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Steffen Kutter Manfred S. Weiss Georg Wille Ralph Golbik Michael Spinka Stephan K?nig 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(18):12136-12144
The mechanism by which the enzyme pyruvate decarboxylase from two yeast
species is activated allosterically has been elucidated. A total of seven
three-dimensional structures of the enzyme, of enzyme variants, or of enzyme
complexes from two yeast species, three of them reported here for the first
time, provide detailed atomic resolution snapshots along the activation
coordinate. The prime event is the covalent binding of the substrate pyruvate
to the side chain of cysteine 221, thus forming a thiohemiketal. This reaction
causes the shift of a neighboring amino acid, which eventually leads to the
rigidification of two otherwise flexible loops, one of which provides two
histidine residues necessary to complete the enzymatically competent active
site architecture. The structural data are complemented and supported by
kinetic investigations and binding studies, providing a consistent picture of
the structural changes occurring upon enzyme activation.Pyruvate decarboxylases (EC 4.1.1.1) catalyze the non-oxidative
decarboxylation of pyruvate, yielding acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide.
Together with the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1), which reduces the
acetaldehyde to ethanol with the help of the co-substrate NADH, it represents
the metabolic pathway of alcoholic fermentation.
PDC3 is localized in
the cytosol of cells from yeasts, plant seeds, and a few bacteria. The
catalytic activity of PDC depends on the presence of the cofactor thiamine
diphosphate (ThDP), which is bound mainly via a divalent metal ion (magnesium
in most cases) to the protein moiety. Many detailed kinetic studies have been
published on yeast PDC wild types
(1–9).
A number of ScPDC variants were analyzed, too
(1–9).
Some active site variants (E51A, D28A, E477Q) proved to be almost
catalytically inactive. PDCs are multisubunit enzymes. The typical molecular
mass of one subunit is 59–61 kDa. The tetramer is the catalytically
active state of most PDCs. Higher oligomers (octamers) have been described for
PDCs from plant seeds (10,
11) or some fungi
(12). However, studies on
structure function relationships of yeast PDCs showed that the dimer is the
minimum functional unit of the enzyme displaying considerable catalytic
activity (13,
14). The two closely related
pyruvate decarboxylases from Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(ScPDC) and Kluyveromyces lactis (KlPDC) are well
characterized ThDP-dependent enzymes, which share 86.3% identical amino acid
residues. They have been studied in great detail by means of kinetic
investigations and spectroscopic studies. Both enzymes are allosterically
regulated as reflected by sigmoid steady state kinetics and lag phases in
their progress curves. The substrate PYR activates the initially inactive
yeast PDCs in a time-dependent manner. Kinetic studies reveal a slow
isomerization as triggered by substrate binding to a separate regulatory site
(15). A number of substrate
surrogates have been identified, which are able to activate PDC as well. The
effects of pyruvamide (PA; for the chemical structure, see
Scheme 1) on the activation
kinetics have been studied in detail for ScPDC
(15) and for KlPDC
(16). Phosphonate analogues
(among them methyl acetylphosphonate, MAP,
Scheme 1) of pyruvate have been
applied to elucidate the catalytic cycle
(17–21)
or to trap reaction intermediates in crystal structures
(22–24).
Chemical modification of PDCs with group-specific reagents pointed to an
important role of cysteine residues
(25). Site-directed
mutagenesis of cysteine residues to alanine or serine demonstrated that
residue Cys-221 might be the decisive one for enzyme activation
(1,
4,
26,
27). Consequently, it was
postulated that the region around Cys-221 is the regulatory site of PDC, and
formation of a thiohemiketal at this side chain was proposed. However, a
number of questions remained elusive. (i) How is the activator fixed at the
regulatory site? (ii) What are the prime structural properties of the active
state as compared with the inactive state? (iii) How is the signal transmitted
from the regulatory to the active site? (iv) Which are the decisive features
of the active site in the activated state that render efficient catalysis
possible? To answer these questions, we present here the crystal structures of
KlPDC with the bound substrate surrogate MAP and of the
ScPDC variants D28E and E477Q with bound substrate PYR along with
kinetic studies on the activating effect of both activators and binding
studies using the small angle x-ray solution scattering (SAXS) method.Open in a separate windowSCHEME 1.Chemical structures of the substrate pyruvate, the activators pyruvamide
and methyl acetylphosphonate, and the thiohemiketal from pyruvate and
cysteine, respectively. 相似文献
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John W. Hardin Francis E. Reyes Robert T. Batey 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(22):15317-15324
In archaea and eukarya, box C/D ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes are
responsible for 2′-O-methylation of tRNAs and rRNAs. The
archaeal box C/D small RNP complex requires a small RNA component (sRNA)
possessing Watson-Crick complementarity to the target RNA along with three
proteins: L7Ae, Nop5p, and fibrillarin. Transfer of a methyl group from
S-adenosylmethionine to the target RNA is performed by fibrillarin,
which by itself has no affinity for the sRNA-target duplex. Instead, it is
targeted to the site of methylation through association with Nop5p, which in
turn binds to the L7Ae-sRNA complex. To understand how Nop5p serves as a
bridge between the targeting and catalytic functions of the box C/D small RNP
complex, we have employed alanine scanning to evaluate the interaction between
the Pyrococcus horikoshii Nop5p domain and an L7Ae box C/D RNA
complex. From these data, we were able to construct an isolated RNA-binding
domain (Nop-RBD) that folds correctly as demonstrated by x-ray crystallography
and binds to the L7Ae box C/D RNA complex with near wild type affinity. These
data demonstrate that the Nop-RBD is an autonomously folding and functional
module important for protein assembly in a number of complexes centered on the
L7Ae-kinkturn RNP.Many biological RNAs require extensive modification to attain full
functionality in the cell (1).
