scholarly journals Regulation of Membrane Trafficking by a Novel Cdc42-related Protein in Caenorhabditis elegans Epithelial Cells

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1629-1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Jenna ◽  
M.-E. Caruso ◽  
A. Emadali ◽  
D. T. Nguyên ◽  
M. Dominguez ◽  
...  

Rho GTPases are mainly known for their implication in cytoskeleton remodeling. They have also been recently shown to regulate various aspects of membrane trafficking. Here, we report the identification and the characterization of a novel Caenorhabditis elegans Cdc42-related protein, CRP-1, that shows atypical enzymatic characteristics in vitro. Expression in mouse fibroblasts revealed that, in contrast with CDC-42, CRP-1 was unable to reorganize the actin cytoskeleton and mainly localized to trans-Golgi network and recycling endosomes. This subcellular localization, as well as its expression profile restricted to a subset of epithelial-like cells in C. elegans, suggested a potential function for this protein in polarized membrane trafficking. Consistent with this hypothesis, alteration of CRP-1 expression affected the apical trafficking of CHE-14 in vulval and rectal epithelial cells and sphingolipids (C6-NBD-ceramide) uptake and/or trafficking in intestinal cells. However, it did not affect basolateral trafficking of myotactin in the pharynx and the targeting of IFB-2 and AJM-1, two cytosolic apical markers of intestine epithelial cells. Hence, our data demonstrate a function for CRP-1 in the regulation of membrane trafficking in a subset of cells with epithelial characteristics.

2008 ◽  
Vol 182 (5) ◽  
pp. 845-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita L. Nokes ◽  
Ian C. Fields ◽  
Ruth N. Collins ◽  
Heike Fölsch

To maintain polarity, epithelial cells continuously sort transmembrane proteins to the apical or basolateral membrane domains during biosynthetic delivery or after internalization. During biosynthetic delivery, some cargo proteins move from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) into recycling endosomes (RE) before being delivered to the plasma membrane. However, proteins that regulate this transport step remained elusive. In this study, we show that Rab13 partially colocalizes with TGN38 at the TGN and transferrin receptors in RE. Knockdown of Rab13 with short hairpin RNA in human bronchial epithelial cells or overexpression of dominant-active or dominant-negative alleles of Rab13 in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells disrupts TGN38/46 localization at the TGN. Moreover, overexpression of Rab13 mutant alleles inhibits surface arrival of proteins that move through RE during biosynthetic delivery (vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein [VSVG], A-VSVG, and LDLR-CT27). Importantly, proteins using a direct route from the TGN to the plasma membrane are not affected. Thus, Rab13 appears to regulate membrane trafficking between TGN and RE.


2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1629-1638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erkang Ai ◽  
Daniel S. Poole ◽  
Ahna R. Skop

Membrane trafficking pathways are necessary for the addition and removal of membrane during cytokinesis. In animal cells, recycling endosomes act as a major source of the additional membranes during furrow progression and abscission. However, the mechanisms and factors that regulate recycling endosomes during the cell cycle remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans Receptor of Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK-1) is required for cytokinesis, germline membrane organization, and the recruitment of RAB-11–labeled recycling endosomes to the pericentrosomal region and spindle. RACK-1 is also required for proper chromosome separation and astral microtubule length. RACK-1 localizes to the centrosomes, kinetochores, the midbody, and nuclear envelopes during the cell cycle. We found that RACK-1 directly binds to DNC-2, the C. elegans p50/dynamitin subunit of the dynactin complex. Last, RACK-1 may facilitate the sequestration of recycling endosomes by targeting DNC-2 to centrosomes and the spindle. Our findings suggest a mechanism by which RACK-1 directs the dynactin-dependent redistribution of recycling endosomes during the cell cycle, thus ensuring proper membrane trafficking events during cytokinesis.


1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (2) ◽  
pp. C497-C506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Wylie ◽  
Kirsten Heimann ◽  
Tam Luan Le ◽  
Darren Brown ◽  
Glenn Rabnott ◽  
...  

