scholarly journals Signalling Properties of Inositol Polyphosphates

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (22) ◽  
pp. 5281
Author(s):  
Tania Maffucci ◽  
Marco Falasca

Several studies have identified specific signalling functions for inositol polyphosphates (IPs) in different cell types and have led to the accumulation of new information regarding their cellular roles as well as new insights into their cellular production. These studies have revealed that interaction of IPs with several proteins is critical for stabilization of protein complexes and for modulation of enzymatic activity. This has not only revealed their importance in regulation of several cellular processes but it has also highlighted the possibility of new pharmacological interventions in multiple diseases, including cancer. In this review, we describe some of the intracellular roles of IPs and we discuss the pharmacological opportunities that modulation of IPs levels can provide.

2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (12) ◽  
pp. 2213-2222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin D. Bootman ◽  
Peter Lipp ◽  
Michael J. Berridge

Calcium (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous intracellular messenger, controlling a diverse range of cellular processes, such as gene transcription, muscle contraction and cell proliferation. The ability of a simple ion such as Ca2+ to play a pivotal role in cell biology results from the facility that cells have to shape Ca2+ signals in space, time and amplitude. To generate and interpret the variety of observed Ca2+ signals, different cell types employ components selected from a Ca2+ signalling ‘toolkit’, which comprises an array of homeostatic and sensory mechanisms. By mixing and matching components from the toolkit, cells can obtain Ca2+ signals that suit their physiology. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of local Ca2+ signals in defining the specificity of the interaction of Ca2+ with its targets. Furthermore, local Ca2+ signals are the triggers and building blocks for larger global signals that propagate throughout cells.


IUCrJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Noguchi ◽  
Christine Addy ◽  
David Simoncini ◽  
Staf Wouters ◽  
Bram Mylemans ◽  
...  

β-Propeller proteins form one of the largest families of protein structures, with a pseudo-symmetrical fold made up of subdomains called blades. They are not only abundant but are also involved in a wide variety of cellular processes, often by acting as a platform for the assembly of protein complexes. WD40 proteins are a subfamily of propeller proteins with no intrinsic enzymatic activity, but their stable, modular architecture and versatile surface have allowed evolution to adapt them to many vital roles. By computationally reverse-engineering the duplication, fusion and diversification events in the evolutionary history of a WD40 protein, a perfectly symmetrical homologue called Tako8 was made. If two or four blades of Tako8 are expressed as single polypeptides, they do not self-assemble to complete the eight-bladed architecture, which may be owing to the closely spaced negative charges inside the ring. A different computational approach was employed to redesign Tako8 to create Ika8, a fourfold-symmetrical protein in which neighbouring blades carry compensating charges. Ika2 and Ika4, carrying two or four blades per subunit, respectively, were found to assemble spontaneously into a complete eight-bladed ring in solution. These artificial eight-bladed rings may find applications in bionanotechnology and as models to study the folding and evolution of WD40 proteins.


2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (15) ◽  
pp. 2715-2724
Author(s):  
N.Y. Loh ◽  
S.E. Newey ◽  
K.E. Davies ◽  
D.J. Blake

Dystrophin is the key component in the assembly and maintenance of the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DPC) in skeletal muscle. In kidney, dystroglycan, an integral component of the DPC, is involved in kidney epithelial morphogenesis, suggesting that the DPC is important in linking the extracellular matrix to the internal cytoskeleton of kidney epithelia. Here, we have investigated the molecular architecture of dystrophin-like protein complexes in kidneys from normal and dystrophin-deficient mice. Using isoform-specific antibodies, we show that the different cell types that make up the kidney maintain different dystrophin-like complexes. These complexes can be broadly grouped according to their dystrobrevin content: beta-dystrobrevin containing complexes are present at the basal region of renal epithelial cells, whilst alpha-dystrobrevin-1 containing complexes are found in endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, these complexes are maintained even in the absence of all dystrophin isoforms. Thus our data suggest that the functions and assembly of the dystrophin-like complexes in kidney differ from those in skeletal muscle and implicate a protein other than dystrophin as the primary molecule in the assembly and maintenance of kidney complexes. Our findings also provide a possible explanation for the lack of kidney pathology in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and mice lacking all dystrophin isoforms.


eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Mair ◽  
Shou-Ling Xu ◽  
Tess C Branon ◽  
Alice Y Ting ◽  
Dominique C Bergmann

Defining specific protein interactions and spatially or temporally restricted local proteomes improves our understanding of all cellular processes, but obtaining such data is challenging, especially for rare proteins, cell types, or events. Proximity labeling enables discovery of protein neighborhoods defining functional complexes and/or organellar protein compositions. Recent technological improvements, namely two highly active biotin ligase variants (TurboID and miniTurbo), allowed us to address two challenging questions in plants: (1) what are in vivo partners of a low abundant key developmental transcription factor and (2) what is the nuclear proteome of a rare cell type? Proteins identified with FAMA-TurboID include known interactors of this stomatal transcription factor and novel proteins that could facilitate its activator and repressor functions. Directing TurboID to stomatal nuclei enabled purification of cell type- and subcellular compartment-specific proteins. Broad tests of TurboID and miniTurbo in Arabidopsis and Nicotiana benthamiana and versatile vectors enable customization by plant researchers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (24) ◽  
pp. 3480-3488 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. M. Willy ◽  
J. P. Ferguson ◽  
S. D. Huber ◽  
S. P. Heidotting ◽  
E. Aygün ◽  
...  

Dynamics of endocytic clathrin-coated structures can be remarkably divergent across different cell types, cells within the same culture, or even distinct surfaces of the same cell. The origin of this astounding heterogeneity remains to be elucidated. Here we show that cellular processes associated with changes in effective plasma membrane tension induce significant spatiotemporal alterations in endocytic clathrin coat dynamics. Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of clathrin coat dynamics is also observed during morphological changes taking place within developing multicellular organisms. These findings suggest that tension gradients can lead to patterning and differentiation of tissues through mechanoregulation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Wai Yip ◽  
Divya M. Sivaraman ◽  
Anika V. Prabhu ◽  
Jay W. Shin

Abstract Recent efforts on the characterization of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) revealed their functional roles in modulating diverse cellular processes. These include pluripotency maintenance, lineage commitment, carcinogenesis, and pathogenesis of various diseases. By interacting with DNA, RNA and protein, lncRNAs mediate multifaceted mechanisms to regulate transcription, RNA processing, RNA interference and translation. Of more than 173000 discovered lncRNAs, the majority remain functionally unknown. The cell type-specific expression and localization of the lncRNA also suggest potential distinct functions of lncRNAs across different cell types. This highlights the niche of identifying functional lncRNAs in different biological processes and diseases through high-throughput (HTP) screening. This review summarizes the current work performed and perspectives on HTP screening of functional lncRNAs where different technologies, platforms, cellular responses and the downstream analyses are discussed. We hope to provide a better picture in applying different technologies to facilitate functional annotation of lncRNA efficiently.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Mair ◽  
Shou-Ling Xu ◽  
Tess C. Branon ◽  
Alice Y. Ting ◽  
Dominique C. Bergmann

AbstractDefining specific protein interactions and spatially or temporally restricted local proteomes improves our understanding of all cellular processes, but obtaining such data is challenging, especially for rare proteins, cell types, or events. Proximity labeling enables discovery of protein neighborhoods defining functional complexes and/or organellar protein compositions. Recent technological improvements, namely two highly active biotin ligase variants (TurboID and miniTurboID), allowed us to address two challenging questions in plants: (1) what are in vivo partners of a low abundant key developmental transcription factor and (2) what is the nuclear proteome of a rare cell type? Proteins identified with FAMA-TurboID include known interactors of this stomatal transcription factor and novel proteins that could facilitate its activator and repressor functions. Directing TurboID to stomatal nuclei enabled purification of cell type- and subcellular compartment-specific proteins. Broad tests of TurboID and miniTurboID in Arabidopsis and N. benthamiana and versatile vectors enable customization by plant researchers.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 4954
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Chytła ◽  
Weronika Gajdzik-Nowak ◽  
Paulina Olszewska ◽  
Agnieszka Biernatowska ◽  
Aleksander F. Sikorski ◽  
...  

