scholarly journals Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)-tagged Cysteine-rich Domains from Protein Kinase C as Fluorescent Indicators for Diacylglycerol Signaling in Living Cells

1998 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Oancea ◽  
Mary N. Teruel ◽  
Andrew F.G. Quest ◽  
Tobias Meyer

Cysteine-rich domains (Cys-domains) are ∼50–amino acid–long protein domains that complex two zinc ions and include a consensus sequence with six cysteine and two histidine residues. In vitro studies have shown that Cys-domains from several protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms and a number of other signaling proteins bind lipid membranes in the presence of diacylglycerol or phorbol ester. Here we examine the second messenger functions of diacylglycerol in living cells by monitoring the membrane translocation of the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged first Cys-domain of PKC-γ (Cys1–GFP). Strikingly, stimulation of G-protein or tyrosine kinase–coupled receptors induced a transient translocation of cytosolic Cys1–GFP to the plasma membrane. The plasma membrane translocation was mimicked by addition of the diacylglycerol analogue DiC8 or the phorbol ester, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Photobleaching recovery studies showed that PMA nearly immobilized Cys1–GFP in the membrane, whereas DiC8 left Cys1–GFP diffusible within the membrane. Addition of a smaller and more hydrophilic phorbol ester, phorbol dibuterate (PDBu), localized Cys1–GFP preferentially to the plasma and nuclear membranes. This selective membrane localization was lost in the presence of arachidonic acid. GFP-tagged Cys1Cys2-domains and full-length PKC-γ also translocated from the cytosol to the plasma membrane in response to receptor or PMA stimuli, whereas significant plasma membrane translocation of Cys2–GFP was only observed in response to PMA addition. These studies introduce GFP-tagged Cys-domains as fluorescent diacylglycerol indicators and show that in living cells the individual Cys-domains can trigger a diacylglycerol or phorbol ester–mediated translocation of proteins to selective lipid membranes.

1997 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
pp. 1465-1476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norio Sakai ◽  
Keiko Sasaki ◽  
Natsu Ikegaki ◽  
Yasuhito Shirai ◽  
Yoshitaka Ono ◽  
...  

We expressed the γ-subspecies of protein kinase C (γ-PKC) fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in various cell lines and observed the movement of this fusion protein in living cells under a confocal laser scanning fluorescent microscope. γ-PKC–GFP fusion protein had enzymological properties very similar to that of native γ-PKC. The fluorescence of γ-PKC– GFP was observed throughout the cytoplasm in transiently transfected COS-7 cells. Stimulation by an active phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate [TPA]) but not by an inactive phorbol ester (4α-phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate) induced a significant translocation of γ-PKC–GFP from cytoplasm to the plasma membrane. A23187, a Ca2+ ionophore, induced a more rapid translocation of γ-PKC–GFP than TPA. The A23187-induced translocation was abolished by elimination of extracellular and intracellular Ca2+. TPA- induced translocation of γ-PKC–GFP was unidirected, while Ca2+ ionophore–induced translocation was reversible; that is, γ-PKC–GFP translocated to the membrane returned to the cytosol and finally accumulated as patchy dots on the plasma membrane. To investigate the significance of C1 and C2 domains of γ-PKC in translocation, we expressed mutant γ-PKC–GFP fusion protein in which the two cysteine rich regions in the C1 region were disrupted (designated as BS 238) or the C2 region was deleted (BS 239). BS 238 mutant was translocated by Ca2+ ionophore but not by TPA. In contrast, BS 239 mutant was translocated by TPA but not by Ca2+ ionophore. To examine the translocation of γ-PKC–GFP under physiological conditions, we expressed it in NG-108 cells, N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor–transfected COS-7 cells, or CHO cells expressing metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (CHO/mGluR1 cells). In NG-108 cells , K+ depolarization induced rapid translocation of γ-PKC–GFP. In NMDA receptor–transfected COS-7 cells, application of NMDA plus glycine also translocated γ-PKC–GFP. Furthermore, rapid translocation and sequential retranslocation of γ-PKC–GFP were observed in CHO/ mGluR1 cells on stimulation with the receptor. Neither cytochalasin D nor colchicine affected the translocation of γ-PKC–GFP, indicating that translocation of γ-PKC was independent of actin and microtubule. γ-PKC–GFP fusion protein is a useful tool for investigating the molecular mechanism of γ-PKC translocation and the role of γ-PKC in the central nervous system.


2012 ◽  
Vol 302 (3) ◽  
pp. H782-H789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haifa Hallaq ◽  
Dao W. Wang ◽  
Jennifer D. Kunic ◽  
Alfred L. George ◽  
K. Sam Wells ◽  
...  

