Common pathogenic effects of missense mutations in the P-type ATPase ATP13A2 (PARK9) associated with early-onset parkinsonism

Mutations in the ATP13A2 gene (PARK9) cause autosomal recessive, juvenile-onset Kufor-Rakeb syndrome (KRS), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by parkinsonism. KRS mutations produce truncated forms of ATP13A2 with impaired protein stability resulting in a loss-of-function. Recently, homozygous and heterozygous missense mutations in ATP13A2 have been identified in subjects with early-onset parkinsonism. The mechanism(s) by which missense mutations potentially cause parkinsonism are not understood at present. Here, we demonstrate that homozygous F182L, G504R and G877R missense mutations commonly impair the protein stability of ATP13A2 leading to its enhanced degradation by the proteasome. ATP13A2 normally localizes to endosomal and lysosomal membranes in neurons and the F182L and G504R mutations disrupt this vesicular localization and promote the mislocalization of ATP13A2 to the endoplasmic reticulum. Heterozygous T12M, G533R and A746T mutations do not obviously alter protein stability or subcellular localization but instead impair the ATPase activity of microsomal ATP13A2 whereas homozygous missense mutations disrupt the microsomal localization of ATP13A2. The overexpression of ATP13A2 missense mutants in SH-SY5Y neural cells does not compromise cellular viability suggesting that these mutant proteins lack intrinsic toxicity. However, the overexpression of wild-type ATP13A2 may impair neuronal integrity as it causes a trend of reduced neurite outgrowth of primary cortical neurons, whereas the majority of disease-associated missense mutations lack this ability. Finally, ATP13A2 overexpression sensitizes cortical neurons to neurite shortening induced by exposure to cadmium or nickel ions, supporting a functional interaction between ATP13A2 and heavy metals in post-mitotic neurons, whereas missense mutations influence this sensitizing effect. Collectively, our study provides support for common loss-of-function effects of homozygous and heterozygous missense mutations in ATP13A2 associated with early-onset forms of parkinsonism.     

Altered apoptosis regulation in Kufor-Rakeb syndrome patients with mutations in the ATP13A2 gene

ATP13A2 gene encodes for a protein of the group 5 P-type ATPase family. ATP13A2 mutations are responsible for Kufor-Rakeb syndrome (KRS), a rare autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism characterized by the subacute onset of extrapyramidal, pyramidal and cognitive dysfunction with secondary nonresponsiveness to levodopa. FBXO7 protein is an F-box-containing protein. Recessive FBXO7 mutations are responsible for PARK15, a rare juvenile parkinsonism characterized by progressive neurodegeneration with extrapyramidal and pyramidal system involvement. Our aim was to evaluate apoptosis in cells from two KRS siblings carrying a homozygous ATP13A2 mutation and a heterozygous FBXO7 mutation. We also analysed apoptosis in the patients' healthy parents. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from the KRS patients and parents were exposed to 2-deoxy-D-ribose; apoptosis was analysed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Apoptosis was much higher in lymphocytes from the KRS patients and parents than in controls, both in standard conditions and after induction with a pro-apoptotic stimulus. The lack of correlation between increased apoptosis and the presence of the mutated FBXO7 gene rules out the involvement of FBXO7 in apoptosis regulation. The altered apoptotic pattern of subjects with mutated ATP13A2 suggests a correlation between apoptosis alteration and the mutated ATP13A2 protein. We hypothesize that ATP13A2 mutations may compromise protein function, disrupting cell cation balance and rendering cells prone to apoptosis. However, the deregulation of apoptosis in KRS patients displaying different disease severity suggested that the altered apoptotic pathway probably does not have a pathogenetic role in KRS by itself.     

The frost gene of Neurospora crassa is a homolog of yeast cdc1 and affects hyphal branching via manganese homeostasis

The Neurospora crassa mutant frost has a hyperbranching phenotype that can be corrected by adding Ca(2+), suggesting that characterization of this gene might clarify the mechanism of Ca(2+)-dependent tip growth. The wild-type allele was cloned by sib selection using protoplasts from arthroconidia. RFLP analysis revealed that the cloned DNA fragment mapped to the fr locus. The nucleotide sequence of genomic and cDNA was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence showed homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC1 protein, implicated in manganese homeostasis. The fr mutant was sensitive to Mn(2+), and a revertant allele whose product differs by one amino acid was tolerant to Mn(2+). Mn(2+) depletion induced the wild-type strain to hyperbranch, resulting in a morphology similar to that of fr. The fr mutant was also sensitive to calcineurin inhibitors. These results suggest that fr is involved in Mn(2+) homeostasis and point to a role for Mn(2+) in Neurospora branching.     

