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Regular Article |




From the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology,*
University of Giessen, Giessen; the Institute of Nutritional
Sciences,
Technical University of Munich,
Freising-Weihenstephan; and the Department of Pediatric
Pneumology and Immunology,
Charite-Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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140 m2
in adult human lungs can be
efficiently used for the administration of different drugs. Indeed, a
multitude of transport systems that mediate active uptake for
water,1
glucose,2
antioxidants,3
and amino acids4
has been characterized in respiratory
epithelia in the past years. Various functional studies have
demonstrated a di- and tripeptide transport suggesting the presence of
an oligopeptide transport system.5-8
Recently, the cDNAs encoding two families of
proton-coupled oligopeptide transporters have been
cloned9-15
from epithelial cells of intestine (PEPT1) and
kidney cortex (PEPT2). Whereas PEPT1 is expressed in the
intestine16-18
and to a smaller extent in
kidney19,20
but not lung,11,14
PEPT2 is
expressed in the kidney,10,15
central nervous
system,21-23
and in a variety of peripheral tissues
including lung.10,24
Both isoforms possess 12
membrane-spanning domains and share an identity of
47% at the
protein level. The carrier proteins mediate electrogenic uphill peptide
transport by coupling substrate translocation to the movement of
H+/H3O+
with the transmembrane electrochemical proton gradient as the driving
force. In addition to di- and tripeptides, both isoforms transport
several peptidomimetics such as aminocephalosporins, aminopenicllins,
bestatin, delta aminolevulinic acid (
-ALA), and selected
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors as substrate.25
Because some of these agents may be applied as aerosolic drugs, information about the localization and function of the oligopeptide transporter PEPT2 in the respiratory tract may be useful for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
| Materials and Methods |
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Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)
RT-PCR was performed as described previously.24 In brief, total RNA was isolated from rat lung, rat kidney, and rat intestine, and digested with DNase, followed by cDNA synthesis by reverse transcription. PCR amplification was performed for 35 cycles with 94°C denaturation for 1 minute, annealing for 1 minute (55°C for PEPT2, 55°C for PEPT1, and 61°C for GAPDH), 72°C extension for 1 minute and 72°C end-synthesis for 10 minutes. PEPT2-specific primers representing the nucleotides 111 to 134 (5'-GCTGCCTACTGAAGCCAAATGCTTG-3') and 437 to 417 (5'-AGAGGCTGCTGAAGGCATGGT-3') of the protein-coding region of PEPT2. PEPT1-specific primers representing the nucleotides 1105 to 1125 (5'-GGTTTCAACTTCACCTCCCTG-3') and 1859 to 1839 (5'-CACTGTCTCTTCTGGTGGAGC-3') of the open reading frame of PEPT1. GAPDH-specific primers representing the nucleotides 558 to 579 (5'-GACCACAGTCCATGACATCACT-3') and 1010 to 990 (5'-TCCACCACCCTG-TTGCTGTAG-3') of the open reading frame. A 1/10 volume of each sample was separated on a 1% agarose gel and stained by ethidium bromide. PCR controls were performed by using H2O instead of cDNA. The PCR products were sequenced and compared with the published sequences of PEPT2 and PEPT1 from rat kidney15 and intestine.14
PEPT2-cRNAs Probes
Digoxigenin-labeled PEPT2-specific cRNA probes were produced as following: a rat-specific PEPT2 PCR fragment (nucleotides 51 to 290 of the open reading frame of PEPT2) was ligated into the PCRII expression vector (Invitrogen, Leck, The Netherlands). The plasmid was linearized with EcoRI (for sense probe) or NotI (for antisense probe) and used as template to synthesize digoxigenin-labeled sense and antisense RNA according to the manufacturers manual (Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany).