Proteins of the regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) family bind to Gα subunits to downregulate their signaling in a variety of systems. Gα-interacting protein (GAIP) is a mammalian RGS protein that shows high affinity for the activated state of Gαi-3, a protein known to regulate post-Golgi trafficking of secreted proteins in kidney epithelial cells. This study aimed to localize GAIP in epithelial cells and to investigate its potential role in the regulation of membrane trafficking. LLC-PK1 cells were stably transfected with a c- myc-tagged GAIP cDNA. In the transfected and untransfected cells, GAIP was found in the cytosol and on cell membranes. Immunogold labeling showed that membrane-bound GAIP was localized on budding vesicles around Golgi stacks. When an in vitro assay was used to generate vesicles from isolated rat liver and Madin-Darby canine kidney cell Golgi membranes, GAIP was found to be concentrated in fractions of newly budded Golgi vesicles. Finally, the constitutive trafficking and secretion of sulfated proteoglycans was measured in cell lines overexpressing GAIP. We show evidence for GAIP regulation of secretory trafficking before the level of the trans-Golgi network but not in post-Golgi secretion. The location and functional effects of GAIP overlap only partially with those of Gαi-3 and suggest multiple roles for GAIP in epithelial cells.


2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1163-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Li ◽  
Baohui Chen ◽  
Sawako Yoshina ◽  
Tanxi Cai ◽  
Fuquan Yang ◽  
...  

In Caenorhabditis elegans, the P4-ATPase TAT-1 and its chaperone, the Cdc50 family protein CHAT-1, maintain membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) asymmetry, which is required for membrane tubulation during endocytic sorting and recycling. Loss of tat-1 and chat-1 disrupts endocytic sorting, leading to defects in both cargo recycling and degradation. In this study, we identified the C. elegans aspartyl aminopeptidase DNPP-1, loss of which suppresses the sorting and recycling defects in tat-1 mutants without reversing the PS asymmetry defect. We found that tubular membrane structures containing recycling cargoes were restored in dnpp-1 tat-1 double mutants and that these tubules overlap with RME-1–positive recycling endosomes. The restoration of the tubular structures in dnpp-1 tat-1 mutants requires normal functions of RAB-5, RAB-10, and RME-1. In tat-1 mutants, we observed alterations in membrane surface charge and targeting of positively charged proteins that were reversed by loss of dnpp-1. DNPP-1 displays a specific aspartyl aminopeptidase activity in vitro, and its enzymatic activity is required for its function in vivo. Our data reveal the involvement of an aminopeptidase in regulating endocytic sorting and recycling and suggest possible roles of peptide signaling and/or protein metabolism in these processes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Mani Iyer Prasanth ◽  
James Michael Brimson ◽  
Dicson Sheeja Malar ◽  
Anchalee Prasansuklab ◽  
Tewin Tencomnao

BACKGROUND: Streblus asper Lour., has been reported to have anti-aging and neuroprotective efficacies in vitro. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the anti-aging, anti-photoaging and neuroprotective efficacies of S. asper in Caenorhabditis elegans. METHODS: C. elegans (wild type and gene specific mutants) were treated with S. asper extract and analyzed for lifespan and other health benefits through physiological assays, fluorescence microscopy, qPCR and Western blot. RESULTS: The plant extract was found to increase the lifespan, reduce the accumulation of lipofuscin and modulate the expression of candidate genes. It could extend the lifespan of both daf-16 and daf-2 mutants whereas the pmk-1 mutant showed no effect. The activation of skn-1 was observed in skn-1::GFP transgenic strain and in qPCR expression. Further, the extract can extend the lifespan of UV-A exposed nematodes along with reducing ROS levels. Additionally, the extract also extends lifespan and reduces paralysis in Aβ transgenic strain, apart from reducing Aβ expression. CONCLUSIONS: S. asper was able to extend the lifespan and healthspan of C. elegans which was independent of DAF-16 pathway but dependent on SKN-1 and MAPK which could play a vital role in eliciting the anti-aging, anti-photoaging and neuroprotective effects, as the extract could impart oxidative stress resistance and neuroprotection.


Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph H Chou ◽  
Cornelia I Bargmann ◽  
Piali Sengupta

Abstract Caenorhabditis elegans odr-2 mutants are defective in the ability to chemotax to odorants that are recognized by the two AWC olfactory neurons. Like many other olfactory mutants, they retain responses to high concentrations of AWC-sensed odors; we show here that these residual responses are caused by the ability of other olfactory neurons (the AWA neurons) to be recruited at high odor concentrations. odr-2 encodes a membrane-associated protein related to the Ly-6 superfamily of GPI-linked signaling proteins and is the founding member of a C. elegans gene family with at least seven other members. Alternative splicing of odr-2 yields three predicted proteins that differ only at the extreme amino terminus. The three isoforms have different promoters, and one isoform may have a unique role in olfaction. An epitope-tagged ODR-2 protein is expressed at high levels in sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons and is enriched in axons. The AWC neurons are superficially normal in their development and structure in odr-2 mutants, but their function is impaired. Our results suggest that ODR-2 may regulate AWC signaling within the neuronal network required for chemotaxis.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Dayana Torres Valladares ◽  
Sirisha Kudumala ◽  
Murad Hossain ◽  
Lucia Carvelli

