A direct role for GRASP65 as a mitotically regulated Golgi stacking factor

Cell-free assays that mimic the disassembly and reassembly cycle of the Golgi apparatus during mitosis implicated GRASP65 as a mitotically regulated stacking factor. We now present evidence that GRASP65 is directly involved in stacking Golgi cisternae. GRASP65 is the major phosphorylation target in rat liver Golgi membranes of two mitotic kinases, cdc2-cyclin B and polo-like kinases, which alone will unstack Golgi membranes, generating single cisternae. Mitotic cells microinjected with antibodies to GRASP65 fail to form proper Golgi stacks after cell division. Beads coated with GRASP65 homodimers form extensive aggregates consistent with the formation of trans oligomers. These can be disaggregated using purified cdc2-cyclin B1 and polo-like kinases, and re-aggregated after dephosphorylation of GRASP65. Together, these data demonstrate that GRASP65 has the properties required to bind surfaces together in a mitotically regulated manner.     

The Role of GRASP65 in Golgi Cisternal Stacking and Cell Cycle Progression

In vitro assays identified the Golgi peripheral protein GRASP65 as a Golgi stacking factor that links adjacent Golgi cisternae by forming mitotically regulated trans‐oligomers. These conclusions, however, require further confirmation in the cell. In this study, we showed that the first 112 amino acids at the N‐terminus (including the first PDZ domain, PDZ1) of the protein are sufficient for oligomerization. Systematic electron microscopic analysis showed that the expression of non‐regulatable GRASP65 mutants in HeLa cells enhanced Golgi stacking in interphase and inhibited Golgi fragmentation during mitosis. Depletion of GRASP65 by small interference RNA (siRNA) reduced the number of cisternae in the Golgi stacks; this reduction was rescued by expressing exogenous GRASP65. These results provided evidence and a molecular mechanism by which GRASP65 stacks Golgi cisternal membranes. Further experiments revealed that inhibition of mitotic Golgi disassembly by expressing non‐regulatable GRASP65 mutants did not affect equal partitioning of the Golgi membranes into the daughter cells. However, it delayed mitotic entry and suppressed cell growth; this effect was diminished by dispersing the Golgi apparatus with Brefeldin A treatment prior to mitosis, suggesting that Golgi disassembly at the onset of mitosis plays a role in cell cycle progression.     

Mena–GRASP65 interaction couples actin polymerization to Golgi ribbon linking

In mammalian cells, the Golgi reassembly stacking protein 65 (GRASP65) has been implicated in both Golgi stacking and ribbon linking by forming trans-oligomers through the N-terminal GRASP domain. Because the GRASP domain is globular and relatively small, but the gaps between stacks are large and heterogeneous, it remains puzzling how GRASP65 physically links Golgi stacks into a ribbon. To explore the possibility that other proteins may help GRASP65 in ribbon linking, we used biochemical methods and identified the actin elongation factor Mena as a novel GRASP65-binding protein. Mena is recruited onto the Golgi membranes through interaction with GRASP65. Depleting Mena or disrupting actin polymerization resulted in Golgi fragmentation. In cells, Mena and actin were required for Golgi ribbon formation after nocodazole washout; in vitro, Mena and microfilaments enhanced GRASP65 oligomerization and Golgi membrane fusion. Thus Mena interacts with GRASP65 to promote local actin polymerization, which facilitates Golgi ribbon linking.     

GRASP55 regulates Golgi ribbon formation

Recent work indicates that mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)1 signaling at the G2/M cell cycle transition unlinks the contiguous mammalian Golgi apparatus and that this regulates cell cycle progression. Here, we sought to determine the role in this pathway of Golgi reassembly protein (GRASP)55, a Golgi-localized target of MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation at mitosis. In support of the hypothesis that GRASP55 is inhibited in late G2 phase, causing unlinking of the Golgi ribbon, we found that HeLa cells depleted of GRASP55 show a fragmented Golgi similar to control cells arrested in G2 phase. In the absence of GRASP55, Golgi stack length is shortened but Golgi stacking, compartmentalization, and transport seem normal. Absence of GRASP55 was also sufficient to suppress the requirement for MEK1 in the G2/M transition, a requirement that we previously found depends on an intact Golgi ribbon. Furthermore, mimicking mitotic phosphorylation of GRASP55 by using aspartic acid substitutions is sufficient to unlink the Golgi apparatus in a gene replacement assay. Our results implicate MEK1/ERK regulation of GRASP55-mediated Golgi linking as a control point in cell cycle progression.     

