Analysis of the BiP gene and identification of an ER retention signal in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

We have cloned the gene for the resident luminal ER protein BiP from the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The predicted protein product is equally divergent from the budding yeast and mammalian homologues. Disruption of the BiP gene in S. pombe is lethal and BiP mRNA levels are regulated by a variety of stresses including heat shock. Immunofluorescence of cells expressing an epitope-tagged BiP protein show it to be localized to the nuclear envelope, around the cell periphery and in a reticular structure through the cytoplasm. Unexpectedly, we find the BiP protein contains an N-linked glycosylation site which can be utilized. The C-terminal four amino acids of BiP are Ala-Asp-Glu-Leu, a new variant of the XDEL sequence found at the C-termini of luminal endoplasmic reticulum proteins. To determine whether this sequence acts as a sorting signal in S.pombe we expressed an acid phosphatase fusion protein extended at its C-terminus with the amino acids ADEL. Analysis of the sorting of this fusion protein indicates that the ADEL sequence is sufficient to cause the retention of proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. The sequences DDEL, HDEL and KDEL can also direct ER-retention of acid phosphatase in S.pombe.     

Molecular cloning and gene expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins in Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein (BiP), calreticulin (Crt), and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), are major resident endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress proteins which are involved in diverse roles relating to successful folding, assembly, intracellular localization, and degradation of other proteins. METHODS: In this study, we molecular cloned cDNAs for BiP, Crt, and PDI from Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata), and analyzed tissue-specific expression of respective genes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The lengths of protein-coding regions of these cDNAs for BiP, Crt and PDI are 1965, 1254, and 1533 bp, respectively. Each protein has a signal peptide and a KDEL motif in N- and C-terminal parts respectively, showing its intracellular localization to be the lumen of the ER. These stress proteins are highly conserved, showing that their similarities among mammals are more than 90% in the level of amino acid. The expression of the genes for stress proteins differed among the monkey tissues examined. BiP and PDI gene expression was predominant in secretory tissues such as liver and kidney, and brain tissues. But Crt gene expressed rather ubiquitously in a variety of tissues.     

The KDEL receptor mediates a retrieval mechanism that contributes to quality control at the endoplasmic reticulum.

Newly synthesized proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) must fold and assemble correctly before being transported to their final cellular destination. While some misfolded or partially assembled proteins have been shown to exit the ER, they fail to escape the early secretory system entirely, because they are retrieved from post-ER compartments to the ER. We elucidate a mechanistic basis for this retrieval and characterize its contribution to ER quality control by studying the fate of the unassembled T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha chain. While the steady-state distribution of TCRalpha is in the ER, inhibition of retrograde transport by COPI induces the accumulation of TCRalpha in post-ER compartments, suggesting that TCRalpha is cycling between the ER and post-ER compartments. TCRalpha associates with BiP, a KDEL protein. Disruption of the ligand-binding function of the KDEL receptor releases TCRalpha from the early secretory system to the cell surface, so that TCRalpha is no longer subject to ER degradation. Thus, our findings suggest that retrieval by the KDEL receptor contributes to mechanisms by which the ER monitors newly synthesized proteins for their proper disposal.     

The KDEL receptor modulates the endoplasmic reticulum stress response through mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascades

The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) evokes the ER stress response. The resultant outcomes are cytoprotective but also proapoptotic. ER chaperones and misfolded proteins exit to the secretory pathway and are retrieved to the ER, during which process the KDEL receptor plays a significant role. Using an expression of a mutant KDEL receptor that lacks the ability for ligand recognition, we show that the impairment of retrieval by the KDEL receptor led to a mis-sorting of the immunoglobulin-binding protein BiP, an ER chaperone that has a retrieval signal from the early secretory pathway, which induced intense ER stress response and an increase in susceptibility to ER stress in HeLa cells. Furthermore, we show that the ER stress response accompanied the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNKs) and that the expression of the mutant KDEL receptor suppressed the activation of p38 and JNK1 but not JNK2. The effect of the expression of the mutant KDEL receptor was consistent with the effect of a specific inhibitor for p38 MAP kinases, because the inhibitor sensitized HeLa cells to ER stress. We also found that activation of the KDEL receptor by the ligand induced the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinases. These results indicate that the KDEL receptor participates in the ER stress response not only by its retrieval ability but also by modulating MAP kinase signaling, which may affect the outcomes of the mammalian ER stress response.     

