Annexins: linking Ca2+ signalling to membrane dynamics

Eukaryotic cells contain various Ca(2+)-effector proteins that mediate cellular responses to changes in intracellular Ca(2+) levels. A unique class of these proteins - annexins - can bind to certain membrane phospholipids in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, providing a link between Ca(2+) signalling and membrane functions. By forming networks on the membrane surface, annexins can function as organizers of membrane domains and membrane-recruitment platforms for proteins with which they interact. These and related properties enable annexins to participate in several otherwise unrelated events that range from membrane dynamics to cell differentiation and migration.     

Annexins in the Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y: Demonstration of Relocation of Annexins II and V to Membranes in Response to Elevation of Intracellular Calcium by Membrane Depolarisation and by the Calcium Ionophore A23187

Abstract: The human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y was found to express annexins I, II, IV, V, and VI by western blot analysis. Calcium-dependent membrane-binding proteins were isolated from SH-SY5Y and analysed by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins with M_r and pl values similar to those of annexins I, II, III, IV, V, and VI were observed. The identity of annexins II and V was confirmed by western blotting. The membrane association of annexins II and V was studied in cells that had been stimulated to release noradrenaline by K⁺ depolarisation or by treatment with the ionophore A23187. Annexins II and V were both found to associate with membranes in a manner that was resistant to elution with EGTA and required Triton X-100 for their solubilisation. Homogenisation of cells in calcium-containing buffers also resulted in the formation of EGTA-resistant membrane-associated annexins II and V. The results demonstrate calcium-dependent relocation of annexins II and V to membranes in intact cells and suggest that these annexins bind in a calcium-dependent manner to non-phospholipid components of SH-SY5Y membranes. Examination of cells by immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that annexin II was homogeneously associated with the plasma membrane before treatment with ionophore and relocated to discrete patches of staining after treatment. Annexin V was found by immunofluorescence to be present in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Stimulation of the cells produced no change in the cytoplasmic staining pattern but resulted in a partial relocation of nuclear annexin V to the periphery of the nucleus. The results argue for a general role for both annexins in calcium signalling at discrete intracellular locations. The results are not consistent with the specific involvement proposed previously for annexin II in membrane fusion at sites of vesicle exocytosis.     

Assembly of the Mitochondrial Cristae Organizer Mic10 Is Regulated by Mic26–Mic27 Antagonism and Cardiolipin

The multi-subunit mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) is a conserved protein complex of the inner mitochondrial membrane that is essential for maintenance of cristae architecture. The core subunit Mic10 forms large oligomers that build a scaffold and induce membrane curvature. The regulation of Mic10 oligomerization is poorly understood. We report that Mic26 exerts a destabilizing effect on Mic10 oligomers and thus functions in an antagonistic manner to the stabilizing subunit Mic27. The mitochondrial signature phospholipid cardiolipin shows a stabilizing function on Mic10 oligomers. Our findings indicate that the Mic10 core machinery of MICOS is regulated by several mechanisms, including interaction with cardiolipin and antagonistic actions of Mic26 and Mic27.     

Analyzing paired diagnostic studies by estimating the expected benefit

When the efficacy of a new medical drug is compared against that of an established competitor in a randomized controlled trial, the difference in patient‐relevant outcomes, such as mortality, is usually measured directly. In diagnostic research, however, the impact of diagnostic procedures is of an indirect nature as test results do influence downstream clinical decisions, but test performance (as characterized by sensitivity, specificity, and the predictive values of a procedure) is, at best, only a surrogate endpoint for patient outcome and does not necessarily translate into it. Not many randomized controlled trials have been conducted so far in diagnostic research, and, hence, we need alternative approaches to close the gap between test characteristics and patient outcomes. Several informal approaches have been suggested in order to close this gap, and decision modeling has been advocated as a means of obtaining formal approaches. Recently, the expected benefit has been proposed as a quantity that allows a simple formal approach, and we take up this suggestion in this paper. We regard the expected benefit as an estimation problem and consider two approaches to statistical inference. Moreover, using data from a previously published study, we illustrate the possible insights to be gained from the application of formal inference techniques to determine the expected benefit.     

Three Ca2+-binding proteins from porcine liver and intestine differ immunologically and physicochemically and are distinct in Ca2+ affinities