A role for the AtMTP11 gene of Arabidopsis in manganese transport and tolerance

The Arabidopsis AtMTP family of genes encode proteins of the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) family, with several members having roles in metal tolerances. Four of the 11 proteins in the family form a distinct cluster on a phylogenetic tree and are closely related to ShMTP8, a CDF identified in the tropical legume Stylosanthes hamata that is implicated in the transport of Mn(2+) into the vacuole as a tolerance mechanism. Of these four genes, AtMTP11 was the most highly expressed member of the Arabidopsis subgroup. When AtMTP11 was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it conferred Mn(2+) tolerance and transported Mn(2+) by a proton-antiport mechanism. A mutant of Arabidopsis with a disrupted AtMTP11 gene (mtp11) was found to have increased sensitivity to Mn(2+) but not to Cu(2+) or Zn(2+). At a non-toxic but sufficient Mn(2+) supply (basal), the mutant accumulated more Mn(2+) than the wild type, but did not show any obvious deleterious effects on growth. When grown with Mn(2+) supplies that ranged from basal to toxic, the mutant accumulated Mn(2+) concentrations in shoots similar to those in wild-type plants, despite showing symptoms of Mn(2+) toxicity. AtMTP11 fused to green fluorescent protein co-localized with a reporter specific for pre-vacuolar compartments. These findings provide evidence for Mn(2+)-specific transport activity by AtMTP11, and implicate the pre-vacuolar compartments in both Mn(2+) tolerance and Mn(2+) homeostasis mechanisms of Arabidopsis.     

Lysosomal dysfunction in Parkinson disease: ATP13A2 gets into the groove

Mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9) cause an autosomal recessive form of early-onset parkinsonism with pyramidal degeneration and dementia called Kufor-Rakeb Syndrome (KRS). The ATP13A2 gene encodes a transmembrane lysosomal P5-type ATPase (ATP13A2) whose physiological function in mammalian cells, and hence its potential role in Parkinson disease (PD), remains elusive. In this context, we have recently shown that KRS-linked mutations in ATP13A2 leads to several lysosomal alterations in ATP13A2 KRS patient-derived fibroblasts, including impaired lysosomal acidification, decreased proteolytic processing of lysosomal enzymes, reduced degradation of lysosomal substrates and diminished lysosomal-mediated clearance of autophagosomes (AP). Similar alterations are observed in stable ATP13A2-knockdown dopaminergic cell lines, which are associated with cell death. Restoration of ATP13A2 levels in ATP13A2-mutant/depleted cells is able to restore lysosomal function and attenuate cell death. Relevant to PD, we have determined that ATP13A2 levels are decreased in dopaminergic nigral neurons from sporadic PD patients. Interestingly in these patients, the main signal of ATP13A2 is detected in the Lewy bodies. Our results unravel an instrumental role of ATP13A2 in lysosomal function and in cell viability. Altogether, our results validate ATP13A2 as a likely therapeutic target against PD degeneration.     

Lysosomal dysfunction in Parkinson disease

Mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9) cause an autosomal recessive form of early-onset parkinsonism with pyramidal degeneration and dementia called Kufor-Rakeb Syndrome (KRS). The ATP13A2 gene encodes a transmembrane lysosomal P5-type ATPase (ATP13A2) whose physiological function in mammalian cells, and hence its potential role in Parkinson disease (PD), remains elusive. In this context, we have recently shown that KRS-linked mutations in ATP13A2 leads to several lysosomal alterations in ATP13A2 KRS patient-derived fibroblasts, including impaired lysosomal acidification, decreased proteolytic processing of lysosomal enzymes, reduced degradation of lysosomal substrates and diminished lysosomal-mediated clearance of autophagosomes (AP). Similar alterations are observed in stable ATP13A2-knockdown dopaminergic cell lines, which are associated with cell death. Restoration of ATP13A2 levels in ATP13A2-mutant/depleted cells is able to restore lysosomal function and attenuate cell death. Relevant to PD, we have determined that ATP13A2 levels are decreased in dopaminergic nigral neurons from sporadic PD patients. Interestingly in these patients, the main signal of ATP13A2 is detected in the Lewy bodies. Our results unravel an instrumental role of ATP13A2 in lysosomal function and in cell viability. Altogether, our results validate ATP13A2 as a likely therapeutic target against PD degeneration.     

