荧光双分子互补分析Ezrin与L-periaxin的互作模式

腓骨肌萎缩症4F亚型是Periaxin基因的突变所导致一种脱髓鞘型遗传病. Periaxin蛋白是外周神经系统中特异且大量表达的蛋白,在髓鞘成熟与维护中发挥重要作用.而Ezrin是一种膜骨架连接蛋白,在细胞形态的维持、运动、黏附等方面发挥重要作用.在前期已证实L-periaxin与Ezrin间存在蛋白互作的基础上,本文通过分子荧光互补实验,结合免疫荧光定位实验、免疫共沉淀等技术,进一步分析并揭示了L-periaxin蛋白与Ezrin蛋白之间的互作方式,具体为L-periaxin(1 200 aa)与Ezrin(1 296 aa)以及L-periaxin (1 060～1 461 aa)与Ezrin(475～585 aa)以“头对头”与“尾对尾”的方式发生相互作用.Ezrin可能是一种引导L-periaxin在施万细胞膜上堆积的新的分子配体,二者可能通过蛋白分子间更加紧密的方式完成在细胞膜处的堆积,参与到髓鞘的维护中.     

L-periaxin与DRP2蛋白互作的精细分析

轴周蛋白L-periaxin作为外周神经系统中特异表达的骨架蛋白之一,在髓鞘成熟与维护过程中发挥重要作用.肌营养不良相关蛋白2(DRP2)是目前报道与L-periaxin存在明确相互作用的唯一蛋白,但两蛋白精细的互作区域及互作的分子机制仍不清楚.本研究通过双分子荧光互补、免疫共沉淀、GST pull-down、荧光光谱、细胞定位等技术,进一步揭示了periaxin蛋白的核定位信号NLS结构域上3段不同的亚结构域中,NLS1只参与periaxin蛋白的核定位,NLS2和NLS3参与DRP2蛋白的互作;DRP2蛋白中spectrin like2和WW结构域参与和L-periaxin蛋白的互作.L-periaxin与DRP2互作区域的精细定位,为进一步在蛋白水平探讨L-periaxin与脱髓鞘型腓骨肌萎缩症4F亚型的发生机制之间的关系提供参考.     

敲除L-periaxin基因的大鼠RSC96细胞系的建立

轴周蛋白(Periaxin)是外周神经系统非致密性髓鞘中特异表达的蛋白,编码Periaxin的基因经由选择性剪接产生两种蛋白异构体L-periaxin和S-periaxin,对髓鞘形成的初始化有重要作用。至今在Periaxin基因上已发现有18种不同的位点突变导致外周脱髓鞘神经疾病腓骨肌萎缩症4F亚型(CMT4F)的发生。利用转录激活因子样效应物核酸酶(TALENs)靶向基因敲除技术对大鼠RSC96细胞的periaxin基因进行敲除,根据TALENs设计原则,确定L-periaxin基因的敲除靶点在其编码NLS结构域部分,设计相应的TALEN左臂与右臂的识别序列,构建含上述识别序列的L-periaxin基因敲除载体TALEN-L和TALEN-R,并将其转入RSC96细胞,经嘌呤霉素药物筛选,获得L-periaxin基因敲除细胞株,经测序确认大鼠RSC96细胞中的基因组中L-periaxin基因区段已被敲除,成功构建了L-periaxin基因敲除细胞模型。计算L-periaxin基因敲除载体的突变率为21.6%。Western blotting实验证明,在RSC96细胞中只能检测到S-periaxin蛋白的表达。通过流式细胞术及MTT实验检测基因敲除细胞的细胞周期和生长速度,发现敲除L-periaxin基因的细胞生长速度缓慢,G1期细胞增多,S期细胞减少。     

双分子荧光互补系统分析S-periaxin蛋白的聚合

S-periaxin蛋白是施旺氏细胞特异性表达的一种蛋白,在维持髓鞘的稳定方面发挥重要作用,该蛋白基因的突变引起腓骨肌萎缩症4F亚型的发生。Periaxin基因由于mRNA剪切方式的不同可以编码两种长短不同的含PDZ结构域的蛋白,即L-periaxin和S-periaxin。两种蛋白在施旺氏细胞的定位存在明显的差异,相对L-periaxin而言,S-periaxin无论是分子结构还是生物学功能均未见相关研究。该文从大鼠的施旺氏细胞系RSC96克隆了S-periaxin基因,构建了原核表达载体pETM-3C-S-periaxin,在大肠杆菌中进行重组表达,经Ni-NTA亲和柱和Sephacryl S-200凝胶层析柱获得电泳纯的目的蛋白。体外戊二醛交联分析蛋白的聚合状态表明,S-periaxin蛋白在体外易于形成不同聚合度的聚合物。免疫共沉淀也表明,S-periaxin蛋白存在同源蛋白间相互作用。另外,构建了原、真核双分子荧光互补系统,并利用该系统分析了细胞内S-periaxin蛋白间的相互作用。     

