scholarly journals Rabs in Signaling and Embryonic Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya Nassari ◽  
Tomas Del Olmo ◽  
Steve Jean
Keyword(s):  
Embryonic Development ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Rab Proteins ◽  
Rab Gtpases ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Signaling Events ◽  
And Function

Rab GTPases play key roles in various cellular processes. They are essential, among other roles, to membrane trafficking and intracellular signaling events. Both trafficking and signaling events are crucial for proper embryonic development. Indeed, embryogenesis is a complex process in which cells respond to various signals and undergo dramatic changes in their shape, position, and function. Over the last few decades, cellular studies have highlighted the novel signaling roles played by Rab GTPases, while numerous studies have shed light on the important requirements of Rab proteins at various steps of embryonic development. In this review, we aimed to generate an overview of Rab contributions during animal embryogenesis. We first briefly summarize the involvement of Rabs in signaling events. We then extensively highlight the contribution of Rabs in shaping metazoan development and conclude with new approaches that will allow investigation of Rab functions in vivo.

Targeting of Rab GTPases to cellular membranes

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 652-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.R. Ali ◽  
M.C. Seabra
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Cellular Localization ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Rab Proteins ◽  
Rab Gtpases ◽  
Cellular Membranes ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Cellular Processes

Rab proteins are members of the superfamily of Ras-like small GTPases and are involved in several cellular processes relating to membrane trafficking and organelle mobility throughout the cell. Like other small GTPases, Rab proteins are initially synthesized as soluble proteins and for membrane attachment they require the addition of lipid moiety(ies) to specific residues of their polypeptide chain. Despite their well-documented roles in regulating cellular trafficking, Rab proteins own trafficking is still poorly understood. We still need to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of their recruitment to cellular membranes and the structural determinants for their specific cellular localization. Recent results indicate that Rab cellular targeting might be Rab-dependent, and this paper briefly reviews our current knowledge of this process.

scholarly journals Systematic functional analysis of Rab GTPases reveals limits of neuronal robustness in Drosophila

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friederike E. Kohrs ◽  
Ilsa-Maria Daumann ◽  
Bojana Pavlović ◽  
Eugene Jennifer Jin ◽  
Shih-Ching Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Synaptic Function ◽  
Rab Gtpases ◽  
Continuous Stimulation ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Morphological Defects ◽  
And Function

SummaryRab GTPases are molecular switches that regulate membrane trafficking in all cells. Neurons have particular demands on membrane trafficking and express numerous Rab GTPases of unknown function. Here we report the generation and characterization of molecularly defined null mutants for all 26 rab genes in Drosophila. In addition, we created a transgenic fly collection for the acute, synchronous release system RUSH for all 26 Rabs. In flies, all rab genes are expressed in the nervous system where at least half exhibit particularly high levels compared to other tissues. Surprisingly, loss of any of these 13 nervous-system enriched Rabs yields viable and fertile flies without obvious morphological defects. However, 9 of these 13 affect either developmental timing when challenged with different temperatures, or neuronal function when challenged with continuous stimulation. These defects are non-lethal under laboratory conditions, but represent sensitized genetic backgrounds that reveal limits of developmental and functional robustness to environmental challenges. Interestingly, the neuronal rab26 was previously proposed to function in synaptic maintenance by linking autophagy and synaptic vesicle recycling and we identified rab26 as one of six rab mutants with reduced synaptic function under continuous stimulation conditions. However, we found no changes to autophagy or synaptic vesicle markers in the rab26 mutant, but instead a cell-specific role in membrane receptor turnover associated with cholinergic synapses in the fly visual system. Our systematic functional analyses suggest that several Rabs ensure robust development and function under varying environmental conditions. The mutant and transgenic fly collections generated in this study provide a basis for further studies of Rabs during development and homeostasis in vivo.

scholarly journals Systematic functional analysis of rab GTPases reveals limits of neuronal robustness to environmental challenges in flies

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friederike E Kohrs ◽  
Ilsa-Maria Daumann ◽  
Bojana Pavlovic ◽  
Eugene Jennifer Jin ◽  
F Ridvan Kiral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Rab Gtpases ◽  
Continuous Stimulation ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Morphological Defects ◽  
And Function

Rab GTPases are molecular switches that regulate membrane trafficking in all cells. Neurons have particular demands on membrane trafficking and express numerous Rab GTPases of unknown function. Here, we report the generation and characterization of molecularly defined null mutants for all 26 rab genes in Drosophila. In flies, all rab genes are expressed in the nervous system where at least half exhibit particularly high levels compared to other tissues. Surprisingly, loss of any of these 13 nervous system-enriched Rabs yielded viable and fertile flies without obvious morphological defects. However, all 13 mutants differentially affected development when challenged with different temperatures, or neuronal function when challenged with continuous stimulation. We identified a synaptic maintenance defect following continuous stimulation for six mutants, including an autophagy-independent role of rab26. The complete mutant collection generated in this study provides a basis for further comprehensive studies of Rab GTPases during development and function in vivo.