Intestinal brush-border-derived membrane vesicles contain, after demembranation in the presence of Ca2+, a subset of polypeptides that are specifically solubilized by the addition of Ca2+ chelators. As described previously, this fractionation scheme leads to the enrichment of two major proteins (I and II), one of which has been shown to be identical to the cellular p36K target of Rous sarcoma virus-encoded tyrosine-specific protein kinase (Gerke, V., and Weber, K., (1984) EMBO J. 3, 227-233). We have applied a similar protocol to membrane vesicles from porcine liver and purified a third Ca2+-binding protein (III). All three proteins had wide tissue distributions, and were absent from brain, red blood cells, and cardiac and skeletal muscle. Relative amounts varied between tissues, with protein I low in liver and protein III very low in intestine. Despite their similar extractability the three proteins (I, II, and III) are clearly distinct as far as immunological, biochemical, and physicochemical properties are concerned. They also show characteristic differences in their affinities for Ca2+ ions. The association constants of Ca2+ binding for proteins I and III have been estimated by means of indirect methods to be 10(4) M-1 (protein I) and 10(6) M-1 (protein III), while the direct Hummel-Dreyer method reveals Ca2+ binding to protein II, characterized by an association constant of 0.4 X 10(5) M-1 in the absence and 0.2 X 10(5) M-1 in the presence of 2 mM MgCl2. Conformational changes upon binding Ca2+ are described for protein II using circular dichroism, fluorescence emission, and UV difference spectra. These alterations could be attributed to an increased exposure of tyrosine and tryptophan residues to a more aqueous environment, and led to increased hydrophobicity of protein II that would explain the observed Ca2+-dependent interaction with hydrophobic matrices like phenyl-Sepharose.     

A comparison of the energetics of annexin I and annexin V.

The annexins comprise a family of soluble Ca2+- and phospholipid-binding proteins. Although highly similar in three-dimensional structure, different annexins are likely to exhibit different biochemical and functional properties and to play different roles in various membrane related events. Since it must be expected that these functional differences arise from differences in the characteristic thermodynamic parameters of these proteins, we performed high-sensitivity differential scanning microcalorimetry (DSC) and isothermal guanidinium hydrochloride (GdnHCl)-induced unfolding studies on annexin I and compared its thermodynamic parameters with those of annexin V published previously. The DSC data were analyzed using a model that permits quantitative treatment of the irreversible reaction. It turned out, however, that provided a heating rate of 2 K min-1 is used, unfolding of annexin I can be described satisfactorily in terms of a simple two-state reaction. At pH 6.0 annexin I is characterized by the following thermodynamic parameters: t1/2=61.8 degrees C, DeltaHcal=824 kJ mol-1 and DeltaCp=19 kJ mol-1 K-1. These parameters result in a stability value of DeltaG0D (20 degrees C)=51 kJ mol-1. The GdnHCl induced isothermal unfolding of annexin I in Mes buffer (pH 6.0), yielded DeltaG0D (buffer) values of 48, 60 and 36 kJ mol-1 at 20, 12 and 5 degrees C, respectively. These DeltaG0D values are in reasonable agreement with the values obtained from the DSC studies. The comparison of annexin I and annexin V under identical conditions (pH 8.0 or pH 6.0) shows that despite the pronounced structural homology of these two members of the annexin familiy, the stability parameters are remarkably different. This difference in stability is consistent with and provides a thermodynamic basis for the potential different in vivo functions proposed for these two annexins.     

Identity of p36K phosphorylated upon Rous sarcoma virus transformation with a protein purified from brush borders; calcium-dependent binding to non-erythroid spectrin and F-actin.

Membrane vesicles derived from the apical side of procine intestinal epithelial cells retain, after demembranation in the presence of calcium, two major proteins (I, II) which are released by the addition of calcium chelators. We have purified and characterized these two calcium-binding proteins. Protein I has a mol. wt. of 85 000 and contains two copies of a 36-K subunit and an additional 10-K subunit. It binds in a calcium-dependent manner to F-actin as well as to non-erythroid spectrin. Immunofluorescence microscopy reveals protein I-related antigens in the terminal web of the intestinal cell and in a submembraneous cortical layer in various tissue culture cells. Biochemical and immunological results document that the 36-K subunit of protein I is identical with the cellular p36K recognized as a major substrate for tyrosine phosphorylation by the sarc gene kinase in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed cells. The biochemical properties of protein I agree with its location seen in immunofluorescence microscopy and cell fractionation and suggest that the actin-spectrin network in the cortical layer may be affected by virus transformation.     

Protein-protein interaction studied by site-directed mutagenesis. Characterization of the annexin II-binding site on p11, a member of the S100 protein family.

p11, a member of the S100 protein family, forms a stable heterotetrameric complex with annexin II. The p11-binding site of annexin II resides in the N-terminal 14 residues, which form an amphiphatic alpha-helix with the hydrophobic face representing the contact site for p11 (Johnsson, N., Marriott, G., and Weber, K. (1988) EMBO J. 7, 2435-2442). We show that a corresponding peptide can be used to purify recombinant p11 by affinity chromatography. To map the annexin II-binding site on p11, we have produced progressively truncated p11 derivatives by site-directed mutagenesis. Our analysis reveals that a highly hydrophobic region between residues 85 and 91 is indispensable for annexin II-binding. It is located in the C-terminal extension, following the second distorted EF-hand. Using a series of single amino acid replacements, we have identified individual hydrophobic residues, which seem to represent contact points for annexin II. Most notably, substitution of tyrosine 85 or phenylalanine 86 by alanine drastically reduces the affinity of p11 for annexin II, whereas replacement of these residues by tryptophan has no or only a marginal effect. Thus, hydrophobic side chains on both annexin II and p11 are involved in complex formation.