Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate-rich plasma membrane patches organize active zones of endocytosis and ruffling in cultured adipocytes

Movin' on up: the role of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in cell migration

Cell migration requires the coordination of many biochemical events, including cell-matrix contact turnover and cytoskeletal restructuring. Recent advances further implicate phosphatidylinositol(4,5)-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P(2)] in the control of these events. Many proteins that are crucial to the assembly of the migration machinery are regulated by PtdIns(4,5)P(2). Coordinated synthesis of PtdIns(4,5)P(2) at these sites is dependent on the precise targeting of the type I phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinases (PIPKs). Two PIPKI isoforms target to, and generate, PtdIns(4,5)P(2) at membrane ruffles and focal adhesions during cell migration. Here, we discuss our current understanding of PtdIns(4,5)P(2) in the regulation of cell responses to migratory stimuli and how the migrating cell controls PtdIns(4,5)P(2) availability.

PI 4,5-P2 stimulates glucose transport activity of GLUT4 in the plasma membrane of 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake through GLUT4 plays a pivotal role in maintaining normal blood glucose levels. Glucose transport through GLUT4 requires both GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane and GLUT4 activation at the plasma membrane. Here we report that a cell-permeable phosphoinositide-binding peptide, which induces GLUT4 translocation without activation, sequestered PI 4,5-P2 in the plasma membrane from its binding partners. Restoring PI 4,5-P2 to the plasma membrane after the peptide treatment increased glucose uptake. No additional glucose transporters were recruited to the plasma membrane, suggesting that the increased glucose uptake was attributable to GLUT4 activation. Cells overexpressing phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase treated with the peptide followed by its removal exhibited a higher level of glucose transport than cells stimulated with a submaximal level of insulin. However, only cells treated with submaximal insulin exhibited translocation of the PH-domains of the general receptor for phosphoinositides (GRP1) to the plasma membrane. Thus, PI 4,5-P2, but not PI 3,4,5-P3 converted from PI 4,5-P2, induced GLUT4 activation. Inhibiting F-actin remodeling after the peptide treatment significantly impaired GLUT4 activation induced either by PI 4,5-P2 or by insulin. These results suggest that PI 4,5-P2 in the plasma membrane acts as a second messenger to activate GLUT4, possibly through F-actin remodeling.

Endothelin-1 inhibits adiponectin secretion through a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate/actin-dependent mechanism

Adiponectin is an adipokine with profound insulin-sensitizing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherogenic properties. Plasma levels of adiponectin are reduced in insulin resistant states such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanism(s) by which adiponectin concentrations are decreased during disease development is unclear. Studies have shown that endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasoconstrictor peptide, affects adipocyte glucose metabolism and secretion of adipokines such as leptin, resistin, and adiponectin. The goal of our study was to determine the mechanism by which ET-1 decreases adiponectin secretion. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated for 24h with ET-1 (10nM) and then stimulated with vehicle or insulin (100 nM) for a period of 1-2h. Chronic ET-1 (24h) treatment significantly decreased basal and insulin-stimulated adiponectin secretion by 66% and 47%, respectively. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) hydrolysis by the PLCbeta inhibitor, U73122, or exogenous addition of PIP(2):histone carrier complex (1.25:0.625 microM) ameliorated the decrease in basal and insulin-stimulated adiponectin secretion observed with ET-1. However, treatment with exogenous PIP(2):histone carrier complex and the actin depolymerizing agent latrunculin B (20 microM) did not reverse the ET-1-mediated decrease in adiponectin secretion. In conclusion, we demonstrate that ET-1 inhibits basal and insulin-stimulated adiponectin secretion through PIP(2) modulation of the actin cytoskeleton.

Myo1c binds tightly and specifically to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate

Myosin-I is the single-headed member of the myosin superfamily that associates with acidic phospholipids through its basic tail domain. Membrane association is essential for proper myosin-I localization and function. However, little is known about the physiological relevance of the direct association of myosin-I with phospholipids or about phospholipid headgroup-binding specificity. To better understand the mechanism of myosin-I-membrane association, we measured effective dissociation constants for the binding of a recombinant myo1c tail construct (which includes three IQ domains and bound calmodulins) to large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) composed of phosphatidylcholine and various concentrations of phosphatidylserine (PS) or phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)). We found that the myo1c-tail binds tightly to LUVs containing >60% PS but very weakly to LUVs containing physiological PS concentrations (<40%). The myo1c tail and not the IQ motifs bind tightly to LUVs containing 2% PIP(2). Additionally, we found that the myo1c tail binds to soluble inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate with nearly the same affinity as to PIP(2) in LUVs, suggesting that myo1c binds specifically to the headgroup of PIP(2). We also show that a GFP-myosin-I-tail chimera expressed in epithelial cells is transiently localized to regions known to be enriched in PIP(2). Our results suggest that myo1c does not bind to physiological concentrations of PS but rather binds tightly to PIP(2).