Northern Blot
Ten µg of total RNA prepared from rat lung was separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and transferred onto nylon membranes (Boehringer Mannheim). Lanes were hybridized with the digoxigenin-labeled PEPT2-specific cRNA probe. Hybridization was performed overnight at 65°C in the presence of 50% deionized formamide, 5x standard saline citrate (SSC), 0.1% (w/v) N-lauroylsarcosine, 0.02% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 2% blocking reagent (Boehringer Mannheim). After hybridization, membranes were washed twice for 15 minutes at 65°C in 2x SSC containing 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and twice for 15 minutes at 65°C in 0.5x SSC containing 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. For detection of the digoxigenin-labeled hybrids, membranes were washed briefly in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (1 time), blocked with blocking reagent (1 hour at room temperature; Boehringer Mannheim) and incubated with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-digoxigenin antibody (diluted 1:400; 2 hours at room temperature; Boehringer Mannheim). Unbound antibody was removed by two washing steps in 100 mmol/L maleic acid, 150 mmol/L NaCl, and 0.3% Tween. Subsequent development was performed according to the manufacturers digoxigenin detection kit for glycoconjugate and protein analysis protocol (developing times, 2 to 4 hours; Boehringer Mannheim).
In Situ Hybridization
Detection of PEPT2-mRNA was performed by using nonradioactive in situ hybridization. Cryostat sections (8 µm) of rat lung were mounted on silane-precoated glass slides and fixed by immersion for 10 minutes in 4% paraformaldehyde. Tissue sections were treated with 0.1 N HCl (10 minutes), washed in 1x PBS and air-dried for 20 minutes. Each section was covered with 100 µl hybridization buffer (50% formamide, 1x Denhardts, 10 mmol/L triethanolamine, 5 mmol/L ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 6.25% dextransulfate, 0.3 mol/L NaCl, 1 mg/ml tRNA) containing 100 ng/100 µl PEPT2-specific digoxigenin-labeled sense or antisense cRNA probe. After hybridization, sections were washed twice for 15 minutes at 60°C in 5x SSC and twice for 15 minutes at 65°C in 1x SSC, followed by two 15-minute washes at 60°C in 0.1x SSC. Subsequently, the sections were treated with 20 µg/ml of RNase A to remove unhybridized single-stranded RNA. The detection and development of hybridization signals were performed as described above and in the manufacturers commercial digoxigenin-detection kit protocol (Boehringer Mannheim). Slides were mounted in 50% glycerol in 1x PBS (pH 7.4).
Immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemistry was performed on 4% paraformaldehyde-fixed rat and murine lung specimens. Cryostat sections (8 µm) were washed several times in 1x PBS and preincubated for 1 hour at room temperature with 2% low-fat milk powder in Tris-buffered saline containing 1% Tween 20, pH 7.4. Sections were incubated with polyclonal anti-rabbit PEPT2 serum,26 diluted 1:1,000 in the preincubation solution overnight. As secondary antibody an anti-rabbit indocarbocyanin (Cy3)-antibody (1:1,000; Dianova, Hamburg, Germany) was used. Specificity of the antibody reaction was verified in parallel sections that were incubated either with the primary antiserum that had been preabsorbed with the corresponding antigenic peptide (concentration 20 µg protein/ml diluted antiserum) or only the secondary antibodies. Slides were coverslipped in carbonate-buffered glycerol (pH 8.6) and viewed using epifluorescence microscopy.
Ex Vivo Uptake Studies
Mice of both sexes were killed by chloroform inhalation. The lung
was rapidly removed and stored in Eagles minimum essential medium
(MEM-21011; GIBCO, Karlsruhe, Germany) (37°C, gassed with 95%
O2/5% CO2). Uptake
experiments were performed by instillation of 1.0 ml MEM containing 25
µmol/L
(D)-Ala-(L)-Lys-N-
-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetic
acid (D-Ala-Lys-AMCA)27
into the
trachea. For inhibition studies 1.0 ml MEM containing 25 µmol/L
D-Ala-Lys-AMCA and 1 mmol/L unlabeled
glycyl-(L)-glutamine or 1 mmol/L unlabeled
cefadroxil was used (Figure 1)
. Controls
were performed by incubation at 4°C or by omitting the labeled
dipeptide conjugate. Incubation was stopped after 20 minutes by
perfusion of the trachea with ice-cold MEM for 2 x10 minutes. Lungs
were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde (in 0.1 mol/L phosphate buffer, pH
7.4) for 4 hours. Fixed tissues were rinsed several times in 1x PBS,
pH 7.4, and incubated in 1x PBS containing 18% sucrose overnight.