scholarly journals Phosphoproteomic quantitation and causal analysis reveal pathways in GPVI/ITAM-mediated platelet activation programs

Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (20) ◽  
pp. 2346-2358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Özgün Babur ◽  
Alexander R. Melrose ◽  
Jennifer M. Cunliffe ◽  
John Klimek ◽  
Jiaqing Pang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Activation ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Vascular Inflammation ◽  
Functional Screening ◽  
Tandem Mass ◽  
Rab Gtpases ◽  
Platelet Surface ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Signaling Mechanisms ◽  
And Function

Abstract Platelets engage cues of pending vascular injury through coordinated adhesion, secretion, and aggregation responses. These rapid, progressive changes in platelet form and function are orchestrated downstream of specific receptors on the platelet surface and through intracellular signaling mechanisms that remain systematically undefined. This study brings together cell physiological and phosphoproteomics methods to profile signaling mechanisms downstream of the immunotyrosine activation motif (ITAM) platelet collagen receptor GPVI. Peptide tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling, sample multiplexing, synchronous precursor selection (SPS), and triple stage tandem mass spectrometry (MS3) detected >3000 significant (false discovery rate < 0.05) phosphorylation events on >1300 proteins over conditions initiating and progressing GPVI-mediated platelet activation. With literature-guided causal inference tools, >300 site-specific signaling relations were mapped from phosphoproteomics data among key and emerging GPVI effectors (ie, FcRγ, Syk, PLCγ2, PKCδ, DAPP1). Through signaling validation studies and functional screening, other less-characterized targets were also considered within the context of GPVI/ITAM pathways, including Ras/MAPK axis proteins (ie, KSR1, SOS1, STAT1, Hsp27). Highly regulated GPVI/ITAM targets out of context of curated knowledge were also illuminated, including a system of >40 Rab GTPases and associated regulatory proteins, where GPVI-mediated Rab7 S72 phosphorylation and endolysosomal maturation were blocked by TAK1 inhibition. In addition to serving as a model for generating and testing hypotheses from omics datasets, this study puts forth a means to identify hemostatic effectors, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets relevant to thrombosis, vascular inflammation, and other platelet-associated disease states.

scholarly journals A-Kinase Anchoring Protein 1: Emerging Roles in Regulating Mitochondrial Form and Function in Health and Disease

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujia Liu ◽  
Ronald A. Merrill ◽  
Stefan Strack
Keyword(s):  
Cell Survival ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Supporting Cell ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Anchoring Protein ◽  
Cancer Tumor ◽  
And Function

Best known as the powerhouse of the cell, mitochondria have many other important functions such as buffering intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species levels, initiating apoptosis and supporting cell proliferation and survival. Mitochondria are also dynamic organelles that are constantly undergoing fission and fusion to meet specific functional needs. These processes and functions are regulated by intracellular signaling at the mitochondria. A-kinase anchoring protein 1 (AKAP1) is a scaffold protein that recruits protein kinase A (PKA), other signaling proteins, as well as RNA to the outer mitochondrial membrane. Hence, AKAP1 can be considered a mitochondrial signaling hub. In this review, we discuss what is currently known about AKAP1′s function in health and diseases. We focus on the recent literature on AKAP1′s roles in metabolic homeostasis, cancer and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In healthy tissues, AKAP1 has been shown to be important for driving mitochondrial respiration during exercise and for mitochondrial DNA replication and quality control. Several recent in vivo studies using AKAP1 knockout mice have elucidated the role of AKAP1 in supporting cardiovascular, lung and neuronal cell survival in the stressful post-ischemic environment. In addition, we discuss the unique involvement of AKAP1 in cancer tumor growth, metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy. Collectively, the data indicate that AKAP1 promotes cell survival throug regulating mitochondrial form and function. Lastly, we discuss the potential of targeting of AKAP1 for therapy of various disorders.

scholarly journals Rab GTPases: Emerging Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressive Regulators for the Editing of Survival Pathways in Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya D. Gopal Krishnan ◽  
Emily Golden ◽  
Eleanor A. Woodward ◽  
Nathan J. Pavlos ◽  
Pilar Blancafort
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Intracellular Localization ◽  
Cellular Migration ◽  
Rab Gtpase ◽  
Rab Proteins ◽  
Rab Gtpases ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Survival Pathways