Retention of a type II surface membrane protein in the endoplasmic reticulum by the Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu sequence.

Soluble luminal proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are known to be retained by a tetrapeptide retention signal, KDEL. We report in this communication that the KDEL sequence when appended to the carboxy terminus of a cell surface membrane protein, dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV), resulted in its retention in the endoplasmic reticulum of transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney cells as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. Selective surface biotinylation revealed that about 90-95% of the expressed DPPIV was retained in the ER. Appendance of the sequence KDEV did not, however, result in ER retention, illustrating the functional specificity of the retention signal. The ER retention was not due to misfolding of the mutant protein, as the mutant proteins remained enzymatically active. Our data suggest that the KDEL receptor is able to recognize and recycle type II membrane proteins containing a carboxyl-terminal KDEL sequence and postulates the existence of such yet to be identified endogenous proteins.     

A C-terminal signal prevents secretion of luminal ER proteins

Proteins that permanently reside in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) must somehow be distinguished from newly synthesized secretory proteins, which pass through this compartment on their way out of the cell. Three luminal ER proteins whose sequence is known, grp78 ("BiP"), grp94, and protein disulphide isomerase, share the carboxy-terminal sequence Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL). We show that deletion (or extension) of the carboxyl terminus of grp78 results in secretion of this protein when it is expressed in COS cells. Conversely, a derivative of chicken lysozyme containing the last six amino acids of grp78 fails to be secreted and instead accumulates in the ER. We propose that the KDEL sequence marks proteins that are to be retained in the ER and discuss possible retention mechanisms.     

The protein kinase/endoribonuclease IRE1alpha that signals the unfolded protein response has a luminal N-terminal ligand-independent dimerization domain

In response to accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), cells activate an intracellular signal transduction pathway called the unfolded protein response (UPR). IRE and PERK are the two type-I ER transmembrane protein kinase receptors that signal the UPR. The N-terminal luminal domains (NLDs) of IRE1 and PERK sense ER stress conditions by a common mechanism and transmit the signal to regulate the cytoplasmic domains of these receptors. To provide an experimental system amenable to detailed biochemical and structural analysis to elucidate the mechanism of ER-transmembrane signaling mechanism mediated by the NLD, we overexpressed the soluble luminal domain of human IRE1alpha in COS-1 cells by transient DNA transfection. Here we report the expression, purification, and characterization of the soluble NLD. The biological function of the NLD was confirmed by its ability to associate with itself and to interact with both the membrane-bound full-length IRE1alpha receptor and the ER chaperone BiP. Functional and spectral studies suggested that the highly conserved N-linked glycosylation site is not required for proper protein folding and self-association. Interestingly, we demonstrated that the NLD forms stable dimers linked by intermolecular disulfide bridges. Our data support that the luminal domain represents a novel ligand-independent dimerization domain.     

KDEL tagging: a method for generating dominant-negative inhibitors of the secretion of TGF-beta superfamily proteins