Characterization of the megakaryocyte demarcation membrane system and its role in thrombopoiesis

To produce blood platelets, megakaryocytes elaborate proplatelets, accompanied by expansion of membrane surface area and dramatic cytoskeletal rearrangements. The invaginated demarcation membrane system (DMS), a hallmark of mature cells, has been proposed as the source of proplatelet membranes. By direct visualization of labeled DMS, we demonstrate that this is indeed the case. Late in megakaryocyte ontogeny, the DMS gets loaded with PI-4,5-P(2), a phospholipid that is confined to plasma membranes in other cells. Appearance of PI-4,5-P(2) in the DMS occurs in proximity to PI-5-P-4-kinase alpha (PIP4Kalpha), and short hairpin (sh) RNA-mediated loss of PIP4Kalpha impairs both DMS development and expansion of megakaryocyte size. Thus, PI-4,5-P(2) is a marker and possibly essential component of internal membranes. PI-4,5-P(2) is known to promote actin polymerization by activating Rho-like GTPases and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WASp) family proteins. Indeed, PI-4,5-P(2) in the megakaryocyte DMS associates with filamentous actin. Expression of a dominant-negative N-WASp fragment or pharmacologic inhibition of actin polymerization causes similar arrests in proplatelet formation, acting at a step beyond expansion of the DMS and cell mass. These observations collectively suggest a signaling pathway wherein PI-4,5-P(2) might facilitate DMS development and local assembly of actin fibers in preparation for platelet biogenesis.

Regulation of Kv7 (KCNQ) K+ channel open probability by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate

Voltage-gated Kv7 (KCNQ) channels underlie important K+ currents, including the neuronal M current, and are thought to be sensitive to membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and PIP2 depletion to underlie muscarinic receptor inhibition. We studied regulation of Kv7.2-7.4 channels by PIP2 in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using single-channel and whole-cell patch clamp and biochemical analysis. Maximal open probabilities (Po) of Kv7.2-Kv7.4 homomultimers and of Kv7.2/7.3 heteromultimers were found to be strongly dependent on the [diC8-PIP2] applied to inside-out patches, with differential apparent affinities that correlate with their maximal Po in on-cell mode. Unitary conductance was not affected by PIP2. Raising tonic [PIP2] by coexpression of phosphatidylinositol (4)5-kinase increased the maximal Po of both Kv7.2 and Kv7.2/7.3 channels studied in on-cell patches and increased whole-cell Kv7.2, but not Kv7.3, current amplitudes. In cells coexpressed with muscarinic M1 receptors, bath application of muscarinic agonist reduced the maximal Po of Kv7.2/7.3 channels isolated in on-cell patches. Coexpression of a PIP2 sequestering construct moderately reduced whole-cell Kv7.2/7.3 currents, and coexpression of a construct containing a PIP2 phosphatase nearly abolished them. Finally, biochemical analysis of anionic phospholipids in CHO cells stably expressing M1 receptors shows that PIP2 and PIP are nearly depleted 1 min after muscarinic stimulation, with an unexpected rebound after 10 min. These results strongly support the direct regulation of Kv7 channels by PIP2 and its depletion as the mechanism of muscarinic suppression of M channels. Divergent apparent affinities of Kv7.2-7.4 channels for PIP2 may underlie their highly differential maximal Po observed in cell-attached patches.

Regulation of protein activities by phosphoinositide phosphates

Phosphoinositide phosphates (PIPs) correspond to phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol (PI). Despite their relatively low abundance in the plasma membrane, PIPs play a crucial role as precursors of second messengers and are themselves important signaling and targeting molecules. Indeed, modulation of levels of PIPs affects, for example, cortical actin organization, membrane dynamics, and cell migration. The focus of this review is on selected interesting targets of PIPs. Those proteins that bind PIPs and are involved in regulation of actin assembly, actin membrane linkage, and actin contractility are discussed, as well as those that are involved in signaling, such as small GTPases, protein kinases, and phosphatases, or in regulation of membrane dynamics.

