Ratiometric sensing of BiP-client versus BiP levels by the unfolded protein response determines its signaling amplitude

Insufficient folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) to restore homeostasis. Yet, how the UPR achieves ER homeostatic readjustment is poorly investigated, as in most studies the ER stress that is elicited cannot be overcome. Here we show that a proteostatic insult, provoked by persistent expression of the secretory heavy chain of immunoglobulin M (µs), is well-tolerated in HeLa cells. Upon µs expression, its levels temporarily eclipse those of the ER chaperone BiP, leading to acute, full-geared UPR activation. Once BiP is in excess again, the UPR transitions to chronic, submaximal activation, indicating that the UPR senses ER stress in a ratiometric fashion. In this process, the ER expands about three-fold and becomes dominated by BiP. As the UPR is essential for successful ER homeostatic readjustment in the HeLa-µs model, it provides an ideal system for dissecting the intricacies of how the UPR evaluates and alleviates ER stress.

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Inadequate BiP availability defines endoplasmic reticulum stress

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.41168 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Milena Vitale ◽

Anush Bakunts ◽

Andrea Orsi ◽

Federica Lari ◽

Laura Tadè ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ◽

Er Stress ◽

Heavy Chain ◽

Target Gene ◽

Immunoglobulin M ◽

Unfolded Protein ◽

The Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Protein Response ◽

Secretory Immunoglobulin

How endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress leads to cytotoxicity is ill-defined. Previously we showed that HeLa cells readjust homeostasis upon proteostatically driven ER stress, triggered by inducible bulk expression of secretory immunoglobulin M heavy chain (μs) thanks to the unfolded protein response (UPR; Bakunts et al., 2017). Here we show that conditions that prevent that an excess of the ER resident chaperone (and UPR target gene) BiP over µs is restored lead to µs-driven proteotoxicity, i.e. abrogation of HRD1-mediated ER-associated degradation (ERAD), or of the UPR, in particular the ATF6α branch. Such conditions are tolerated instead upon removal of the BiP-sequestering first constant domain (CH1) from µs. Thus, our data define proteostatic ER stress to be a specific consequence of inadequate BiP availability, which both the UPR and ERAD redeem.

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Membrane expansion alleviates endoplasmic reticulum stress independently of the unfolded protein response

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.200907074 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 187 (4) ◽

pp. 525-536 ◽

Cited By ~ 285

Author(s):

Sebastian Schuck ◽

William A. Prinz ◽

Kurt S. Thorn ◽

Christiane Voss ◽

Peter Walter

Keyword(s):

Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Er Stress ◽

Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Size Control ◽

Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Unfolded Protein ◽

Er Chaperone ◽

Key Factor ◽

The Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Protein Response

Cells constantly adjust the sizes and shapes of their organelles according to need. In this study, we examine endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane expansion during the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that membrane expansion occurs through the generation of ER sheets, requires UPR signaling, and is driven by lipid biosynthesis. Uncoupling ER size control and the UPR reveals that membrane expansion alleviates ER stress independently of an increase in ER chaperone levels. Converting the sheets of the expanded ER into tubules by reticulon overexpression does not affect the ability of cells to cope with ER stress, showing that ER size rather than shape is the key factor. Thus, increasing ER size through membrane synthesis is an integral yet distinct part of the cellular program to overcome ER stress.

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The unfolded protein response in fission yeast modulates stability of select mRNAs to maintain protein homeostasis

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.00048 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Philipp Kimmig ◽

Marcy Diaz ◽

Jiashun Zheng ◽

Christopher C Williams ◽

Alexander Lang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Er Stress ◽

Fission Yeast ◽

Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Unfolded Protein ◽

Er Chaperone ◽

Stress Sensing ◽

Transcription Activators ◽

The Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Protein Response ◽

Selective Decay

The unfolded protein response (UPR) monitors the protein folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In all organisms analyzed to date, the UPR drives transcriptional programs that allow cells to cope with ER stress. The non-conventional splicing of Hac1 (yeasts) and XBP1 (metazoans) mRNA, encoding orthologous UPR transcription activators, is conserved and dependent on Ire1, an ER membrane-resident kinase/endoribonuclease. We found that the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe lacks both a Hac1/XBP1 ortholog and a UPR-dependent-transcriptional-program. Instead, Ire1 initiates the selective decay of a subset of ER-localized-mRNAs that is required to survive ER stress. We identified Bip1 mRNA, encoding a major ER-chaperone, as the sole mRNA cleaved upon Ire1 activation that escapes decay. Instead, truncation of its 3′ UTR, including loss of its polyA tail, stabilized Bip1 mRNA, resulting in increased Bip1 translation. Thus, S. pombe uses a universally conserved stress-sensing machinery in novel ways to maintain homeostasis in the ER.