Most endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-retained proteins contain a carboxy-terminal signal sequence called the ER retention signal motif such as the Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL) motif. Using this molecular mechanism, we developed a new dominant-negative assay, designated the KDEL-tag trap assay, to negatively regulate secretion of disulfide bond-dependent protein dimers, as typified by TGF-beta superfamily proteins. First, we tested this method on the Nodal protein Xnr5, which is a well-studied mesoderm inducer in vertebrates. Tagging of Xnr5 protein with KDEL at the carboxy-terminus effectively blocked the secretion of Xnr5, resulting in complete inhibition of mesoderm induction in Xenopus embryogenesis. Second, we examined the usefulness of the KDEL-tag trap assay on BMPs, which are well-known negative regulators of neural induction and ventralizing factors during early development, and demonstrated that the functions of the BMP family proteins BMP4 and ADMP were blocked by the KDEL-tag trap assay. Moreover, the technical feasibility of the KDEL-tag trap assay was confirmed in a cell culture system using mouse osteoblasts. Taken together, these results suggest that the KDEL-tag trap assay can be adapted to inhibit a variety of plasma membrane or secreted proteins of a multimeric nature.     

ERD1, a yeast gene required for the retention of luminal endoplasmic reticulum proteins, affects glycoprotein processing in the Golgi apparatus.

We have previously shown that the C-terminal sequence HDEL acts as a retention signal for luminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and that it is possible to isolate mutants that fail to retain an invertase fusion protein bearing this signal. Analysis of many such mutants defines two genes, ERD1 and ERD2. Cells lacking the ERD1 gene secrete the endogenous ER protein, BiP. Under normal growth conditions, the rate of secretion is equivalent to the rate at which wild-type cells secrete a modified form of BiP that lacks the HDEL signal altogether. Thus, erd1 cells show a profound disruption of the retention system. The mutant cells have no gross abnormality of their intracellular membrane system, but show defects in the Golgi-dependent modification of glycoproteins. We suggest that sorting of luminal ER proteins normally occurs in the Golgi, and that the function of ERD1 is required for the correct interaction of an HDEL receptor with its ligands. The sequence of ERD1 predicts a membrane protein with several transmembrane domains, a conclusion supported by analysis of ERD1-SUC2 fusion proteins.     

Late-Onset of Spinal Neurodegeneration in Knock-In Mice Expressing a Mutant BiP

Most human neurodegenerative diseases are sporadic, and appear later in life. While the underlying mechanisms of the progression of those diseases are still unclear, investigations into the familial forms of comparable diseases suggest that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is involved in the pathogenesis. Binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) is an ER chaperone that is central to ER function. We produced knock-in mice expressing a mutant BiP that lacked the retrieval sequence in order to evaluate the effect of a functional defect in an ER chaperone in multi-cellular organisms. Here we report that heterozygous mutant BiP mice revealed motor disabilities in aging. We found a degeneration of some motoneurons in the spinal cord accompanied by accumulations of ubiquitinated proteins. The defect in retrieval of BiP by the KDEL receptor leads to impaired activities in quality control and autophagy, suggesting that functional defects in the ER chaperones may contribute to the late onset of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Influence of KDEL on the fate of trimeric or assembly-defective phaseolin: selective use of an alternative route to vacuoles

The tetrapeptide KDEL is commonly found at the C terminus of soluble proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and it contributes to their localization by interacting with a receptor that recycles between the Golgi complex and the ER. We investigated the effects of the addition of KDEL to phaseolin, a protein normally delivered from the ER to storage vacuoles via the Golgi complex. We show that KDEL prevents acquisition of trans-Golgi-specific glycan modifications and causes interactions with the chaperone BiP that are distinct from the ones between BiP and defective proteins. KDEL markedly increases the stability of phaseolin, but a small proportion of phaseolin-KDEL slowly reaches the vacuole without undergoing Golgi-mediated glycan modifications, in a process that can be inhibited by brefeldin A but not monensin. Our results indicate that KDEL can operate with high efficiency before proteins can reach the late Golgi cisternae but allows or promotes delivery to vacuoles via an alternative mechanism. However, addition of KDEL does not alter the destiny of an assembly-defective form of phaseolin, suggesting that the plant ER quality control mechanism is dominant over KDEL effects.     