Mitotic Phosphorylation of Golgi Reassembly Stacking Protein 55 by Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase ERK2

The role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MKK)/extracellular-activated protein kinase (ERK) pathway in mitotic Golgi disassembly is controversial, in part because Golgi-localized targets have not been identified. We observed that Golgi reassembly stacking protein 55 (GRASP55) was phosphorylated in mitotic cells and extracts, generating a mitosis-specific phospho-epitope recognized by the MPM2 mAb. This phosphorylation was prevented by mutation of ERK consensus sites in GRASP55. GRASP55 mitotic phosphorylation was significantly reduced, both in vitro and in vivo, by treatment with U0126, a potent and specific inhibitor of MKK and thus ERK activation. Furthermore, ERK2 directly phosphorylated GRASP55 on the same residues that generated the MPM2 phospho-epitope. These results are the first demonstration of GRASP55 mitotic phosphorylation and indicate that the MKK/ERK pathway directly phosphorylates the Golgi during mitosis.     

The multiple facets of the Golgi reassembly stacking proteins

The mammalian GRASPs (Golgi reassembly stacking proteins) GRASP65 and GRASP55 were first discovered more than a decade ago as factors involved in the stacking of Golgi cisternae. Since then, orthologues have been identified in many different organisms and GRASPs have been assigned new roles that may seem disconnected. In vitro, GRASPs have been shown to have the biochemical properties of Golgi stacking factors, but the jury is still out as to whether they act as such in vivo. In mammalian cells, GRASP65 and GRASP55 are required for formation of the Golgi ribbon, a structure which is fragmented in mitosis owing to the phosphorylation of a number of serine and threonine residues situated in its C-terminus. Golgi ribbon unlinking is in turn shown to be part of a mitotic checkpoint. GRASP65 also seems to be the key target of signalling events leading to re-orientation of the Golgi during cell migration and its breakdown during apoptosis. Interestingly, the Golgi ribbon is not a feature of lower eukaryotes, yet a GRASP homologue is present in the genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi, suggesting they have other roles. GRASPs have no identified function in bulk anterograde protein transport along the secretory pathway, but some cargo-specific trafficking roles for GRASPs have been discovered. Furthermore, GRASP orthologues have recently been shown to mediate the unconventional secretion of the cytoplasmic proteins AcbA/Acb1, in both Dictyostelium discoideum and yeast, and the Golgi bypass of a number of transmembrane proteins during Drosophila development. In the present paper, we review the multiple roles of GRASPs.     

Isoform-specific tethering links the Golgi ribbon to maintain compartmentalization

Homotypic membrane tethering by the Golgi reassembly and stacking proteins (GRASPs) is required for the lateral linkage of mammalian Golgi ministacks into a ribbon-like membrane network. Although GRASP65 and GRASP55 are specifically localized to cis and medial/trans cisternae, respectively, it is unknown whether each GRASP mediates cisternae-specific tethering and whether such specificity is necessary for Golgi compartmentalization. Here each GRASP was tagged with KillerRed (KR), expressed in HeLa cells, and inhibited by 1-min exposure to light. Significantly, inactivation of either GRASP unlinked the Golgi ribbon, and the immediate effect of GRASP65-KR inactivation was a loss of cis- rather than trans-Golgi integrity, whereas inactivation of GRASP55-KR first affected the trans- and not the cis-Golgi. Thus each GRASP appears to play a direct and cisternae-specific role in linking ministacks into a continuous membrane network. To test the consequence of loss of cisternae-specific tethering, we generated Golgi membranes with a single GRASP on all cisternae. Remarkably, the membranes exhibited the full connectivity of wild-type Golgi ribbons but were decompartmentalized and defective in glycan processing. Thus the GRASP isoforms specifically link analogous cisternae to ensure Golgi compartmentalization and proper processing.     

GRASP55, a second mammalian GRASP protein involved in the stacking of Golgi cisternae in a cell-free system.

We have identified a 55 kDa protein, named GRASP55 (Golgi reassembly stacking protein of 55 kDa), as a component of the Golgi stacking machinery. GRASP55 is homologous to GRASP65, an N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive membrane protein required for the stacking of Golgi cisternae in a cell-free system. GRASP65 exists in a complex with the vesicle docking protein receptor GM130 to which it binds directly, and the membrane tethering protein p115, which also functions in the stacking of Golgi cisternae. GRASP55 binding to GM130, could not be detected using biochemical methods, although a weak interaction was detected with the yeast two-hybrid system. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed that GRASP65, like GM130, is present on the cis-Golgi, while GRASP55 is on the medial-Golgi. Recombinant GRASP55 and antibodies to the protein block the stacking of Golgi cisternae, which is similar to the observations made for GRASP65. These results demonstrate that GRASP55 and GRASP65 function in the stacking of Golgi cisternae.     

