Tomato ethylene receptor-CTR interactions: visualization of NEVER-RIPE interactions with multiple CTRs at the endoplasmic reticulum

In the model plant Arabidopsis, members of a family of two-componentsystem His kinase-like ethylene receptors have direct protein–proteininteractions with a single downstream Ser/Thr kinase CTR1. Thesecomponents of the ethylene signalling network found in Arabidopsisare conserved in the climacteric fruit tomato, but both theethylene receptors and CTR1-like proteins (LeCTRs) in tomatoare encoded by multigene families. Here, using a yeast two-hybridinteraction assay, it is shown that the tomato receptors LeETR1,LeETR2, and NEVER-RIPE (NR) can interact with multiple LeCTRs.In vivo protein localization studies with fluorescent taggedproteins revealed that the ethylene receptor NR was targetedto the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) when transiently expressedin onion epidermal cells, whereas the four LeCTR proteins werefound in the cytoplasm and nucleus. When co-expressed with NR,three LeCTRs (1, 3, and 4), but not LeCTR2, also adopted thesame ER localization pattern in an NR receptor-dependent mannerbut not in the absence of NR. The receptor–CTR interactionswere confirmed by biomolecular fluorescence complementation(BiFC) showing that NR could form a protein complex with LeCTR1,3, and 4. This suggested that ethylene receptors recruit theseLeCTR proteins to the ER membrane through direct protein–proteininteraction. The receptor–CTR interactions and localizationobserved in the study reinforce the idea that ethylene receptorstransmit the signal to the downstream CTRs and show that a singlereceptor can interact with multiple CTR proteins. It remainsunclear whether the different LeCTRs are functionally redundantor have unique roles in ethylene signalling. Key words: BiFC, endoplasmic reticulum, Ser/Thr kinase, tomato ethylene signalling, two-component system His kinase     

Recent progress on structural interactions of the endoplasmic reticulum

Progress has been made recently in understanding certain aspects of the structure of the ER. It is very likely that kinesin, dynein, and myosin are associated with the ER and are responsible for distributing the fluid membranes of the ER by interaction of these motors with microtubules and actin filaments. Other kinds of structural protein associations with the ER are also likely, for instance, binding of cortical ER to subplasmalemmal regions or microtubule binding and/or polymerization along ER tubules.     

Ca2+ regulation of interactions between endoplasmic reticulum chaperones

Casade Blue (CB), a fluorescent dye, was used to investigate the dynamics of interactions between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumenal chaperones including calreticulin, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), and ERp57. PDI and ERp57 were labeled with CB, and subsequently, we show that the fluorescence intensity of the CB-conjugated proteins changes upon exposure to microenvironments of a different polarity. CD analysis of the purified proteins revealed that changes in the fluorescence intensity of CB-ERp57 and CB-PDI correspond to conformational changes in the proteins. Using this technique we demonstrate that PDI interacts with calreticulin at low Ca2+ concentration (below 100 microM), whereas the protein complex dissociates at >400 microM Ca2+. These are the Ca2+ concentrations reminiscent of Ca2+ levels found in empty or full ER Ca2+ stores. The N-domain of calreticulin interacts with PDI, but Ca2+ binding to the C-domain of the protein is responsible for Ca2+ sensitivity of the interaction. ERp57 also interacts with calreticulin through the N-domain of the protein. Initial interaction between these proteins is Ca2+-independent, but it is modulated by Ca2+ binding to the C-domain of calreticulin. We conclude that changes in ER lumenal Ca2+ concentration may be responsible for the regulation of protein-protein interactions. Calreticulin may play a role of Ca2+ "sensor" for ER chaperones via regulation of Ca2+-dependent formation and maintenance of structural and functional complexes between different proteins involved in a variety of steps during protein synthesis, folding, and post-translational modification.     

Exiting the endoplasmic reticulum

Vesicular transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi complex constitutes the initial step in protein secretion. COPII-coated vesicles mediate the export of newly synthesized proteins from the ER, and this transport step is coupled with COPI-mediated retrograde traffic to form a transport circuit that supports the compositional asymmetry of the ER-Golgi system. Biochemical and structural studies have advanced our understanding of the mechanisms that control vesicle formation and cargo-protein capture. Recent work has highlighted the function of transitional ER regions in specifying the location of COPII budding.     