The Rab GTPase family of proteins are mediators of membrane trafficking, conferring identity to the cell membranes. Recently, Rab and Rab-associated factors have been recognized as major regulators of the intracellular positioning and activity of signaling pathways regulating cell growth, survival and programmed cell death or apoptosis. Membrane trafficking mediated by Rab proteins is controlled by intracellular localization of Rab proteins, Rab-membrane interactions and GTP-activation processes. Aberrant expression of Rab proteins has been reported in multiple cancers such as lung, brain and breast malignancies. Mutations in Rab-coding genes and/or post-translational modifications in their protein products disrupt the cellular vesicle trafficking network modulating tumorigenic potential, cellular migration and metastatic behavior. Conversely, Rabs also act as tumor suppressive factors inducing apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis. Deconstructing the signaling mechanisms modulated by Rab proteins during apoptosis could unveil underlying molecular mechanisms that may be exploited therapeutically to selectively target malignant cells.

scholarly journals The Structure and Function of Alkamides in Mammalian Systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie E. Johnstone ◽  
Scott M. Laster
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Cellular Systems ◽  
Surface Receptors ◽  
Head Groups ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
And Function

Alkamides, or alkylamides, are fatty acid amides produced by plants from the genera Echinacea, Acmella, Spilanthes, and Heliopsis among others. Alkamides contain varying head groups, an amide moiety, and a fatty acid tail with varying numbers of carbons and double and triple bonds. Extracts from these plants have been used worldwide by native peoples for the treatment of numerous medical disorders, including bacterial and viral infections, inflammation, liver and kidney disorders, and pain. In vitro, these molecules display a variety of different activities depending on the cell type tested. Studies with neurons, macrophages and mast cells have revealed interactions between alkamides and a number of different cells surface receptors and intracellular signaling molecules. Generally, the alkamides have been found to exert suppressive effects, inhibiting cellular activation. In this report we introduce the structure of alkamides and review their effects in a number of different cellular systems. We also describe structure:function studies that have been performed with alkamides. While these studies have not as yet revealed general rules for alkamide activity, interesting insights have been revealed. The stage is set for the development of synthetic, designer alkamides with targeted in vivo activities.

scholarly journals Protein manipulation using single copies of short peptide tags in cultured cells and in Drosophila melanogaster

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Alessandra Vigano ◽  
Clara-Maria Ell ◽  
Manuela MM Kustermann ◽  
Gustavo Aguilar ◽  
Shinya Matsuda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Peptide Tags ◽  
Genetic Technologies ◽  
Protein Binders ◽  
And Function

AbstractCellular development and specialized cellular functions are regulated processes which rely on highly dynamic molecular interactions among proteins, distributed in all cell compartments. Analysis of these interactions and their mechanisms of action has been one of the main topics in cellular and developmental research over the last fifty years. Studying and understanding the functions of proteins of interest (POIs) has been mostly achieved by their alteration at the genetic level and the analysis of the phenotypic changes generated by these alterations. Although genetic and reverse genetic technologies contributed to the vast majority of information and knowledge we have gathered so far, targeting specific interactions of POIs in a time- and space-controlled manner or analyzing the role of POIs in dynamic cellular processes such as cell migration or cell division would require more direct approaches. The recent development of specific protein binders, which can be expressed and function intracellularly, together with several improvements in synthetic biology techniques, have contributed to the creation of a new toolbox for direct protein manipulations. We selected a number of short tag epitopes for which protein binders from different scaffolds have been developed and tested whether these tags can be bound by the corresponding protein binders in living cells when they are inserted in a single copy in a POI. We indeed find that in all cases, a single copy of a short tag allows protein binding and manipulation. Using Drosophila, we also find that single short tags can be recognized and allow degradation and relocalization of POIs in vivo.

scholarly journals Lysosome Function in Cardiovascular Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-300
Keyword(s):  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Hydrolytic Enzymes ◽  
Vascular Diseases ◽  
Sphingolipid Metabolism ◽  
Cellular Behavior ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Vascular Regulation ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
And Function

The lysosome is a single ubiquitous membrane-enclosed intracellular organelle with an acidic pH present in all eukaryotic cells, which contains large numbers of hydrolytic enzymes with their maximal enzymatic activity at a low pH (pH ≤ 5) such as proteases, nucleases, and phosphatases that are able to degrade extracellular and intracellular components. It is well known that lysosomes act as a center for degradation and recycling of large numbers of macromolecules delivered by endocytosis, phagocytosis, and autophagy. Lysosomes are recognized as key organelles for cellular clearance and are involved in many cellular processes and maintain cellular homeostasis. Recently, it has been shown that lysosome function and its related pathways are of particular importance in vascular regulation and related diseases. In this review, we highlighted studies that have improved our understanding of the connection between lysosome function and vascular physiological and pathophysiological activities in arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs). Sphingolipids-metabolizingenzymes in lysosomes play critical roles in intracellular signaling events that influence cellular behavior and function in SMCs and ECs. The focus of this review will be to define the mechanism by which the lysosome contributes to cardiovascular regulation and diseases. It is believed that exploring the role of lysosomal function and its sphingolipid metabolism in the initiation and progression of vascular disease and regulation may provide novel insights into the understanding of vascular pathobiology and helps develop more effective therapeutic strategies for vascular diseases.

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