Currently there are over 100 known RNA modification types ranging from small
functional group substitutions to the addition of large multi-cyclic ring
structures (2). Transfer RNA,
one of many functional RNAs targeted for modification
(3-6),
possesses the greatest modification type diversity, many of which are
important for proper biological function
(7). Ribosomal RNA, on the
other hand, contains predominantly two types of modified nucleotides:
pseudouridine and 2′-O-methylribose
(8). The crystal structures of
the ribosome suggest that these modifications are important for proper folding
(9,
10) and structural
stabilization (11) in
vivo as evidenced by their strong tendency to localize to regions
associated with function (8,
12,
13). These roles have been
verified biochemically in a number of cases
(14), whereas newly emerging
functional modifications are continually being investigated.Box C/D ribonucleoprotein
(RNP)3 complexes serve
as RNA-guided site-specific 2′-O-methyltransferases in both
archaea and eukaryotes (15,
16) where they are referred to
as small RNP complexes and small nucleolar RNPs, respectively. Target RNA
pairs with the sRNA guide sequence and is methylated at the 2′-hydroxyl
group of the nucleotide five bases upstream of either the D or D′ box
motif of the sRNA (Fig. 1,
star) (17,
18). In archaea, the internal
C′ and D′ motifs generally conform to a box C/D consensus sequence
(19), and each sRNA contains
two guide regions ∼12 nucleotides in length
(20). The bipartite
architecture of the RNP potentially enables the complex to methylate two
distinct RNA targets (21) and
has been shown to be essential for site-specific methylation
(22).Open in a separate windowFIGURE 1.Organization of the archaeal box C/D complex. The protein components
of this RNP are L7Ae, Nop5p, and fibrillarin, which together bind a box C/D
sRNA. The regions of the Box C/D sRNA corresponding to the conserved C, D,
C′, and D′ boxes are labeled. The target RNA binds the sRNA
through Watson-Crick pairing and is methylated by fibrillarin at the fifth
nucleotide from the D/D′ boxes (star).In addition to the sRNA, the archaeal box C/D complex requires three
proteins for activity (23):
the ribosomal protein L7Ae
(24,
25), fibrillarin, and the
Nop56/Nop58 homolog Nop5p (Fig.
1). L7Ae binds to both box C/D and the C′/D′ motifs
(26), which respectively
comprise kink-turn (27) or
k-loop structures (28), to
initiate the assembly of the RNP
(29,
30). Fibrillarin performs the
methyl group transfer from the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine to the
target RNA
(31-33).
For this to occur, the active site of fibrillarin must be positioned precisely
over the specific 2′-hydroxyl group to be methylated. Although
fibrillarin methylates this functional group in the context of a Watson-Crick
base-paired helix (guide/target), it has little to no binding affinity for
double-stranded RNA or for the L7Ae-sRNA complex
(22,
26,
33,
34). Nop5p serves as an
intermediary protein bringing fibrillarin to the complex through its
association with both the L7Ae-sRNA complex and fibrillarin
(22). Along with its role as
an intermediary between fibrillarin and the L7Ae-sRNA complex, Nop5p possesses
other functions not yet fully understood. For example, Nop5p self-dimerizes
through a coiled-coil domain
(35) that in most archaea and
eukaryotic homologs includes a small insertion sequence of unknown function
(36,
37). However, dimerization and
fibrillarin binding have been shown to be mutually exclusive in
Methanocaldococcus jannaschii Nop5p, potentially because of the
presence of this insertion sequence
(36). Thus, whether Nop5p is a
monomer or a dimer in the active RNP is still under debate.In this study, we focus our attention on the Nop5p protein to investigate
its interaction with a L7Ae box C/D RNA complex because both the
fibrillarin-Nop5p and the L7Ae box C/D RNA interfaces are known from crystal
structures (29,
35,
38). Individual residues on
the surface of a monomeric form of Nop5p (referred to as mNop5p)
(22) were mutated to alanine,
and the effect on binding affinity for a L7Ae box C/D motif RNA complex was
assessed through the use of electrophoretic mobility shift assays. These data
reveal that residues important for binding cluster within the highly conserved
NOP domain (39,
40). To demonstrate that this
domain is solely responsible for the affinity of Nop5p for the preassembled
L7Ae box C/D RNA complex, we expressed and purified it in isolation from the
full Nop5p protein. The isolated Nop-RBD domain binds to the L7Ae box C/D RNA
complex with nearly wild type affinity, demonstrating that the Nop-RBD is
truly an autonomously folding and functional module. Comparison of our data
with the crystal structure of the homologous spliceosomal hPrp31-15.5K
protein-U4 snRNA complex (41)
suggests the adoption of a similar mode of binding, further supporting a
crucial role for the NOP domain in RNP complex assembly. 相似文献
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Ruben K. Dagda Salvatore J. Cherra III Scott M. Kulich Anurag Tandon David Park Charleen T. Chu 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(20):13843-13855
Mitochondrial dysregulation is strongly implicated in Parkinson disease.
Mutations in PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) are associated with familial
parkinsonism and neuropsychiatric disorders. Although overexpressed PINK1 is
neuroprotective, less is known about neuronal responses to loss of PINK1
function. We found that stable knockdown of PINK1 induced mitochondrial
fragmentation and autophagy in SH-SY5Y cells, which was reversed by the
reintroduction of an RNA interference (RNAi)-resistant plasmid for PINK1.
Moreover, stable or transient overexpression of wild-type PINK1 increased
mitochondrial interconnectivity and suppressed toxin-induced
autophagy/mitophagy. Mitochondrial oxidant production played an essential role
in triggering mitochondrial fragmentation and autophagy in PINK1 shRNA lines.
Autophagy/mitophagy served a protective role in limiting cell death, and
overexpressing Parkin further enhanced this protective mitophagic response.
