Protein import into chloroplasts: new aspects of a well-known topic

Protein import into plant chloroplasts is a fascinating topic that is being investigated by many research groups. Since the majority of chloroplast proteins are synthesised as precursor proteins in the cytosol, they have to be posttranslationally imported into the organelle. For this purpose, most preproteins are synthesised with an N-terminal presequence, which is both necessary and sufficient for organelle recognition and translocation initiation. The import of preproteins is facilitated by two translocation machineries in the outer and inner envelope of chloroplasts, the Toc and Tic complexes, respectively. Translocation of precursor proteins across the envelope membrane has to be highly regulated to react to the metabolic requirements of the organelle. The aim of this review is to summarise the events that take place at the translocation machineries that are known so far. In addition, we focus in particular on alternative import pathways and the aspect of regulation of protein transport at the outer and inner envelope membrane.     

Activation of Endothelial Cell Kinin Receptors Leads to Intracellular Calcium Increases and Filamin Translocation: Regulation by Protein Kinase C

Membrane-associated cytoskeletal proteins provide support for endothelial cell (EC) junctional cell adhesion molecules. Nonmuscle filamin is a dimeric actin cross-linking protein that interacts with F-actin and membrane glycoproteins. Both bradykinin and des-Arg⁹-bradykinin cause filamin redistribution from the plasma membrane to the cytosol of confluent EC. Kinin-induced filamin translocation parallels the dynamics of intracellular Ca²⁺ increases. Pretreatment with kinin receptor antagonists blocks the Ca²⁺ response as well as filamin translocation induced by kinins. Protein kinase C activation prior to kinin stimulation attenuates intracellular Ca²⁺ increases and filamin translocation. BAPTA, a cell-permeable Ca²⁺ chelator, attenuates bradykinin-induced intracellular Ca²⁺ increases and filamin translocation. This study demonstrates that bovine pulmonary artery ECs express both kinin B1 and B2 receptors, and that activation of either receptor leads to intracellular Ca²⁺ increases. This Ca²⁺ signalling, which is downregulated by protein kinase C activation, is essential for kinin-induced filamin translocation.     

Activation of nuclear factor kappaB and induction of apoptosis by tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the mouse uterine epithelial WEG-1 cell line

In order to better understand how tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha may contribute to the local regulation of uterine cell death, cultures of mouse uterine epithelial WEG-1 cells were exposed to TNF-alpha and observed at different time intervals. Earliest decrease in cell viability was observed after 31 h of exposure to 50 ng/ml mouse TNF-alpha and was associated with the expression of several markers of apoptosis. Treatment with human TNF-alpha or addition of a neutralizing antibody against TNF-alpha receptor protein 80 to mouse TNF-alpha resulted in attenuated induction of apoptosis, suggesting that coengagement of the two TNF-alpha receptor types is required for maximal impact. Ceramide analogs failed to replicate the effect of TNF-alpha and the stress-activated protein kinase signaling pathway was not activated by the cytokine. Treatment with mouse TNF-alpha resulted in an increase in nuclear factor (NF)kappaB activity that receded after 24 h. The impact of human TNF-alpha on NFkappaB activation was more moderate. Addition of either one of three different inhibitors of NFkappaB (SN50, PDTC, and A771726) to mouse TNF-alpha sensitized WEG-1 cells to the toxicity of the cytokine. Our data suggest that WEG-1 cells initiate their response to TNF-alpha with an increase in NFkappaB activation that may have transiently biased these cells toward cell death resistance.     

Electron tomographic and ultrastructural analysis of the Cryptosporidium parvum relict mitochondrion, its associated membranes, and organelles

Sporozoites of the apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum possess a small, membranous organelle sandwiched between the nucleus and crystalloid body. Based upon immunolabelling data, this organelle was identified as a relict mitochondrion. Transmission electron microscopy and tomographic reconstruction reveal the complex arrangement of membranes in the vicinity of this organelle, as well as its internal organization. The mitochondrion is enveloped by multiple segments of rough endoplasmic reticulum that extend from the outer nuclear envelope. In tomographic reconstructions of the mitochondrion, there is either a single, highly-folded inner membrane or multiple internal subcompartments (which might merge outside the reconstructed volume). The infoldings of the inner membrane lack the tubular "crista junctions" found in typical metazoan, fungal, and protist mitochondria. The absence of this highly conserved structural feature is congruent with the loss, through reductive evolution, of the normal oxidative phosphorylation machinery in C. parvum. It is proposed that the retention of a relict mitochondrion in C. parvum is a strategy for compartmentalizing away from the cytosol toxic ferrous iron and sulfide, which are needed for iron sulfur cluster biosynthesis, an essential function of mitochondria in all eukaryotes.     

