Targeted Induction of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induces Cartilage Pathology

Pathologies caused by mutations in extracellular matrix proteins are generally considered to result from the synthesis of extracellular matrices that are defective. Mutations in type X collagen cause metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid (MCDS), a disorder characterised by dwarfism and an expanded growth plate hypertrophic zone. We generated a knock-in mouse model of an MCDS–causing mutation (COL10A1 p.Asn617Lys) to investigate pathogenic mechanisms linking genotype and phenotype. Mice expressing the collagen X mutation had shortened limbs and an expanded hypertrophic zone. Chondrocytes in the hypertrophic zone exhibited endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and a robust unfolded protein response (UPR) due to intracellular retention of mutant protein. Hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation and osteoclast recruitment were significantly reduced indicating that the hypertrophic zone was expanded due to a decreased rate of VEGF–mediated vascular invasion of the growth plate. To test directly the role of ER stress and UPR in generating the MCDS phenotype, we produced transgenic mouse lines that used the collagen X promoter to drive expression of an ER stress–inducing protein (the cog mutant of thyroglobulin) in hypertrophic chondrocytes. The hypertrophic chondrocytes in this mouse exhibited ER stress with a characteristic UPR response. In addition, the hypertrophic zone was expanded, gene expression patterns were disrupted, osteoclast recruitment to the vascular invasion front was reduced, and long bone growth decreased. Our data demonstrate that triggering ER stress per se in hypertrophic chondrocytes is sufficient to induce the essential features of the cartilage pathology associated with MCDS and confirm that ER stress is a central pathogenic factor in the disease mechanism. These findings support the contention that ER stress may play a direct role in the pathogenesis of many connective tissue disorders associated with the expression of mutant extracellular matrix proteins.     

Fucoidan Induces Cancer Cell Apoptosis by Modulating the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Cascades

Background

Cancer metastasis is the main cause leading to disease recurrence and high mortality in cancer patients. Therefore, inhibiting metastasis process or killing metastatic cancer cells by inducing apoptosis is of clinical importance in improving cancer patient survival. Previous studies revealed that fucoidan, a fucose-rich polysaccharide isolated from marine brown alga, is a promising natural product with significant anti-cancer activity. However, little is known about the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in fucoidan-induced cell apoptosis.

Principal Findings

We reported that fucoidan treatment inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Fucoidan treatments resulted in down-regulation of the glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in the metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, and of the ER protein 29 (ERp29) in the metastatic HCT116 colon cancer cells. However, fucoidan treatment promoted ER Ca²⁺-dependent calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylation, Bcl-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase 12 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells, but not in HCT116 cells. In both types of cancer cells, fucoidan activated the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (p-eIF2α)\CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) pro-apoptotic cascade and inhibited the phosphorylation of inositol-requiring kinase 1 (p-IRE-1)\X-box binding proteins 1 splicing (XBP-1s) pro-survival cascade. Furthermore, CHOP knockdown prevented DNA damage and cell death induced by fucoidan.

Conclusion/Significance

Fucoidan exerts its anti-tumor function by modulating ER stress cascades. Contribution of ER stress to the fucoidan-induced cell apoptosis augments our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-tumour activity and provides evidence for the therapeutic application of fucoidan in cancer.     

ALS-Associated TDP-43 Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress,Which Drives Cytoplasmic TDP-43 Accumulation and Stress Granule Formation