The dominant negative Drp1 mutant inhibited both fission and mitophagy in
PINK1-deficient cells. Interestingly, RNAi knockdown of autophagy proteins
Atg7 and LC3/Atg8 also decreased mitochondrial fragmentation without affecting
oxidative stress, suggesting active involvement of autophagy in morphologic
remodeling of mitochondria for clearance. To summarize, loss of PINK1 function
elicits oxidative stress and mitochondrial turnover coordinated by the
autophagic and fission/fusion machineries. Furthermore, PINK1 and Parkin may
cooperate through different mechanisms to maintain mitochondrial
homeostasis.Parkinson disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disease that affects
∼1% of the population worldwide. The causes of sporadic cases are unknown,
although mitochondrial or oxidative toxins such as
1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium, 6-hydroxydopamine
(6-OHDA),3 and
rotenone reproduce features of the disease in animal and cell culture models
(1). Abnormalities in
mitochondrial respiration and increased oxidative stress are observed in cells
and tissues from parkinsonian patients
(2,
3), which also exhibit
increased mitochondrial autophagy
(4). Furthermore, mutations in
parkinsonian genes affect oxidative stress response pathways and mitochondrial
homeostasis (5). Thus,
disruption of mitochondrial homeostasis represents a major factor implicated
in the pathogenesis of sporadic and inherited parkinsonian disorders (PD).The PARK6 locus involved in autosomal recessive and early-onset PD
encodes for PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1)
(6,
7). PINK1 is a cytosolic and
mitochondrially localized 581-amino acid serine/threonine kinase that
possesses an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence
(6,
8). The primary sequence also
includes a putative transmembrane domain important for orientation of the
PINK1 domain (8), a conserved
kinase domain homologous to calcium calmodulin kinases, and a C-terminal
domain that regulates autophosphorylation activity
(9,
10). Overexpression of
wild-type PINK1, but not its PD-associated mutants, protects against several
toxic insults in neuronal cells
(6,
11,
12). Mitochondrial targeting
is necessary for some (13) but
not all of the neuroprotective effects of PINK1
(14), implicating involvement
of cytoplasmic targets that modulate mitochondrial pathobiology
(8). PINK1 catalytic activity
is necessary for its neuroprotective role, because a kinase-deficient K219M
substitution in the ATP binding pocket of PINK1 abrogates its ability to
protect neurons (14). Although
PINK1 mutations do not seem to impair mitochondrial targeting, PD-associated
mutations differentially destabilize the protein, resulting in loss of
neuroprotective activities
(13,
15).Recent studies indicate that PINK1 and Parkin interact genetically
(3,
16-18)
to prevent oxidative stress
(19,
20) and regulate mitochondrial
morphology (21). Primary cells
derived from PINK1 mutant patients exhibit mitochondrial fragmentation with
disorganized cristae, recapitulated by RNA interference studies in HeLa cells
(3).Mitochondria are degraded by macroautophagy, a process involving
sequestration of cytoplasmic cargo into membranous autophagic vacuoles (AVs)
for delivery to lysosomes (22,
23). Interestingly,
mitochondrial fission accompanies autophagic neurodegeneration elicited by the
PD neurotoxin 6-OHDA (24,
25). Moreover, mitochondrial
fragmentation and increased autophagy are observed in neurodegenerative
diseases including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases
(4,
26-28).
Although inclusion of mitochondria in autophagosomes was once believed to be a
random process, as observed during starvation, studies involving hypoxia,
mitochondrial damage, apoptotic stimuli, or limiting amounts of aerobic
substrates in facultative anaerobes support the concept of selective
mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy)
(29,
30). In particular,
mitochondrially localized kinases may play an important role in models
involving oxidative mitochondrial injury
(25,
31,
32).Autophagy is involved in the clearance of protein aggregates
(33-35)
and normal regulation of axonal-synaptic morphology
(36). Chronic disruption of
lysosomal function results in accumulation of subtly impaired mitochondria
with decreased calcium buffering capacity
(37), implicating an important
role for autophagy in mitochondrial homeostasis
(37,
38). Recently, Parkin, which
complements the effects of PINK1 deficiency on mitochondrial morphology
(3), was found to promote
autophagy of depolarized mitochondria
(39). Conversely, Beclin
1-independent autophagy/mitophagy contributes to cell death elicited by the PD
toxins 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium and 6-OHDA
(25,
28,
31,
32), causing neurite
retraction in cells expressing a PD-linked mutation in leucine-rich repeat
kinase 2 (40). Whereas
properly regulated autophagy plays a homeostatic and neuroprotective role,
excessive or incomplete autophagy creates a condition of “autophagic
stress” that can contribute to neurodegeneration
(28).As mitochondrial fragmentation
(3) and increased mitochondrial
autophagy (4) have been
described in human cells or tissues of PD patients, we investigated whether or
not the engineered loss of PINK1 function could recapitulate these
observations in human neuronal cells (SH-SY5Y). Stable knockdown of endogenous
PINK1 gave rise to mitochondrial fragmentation and increased autophagy and
mitophagy, whereas stable or transient overexpression of PINK1 had the
opposite effect. Autophagy/mitophagy was dependent upon increased
mitochondrial oxidant production and activation of fission. The data indicate
that PINK1 is important for the maintenance of mitochondrial networks,
suggesting that coordinated regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy
limits cell death associated with loss of PINK1 function. 相似文献
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ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters transduce the free energy of ATP
hydrolysis to power the mechanical work of substrate translocation across cell
membranes. MsbA is an ABC transporter implicated in trafficking lipid A across
the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. It has sequence similarity
and overlapping substrate specificity with multidrug ABC transporters that
export cytotoxic molecules in humans and prokaryotes. Despite rapid advances
in structure determination of ABC efflux transporters, little is known
regarding the location of substrate-binding sites in the transmembrane segment
and the translocation pathway across the membrane. In this study, we have
mapped residues proximal to the daunorubicin (DNR)-binding site in MsbA using
site-specific, ATP-dependent quenching of DNR intrinsic fluorescence by spin
labels. In the nucleotide-free MsbA intermediate, DNR-binding residues cluster
at the cytoplasmic end of helices 3 and 6 at a site accessible from the
membrane/water interface and extending into an aqueous chamber formed at the
interface between the two transmembrane domains. Binding of a nonhydrolyzable
ATP analog inverts the transporter to an outward-facing conformation and
relieves DNR quenching by spin labels suggesting DNR exclusion from proximity
to the spin labels. The simplest model consistent with our data has DNR
entering near an elbow helix parallel to the water/membrane interface,
partitioning into the open chamber, and then translocating toward the
periplasm upon ATP binding.ATP-binding cassette
(ABC)2 transporters
transduce the energy of ATP hydrolysis to power the movement of a wide range
of substrates across the cell membranes
(1,
2). They constitute the largest
family of prokaryotic transporters, import essential cell nutrients, flip
lipids, and export toxic molecules
(3). Forty eight human ABC
transporters have been identified, including ABCB1, or P-glycoprotein, which
is implicated in cross-resistance to drugs and cytotoxic molecules
(4,
5). Inherited mutations in
these proteins are linked to diseases such as cystic fibrosis, persistent
hypoglycemia of infancy, and immune deficiency
(6).The functional unit of an ABC transporter consists of four modules. Two
highly conserved ABCs or nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) bind and hydrolyze
ATP to supply the active energy for transport
(7). ABCs drive the mechanical
work of proteins with diverse functions ranging from membrane transport to DNA
repair (3,
5). Substrate specificity is
determined by two transmembrane domains (TMDs) that also provide the
translocation pathway across the bilayer
(7). Bacterial ABC exporters
are expressed as monomers, each consisting of one NBD and one TMD, that
dimerize to form the active transporter
(3). The number of
transmembrane helices and their organization differ significantly between ABC
importers and exporters reflecting the divergent structural and chemical
nature of their substrates (1,
8,
9). Furthermore, ABC exporters
bind substrates directly from the cytoplasm or bilayer inner leaflet and
release them to the periplasm or bilayer outer leaflet
(10,
11). In contrast, bacterial
importers have their substrates delivered to the TMD by a dedicated high
affinity substrate-binding protein
(12).In Gram-negative bacteria, lipid A trafficking from its synthesis site on
the inner membrane to its final destination in the outer membrane requires the
ABC transporter MsbA (13).