Amphetamine is a potent psychostimulant also used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. In vivo and in vitro data have demonstrated that amphetamine increases the amount of extra synaptic dopamine by both inhibiting reuptake and promoting efflux of dopamine through the dopamine transporter. Previous studies have shown that chronic use of amphetamine causes tolerance to the drug. Thus, since the molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to amphetamine are still unknown, an animal model to identify the neurochemical mechanisms associated with drug tolerance is greatly needed. Here we took advantage of a unique behavior caused by amphetamine in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> to investigate whether this simple, but powerful, genetic model develops tolerance following repeated exposure to amphetamine. We found that at least 3 treatments with 0.5 mM amphetamine were necessary to see a reduction in the amphetamine-induced behavior and, thus, to promote tolerance. Moreover, we found that, after intervals of 60/90 minutes between treatments, animals were more likely to exhibit tolerance than animals that underwent 10-minute intervals between treatments. Taken together, our results show that <i>C. elegans</i> is a suitable system to study tolerance to drugs of abuse such as amphetamines.


1986 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
E J Aamodt ◽  
J G Culotti

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans should be an excellent model system in which to study the role of microtubules in mitosis, embryogenesis, morphogenesis, and nerve function. It may be studied by the use of biochemical, genetic, molecular biological, and cell biological approaches. We have purified microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) from C. elegans by the use of the anti-tumor drug taxol (Vallee, R. B., 1982, J. Cell Biol., 92:435-44). Approximately 0.2 mg of microtubules and 0.03 mg of MAPs were isolated from each gram of C. elegans. The C. elegans microtubules were smaller in diameter than bovine microtubules assembled in vitro in the same buffer. They contained primarily 9-11 protofilaments, while the bovine microtubules contained 13 protofilaments. The principal MAP had an apparent molecular weight of 32,000 and the minor MAPs were 30,000, 45,000, 47,000, 50,000, 57,000, and 100,000-110,000 mol wt as determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis. The microtubules were observed, by electron microscopy of negatively stained preparations, to be connected by stretches of highly periodic cross-links. The cross-links connected the adjacent protofilaments of aligned microtubules, and occurred at a frequency of one cross-link every 7.7 +/- 0.9 nm, or one cross-link per tubulin dimer along the protofilament. The cross-links were removed when the MAPs were extracted from the microtubules with 0.4 M NaCl. The cross-links then re-formed when the microtubules and the MAPs were recombined in a low salt buffer. These results strongly suggest that the cross-links are composed of MAPs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (13) ◽  
pp. 3955-3960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinxing Zhang ◽  
Likui Feng ◽  
Satya Chinta ◽  
Prashant Singh ◽  
Yuting Wang ◽  
...  

Caenorhabditis elegans uses ascaroside pheromones to induce development of the stress-resistant dauer larval stage and to coordinate various behaviors. Peroxisomal β-oxidation cycles are required for the biosynthesis of the fatty acid-derived side chains of the ascarosides. Here we show that three acyl-CoA oxidases, which catalyze the first step in these β-oxidation cycles, form different protein homo- and heterodimers with distinct substrate preferences. Mutations in the acyl-CoA oxidase genes acox-1, -2, and -3 led to specific defects in ascaroside production. When the acyl-CoA oxidases were expressed alone or in pairs and purified, the resulting acyl-CoA oxidase homo- and heterodimers displayed different side-chain length preferences in an in vitro activity assay. Specifically, an ACOX-1 homodimer controls the production of ascarosides with side chains with nine or fewer carbons, an ACOX-1/ACOX-3 heterodimer controls the production of those with side chains with seven or fewer carbons, and an ACOX-2 homodimer controls the production of those with ω-side chains with less than five carbons. Our results support a biosynthetic model in which β-oxidation enzymes act directly on the CoA-thioesters of ascaroside biosynthetic precursors. Furthermore, we identify environmental conditions, including high temperature and low food availability, that induce the expression of acox-2 and/or acox-3 and lead to corresponding changes in ascaroside production. Thus, our work uncovers an important mechanism by which C. elegans increases the production of the most potent dauer pheromones, those with the shortest side chains, under specific environmental conditions.


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