Resistance to Dopamine Agonists in Pituitary Tumors: Molecular Mechanisms

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET) are commonly benign tumors accounting for 10-25% of intracranial tumors. Prolactin-secreting adenomas represent the most predominant type of all PitNET and for this subtype of tumors, the medical therapy relies on the use of dopamine agonists (DAs). DAs yield an excellent therapeutic response in reducing tumor size and hormonal secretion targeting the dopamine receptor type 2 (D2DR) whose higher expression in prolactin-secreting adenomas compared to other PitNET is now well established. Moreover, although DAs therapy does not represent the first-line therapy for other PitNET, off-label use of DAs is considered in PitNET expressing D2DR. Nevertheless, DAs primary or secondary resistance, occurring in a subset of patients, may involve several molecular mechanisms, presently not fully elucidated. Dopamine receptors (DRs) expression is a prerequisite for a proper DA function in PitNET and several molecular events may negatively modify DR membrane expression, through the DRs down-regulation and intracellular trafficking, and DR signal transduction pathway. The current mini-review will summarise the presently known molecular events that underpin the unsuccessful therapy with DAs.

Cardiac-targeted PIASy Gene Silencing Mediates deSUMOylation of Caveolin-3 and Prevents Ischemia/reperfusion-induced Nav1.5 Down-regulation and Ventricular Arrhythmias

Background: Abnormal myocardial expression and function of Nav1.5 causes lethal ventricular arrhythmias during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). PIASy mediated Caveolin-3 (Cav-3) SUMO modification affects Cav-3 binding to ligand Nav1.5. PIASy activity is increased after myocardial I/R, whether or not this may be attributable to plasma membrane Nav1.5 downregulation and ventricular arrhythmias remains unclear. Methods: Using recombinant adeno-associated virus subtype 9 (AAV9), rat cardiac PIASy was silenced by intraventricular injection of PIASy shRNA. Two weeks later, the hearts were subjected to I/R, and electrocardiography was performed to assess malignant arrhythmias. Tissues from peri-infarct areas of the left ventricle were collected for molecular biological measurement. Results: We found that PIASy was upregulated by I/R, with increased SUMO2/3 modification of Cav-3, reduced membrane Nav1.5 density, and increased ventricular arrhythmia frequency. These effects were significantly reversed by PIASy silencing. In addition, PIASy silencing enhanced Cav-3 binding to Nav1.5 and prevented I/R-induced Nav1.5 re-localization. Using in vitro models of HEK293T cells and isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), this reserch further confirmed that PIASy promoted Cav-3 modification by SUMO2/3 and Nav1.5/Cav-3 dissociation after H/R. Mutation of the SUMO Consensus Sites Lysine in Cav-3 (K38R or K144R) alters the membrane expression levels of Nav1.5 and Cav-3 before and after H/R in HEK293T cells. Conclusions: I/R-induced cardiac PIASy activation contributes to Cav-3 SUMOylation by SUMO2/3 and dysregulated Nav1.5- related ventricular arrhythmias. Cardiac-targeted PIASy gene silencing mediates deSUMOylation of Cav-3 and prevents I/R-induced Nav1.5 down-regulation and ventricular arrhythmias in rats, identifying PIASy as a potential therapeutic target for relevant life-threatening arrhythmias in patients with ischemic heart diseases.

Hot Spot Mutagenesis Improves the Functional Expression of Unique Mammalian Odorant Receptors

Vertebrate animals detect odors through olfactory receptors (ORs), members of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. Due to the difficulty in the heterologous expression of ORs, studies of their odor molecule recognition mechanisms have progressed poorly. Functional expression of most ORs in heterologous cells requires the co-expression of their chaperone proteins, receptor transporting proteins (RTPs). Yet, some ORs were found to be functionally expressed without the support of RTP (RTP-independent ORs). In this study, we investigated whether amino acid residues highly conserved among RTP-independent ORs improve the functional expression of ORs in heterologous cells. We found that a single amino acid substitution at one of two sites (NBW3.39 and 3.43) in their conserved residues (E and L, respectively) significantly improved the functional expression of ORs in heterologous cells. E3.39 and L3.43 also enhanced the membrane expression of RTP-dependent ORs in the absence of RTP. These changes did not alter the odorant responsiveness of the tested ORs. Our results showed that specific sites within transmembrane domains regulate the membrane expression of some ORs.

