scholarly journals p38 MAPK-dependent shaping of the keratin cytoskeleton in cultured cells

2007 ◽  
Vol 177 (5) ◽  
pp. 795-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Wöll ◽  
Reinhard Windoffer ◽  
Rudolf E. Leube

Plasticity of the resilient keratin intermediate filament cytoskeleton is an important prerequisite for epithelial tissue homeostasis. Here, the contribution of stress-activated p38 MAPK to keratin network organization was examined in cultured cells. It was observed that phosphorylated p38 colocalized with keratin granules that were rapidly formed in response to orthovanadate. The same p38p recruitment was noted during mitosis, in various stress situations and in cells producing mutant keratins. In all these situations keratin 8 became phosphorylated on S73, a well-known p38 target site. To demonstrate that p38-dependent keratin phosphorylation determines keratin organization, p38 activity was pharmacologically and genetically modulated: up-regulation induced keratin granule formation, whereas down-regulation prevented keratin filament network disassembly. Furthermore, transient p38 inhibition also inhibited keratin filament precursor formation and mutant keratin granule dissolution. Collectively, the rapid and reversible effects of p38 activity on keratin phosphorylation and organization in diverse physiological, stress, and pathological situations identify p38-dependent signalling as a major intermediate filament–regulating pathway.

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Martin Beaulieu ◽  
Janice Robertson ◽  
Jean-Pierre Julien

Neurofilaments are the principal intermediate filament type expressed by neurons. They are formed by the co-assembly of three subunits: NF-L, NF-M, and NF-H. Peripherin is another intermediate filament protein expressed mostly in neurons of the peripheral nervous system. In contrast to neurofilaments, peripherin can self-assemble to establish an intermediate filament network in cultured cells. The co-expression of neurofilaments and peripherin is found mainly during development and regeneration. We used SW13 cells devoid of endogenous cytoplasmic intermediate filaments to assess the exact assembly characteristics of peripherin with each neurofilament subunit. Our results demonstrate that peripherin can assemble with NF-L. In contrast, the co-expression of peripherin with the large neurofilament subunits interferes with peripherin assembly. These results confirm the existence of interactions between peripherin and neurofilaments in physiological conditions. Moreover, they suggest that perturbations in the stoichiometry of neurofilaments can have an impact on peripherin assembly in vivo.Key words: peripherin, neurofilament, SW13 cells, intermediate filament.


1993 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 1251-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Kartasova ◽  
D R Roop ◽  
K A Holbrook ◽  
S H Yuspa

Keratins 1 (K1) and 10 (K10) are the predominant cytoskeletal intermediate filaments of epidermal cells during transition from the proliferative to the terminal differentiation stage. In situ, formation of the K1/K10 intermediate filament network occurs in the cytoplasm of cells with a preexisting cytoskeleton composed of keratins 5 and 14. To define cytoskeletal interactions permissive for formation of the K1/K10 filamentous network, active copies of mouse K1 and K10 genes were introduced into fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) which do not normally express these proteins. Transient and stable transfectants, as well as heterokaryons produced by fusions with epithelial cells, were evaluated for expression of K1 and K10 proteins and filament formation using specific antibodies. In contrast to keratin pairs K5/K14 and K8/K18, the K1/K10 pair failed to form an extensive keratin filament network on its own, although small isolated dense K1/K10 filament bundles were observed throughout the cytoplasm by EM. K1 and K10 filaments integrated only into the preexisting K5/K14 network upon fusion of the NIH 3T3 (K1/K10) cells with epithelial cells expressing endogenous K5/K14 or with NIH 3T3 cells which were transfected with active copies of the K5 and K14 genes. When combinations of active recombinant gene constructs for keratins 1, 5, 10, and 14 were tested in transient NIH 3T3 transfections, the most intact cytokeratin network observed by immunofluorescence was formed by the K5/K14 pair. The K1/K14 pair was capable of forming a cytoskeletal network, but the network was poorly developed, and usually perinuclear. Transfection of K10 in combination with K5 or K1 resulted in cytoplasmic agglomerates, but not a cytoskeleton. These results suggest that the formation of the suprabasal cytoskeleton in epidermis is dependent on the preexisting basal cell intermediate filament network. Furthermore, restrictions on filament formation appear to be more stringent for K10 than for K1.