Parallel changes in amino acid transport and protein kinase C localization in LLC-PK1 cells treated with TPA or diradylglycerols

Protein kinase C is considered to be a major target for tumor promoting phorbol esters such as 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). We have analyzed the correlation between A-system amino acid transport and the distribution of protein kinase C (PKC) between a membrane-rich fraction (100,000 g pellet) and cytosol (supernatant) from homogenized LLC-PK1 cells, a pig kidney epithelial cell line grown in culture. During log growth 1 day after seeding the cells onto culture plates, PKC activity is high in the membrane fraction and low in the cytosol. As the cells become confluent the PKC distribution shifts to a cytosolic pool. Concomitantly, A-system amino acid transport, as measured by methylaminoisobutyric acid [14C]MeAIB uptake, decreases. TPA (0.01-1.0 microM) induces a shift of PKC activity from the cytosol back to the membrane-rich fraction in post-confluent cells with a concomitant 2-3 fold stimulation of MeAIB uptake. The same responses can be achieved by treating cells with certain diradylglycerols, either diacylglycerols such as 1-oleyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG) or alkylacylglycerols such as 1-hexadecenyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycerol. Both responses to TPA are blocked by cytochalasin B, but cycloheximide inhibits the transport response without affecting PKC redistribution. It is suggested that the redistribution may be a necessary but not sufficient concomitant to the transport activation.     

MALS is a binding partner of IRSp53 at cell-cell contacts

Insulin receptor substrate p53 (IRSp53) is a key player in cytoskeletal dynamics, interacting with the actin modulators WAVE2 and Mena. Here, we identified a PDZ protein, MALS, as an IRSp53-interacting protein using a yeast two-hybrid screen. A pull-down assay showed that IRSp53 and MALS interact through the PDZ domain of MALS and the C-terminal PDZ-binding sequence of IRSp53. Their interaction in MDCK cells was also demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation. Immunocytochemistry showed the colocalization of IRSp53 and MALS at cell-cell contacts. Cytochalasin D induced the redistribution of both proteins to the cytosol. Thus, MALS is a partner of IRSp53 anchoring the actin-based membrane cytoskeleton at cell-cell contacts.     

Mechanism of protein import across the chloroplast envelope

The development and maintenance of chloroplasts relies on the contribution of protein subunits from both plastid and nuclear genomes. Most chloroplast proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and are post-translationally imported into the organelle across the double membrane of the chloroplast envelope. Protein import into the chloroplast consists of two essential elements: the specific recognition of the targeting signals (transit sequences) of cytoplasmic preproteins by receptors at the outer envelope membrane and the subsequent translocation of preproteins simultaneously across the double membrane of the envelope. These processes are mediated via the co-ordinate action of protein translocon complexes in the outer (Toc apparatus) and inner (Tic apparatus) envelope membranes.     

Activity and distribution of protein kinase C in liver during the acute-phase response

Activity and subcellular distribution of protein kinase C were estimated in liver cytosol and membrane fractions of rats carrying a turpentine-induced inflammation. Protein kinase C activity increases significantly 8 h after treatment in the membrane fraction, with concurrent reduction in the cytosol; 10 h after treatment the membrane-associated activity returns to normal, without concomitant recovery of that detected in the cytosol. The specific binding of phorbol dibutyrate to the liver membrane fraction increases but overall the effect is less evident and delayed in time. The changes are associated to alterations in the phosphorylation pattern of some liver proteins. Liver protein kinase C activity and intracellular distribution seem to be affected by a treatment which is known to induce an acute-phase response in the liver cells.     