L-periaxin与Ezrin的N端FERM结构域结合依赖其第3段核定位信号序列

L-periaxin是外周神经系统特异表达的骨架蛋白之一,占外周神经系统髓鞘总蛋白质的16%,参与髓鞘形成和维护。埃兹蛋白(Ezrin)属于Ezrin-Radxin-Moesin(ERM)蛋白质家族,与细胞黏附、迁移、生存以及肿瘤的发生、发展相关。作者前期研究证实,L-periaxin与Ezrin通过"头对头,尾对尾"的模式相互结合。本文通过双分子荧光互补、免疫共沉淀、GST pull down、荧光共定位、海肾荧光素酶互补、荧光光谱以及分子对接等方法,揭示L-periaxin的核定位信号区(nuclear location signal,NLS)与蛋白质Ezrin的FERM(Ezrin Radixin Moesin)结构域的"头对头"相互结合,依赖Lperiaxin第3段核定位信号序列NLS3与Ezrin的FERM结构域的F3亚结构域。本结果为进一步理解Ezrin在髓鞘化过程中的作用,以及阐明调节L-periaxin蛋白功能的信号通路奠定基础。     

L-periaxin与Ezrin的N端FERM结构域结合依赖其第3段核定位信号序列北大核心CSCD

L-periaxin是外周神经系统特异表达的骨架蛋白之一,占外周神经系统髓鞘总蛋白质的16%,参与髓鞘形成和维护。埃兹蛋白(Ezrin)属于Ezrin-Radxin-Moesin(ERM)蛋白质家族,与细胞黏附、迁移、生存以及肿瘤的发生、发展相关。作者前期研究证实,L-periaxin与Ezrin通过"头对头,尾对尾"的模式相互结合。本文通过双分子荧光互补、免疫共沉淀、GST pull down、荧光共定位、海肾荧光素酶互补、荧光光谱以及分子对接等方法,揭示L-periaxin的核定位信号区(nuclear location signal,NLS)与蛋白质Ezrin的FERM(Ezrin Radixin Moesin)结构域的"头对头"相互结合,依赖Lperiaxin第3段核定位信号序列NLS3与Ezrin的FERM结构域的F3亚结构域。本结果为进一步理解Ezrin在髓鞘化过程中的作用,以及阐明调节L-periaxin蛋白功能的信号通路奠定基础。     

Prelamin A相互作用蛋白Narf的鉴定和表达分析

目的:探讨A型核纤层蛋白前体( prelamin A)在细胞内堆积造成细胞早老的机理,筛选了prelamin A相互作用蛋白并研究其在早老细胞中的表达情况.方法:以prelamin A的C末端区域为诱饵蛋白,采用酵母双杂交方法从人骨骼肌cDNA文库中筛选prelamin A相互作用蛋白.构建了prelaminA识别因子(Narf)与绿色荧光蛋白融合表达载体pEGFP - Narf,与红色荧光蛋白- prelamin A融合表达质粒pDsRed - PLA共转染HEK293细胞,激光共聚焦显微观察共定位情况.Western blotting检测Narf在衰老表型HEK293PLA细胞的表达情况.结果:筛选得到包括Narf在内的7个候选相互作用蛋白.Narf与prelamin A能相互作用并共定位于核纤层,在prelamin A过表达的HEK293PLA细胞中Narf表达没有升高.结论:Narf在细胞内与prelamin A相互作用,且表达量不受后者影响.     