Calcineurin, the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, is essential in yeast mutants with cell integrity defects and in mutants that lack a functional vacuolar H(+)-ATPase.

Calcineurin is a conserved Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase that plays a critical role in Ca(2+)-mediated signaling in many cells. Yeast cells lacking functional calcineurin (cna1 cna2 or cnb1 mutants) display growth defects under specific environmental conditions, for example, in the presence of high concentrations of Na+, Li+, Mn2+, or OH- but are indistinguishable from wild-type cells under standard culture conditions. To characterize regulatory pathways that may overlap with calcineurin, we performed a synthetic lethal screen to identify mutants that require calcineurin on standard growth media. The characterization of one such mutant, cnd1-8, is presented. The CND1 gene was cloned, and sequence analysis predicts that it encodes a novel protein 1,876 amino acids in length with multiple membrane-spanning domains. CND1 is identical to the gene identified previously as FKS1, ETG1, and CWH53, cnd1 mutants are sensitive to FK506 and cyclosporin A and exhibit slow growth that is improved by the addition of osmotic stabilizing agents. This osmotic agent-remedial growth defect and microscopic evidence of spontaneous cell lysis in cnd1 cultures suggest that cell integrity is compromised in these mutants. Mutations in the genes for yeast protein kinase C (pkc1) and a MAP kinase (mpk1/slt2) disrupt a Ca(2+)-dependent signaling pathway required to maintain a normal cell wall and cell integrity. We show that pkc1 and mpk1/slt2 growth defects are more severe in the absence of calcineurin function and less severe in the presence of a constitutively active form of calcineurin. These observations suggest that calcineurin and protein kinase C perform independent but physiologically related functions in yeast cells. We show that several mutants that lack a functional vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (vma) require calcineurin for vegetative growth. We discuss possible roles for calcineurin in regulating intracellular ion homeostasis and in maintaining cell integrity.     

The Ca2+/Mn2+ pumps in the Golgi apparatus

Recent evidence highlights the functional importance of the Golgi apparatus as an agonist-sensitive intracellular Ca(2+) store. Besides Ca(2+)-release channels and Ca(2+)-binding proteins, the Golgi complex contains Ca(2+)-uptake mechanisms consisting of the well-known sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-transport ATPases (SERCA) and the much less characterized secretory-pathway Ca(2+)-transport ATPases (SPCA). SPCA supplies the Golgi compartments and, possibly, the more distal compartments of the secretory pathway with both Ca(2+) and Mn(2+) and, therefore, plays an important role in the cytosolic and intra-Golgi Ca(2+) and Mn(2+) homeostasis. Mutations in the human gene encoding the SPCA1 pump (ATP2C1) resulting in Hailey-Hailey disease, an autosomal dominant skin disorder, are discussed.     

Manganese is required for oxidative metabolism in unstressed Bradyrhizobium japonicum cells

Recent studies of Mn(2+) transport mutants indicate that manganese is essential for unstressed growth in some bacterial species, but is required primarily for induced stress responses in others. A Bradyrhizobium japonicum mutant defective in the high-affinity Mn(2+) transporter gene mntH has a severe growth phenotype under manganese limitation, suggesting a requirement for the metal under unstressed growth. Here, we found that activities of superoxide dismutase and the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase were deficient in an mntH strain grown under manganese limitation. We identified pykM as the only pyruvate kinase-encoding gene based on deficiency in activity of a pykM mutant, rescue of the growth phenotype with pyruvate, and pyruvate kinase activity of purified recombinant PykM. PykM is unusual in that it required Mn(2+) rather than Mg(2+) for high activity, and that neither fructose-1,6-bisphosphate nor AMP was a positive allosteric effector. The mntH-dependent superoxide dismutase is encoded by sodM, the only expressed superoxide dismutase-encoding gene under unstressed growth conditions. An mntH mutant grew more slowly on pyruvate under manganese-limited conditions than did a pykM sodM double mutant, implying additional manganese-dependent processes. The findings implicate roles for manganese in key steps in unstressed oxidative metabolism in B. japonicum.     

