scholarly journals Walking Along the Serendipitous Path of Discovery

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Walter
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Protein Folding ◽  
Scientific Discovery ◽  
Molecular Machines ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Folding Defect ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Folded Proteins ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

Deciphering of the molecular mechanism of the “unfolded protein response” (UPR) provides a wonderful example of how serendipity can shape scientific discovery. Secretory and membrane proteins begin their journey to the cell surface in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Before leaving the organelle, proteins are quality-controlled, and only properly folded proteins are transported onwards. The UPR detects an insufficiency in the protein-folding capacity in the ER and in the ways of a finely tuned homeostat adjusts organelle abundance according to need. If the protein-folding defect in the ER cannot be corrected, the UPR switches from a cell-protective to a cell-destructive mode and activates apoptosis in metazoan cells. Such life or death decisions position the UPR in the center of numerous pathologies, including viral infection, protein-folding diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The UPR proved to be a rich field for serendipitous discovery because the molecular machines that transmit information about insufficient protein folding and activate appropriate gene expression programs function in unusual, unprecedented ways. A key regulatory switch in the UPR, for example, is a cytoplasmic, nonconventional mRNA spicing reaction, initiated by a bifunctional transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease.

scholarly journals A Role for the DnaJ Homologue Scj1p in Protein Folding in the Yeast Endoplasmic Reticulum

1998 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 921-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Silberstein ◽  
Gabriel Schlenstedt ◽  
Pam A. Silver ◽  
Reid Gilmore
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Carboxypeptidase Y ◽  
Reporter Protein ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
A Cell ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

Members of the eukaryotic heat shock protein 70 family (Hsp70s) are regulated by protein cofactors that contain domains homologous to bacterial DnaJ. Of the three DnaJ homologues in the yeast rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER; Scj1p, Sec63p, and Jem1p), Scj1p is most closely related to DnaJ, hence it is a probable cofactor for Kar2p, the major Hsp70 in the yeast RER. However, the physiological role of Scj1p has remained obscure due to the lack of an obvious defect in Kar2p-mediated pathways in scj1 null mutants. Here, we show that the Δscj1 mutant is hypersensitive to tunicamycin or mutations that reduce N-linked glycosylation of proteins. Although maturation of glycosylated carboxypeptidase Y occurs with wild-type kinetics in Δscj1 cells, the transport rate for an unglycosylated mutant carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) is markedly reduced. Loss of Scj1p induces the unfolded protein response pathway, and results in a cell wall defect when combined with an oligosaccharyltransferase mutation. The combined loss of both Scj1p and Jem1p exaggerates the sensitivity to hypoglycosylation stress, leads to further induction of the unfolded protein response pathway, and drastically delays maturation of an unglycosylated reporter protein in the RER. We propose that the major role for Scj1p is to cooperate with Kar2p to mediate maturation of proteins in the RER lumen.

scholarly journals Transcriptome Analysis of Recombinant Protein Secretion by Aspergillus nidulans and the Unfolded-Protein Response In Vivo

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 2737-2747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew H. Sims ◽  
Manda E. Gent ◽  
Karin Lanthaler ◽  
Nigel S. Dunn-Coleman ◽  
Stephen G. Oliver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Recombinant Protein ◽  
Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Aspergillus Nidulans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Protein Secretion ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

ABSTRACT Filamentous fungi have a high capacity for producing large amounts of secreted proteins, a property that has been exploited for commercial production of recombinant proteins. However, the secretory pathway, which is key to the production of extracellular proteins, is rather poorly characterized in filamentous fungi compared to yeast. We report the effects of recombinant protein secretion on gene expression levels in Aspergillus nidulans by directly comparing a bovine chymosin-producing strain with its parental wild-type strain in continuous culture by using expressed sequence tag microarrays. This approach demonstrated more subtle and specific changes in gene expression than those observed when mimicking the effects of protein overproduction by using a secretion blocker. The impact of overexpressing a secreted recombinant protein more closely resembles the unfolded-protein response in vivo.

scholarly journals Enforced dimerization between XBP1s and ATF6f enhances the protective effects of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in models of neurodegeneration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
René L. Vidal ◽  
Denisse Sepulveda ◽  
Paulina Troncoso-Escudero ◽  
Paula Garcia-Huerta ◽  
Constanza Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Alpha Synuclein ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

