Differential inhibition of Hsc70 activities by two Hsc70-binding peptides

The ability of two high-affinity Hsc70-binding peptides [FYQLALT (peptide-Phi) and NIVRKKK (peptide-K)] to differentially inhibit Hsc70-dependent processes in rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL) was examined. Both peptide-Phi and peptide-K inhibited chaperone-dependent renaturation of luciferase in RRL. Peptide-Phi, but not peptide-K, blocked Hsp90/Hsc70-dependent transformation of the heme-regulated eIF2 alpha kinase (HRI) into an active, heme-regulatable kinase. In contrast, peptide-K, but not peptide-Phi, inhibited Hsc70-mediated suppression of the activation of mature-transformed HRI. Furthermore, HDJ2 (Human DnaJ homologue 2), but not HDJ1, potentiated the ability of Hsc70 to suppress the activation of HRI in RRL. Mechanistically, peptide-K inhibited, while peptide-Phi enhanced, HDJ2-induced stimulation of Hsc70 ATPase activity in vitro. The data presented support the hypotheses that peptide-Phi acts to inhibit Hsc70 function by binding to the hydrophobic peptide-binding cleft of Hsc70, while peptide-K acts through binding to a site that modulates the interaction of Hsc70 with DnaJ homologues. Overall, the data indicate that peptide-Phi and peptide-K have differential effects on Hsc70 functions under quasi-physiological conditions in RRL, and suggest that therapeutically valuable peptide mimetics can be designed to inhibit specific functions of Hsc70.     

Interaction between Hsc70 and DnaJ homologues: relationship between Hsc70 polymerization and ATPase activity.

We previously found that, in the presence of ATP, DnaJ homologues catalytically induce formation of a metastable Hsc70 polymer and, similarly, the DnaJ homologue auxilin catalytically induces formation of a metastable Hsc70-clathrin basket complex. Since this suggests that the induction of metastable complexes, which form in ATP but dissociate in ADP, may be a general property of DnaJ homologues, in the present study we investigated in more detail the ability of DnaJ homologues to induce polymerization of Hsc70. This study shows that DnaJ homologues induce polymerization of Hsc70 at the same rate as they induce an initial burst of Hsc70 ATPase activity, showing that polymerization is a specific effect of DnaJ homologue binding to Hsc70. However, polymerization does not always accompany the initial burst of ATPase activity. The dependence of the rates of ATPase activity and polymerization on DnaJ homologue concentration shows that DnaJ homologues bind very weakly to Hsc70 in the presence of ATP and do not bind at all in ADP. Surprisingly, however, under certain conditions the rate of polymerization appears to be independent of Hsc70 concentration, suggesting that polymerization is a first-order reaction, perhaps occurring when two Hsc70 molecules bind to a single DnaJ molecule and then shift their binding to each other. We propose that both the polymerization of Hsc70 by DnaJ homologues and the presentation of substrate by DnaJ homologues to Hsc70 involve the bringing of substrate into proximity with Hsc70 and then independently inducing rapid ATP hydrolysis to cause formation of a metastable Hsc70-substrate complex.     

Hsc70 chaperones clathrin and primes it to interact with vesicle membranes

When Hsc70 uncoats clathrin-coated vesicles in an auxilin- and ATP-dependent reaction, a single round of rapid uncoating occurs followed by very slow steady-state uncoating. We now show that this biphasic time course occurs because Hsc70 sequentially forms two types of complex with the dissociated clathrin triskelions. The first round of clathrin uncoating is driven by formation of a pre-steady-state assembly protein (AP)-clathrin-Hsc70-ADP complex. Then, following exchange of ADP with ATP, a steady-state AP-clathrin-Hsc70-ATP complex forms that ties up Hsc70, preventing further uncoating. This steady-state complex forms only during uncoating in the presence of APs; in the absence of APs, Hsc70 rapidly dissociates from the uncoated clathrin and continues to carry out uncoating. Whether it is complexed with ATP or ADP, the steady-state complex has very different properties from the pre-steady-state complex in that it cannot be immunoprecipitated by anti-clathrin antibodies and is readily dissociated by fast protein liquid chromatography. Remarkably, when the steady-state complex is incubated with uncoated vesicle membranes in ATP, the pre-steady-state complex reforms, suggesting that the clathrin triskelions in the steady-state complex rebind to the membranes and are again uncoated by Hsc70. We propose that Hsc70 not only uncoats clathrin but also chaperones it to prevent it from inappropriately polymerizing in the cell cytosol and primes it to reform clathrin-coated pits.     