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration, TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) accumulates in the cytoplasm of affected neurons and glia, where it associates with stress granules (SGs) and forms large inclusions. SGs form in response to cellular stress, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which is induced in both familial and sporadic forms of ALS. Here we demonstrate that pharmacological induction of ER stress causes TDP-43 to accumulate in the cytoplasm, where TDP-43 also associates with SGs. Furthermore, treatment with salubrinal, an inhibitor of dephosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2-α, a key modulator of ER stress, potentiates ER stress-mediated SG formation. Inclusions of C-terminal fragment TDP-43, reminiscent of disease-pathology, form in close association with ER and Golgi compartments, further indicating the involvement of ER dysfunction in TDP-43-associated disease. Consistent with this notion, over-expression of ALS-linked mutant TDP-43, and to a lesser extent wildtype TDP-43, triggers several ER stress pathways in neuroblastoma cells. Similarly, we found an interaction between the ER chaperone protein disulphide isomerase and TDP-43 in transfected cell lysates and in the spinal cords of mutant A315T TDP-43 transgenic mice. This study provides evidence for ER stress as a pathogenic pathway in TDP-43-mediated disease.     

Klotho对CsA慢性肾毒性大鼠肾脏内质网应激相关凋亡的影响

24只雄性SD(Sprague dawley)大鼠在低盐饮食的基础上,随机分为3组:对照组、模型组、治疗组。模型组给予环孢素A(Cyclosporin A,Cs A)30 mg/kg/d腹腔注射共28 d建立慢性肾毒性大鼠模型;治疗组在给予等量Cs A的基础上腹腔注射给予重组可溶性Klotho蛋白(0.02 mg/kg/d腹腔注射,隔日一次)。28 d后处死大鼠,收集肾组织标本;行Masson染色观察肾脏病理损害;TUNEL(Td T-mediated d UTP nick end labeling)染色观察细胞凋亡情况;Western-blot检测肾组织内质网应激标志物兔抗葡萄糖调节蛋白78(glucose regulated protein78,GRP78)及CCAAT/增强子结合蛋白同源蛋白(pro-apoptotic protein CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein,CHOP)的表达情况。分析发现,模型组大鼠肾脏病理损害明显加重,肾小管上皮细胞大量凋亡,GRP78及CHOP表达显著上调,而Klotho治疗组大鼠肾脏病理损害明显减轻,细胞凋亡减少,GRP78及CHOP的表达明显降低。表明Klotho蛋白可通过抑制内质网应激诱导的凋亡缓解Cs A慢性肾毒性的发生。     

Sevoflurane Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Mediated Apoptosis in Hippocampal Neurons of Aging Rats

Elderly patients are more likely to suffer from postoperative memory impairment for volatile anesthetics could induce aging neurons degeneration and apoptosis while the mechanism was still elusive. Therefore we hypothesized that ER stress mediated hippocampal neurons apoptosis might play an important role in the mechanism of sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in aged rats. Thirty 18-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: the sham anesthesia group (exposure to simply humidified 30–50% O₂ balanced by N₂ in an acrylic anesthetizing chamber for 5 hours) and the sevoflurane anesthesia group (received 2% sevoflurane in the same humidified mixed air in an identical chamber for the same time). Spatial memory of rats was assayed by the Morris water maze test. The ultrastructure of the hippocampus was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expressions of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and caspase-12 in the hippocampus were observed by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR analysis. The apoptosis neurons were also assessed by TUNEL assay. The Morris water maze test showed that sevoflurane anesthesia induced spatial memory impairment in aging rats (P<0.05). The apoptotic neurons were condensed and had clumped chromatin with fragmentation of the nuclear membrane, verifying apoptotic degeneration in the sevoflurane group rats by TEM observation. The expressions of CHOP and caspase-12 increased, and the number of TUNEL positive cells of the hippocampus also increased in the sevoflurane group rats (P<0.05). The present results suggested that the long time exposure of sevoflurane could induce neuronal degeneration and cognitive impairment in aging rats. The ER stress mediated neurons apoptosis may play a role in the sevoflurane-induced memory impairment in aging rats.     

