scholarly journals Cholesterol-Induced Phenotypic Modulation of Smooth Muscle Cells to Macrophage/Fibroblast–like Cells Is Driven by an Unfolded Protein Response

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhijnan Chattopadhyay ◽  
Callie S. Kwartler ◽  
Kaveeta Kaw ◽  
Yanming Li ◽  
Anita Kaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaque ◽  
Plaque Formation ◽  
Phenotypic Switching ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation ◽  
Protein Response

Objective: Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) dedifferentiate and initiate expression of macrophage markers with cholesterol exposure. This phenotypic switching is dependent on the transcription factor Klf4 (Krüppel-like factor 4). We investigated the molecular pathway by which cholesterol induces SMC phenotypic switching. Approach and Results: With exposure to free methyl-β-cyclodextrin cholesterol, SMCs decrease expression of contractile markers, activate Klf4, and upregulate a subset of macrophage and fibroblast markers characteristic of modulated SMCs that appear with atherosclerotic plaque formation. These phenotypic changes are associated with activation of all 3 pathways of the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response (UPR), Perk (protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase), Ire (inositol-requiring enzyme) 1α, and Atf (activating transcription factor) 6. Blocking the movement of cholesterol from the plasma membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum prevents methyl-β-cyclodextrin cholesterol–induced UPR, Klf4 activation, and upregulation of the majority of macrophage and fibroblast markers. Cholesterol-induced phenotypic switching is also prevented by global UPR inhibition or specific inhibition of Perk signaling. Exposure to chemical UPR inducers, tunicamycin, and thapsigargin is sufficient to induce these same phenotypic transitions. Finally, analysis of published single-cell RNA sequencing data during atherosclerotic plaque formation in hyperlipidemic mice provides preliminary in vivo evidence of a role of UPR activation in modulated SMCs. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that UPR is necessary and sufficient to drive phenotypic switching of SMCs to cells that resemble modulated SMCs found in atherosclerotic plaques. Preventing a UPR in hyperlipidemic mice diminishes atherosclerotic burden, and our data suggest that preventing SMC transition to dedifferentiated cells expressing macrophage and fibroblast markers contributes to this decreased plaque burden.

scholarly journals Human Cytomegalovirus Infection Activates and Regulates the Unfolded Protein Response

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 6890-6899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Isler ◽  
Alison H. Skalet ◽  
James C. Alwine
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ◽  
Viral Infection ◽  
Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Human Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Hcmv Infection ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response

ABSTRACT Viral infection causes stress to the endoplasmic reticulum. The response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), is designed to eliminate misfolded proteins and allow the cell to recover by attenuating translation and upregulating the expression of chaperones, degradation factors, and factors that regulate the cell's metabolic and redox environment. Some consequences of the UPR (e.g., expression of chaperones and regulation of the metabolism and redox environment) may be advantageous to the viral infection; however, translational attenuation would not. Thus, viruses may induce mechanisms which modulate the UPR, maintaining beneficial aspects and suppressing deleterious aspects. We demonstrate that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection induces the UPR but specifically regulates the three branches of UPR signaling, PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE-1), to favor viral replication. HCMV infection activated the eIF2α kinase PERK; however, the amount of phosphorylated eIF2α was limited and translation attenuation did not occur. Interestingly, translation of select mRNAs, which is dependent on eIF2α phosphorylation, did occur, including the transcription factor ATF4, which activates genes which may benefit the infection. The endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced activation of the transcription factor ATF6 was suppressed in HCMV-infected cells; however, specific chaperone genes, normally activated by ATF6, were activated by a virus-induced, ATF6-independent mechanism. Lastly, HCMV infection activated the IRE-1 pathway, as indicated by splicing of Xbp-1 mRNA. However, transcriptional activation of the XBP-1 target gene EDEM (ER degradation-enhancing α-mannosidase-like protein, a protein degradation factor) was inhibited. These results suggest that, although HCMV infection induces the unfolded protein response, it modifies the outcome to benefit viral replication.

scholarly journals A Novel Transcription Factor, ERD15 (Early Responsive to Dehydration 15), Connects Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress with an Osmotic Stress-induced Cell Death Signal

2011 ◽  
Vol 286 (22) ◽  
pp. 20020-20030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murilo S. Alves ◽  
Pedro A. B. Reis ◽  
Silvana P. Dadalto ◽  
Jerusa A. Q. A. Faria ◽  
Elizabeth P. B. Fontes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Osmotic Stress ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms ◽  
Protein Response