Na+ current derived from expression of the cardiac isoform SCN5A is reduced by receptor-mediated or direct activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Previous work has suggested a possible role for loss of Na+ channels at the plasma membrane in this effect, but the results are controversial. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that PKC activation acutely modulates the intracellular distribution of SCN5A channels and that this effect can be visualized in living cells. In human embryonic kidney cells that stably expressed SCN5A with green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the channel COOH-terminus (SCN5A-GFP), Na+ currents were suppressed by an exposure to PKC activation. Using confocal microscopy, colocalization of SCN5A-GFP channels with the plasma membrane under control and stimulated conditions was quantified. A separate population of SCN5A channels containing an extracellular epitope was immunolabeled to permit temporally stable labeling of the plasma membrane. Our results demonstrated that Na+ channels were preferentially trafficked away from the plasma membrane by PKC activation, with a major contribution by Ca2+-sensitive or conventional PKC isoforms, whereas stimulation of protein kinase A (PKA) had the opposite effect. Removal of the conserved PKC site Ser1503 or exposure to the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin eliminated the PKC-mediated effect to alter channel trafficking, indicating that both channel phosphorylation and ROS were required. Experiments using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching demonstrated that both PKC and PKA also modified channel mobility in a manner consistent with the dynamics of channel distribution. These results demonstrate that the activation of protein kinases can acutely regulate the intracellular distribution and molecular mobility of cardiac Na+ channels in living cells.


2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 2144-2156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hesham M. El-Shewy ◽  
Souzan A. Abdel-Samie ◽  
Abdelmohsen M. Al Qalam ◽  
Mi-Hye Lee ◽  
Kazuyuki Kitatani ◽  
...  

Abstract We recently reported that IGF-II binding to the IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) receptor activates the ERK1/2 cascade by triggering sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1)-dependent transactivation of G protein-coupled sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors. Here, we investigated the mechanism of IGF-II/M6P receptor-dependent sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) activation in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Pretreating cells with protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide-I, abolished IGF-II-stimulated translocation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged SK1 to the plasma membrane and activation of endogenous SK1, implicating PKC as an upstream regulator of SK1. Using confocal microscopy to examine membrane translocation of GFP-tagged PKCα, β1, β2, δ, and ζ, we found that IGF-II induced rapid, transient, and isoform-specific translocation of GFP-PKCβ2 to the plasma membrane. Immunoblotting of endogenous PKC phosphorylation confirmed PKCβ2 activation in response to IGF-II. Similarly, IGF-II stimulation caused persistent membrane translocation of the kinase-deficient GFP-PKCβ2 (K371R) mutant, which does not dissociate from the membrane after translocation. IGF-II stimulation increased diacylglycerol (DAG) levels, the established activator of classical PKC. Interestingly, the polyunsaturated fraction of DAG was increased, indicating involvement of phosphatidyl inositol/phospholipase C (PLC). Pretreating cells with the PLC inhibitor, U73122, attenuated IGF-II-dependent DAG production and PKCβ2 phosphorylation, blocked membrane translocation of the kinase-deficient GFP-PKCβ2 (K371R) mutant, and reduced sphingosine 1-phosphate production, suggesting that PLC/PKCβ2 are upstream regulators of SK1 in the pathway. Taken together, these data provide evidence that activation of PLC and PKCβ2 by the IGF-II/M6P receptor are required for the activation of SK1.


Endocrinology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 149 (9) ◽  
pp. 4726-4735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung-Kwon Yang ◽  
Kun Wang ◽  
Helena Parkington ◽  
Chen Chen

GHRH depolarizes the membrane of somatotropes, leading to an increase in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and GH secretion. Na+ channels mediate the rapid depolarization during the initial phase of the action potential, and this regulates Ca2+ influx and GH secretion. GHRH increases a tetrodotoxin-sensitive somatotrope Na+ current that is mediated by cAMP. TTX-resistant (TTX-R) Na+ channels are abundant in sensory neurons and cardiac myocytes, but their occurrence and/or function in somatotropes has not been investigated. Here we demonstrate expression of TTX-R Na+ channels and a TTX-R Na+ current, using patch-clamp method, in green fluorescent protein-GH transgenic mouse somatotropes. GHRH (100nm) increased the TTX-R Na+ current in a reversible manner. The GHRH-induced increase in TTX-R Na+ current was not affected by the cAMP antagonist Rp-cAMP or protein kinase A inhibitors KT5720 or H89. The TTX-R current was increased by 8-bromoadenosine-cAMP (cAMP analog), forskolin (adenylyl-cyclase activator), and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (phosphodiesterase inhibitor), but the additional, GHRH-induced increase in TTX-R Na+ currents was not affected. U-73122 (phospholipase C inhibitor) and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, Gö-6983 and chelerythrine, blocked the effect of GHRH. PKC activators, phorbol dibutyrate and phorbol myristate acetate, increased the TTX-R Na+ current, but GHRH had no further effect on the current. Na+-free extracellular medium significantly reduced GHRH-stimulated GH secretion. We conclude that GHRH-induced increase in the TTX-R Na+ current in mouse somatotropes is mediated by the PKC system. An increase in the TTX-R Na+ current may contribute to the GHRH-induced exocytosis of GH granules from mouse somatotropes.


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