Ubiquitination of Inositol-requiring Enzyme 1 (IRE1) by the E3 Ligase CHIP Mediates the IRE1/TRAF2/JNK Pathway

Deciphering the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) signaling pathway is fundamentally important for understanding the unfolded protein response (UPR). The ubiquitination of proteins residing on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane has been reported to be involved in the UPR, although the mechanism has yet to be fully elucidated. Using immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, IRE1 was identified as a substrate of the E3 ligase CHIP (carboxyl terminus of HSC70-interacting protein) in HEK293 cells under geldanamycin-induced ER stress. Two residues of IRE1, Lys⁵⁴⁵ and Lys⁸²⁸, were targeted for Lys⁶³-linked ubiquitination. Moreover, in CHIP knockdown cells, IRE1 phosphorylation and the IRE1-TRAF2 interaction were nearly abolished under ER stress, which may be due to lacking ubiquitination of IRE1 on Lys⁵⁴⁵ and Lys⁸²⁸, respectively. The cellular responses were evaluated, and the data indicated that CHIP-regulated IRE1/TRAF2/JNK signaling antagonized the senescence process. Therefore, our findings suggest that CHIP-mediated ubiquitination of IRE1 contributes to the dynamic regulation of the UPR.     

Activation of the Prereplication Complex Is Blocked by Mimosine through Reactive Oxygen Species-activated Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) Protein without DNA Damage

Mimosine is an effective cell synchronization reagent used for arresting cells in late G₁ phase. However, the mechanism underlying mimosine-induced G₁ cell cycle arrest remains unclear. Using highly synchronous cell populations, we show here that mimosine blocks S phase entry through ATM activation. HeLa S3 cells are exposed to thymidine for 15 h, released for 9 h by washing out the thymidine, and subsequently treated with 1 mm mimosine for a further 15 h (thymidine → mimosine). In contrast to thymidine-induced S phase arrest, mimosine treatment synchronizes >90% of cells at the G₁-S phase boundary by inhibiting the transition of the prereplication complex to the preinitiation complex. Mimosine treatment activates ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)/ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR)-mediated checkpoint signaling without inducing DNA damage. Inhibition of ATM activity is found to induce mimosine-arrested cells to enter S phase. In addition, ATM activation by mimosine treatment is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results suggest that, upon mimosine treatment, ATM blocks S phase entry in response to ROS, which prevents replication fork stalling-induced DNA damage.     

Channel Formation by Yeast F-ATP Synthase and the Role of Dimerization in the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition

Purified F-ATP synthase dimers of yeast mitochondria display Ca²⁺-dependent channel activity with properties resembling those of the permeability transition pore (PTP) of mammals. After treatment with the Ca²⁺ ionophore ETH129, which allows electrophoretic Ca²⁺ uptake, isolated yeast mitochondria undergo inner membrane permeabilization due to PTP opening. Yeast mutant strains ΔTIM11 and ΔATP20 (lacking the e and g F-ATP synthase subunits, respectively, which are necessary for dimer formation) display a striking resistance to PTP opening. These results show that the yeast PTP originates from F-ATP synthase and indicate that dimerization is required for pore formation in situ.     

No Amelioration of Uromodulin Maturation and Trafficking Defect by Sodium 4-Phenylbutyrate in Vivo: STUDIES IN MOUSE MODELS OF UROMODULIN-ASSOCIATED KIDNEY DISEASE*

Uromodulin (UMOD)-associated kidney disease (UAKD) belongs to the hereditary progressive ER storage diseases caused by maturation defects of mutant UMOD protein. Current treatments of UAKD patients are symptomatic and cannot prevent disease progression. Two in vitro studies reported a positive effect of the chemical chaperone sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) on mutant UMOD maturation. Thus, 4-PBA was suggested as a potential treatment for UAKD. This study evaluated the effects of 4-PBA in two mouse models of UAKD. In contrast to previous in vitro studies, treatment with 4-PBA did not increase HSP70 expression or improve maturation and trafficking of mutant UMOD in vivo. Kidney function of UAKD mice was actually deteriorated by 4-PBA treatment. In transfected tubular epithelial cells, 4-PBA did not improve maturation but increased the expression level of both mutant and wild-type UMOD protein. Activation of NF-κB pathway in thick ascending limb of Henle''s loop cells of UAKD mice was detected by increased abundance of RelB and phospho-IκB kinase α/β, an indirect activator of NF-κB. Furthermore, the abundance of NF-κB1 p105/p50, NF-κB2 p100/p52, and TRAF2 was increased in UAKD. NF-κB activation was identified as a novel disease mechanism of UAKD and might be a target for therapeutic intervention.     

Glutaredoxin 2 (Grx2) Gene Deletion Induces Early Onset of Age-dependent Cataracts in Mice

Glutaredoxin 2 (Grx2) is an isozyme of glutaredoxin1 (thioltransferase) present in the mitochondria and nucleus with disulfide reductase and peroxidase activities, and it controls thiol/disulfide balance in cells. In this study, we investigated whether Grx2 gene deletion could induce faster age-related cataract formation and elucidated the biochemical changes effected by Grx2 gene deletion that may contribute to lens opacity. Slit lamp was used to examine the lenses in Grx2 knock-out (KO) mice and age-matched wild-type (WT) mice ages 1 to 16 months. In the Grx2 null mice, the lens nuclear opacity began at 5 months, 3 months sooner than that of the control mice, and the progression of cataracts was also much faster than the age-matched controls. Lenses of KO mice contained lower levels of protein thiols and GSH with a significant accumulation of S-glutathionylated proteins. Actin, αA-crystallin, and βB2-crystallin were identified by Western blot and mass spectroscopy as the major S-glutathionylated proteins in the lenses of 16-month-old Grx2 KO mice. Compared with the WT control, the lens of Grx2 KO mice had only 50% of the activity in complex I and complex IV and less than 10% of the ATP pool. It was concluded that Grx2 gene deletion altered the function of lens structural proteins through S-glutathionylation and also caused severe disturbance in mitochondrial function. These combined alterations affected lens transparency.     

Modulation of the Mevalonate Pathway by Akt Regulates Macrophage Survival and Development of Pulmonary Fibrosis

Protein kinase B (Akt) is a key effector of multiple cellular processes, including cell survival. Akt, a serine/threonine kinase, is known to increase cell survival by regulation of the intrinsic pathway for apoptosis. In this study, we found that Akt modulated the mevalonate pathway, which is also linked to cell survival, by increasing Rho GTPase activation. Akt modulated the pathway by phosphorylating mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD) at Ser⁹⁶. This phosphorylation in macrophages increased activation of Rac1, which enhanced macrophage survival because mutation of MDD (MDD_S96A) induced apoptosis. Akt-mediated activation in macrophages was specific for Rac1 because Akt did not increase activity of other Rho GTP-binding proteins. The relationship between Akt and Rac1 was biologically relevant because Akt^+/− mice had significantly less active Rac1 in alveolar macrophages, and macrophages from Akt^+/− mice had an increase in active caspase-9 and -3. More importantly, Akt^+/− mice were significantly protected from the development of pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting that macrophage survival is associated with the fibrotic phenotype. These observations for the first time suggest that Akt plays a critical role in the development and progression of pulmonary fibrosis by enhancing macrophage survival via modulation of the mevalonate pathway.