Coincidence detection in phosphoinositide signaling

Phosphoinositide lipids function as both signaling molecules and as compartment-specific localization signals for phosphoinositide-binding proteins. In recent years, both phosphoinositides and phosphoinositide-binding proteins have been reported to display a restricted, rather than a uniform, distribution across intracellular membranes. Here, we examine recent data documenting the restricted distribution of both phosphoinositides and phosphoinositide-binding proteins and examine how phosphoinositide-binding proteins might engage multiple binding partners to achieve these restricted localizations, effectively acting as detectors of coincident localization signals.

Specific translocation of protein kinase Calpha to the plasma membrane requires both Ca2+ and PIP2 recognition by its C2 domain

The C2 domain of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) controls the translocation of this kinase from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane during cytoplasmic Ca2+ signals. The present study uses intracellular coimaging of fluorescent fusion proteins and an in vitro FRET membrane-binding assay to further investigate the nature of this translocation. We find that Ca2+-activated PKCalpha and its isolated C2 domain localize exclusively to the plasma membrane in vivo and that a plasma membrane lipid, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), dramatically enhances the Ca2+-triggered binding of the C2 domain to membranes in vitro. Similarly, a hybrid construct substituting the PKCalpha Ca2+-binding loops (CBLs) and PIP2 binding site (beta-strands 3-4) into a different C2 domain exhibits native Ca2+-triggered targeting to plasma membrane and recognizes PIP2. Conversely, a hybrid containing the CBLs but lacking the PIP2 site translocates primarily to trans-Golgi network (TGN) and fails to recognize PIP2. Similarly, PKCalpha C2 domains possessing mutations in the PIP2 site target primarily to TGN and fail to recognize PIP2. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the CBLs are essential for Ca2+-triggered membrane binding but are not sufficient for specific plasma membrane targeting. Instead, targeting specificity is provided by basic residues on beta-strands 3-4, which bind to plasma membrane PIP2.

Phosphoinositide specificity of and mechanism of lipid domain formation by annexin A2-p11 heterotetramer

Annexin A2 is a phospholipid-binding protein that forms a heterotetramer (annexin II-p11 heterotetramer; A2t) with p11 (S100A10). It has been reported that annexin A2 is involved in binding to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) and in inducing membrane microdomain formation. To understand the mechanisms underlying these findings, we determined the membrane binding properties of annexin A2 wild type and mutants both as monomer and as A2t. Our results from surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that A2t and annexin A2 has modest selectivity for PtdIns(4,5)P2 over other phosphoinositides, which is conferred by conserved basic residues, including Lys279 and Lys281, on the convex surface of annexin A2. Fluorescence microscopy measurements using giant unilamellar vesicles showed that A2t of wild type, but not (K279A)2-(p11)2 or (K281A)2-(p11)2, specifically induced the formation of 1-microm-sized PtdIns(4,5)P2 clusters, which were stabilized by cholesterol. Collectively, these studies elucidate the structural determinant of the PtdIns(4,5)P2 selectivity of A2t and suggest that A2t may be involved in the regulation of PtdIns(4,5)P2 clustering in the cell.

Huntingtin associates with acidic phospholipids at the plasma membrane

We have identified a domain in the N terminus of huntingtin that binds to membranes. A three-dimensional homology model of the structure of the binding domain predicts helical HEAT repeats, which emanate a positive electrostatic potential, consistent with a charge-based mechanism for membrane association. An amphipathic helix capable of inserting into pure lipid bilayers may serve to anchor huntingtin to the membrane. In cells, N-terminal huntingtin fragments targeted to regions of plasma membrane enriched in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, receptor bound-transferrin, and endogenous huntingtin. N-terminal huntingtin fragments with an expanded polyglutamine tract aberrantly localized to intracellular regions instead of plasma membrane. Our data support a new model in which huntingtin directly binds membranes through electrostatic interactions with acidic phospholipids.