1983 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 494-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
M W Klymkowsky ◽  
R H Miller ◽  
E B Lane

The organization of intermediate filaments in cultured epithelial cells was rapidly and radically affected by intracellularly injected monoclonal antikeratin filament antibodies. Different antibodies had different effects, ranging from an apparent splaying apart of keratin filament bundles to the complete disruption of the keratin filament network. Antibodies were detectable within cells for more than four days after injection. The antibody-induced disruption of keratin filament organization had no light-microscopically discernible effect on microfilament or microtubule organization, cellular morphology, mitosis, the integrity of epithelial sheets, mitotic rate, or cellular reintegration after mitosis. Cell-to-cell adhesion junctions survived keratin filament disruption. However, antibody injected into a keratinocyte-derived cell line, rich in desmosomes, brought on a superfasciculation of keratin filament bundles, which appeared to pull desmosomal junctions together, suggesting that desmosomes can move in the plane of the plasma membrane and may only be 'fixed' by their anchoring to the cytoplasmic filament network. Our observations suggest that keratin filaments are not involved in the establishment or maintenance of cell shape in cultured cells.


1993 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 1337-1350 ◽  
Author(s):  
MK Lee ◽  
Z Xu ◽  
PC Wong ◽  
DW Cleveland

Neurofilaments (NFs), composed of three distinct subunits NF-L, NF-M, and NF-H, are neuron-specific intermediate filaments present in most mature neurons. Using DNA transfection and mice expressing NF transgenes, we find that despite the ability of NF-L alone to assemble into short filaments in vitro NF-L cannot form filament arrays in vivo after expression either in cultured cells or in transgenic oligodendrocytes that otherwise do not contain a cytoplasmic intermediate filament (IF) array. Instead, NF-L aggregates into punctate or sheet like structures. Similar nonfilamentous structures are also formed when NF-M or NF-H is expressed alone. The competence of NF-L to assemble into filaments is fully restored by coexpression of NF-M or NF-H to a level approximately 10% of that of NF-L. Deletion of the head or tail domain of NF-M or substitution of the NF-H tail onto an NF-L subunit reveals that restoration of in vivo NF-L assembly competence requires an interaction provided by the NF-M or NF-H head domains. We conclude that, contrary to the expectation drawn from earlier in vitro assembly studies, NF-L is not sufficient to assemble an extended filament network in an in vivo context and that neurofilaments are obligate heteropolymers requiring NF-L and NF-M or NF-H.


2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 792-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaelyn D. Sumigray ◽  
Terry Lechler

Maintaining proper cell–cell adhesion in the intestine is essential for tissue homeostasis and barrier function. This adhesion is thought to be mediated by cell adhesion structures, including tight junctions, adherens junctions, and desmosomes, which concentrate in the apical junctional region. While clear roles for adherens and tight junctions have been established in simple epithelia, the function of desmosomes has not been addressed. In stratified epithelia, desmosomes impart mechanical strength to tissues by organizing and anchoring the keratin filament network. In this paper, we report that the desmosomal protein desmoplakin (DP) is not essential for cell adhesion in the intestinal epithelium. Surprisingly, when DP is lacking, keratin filament localization is also unperturbed, although keratin filaments no longer anchor at desmosomes. Unexpectedly, DP is important for proper microvillus structure. Our study highlights the tissue-specific functions of desmosomes and reveals that the canonical functions for these structures are not conserved in simple epithelium.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-100
Author(s):  
Fares E.M. Ali ◽  
Heba M. Saad Eldien ◽  
Nashwa A.M. Mostafa ◽  
Abdulrahman H. Almaeen ◽  
Mohamed R.A. Marzouk ◽  
...  