Sulfatase modifying factor 1 trafficking through the cells: from endoplasmic reticulum to the endoplasmic reticulum

Sulfatase modifying factor 1 (SUMF1) is the gene mutated in multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD) that encodes the formylglycine-generating enzyme, an essential activator of all the sulfatases. SUMF1 is a glycosylated enzyme that is resident in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), although it is also secreted. Here, we demonstrate that upon secretion, SUMF1 can be taken up from the medium by several cell lines. Furthermore, the in vivo engineering of mice liver to produce SUMF1 shows its secretion into the blood serum and its uptake into different tissues. Additionally, we show that non-glycosylated forms of SUMF1 can still be secreted, while only the glycosylated SUMF1 enters cells, via a receptor-mediated mechanism. Surprisingly, following its uptake, SUMF1 shuttles from the plasma membrane to the ER, a route that has to date only been well characterized for some of the toxins. Remarkably, once taken up and relocalized into the ER, SUMF1 is still active, enhancing the sulfatase activities in both cultured cells and mice tissues.     

Stay in touch with the endoplasmic reticulum

The endoplasmic reticulum(ER),which is composed of a continuous network of tubules and sheets,forms the most widely distributed membrane system in eukaryotic cells.As a result,it engages a variety of organelles by establishing membrane contact sites(MCSs).These contacts regulate organelle positioning and remodeling,including fusion and fission,facilitate precise lipid exchange,and couple vital signaling events.Here,we systematically review recent advances and converging themes on ER-involved org...     

The hydrogenosome peripheral vesicle: similarities with the endoplasmic reticulum

The hydrogenosome, an organelle that produces molecular hydrogen and ATP from the oxidation of pyruvate or malate under anaerobic conditions, presents some characteristics common to mitochondria. The hydrogenosome of Tritrichomonas foetus, a cattle parasite, is a spherical organelle that presents a peripheral vesicle the origin and behavior of which is poorly known. In this article it is reported an ultrastructural and microanalytical study using energy dispersive X-ray analysis, 3D reconstruction and cytochemistry of the hydrogenosome peripheral vesicle and then compare the results with the endoplasmic reticulum and the nuclear envelope of T. foetus. Similarities between the hydrogenosome peripheral vesicle and the ER are presented. This study included: (1) the detection of ER enzymes by cytochemistry, such as glucose-6-phosphatase, IDPase, acid phosphatase and Ca(2+) -ATPase; (2) elemental composition by X-ray microanalysis and the mapping of calcium, phosphorus and oxygen in both ER and hydrogenosome peripheral vesicle; (3) freeze-fracture; (4) TEM of routine and cryofixed cells by high-pressure freezing and freeze-substitution; (5) 3D reconstruction, (6) monoclonal antibody anti-trichomonads ER; and (6) other cytochemical techniques that detects ER, such as the ZIO and lectins. We found a similar composition of the tested enzymes and other elements present in the ER when compared with the hydrogenosome's peripheral vesicle. It was concluded that, like mitochondria, hydrogenosome presents relationships with the ER, especially the peripheral vesicle.     

Construction of the endoplasmic reticulum

To study the construction of the ER, we used the microtubule-disrupting drug nocodazole to induce the complete breakdown of ER structure in living cells followed by recovery in drug-free medium, which regenerates the ER network within 15 min. Using the fluorescent dye 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide to visualize the ER, we have directly observed the network construction process in living cells. In these experiments, the ER network was constructed through an iterative process of extension, branching, and intersection of new ER tubules driven by the ER motility previously described as tubule branching. We have tested the cytoskeletal requirements of this process. We find that newly formed ER tubules are aligned with single microtubules but not actin fibers or vimentin intermediate filaments. Microtubule polymerization preceded the extension of ER tubules and, in experiments with a variety of different drugs, appeared to be a necessary condition for the ER network formation. Furthermore, perturbations of the pattern of microtubule polymerization with microtubule-specific drugs caused exactly correlated perturbations of the pattern of ER construction. Induction of abnormally short, nonintersecting microtubules with 20 microM taxol prevented the ER network formation; ER tubules only extended along the few microtubules contacting the aggregated ER membranes. This requirement for a continuous network of intersecting microtubules indicates that ER network formation takes place through the branching and movement of ER membranes along microtubules. Cytochalasin B had no apparent effect on the construction of the ER network during recovery, despite apparently complete disruption of actin fibers as stained by phalloidin. Blockage of protein synthesis and disorganization of intermediate filaments with cycloheximide pretreatment also failed to perturb ER construction.     