Hsc62, Hsc56, and GrpE,the third Hsp70 chaperone system of Escherichia coli

Hsc62 is the third Hsp70 homolog of Escherichia coli, which we found previously. Hsc62 is structurally and biochemically similar to DnaK, but hscC gene encoding Hsc62 did not compensate for the defects in the dnaK-null mutant of E. coli MC4100 strain. We cloned the ybeV gene and purified the gene product named Hsc56, a 55,687-Da protein with a J-domain like sequence. Hsc56 stimulated the ATPase activity of only Hsc62 but not those of the other Hsp70 homologs, DnaK and Hsc66. Hsc56 contains the -His-Pro-Glu- sequence corresponding to the His-Pro-Asp motif in DnaJ, which is indispensable for DnaJ to interact with DnaK. Conversion of -His-Pro-Glu- to -Ala-Ala-Ala- abolished the ability of Hsc56 to stimulate the ATPase activity of Hsc62. GrpE, a nucleotide exchange factor for DnaK, also stimulated the ATPase activity of Hsc62 in the presence of Hsc56. Hsc62-Hsc56-GrpE is probably a new Hsp70 chaperone system of E. coli.     

Hsp105alpha suppresses Hsc70 chaperone activity by inhibiting Hsc70 ATPase activity

Hsp105alpha is a mammalian member of the HSP105/110 family, a diverged subgroup of the HSP70 family. Hsp105alpha associates with Hsp70/Hsc70 as complexes in vivo and regulates the chaperone activity of Hsp70/Hsc70 negatively in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we examined the mechanisms by which Hsp105alpha regulates Hsc70 chaperone activity. Using a series of deletion mutants of Hsp105alpha and Hsc70, we found that the interaction between Hsp105alpha and Hsc70 was necessary for the suppression of Hsc70 chaperone activity by Hsp105alpha. Furthermore, Hsp105alpha and deletion mutants of Hsp105alpha that interacted with Hsc70 suppressed the ATPase activity of Hsc70, with the concomitant appearance of ATPase activity of Hsp105alpha. As the ATPase activity of Hsp70/Hsc70 is essential for the efficient folding of nonnative protein substrates, Hsp105alpha is suggested to regulate the substrate binding cycle of Hsp70/Hsc70 by inhibiting the ATPase activity of Hsp70/Hsc70, thereby functioning as a negative regulator of the Hsp70/Hsc70 chaperone system.     

Hsc66 and Hsc20, a new heat shock cognate molecular chaperone system from Escherichia coli.

The hscA and hscB genes of Escherichia coli encode novel chaperone and co-chaperone proteins, designated Hsc66 and Hsc20, respectively. We have overproduced and purified Hsc66 and Hsc20 in high yield in E. coli and describe their initial characterization including absorbance, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectra. Immunoblot analyses of E. coli cultures using antisera to Hsc66 and Hsc20 raised in rabbits establish that Hsc66 and Hsc20 are constitutively expressed at levels corresponding to cell concentration approximately 20 microM and approximately 10 microM, respectively. The levels do not change appreciably following heat shock (44 degrees C), but a small increase in Hsc20 is observed following a shift to 10 degrees C. Purified Hsc66 exhibits a low intrinsic ATPase activity (approximately 0.6 min-1 at 37 degrees C), and Hsc20 was found to stimulate this activity up to 3.8-fold with half-maximal stimulation at a concentration approximately 5 microM. These findings suggest that Hsc66 and Hsc20 comprise a molecular chaperone system similar to the prokaryotic DnaK/DnaJ and eukaryotic hsp70/hsp40 systems. Sequence differences between Hsc66 and Hsc20 compared to other members of this chaperone family, however, suggest that the Hsc66/Hsc20 system will display different peptide binding specificity and that it is likely to be subject to different regulatory mechanisms. The high level of constitutive expression and the lack of a major response to temperature changes suggest that Hsc66 and Hsc20 play an important cellular role(s) under non-stress conditions.     

Contribution of Hsc70 to barotolerance in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The contribution of Hsc70 to barotolerance in logarithmic-phase cells of the HSC70 (ssb1 and ssb2) deletion mutant and in strains expressing the HSC70 gene on either a low- or a high-copy-number plasmid was studied. The deletion-mutant strain had higher thermotolerance and a slightly lower barotolerance than the control strain. The strain that expresses the HSC70 gene in high copy number had a higher barotolerance than the strain that expresses the gene in low copy number. These results suggest that Hsc70 contributes to barotolerance during exponentially growing conditions as does Hsp104 during heat-shock treatment.     