Although MsbA has not been directly shown to transport lipid A, suppression of
MsbA activity leads to cytoplasmic accumulation of lipid A and inhibits
bacterial growth strongly suggesting a role in translocation
(14-16).
In addition to this role in lipid A transport, MsbA shares sequence similarity
with multidrug ABC transporters such as human ABCB1, LmrA of Lactococcus
lactis, and Sav1866 of Staphylococcus aureus
(16-19).
ABCB1, a prototype of the ABC family, is a plasma membrane protein whose
overexpression provides resistance to chemotherapeutic agents in cancer cells
(1). LmrA and MsbA have
overlapping substrate specificity with ABCB1 suggesting that both proteins can
function as drug exporters
(18,
20). Indeed, cells expressing
MsbA confer resistance to erythromycin and ethidium bromide
(21). MsbA can be photolabeled
with the ABCB1/LmrA substrate azidopine and can transport Hoechst 33342
() across membrane vesicles in an energy-dependent manner
( H3334221).The structural mechanics of ABC exporters was revealed from comparison of
the MsbA crystal structures in the apo- and nucleotide-bound states as well as
from analysis by spin labeling EPR spectroscopy in liposomes
(17,
19,
22,
23). The energy harnessed from
ATP binding and hydrolysis drives a cycle of NBD association and dissociation
that is transmitted to induce reorientation of the TMD from an inward- to
outward-facing conformation
(17,
19,
22). Large amplitude motion
closes the cytoplasmic end of a chamber found at the interface between the two
TMDs and opens it to the periplasm
(23). These rearrangements
lead to significant changes in chamber hydration, which may drive substrate
translocation (22).Substrate binding must precede energy input, otherwise the cycle is futile,
wasting the energy of ATP hydrolysis without substrate extrusion
(7). Consistent with this
model, ATP binding reduces ABCB1 substrate affinity, potentially through
binding site occlusion
(24-26).
Furthermore, the TMD substrate-binding event signals the NBD to stimulate ATP
hydrolysis increasing transport efficiency
(1,
27,
28). However, there is a
paucity of information regarding the location of substrate binding, the
transport pathway, and the structural basis of substrate recognition by ABC
exporters. In vitro studies of MsbA substrate specificity identify a
broad range of substrates that stimulate ATPase activity
(29). In addition to the
putative physiological substrates lipid A and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the
ABCB1 substrates Ilmofosine, , and verapamil differentially enhance ATP
hydrolysis of MsbA ( H3334229,
30). Intrinsic MsbA tryptophan
(Trp) fluorescence quenching by these putative substrate molecules provides
further support of interaction
(29).Extensive biochemical analysis of ABCB1 and LmrA provides a general model
of substrate binding to ABC efflux exporters. This so-called
“hydrophobic cleaner model” describes substrates binding from the
inner leaflet of the bilayer and then translocating through the TMD
(10,
31,
32). These studies also
identified a large number of residues involved in substrate binding and
selectivity (33). When these
crucial residues are mapped onto the crystal structures of MsbA, a subset of
homologous residues clusters to helices 3 and 6 lining the putative substrate
pathway (34). Consistent with
a role in substrate binding and specificity, simultaneous replacement of two
serines (Ser-289 and Ser-290) in helix 6 of MsbA reduces binding and transport
of ethidium and taxol, although and erythromycin interactions remain
unaffected ( H3334234).The tendency of lipophilic substrates to partition into membranes confounds
direct analysis of substrate interactions with ABC exporters
(35,
36). Such partitioning may
promote dynamic collisions with exposed Trp residues and nonspecific
cross-linking in photo-affinity labeling experiments. In this study, we
utilize a site-specific quenching approach to identify residues in the
vicinity of the daunorubicin (DNR)-binding site
(37). Although the data on DNR
stimulation of ATP hydrolysis is inconclusive
(20,
29,
30), the quenching of MsbA Trp
fluorescence suggests a specific interaction. Spin labels were introduced
along transmembrane helices 3, 4, and 6 of MsbA to assess their ATP-dependent
quenching of DNR fluorescence. Residues that quench DNR cluster along the
cytoplasmic end of helices 3 and 6 consistent with specific binding of DNR.
Furthermore, many of these residues are not lipid-exposed but face the
putative substrate chamber formed between the two TMDs. These residues are
proximal to two Trps, which likely explains the previously reported quenching
(29). Our results suggest DNR
partitions to the membrane and then binds MsbA in a manner consistent with the
hydrophobic cleaner model. Interpretation in the context of the crystal
structures of MsbA identifies a putative translocation pathway through the
transmembrane segment. 相似文献
11.
12.
Gaetan Pascreau Frank Eckerdt Andrea L. Lewellyn Claude Prigent James L. Maller 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(9):5497-5505
p53 is an important tumor suppressor regulating the cell cycle at multiple
stages in higher vertebrates. The p53 gene is frequently deleted or mutated in
human cancers, resulting in loss of p53 activity. This leads to centrosome
amplification, aneuploidy, and tumorigenesis, three phenotypes also observed
after overexpression of the oncogenic kinase Aurora A. Accordingly, recent
studies have focused on the relationship between these two proteins. p53 and
Aurora A have been reported to interact in mammalian cells, but the function
of this interaction remains unclear. We recently reported that
Xenopus p53 can inhibit Aurora A activity in vitro but only
in the absence of TPX2. Here we investigate the interplay between
Xenopus Aurora A, TPX2, and p53 and show that newly synthesized TPX2
is required for nearly all Aurora A activation and for full p53 synthesis and
phosphorylation in vivo during oocyte maturation. In vitro,
phosphorylation mediated by Aurora A targets serines 129 and 190 within the
DNA binding domain of p53. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down
studies indicate that the interaction occurs via the p53 transactivation
domain and the Aurora A catalytic domain around the T-loop. Our studies
suggest that targeting of TPX2 might be an effective strategy for specifically
inhibiting the phosphorylation of Aurora A substrates, including p53.Aurora A is an oncogenic protein kinase that is active in mitosis and plays
important roles in spindle assembly and centrosome function
(1). Overexpression of either
human or Xenopus Aurora A transforms mammalian cells, but only when
the p53 pathway is altered
(2–4).