Regulated association of misfolded endoplasmic reticulum lumenal proteins with P58/DNAJc3

P58/DNAJc3 defends cells against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Most P58 molecules are translocated into the ER lumen, and here we report selective and stable binding to misfolded proteins by P58's TPR-containing N-terminal domain. In vitro, too, P58 binds selectively to a model misfolded protein and challenge of that complex with physiological concentrations of the ER lumenal Hsp70-type chaperone BiP encourages disassembly. BiP-induced dissociation of P58 from its substrate depends on the presence of ATP and on interactions with P58's J-domain, which are mediated by invariant residues BiP(R197) and P58(H422). A functional J-domain also accelerates dissociation of P58 from a model substrate, VSV-G(ts045), on the latter's re-folding in vivo. However, J-domain binding can be separated from the ability to promote substrate dissociation by the mutant BiP(E201G) and a wild-type J-domain fused ectopically to P58(H422Q) rescues the latter's inability to dissociate from substrate in response to BiP and ATP. These findings are consistent with a model whereby localized activation of the Hsp70-type partner is sufficient to promote substrate handover from the J-domain co-chaperone.     

The heat shock protein 70 molecular chaperone network in the pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum - a quantitative approach

Traditionally, the canine pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been the workhorse for cell-free studies on protein transport into the mammalian ER. These studies have revealed multiple roles for the major ER-luminal heat shock protein (Hsp) 70, IgG heavy chain-binding protein (BiP), at least one of which also involves the second ER-luminal Hsp70, glucose-regulated protein (Grp) 170. In addition, at least one of these BiP activities depends on Hsp40. Up to now, five Hsp40s and two nucleotide exchange factors, Sil1 and Grp170, have been identified in the ER of different mammalian cell types. Here we quantified the various proteins of this chaperone network in canine pancreatic rough microsomes. We also characterized the various purified proteins with respect to their affinities for BiP and their effect on the ATPase activity of BiP. The results identify Grp170 as the major nucleotide exchange factor for BiP, and the resident ER-membrane proteins ER-resident J-domain protein 1 plus ER-resident J-domain protein 2/Sec63 as prime candidates for cochaperones of BiP in protein transport in the pancreatic ER. Thus, these data represent a comprehensive analysis of the BiP chaperone network that was recently linked to two human inherited diseases, polycystic liver disease and Marinesco-Sj?gren syndrome.     

Deposition of a recombinant peptide in ER-derived protein bodies by retention with cysteine-rich prolamins in transgenic rice seed

A 7Crp peptide composed of seven major human T cell epitopes derived from the Japanese cedar pollen allergens Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 is an ideal tolerogen for peptide immunotherapy against Japanese cedar pollinosis. To maximize the accumulation level of the 7Crp peptide in transgenic rice seed, we tested endosperm specific promoters and intracellular localizations suitable for stable accumulation. A 7Crp peptide carrying the KDEL ER retention signal directed by the 2.3-kb promoter of the glutelin GluB-1, which contains a signal peptide, accumulated at the highest level of about 60 μg/grain. Notably, the 7Crp peptide predominantly accumulated in ER-derived protein bodies irrespective of the presence of various sorting signals or expression as a fusion protein with glutelin. We attribute this abnormal pattern of accumulation to the formation of disulfide bonds between the 7Crp peptide and cysteine-rich (Cys-rich) prolamin storage proteins. Furthermore, the formation of these aggregates induced the chaperone proteins BiP and PDI as an ER stress response.     

Identification of a novel mammalian endoplasmic reticulum-resident KDEL protein using an EST database motif search

Several endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident proteins contain a unique C-terminal sequence (KDEL) which is required for the retention of these proteins in the ER. By searching a mouse EST database for records containing the nucleotide sequence encoding the KDEL motif, we extracted cDNAs encoding putative novel ER-resident proteins in addition to all of the known ER proteins bearing the KDEL motif. Using the sequence information obtained by this database search, we cloned the cDNA encoding a novel KDEL motif-bearing protein, ER protein 58 (EP58), sharing no significant homology to any of the known ER-resident proteins. Subcellular localization of EP58 in the ER was confirmed by cytoimmunofluorescence studies using epitope-tagged EP58. The EP58 gene was primarily expressed in embryo, placenta, and adult heart. Neither heat shock nor ER stress as tested here was sufficient to induce expression of the EP58 gene. A putative role of the N-terminal half of EP58 in protein-protein interaction is suggested by its similarity to the filamin rod domain. Similarity of the EP58 sequence with bacterial and fungus proteins suggests a possible role for EP58 in polysaccharide biosynthesis.     