The role of GRASP55 in Golgi fragmentation and entry of cells into mitosis

GRASP55 is a Golgi-associated protein, but its function at the Golgi remains unclear. Addition of full-length GRASP55, GRASP55-specific peptides, or an anti-GRASP55 antibody inhibited Golgi fragmentation by mitotic extracts in vitro, and entry of cells into mitosis. Phospho-peptide mapping of full-length GRASP55 revealed that threonine 225 and 249 were mitotically phosphorylated. Wild-type peptides containing T225 and T249 inhibited Golgi fragmentation and entry of cells into mitosis. Mutant peptides containing T225E and T249E, in contrast, did not affect Golgi fragmentation and entry into mitosis. These findings reveal a role of GRASP55 in events leading to Golgi fragmentation and the subsequent entry of cell into mitosis. Surprisingly, however, under our experimental conditions, >85% knockdown of GRASP55 did not affect the overall organization of Golgi organization in terms of cisternal stacking and lateral connections between stacks. Based on our findings we suggest that phosphorylation of GRASP55 at T225/T249 releases a bound component, which is phosphorylated and necessary for Golgi fragmentation. Thus, GRASP55 has no role in the organization of Golgi membranes per se, but it controls their fragmentation by regulating the release of a partner, which requires a G2-specific phosphorylation at T225/T249.     

Caspase-mediated cleavage of the stacking protein GRASP65 is required for Golgi fragmentation during apoptosis

The mammalian Golgi complex is comprised of a ribbon of stacked cisternal membranes often located in the pericentriolar region of the cell. Here, we report that during apoptosis the Golgi ribbon is fragmented into dispersed clusters of tubulo-vesicular membranes. We have found that fragmentation is caspase dependent and identified GRASP65 (Golgi reassembly and stacking protein of 65 kD) as a novel caspase substrate. GRASP65 is cleaved specifically by caspase-3 at conserved sites in its membrane distal COOH terminus at an early stage of the execution phase. Expression of a caspase-resistant form of GRASP65 partially preserved cisternal stacking and inhibited breakdown of the Golgi ribbon in apoptotic cells. Our results suggest that GRASP65 is an important structural component required for maintenance of Golgi apparatus integrity.     

Molecular mechanism of mitotic Golgi disassembly and reassembly revealed by a defined reconstitution assay

In mammalian cells, flat Golgi cisternae closely arrange together to form stacks. During mitosis, the stacked structure undergoes a continuous fragmentation process. The generated mitotic Golgi fragments are distributed into the daughter cells, where they are reassembled into new Golgi stacks. In this study, an in vitro assay has been developed using purified proteins and Golgi membranes to reconstitute the Golgi disassembly and reassembly processes. This technique provides a useful tool to delineate the mechanisms underlying the morphological change. There are two processes during Golgi disassembly: unstacking and vesiculation. Unstacking is mediated by two mitotic kinases, cdc2 and plk, which phosphorylate the Golgi stacking protein GRASP65 and thus disrupt the oligomer of this protein. Vesiculation is mediated by the COPI budding machinery ARF1 and the coatomer complex. When treated with a combination of purified kinases, ARF1 and coatomer, the Golgi membranes were completely fragmented into vesicles. After mitosis, there are also two processes in Golgi reassembly: formation of single cisternae by membrane fusion, and restacking. Cisternal membrane fusion requires two AAA ATPases, p97 and NSF (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein), each of which functions together with specific adaptor proteins. Restacking of the newly formed Golgi cisternae requires dephosphorylation of Golgi stacking proteins by the protein phosphatase PP2A. This systematic study revealed the minimal machinery that controls the mitotic Golgi disassembly and reassembly processes.     

A role for the vesicle tethering protein, p115, in the post-mitotic stacking of reassembling Golgi cisternae in a cell-free system.

During telophase, Golgi cisternae are regenerated and stacked from a heterogeneous population of tubulovesicular clusters. A cell-free system that reconstructs these events has revealed that cisternal regrowth requires interplay between soluble factors and soluble N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) via two intersecting pathways controlled by the ATPases, p97 and NSF. Golgi reassembly stacking protein 65 (GRASP65), an NEM-sensitive membrane-bound component, is required for the stacking process. NSF-mediated cisternal regrowth requires a vesicle tethering protein, p115, which we now show operates through its two Golgi receptors, GM130 and giantin. p97-mediated cisternal regrowth is p115-independent, but we now demonstrate a role for p115, in conjunction with its receptors, in stacking p97 generated cisternae. Temporal analysis suggests that p115 plays a transient role in stacking that may be upstream of GRASP65-mediated stacking. These results implicate p115 and its receptors in the initial alignment and docking of single cisternae that may be an important prerequisite for stack formation.     

