scholarly journals Novel Membrane Protein shrew-1 Targets to Cadherin-Mediated Junctions in Polarized Epithelial Cells

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 397-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanita Bharti ◽  
Heike Handrow-Metzmacher ◽  
Silvia Zickenheiner ◽  
Andreas Zeitvogel ◽  
Rudolf Baumann ◽  
...  

While searching for potential candidate molecules relevant for the pathogenesis of endometriosis, we discovered a 2910-base pair cDNA encoding a novel putative 411-amino acid integral membrane protein that we called shrew-1. The putative open-reading frame was confirmed with antibodies against shrew-1 peptides that labeled a protein of ∼48 kDa in extracts of shrew-1 mRNA-positive tissue and also detected ectopically expressed shrew-1. Expression of epitope-tagged shrew-1 in epithelial cells and analysis by surface biotinylation and immunoblots demonstrated that shrew-1 is indeed a transmembrane protein. Shrew-1 is able to target to E-cadherin-mediated adherens junctions and interact with the E-cadherin–catenin complex in polarized MCF7 and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, but not with the N-cadherin–catenin complex in nonpolarized epithelial cells. Direct interaction of shrew-1 with β-catenin in in vitro pull-down assay suggests that β-catenin might be one of the proteins that targets and/or retains shrew-1 in the adherens junctions. Interestingly, shrew-1 was partially translocated in response to scatter factor (ligand of receptor tyrosine kinase c-met) from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm where it still colocalized with endogenous E-cadherin. In summary, we introduce shrew-1 as a novel component of adherens junctions, interacting with E-cadherin–β-catenin complexes in polarized epithelial cells.

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xunhao Xiong ◽  
Qingwen Xu ◽  
Yan Huang ◽  
Raman Deep Singh ◽  
Richard Anderson ◽  
...  

E-Cadherin–mediated formation of adherens junctions (AJs) is essential for the morphogenesis of epithelial cells. However, the mechanisms underlying E-cadherin clustering and AJ maturation are not fully understood. Here we report that type Iγ phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIPKIγ) associates with the exocyst via a direct interaction with Exo70, the exocyst subunit that guides the polarized targeting of exocyst to the plasma membrane. By means of this interaction, PIPKIγ mediates the association between E-cadherin and Exo70 and determines the targeting of Exo70 to AJs. Further investigation revealed that Exo70 is necessary for clustering of E-cadherin on the plasma membrane and extension of nascent E-cadherin adhesions, which are critical for the maturation of cohesive AJs. In addition, we observed phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI4,5P2) accumulation at E-cadherin clusters during the assembly of E-cadherin adhesions. PIPKIγ-generated PI4,5P2 is required for recruiting Exo70 to newly formed E-cadherin junctions and facilitates the assembly and maturation of AJs. These results support a model in which PIPKIγ and PIPKIγ-generated PI4,5P2 pools at nascent E-cadherin contacts cue Exo70 targeting and orient the tethering of exocyst-associated E-cadherin. This could be an important mechanism that regulates E-cadherin clustering and AJ maturation, which is essential for the establishment of solid, polarized epithelial structures.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 3397-3408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktor Jakob ◽  
Alexander Schreiner ◽  
Ritva Tikkanen ◽  
Anna Starzinski-Powitz

We recently identified transmembrane protein shrew-1 and showed that it is able to target to adherens junctions in polarized epithelial cells. This suggested shrew-1 possesses specific basolateral sorting motifs, which we analyzed by mutational analysis. Systematic mutation of amino acids in putative sorting signals in the cytoplasmic domain of shrew-1 revealed three tyrosines and a dileucine motif necessary for basolateral sorting. Substitution of these amino acids leads to apical localization of shrew-1. By applying tannic acid to either the apical or basolateral part of polarized epithelial cells, thereby blocking vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane, we obtained evidence that the apically localized mutants were primarily targeted to the basolateral membrane and were then redistributed to the apical domain. Further support for a postendocytic sorting mechanism of shrew-1 was obtained by demonstrating that μ1B, a subunit of the epithelial cell-specific adaptor complex AP-1B, interacts with shrew-1. In conclusion, our data provide evidence for a scenario where shrew-1 is primarily delivered to the basolateral membrane by a so far unknown mechanism. Once there, adaptor protein complex AP-1B is involved in retaining shrew-1 at the basolateral membrane by postendocytic sorting mechanisms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jibran Sualeh Muhammad ◽  
Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari ◽  
Zheng-Guo Cui ◽  
Mawieh Hamad ◽  
Rabih Halwani