Towards Generalizable Predictions for the Effects of Mutations on G-Protein Coupled Receptor Expression

Missense mutations that compromise the plasma membrane expression (PME) of integral membrane proteins (MPs) are the root cause of numerous genetic diseases. Differentiation of this class of mutations from those that specifically modify the activity of the folded protein has proven useful for the development and targeting of precision therapeutics. Nevertheless, it remains challenging to predict the effects of mutations on the stability and/ or expression of MPs. In this work, we utilize deep mutational scanning data to train a series of artificial neural networks to predict the effects of mutations on the PME of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin from structural and/ or evolutionary features. We show that our best performing network, which we term PMEpred, can differentiate pathogenic rhodopsin variants that induce misfolding from those that primarily compromise signaling. This network also generates statistically significant predictions for the effects of mutations on the PME of another GPCR (Beta-2 adrenergic receptor) but not for an unrelated voltage-gated potassium channel (KCNQ1). Notably, our analyses of these networks suggest structural features alone are generally sufficient to recapitulate the observed mutagenic trends. Moreover, our findings imply that networks trained in this manner may be generalizable to proteins that share a common fold. Implications of our findings for the design of mechanistically specific genetic predictors are discussed.

β-Tubulin Isotype, TUBB4B, Regulates The Maintenance of Cancer Stem Cells

Recent advancements in cancer research have shown that cancer stem cell (CSC) niche is a crucial factor modulating tumor progression and treatment outcomes. It sustains CSCs by orchestrated regulation of several cytokines, growth factors, and signaling pathways. Although the features defining adult stem cell niches are well-explored, the CSC niche is poorly characterized. Since membrane trafficking proteins have been shown to be essential for the localization of critical proteins supporting CSCs, we investigated the role of TUBB4B, a probable membrane trafficking protein that was found to be overexpressed in the membranes of stem cell enriched cultures, in sustaining CSCs in oral cancer. Here, we show that the knockdown of TUBB4B downregulates the expression of pluripotency markers, depletes ALDH1A1+ population, decreases in vitro sphere formation, and diminishes the tumor initiation potential in vivo. As TUBB4B is not known to have any role in transcriptional regulation nor cell signaling, we suspected that its membrane trafficking function plays a role in constituting a CSC niche. The pattern of its expression in tissue sections, forming a gradient in and around the CSCs, reinforced the notion. Later, we explored its possible cooperation with a signaling protein, Ephrin-B1, the abrogation of which reduces the self-renewal of oral cancer stem cells. Expression and survival analyses based on the TCGA dataset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) samples indicated that the functional cooperation of TUBB4 and EFNB1 results in a poor prognosis. We also show that TUBB4B and Ephrin-B1 cohabit in the CSC niche. Moreover, depletion of TUBB4B downregulates the membrane expression of Ephrin-B1 and reduces the CSC population. Our results imply that the dynamics of TUBB4B is decisive for the surface localization of proteins, like Ephrin-B1, that sustain CSCs by their concerted signaling.

Rab11-FIP1/RCP Functions as a Major Signalling Hub in the Oncogenic Roles of Mutant p53 in Cancer

Rab11-FIP1 is a Rab effector protein that is involved in endosomal recycling and trafficking of various molecules throughout the endocytic compartments of the cell. The consequence of this can be increased secretion or increased membrane expression of those molecules. In general, expression of Rab11-FIP1 coincides with more tumourigenic and metastatic cell behaviour. Rab11-FIP1 can work in concert with oncogenes such as mutant p53, but has also been speculated to be an oncogene in its own right. In this perspective, we will discuss and speculate upon our observations that mutant p53 promotes Rab11-FIP1 function to not only promote invasive behaviour, but also chemoresistance by regulating a multitude of different proteins.