Monomerization and ER Relocalization of GRASP Is a Requisite for Unconventional Secretion of CFTR

Induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐to‐Golgi blockade or ER stress induces Golgi reassembly stacking protein (GRASP)‐mediated, Golgi‐independent unconventional cell‐surface trafficking of the folding‐deficient ΔF508‐cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). However, molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive. Here, we show that phosphorylation‐dependent dissociation of GRASP homotypic complexes and subsequent relocalization of GRASP to the ER play a critical role in the unconventional secretion of CFTR. Immunolocalization analyses of mammalian cells revealed that the Golgi protein GRASP55 was redistributed to the ER by stimuli that induce unconventional secretion of ΔF508‐CFTR, such as induction of ER‐to‐Golgi blockade by the Arf1 mutant. Notably, the same stimuli also induced phosphorylation of regions near the C‐terminus of GRASP55 and dissociation of GRASP homomultimer complexes. Furthermore, phosphorylation‐mimicking mutations of GRASP55 induced the monomerization and ER relocalization of GRASP55, and these changes were nullified by phosphorylation‐inhibiting mutations. These results provide mechanistic insights into how GRASP accesses the ER‐retained ΔF508‐CFTR and mediates the ER stress‐induced unconventional secretion pathway.      

Caspase cleavage of the Golgi stacking factor GRASP65 is required for Fas/CD95-mediated apoptosis

GRASP65 (Golgi reassembly and stacking protein of 65 KDa) is a cis-Golgi protein with roles in Golgi structure, membrane trafficking and cell signalling. It is cleaved by caspase-3 early in apoptosis, promoting Golgi fragmentation. We now show that cleavage is needed for Fas-mediated apoptosis: expression of caspase-resistant GRASP65 protects cells, whereas expression of membrane proximal caspase-cleaved GRASP65 fragments dramatically sensitises cells. GRASP65 coordinates passage through the Golgi apparatus of proteins containing C-terminal hydrophobic motifs, via its tandem PDZ type ‘GRASP'' domains. Fas/CD95 contains a C-terminal leucine–valine pairing so its trafficking might be coordinated by GRASP65. Mutagenesis of the Fas/CD95 LV motif reduces the number of cells with Golgi-associated Fas/CD95, and generates a receptor that is more effective at inducing apoptosis; however, siRNA-mediated silencing or expression of mutant GRASP65 constructs do not alter the steady state distribution of Fas/CD95. We also find no evidence for a GRASP65–Fas/CD95 interaction at the molecular level. Instead, we find that the C-terminal fragments of GRASP65 produced following caspase cleavage are targeted to mitochondria, and ectopic expression of these sensitises HeLa cells to Fas ligand. Our data suggest that GRASP65 cleavage promotes Fas/CD95-mediated apoptosis via release of C-terminal fragments that act at the mitochondria, and we identify Bcl-X_L as a candidate apoptotic binding partner for GRASP65.     

Structural Insight into Golgi Membrane Stacking by GRASP65 and GRASP55 Proteins

The stacking of Golgi cisternae involves GRASP65 and GRASP55. The oligomerization of the N-terminal GRASP domain of these proteins, which consists of two tandem PDZ domains, is required to tether the Golgi membranes. However, the molecular basis for GRASP assembly is unclear. Here, we determined the crystal structures of the GRASP domain of GRASP65 and GRASP55. The structures reveal similar homotypic interactions: the GRASP domain forms a dimer in which the peptide-binding pockets of the two neighboring PDZ2 domains face each other, and the dimers are further connected by the C-terminal tail of one GRASP domain inserting into the binding pocket of the PDZ1 domain in another dimer. Biochemical analysis suggests that both types of contacts are relatively weak but are needed in combination for GRASP-mediated Golgi stacking. Our results unveil a novel mode of membrane tethering by GRASP proteins and provide insight into the mechanism of Golgi stacking.     