Degradation of the Endoplasmic Reticulum by Autophagy during Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Arabidopsis

In this article, we show that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in Arabidopsis thaliana undergoes morphological changes in structure during ER stress that can be attributed to autophagy. ER stress agents trigger autophagy as demonstrated by increased production of autophagosomes. In response to ER stress, a soluble ER marker localizes to autophagosomes and accumulates in the vacuole upon inhibition of vacuolar proteases. Membrane lamellae decorated with ribosomes were observed inside autophagic bodies, demonstrating that portions of the ER are delivered to the vacuole by autophagy during ER stress. In addition, an ER stress sensor, INOSITOL-REQUIRING ENZYME-1b (IRE1b), was found to be required for ER stress–induced autophagy. However, the IRE1b splicing target, bZIP60, did not seem to be involved, suggesting the existence of an undiscovered signaling pathway to regulate ER stress–induced autophagy in plants. Together, these results suggest that autophagy serves as a pathway for the turnover of ER membrane and its contents in response to ER stress in plants.     

Induction of Heat Shock Proteins and Acquisition of Thermotolerance in Germinating Pigeonpea Seeds

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) ranging in molecular masses from 14 to 110 kDa were induced in embryonic axes of germinating Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh seeds after exposure to 40 °C for 1 or 2 h. At 45 °C, there was a marked decline in synthesis of HSPs. A close relationship was observed between HSPs induced and the growth of the germinating seeds. Pretreatment of germinating seeds at 40 °C for 1 h or 45 °C for 10 min followed by incubation at 28 °C for 3 h led to considerable thermotolerance (45 °C, 2 h) and the recovery of protein synthesis. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Gibberellic Acid-Induced Aleurone Layers Responding to Heat Shock or Tunicamycin Provide Insight into the N-Glycoproteome,Protein Secretion,and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