Aurora A is localized on centrosomes during mitosis, and overexpression of the
protein leads to centrosome amplification and aneuploidy
(2,
3,
5,
6), two likely contributors to
genomic instability (7,
8). Because of its oncogenic
potential and amplification in human tumors, considerable attention has been
focused on the mechanism of Aurora A activation in mitosis. Evidence from
several laboratories indicates that activation occurs as a result of
phosphorylation of a threonine residue in the T-loop of the kinase
(4,
9,
10). Purification of Aurora
A-activating activity from M phase Xenopus egg extracts led to an
apparent activation mechanism in which autophosphorylation at the T-loop is
stimulated by binding of the targeting protein for Xklp2 (TPX2)
(11–14).
On the other hand, it has been shown that Aurora A activity can be inhibited
by interaction with several proteins, including PP1 (protein phosphatase 1),
AIP (Aurora A kinase-interacting protein), and, more recently, p53
(9,
15–17).p53 is a well known tumor suppressor able to drive cell cycle arrest,
apoptosis, or senescence when DNA is damaged or cell integrity is threatened
(18,
19). In human cancers, the p53
gene is frequently deleted or mutated, leading to inactivation of p53
functions (20). p53 protein is
almost undetectable in “normal cells,” mainly due to its
instability. Indeed, during a normal cell cycle, p53 associates with Mdm2 in
the nucleus and thereafter undergoes nuclear exclusion, allowing its
ubiquitination and subsequent degradation
(21). In cells under stress,
p53 is stabilized through the disruption of its interaction with Mdm2
(21), leading to p53
accumulation in the nucleus and triggering different responses, as described
above.Although p53 has mostly been characterized as a nuclear protein, it has
also been shown to localize on centrosomes
(22–24)
and regulate centrosome duplication
(23,
24). Centrosomes are believed
to act as scaffolds that concentrate many regulatory molecules involved in
signal transduction, including multiple protein kinases
(25). Thus, centrosomal
localization of p53 might be important for its own regulation by
phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, and one of its regulators could be the
mitotic kinase Aurora A. Indeed, phenotypes associated with the misexpression
of these two proteins are very similar. For example, overexpression of Aurora
A kinase leads to centrosome amplification, aneuploidy, and tumorigenesis, and
the same effects are often observed after down-regulation of p53
transactivation activity or deletion/mutation of its gene
(26,
27).Several recent studies performed in mammalian models show interplay between
p53 and Aurora A, with each protein having the ability to inhibit the other,
depending on the stage of the cell cycle and the stress level of the cell
(17,
28,
29). These studies reported
that p53 is a substrate of Aurora A, and serines 215 and 315 were demonstrated
to be the two major Aurora A phosphorylation sites in human p53 in
vitro and in vivo. Phosphorylation of Ser-215 within the DNA
binding domain of human p53 inhibited both p53 DNA binding and transactivation
activities (29). Recently, our
group showed that Xenopus p53 is able to inhibit Aurora A kinase
activity in vitro, but this inhibitory effect can be suppressed by
prior binding of Aurora A to TPX2
(9). Contrary to somatic cells,
where p53 is nuclear, unstable, and expressed at a very low level, p53 is
highly expressed in the cytoplasm of Xenopus oocytes and stable until
later stages of development
(30,
31). The high concentration of
both p53 and Aurora A in the oocyte provided a suitable basis for
investigating p53-Aurora A interaction and also evaluating Xenopus
p53 as a substrate of Aurora A. 相似文献
13.
14.
15.
Isabel Molina-Ortiz Rub��n A. Bartolom�� Pablo Hern��ndez-Varas Georgina P. Colo Joaquin Teixid�� 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(22):15147-15157
Melanoma cells express the chemokine receptor CXCR4 that confers high
invasiveness upon binding to its ligand CXCL12. Melanoma cells at initial
stages of the disease show reduction or loss of E-cadherin expression, but
recovery of its expression is frequently found at advanced phases. We
overexpressed E-cadherin in the highly invasive BRO lung metastatic cell
melanoma cell line to investigate whether it could influence CXCL12-promoted
cell invasion. Overexpression of E-cadherin led to defective invasion of
melanoma cells across Matrigel and type I collagen in response to CXCL12. A
decrease in individual cell migration directionality toward the chemokine and
reduced adhesion accounted for the impaired invasion. A p190RhoGAP-dependent
inhibition of RhoA activation was responsible for the impairment in
chemokine-stimulated E-cadherin melanoma transfectant invasion. Furthermore,
we show that p190RhoGAP and p120ctn associated predominantly on the plasma
membrane of cells overexpressing E-cadherin, and that E-cadherin-bound p120ctn
contributed to RhoA inactivation by favoring p190RhoGAP-RhoA association.