Early events in yeast mitochondrial protein targeting

Protein import into mitochondria involves a number of complex steps occurring in the cytosol, on the mitochondrial surface, and inside the organelle. Once an initial interaction between mitochondrial proteins and their specific receptors occurs, the proteins are transported into the organelle in a series of reactions involving (in the case of a protein to be translocated into the mitochondrial matrix) the mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP hydrolysis and an undetermined number of membrane components. Inside the organelle, mitochondrial proteins are processed and sorted to their final intramitochondrial destinations. The earliest steps in the import process take place in the cytosol and include the synthesis of the mitochondrial proteins themselves, their interaction with cytosolic factors, and perhaps the establishment of cotranslational import complexes on the mitochondrial surface. These early events are important because it is during this phase that the system as a whole is most sensitive to cytosolic conditions that may exert control over the entire import process.     

Insulin induces activation and translocation of protein kinase FA (a multifunctional protein phosphatase activator) in human platelet

Protein kinase FA (an activator of the ATP.Mg-dependent multifunctional protein phosphatase) has been identified in both cytosol and plasma membrane isolated from human platelets. The FA activity in the cytosol is active whereas the FA activity in the membrane is inactive. Quantitative analysis further indicates that approximately 90% of total FA is present in the membrane whereas only 10% of FA is localized in the cytosol, suggesting that the inactive membrane-associated FA might be regulated. This notion has subsequently been demonstrated that exposure of platelets to physiological concentrations of insulin for only 1 min resulted in an increase in cytosolic FA activity to about 300% of control values in the absence of insulin and in a corresponding decrease in FA activity in the membrane. It is concluded that the molecular basis for insulin action on cellular metabolism may partly be mediated through the activation and translocation of protein kinase FA in the membrane. It is suggested that redistribution of protein kinase FA may represent a transmembrane signal of insulin.     

A high-affinity reversible protein stain for Western blots

We describe a reversible staining technique, using MemCode, a reversible protein stain by which proteins can be visualized on nitrocellulose and polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) membranes without being permanently fixed to the membrane itself. This allows subsequent immunoblot analysis of the proteins to be performed. The procedure is applicable only to protein blots on nitrocellulose and PVDF membranes. MemCode is a reversible protein stain composed of copper as a part of an organic complex that interacts noncovalently with proteins. MemCode shows rapid protein staining, taking 30s to 1 min for completion. The method is simple and utilizes convenient application conditions that are compatible with the matrix materials and the protein. The stain is more sensitive than any previously described dye-based universal protein staining system. The turquoise-blue-stained protein bands do not fade with time and are easy to photograph compared to those stained with Ponceau S. Absorbance in the blue region of the spectrum offers good properties for photo documentation and avoids interference from common biological chromophores. The stain on the protein is easily reversible in 2 min for nitrocellulose membrane and in 10 min for PVDF membrane with MemCode stain eraser. The stain is compatible with general Western blot detection systems, and membrane treatment with MemCode stain does not interfere with conventional chemiluminescent or chromogenic detection using horseradish peroxide and alkaline phosphatase substrates. The stain is also compatible with N-terminal sequence analysis of proteins.     

Cytosolic events involved in chloroplast protein targeting

Chloroplasts are unique organelles that are responsible for photosynthesis. Although chloroplasts contain their own genome, the majority of chloroplast proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome. These proteins are transported to the chloroplasts after translation in the cytosol. Chloroplasts contain three membrane systems (outer/inner envelope and thylakoid membranes) that subdivide the interior into three soluble compartments known as the intermembrane space, stroma, and thylakoid lumen. Several targeting mechanisms are required to deliver proteins to the correct chloroplast membrane or soluble compartment. These mechanisms have been extensively studied using purified chloroplasts in vitro. Prior to targeting these proteins to the various compartments of the chloroplast, they must be correctly sorted in the cytosol. To date, it is not clear how these proteins are sorted in the cytosol and then targeted to the chloroplasts. Recently, the cytosolic carrier protein AKR2 and its associated cofactor Hsp17.8 for outer envelope membrane proteins of chloroplasts were identified. Additionally, a mechanism for controlling unimported plastid precursors in the cytosol has been discovered. This review will mainly focus on recent findings concerning the possible cytosolic events that occur prior to protein targeting to the chloroplasts. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein Import and Quality Control in Mitochondria and Plastids.     