Structure of clathrin coat with bound Hsc70 and auxilin: mechanism of Hsc70‐facilitated disassembly

The chaperone Hsc70 drives the clathrin assembly–disassembly cycle forward by stimulating dissociation of a clathrin lattice. A J‐domain containing co‐chaperone, auxilin, associates with a freshly budded clathrin‐coated vesicle, or with an in vitro assembled clathrin coat, and recruits Hsc70 to its specific heavy‐chain‐binding site. We have determined by electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM), at about 11 Å resolution, the structure of a clathrin coat (in the D6‐barrel form) with specifically bound Hsc70 and auxilin. The Hsc70 binds a previously analysed site near the C‐terminus of the heavy chain, with a stoichiometry of about one per three‐fold vertex. Its binding is accompanied by a distortion of the clathrin lattice, detected by a change in the axial ratio of the D6 barrel. We propose that when Hsc70, recruited to a position close to its target by the auxilin J‐domain, splits ATP, it clamps firmly onto its heavy‐chain site and locks in place a transient fluctuation. Accumulation of the local strain thus imposed at multiple vertices can then lead to disassembly.     

Characterization and expression of the mouse Hsc70 gene

A genomic clone encoding the mouse Hsc70 gene has been isolated and characterized by DNA sequence analysis. The gene is approximately 3. 9 kb in length and contains eight introns, the fifth, sixth and eighth of which encode the three U14 snoRNAs. The gene has been located on Chr 9 in the order Fli1-Itm1-Olfr7-Hsc70(Rnu14)-Cbl by genetic analysis. Expression of Hsc70 is universal in all tissues of the mouse, but is slightly elevated in liver, skeletal muscle and kidney tissue, while being depressed in testes. In cultured mouse NIH 3T3 cells or human HeLa cells, Hsc70 mRNA levels are low under normal conditions, but can be induced 8-fold higher in both lines by treatment with the amino acid analog azetidine. A similar induction is seen in cells treated with the proteosome inhibitor MG132 suggesting that elevated Hsc70 expression may be coupled to protein degradation. Surprisingly, expression of the human Hsc70 gene is also regulated by cell-cycle position being 8-10-fold higher in late G1/S-phase cells as opposed to the levels in early G1-phase cells.     

Hsc70 protein interaction with soluble and fibrillar alpha-synuclein

The aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn), the primary component of Lewy bodies, into high molecular weight assemblies is strongly associated with Parkinson disease. This event is believed to result from a conformational change within native α-Syn. Molecular chaperones exert critical housekeeping functions in vivo including refolding, maintaining in a soluble state, and/or pacifying protein aggregates. The influence of the stress-induced heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) on α-Syn aggregation has been notably investigated. The constitutively expressed chaperone Hsc70 acts as an antiaggregation barrier before cells are overwhelmed with α-Syn aggregates and Hsp70 expression induced. Here, we investigate the interaction between Hsc70 and α-Syn, the consequences of this interaction, and the role of nucleotides and co-chaperones Hdj1 and Hdj2 as modulators. We show that Hsc70 sequesters soluble α-Syn in an assembly incompetent complex in the absence of ATP. The affinity of Hsc70 for soluble α-Syn diminishes upon addition of ATP alone or together with its co-chaperones Hdj1 or Hdj2 allowing faster binding and release of client proteins thus abolishing α-Syn assembly inhibition by Hsc70. We show that Hsc70 binds α-Syn fibrils with a 5-fold tighter affinity compared with soluble α-Syn. This suggests that Hsc70 preferentially interacts with high molecular weight α-Syn assemblies in vivo. Hsc70 binding certainly has an impact on the physicochemical properties of α-Syn assemblies. We show a reduced cellular toxicity of α-Syn fibrils coated with Hsc70 compared with "naked" fibrils. Hsc70 may therefore significantly affect the cellular propagation of α-Syn aggregates and their spread throughout the central nervous system in Parkinson disease.     

Functional divergence between co-chaperones of Hsc70

The ATPase cycle of the chaperone Hsc70 is regulated by co-chaperones; Hsp40/DnaJ-related proteins stimulate ATP hydrolysis by Hsc70 and can bind unfolded polypeptides themselves. Conversely, various nucleotide exchange factors (NEFs) stimulate ADP-ATP exchange by Hsc70. We analyzed the purified Hsp40-related co-chaperones DJA1 (Hdj2) and DJA2 (Hdj3) and found that they had a distinct pattern of binding to a range of polypeptides. DJA2 alone could stimulate Hsc70-mediated refolding of luciferase in the absence of NEF, whereas DJA1 was much less active. The addition of the Bag1 NEF increased refolding by Hsc70 and DJA2, as did the newly characterized NEF Hsp110, but each NEF had a different optimal concentration ratio to Hsc70. Notably, the NEF HspBP1 could not increase refolding by Hsc70 and DJA2 at any concentration, and none of the NEFs improved the refolding activity with DJA1. Instead, DJA1 was inhibitory of refolding with DJA2 and Hsc70. All combinations of DJA1 or DJA2 with the three NEFs stimulated the Hsc70 ATPase rate, although Hsp110 became less effective with increasing concentrations. A chimeric DJA2 having its Hsc70-stimulatory J domain replaced with that of DJA1 was functional for polypeptide binding and ATPase stimulation of Hsc70. However, it could not support efficient Hsc70-mediated refolding and also inhibited refolding with DJA2 and Hsc70. These results suggest a more complex model of Hsc70 mechanism than has been previously thought, with notable functional divergence between Hsc70 co-chaperones.     