The growing relevance of plants for the production of recombinant proteins makes understanding the secretory machinery, including the identification of glycosylation sites in secreted proteins, an important goal of plant proteomics. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) aleurone layers maintained in vitro respond to gibberellic acid by secreting an array of proteins and provide a unique system for the analysis of plant protein secretion. Perturbation of protein secretion in gibberellic acid-induced aleurone layers by two independent mechanisms, heat shock and tunicamycin treatment, demonstrated overlapping effects on both the intracellular and secreted proteomes. Proteins in a total of 22 and 178 two-dimensional gel spots changing in intensity in extracellular and intracellular fractions, respectively, were identified by mass spectrometry. Among these are proteins with key roles in protein processing and secretion, such as calreticulin, protein disulfide isomerase, proteasome subunits, and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase. Sixteen heat shock proteins in 29 spots showed diverse responses to the treatments, with only a minority increasing in response to heat shock. The majority, all of which were small heat shock proteins, decreased in heat-shocked aleurone layers. Additionally, glycopeptide enrichment and N-glycosylation analysis identified 73 glycosylation sites in 65 aleurone layer proteins, with 53 of the glycoproteins found in extracellular fractions and 36 found in intracellular fractions. This represents major progress in characterization of the barley N-glycoproteome, since only four of these sites were previously described. Overall, these findings considerably advance knowledge of the plant protein secretion system in general and emphasize the versatility of the aleurone layer as a model system for studying plant protein secretion.Plant proteins that are secreted to the apoplast have important functions in signaling, defense, and cell regulation. The classical protein secretory pathway is less characterized in plants than in mammals or yeast but is of growing interest due to the potential of plant systems as hosts for the production of recombinant proteins (Erlendsson et al., 2010; De Wilde et al., 2013). Plant secretomics, therefore, is a rapidly expanding area applied to gain further insight into these processes (Agrawal et al., 2010; Alexandersson et al., 2013). Many secretory proteins contain putative N-glycosylation sites, and the identification and characterization of these sites is an important element in secretomics analysis. However, to date, only a few plant glycoproteomes have been described (Fitchette et al., 2007; Minic et al., 2007; Palmisano et al., 2010; Melo-Braga et al., 2012; Zhang et al., 2012; Thannhauser et al., 2013).The cereal aleurone layer is of major importance due to its central role in grain germination. Previous proteomic studies have been reported for aleurone layers dissected from mature (Finnie and Svensson, 2003) and germinating (Bønsager et al., 2007) barley (Hordeum vulgare) or developing (Tasleem-Tahir et al., 2011) and mature (Laubin et al., 2008; Jerkovic et al., 2010; Meziani et al., 2012) wheat (Triticum aestivum) grains. The in vitro culture of isolated aleurone layers was developed by Chrispeels and Varner (1967). Since then, this system has become an excellent tool for the study of germination signaling in response to phytohormones (Bush et al., 1986; Jones and Jacobsen, 1991; Bethke et al., 1997; Ishibashi et al., 2012). More recently, it has been adopted as a unique system for the analysis of plant secretory proteins (Hägglund et al., 2010; Finnie et al., 2011). The addition of GA₃ to the isolated aleurone layers induces the synthesis and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes. In the in vitro system, these accumulate in the incubation buffer, facilitating their identification and characterization using proteomics techniques. Thus, numerous secreted proteins with roles in the hydrolysis of starch, cell wall polysaccharides, and proteins could be identified (Finnie et al., 2011). Furthermore, several of the proteins were also detected in intracellular extracts from the same aleurone layers, presumably prior to their release. Many of the proteins appeared in multiple forms on two-dimensional (2D) gels, and often with higher M_r than expected, suggesting the presence of posttranslational modifications (PTMs; Finnie et al., 2011). Bak-Jensen et al. (2007) and Finnie et al. (2011) observed a highly complex pattern of α-amylase-containing spots on 2D gels, which originated from only two α-AMYLASE2 (AMY2) and two AMY1 gene products from a total of 10 genes, probably reflecting multiple forms due to PTMs.In eukaryotic cells, proteins synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) must be correctly folded and assembled before continuing in the secretory pathway. Perturbations of redox state, calcium regulation, Glc deprivation, and viral infection can lead to ER stress, triggered by the accumulation of unfolded and misfolded proteins in the ER lumen. This provokes a triple response from the cell, consisting of an up-regulation of chaperones and vesicle trafficking, a down-regulation of genes encoding secretory proteins, and an up-regulation of proteins involved in endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD). In plants, the molecular mechanisms underlying ER stress in plants have yet to be fully resolved (Martínez and Chrispeels, 2003; Nagashima et al., 2011; Moreno et al., 2012).Tunicamycin (TN), an inhibitor of GlcNAc phosphotransferase, which catalyzes the first step in glycoprotein synthesis, has been used to induce ER stress by causing the accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER lumen (Noh et al., 2003; Kamauchi et al., 2005; Reis et al., 2011). If unfolded proteins are not removed, the prolonged stress will induce programmed cell death. Links between ER stress and apoptosis have been reported in response to TN treatment in mammalian cells, whereas in plants, this correlation has been suggested, but the pathways of signal transduction remain unknown (Kamauchi et al., 2005; Reis et al., 2011).In all plant tissues, heat shock (HS) induces the synthesis of a variety of heat shock proteins (HSPs), which are responsible for protein refolding under stress conditions (Craig et al., 1994) and translocation and degradation in a broad array of normal cellular processes (Bond and Schlesinger, 1986; Spiess et al., 1999). In the barley aleurone layer, HS selectively suppresses the synthesis of secretory proteins, including α-amylase, due to the selective destabilization of secretory protein mRNA (Belanger et al., 1986; Brodl and Ho, 1991). However, an acclimation effect has been described in aleurone cells after prolonged incubation at warm temperatures, resulting in a resumption of the protein secretory machinery (Shaw and Brodl, 2003). The connection between heat stress response and ER stress has been well established in mammals and yeast, but scarce information is available in plants (Denecke et al., 1995).Over the last years, the dual role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been established in plants: at higher concentrations, ROS act as toxic molecules damaging cellular macromolecules, eventually causing cell death, but at lower concentrations, ROS seem to be necessary for seed germination and seedling growth by controlling the cellular redox status, regulating growth and protecting against pathogens (Bailly, 2004; Bailly et al., 2008). In the barley aleurone layer, GA₃ perceived at the plasma membrane induces ROS generation as a by-product from intense lipid metabolism, and the redox regulation of the GA₃-induced response has been proposed (Maya-Ampudia and Bernal-Lugo, 2006). This suggests that during the secretory function of the tissue, moderate levels of ROS may be acting as cellular messengers. In aleurone cells, ROS, especially hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), are involved in the process of programmed cell death, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear (Bethke and Jones, 2001; Ishibashi et al., 2012).Until now, none of the protein components of the ER stress pathways have been identified in barley; also, little is known about the glycosylation of barley proteins. In this work, numerous N-glycoslation sites are identified, and the effect of perturbing N-glycosylation and the secretory pathway by TN and HS treatments is analyzed in GA₃-induced barley aleurone layers.     