Periaxin蛋白与腓骨肌萎缩症

Periaxin是施旺氏细胞(Schwann cells)与晶状体纤维细胞中特异表达的支架蛋白之一．在施旺氏细胞包裹轴突形成髓鞘过程中,periaxin蛋白参与髓鞘的延展、修复及再生等．PRX基因的缺失或突变将引起脱髓鞘型腓骨肌萎缩症(CMT)4F亚型的发生．本文就periaxin蛋白分子结构特点、生理学功能、以及其基因突变与脱髓鞘型腓骨肌萎缩症CMT4F亚型的发生等进行综述．     

双分子荧光互补技术及其在蛋白质相互作用研究中的应用

双分子荧光互补(bimolecularfluorescencecomplementation,BiFC)分析技术,是由Hu等在2002年最先报道的一种直观、快速地判断目标蛋白在活细胞中的定位和相互作用的新技术.该技术巧妙地将荧光蛋白分子的两个互补片段分别与目标蛋白融合表达,如果荧光蛋白活性恢复则表明两目标蛋白发生了相互作用.其后发展出的多色荧光互补技术(multicolorBiFC),不仅能同时检测到多种蛋白质复合体的形成,还能够对不同蛋白质间产生相互作用的强弱进行比较.目前,该技术已用于转录因子,G蛋白βγ亚基的二聚体形式,不同蛋白质间产生相互作用强弱的比较以及蛋白质泛素化等方面的研究工作上.     

应用双分子荧光互补技术分析米曲霉Fus3与Ste12之间的蛋白互作

【背景】双分子荧光互补(Bimolecularfluorescencecomplementation,BiFC)在水稻恶苗病菌(Fusarium fujikuroi)等微生物蛋白互作中的应用已有报道,但在工业菌株米曲霉(Aspergillus oryzae)中还未见应用。【目的】探究米曲霉中Fus3和Ste12蛋白在生长发育中可能存在的相互作用关系,建立在米曲霉活细胞中检测蛋白互作的方法,即BiFC体系。该系统可用于特异性、可视化米曲霉目标蛋白在活细胞中的定位,并且可以更加直观地探究蛋白之间是否存在相互作用。【方法】利用MultisiteGateway复杂载体构建技术,使用切开的绿色荧光蛋白,将荧光蛋白分子的两个片段N端和C端分别与米曲霉Fus3和Ste12蛋白融合,对获得的转化株进行荧光观察。通过BiFC系统检测蛋白之间的相互作用。【结果】成功转化的米曲霉菌丝中观察到荧光,Fus3和Ste12在米曲霉中存在相互作用。【结论】通过BiFC技术证实蛋白质Fus3和Ste12在无性繁殖菌株米曲霉体内发生互作,暗示它们通过互作可能参与除了有性生殖之外的其他细胞功能,并为米曲霉蛋白互作功能研究提供一种新的检测技术和方法。     

Ezrin interacts with L-periaxin by the “head to head and tail to tail” mode and influences the location of L-periaxin in Schwann cell RSC96

In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), Schwann cells (SCs) are required for the myelination of axons. Periaxin (PRX), one of the myelination proteins expressed in SCs, is critical for the normal development and maintenance of PNS. As a member of the ERM (ezrin-radxin-moesin) protein family, ezrin holds our attention since their link to the formation of the nodes of Ranvier. Furthermore, PRX and ezrin are co-expressed in cytoskeletal complexes with periplakin and desmoyokin in lens fiber cells. In the present study, we observed that L-periaxin and ezrin interacted in a “head to head and tail to tail” mode in SC RSC96 through NLS3 region of L-periaxin with F3 subdomain of ezrin interaction, and the region of L-periaxin (residues 1368–1461) with ezrin (residues 475–557) interaction. A phosphorylation-mimicking mutation of ezrin resulted in L-periaxin accumulation on SC RSC96 membrane. Ezrin could inhibit the self-association of L-periaxin, and ezrin overexpression in sciatic nerve injury rats could facilitate the repair of impaired myelin sheath. Therefore, the interaction between L-periaxin and ezrin may adopt a close form to complete protein accumulation and to participate in myelin sheath maintenance.     

Ezrin Binds to DEAD-Box RNA Helicase DDX3 and Regulates Its Function and Protein Level

Ezrin is a key regulator of cancer metastasis that links the extracellular matrix to the actin cytoskeleton and regulates cell morphology and motility. We discovered a small-molecule inhibitor, NSC305787, that directly binds to ezrin and inhibits its function. In this study, we used a nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC–MS-MS)-based proteomic approach to identify ezrin-interacting proteins that are competed away by NSC305787. A large number of the proteins that interact with ezrin were implicated in protein translation and stress granule dynamics. We validated direct interaction between ezrin and the RNA helicase DDX3, and NSC305787 blocked this interaction. Downregulation or long-term pharmacological inhibition of ezrin led to reduced DDX3 protein levels without changes in DDX3 mRNA. Ectopic overexpression of ezrin in low-ezrin-expressing osteosarcoma cells caused a notable increase in DDX3 protein levels. Ezrin inhibited the RNA helicase activity of DDX3 but increased its ATPase activity. Our data suggest that ezrin controls the translation of mRNAs preferentially with a structured 5′ untranslated region, at least in part, by sustaining the protein level of DDX3 and/or regulating its function. Therefore, our findings suggest a novel function for ezrin in regulation of gene translation that is distinct from its canonical role as a cytoskeletal scaffold at the cell membrane.     