These results suggest that melanoma cells at advanced stages of the disease
could have reduced metastatic potency in response to chemotactic stimuli
compared with cells lacking E-cadherin, and the results indicate that
p190RhoGAP is a central molecule controlling melanoma cell invasion.Cadherins are a family of Ca2+-dependent adhesion molecules that
mediate cell-cell contacts and are expressed in most solid tissues providing a
tight control of morphogenesis
(1,
2). Classical cadherins, such
as epithelial (E) cadherin, are found in adherens junctions, forming core
protein complexes with β-catenin, α-catenin, and p120 catenin
(p120ctn). Both β-catenin and p120ctn directly interact with E-cadherin,
whereas α-catenin associates with the complex through its binding to
β-catenin, providing a link with the actin cytoskeleton
(1,
2). E-cadherin is frequently
lost or down-regulated in many human tumors, coincident with morphological
epithelial to mesenchymal transition and acquisition of invasiveness
(3-6).Although melanoma only accounts for 5% of skin cancers, when metastasis
starts, it is responsible for 80% of deaths from skin cancers
(7). Melanocytes express
E-cadherin
(8-10),
but melanoma cells at early radial growth phase show a large reduction in the
expression of this cadherin, and surprisingly, expression has been reported to
be partially recovered by vertical growth phase and metastatic melanoma cells
(9,
11,
12).Trafficking of cancer cells from primary tumor sites to intravasation into
blood circulation and later to extravasation to colonize distant organs
requires tightly regulated directional cues and cell migration and invasion
that are mediated by chemokines, growth factors, and adhesion molecules
(13). Solid tumor cells
express chemokine receptors that provide guidance of these cells to organs
where their chemokine ligands are expressed, constituting a homing model
resembling the one used by immune cells to exert their immune surveillance
functions (14). Most solid
cancer cells express CXCR4, a receptor for the chemokine CXCL12 (also called
SDF-1), which is expressed in lungs, bone marrow, and liver
(15). Expression of CXCR4 in
human melanoma has been detected in the vertical growth phase and on regional
lymph nodes, which correlated with poor prognosis and increased mortality
(16,
17). Previous in vivo
experiments have provided evidence supporting a crucial role for CXCR4 in the
metastasis of melanoma cells
(18).Rho GTPases control the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton during cell
migration (19,
20). The activity of Rho
GTPases is tightly regulated by guanine-nucleotide exchange factors
(GEFs),4 which
stimulate exchange of bound GDP by GTP, and inhibited by GTPase-activating
proteins (GAPs), which promote GTP hydrolysis
(21,
22), whereas guanine
nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs) appear to mediate blocking of
spontaneous activation (23).
Therefore, cell migration is finely regulated by the balance between GEF, GAP,
and GDI activities on Rho GTPases. Involvement of Rho GTPases in cancer is
well documented (reviewed in Ref.
24), providing control of both
cell migration and growth. RhoA and RhoC are highly expressed in colon,
breast, and lung carcinoma
(25,
26), whereas overexpression of
RhoC in melanoma leads to enhancement of cell metastasis
(27). CXCL12 activates both
RhoA and Rac1 in melanoma cells, and both GTPases play key roles during
invasion toward this chemokine
(28,
29).Given the importance of the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis in melanoma cell invasion and
metastasis, in this study we have addressed the question of whether changes in
E-cadherin expression on melanoma cells might affect cell invasiveness. We
show here that overexpression of E-cadherin leads to impaired melanoma cell
invasion to CXCL12, and we provide mechanistic characterization accounting for
the decrease in invasion. 相似文献
16.
Maika Deffieu Ingrid Bhatia-Ki??ová Bénédicte Salin Anne Galinier Stéphen Manon Nadine Camougrand 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(22):14828-14837
The antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine prevented the
autophagy-dependent delivery of mitochondria to the vacuoles, as examined by
fluorescence microscopy of mitochondria-targeted green fluorescent protein,
transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot analysis of mitochondrial
proteins. The effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine was specific
to mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy). Indeed, autophagy-dependent activation
of alkaline phosphatase and the presence of hallmarks of non-selective
microautophagy were not altered by N-acetyl-l-cysteine.
The effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine was not related to its
scavenging properties, but rather to its fueling effect of the glutathione
pool. As a matter of fact, the decrease of the glutathione pool induced by
chemical or genetical manipulation did stimulate mitophagy but not general
autophagy. Conversely, the addition of a cell-permeable form of glutathione
inhibited mitophagy. Inhibition of glutathione synthesis had no effect in the
strain Δuth1, which is deficient in selective mitochondrial
degradation. These data show that mitophagy can be regulated independently of
general autophagy, and that its implementation may depend on the cellular
redox status.Autophagy is a major pathway for the lysosomal/vacuolar delivery of
long-lived proteins and organelles, where they are degraded and recycled.
Autophagy plays a crucial role in differentiation and cellular response to
stress and is conserved in eukaryotic cells from yeast to mammals
(1,
2). The main form of autophagy,
macroautophagy, involves the non-selective sequestration of large portions of
the cytoplasm into double-membrane structures termed autophagosomes, and their
delivery to the vacuole/lysosome for degradation. Another process,
microautophagy, involves the direct sequestration of parts of the cytoplasm by
vacuole/lysosomes. The two processes coexist in yeast cells but their extent
may depend on different factors including metabolic state: for example, we
have observed that nitrogen-starved lactate-grown yeast cells develop
microautophagy, whereas nitrogen-starved glucose-grown cells preferentially
develop macroautophagy (3).Both macroautophagy and microautophagy are essentially non-selective, in
the way that autophagosomes and vacuole invaginations do not appear to
discriminate the sequestered material. However, selective forms of autophagy
have been observed (4) that
target namely peroxisomes (5,
6), chromatin
(7,
8), endoplasmic reticulum
(9), ribosomes
(10), and mitochondria
(3,
11–13).
Although non-selective autophagy plays an essential role in survival by
nitrogen starvation, by providing amino acids to the cell, selective autophagy
is more likely to have a function in the maintenance of cellular structures,
both under normal conditions as a “housecleaning” process, and
under stress conditions by eliminating altered organelles and macromolecular
structures
(14–16).
Selective autophagy targeting mitochondria, termed mitophagy, may be
particularly relevant to stress conditions. The mitochondrial respiratory
chain is both the main site and target of
ROS4 production
(17). Consequently, the
maintenance of a pool of healthy mitochondria is a crucial challenge for the
cells. The progressive accumulation of altered mitochondria
(18) caused by the loss of
efficiency of the maintenance process (degradation/biogenesis de
novo) is often considered as a major cause of cellular aging
(19–23).
In mammalian cells, autophagic removal of mitochondria has been shown to be
triggered following induction/blockade of apoptosis
(23), suggesting that
autophagy of mitochondria was required for cell survival following
mitochondria injury (14).
Consistent with this idea, a direct alteration of mitochondrial permeability
properties has been shown to induce mitochondrial autophagy
(13,
24,
25). Furthermore, inactivation
of catalase induced the autophagic elimination of altered mitochondria
(26). In the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the alteration of
F0F1-ATPase biogenesis in a conditional mutant has been
shown to trigger autophagy
(27). Alterations of
mitochondrial ion homeostasis caused by the inactivation of the
K+/H+ exchanger was shown to cause both autophagy and
mitophagy (28). We have
reported that treatment of cells with rapamycin induced early ROS production
and mitochondrial lipid oxidation that could be inhibited by the hydrophobic
antioxidant resveratrol (29).