After freezing in liquid nitrogen-cooled isopentane the sections were
cut to 8-µm cryostat sections and examined.
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To demonstrate specifically the cellular identity of uptake
displaying cells, a combined application of ex vivo uptake
studies and histochemistry was established. Murine lung preparations
were first used for uptake studies as described in the regular ex
vivo uptake protocol above and then subjected to lectin
histochemistry. Biotinylated Lycopersicon esculentum lectin
(LEA) (Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA) was used as a marker for
type I pneumocytes.28,29
In brief, after the uptake
protocol was completed, the sections were washed in PBS and
preincubated with 2% low-fat milk powder in Tris-buffered saline
containing 1% Tween 20, pH 7.4, for 30 minutes and
methyl-
-D-mannopyranoside. Overnight
incubation with LEA (1:160 diluted in the preincubation solution) was
followed by the removal of the lectin by rinsing twice in PBS for 10
minutes each. Detection was performed with Texas Red (Dianova, Hamburg,
Germany) and slides were coverslipped in carbonate-buffered glycerol
(pH 8.6) and examined with fluorescence microscopy.
| Results |
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To demonstrate the expression of the PEPT2-mRNA in mammalian
lungs, RT-PCR and Northern blot experiments were performed. Using mRNA
from rat lung and kidney PEPT2-specific amplification products with a
length of 341 bp were detected in both kidney and lung. PEPT1-specific
products (754 bp) were found in the small intestine but not in lung
extracts. Expression of the housekeeping gene GAPDH was positive in all
probes (Figure 2)
. The PCR product
identities were confirmed by direct sequencing that revealed identity
with the published sequences from rat kidney14
and
intestine.15
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In the lower respiratory tract of rat, PEPT2-mRNA was localized to
cells of the respiratory epithelium of large bronchi (Figure 4e)
. No signals were present in
connective tissue or smooth muscle bundles. In peripheral lung
transcription signal was found in type II pneumocytes that are
characterized by their prominent shape in the alveolar lumen (Figure 4d)
. Also, endothelial cells of some smaller vessels revealed positive
staining. Positive staining was reproducibly detected after
hybridization with antisense probe. Controls with equivalent amounts of
sense probe using the same hybridization and washing stringency were
unstained on alternate sections and demonstrated the specificity of
antisense signals (Figure 4f)
. Omission of labeled cRNA probes from the
hybridization mixture also resulted in unstained sections, identical to
results obtained when RNA was digested before hybridization with RNase
incubation.
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Immunohistochemistry with anti-PEPT2 serum was performed on
sections from rat (Figure 4)
and murine (Figure 5)
lungs. In sections of rat lung,
positive staining for PEPT2-like immunoreactivity was seen in tracheal,
bronchial, and smaller airway epithelia, and it was especially strong
in the apical border (Figure 4b)
. In alveolar space, type II
pneumocytes were stained cytoplasmatically (Figure 4a)
. The endothelium
of small vessels was also found to express PEPT2 immunoreactivity
whereas there was no staining of bronchial glands. A similar
distribution was obtained in murine lung with PEPT2-like
immunoreactivity localized to bronchial epithelium (Figure 5, a and c)
,
type II pneumocytes (Figure 5b)
, and endothelium of small vessels.
Positive staining was not observed in sections of rat and murine lung
when anti-PEPT2 serum was preabsorbed with the corresponding antigenic
peptide sequence, showing the specificity of the immunostaining
(Figures 4c and 5d)
.
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To assess whether the lung tissues also exhibit physiological
peptide transport activity, the fluorophore-conjugated dipeptide
D-Ala-Lys-AMCA was used as a reporter substrate. Incubation
of murine lungs with 25 µmol/L D-Ala-Lys-AMCA in Eagles
MEM solution containing different single amino acids revealed uptake
and intracellular accumulation of AMCA fluorescence in type II
pneumocytes (Figure 6, e and f)
and
epithelial cells of trachea and bronchi (Figure 6, a and b)
. Incubation
of lungs with 25 µmol/L D-Ala-Lys-AMCA in the presence of
either 1 mmol/L unlabeled cefadroxil (Figure 6, d and g)
or
glycyl-(L)-glutamine (Figure 6, c and h)
reduced
fluorescence signals to a minimal extend. Control incubations at 4°C
or without the labeled dipeptide revealed completely unstained samples.