Chloroplast outer envelope protein CHUP1 is essential for chloroplast anchorage to the plasma membrane and chloroplast movement

Chloroplasts change their intracellular distribution in response to light intensity. Previously, we isolated the chloroplast unusual positioning1 (chup1) mutant of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). This mutant is defective in normal chloroplast relocation movement and shows aggregation of chloroplasts at the bottom of palisade mesophyll cells. The isolated gene encodes a protein with an actin-binding motif. Here, we used biochemical analyses to determine the subcellular localization of full-length CHUP1 on the chloroplast outer envelope. A CHUP1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion, which was detected at the outermost part of mesophyll cell chloroplasts, complemented the chup1 phenotype, but GFP-CHUP1, which was localized mainly in the cytosol, did not. Overexpression of the N-terminal hydrophobic region (NtHR) of CHUP1 fused with GFP (NtHR-GFP) induced a chup1-like phenotype, indicating a dominant-negative effect on chloroplast relocation movement. A similar pattern was found in chloroplast OUTER ENVELOPE PROTEIN7 (OEP7)-GFP transformants, and a protein containing OEP7 in place of NtHR complemented the mutant phenotype. Physiological analyses of transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing truncated CHUP1 in a chup1 mutant background and cytoskeletal inhibitor experiments showed that the coiled-coil region of CHUP1 anchors chloroplasts firmly on the plasma membrane, consistent with the localization of coiled-coil GFP on the plasma membrane. Thus, CHUP1 localization on chloroplasts, with the N terminus inserted into the chloroplast outer envelope and the C terminus facing the cytosol, is essential for CHUP1 function, and the coiled-coil region of CHUP1 prevents chloroplast aggregation and participates in chloroplast relocation movement.     

Rapidly transported organelles containing membrane and cytoskeletal components: their relation to axonal growth

We have examined the movements, composition, and cellular origin of phase-dense varicosities in cultures of chick sympathetic and sensory neurons. These organelles are variable in diameter (typically between 0.2 and 2 microns) and undergo saltatory movements both towards and away from the neuronal cell body. Their mean velocities vary inversely with the size of the organelle and are greater in the retrograde than the anterograde direction. Organelles stain with the lipophilic dye 1, 1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-indocarbocyanine and with antibodies to cytoskeletal components. In cultures double-stained with antibodies to alpha-tubulin and 70-kD neurofilament protein (NF-L), approximately 40% of the organelles stain for tubulin, 30% stain for NF- L, 10% stain for both tubulin and NF-L, and 40% show no staining with either antibody. The association of cytoskeletal proteins with the organelles shows that these proteins are able to move by a form of rapid axonal transport. Under most culture conditions the predominant direction of movement is towards the cell body, suggesting that the organelles are produced at or near the growth cone. Retrograde movements continue in culture medium lacking protein or high molecular mass components and increase under conditions in which the advance of the growth cone is arrested. There is a fourfold increase in the number of organelles moving retrogradely in neurites that encounter a substratum-associated barrier to elongation; retrograde movements increase similarly in cultures exposed to cytochalasin at levels known to block growth cone advance. No previously described organelle shows behavior coordinated with axonal growth in this way. We propose that the organelles contain membrane and cytoskeletal components that have been delivered to the growth cone, by slow or fast anterograde transport, in excess of the amounts required to synthesize more axon. In view of their rapid mobility and variable contents, we suggest that they be called "neuronal parcels."     

Sub-proteomic study on macrophage response to Candida albicans unravels new proteins involved in the host defense against the fungus

In previous proteomic studies on the response of murine macrophages against Candida albicans, many differentially expressed proteins involved in processes like inflammation, cytoskeletal rearrangement, stress response and metabolism were identified. In order to look for proteins important for the macrophage response, but in a lower concentration in the cell, 3 sub-cellular extracts were analyzed: cytosol, organelle/membrane and nucleus enriched fractions from RAW 264.7 macrophages exposed or not to C. albicans SC5314 for 3 h. The samples were studied using DIGE technology, and 17 new differentially expressed proteins were identified. This sub-cellular fractionation permitted the identification of 2 mitochondrion proteins, a membrane receptor, Galectin-3, and some ER related proteins, that are not easily detected in total cell extracts. Besides, the study of different fractions allowed us to detect, not only total increase in Galectin-3 protein amount, but its distinct allocation along the interaction. The identified proteins are involved in the pro-inflammatory and oxidative responses, immune response, unfolded protein response and apoptosis. Some of these processes increase the host response and others could be the effect of C. albicans resistance to phagocytosis. Thus, the sub-proteomic approach has been a very useful tool to identify new proteins involved in macrophage-fungus interaction. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translational Proteomics.     