Myristoylation Restricts Orientation of the GRASP Domain on Membranes and Promotes Membrane Tethering

The mammalian Golgi reassembly stacking protein (GRASP) proteins are Golgi-localized homotypic membrane tethers that organize Golgi stacks into a long, contiguous ribbon-like structure. It is unknown how GRASPs undergo trans pairing given that cis interactions between the proteins in the plane of the membrane are intrinsically favored. To test the hypothesis that myristoylation of the self-interacting GRASP domain restricts its orientation on the membrane to favor trans pairing, we established an in vitro assay that recapitulates GRASP-dependent membrane tethering and used neutron reflection under similar conditions to determine the orientation of the GRASP domain. In vivo, the membrane association of GRASP proteins is conferred by the simultaneous insertion of an N-terminal myristic acid and binding to a Golgi-associated binding partner. In our assay, the latter contact was replaced using a C-terminal hexa-His moiety, which bound to Ni²⁺-conjugated lipids incorporated into a substrate-supported bilayer lipid membrane. Nonmyristoylated protein lacked a fixed orientation on the membrane and inefficiently tethered liposomes. In contrast, myristoylated GRASP promoted tethering and exhibited a unique membrane complex. Thus, myristoylation restricts the membrane orientation of the GRASP domain favoring interactions in trans for membrane tethering.     

The Golgi-associated protein GRASP65 regulates spindle dynamics and is essential for cell division

At the onset of mitosis, the pericentriolar Golgi apparatus of mammalian cells is converted into small fragments, which are dispersed throughout the cytosol. The Golgi-associated protein GRASP65 is involved in this process. To address the role of GRASP65 in mitotic Golgi fragmentation, we depleted the protein from HeLa cells by RNAi. In the absence of GRASP65, the number of cisternae per Golgi stack is reduced without affecting the overall organization of Golgi membranes and protein transport. GRASP65-depleted cells entered mitosis, but accumulated in metaphase with condensed chromatin and multiple aberrant spindles and eventually died. Although Centrin2 and g-tubulin were detected in two of the spindle poles, the other spindle poles contained g-tubulin, but not Centrin2. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the expression of the C-terminus of GRASP65 interferes with entry of cells into mitosis. Our results suggest the requirement for GRASP65 in the regulation of spindle dynamics rather than a direct role in the stacking of Golgi cisternae. This novel function is in addition to the previously established negative role of GRASP65 at the G2/M transition, which is mediated by its C-terminus.     

Mapping the interaction between GRASP65 and GM130, components of a protein complex involved in the stacking of Golgi cisternae.

The nature of the complex containing GRASP65, a membrane protein involved in establishing the stacked structure of the Golgi apparatus, and GM130, a putative Golgi matrix protein and vesicle docking receptor, was investigated. Gel filtration revealed that GRASP65 and GM130 interact in detergent extracts of Golgi membranes under both interphase and mitotic conditions, and that this complex can bind to the vesicle docking protein p115. Using in vitro translation and site-directed mutagenesis in conjunction with immunoprecipitation, the binding site for GRASP65 on GM130 was mapped to the sequence xxNDxxxIMVI-COOH at the C-terminus of GM130, a region known to be required for its localization to the Golgi apparatus. The same approach was used to show that the binding site for GM130 on GRASP65 maps to amino acids 189-201, a region conserved in the mammalian and yeast proteins and reminiscent of PDZ domains. Using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged reporter constructs, it was shown that one essential function of the interaction between GRASP65 and GM130 is in the correct targeting of the two proteins to the Golgi apparatus.     

Mitotic inhibition of GRASP65 organelle tethering involves Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) phosphorylation proximate to an internal PDZ ligand

GRASP65 links cis-Golgi cisternae via a homotypic, N-terminal PDZ interaction, and its mitotic phosphorylation disrupts this activity. Neither the identity of the PDZ ligand involved in the GRASP65 self-interaction nor the mechanism by which phosphorylation inhibits its interaction is known. Phospho-mimetic mutation of known cyclin-dependent kinase 1/cyclin B sites, all of which are in the C-terminal "regulatory domain" of the molecule, failed to block organelle tethering. However, we identified a site phosphorylated by Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) in the GRASP65 N-terminal domain for which mutation to aspartic acid blocked tethering and alanine substitution prevented mitotic Golgi unlinking. Further, using interaction assays, we discovered an internal PDZ ligand adjacent to the PLK phosphorylation site that was required for tethering. These results reveal the mechanism of phosphoinhibition as direct inhibition by PLK1 of the PDZ ligand underlying the GRASP65 self-interaction.     

GRASPing unconventional secretion

GRASP proteins associate with the Golgi apparatus and have been implicated in the stacking of Golgi cisternae, vesicle tethering, and mitotic progression, but their specific functions are unclear. In this issue, Kinseth et al. (2007) show unexpectedly that a GRASP homolog is required for an unconventional secretory pathway that bypasses the usual route for Golgi-dependent membrane traffic.