Head-to-tail oligomerization of calsequestrin: a novel mechanism for heterogeneous distribution of endoplasmic reticulum luminal proteins

Many proteins retained within the endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR) lumen express the COOH-terminal tetrapeptide KDEL, by which they continuously recycle from the Golgi complex; however, others do not express the KDEL retrieval signal. Among the latter is calsequestrin (CSQ), the major Ca2+-binding protein condensed within both the terminal cisternae of striated muscle SR and the ER vacuolar domains of some neurons and smooth muscles. To reveal the mechanisms of condensation and establish whether it also accounts for ER/SR retention of CSQ, we generated a variety of constructs: chimeras with another similar protein, calreticulin (CRT); mutants truncated of COOH- or NH2-terminal domains; and other mutants deleted or point mutated at strategic sites. By transfection in L6 myoblasts and HeLa cells we show here that CSQ condensation in ER-derived vacuoles requires two amino acid sequences, one at the NH2 terminus, the other near the COOH terminus. Experiments with a green fluorescent protein GFP/CSQ chimera demonstrate that the CSQ-rich vacuoles are long-lived organelles, unaffected by Ca2+ depletion, whose almost complete lack of movement may depend on a direct interaction with the ER. CSQ retention within the ER can be dissociated from condensation, the first identified process by which ER luminal proteins assume a heterogeneous distribution. A model is proposed to explain this new process, that might also be valid for other luminal proteins.     

ERdj4 protein is a soluble endoplasmic reticulum (ER) DnaJ family protein that interacts with ER-associated degradation machinery

Protein localization within cells regulates accessibility for interactions with co-factors and substrates. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) BiP co-factor ERdj4 is up-regulated by ER stress and has been implicated in ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of multiple unfolded secretory proteins. Several other ERdj family members tend to interact selectively with nascent proteins, presumably because those ERdj proteins associate with the Sec61 translocon that facilitates entry of nascent proteins into the ER. How ERdj4 selects and targets terminally misfolded proteins for destruction remains poorly understood. In this study, we determined properties of ERdj4 that might aid in this function. ERdj4 was reported to retain its signal sequence and to be resistant to mild detergent extraction, suggesting that it was an integral membrane protein. However, live cell photobleaching analyses of GFP-tagged ERdj4 revealed that the protein exhibits diffusion coefficients uncommonly high for an ER integral membrane protein and more similar to the mobility of a soluble luminal protein. Biochemical characterization established that the ERdj4 signal sequence is cleaved to yield a soluble protein. Importantly, we found that both endogenous and overexpressed ERdj4 associate with the integral membrane protein, Derlin-1. Our findings now directly link ERdj4 to the ERAD machinery and suggest a model in which ERjd4 could help recruit clients from throughout the ER to ERAD sites.     

Ligand-induced redistribution of a human KDEL receptor from the Golgi complex to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Resident luminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins carry a targeting signal (usually KDEL in animal cells) that allows their retrieval from later stages of the secretory pathway. In yeast, the receptor that promotes this selective retrograde transport has been identified as the product of the ERD2 gene. We describe here the properties of a human homolog of this protein (hERD2). Overproduction of hERD2 improves retention of a protein with a weakly recognized variant signal (DDEL). Moreover, overexpression of KDEL or DDEL ligands causes a redistribution of hERD2 from the Golgi apparatus to the ER. Mutation of hERD2 alters the ligand specificity of this effect, implying that it interacts directly with the retained proteins. Ligand control of receptor movement may limit retrograde flow and thus minimize fruitless recycling of secretory proteins.