scholarly journals Aging and Hypercholesterolemia Differentially Affect the Unfolded Protein Response in the Vasculature of ApoE −/− Mice

Author(s):  
Yuxiang Zhou ◽  
Xueping Wan ◽  
Kerstin Seidel ◽  
Mo Zhang ◽  
Jena B. Goodman ◽  
...  

Background Persistent activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) induces vascular cell apoptosis, contributing to atherogenesis. Aging and hypercholesterolemia are 2 independent proatherogenic factors. How they affect vascular UPR signaling remains unclear. Methods and Results Transcriptome analysis of aortic tissues from high fat diet–fed and aged ApoE −/− mice revealed 50 overlapping genes enriched for endoplasmic reticulum stress‐ and UPR‐related pathways. Aortae from control, Western diet (WD)–fed, and aged ApoE −/− mice were assayed for (1) 3 branches of UPR signaling (pancreatic ER eIF2‐alpha kinase /alpha subunit of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1/activating transcription factor 4, inositol‐requiring enzyme 1 alpha/XBP1s, activating transcription factor 6); (2) UPR‐mediated protective adaptation (upregulation of immunoglobulin heavy chain‐binding protein and protein disulfide isomerase); and (3) UPR‐mediated apoptosis (induction of C/EBP homologous transcription factor, p‐JNK, and cleaved caspase‐3). Aortic UPR signaling was differentially regulated in the aged and WD‐fed groups. Consumption of WD activated all 3 UPR branches; in the aged aorta, only the ATF6α arm was activated, but it was 10 times higher than that in the WD group. BiP and protein disulfide isomerase protein levels were significantly decreased only in the aged aorta despite a 5‐fold increase in their mRNA levels. Importantly, the aortae of aged mice exhibited a substantially enhanced proapoptotic UPR compared with that of WD‐fed mice. In lung tissues, UPR activation and the resultant adaptive/apoptotic responses were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Conclusions Using a mouse model of atherosclerosis, this study provides the first in vivo evidence that aging and an atherogenic diet activate differential aortic UPR pathways, leading to distinct vascular responses. Compared with dietary intervention, aging is associated with impaired endoplasmic reticulum protein folding and increased aortic apoptosis.

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 6890-6899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Isler ◽  
Alison H. Skalet ◽  
James C. Alwine

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengyu Wu ◽  
Xiaolu Zhu ◽  
Biechuan Guo ◽  
Tian Zheng ◽  
Jiangbo Ren ◽  
...  

Background. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in the retinal Müller cells is a key factor contributing to the retinal inflammation and vascular leakage in diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms through which the 3 main unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways regulate ERS and to examine the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in Müller cells in vitro. Methods. Rat Müller cell lines were stimulated with high glucose to mimic a diabetic environment in vitro. PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) were downregulated or upregulated with shRNA or overexpression plasmids. The transfected Müller cells were cultivated in high glucose medium for 48 hours. Expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), ATF6, and VEGF was examined with immunofluorescence and western blot. Results. Our data indicated that ERS was found in both high glucose and osmotic control groups. Overexpression or downregulation of UPR pathways effectively increased or reduced the production of GRP78, ATF4, XBP1, ATF6, and VEGF, respectively. These 3 signaling pathways had similar regulatory effects on VEGF. Conclusion. The 3 UPR-mediated inflammatory pathways were dependent on each other. Inhibition any of these signaling pathways in UPR might be a potential therapeutic target for DR.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Xiong ◽  
Yefim Manevich ◽  
Kenneth D. Tew ◽  
Danyelle M. Townsend

S-Glutathionylation of cysteine residues within target proteins is a posttranslational modification that alters structure and function. We have shown that S-glutathionylation of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) disrupts protein folding and leads to the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). PDI is a molecular chaperone for estrogen receptor alpha(ERα). Our present data show in breast cancer cells that S-glutathionylation of PDI interferes with its chaperone activity and abolishes its capacity to form a complex withERα. Such drug treatment also reverses estradiol-induced upregulation of c-Myc, cyclinD1, andP21Cip, gene products involved in cell proliferation. Expression of an S-glutathionylation refractory PDI mutant diminishes the toxic effects of PABA/NO. Thus, redox regulation of PDI causes its S-glutathionylation, thereby mediating cell death through activation of the UPR and abrogation ofERαstability and signaling.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrien Le Thomas ◽  
Elena Ferri ◽  
Scot Marsters ◽  
Jonathan M. Harnoss ◽  
David A. Lawrence ◽  
...  

AbstractInositol requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) mitigates endoplasmic-reticulum (ER) stress by orchestrating the unfolded-protein response (UPR). IRE1 spans the ER membrane, and signals through a cytosolic kinase-endoribonuclease module. The endoribonuclease generates the transcription factor XBP1s by intron excision between similar RNA stem-loop endomotifs, and depletes select cellular mRNAs through regulated IRE1-dependent decay (RIDD). Paradoxically, in mammals RIDD seems to target only mRNAs with XBP1-like endomotifs, while in flies RIDD exhibits little sequence restriction. By comparing nascent and total IRE1α-controlled mRNAs in human cells, we identify not only canonical endomotif-containing RIDD substrates, but also targets without such motifs—degraded by a process we coin RIDDLE, for RIDD lacking endomotif. IRE1α displays two basic endoribonuclease modalities: highly specific, endomotif-directed cleavage, minimally requiring dimers; and more promiscuous, endomotif-independent processing, requiring phospho-oligomers. An oligomer-deficient IRE1α mutant fails to support RIDDLE in vitro and in cells. Our results advance current mechanistic understanding of the UPR.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (22) ◽  
pp. 9793-9805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Di Jeso ◽  
Young-nam Park ◽  
Luca Ulianich ◽  
A. Sonia Treglia ◽  
Malene L. Urbanas ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present the first identification of transient folding intermediates of endogenous thyroglobulin (Tg; a large homodimeric secretory glycoprotein of thyrocytes), which include mixed disulfides with endogenous oxidoreductases servicing Tg folding needs. Formation of disulfide-linked Tg adducts with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) oxidoreductases begins cotranslationally. Inhibition of ER glucosidase activity blocked formation of a subgroup of Tg adducts containing ERp57 while causing increased Tg adduct formation with protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), delayed adduct resolution, perturbed oxidative folding of Tg monomers, impaired Tg dimerization, increased Tg association with BiP/GRP78 and GRP94, activation of the unfolded protein response, increased ER-associated degradation of a subpopulation of Tg, partial Tg escape from ER quality control with increased secretion of free monomers, and decreased overall Tg secretion. These data point towards mixed disulfides with the ERp57 oxidoreductase in conjunction with calreticulin/calnexin chaperones acting as normal early Tg folding intermediates that can be “substituted” by PDI adducts only at the expense of lower folding efficiency with resultant ER stress.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document