High levels of ezrin expressed by human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines with high metastatic potential.

Ezrin is a membrane cytoskeleton crosslinker protein that is a member of the ERM (ezrin/radixin/moesin) family. Ezrin binds adhesion molecules such as CD43, CD44, ICAM-1, and ICAM-2, which are implicated in cell migration and metastasis. Ezrin is expressed by many tumor cell lines; however, little is known about the function of ezrin in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Here, we investigated expression of ezrin in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines of different metastatic potential. Among 16 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines, several cell lines showed strong expression of ezrin. Two cell lines with high metastatic potential, S2-CP9 and S2-VP10, showed very high levels of ezrin mRNA and protein, whereas other sublines showed lower levels. There was no relationship between the expression levels of ezrin and the differentiation grades of the cell lines. These results suggest that there is a relationship between high expression of ezrin and metastatic potential of pancreatic carcinomas.     

The Helicobacter pylori CagA protein induces tyrosine dephosphorylation of ezrin

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most wide-spread bacterial pathogens and infects the human stomach to cause diseases, such as gastritis, gastric ulceration, and gastric cancer. A major virulence determinant is the H. pylori CagA protein (encoded by the cytotoxin-associated gene A) which is translocated from the bacteria into the cytoplasm of host cells by a type IV secretion system. In the host cell, CagA is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and induces rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. We have previously shown that tyrosine-phosphorylated CagA inhibits the catalytic activity of Src family kinases and induces tyrosine dephosphorylation of several host cell proteins. Here, we identified one of these proteins as ezrin by a combination of preparative gel electrophoresis, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Specific pharmacological inhibition of Src family kinases also induces ezrin dephosphorylation. Therefore, ezrin dephosphorylation appears to be induced by CagA-mediated Src inactivation. Ezrin is the founding member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family of proteins which are signalling integrators at the cell cortex. Since ezrin is a component of microvilli and a linker protein between actin filaments and membrane proteins, this observation has important implications for H. pylori pathogenesis and might also help to explain the development of gastric cancer.     

PALS1 specifies the localization of ezrin to the apical membrane of gastric parietal cells

The ERM (ezrin/radixin/moesin) proteins provide a regulated linkage between membrane proteins and the cortical cytoskeleton and also participate in signal transduction pathways. Ezrin is localized to the apical membrane of parietal cells and couples the protein kinase A activation cascade to regulated HCl secretion in gastric parietal cells. Here, we show that the integrity of ezrin is essential for parietal cell activation and provide the first evidence that ezrin interacts with PALS1, an evolutionarily conserved PDZ and SH3 domain-containing protein. Our biochemical study verifies that ezrin binds to PALS1 via its N terminus and is co-localized with PALS1 to the apical membrane of gastric parietal cells. Furthermore, our study shows that PALS1 is essential for the apical localization of ezrin, as either suppression of PALS1 protein accumulation or deletion of the PALS1-binding domain of ezrin eliminated the apical localization of ezrin. Finally, our study demonstrates the essential role of ezrin-PALS1 interaction in the apical membrane remodeling associated with parietal cell secretion. Taken together, these results define a novel molecular mechanism linking ezrin to the conserved apical polarity complexes and their roles in polarized epithelial secretion of gastric parietal cells.     

Cell autonomy of the mouse claw paw mutation

Mice homozygous for the autosomal recessive mutation claw paw (clp) are characterized by limb posture abnormalities and congenital hypomyelination, with delayed onset of myelination of the peripheral nervous system but not the central nervous system. Although this combination of limb and peripheral nerve abnormalities in clp/clp mice might suggest a common neurogenic origin of the syndrome, it is not clear whether the clp gene acts primarily in the neurone, the Schwann cell or both. In the work described here, we address this question of cell autonomy of the clp mutation through reciprocal nerve grafting experiments between wild-type and clp/clp animals. Our results demonstrate that the clp mutation affects the Schwann cell compartment and possibly also the neuronal compartment. These data suggest that the clp gene product is expressed in Schwann cells as well as neurones and is likely to be involved in direct axon--Schwann cell interactions. Within the Schwann cell, clp affects a myelin-related signaling pathway that regulates periaxin and Krox-20 expression, but not Oct-6.     