Objective: The present study was conducted to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism as well as the potential hepatoprotective effects of royal jelly (RJ) against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. Methods: Rats were assigned into four groups; sham (received vehicle), IR (30 minutes ischemia and 45 minutes reperfusion), sham pretreated with RJ (200 mg/kg P.O.), and IR pretreated with RJ (200 mg/kg P.O.). The experiment has lasted for 28 days. Results: Hepatic IR significantly induced hepatic dysfunctions, as manifested by elevation of serum transaminases, ALP and LDH levels. Moreover, hepatic IR caused a significant up-regulation of P38-MAPK, NF-κB-p65, TNF-α and MDA levels along with marked down-regulation of Nrf-2, HO-1, COX-4, cytoglobin, IκBa, IL-10, GSH, GST and SOD levels. Additionally, marked histopathological changes were observed after hepatic IR injury. On the contrary, pretreatment with RJ significantly improved hepatic functions along with the alleviation of histopathological changes. Moreover, RJ restored oxidant/antioxidant balance as well as hepatic expressions of Nrf-2, HO-1, COX-4, and cytoglobin. Simultaneously, RJ significantly mitigated the inflammatory response by down-regulation of P38-MAPK, NF-κB-p65, TNF-α expression. Conclusion: The present results revealed that RJ has successfully protected the liver against hepatic IR injury through modulation of cytoglobin, Nrf-2/HO-1/COX-4, and P38-MAPK/NF-κB-p65/TNF-α signaling pathways.


2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (6) ◽  
pp. 1079-1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.C. Schweitzer ◽  
M.W. Klymkowsky ◽  
R.M. Bellin ◽  
R.M. Robson ◽  
Y. Capetanaki ◽  
...  

De novo expression of vimentin, GFAP or peripherin leads to the assembly of an extended intermediate filament network in intermediate filament-free SW13/cl.2 cells. Desmin, in contrast, does not form extended filament networks in either SW13/cl.2 or intermediate filament-free mouse fibroblasts. Rather, desmin formed short thickened filamentous structures and prominent spot-like cytoplasmic aggregates that were composed of densely packed 9–11 nm diameter filaments. Analysis of stably transfected cell lines indicates that the inability of desmin to form extended networks is not due to a difference in the level of transgene expression. Nestin, paranemin and synemin are large intermediate filament proteins that coassemble with desmin in muscle cells. Although each of these large intermediate filament proteins colocalized with desmin when coexpressed in SW-13 cells, expression of paranemin, but not synemin or nestin, led to the formation of an extended desmin network. A similar rescue of desmin network organization was observed when desmin was coexpressed with vimentin, which coassembles with desmin, or with keratins, which formed a distinct filament network. These studies demonstrate that desmin filaments differ in their organizational properties from the other vimentin-like intermediate filament proteins and appear to depend upon coassembly with paranemin, at least when they are expressed in non-muscle cells, in order to form an extended filament network.


1998 ◽  
Vol 111 (13) ◽  
pp. 1767-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.L. Ho ◽  
J.L. Martys ◽  
A. Mikhailov ◽  
G.G. Gundersen ◽  
R.K. Liem

In order to study the dynamic behavior of intermediate filament networks in living cells, we have prepared constructs fusing green fluorescent protein to intermediate filament proteins. Vimentin fused to green fluorescent protein labeled the endogenous intermediate filament network. We generated stable SW13 and NIH3T3 cell lines that express an enhanced green fluorescent protein fused to the N-terminus of full-length vimentin. We were able to observe the dynamic behavior of the intermediate filament network in these cells for periods as long as 4 hours (images acquired every 2 minutes). In both cell lines, the vimentin network constantly moves in a wavy manner. In the NIH3T3 cells, we observed extension of individual vimentin filaments at the edge of the cell. This movement is dependent on microtubules, since the addition of nocodazole stopped the extension of the intermediate filaments. Injection of anti-IFA causes the redistribution or ‘collapse’ of intermediate filaments. We injected anti-IFA antibodies into NIH3T3 cells stably expressing green fluorescent protein fused to vimentin and found that individual intermediate filaments move slowly towards the perinuclear area without obvious disassembly. These results demonstrate that individual intermediate filaments are translocated during the collapse, rather than undergoing disassembly-induced redistribution. Injections of tubulin antibodies disrupt the interactions between intermediate filaments and stable microtubules and cause the collapse of the vimentin network showing that these interactions play an important role in keeping the intermediate filament network extended. The nocodazole inhibition of intermediate filament extension and the anti-IFA microinjection experiments are consistent with a model in which intermediate filaments exhibit an extended distribution when tethered to microtubules, but are translocated to the perinuclear area when these connections are severed.


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