model with GPR4-null, GPR65-null, or GPR132-null mice. Our results indicate GPR4 contributes to intestinal inflammation in both acute and chronic DSS-induced colitis models likely though mediating leukocyte infiltration into the intestinal mucosa. Furthermore, a novel GPR4 antagonist was capable of inhibiting acute intestinal inflammation, suggesting GPR4 could be a valuable therapeutic target in colitis. Conversely, GPR65 reduces intestinal inflammation in the chronic DSS-induced colitis model. In vitro studies using bone marrow derived macrophages suggest GPR65 regulates macrophage functions. Lastly, GPR132 genetic deficiency was evaluated in two generations of GPR132 knockout mice in intestinal inflammation. Our results suggest GPR132 functions to reduce intestinal inflammation in the DSS-induced colitis mouse model. Further studies need to be performed to fully evaluate the role and mechanism of GPR132 in intestinal inflammation. Overall, this dissertation work highlights the emerging roles of pH-sensing GPCRs in the regulation of intestinal inflammation and implicates these receptors as valuable therapeutic targets in the remediation of intestinal inflammation. The Functional Roles of pH-Sensing G protein-coupled receptors in Intestinal Inflammation A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Edward Joseph Sanderlin November, 2018 © Edward Joseph Sanderlin, 2018 The Functional Roles of pH-sensing G protein-coupled receptors in Intestinal Inflammation by Edward Joseph Sanderlin. APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF DISSERTATION: ________________________________________________________ Li Yang, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ Yan-Hua Chen, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________________ Mark Mannie, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: Heng Hong, MD, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: Kvin Lertpiriyapong, DVM, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________________ Mary Jane Thomassen, Ph.D. IDPBS BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ________________________________________________________ Li Yang, Ph.D. DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: ________________________________________________________ Paul J. Gemperline, PhD DEDICATION To my wife, Mallory Sanderlin. Also, to my loving parents Ed and Jackie Sanderlin. Finally, to my dear friends Kirk and Linda Burtch. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all current and former Yang lab members, as well as all collaborators for their careful and patient instruction and work. Particularly, thanks are deserved to Ivy Dong and Calvin Justus for their dedicated time to teach me basic laboratory techniques and bring me up to speed my first two years of this program. I would also like to thank Joani Zary for teaching and assisting in tissue sectioning, of which was a heavy work burden. Many thanks are deserved for Hematology and Oncology administrative assistants, namely Glenda and Delores, for providing so many needs of mine. Lastly, I wish to acknowledge the exceptional mentorship of Dr. Yang, who provided me daily instruction and helped frame my mind to think as a scientist. I am truly grateful I found your lab. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER I: Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 A. The Inflammatory Response ................................................................................ 1 B. The Mucosal Immune System and Inflammatory Bowel Disease ....................... 5 C. The Therapeutic Landscape of Inflammatory Bowel Disease … ........................ 10 D. Acidosis, Inflammation, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease ................................ 11 E. Proton-Sensing G Protein Coupled Receptor Family Members ........................... 14 F. The Role of GPR4, GPR65, GPR68, and GPR132 in Inflammation …….. ........ 18- F. Murine Models for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease ……................... 21 G. Rationale for the Investigation of Proton--Sensing G Protein Coupled Receptors in Intestinal Inflammation …….. ............................................................................... 23 CHAPTER II: Materials and Methods ............................................................................ 31 A. Summary ............................................................................................................ 31 B. Material and Methods............................................................................................ 31 B.1 Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute and chronic experimental colitis mouse model ....................................................................................... 31 B.2 Clinical phenotype scoring ...................................................................... 33 B.3 Collection of tissue for histology and molecular analysis....................... 33 B.4 Histopathological scoring ........................................................................ 34 B.5 Isolated lymphoid follicle quantification ................................................ 35 B.6 Immunohistochemistry ........................................................................... 36 B.7 Immunocytochemistry ............................................................................. 37 B.8 Mucosal inflammatory Cell Quantification for the DSS-induced colitis mouse model .................................................................................................. 37 B.9 Blood vessel VCAM-1 and E-selectin intensity score and MAdCAM-1 positive vessel enumeration ........................................................................... 38 B.10 Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting.............................................. 38 B.11 Bone marrow progenitor cell Isolation and differentiation .................. 39 B.12 In vitro pH treatments ........................................................................... 40 B.13 Cellular proliferation assay ................................................................... 41 B.14 Transwell migration assay ..................................................................... 41 B.15 Statistical analysis ................................................................................. 42 CHAPTER III: The role of GPR4 in the regulation of intestinal inflammation .......... 45 A. Summary … .......................................................................................................... 45 B. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 46 C. Results ............................................................................................................ 49 C.1 GPR4 exacerbates intestinal inflammation in the acute DSS-induced ... experimental