Bufalin Induces the Interplay between Apoptosis and Autophagy in Glioma Cells through Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Malignant gliomas are common primary tumors of the central nervous system. The prognosis of patients with malignant glioma is poor in spite of current intensive therapy and thus novel therapeutic modalities are necessary. Bufalin is the major component of Chan-Su (a traditional Chinese medicine) extracts from the venom of Bufo gargarizan. In this study, we evaluated the growth inhibitory effect of bufalin on glioma cells and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that bufalin inhibited the growth of glioma cells significantly. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that bufalin induced apoptosis through mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. In addition, bufalin was also found to induce ER stress-mediated apoptosis, which was supported by the up- regulation of ER stress markers, CHOP and GRP78, and augmented phosphorylation of PERK and eIF2α as well as cleavage of caspase-4. Downregulation of CHOP using siCHOP RNA attenuated bufalin-induced apoptosis, further confirming the role of ER stress response in mediating bufalin-induced apoptosis. Evidence of bufalin-induced autophagy included formation of the acidic vesicular organelles, increase of autophagolysosomes and LC3-II accumulation. Further experiments showed that the mechanism of bufalin-induced autophagy associated with ATP deleption involved an increase in the active form of AMPK, decreased phosphorylation levels of mTOR and its downstream targets 4EBP1 and p70S6K1. Furthermore, TUDC and silencing of eIF2α or CHOP partially blocked bufalin-induced accumulation of LC3-II, which indicated that ER stress preceded bufalin-induced autophagy and PERK/eIF2α/CHOP signaling pathway played a major part in the process. Blockage of autophagy increased expression of ER stress associated proteins and the ratio of apoptosis, indicating that autophagy played a cytoprotective role in bufalin induced ER stress and cell death. In conclusion, bufalin inhibits glioma cell growth and induces interplay between apoptosis and autophagy through endoplasmic reticulum stress. It will provide molecular bases for developing bufalin into a drug candidate for the treatment of maglinant glioma.     

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induces Different Molecular Structural Alterations in Human Dilated and Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Background

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a multifunctional organelle responsible for the synthesis and folding of proteins as well as for signalling and calcium storage, that has been linked to the contraction-relaxation process. Perturbations of its homeostasis activate a stress response in diseases such as heart failure (HF). To elucidate the alterations in ER molecular components, we analyze the levels of ER stress and structure proteins in human dilated (DCM) and ischemic (ICM) cardiomyopathies, and its relationship with patient''s functional status.

Methods and Results

We examined 52 explanted human hearts from DCM (n = 21) and ICM (n = 21) subjects and 10 non-failing hearts as controls. Our results showed specific changes in stress (IRE1, p<0.05; p-IRE1, p<0.05) and structural (Reticulon 1, p<0.01) protein levels. The stress proteins GRP78, XBP1 and ATF6 as well as the structural proteins RRBP1, kinectin, and Nogo A and B, were upregulated in both DCM and ICM patients. Immunofluorescence results were concordant with quantified Western blot levels. Moreover, we show a novel relationship between stress and structural proteins. RRBP1, involved in procollagen synthesis and remodeling, was related with left ventricular function.