Hsc70 Rapidly Engages Tau after Microtubule Destabilization

The microtubule-associated protein Tau plays a crucial role in regulating the dynamic stability of microtubules during neuronal development and synaptic transmission. In a group of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease and other tauopathies, conformational changes in Tau are associated with the initial stages of disease pathology. Folding of Tau into the MC1 conformation, where the amino acids at residues 7–9 interact with residues 312–342, is one of the earliest pathological alterations of Tau in Alzheimer disease. The mechanism of this conformational change in Tau and the subsequent effect on function and association to microtubules is largely unknown. Recent work by our group and others suggests that members of the Hsp70 family play a significant role in Tau regulation. Our new findings suggest that heat shock cognate (Hsc) 70 facilitates Tau-mediated microtubule polymerization. The association of Hsc70 with Tau was rapidly enhanced following treatment with microtubule-destabilizing agents. The fate of Tau released from the microtubule was found to be dependent on ATPase activity of Hsc70. Microtubule destabilization also rapidly increased the MC1 folded conformation of Tau. An in vitro assay suggests that Hsc70 facilitates formation of MC1 Tau. However, in a hyperphosphorylating environment, the formation of MC1 was abrogated, but Hsc70 binding to Tau was enhanced. Thus, under normal circumstances, MC1 formation may be a protective conformation facilitated by Hsc70. However, in a diseased environment, Hsc70 may preserve Tau in a more unstructured state, perhaps facilitating its pathogenicity.     

IL9 maps to mouse chromosome 13 and human chromosome 5

Mouse and human cDNA clones encoding the T-cell and mast cell growth factor P40, now designated IL-9, were used to identify DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in sets of somatic cell hybrids and between inbred strains of mice and interspecific backcross progeny. Segregation of mouse and human chromosomes among somatic cell hybrids indicated a location on mouse chromosome 13 and human chromosome 5. RFLPs were identified among inbred strains of mice. Analysis of chromosome 13 alleles for Tcrg, Dhfr, and Il-9 in an interspecific cross between Mus musculus and NFS/N or C58/J mice indicates that IL-9 is distal to Tcrg and Proximal to Dhfr.     

Macrophage CD74 contributes to MIF-induced pulmonary inflammation

Background

MIF is a critical mediator of the host defense, and is involved in both acute and chronic responses in the lung. Neutralization of MIF reduces neutrophil accumulation into the lung in animal models. We hypothesized that MIF, in the alveolar space, promotes neutrophil accumulation via activation of the CD74 receptor on macrophages.

Methods

To determine whether macrophage CD74 surface expression contributes MIF-induced neutrophil accumulation, we instilled recombinant MIF (r-MIF) into the trachea of mice in the presence or absence of anti-CD74 antibody or the MIF specific inhibitor, ISO-1. Using macrophage culture, we examined the downstream pathways of MIF-induced activation that lead to neutrophil accumulation.

Results

Intratracheal instillation of r-MIF increased the number of neutrophils as well as the concentration of macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) in BAL fluids. CD74 was found to be expressed on the surface of alveolar macrophages, and MIF-induced MIP-2 accumulation was dependent on p44/p42 MAPK in macrophages. Anti-CD74 antibody inhibited MIF-induced p44/p42 MAPK phosphorylation and MIP-2 release by macrophages. Furthermore, we show that anti-CD74 antibody inhibits MIF-induced alveolar accumulation of MIP-2 (control IgG vs. CD74 Ab; 477.1 ± 136.7 vs. 242.2 ± 102.2 pg/ml, p < 0.05), KC (1796.2 ± 436.1 vs. 1138.2 ± 310.2 pg/ml, p < 0.05) and neutrophils (total number of neutrophils, 3.33 ± 0.93 × 10⁴ vs. 1.90 ± 0.61 × 10⁴, p < 0.05) in our mouse model.

Conclusion

MIF-induced neutrophil accumulation in the alveolar space results from interaction with CD74 expressed on the surface of alveolar macrophage cells. This interaction induces p44/p42 MAPK activation and chemokine release. The data suggest that MIF and its receptor, CD74, may be useful targets to reduce neutrophilic lung inflammation, and acute lung injury.