Matriptase-2 inhibits HECV motility and tubule formation in vitro and tumour angiogenesis in vivo

Ezrin, primarily acts as a linker between the plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton, is involved in many cellular functions, including regulation of actin cytoskeleton, control of cell shape, adhesion, motility, and modulation of signaling pathways. Although ezrin is now recognized as a key component in tumor metastasis, its roles and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we chose highly metastatic human lung carcinoma 95D cells, which highly express the ezrin proteins, as a model to examine the functional roles of ezrin in tumor suppression. An ezrin-silenced 95D cell line was established using lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA method. CCK-8 assay and soft agar assay analysis showed that downregulation of ezrin significantly suppressed the tumorigenicity and proliferation of 95D cells in vitro. cell migration and invasion studies showed that ezrin-specific deficiency in the cells caused the substantial reduction of the cell migration and invasion. In parallel, it also induced rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. Flow cytometry assay showed that changes in the ezrin protein level significantly affected the cell cycle distribution and eventual apoptosis. Furthermore, further studies showed that ezrin regulated the expression level of E-cadherin and CD44, which are key molecules involved in cell growth, migration, and invasion. Meanwhile, the suppression of ezrin expression also sensitized cells to antitumor drugs. Altogether, our results demonstrated that ezrin played an important role in the tumorigenicity and metastasis of lung cancer cells, which will benefit the development of therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.     

Ezrin oligomers are the membrane-bound dormant form in gastric parietal cells

Ezrin is a member of ezrin, radixin, moesin (ERM) protein family that links F-actin to membranes. The NH₂- and COOH-terminal association domains of ERM proteins, known respectively as N-ERMAD and C-ERMAD, participate in interactions with membrane proteins and F-actin, and intramolecular and intermolecular interactions within and among ERM proteins. In gastric parietal cells, ezrin is heavily represented on the apical membrane and is associated with cell activation. Ezrin-ezrin interactions are presumably involved in functional regulation of ezrin and thus became a subject of our study. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was examined with cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)- and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-tagged ezrin incorporated into HeLa cells and primary cultures of parietal cells. Constructs included YFP at the NH₂ terminus of ezrin (YFP-Ez), CFP at the COOH terminus of ezrin (Ez-CFP), and double-labeled ezrin (N-YFP-ezrin-CFP-C). FRET was probed using fluorescence microscopy and spectrofluorometry. Evidence of ezrin oligomer formation was found using FRET in cells coexpressing Ez-CFP and YFP-Ez and by performing coimmunoprecipitation of endogenous ezrin with fluorescent protein-tagged ezrin. Thus intermolecular NH₂- and COOH-terminal association domain (N-C) binding in vivo is consistent with the findings of earlier in vitro studies. After the ezrin oligomers were separated from monomers, FRET was observed in both forms, indicating intramolecular and intermolecular N-C binding. When the distribution of native ezrin as oligomers vs. monomers was examined in resting and maximally stimulated parietal cells, a shift of ezrin oligomers to the monomeric form was correlated with stimulation, suggesting that ezrin oligomers are the membrane-bound dormant form in gastric parietal cells. fluorescence resonance energy transfer; acid secretion; radixin; moesin; cytoskeleton; ERM family     

Expression of ezrin in subventricular zone neural stem cells and their progeny in adult and developing mice

Ezrin is a member of the ezrin–radixin–moesin (ERM) family of proteins, which link the cytoskeleton and cell membrane. ERM proteins are involved in pivotal cellular functions including cell–matrix recognition, cell–cell communication, and cell motility. Several recent studies have shown that ERM proteins are expressed in specific cell types of the adult rostral migratory stream (RMS). In this study, we found that ERM proteins are expressed highly in the early postnatal RMS and the ventricular zone of embryonic cerebral cortex, suggesting that these proteins may be expressed by neural progenitors. Furthermore, whereas ezrin previously was found to be expressed exclusively by astrocytes of the adult RMS, we found that ezrin-expressing cells also expressed the markers for indicating neuroblasts in vivo and in vitro, and that ezrin expression by neuroblasts decreases progressively as neuroblasts migrate. Using in vitro differentiation of adult neural stem cells, we found that ezrin is expressed by neural stem cells and their progeny (neuroblasts and astrocytes), but not by oligodendrocytic progeny. Collectively our findings demonstrate that adult neural stem cells and neuroblasts express ezrin and that ezrin may be involved in intracellular actin remodeling.