Subcompartments of the endoplasmic reticulum

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the largest continuous endomembrane structure in the cytoplasm. It may be viewed as a series of unique subcompartments. In this review, we examine the rough ER, nuclear envelope and several smooth ER subcompartments. Consideration is given to the characteristic properties and functions of the ER and its domains, and to the formation and maintenance of subcompartments. Associations within the ER membrane bilayer, and with constituents of the cytoplasm and the ER lumen, contribute to the formation of domains and lead to the establishment of subcompartments that reflect specialized functions and vary according to the physiologic state and phenotype of the individual cell. Although the structural complexity of some ER subcompartments (such as the sarcoplasmic reticulum) is highly elaborate, the ER remains a dynamic organelle, subject to assembly and disassembly, capable of extensive remodelling and active in exchange with other organelles through mechanisms of membrane transport.     

Plant G proteins interact with endoplasmic reticulum luminal protein receptors to regulate endoplasmic reticulum retrieval

Maintaining endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis is essential for the production of biomolecules. ER retrieval, i.e., the retrograde transport of compounds from the Golgi to the ER, is one of the pathways that ensures ER homeostasis. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of ER retrieval in plants remain largely unknown. Plant ERD2‐like proteins (ERD2s) were recently suggested to function as ER luminal protein receptors that mediate ER retrieval. Here, we demonstrate that heterotrimeric G protein signaling is involved in ERD2‐mediated ER retrieval. We show that ERD2s interact with the heterotrimeric G protein Gα and Gγ subunits at the Golgi. Silencing of Gα, Gβ, or Gγ increased the retention of ER luminal proteins. Furthermore, overexpression of Gα, Gβ, or Gγ caused ER luminal proteins to escape from the ER, as did the co‐silencing of ERD2a and ERD2b. These results suggest that G proteins interact with ER luminal protein receptors to regulate ER retrieval.     

Lipid protein interactions: the assembly of CD1d1 with cellular phospholipids occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum.

CD1d1 is a member of a family of lipid Ag-presenting molecules. The cellular ligands associated with CD1d1 were isolated and characterized by biochemical means as an approach to elucidate the mechanism by which CD1 molecules assemble in vivo. Natural ligands of mouse CD1d1 included cellular phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol-glycans that are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Further biochemical data revealed that the two CD1d1 mutants, one defective in recycling from-and-to the plasma membrane and the other in efficiently negotiating the secretory pathway, associated with phosphatidylinositol. Thus phosphatidylinositol associated with CD1d1 in the early secretory pathway. Phosphatidylinositol also associated with CD1d1 in Pig-A-deficient cells that are defective in the first glycosylation step of glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis. Moreover, cellular phosphatidylinositol-glycans are not Valpha14Jalpha15 natural T cell Ags. Therefore, we predict that cellular lipids occlude the hydrophobic Ag-binding groove of CD1 during assembly until they are exchanged for a glycolipid Ag(s) within the recycling compartment for display on the plasma membrane. In this manner, cellular lipids might play a chaperone-like role in the assembly of CD1d1 in vivo, akin to the function of invariant chain in MHC class II assembly.     

Structural interactions of actin filaments and endoplasmic reticulum in honeybee photoreceptor cells

Summary Fluorescent phallotoxins and heavy meromyosin were used to reveal the organization of the actin cytoskeleton in honeybee photoreceptor cells, and the relationship of actin filaments to the submicrovillar, palisade-like cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Bundles of unipolar actin filaments (pointed end towards the cell center) protrude from the microvillar bases and extend through cytoplasmic bridges that traverse the submicrovillar ER. Within the cytoplasmic bridges, the filaments are regularly spaced and tightly apposed to the ER membrane. In addition, actin filaments are deployed close to the microvillar bases to form a loose web. Actin filaments are scarce in cell areas remote from the rhabdom; these areas contain microtubule-associated ER domains. The results suggest that the actin system of the submicrovillar cytoplasm shapes the submicrovillar ER cisternae, and that the distinct ER domains interact with different cytoskeletal elements.     