AbstractAlteration to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteostasis is observed on a variety of neurodegenerative diseases associated with abnormal protein aggregation. Activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) enables an adaptive reaction to recover ER proteostasis and cell function. The UPR is initiated by specialized stress sensors that engage gene expression programs through the concerted action of the transcription factors ATF4, ATF6f, and XBP1s. Although UPR signaling is generally studied as unique linear signaling branches, correlative evidence suggests that ATF6f and XBP1s may physically interact to regulate a subset of UPR-target genes. Here, we designed an ATF6f-XBP1s fusion protein termed UPRplus that behaves as a heterodimer in terms of its selective transcriptional activity. Cell-based studies demonstrated that UPRplus has stronger an effect in reducing the abnormal aggregation of mutant huntingtin and alpha-synuclein when compared to XBP1s or ATF6 alone. We developed a gene transfer approach to deliver UPRplus into the brain using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) and demonstrated potent neuroprotection in vivo in preclinical models of Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. These results support the concept where directing UPR-mediated gene expression toward specific adaptive programs may serve as a possible strategy to optimize the beneficial effects of the pathway in different disease conditions.

scholarly journals IreA controls endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced autophagy and survival through homeostasis recovery

2018 ◽  
pp. MCB.00054-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunice Domínguez-Martín ◽  
Laura Ongay-Larios ◽  
Laura Kawasaki ◽  
Olivier Vincent ◽  
Gerardo Coello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Cell Survival ◽  
Eukaryotic Cell ◽  
Functional Link ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Transcriptional Changes ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

The Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is an adaptive pathway that restores cellular homeostasis after endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The ER-resident kinase/ribonuclease Ire1 is the only UPR sensor conserved during evolution. Autophagy, a lysosomal degradative pathway, also contributes to the recovery of cell homeostasis after ER-stress but the interplay between these two pathways is still poorly understood. We describe the Dictyostelium discoideum ER-stress response and characterize its single bonafide Ire1 orthologue, IreA. We found that tunicamycin (TN) triggers a gene-expression reprogramming that increases the protein folding capacity of the ER and alleviates ER protein load. Further, IreA is required for cell-survival after TN-induced ER-stress and is responsible for nearly 40% of the transcriptional changes induced by TN. The response of Dictyostelium cells to ER-stress involves the combined activation of an IreA-dependent gene expression program and the autophagy pathway. These two pathways are independently activated in response to ER-stress but, interestingly, autophagy requires IreA at a later stage for proper autophagosome formation. We propose that unresolved ER-stress in cells lacking IreA causes structural alterations of the ER, leading to a late-stage blockade of autophagy clearance. This unexpected functional link may critically affect eukaryotic cell survival under ER-stress.

scholarly journals The Role of the ER-Induced UPR Pathway and the Efficacy of Its Inhibitors and Inducers in the Inhibition of Tumor Progression

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Walczak ◽  
Kinga Gradzik ◽  
Jacek Kabzinski ◽  
Karolina Przybylowska-Sygut ◽  
Ireneusz Majsterek
Keyword(s):  
Er Stress ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Unfolded Proteins ◽  
Cell Protection ◽  
Protection Mechanism ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Er Stress Response ◽  
A Cell ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

Cancer is the second most frequent cause of death worldwide. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous diseases, and there is still no effective treatment for many types of cancer. Since cancerous cells have a high proliferation rate, it is pivotal for their proper functioning to have the well-functioning protein machinery. Correct protein processing and folding are crucial to maintain tumor homeostasis. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is one of the leading factors that cause disturbances in these processes. It is induced by impaired function of the ER and accumulation of unfolded proteins. Induction of ER stress affects many molecular pathways that cause the unfolded protein response (UPR). This is the way in which cells can adapt to the new conditions, but when ER stress cannot be resolved, the UPR induces cell death. The molecular mechanisms of this double-edged sword process are involved in the transition of the UPR either in a cell protection mechanism or in apoptosis. However, this process remains poorly understood but seems to be crucial in the treatment of many diseases that are related to ER stress. Hence, understanding the ER stress response, especially in the aspect of pathological consequences of UPR, has the potential to allow us to develop novel therapies and new diagnostic and prognostic markers for cancer.

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