Numerous researches have focused on the genetic variations affecting SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas the epigenetic effects are inadequately described. In this report, for the first time, we have identified potential candidate genes that might be regulated via SARS-CoV-2 induced DNA methylation changes in COVID-19 infection. At first, in silico transcriptomic data of COVID-19 lung autopsies were used to identify the top differentially expressed genes containing CpG Islands in their promoter region. Similar gene regulations were also observed in an in vitro model of SARS-CoV-2 infected lung epithelial cells (NHBE and A549). SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly decreased the levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) in lung epithelial cells. Out of 14 candidate genes identified, the expression of 12 genes was upregulated suggesting promoter hypomethylation, while only two genes were downregulated suggesting promoter hypermethylation in COVID-19. Among those 12 upregulated genes, only HSPA1L and ULBP2 were found to be upregulated in AZA-treated lung epithelial cells and immune cells, suggesting their epigenetic regulation. To confirm the hypomethylation of these two genes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, their promoter methylation and mRNA expression levels were determined in the genomic DNA/RNA obtained from whole blood samples of asymptomatic, severe COVID-19 patients and equally matched healthy controls. The methylation level of HSPA1L was significantly decreased and the mRNA expression was increased in both asymptomatic and severe COVID-19 blood samples suggesting its epigenetic regulation by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Functionally, HSPA1L is known to facilitate host viral replication and has been proposed as a potential target for antiviral prophylaxis and treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 318 (4) ◽  
pp. G705-G716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnan MohanKumar ◽  
Kopperuncholan Namachivayam ◽  
Nithya Sivakumar ◽  
Natascha G. Alves ◽  
Venkataramana Sidhaye ◽  
...  

Anemia is a frequent diagnosis in critically ill infants, but the clinical implications of severe anemia in these patients remain unclear. In this study, we examined preweaned mice to investigate the effects of severe anemia during early infancy on gut mucosal permeability. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to timed phlebotomy between postnatal days (P) 2–10 to induce severe anemia (hematocrits 20%–24%), and intestinal permeability was tracked longitudinally between P10 and P20 as intestine-to-plasma translocation of enteral macromolecules and bacterial translocation. Epithelial junctions were evaluated by electron microscopy, polymerase chain reactions, immunohistochemistry, and/or enzyme immunoassays on intestinal tissues, Caco-2 intestinal epithelial-like cells, and colonic organoids. Preweaned mouse pups showed an age-related susceptibility to severe anemia, with increased intestinal permeability to enteral macromolecules (dextran, ovalbumin, β-lactoglobulin) and luminal bacteria. Electron micrographs showed increased paracellular permeability and ultrastructural abnormalities of the adherens junctions. These findings were explained by the loss of E-cadherin in epithelial cells, which was caused by destabilization of the E-cadherin ( Cdh1) mRNA because of microRNA let-7e-5p binding to the 3′-untranslated region. Severe anemia resulted in a disproportionate and persistent increase in intestinal permeability in preweaned mice because of the disruption of epithelial adherens junctions. These changes are mediated via microRNA let-7e-mediated depletion of Cdh1 mRNA. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This research article shows that newborn infants with severe anemia show an age-related susceptibility to developing increased intestinal permeability to ingested macromolecules. This abnormal permeability develops because of abnormalities in intestinal epithelial junctions caused by a deficiency of the molecule E-cadherin in epithelial cells. The deficiency of E-cadherin is caused by destabilization of its mRNA precursor because of increased expression and binding of another molecule, the microRNA let-7e-5p, to the E-cadherin mRNA.


2011 ◽  
Vol 195 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beate K. Straub ◽  
Steffen Rickelt ◽  
Ralf Zimbelmann ◽  
Christine Grund ◽  
Caecilia Kuhn ◽  
...  