Structure and assembly of the endoplasmic reticulum. Biosynthetic sorting of endoplasmic reticulum proteins

We have studied the post-translational processing and the biosynthetic sorting of three protein components of murine endoplasmic reticulum (ER), ERp60, ERp72, and ERp99. In pulse-labeled MOPC-315 (where MOPC-315 represents mineral oil-induced plasmacytoma cells) plasmacytoma cells, no precursor forms of these proteins were detected and only ERp99 was sensitive to endoglycosidase H. The ERp99 oligosaccharide remained endoglycosidase H sensitive during a 3-h chase, and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography showed the predominant structure to be Man8GlcNAc2. We have used a sucrose gradient analysis of pulse-labeled MOPC-315 plasmacytoma cells in order to directly study the biosynthetic sorting of both glycosylated and nonglycosylated ERps and have found no strong evidence to suggest these proteins ever leave the endoplasmic reticulum. In spite of their common sorting pathway, these proteins differ in their membrane orientation. Both ERp60 and ERp72 are entirely protected by the endoplasmic reticulum membrane while ERp99 appears to have a large domain exposed on the cytoplasmic face of the endoplasmic reticulum.     

ER-phagy: selective autophagy of the endoplasmic reticulum

Throughout their life, cells must maintain homeostasis while facing constantly fluctuating demands on their different organelles. A major mechanism for the homeostatic control of organelle function is the unfolded protein response (UPR), a signaling pathway that triggers a comprehensive remodeling of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the biosynthetic pathway according to need. We discovered that activation of the UPR in yeast also induces a new branch of macroautophagy that selectively targets the ER. We term this process "ER-phagy", in analogy to pexophagy and mitophagy, the two other known forms of organelle-specific marcoautophagy. ER-phagy involves the generation of autophagosomes that selectively include ER membranes and whose delimiting double membranes also derive, at least in part, from the ER. This finding provides direct evidence that the ER can serve as a membrane source for autophagosome formation and indicates that ER-phagy entails engulfment of the ER by itself. ER-phagy could remove damaged or redundant parts of the ER and thus represent an important degradative functionality of the UPR that helps to afford homeostatic control.     

Outet mitochondrial membrane continuous with endoplasmic reticulum

Summary Continuity of outer mitochondrial membrane with tubular profiles of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) character is found in rat liver hepatocytes and in the ciliateTetrahymena pyriformis. Such membrane continuity is evident from thin sections through intact cells and isolated fractions as well as with negatively stained isolated mitochondria. The ER-profiles continuous with the outer mitochondrial membrane appear predominantly smooth, whereas in some cases they showed a few ribosomes associated with them. The observations are discussed as another indication of the close structural and chemical relationship between the outer mitochondrial membrane and the ER. In addition, it is hypothesized that this cisternal continuity provides a route for transfer of special proteins (and possibly lipid components, too) from the rough ER into the mitochondria.The authors thank Drs. H.Falk (this institute), E. C.Bracker, and D. J.Morré (Purdue University) for the permanent and stimulating discussions during the course of the work as well as for access to unpublished information. The work was partially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

布鲁氏菌对RAW264.7细胞内质网应激与细胞因子分泌的影响

【目的】布鲁氏菌与宿主相互作用的分子机制是目前的研究热点之一,布鲁氏菌通过形成来自于内质网的布氏小体而在巨噬细胞内生存和增殖,其机制目前尚不清楚,宿主细胞内质网应激反应对病原感染和炎症的调控密切相关。揭示内质网应激反应在布鲁氏菌感染巨噬细胞中的作用以及布鲁氏菌感染对巨噬细胞分泌免疫因子的影响。【方法】构建布鲁氏菌感染RAW264.7模型,在感染后不同时间收集细胞,通过实时荧光定量PCR检测细胞内质网应激反应标志分子GRP78和CHOP,以及TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6在m RNA水平的变化;通过Western blot和ELISA分别检测其蛋白水平的变化。【结果】布鲁氏菌感染RAW264.7细胞的最佳感染复数MOI为100?1;证明在布鲁氏菌感染4-6 h,巨噬细胞可杀伤侵入的布鲁氏菌,之后存活的细菌可在细胞内增殖;感染后24 h出现细胞凋亡,48 h出现大量细胞坏死。布鲁氏菌感染可激活RAW264.7细胞的内质网应激反应,促进GRP78的表达,同时,抑制免疫因子的分泌。【结论】内质网应激反应参与了RAW264.7对布鲁氏菌感染的调节。