Conclusions

In the present study, we report the existence of alterations in ER stress response and shaping proteins. We show a plausible effect of the ER stress on ER structure in a suitable sample of DCM and ICM subjects. Patients with higher values of RRBP1 had worse left ventricular function.     

Obesity Induces Hypothalamic Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Impairs Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) Post-translational Processing

It was shown previously that abnormal prohormone processing or inactive proconverting enzymes that are responsible for this processing cause profound obesity. Our laboratory demonstrated earlier that in the diet-induced obesity (DIO) state, the appetite-suppressing neuropeptide α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is reduced, yet the mRNA of its precursor protein proopiomelanocortin (POMC) remained unaltered. It was also shown that the DIO condition promotes the development of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and leptin resistance. In the current study, using an in vivo model combined with in vitro experiments, we demonstrate that obesity-induced ER stress obstructs the post-translational processing of POMC by decreasing proconverting enzyme 2, which catalyzes the conversion of adrenocorticotropin to α-MSH, thereby decreasing α-MSH peptide production. This novel mechanism of ER stress affecting POMC processing in DIO highlights the importance of ER stress in regulating central energy balance in obesity.     

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induces Myostatin High Molecular Weight Aggregates and Impairs Mature Myostatin Secretion

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is the most prevalent acquired muscle disorder in the elderly with no defined etiology or effective therapy. Endoplasmic reticulum stress and deposition of myostatin, a secreted negative regulator of muscle growth, have been implicated in disease pathology. The myostatin signaling pathway has emerged as a major target for symptomatic treatment of muscle atrophy. Here, we systematically analyzed the maturation and secretion of myostatin precursor MstnPP and its metabolites in a human muscle cell line. We find that increased MsntPP protein levels induce ER stress. MstnPP metabolites were predominantly retained within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), also evident in sIBM histology. MstnPP cleavage products formed insoluble high molecular weight aggregates, a process that was aggravated by experimental ER stress. Importantly, ER stress also impaired secretion of mature myostatin. Reduced secretion and aggregation of MstnPP metabolites were not simply caused by overexpression, as both events were also observed in wildtype cells under ER stress. It is tempting to speculate that reduced circulating myostatin growth factor could be one explanation for the poor clinical efficacy of drugs targeting the myostatin pathway in sIBM.     

Proteasome Inhibitors Cause Induction of Heat Shock Proteins and Trehalose, Which Together Confer Thermotolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An accumulation in cells of unfolded proteins is believed to be the common signal triggering the induction of heat shock proteins (hsps). Accordingly, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, inhibition of protein breakdown at 30°C with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 caused a coordinate induction of many heat shock proteins within 1 to 2 h. Concomitantly, MG132, at concentrations that had little or no effect on growth rate, caused a dramatic increase in the cells’ resistance to very high temperature. The magnitude of this effect depended on the extent and duration of the inhibition of proteolysis. A similar induction of hsps and thermotolerance was seen with another proteasome inhibitor, clasto-lactacystin β-lactone, but not with an inhibitor of vacuolar proteases. Surprisingly, when the reversible inhibitor MG132 was removed, thermotolerance decreased rapidly, while synthesis of hsps continued to increase. In addition, exposure to MG132 and 37°C together had synergistic effects in promoting thermotolerance but did not increase hsp expression beyond that seen with either stimulus alone. Although thermotolerance did not correlate with hsp content, another thermoprotectant trehalose accumulated upon exposure of cells to MG132, and the cellular content of this disaccharide, unlike that of hsps, quickly decreased upon removal of MG132. Also, MG132 and 37°C had additive effects in causing trehalose accumulation. Thus, the resistance to heat induced by proteasome inhibitors is not just due to induction of hsps but also requires a short-lived metabolite, probably trehalose, which accumulates when proteolysis is reduced.     