Cdc1p is an endoplasmic reticulum-localized putative lipid phosphatase that affects Golgi inheritance and actin polarization by activating Ca2+ signaling

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutations in the essential gene CDC1 cause defects in Golgi inheritance and actin polarization. However, the biochemical function of Cdc1p is unknown. Previous work showed that cdc1 mutants accumulate intracellular Ca(2+) and display enhanced sensitivity to the extracellular Mn(2+) concentration, suggesting that Cdc1p might regulate divalent cation homeostasis. By contrast, our data indicate that Cdc1p is a Mn(2+)-dependent protein that can affect Ca(2+) levels. We identified a cdc1 allele that activates Ca(2+) signaling but does not show enhanced sensitivity to the Mn(2+) concentration. Furthermore, our studies show that Cdc1p is an endoplasmic reticulum-localized transmembrane protein with a putative phosphoesterase domain facing the lumen. cdc1 mutant cells accumulate an unidentified phospholipid, suggesting that Cdc1p may be a lipid phosphatase. Previous work showed that deletion of the plasma membrane Ca(2+) channel Cch1p partially suppressed the cdc1 growth phenotype, and we find that deletion of Cch1p also suppresses the Golgi inheritance and actin polarization phenotypes. The combined data fit a model in which the cdc1 mutant phenotypes result from accumulation of a phosphorylated lipid that activates Ca(2+) signaling.     

Phenotypic screening of mutations in Pmr1, the yeast secretory pathway Ca2+/Mn2+-ATPase, reveals residues critical for ion selectivity and transport

Thirty-five mutations were generated in the yeast secretory pathway/Golgi ion pump, Pmr1, targeting oxygen-containing side chains within the predicted transmembrane segments M4, M5, M6, M7, and M8, likely to be involved in coordination of Ca(2+) and Mn(2+) ions. Mutants were expressed in low copy number in a yeast strain devoid of endogenous Ca(2+) pumps and screened for loss of Ca(2+) and Mn(2+) transport on the basis of hypersensitivity to 1, 2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) and Mn(2+) toxicity, respectively. Three classes of mutants were found: mutants indistinguishable from wild type (Class 1), mutants indistinguishable from the pmr1 null strain (Class 2), and mutants with differential sensitivity to BAPTA and Mn(2+) toxicity (Class 3). We show that Class 1 mutants retain normal/near normal properties, including (45)Ca transport, Golgi localization, and polypeptide conformation. In contrast, Class 2 mutants lacked any detectable (45)Ca transport; of these, a subset also showed defects in trafficking and protein folding, indicative of structural problems. Two residues identified as Class 2 mutants in this screen, Asn(774) and Asp(778) in M6, also play critical roles in related ion pumps and are therefore likely to be common architectural components of the cation-binding site. Class 3 mutants appear to have altered selectivity for Ca(2+) and Mn(2+) ions, as exemplified by mutant Q783A in M6. These results demonstrate the utility of phenotypic screening in the identification of residues critical for ion transport and selectivity in cation pumps.     

TRPM7 channel is regulated by magnesium nucleotides via its kinase domain

TRPM7 is a Ca(2+)- and Mg(2+)-permeable cation channel that also contains a protein kinase domain. While there is general consensus that the channel is inhibited by free intracellular Mg(2+), the functional roles of intracellular levels of Mg.ATP and the kinase domain in regulating TRPM7 channel activity have been discussed controversially. To obtain insight into these issues, we have determined the effect of purine and pyrimidine magnesium nucleotides on TRPM7 currents and investigated the possible involvement of the channel's kinase domain in mediating them. We report here that physiological Mg.ATP concentrations can inhibit TRPM7 channels and strongly enhance the channel blocking efficacy of free Mg(2+). Mg.ADP, but not AMP, had similar, albeit smaller effects, indicating a double protection against possible Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) overflow during variations of cell energy levels. Furthermore, nearly all Mg-nucleotides were able to inhibit TRPM7 activity to varying degrees with the following rank in potency: ATP > TTP > CTP > or = GTP > or = UTP > ITP approximately free Mg(2+) alone. These nucleotides also enhanced TRPM7 inhibition by free Mg(2+), suggesting the presence of two interacting binding sites that jointly regulate TRPM7 channel activity. Finally, the nucleotide-mediated inhibition was lost in phosphotransferase-deficient single-point mutants of TRPM7, while the Mg(2+)-dependent regulation was retained with reduced efficacy. Interestingly, truncated mutant channels with a complete deletion of the kinase domain regained Mg.NTP sensitivity; however, this inhibition did not discriminate between nucleotide species, suggesting that the COOH-terminal truncation exposes the previously inaccessible Mg(2+) binding site to Mg-nucleotide binding without imparting nucleotide specificity. We conclude that the nucleotide-dependent regulation of TRPM7 is mediated by the nucleotide binding site on the channel's endogenous kinase domain and interacts synergistically with a Mg(2+) binding site extrinsic to that domain.     