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To validate the observation of substrate uptake and PEPT2
expression in type II but not type I pneumocytes, a combined uptake and
immunohistochemical protocol was established. Incubation of lung
preparations led to intracellular accumulation of
D-Ala-Lys-AMCA fluorescence in bronchial epithelium and
type II cells (Figure 7a)
as reported for
the regular uptake protocol. Consecutive immunohistological with LEA
lectin stained type I pneumocytes specifically (Figure 7b)
and revealed
a pattern of immunofluorescence that was different to the
PEPT2-mediated D-Ala-Lys-AMCA uptake and PEPT2-mRNA and
protein expression.
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| Discussion |
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Because type I cells are susceptible to distortion of their shape by tissue processing, combined uptake and histochemical studies were established. The type I cell-specific LEA was used as marker.28,29 Double labeling of the same area with LEA revealed a mutually exclusive presence and therefore validated the morphological findings of the different protocols for in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and uptake studies. The absence of PEPT2-mRNA and protein- and transporter-mediated uptake in type I cells gives evidence for suggestions by earlier functional studies.5-7
The lack of fluorescence in endothelial cells that possess the PEPT2 message may be explained by the route of administration of the substrate through the airways that may not allow the substrate to reach the endothelium in sufficient quantities, or by a different subcellular expression of the transporter. In this respect, the high capacity transporter has been localized to nuclei and lysosomes of pancreatic exocrine cells earlier.30
Recent studies revealed a variety of PEPT2 substrates with therapeutic interests. In this respect the transporter was characterized to mediate uptake of a variety of {beta}-lactam antibiotics.31,32 The pulmonary route is an attractive alternative to oral application of peptides and peptidomimetics because of low proteolytic activity and bypassed hepatic metabolism.33-35 Clinical trials demonstrated benefits when antibiotics were administered by inhalation.36 The demonstration of competitive inhibition of D-Ala-L-Lys-AMCA uptake in murine lung by cefadroxil is strong evidence for its transport by PEPT2. Cefadroxil, a semisynthetic cephalosporine that has proved effective against gram-negative and gram-positive pulmonary infections37 has previously been reported to act as a substrate for PEPT2.10 Therefore, PEPT2 expression in mammalian lungs may present a novel target for delivery of antibiotic therapeutics via the airways.
The previous demonstration of
-ALA as a substrate for
PEPT224
is a new finding with a number of physiological
and pharmacological implications in airway tissue. On the basis of
being a substrate for heme synthesis,
-ALA may play a role in the
pulmonary production of carbon monoxide, a possible signaling molecule
produced by the stress-inducible heat-shock protein heme oxygenase I
and its constitutional isoform heme oxygenase II.38
Carbon
monoxide is discussed as a marker for chronic airway inflammations such
as asthma.39
-ALAs therapeutical relevance is based
on photodynamic therapy40,41
that uses accumulation of
porphyrins after administration of
-ALA to induce tissue necrosis
and apoptosis. As
-ALA is discussed for aerosol administration in
lung tumors we provide data for the possible uptake mechanisms and
determine the cellular site of uptake in airway tissues. Further
investigation will be needed to determine the expression of PEPT2 in
lung tumor cells to reveal the therapeutic value of the transporter in
neoplasms.
In summary, we have identified the cellular sites of the PEPT2 expression and provided functional data about this transport system in the lung. Together with recent findings on the molecular requirements of peptide transporter substrates,42 our findings may provide a basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies using PEPT2-specific drugs delivered via aerosolic administration for the treatment of infectious and neoplastic respiratory diseases.
| Footnotes |
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Supported by the DFG (SFB547).
Accepted for publication October 17, 2000.
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