Manipulations of Glutathione Metabolism Modulate IP3-Mediated Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry on Astroglioma Cell Line

The regulation of the redox status involves the activation of intracellular pathways as Nrf2 which provides hormetic adaptations against oxidative stress in response to environmental stimuli. In the brain, Nrf2 activation upregulates the formation of glutathione (GSH) which is the primary antioxidant system mainly produced by astrocytes. Astrocytes have also been shown to be themselves the target of oxidative stress. However, how changes in the redox status itself could impact the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in astrocytes is not known, although this could be of great help to understand the neuronal damage caused by oxidative stress. Indeed, intracellular Ca2+ changes in astrocytes are crucial for their regulatory actions on neuronal networks. We have manipulated GSH concentration in astroglioma cells with selective inhibitors and activators of the enzymes involved in the GSH cycle and analyzed how this could modify Ca2+ homeostasis. IP3-mediated store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), obtained after store depletion elicited by Gq-linked purinergic P2Y receptors activation, are either sensitized or desensitized, following GSH depletion or increase, respectively. The desensitization may involve decreased expression of the proteins STIM2, Orai1, and Orai3 which support SOCE mechanism. The sensitization process revealed by exposing cells to oxidative stress likely involves the increase in the activity of Calcium Release-Activated Channels (CRAC) and/or in their membrane expression. In addition, we observe that GSH depletion drastically impacts P2Y receptor-mediated changes in membrane currents, as evidenced by large increases in Ca2+-dependent K+ currents. We conclude that changes in the redox status of astrocytes could dramatically modify Ca2+ responses to Gq-linked GPCR activation in both directions, by impacting store-dependent Ca2+-channels, and thus modify cellular excitability under purinergic stimulation.

Study of Protein Targeting and Mislocalization in Rod Photoreceptors

The photoreceptor outer segment (OS) is a highly specialized organelle for light absorption. Precise localization of OS resident proteins is important for photoreceptor function. Molecular mechanisms underlying OS targeting of proteins and their mislocalization, which frequently causes inherited retinal degeneration, have been intensely investigated. Rhodopsin, a major protein of the rod OS, is often mislocalized to the inner segment (IS) plasma membrane of rod photoreceptors in retinal degeneration patients. In the Xenopus laevis model of retinitis pigmentosa, we previously found that Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), a major IS protein, was downregulated. The Imanishi lab recently created a novel retinitis pigmentosa mouse model carrying the Q344ter rhodopsin gene mutation, which causes rhodopsin mislocalization to the rod IS plasma membrane. In this summer program, we examined whether this mouse model also displays reduced NKA expression in the rod IS’s by immunohistochemistry at postnatal day 30. Although NKA was properly localized to the IS plasma membrane, expression of NKA was reduced in mutant photoreceptors compared to wildtype cells. In the rod OS, activation of rhodopsin eventually leads to the closure of the cyclic nucleotide gated (CNG) channel, which consists of a and b subunits. This channel localizes to the OS plasma membrane, and the N-terminal proline-rich region (R) of the b subunit (CNGb1) may be important for its interaction with peripherin (PRPH2), another OS resident protein. Currently, it is not well understood whether this interaction is necessary for the proper localization of CNGb1 to the OS plasma membrane. Using Xenopus as a model, we studied the role of the N-terminal proline-rich region in properly localizing CNGb1 to the OS plasma membrane by generating transgenic CNGb1(DR) tadpoles that expressed CNGb1(DR) in rods under the control of a rhodopsin promoter. We found that CNGb1(DR) properly localized to the OS plasma membrane.

Imaging analysis to quantitate the Interplay of membrane and cytoplasm protein dynamics

Plasma membrane proteins are extremely important in cell signaling and cellular functions. Protein expression and localization alter in response to various signals in a way that is dependent on cell type and niche. Compartmental quantification of the expression of particular proteins is a very useful means of understanding their role in cellular processes. Immunofluorescence staining is frequently used to investigate the distribution of proteins of interest. Here, we present an imaging method for quantifying the membrane to cytoplasm ratio (MCR) of proteins analyzed at single-cell resolution. This technique provides a robust quantification of membrane proteins and contributes new insights into membrane expression dynamics. We have developed a protocol that uses immunostaining to assess protein expression according to the fluorescent cellular distribution and to compute the MCR. The method was applied to measure the MCR of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in response to insulin in 3T3-L1 cells, an in-vitro model for adipocyte function and adipogenesis. The results revealed informative changes in the subcellular localization of GLUT4 following insulin induction. MCR analysis is a powerful imaging tool that can be generally applied to membrane proteins to provide a rapid and efficient quantitative analysis of protein distribution and sub-cellular processes in cells.