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The PGRS Domain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE_PGRS Protein Rv0297 Is Involved in Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Apoptosis through Toll-Like Receptor 4

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.01017-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Sonam Grover ◽

Tarina Sharma ◽

Yadvir Singh ◽

Sakshi Kohli ◽

Manjunath P. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Er Stress ◽

Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Toll Like Receptor ◽

Toll Like Receptor 4 ◽

Content Type ◽

Unfolded Protein ◽

The Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Protein Response

ABSTRACT The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , the causal organism of tuberculosis (TB), encodes a unique protein family known as the PE/PPE/PGRS family, present exclusively in the genus Mycobacterium and nowhere else in the living kingdom, with largely unexplored functions. We describe the functional significance of the PGRS domain of Rv0297, a member of this family. In silico analyses revealed the presence of intrinsically disordered stretches and putative endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localization signals in the PGRS domain of Rv0297 (Rv0297PGRS). The PGRS domain aids in ER localization, which was shown by infecting macrophage cells with M. tuberculosis and by overexpressing the protein by transfection in macrophage cells followed by activation of the unfolded protein response, as evident from increased expression of GRP78/GRP94 and CHOP/ATF4, leading to disruption of intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis and increased nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The consequent activation of the effector caspase-8 resulted in apoptosis of macrophages, which was Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) dependent. Administration of recombinant Rv0297PGRS (rRv0297PGRS) also exhibited similar effects. These results implicate a hitherto-unknown role of the PGRS domain of the PE_PGRS protein family in ER stress-mediated cell death through TLR4. Since this protein is already known to be present at later stages of infection in human granulomas it points to the possibility of it being employed by M. tuberculosis for its dissemination via an apoptotic mechanism. IMPORTANCE Apoptosis is generally thought to be a defense mechanism in protecting the host against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in early stages of infection. However, apoptosis during later stages in lung granulomas may favor the bacterium in disseminating the disease. ER stress has been found to induce apoptosis in TB granulomas, in zones where apoptotic macrophages accumulate in mice and humans. In this study, we report ER stress-mediated apoptosis of host cells by the Rv0297-encoded PE_PGRS5 protein of M. tuberculosis exceptionally present in the pathogenic Mycobacterium genus. The PGRS domain of Rv0297 aids the protein in localizing to the ER and induces the unfolded protein response followed by apoptosis of macrophages. The effect of the Rv0297PGRS domain was found to be TLR4 dependent. This study presents novel insights on the strategies employed by M. tuberculosis to disseminate the disease.

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Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Unfolded Protein Response in Breast Cancer: The Balance between Apoptosis and Autophagy and Its Role in Drug Resistance

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20040857 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 857 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Lorenza Sisinni ◽

Michele Pietrafesa ◽

Silvia Lepore ◽

Francesca Maddalena ◽

Valentina Condelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Er Stress ◽

Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Inflammatory Diseases ◽

Unfolded Protein ◽

Chronic Activation ◽

The Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Protein Response ◽

The Relationship

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a stress response activated by the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and its uncontrolled activation is mechanistically responsible for several human pathologies, including metabolic, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Indeed, ER stress and the downstream UPR activation lead to changes in the levels and activities of key regulators of cell survival and autophagy and this is physiologically finalized to restore metabolic homeostasis with the integration of pro-death or/and pro-survival signals. By contrast, the chronic activation of UPR in cancer cells is widely considered a mechanism of tumor progression. In this review, we focus on the relationship between ER stress, apoptosis, and autophagy in human breast cancer and the interplay between the activation of UPR and resistance to anticancer therapies with the aim to disclose novel therapeutic scenarios. The hypothesis that autophagy and UPR may provide novel molecular targets in human malignancies is discussed.

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Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response in pancreatic islet inflammation

Journal of Molecular Endocrinology ◽

10.1530/jme-15-0306 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. R1-R17 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Kira Meyerovich ◽

Fernanda Ortis ◽

Florent Allagnat ◽

Alessandra K Cardozo

Keyword(s):

Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Er Stress ◽

Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Β Cells ◽

Β Cell ◽

Unfolded Protein ◽

Islet Inflammation ◽

The Unfolded Protein Response ◽

Protein Response

Insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells are extremely dependent on their endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to cope with the oscillatory requirement of secreted insulin to maintain normoglycemia. Insulin translation and folding rely greatly on the unfolded protein response (UPR), an array of three main signaling pathways designed to maintain ER homeostasis and limit ER stress. However, prolonged or excessive UPR activation triggers alternative molecular pathways that can lead to β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis. An increasing number of studies suggest a role of these pro-apoptotic UPR pathways in the downfall of β-cells observed in diabetic patients. Particularly, the past few years highlighted a cross talk between the UPR and inflammation in the context of both type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this article, we describe the recent advances in research regarding the interplay between ER stress, the UPR, and inflammation in the context of β-cell apoptosis leading to diabetes.

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