Furthermore, resveratrol treatment impaired autophagic degradation of both
cytosolic and mitochondrial proteins and delayed rapamycin-induced cell death,
suggesting that mitochondrial oxidation events may play a crucial role in the
regulation of autophagy. This existence of regulation of autophagy by ROS has
received molecular support in HeLa cells
(30): these authors showed
that starvation stimulated ROS production, namely H2O2,
which was essential for autophagy. Furthermore, they identified the cysteine
protease hsAtg4 as a direct target for oxidation by
H2O2. This provided a possible connection between the
mitochondrial status and regulation of autophagy.Investigations of mitochondrial autophagy in nitrogen-starved lactate-grown
yeast cells have established the existence of two distinct processes: the
first one occurring very early, is selective for mitochondria and is dependent
on the presence of the mitochondrial protein Uth1p; the second one occurring
later, is not selective for mitochondria, is not dependent on Uth1p, and is a
form of bulk microautophagy
(3). The absence of the
selective process in the Δuth1 mutant strongly delays and
decreases mitochondrial protein degradation
(3,
12). The putative protein
phosphatase Aup1p has been also shown to be essential in inducing mitophagy
(31). Additionally several Atg
proteins were shown to be involved in vacuolar sequestration of mitochondrial
GFP (3,
12,
32,
33). Recently, the protein
Atg11p, which had been already identified as an essential protein for
selective autophagy has also been reported as being essential for mitophagy
(33).The question remains as to identify of the signals that trigger selective
mitophagy. It is particularly intriguing that selective mitophagy is activated
very early after the shift to a nitrogen-deprived medium
(3). Furthermore, selective
mitophagy is very active on lactate-grown cells (with fully differentiated
mitochondria) but is nearly absent in glucose-grown cells
(3). In the present paper, we
investigated the relationships between the redox status of the cells and
selective mitophagy, namely by manipulating glutathione. Our results support
the view that redox imbalance is a trigger for the selective elimination of
mitochondria. 相似文献
17.
18.
Kuen-Feng Chen Pei-Yen Yeh Chiun Hsu Chih-Hung Hsu Yen-Shen Lu Hsing-Pang Hsieh Pei-Jer Chen Ann-Lii Cheng 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(17):11121-11133
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and aggressive
human malignancies. Recombinant tumor necrosis factor-related
apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising anti-tumor agent. However,
many HCC cells show resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. In this study, we
showed that bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, overcame TRAIL resistance in
HCC cells, including Huh-7, Hep3B, and Sk-Hep1. The combination of bortezomib
and TRAIL restored the sensitivity of HCC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
Comparing the molecular change in HCC cells treated with these agents, we
found that down-regulation of phospho-Akt (P-Akt) played a key role in
mediating TRAIL sensitization of bortezomib. The first evidence was that
bortezomib down-regulated P-Akt in a dose- and time-dependent manner in
TRAIL-treated HCC cells. Second, , a PI3K inhibitor, also sensitized
resistant HCC cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Third, knocking down Akt1 by
small interference RNA also enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in Huh-7 cells.
Finally, ectopic expression of mutant Akt (constitutive active) in HCC cells
abolished TRAIL sensitization effect of bortezomib. Moreover, okadaic acid, a
protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibitor, reversed down-regulation of P-Akt in
bortezomib-treated cells, and PP2A knockdown by small interference RNA also
reduced apoptosis induced by the combination of TRAIL and bortezomib,
indicating that PP2A may be important in mediating the effect of bortezomib on
TRAIL sensitization. Together, bortezomib overcame TRAIL resistance at
clinically achievable concentrations in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and
this effect is mediated at least partly via inhibition of the PI3K/Akt
pathway.Hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC) LY2940022 is currently
the fifth most common solid tumor worldwide and the fourth leading cause of
cancer-related death. To date, surgery is still the only curative treatment
but is only feasible in a small portion of patients
(1). Drug treatment is the
major therapy for patients with advanced stage disease. Unfortunately, the
response rate to traditional chemotherapy for HCC patients is unsatisfactory
(1). Novel pharmacological
therapy is urgently needed for patients with advanced HCC. In this regard, the
approval of sorafenib might open a new era of molecularly targeted therapy in
the treatment of HCC patients.Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a
type II transmembrane protein and a member of the TNF family, is a promising
anti-tumor agent under clinical investigation
(2). TRAIL functions by
engaging its receptors expressed on the surface of target cells. Five
receptors specific for TRAIL have been identified, including DR4/TRAIL-R1,
DR5/TRAIL-R2, DcR1, DcR2, and osteoprotegerin. Among TRAIL receptors, only DR4
and DR5 contain an effective death domain that is essential to formation of
death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), a critical step for TRAIL-induced
apoptosis. Notably, the trimerization of the death domains recruits an adaptor
molecule, Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD), which subsequently
recruits and activates caspase-8. In type I cells, activation of caspase-8 is
sufficient to activate caspase-3 to induce apoptosis; however, in another type
of cells (type II), the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway is essential for
apoptosis characterized by cleavage of Bid and release of cytochrome
c from mitochondria, which subsequently activates caspase-9 and
caspase-3 (3).Although TRAIL induces apoptosis in malignant cells but sparing normal
cells, some tumor cells are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Mechanisms
responsible for the resistance include receptors and intracellular resistance.