Detection of intracellular phosphatidylserine in living cells

To demonstrate the intracellular phosphatidylserine (PS) distribution in neuronal cells, neuroblastoma cells and hippocampal neurons expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP)-AnnexinV were stimulated with a calcium ionophore and localization of GFP-AnnexinV was monitored by fluorescence microscopy. Initially, GFP-AnnexinV distributed evenly in the cytosol and nucleus. Raising the intracellular calcium level with ionomycin-induced translocation of cytoplasmic GFP-AnnexinV to the plasma membrane but not to the nuclear membrane, indicating that PS distributes in the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane. Nuclear GFP-AnnexinV subsequently translocated to the nuclear membrane, indicating PS localization in the nuclear envelope. GFP-AnnexinV also localized in a juxtanuclear organelle that was identified as the recycling endosome. However, minimal fluorescence was detected in any other subcellular organelles including mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, and lysosomes, strongly suggesting that PS distribution in the cytoplasmic face in these organelles is negligible. Similarly, in hippocampal primary neurons PS distributed in the inner leaflet of plasma membranes of cell body and dendrites, and in the nuclear envelope. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of intracellular PS localization in living cells, providing an insight for specific sites of PS interaction with soluble proteins involved in signaling processes.     

Cytoplasmic streaming enables the distribution of molecules and vesicles in large plant cells

Recent studies of aquatic and land plants show that similar phenomena determine intracellular transport of organelles and vesicles. This suggests that aspects of cell signaling involved in development and response to external stimuli are conserved across species. The movement of molecular motors along cytoskeletal filaments directly or indirectly entrains the fluid cytosol, driving cyclosis (i.e., cytoplasmic streaming) and affecting gradients of molecular species within the cell, with potentially important metabolic implications as a driving force for cell expansion. Research has shown that myosin XI functions in organelle movement driving cytoplasmic streaming in aquatic and land plants. Despite the conserved cytoskeletal machinery propelling organelle movement among aquatic and land plants, the velocities of cyclosis in plant cells varies according to cell types, developmental stage of the cell, and plant species. Here, we synthesize recent insights into cytoplasmic streaming, molecular gradients, cytoskeletal and membrane dynamics, and expand current cellular models to identify important gaps in current research.     

TNF-alpha-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human lung epithelial cells: involvement of the phospholipase C-gamma 2, protein kinase C-alpha, tyrosine kinase, NF-kappa B-inducing kinase, and I-kappa B kinase 1/2 pathway

TNF-alpha induced a dose- and time-dependent increase in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and PGE2 formation in human NCI-H292 epithelial cells. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that COX-2 was expressed in cytosol and nuclear envelope. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (genistein or herbimycin) or phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C inhibitor (U73122) blocked TNF-alpha-induced COX-2 expression. TNF-alpha also stimulated phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and protein kinase C (PKC) activity, and both were abolished by genistein or U73122. The PKC inhibitor, staurosporine, also inhibited TNF-alpha-induced response. The 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), a PKC activator, also stimulated COX-2 expression, this effect being inhibited by genistein or herbimycin. NF-kappaB DNA-protein binding and COX-2 promoter activity were enhanced by TNF-alpha, and these effects were inhibited by genistein, U73122, staurosporine, or pyrolidine dithiocarbamate. TPA stimulated both NF-kappaB DNA-protein binding and COX-2 promoter activity, these effects being inhibited by genistein, herbimycin, or pyrolidine dithiocarbamate. The TNF-alpha-induced, but not the TPA-induced, COX-2 promoter activity was inhibited by phospholipase C-gamma2 mutants, and the COX-2 promoter activity induced by either agent was attenuated by dominant-negative mutants of PKC-alpha, NF-kappaB-inducing kinase, or I-kappaB (inhibitory protein that dissociates from NF-kappaB) kinase (IKK)1 or 2. IKK activity was stimulated by both TNF-alpha and TPA, and these effects were inhibited by staurosporine or herbimycin. These results suggest that, in NCI-H292 epithelial cells, TNF-alpha might activate phospholipase C-gamma2 via an upstream tyrosine kinase to induce activation of PKC-alpha and protein tyrosine kinase, resulting in the activation of NF-kappaB-inducing kinase and IKK1/2, and NF-kappaB in the COX-2 promoter, then initiation of COX-2 expression and PGE2 release.