Common principles in clathrin-mediated sorting at the Golgi and the plasma membrane

Clathrin-mediated vesicular trafficking events underpin the vectorial transfer of macromolecules between several eukaryotic membrane-bound compartments. Classical models for coat operation, focused principally on interactions between clathrin, the heterotetrameric adaptor complexes, and cargo molecules, fail to account for the full complexity of the coat assembly and sorting process. New data reveal that targeting of clathrin adaptor complexes is generally supported by phosphoinositides, that cargo recognition by heterotetrameric adaptors depends on phosphorylation-driven conformational alterations, and that dedicated clathrin-associated sorting proteins (CLASPs) exist to promote the selective trafficking of specific categories of cargo. A host of accessory factors also participate in coat polymerization events, and the independently folded appendage domains that project off the heterotetrameric adaptor core function as recruitment platforms that appear to oversee assembly operations. It is also now clear that focal polymerization of branched actin microfilaments contributes to clathrin-coated vesicle assembly and movement at both plasma membrane and Golgi sites. This improved appreciation of the complex mechanisms governing clathrin-dependent sorting events reveals several common principles of clathrin operation at the Golgi and the plasma membrane.

Mobility of proteins associated with the plasma membrane by interaction with inositol lipids

Translocation of a protein to the plasma membrane in response to the generation of polyphosphoinositol lipids is believed to be an important component of cellular regulation, in part because it increases the effective concentration of that protein relative to other proteins in the same membrane by restricting it to a two-dimensional space. However, such a concept assumes that, once translocated, a protein retains the free mobility it had in the cytoplasm, and also that the possible existence of partitioned pools of inositol lipids does not restrict its sphere of influence. We have explored by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) the mobility of four green-fluorescent-protein-tagged proteins, GAP1(IP4BP) and GAP1(m), when they are either cytoplasmic or attached to the plasma membrane, and the PH domain of PI-PLCdelta(1) and ICAM as representative of, respectively, another inositol-lipid-anchored protein and a single-transmembrane-span-domain protein. The data from GAP1(m) and the PI-PLCdelta(1) PH domain show that, when proteins associate with inositol lipids in the plasma membrane, they retain a mobility similar to that in the cytoplasm, and probably also similar to the inositol lipid to which they are attached, suggesting a free diffusion within the plane of the membrane. Moreover, this free diffusion is similar whether they are bound to PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) or to PtdIns(4,5)P(2), and no evidence was found by these criteria for restricted pools of PtdIns(4,5)P(2). The mobility of GAP1(IP4BP), which has been reported to associate with PtdIns(4,5)P(2) in the plasma membrane, is much lower, suggesting that it might interact with other cellular components. Moreover, the mobility of GAP1(IP4BP) is not detectably altered by the generation of either of its two potential regulators, Ins(1,3,4,5)P(4) or PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3).

Probing phosphoinositide functions in signaling and membrane trafficking

The inositol phospholipids (PIs) comprise a family of eight species with different combinations of phosphate groups arranged around the inositol ring. PIs are among the most versatile signaling molecules known, with key roles in receptor-mediated signal transduction, actin remodeling and membrane trafficking. Recent studies have identified effector proteins and specific lipid-binding domains through which PIs signal. These lipid-binding domains can be used as probes to further our understanding of the spatial and temporal control of individual PI species. New layers of complexity revealed by the use of such probes include the occurrence of PIs at intracellular locations, the identification of phosphatidylinositol signaling hotspots and the presence of non-membrane pools of PIs in cell nuclei.

PI(4,5)P2-dependent microdomain assemblies capture microtubules to promote and control leading edge motility

The lipid second messenger PI(4,5)P₂ modulates actin dynamics, and its local accumulation at plasmalemmal microdomains (rafts) might mediate regulation of protrusive motility. However, how PI(4,5)P₂-rich rafts regulate surface motility is not well understood. Here, we show that upon signals promoting cell surface motility, PI(4,5)P₂ directs the assembly of dynamic raft-rich plasmalemmal patches, which promote and sustain protrusive motility. The accumulation of PI(4,5)P₂ at rafts, together with Cdc42, promotes patch assembly through N-WASP. The patches exhibit locally regulated PI(4,5)P₂ turnover and reduced diffusion-mediated exchange with their environment. Patches capture microtubules (MTs) through patch IQGAP1, to stabilize MTs at the leading edge. Captured MTs in turn deliver PKA to patches to promote patch clustering through further PI(4,5)P₂ accumulation in response to cAMP. Patch clustering restricts, spatially confines, and polarizes protrusive motility. Thus, PI(4,5)P₂-dependent raft-rich patches enhance local signaling for motility, and their assembly into clusters is regulated through captured MTs and PKA, coupling local regulation of motility to cell polarity, and organization.