Although the cell surface expression of DR4 or DR5 is absolutely required for
TRAIL-induced apoptosis, tumor cells expressing these death receptors are not
always sensitive to TRAIL due to intracellular mechanisms. For example, the
cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP), a homologue to caspase-8 but
without protease activity, has been linked to TRAIL resistance in several
studies (4,
5). In addition, inactivation
of Bax, a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, resulted in resistance to TRAIL
in MMR-deficient tumors (6,
7), and reintroduction of Bax
into Bax-deficient cells restored TRAIL sensitivity
(8), indicating that the Bcl-2
family plays a critical role in intracellular mechanisms for resistance of
TRAIL.Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor approved clinically for multiple myeloma
and mantle cell lymphoma, has been investigated intensively for many types of
cancer (9). Accumulating
studies indicate that the combination of bortezomib and TRAIL overcomes the
resistance to TRAIL in various types of cancer, including acute myeloid
leukemia (4), lymphoma
(10–13),
prostate
(14–17),
colon (15,
18,
19), bladder
(14,
16), renal cell carcinoma
(20), thyroid
(21), ovary
(22), non-small cell lung
(23,
24), sarcoma
(25), and HCC
(26,
27). Molecular targets
responsible for the sensitizing effect of bortezomib on TRAIL-induced cell
death include DR4 (14,
27), DR5
(14,
20,
22–23,
28), c-FLIP
(4,
11,
21–23,
29), NF-κB
(12,
24,
30), p21
(16,
21,
25), and p27
(25). In addition, Bcl-2
family also plays a role in the combinational effect of bortezomib and TRAIL,
including Bcl-2 (10,
21), Bax
(13,
22), Bak
(27), Bcl-xL
(21), Bik
(18), and Bim
(15).Recently, we have reported that Akt signaling is a major molecular
determinant in bortezomib-induced apoptosis in HCC cells
(31). In this study, we
demonstrated that bortezomib overcame TRAIL resistance in HCC cells through
inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway. 相似文献
19.
S��bastien Thomas Brigitte Ritter David Verbich Claire Sanson Lyne Bourbonni��re R. Anne McKinney Peter S. McPherson 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(18):12410-12419
Intersectin-short (intersectin-s) is a multimodule scaffolding protein
functioning in constitutive and regulated forms of endocytosis in non-neuronal
cells and in synaptic vesicle (SV) recycling at the neuromuscular junction of
Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. In vertebrates,
alternative splicing generates a second isoform, intersectin-long
(intersectin-l), that contains additional modular domains providing a guanine
nucleotide exchange factor activity for Cdc42. In mammals, intersectin-s is
expressed in multiple tissues and cells, including glia, but excluded from
neurons, whereas intersectin-l is a neuron-specific isoform. Thus,
intersectin-I may regulate multiple forms of endocytosis in mammalian neurons,
including SV endocytosis. We now report, however, that intersectin-l is
localized to somatodendritic regions of cultured hippocampal neurons, with
some juxtanuclear accumulation, but is excluded from synaptophysin-labeled
axon terminals. Consistently, intersectin-l knockdown (KD) does not affect SV
recycling. Instead intersectin-l co-localizes with clathrin heavy chain and
adaptor protein 2 in the somatodendritic region of neurons, and its KD reduces
the rate of transferrin endocytosis. The protein also co-localizes with
F-actin at dendritic spines, and intersectin-l KD disrupts spine maturation
during development. Our data indicate that intersectin-l is indeed an
important regulator of constitutive endocytosis and neuronal development but
that it is not a prominent player in the regulated endocytosis of SVs.Clathrin-mediated endocytosis
(CME)4 is a
major mechanism by which cells take up nutrients, control the surface levels
of multiple proteins, including ion channels and transporters, and regulate
the coupling of signaling receptors to downstream signaling cascades
(1-5).
In neurons, CME takes on additional specialized roles; it is an important
process regulating synaptic vesicle (SV) availability through endocytosis and
recycling of SV membranes (6,
7), it shapes synaptic
plasticity
(8-10),
and it is crucial in maintaining synaptic membranes and membrane structure
(11).Numerous endocytic accessory proteins participate in CME, interacting with
each other and with core components of the endocytic machinery such as
clathrin heavy chain (CHC) and adaptor protein-2 (AP-2) through specific
modules and peptide motifs
(12). One such module is the
Eps15 homology domain that binds to proteins bearing NPF motifs
(13,
14). Another is the Src
homology 3 (SH3) domain, which binds to proline-rich domains in protein
partners (15). Intersectin is
a multimodule scaffolding protein that interacts with a wide range of
proteins, including several involved in CME
(16). Intersectin has two
N-terminal Eps15 homology domains that are responsible for binding to epsin,
SCAMP1, and numb
(17-19),
a central coil-coiled domain that interacts with Eps15 and SNAP-23 and -25
(17,
20,
21), and five SH3 domains in
its C-terminal region that interact with multiple proline-rich domain
proteins, including synaptojanin, dynamin, N-WASP, CdGAP, and mSOS
(16,
22-25).
The rich binding capability of intersectin has linked it to various functions
from CME (17,
26,
27) and signaling
(22,
28,
29) to mitogenesis
(30,
31) and regulation of the
actin cytoskeleton (23).Intersectin functions in SV recycling at the neuromuscular junction of
Drosophila and C. elegans where it acts as a scaffold,
regulating the synaptic levels of endocytic accessory proteins
(21,
32-34).
In vertebrates, the intersectin gene is subject to alternative splicing, and a
longer isoform (intersectin-l) is generated that is expressed exclusively in
neurons (26,
28,
35,
36). This isoform has all the
binding modules of its short (intersectin-s) counterpart but also has
additional domains: a DH and a PH domain that provide guanine nucleotide
exchange factor (GEF) activity specific for Cdc42
(23,
37) and a C2 domain at the C
terminus. Through its GEF activity and binding to actin regulatory proteins,
including N-WASP, intersectin-l has been implicated in actin regulation and
the development of dendritic spines
(19,
23,
24). In addition, because the
rest of the binding modules are shared between intersectin-s and -l, it is
generally thought that the two intersectin isoforms have the same endocytic
functions. In particular, given the well defined role for the invertebrate
orthologs of intersectin-s in SV endocytosis, it is thought that intersectin-l
performs this role in mammalian neurons, which lack intersectin-s. Defining
the complement of intersectin functional activities in mammalian neurons is
particularly relevant given that the protein is involved in the
pathophysiology of Down syndrome (DS). Specifically, the intersectin gene is
localized on chromosome 21q22.2 and is overexpressed in DS brains
(38). Interestingly,
alterations in endosomal pathways are a hallmark of DS neurons and neurons
from the partial trisomy 16 mouse, Ts65Dn, a model for DS
(39,
40). Thus, an endocytic
trafficking defect may contribute to the DS disease process.Here, the functional roles of intersectin-l were studied in cultured
hippocampal neurons. We find that intersectin-l is localized to the
somatodendritic regions of neurons, where it co-localizes with CHC and AP-2
and regulates the uptake of transferrin. Intersectin-l also co-localizes with
actin at dendritic spines and disrupting intersectin-l function alters
dendritic spine development. In contrast, intersectin-l is absent from
presynaptic terminals and has little or no role in SV recycling. 相似文献