Inhibition of Golgi Apparatus Glycosylation Causes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Decreased Protein Synthesis

Nucleotide sugar transporters of the Golgi apparatus play an essential role in the glycosylation of proteins, lipids, and proteoglycans. Down-regulation of expression of the transporters for CMP-sialic acid, GDP-fucose, or both unexpectedly resulted in accumulation of glycoconjugates in the Golgi apparatus rather than in the plasma membrane. Pulse-chase experiments with radiolabeled sugars and amino acids showed decreased synthesis and secretion of both nonglycoproteins and glycoproteins. Further studies revealed that the above silencing induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibited protein translation initiation. Together these results suggest that global inhibition of Golgi apparatus glycosylation may lead to important secondary metabolic changes, unrelated to glycosylation.     

Sodium Butyrate Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Autophagy in Colorectal Cells: Implications for Apoptosis

Purpose

Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid derived from dietary fiber, inhibits proliferation and induces cell death in colorectal cancer cells. However, clinical trials have shown mixed results regarding the anti-tumor activities of butyrate. We have previously shown that sodium butyrate increases endoplasmic reticulum stress by altering intracellular calcium levels, a well-known autophagy trigger. Here, we investigated whether sodium butyrate-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress mediated autophagy, and whether there was crosstalk between autophagy and the sodium butyrate-induced apoptotic response in human colorectal cancer cells.

Methods

Human colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29) were treated with sodium butyrate at concentrations ranging from 0.5–5mM. Cell proliferation was assessed using MTT tetrazolium salt formation. Autophagy induction was confirmed through a combination of Western blotting for associated proteins, acridine orange staining for acidic vesicles, detection of autolysosomes (MDC staining), and electron microscopy. Apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry using standard annexinV/propidium iodide staining and by assessing PARP-1 cleavage by Western blot.

Results

Sodium butyrate suppressed colorectal cancer cell proliferation, induced autophagy, and resulted in apoptotic cell death. The induction of autophagy was supported by the accumulation of acidic vesicular organelles and autolysosomes, and the expression of autophagy-associated proteins, including microtubule-associated protein II light chain 3 (LC3-II), beclin-1, and autophagocytosis-associated protein (Atg)3. The autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine inhibited sodium butyrate induced autophagy. Furthermore, sodium butyrate treatment markedly enhanced the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated proteins, including BIP, CHOP, PDI, and IRE-1a. When endoplasmic reticulum stress was inhibited by pharmacological (cycloheximide and mithramycin) and genetic (siRNA targeting BIP and CHOP) methods, the induction of BIP, PDI, IRE1a, and LC3-II was blocked, but PARP cleavage was markedly enhanced.

Discussion

Taken together, these results suggested that sodium butyrate-induced autophagy was mediated by endoplasmic reticulum stress, and that preventing autophagy by blocking the endoplasmic reticulum stress response enhanced sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis. These results provide novel insights into the anti-tumor mechanisms of butyric acid.     

High Humidity and Heat Stress Causes Dissociation of Endoplasmic Reticulum in Tobacco Pollen

High humidity (95 % RH) and temperature (38/45 °C) stress for 4h applied to pollen grains of Nicotiana tabacum did not affect pollen viability, assessed on the basis of the fluorochromatic reaction test, but affected in vitro germination; pollen grains treated at 38 °C showed marked delay in germination, while those treated at 45 °C failed to germinate in vitro. The major ultrastructural effect of the stress was on RER. Stacks of RER, characteristically present in fresh pollen, were largely dissociated in the stressed pollen. The extent of dissociation of RER was greater in pollen samples stressed at 45 °C than at 38 °C. The generative cell did not show any obvious change in the stressed pollen. RER was restored in pollen grains which showed germination following culture; but not in those which failed to germinate. Apart from affecting other RER-related functions the dissociation of RER is likely to result in the destruction of long-lived mRNA and thus affect the ability of pollen grains to initiate protein synthesis needed for germination.