SPCA1 pumps and Hailey-Hailey disease

Both the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus are agonist-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ stores. The Golgi apparatus has Ca2+-release channels and a Ca2+-uptake mechanism consisting of sarco(endo)plasmic-reticulum Ca2+-ATPases (SERCA) and secretory-pathway Ca2+-ATPases (SPCA). SPCA1 has been shown to transport both Ca2+ and Mn2+ in the Golgi lumen and therefore plays an important role in the cytosolic and intra-Golgi Ca2+ and Mn2+ homeostasis. Human genetic studies have provided new information on the physiological role of SPCA1. Loss of one functional copy of the SPCA1 (ATP2C1) gene causes Hailey-Hailey disease, a skin disorder arising in the adult age with recurrent vesicles and erosions in the flexural areas. Here, we review recent experimental evidence showing that the Golgi apparatus plays a much more important role in intracellular ion homeostasis than previously anticipated.     

Synergistic movements of Ca(2+) and Bax in cells undergoing apoptosis.

Apoptosis is a physiological counterbalance to mitosis and plays important roles in tissue development and homeostasis. Cytosolic Ca(2+) has been implicated as a proapoptotic second messenger involved in both triggering apoptosis and regulating cell death-specific enzymes. A critical early event in apoptosis is associated with the redistribution of Bax from cytosol to mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes; however, the molecular mechanism of Bax translocation and its relationship to Ca(2+) is largely unknown. Here we provide functional evidence for a synergistic interaction between the movements of intracellular Ca(2+) and cytosolic Bax in the induction of apoptosis. Overexpression of Bax in cultured cells causes a loss of ER Ca(2+) content. Depletion of ER Ca(2+) through activation of the ryanodine receptor enhances the participation of Bax into the mitochondrial membrane. Neither Bax translocation nor Bax-induced apoptosis is affected by buffering of cytosolic Ca(2+) with 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, suggesting that depletion of ER Ca(2+) rather than elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) is the signal for cell apoptosis. This dynamic interplay of Ca(2+) and Bax movements may serve as an amplifying factor in the initial signaling steps of apoptosis.     

Mutation of putative divalent cation sites in the alpha 4 subunit of the integrin VLA-4: distinct effects on adhesion to CS1/fibronectin, VCAM-1, and invasin

To investigate the functional significance of putative integrin divalent cation binding sites, several mutated alpha 4 subunit cDNAs were constructed. Mutants contained the conservative substitution of Glu for Asp or Asn at the third position in each of three putative divalent cation sites. Transfection of wild-type or mutated alpha 4 into K562 cells yielded comparable expression levels and immunoprecipitation profiles. However, for all three alpha 4 mutants, adhesion to CS1/fibronectin was greatly diminished in either the presence or absence of the stimulatory anti-beta 1 mAb TS2/16. Constitutive adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) 1 was also diminished but, unlike CS1 adhesion, was restored upon TS2/16 stimulation. In contrast, adhesion to the bacterial protein invasin was minimally affected by any of the three mutations. For each of the mutants, the order of preference for divalent cations was unchanged compared to wild-type alpha 4, on CS1/fibronectin (Mn2+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+), on VCAM-1 (Mn2+ > Mg2+ = Ca2+) and on invasin (Mg2+ = Ca2+). However for the three mutants, the efficiency of divalent cation utilization was decreased. On VCAM-1, 68-108 microM Mn2+ was required to support half-maximal adhesion for the mutants compared with 14-18 microM for wild-type alpha 4. These results indicate (a) that three different ligands for VLA-4 show widely differing sensitivities to mutations within putative divalent cation sites, and (b) each of the three putative divalent cation sites in alpha 4 have comparable functional importance with respect to both divalent cation usage and cell adhesion.