As in all other eukaryotic organisms, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress triggers the evolutionarily conserved unfolded protein response in soybean, but it also communicates with other adaptive signaling responses, such as osmotic stress-induced and ER stress-induced programmed cell death. These two signaling pathways converge at the level of gene transcription to activate an integrated cascade that is mediated by N-rich proteins (NRPs). Here, we describe a novel transcription factor, GmERD15 (Glycine max Early Responsive to Dehydration 15), which is induced by ER stress and osmotic stress to activate the expression of NRP genes. GmERD15 was isolated because of its capacity to stably associate with the NRP-B promoter in yeast. It specifically binds to a 187-bp fragment of the NRP-B promoter in vitro and activates the transcription of a reporter gene in yeast. Furthermore, GmERD15 was found in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus, and a ChIP assay revealed that it binds to the NRP-B promoter in vivo. Expression of GmERD15 in soybean protoplasts activated the NRP-B promoter and induced expression of the NRP-B gene. Collectively, these results support the interpretation that GmERD15 functions as an upstream component of stress-induced NRP-B-mediated signaling to connect stress in the ER to an osmotic stress-induced cell death signal.

scholarly journals CD73 regulates vascular smooth muscle cell functions and facilitates atherosclerotic plaque formation

IUBMB Life ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 853-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayin Yang ◽  
Rongrong Jian ◽  
Jiangang Yu ◽  
Xiuling Zhi ◽  
Xiaohong Liao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Vascular Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cell ◽  
Muscle Cell ◽  
Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaque ◽  
Plaque Formation ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation

scholarly journals Unfolded protein response transducer IRE1-mediated signaling independent of XBP1 mRNA splicing is not required for growth and development of medaka fish

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tokiro Ishikawa ◽  
Makoto Kashima ◽  
Atsushi J Nagano ◽  
Tomoko Ishikawa-Fujiwara ◽  
Yasuhiro Kamei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
Medaka Fish ◽  
Jnk Pathway ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Xbp1 Mrna ◽  
Protein Response

When activated by the accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum, metazoan IRE1, the most evolutionarily conserved unfolded protein response (UPR) transducer, initiates unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA. Unspliced and spliced mRNA are translated to produce pXBP1(U) and pXBP1(S), respectively. pXBP1(S) functions as a potent transcription factor, whereas pXBP1(U) targets pXBP1(S) to degradation. In addition, activated IRE1 transmits two signaling outputs independent of XBP1, namely activation of the JNK pathway, which is initiated by binding of the adaptor TRAF2 to phosphorylated IRE1, and regulated IRE1-dependent decay (RIDD) of various mRNAs in a relatively nonspecific manner. Here, we conducted comprehensive and systematic genetic analyses of the IRE1-XBP1 branch of the UPR using medaka fish and found that the defects observed in XBP1-knockout or IRE1-knockout medaka were fully rescued by constitutive expression of pXBP1(S). Thus, the JNK and RIDD pathways are not required for the normal growth and development of medaka. The unfolded protein response sensor/transducer IRE1-mediated splicing of XBP1 mRNA encoding its active downstream transcription factor to maintain the homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum is sufficient for growth and development of medaka fish.

scholarly journals Distinct roles of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) in transcription during the mammalian unfolded protein response

2002 ◽  
Vol 366 (2) ◽  
pp. 585-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya OKADA ◽  
Hiderou YOSHIDA ◽  
Rieko AKAZAWA ◽  
Manabu NEGISHI ◽  
Kazutoshi MORI
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Response

In response to accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a homoeostatic response, termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), is activated in all eukaryotic cells. The UPR involves only transcriptional regulation in yeast, and approx. 6% of all yeast genes, encoding not only proteins to augment the folding capacity in the ER, but also proteins working at various stages of secretion, are induced by ER stress [Travers, Patil, Wodicka, Lockhart, Weissman and Walter (2000) Cell (Cambridge, Mass.) 101, 249–258]. In the present study, we conducted microarray analysis of HeLa cells, although our analysis covered only a small fraction of the human genome. A great majority of human ER stress-inducible genes (approx. 1% of 1800 genes examined) were classified into two groups. One group consisted of genes encoding ER-resident molecular chaperones and folding enzymes, and these genes were directly regulated by the ER-membrane-bound transcription factor activating transcription factor (ATF) 6. The ER-membrane-bound protein kinase double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase-like ER kinase (PERK)-mediated signalling pathway appeared to be responsible for induction of the remaining genes, which are not involved in secretion, but may be important after cellular recovery from ER stress. In higher eukaryotes, the PERK-mediated translational-attenuation system is known to operate in concert with the transcriptional-induction system. Thus we propose that mammalian cells have evolved a strategy to cope with ER stress different from that of yeast cells.

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