Membrane palmitoylated proteins (MPPs) are a subfamily of a larger group of multidomain proteins, namely, membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs). The ubiquitous expression and multidomain structure of MPPs provide the ability to form diverse protein complexes at the cell membranes, which are involved in a wide range of cellular processes, including establishing the proper cell structure, polarity and cell adhesion. The formation of MPP-dependent complexes in various cell types seems to be based on similar principles, but involves members of different protein groups, such as 4.1-ezrin-radixin-moesin (FERM) domain-containing proteins, polarity proteins or other MAGUKs, showing their multifaceted nature. In this review, we discuss the function of the MPP family in the formation of multiple protein complexes. Notably, we depict their significant role for cell physiology, as the loss of interactions between proteins involved in the complex has a variety of negative consequences. Moreover, based on recent studies concerning the mechanism of membrane raft formation, we shed new light on a possible role played by MPPs in lateral membrane organization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 3007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Fiore ◽  
Yue Liang ◽  
Yun Hsiao Lin ◽  
Jacky Tung ◽  
HanChen Wang ◽  
...  

MYSM1 has emerged as an important regulator of hematopoietic stem cell function, blood cell production, immune response, and other aspects of mammalian physiology. It is a metalloprotease family protein with deubiquitinase catalytic activity, as well as SANT and SWIRM domains. MYSM1 normally localizes to the nucleus, where it can interact with chromatin and regulate gene expression, through deubiquitination of histone H2A and non-catalytic contacts with other transcriptional regulators. A cytosolic form of MYSM1 protein was also recently described and demonstrated to regulate signal transduction pathways of innate immunity, by promoting the deubiquitination of TRAF3, TRAF6, and RIP2. In this work we review the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of action of MYSM1 protein in transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, and potentially other cellular processes. The functions of MYSM1 in different cell types and aspects of mammalian physiology are also reviewed, highlighting the key checkpoints in hematopoiesis, immunity, and beyond regulated by MYSM1. Importantly, mutations in MYSM1 in human were recently linked to a rare hereditary disorder characterized by leukopenia, anemia, and other hematopoietic and developmental abnormalities. Our growing knowledge of MYSM1 functions and mechanisms of actions sheds important insights into its role in mammalian physiology and the etiology of the MYSM1-deficiency disorder in human.


1990 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sonnenberg ◽  
C.J. Linders ◽  
J.H. Daams ◽  
S.J. Kennel

A member of the integrin family, the alpha 6 beta 4 complex was previously identified on human and mouse carcinoma cell lines by using a rat monoclonal antibody to alpha 6. Here we describe two monoclonal antibodies that recognize epitopes on the beta 4 subunit of the human and mouse alpha 6 beta 4 complexes. The monoclonal antibodies against beta 4 were able to preclear alpha 6 beta 4, but not alpha 6 beta 1 from cell line extracts. A substantial fraction of the total beta 4 subunits present on the cell surface was not associated with alpha 6, as it could not be removed by anti-alpha 6 antibodies, but remained precipitable with anti-beta 4 antibodies. There was no evidence for novel alpha subunits associated with beta 4. The alpha 6 subunit consists of disulfide-linked heavy and light chains. The variability in size of these two chains from different cell types is largely due to differences in modifications of N-linked glycans. Additional heterogeneity may be caused by differential proteolytic cleavage of the alpha 6 precursor. Immunoperoxidase staining of tissue sections of neonatal and adult mice revealed that beta 4 expression is limited to epithelial tissues and peripheral nerves. The alpha 6 subunit has a wider distribution that includes all tissues and cells stained by antibodies against beta 4. Cells and tissue that are positive for alpha 6, but negative for beta 4, may express the alpha 6 beta 1 complex.


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