Intercellular junctions play a pivotal role in tissue development and function and also in tumorigenesis. In epithelial cells, decrease or loss of E-cadherin, the hallmark molecule of adherens junctions (AJs), and increase of N-cadherin are widely thought to promote carcinoma progression and metastasis. In this paper, we show that this “cadherin switch” hypothesis does not hold for diverse endoderm-derived cells and cells of tumors derived from them. We show that the cadherins in a major portion of AJs in these cells can be chemically cross-linked in E–N heterodimers. We also show that cells possessing E–N heterodimer AJs can form semistable hemihomotypic AJs with purely N-cadherin–based AJs of mesenchymally derived cells, including stroma cells. We conclude that these heterodimers are the major AJ constituents of several endoderm-derived tissues and tumors and that the prevailing concept of antagonistic roles of these two cadherins in developmental and tumor biology has to be reconsidered.


1997 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
pp. 919-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jani E. Lewis ◽  
James K. Wahl ◽  
Kristin M. Sass ◽  
Pamela J. Jensen ◽  
Keith R. Johnson ◽  
...  

Squamous epithelial cells have both adherens junctions and desmosomes. The ability of these cells to organize the desmosomal proteins into a functional structure depends upon their ability first to organize an adherens junction. Since the adherens junction and the desmosome are separate structures with different molecular make up, it is not immediately obvious why formation of an adherens junction is a prerequisite for the formation of a desmosome. The adherens junction is composed of a transmembrane classical cadherin (E-cadherin and/or P-cadherin in squamous epithelial cells) linked to either β-catenin or plakoglobin, which is linked to α-catenin, which is linked to the actin cytoskeleton. The desmosome is composed of transmembrane proteins of the broad cadherin family (desmogleins and desmocollins) that are linked to the intermediate filament cytoskeleton, presumably through plakoglobin and desmoplakin. To begin to study the role of adherens junctions in the assembly of desmosomes, we produced an epithelial cell line that does not express classical cadherins and hence is unable to organize desmosomes, even though it retains the requisite desmosomal components. Transfection of E-cadherin and/or P-cadherin into this cell line did not restore the ability to organize desmosomes; however, overexpression of plakoglobin, along with E-cadherin, did permit desmosome organization. These data suggest that plakoglobin, which is the only known common component to both adherens junctions and desmosomes, must be linked to E-cadherin in the adherens junction before the cell can begin to assemble desmosomal components at regions of cell–cell contact. Although adherens junctions can form in the absence of plakoglobin, making use only of β-catenin, such junctions cannot support the formation of desmosomes. Thus, we speculate that plakoglobin plays a signaling role in desmosome organization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill B. Graham ◽  
Johan C. Sunryd ◽  
Ketan Mathavan ◽  
Emma Weir ◽  
Ida Signe Bohse Larsen ◽  
...  

Here we characterize TMTC3 as an ER, polytopic membrane protein with C-terminal luminal-facing TPRs, and an O-mannosyltransferase of E-cadherin. O-mannosylation of cadherins by TMTC3 affects cellular adherence, E-cadherin homophilic binding, and embryonic gastrulation, helping to explain the basis of a number of TMTC3-associated disease variants.


2011 ◽  
Vol 194 (6) ◽  
pp. 873-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elina Shteyn ◽  
Lucy Pigati ◽  
Heike Fölsch

The epithelial cell–specific clathrin adaptor complex AP-1B facilitates the sorting of various transmembrane proteins from recycling endosomes (REs) to the basolateral plasma membrane. Despite AP-1B’s clear importance in polarized epithelial cells, we still do not fully understand how AP-1B orchestrates basolateral targeting. Here we identify the ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) as an important regulator of AP-1B. We show that activated Arf6 pulled down AP-1B in vitro. Furthermore, interfering with Arf6 function through overexpression of dominant-active Arf6Q67L or dominant-negative Arf6D125N, as well as depletion of Arf6 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA), led to apical missorting of AP-1B–dependent cargos. In agreement with these data, we found that Arf6 colocalized with AP-1B and transferrin receptor (TfnR) in REs. In addition, we observed specific recruitment of AP-1B into Arf6-induced membrane ruffles in nonpolarized cells. We conclude that activated Arf6 directs membrane recruitment of AP-1B, thus regulating AP-1B’s functions in polarized epithelial cells.


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